August 21- 27, 2010
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The Great Turnaround “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” (Psalm 42:5, 11). “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3a).
A lady who doesn’t attend The Orchard and whose name I didn’t even know knocked on my office door on Tuesday asking permission to speak. She said she felt compelled to give me one word for the Orchard. With tears pooling in her eyes and a slight tremor of hand, she spoke her one word with authority – “TURNAROUND.” She departed as quickly as she came after leaving a great gift of hope. Pausing to ponder, my heart traveled to King David’s message in Psalm 23 to all of God’s sheep who need restoration. Sometimes we can be like cast down sheep. A cast down sheep is a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself. This is how it happens. A sheep is always looking for a comfortable spot on the ground to stretch out when suddenly its center of gravity shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that its feet no longer touch the ground. As it begins to panic, and paw frantically to get upright, it rolls over even further and becomes stuck going nowhere (do you ever feel like the harder you try the worse it gets?). As gases build up in its stomach and the weather beats down on its head, it runs the risk of dying unless someone finds it and turns it around right side up! We have all felt the reality of being upside down. If we are not careful we can lose hope when we feel stuck. We must always remember that “there are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly.” King David reminds us to have hope because we have a seeking, finding, and restoring Shepherd who comes along to lift us up and set us on our feet again at just the right time. He restores us. The Hebrew actually says, “He makes my soul come back!” We must not surrender to defeat. We must think and trust for a “TURNAROUND!” We must challenge our hopelessness regularly, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5, 11). In Praise to the Great Shepherd and Savior of our Souls,
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Sunday – Pray for the Warth's - Laura, Leah and David. Monday – Pray for Patti Watkins and John Dylan Jervis. Tuesday – Pray for the Weekly's - Tim and Mary. Wednesday – Pray for the Whitey's - Tim and Carol. Thursday – Pray for Lindsey Wolford. Friday – Pray for Benjamin Womer. Saturday – Pray for George Wong.
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Weekly Need: $5,386
All contributions given to The Orchard Church will be used exclusively for charitable purposes in accordance with laws governing a tax-exempt organization organized under state law provisions and that of the Internal Revenue Code. In keeping with the foregoing commitment, we reserve the right to distribute all funds contributed to the area of greatest need. |
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The Orchard Church and AutoWash Express in Cool Springs and Spring Hill are again the designated official collection site for a project known as Shoes for Orphan Souls (SOS). WFCM Radio (91.7 FM) and Buckner Orphan Care International have collected over 1.8 million pairs of shoes and delivered them to orphaned children in over 62 countries around the world. Last year the Orchard Church and AutoWash Express customers collected 136 pairs of new shoes and 102 pairs of socks which were distributed to needy children and teens in third-world countries. This year Buckner distributed over 50,000 pairs of new shoes to children in Haiti and another shipment of 12,000 is on the way. New shoes are GOOD for the SOUL...yours and theirs. Donate new shoes and make life better for orphans and at-risk children throughout the world.
Wednesday Night Small Group and Dinner Beginning Wednesday, September 8 we will be having catered dinner and small group opportunities each Wednesday evening for the whole family. Dinner will be $5 for adults/youth and $3 for children 11 and under with a $20 family maximum. Start planning now to spend your Wednesday nights with your church family. What better place to feed your body and your soul. This week you will have the opportunity to place your family on a "permanent reservation list" so that you will not have to sign up to eat dinner each week. If you will not be able to come on a particular week you will just need to cancel your reservation for that week. If you prefer not to be on the permanent list you may make respervations each Sunday. We do ask that if you have reservations and are not able to eat that you pay for the meal as the church will be responsibiile to pay for the number of reservations made. Congregational Meeting Our next Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, August 29 at 9:30 am. (during Acts 2:42). Please make plans now to be in attendance at this meeting.
Dates at a Glance Mark your calendars for the following events: Aug. 22 - Shoes for Orphan Souls collection Sept. 8 - Wednesday Night Program begins
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Inviting lost and hurting people to receive New Life and Healing!
