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hear land connection
Volume 21, Issue 3
March, 2015
D ear friends,
By Pastor George
What crazy weather we seem to have here in Kansas. Just a few weeks ago we had record highs and now
as I write this, bitter cold and snow on the ground. The wind was blowing 60 miles an hour and then it
calms down. And soon it will be back to beautiful, warm, sunny days. March is supposedly the month
of meteorological conflict when the warm air and wind of spring take on the cold and snow in that final
battle with winter. There is usually one last freeze and possibly snow. The skies are dark and cloudy.
Things still look barren while at the same time the flowers are beginning to push up and the trees are
developing their buds. Everything is ready to burst forth in new life.
As much as winter tries to hold on, spring will come. And in Kansas, spring means severe weather.
Thunderstorms, wind, hail and tornadoes all can do great damage. But there is one inescapable fact: No
matter how bad the storms, calm does return.
In our walk with Christ, we will encounter storms. Jesus tells us we will have great storms that attack
us. Listen to the words of our Lord Jesus which conclude the sermon on the Mount:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his
house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that
house, but it did not fall, because it had been built upon the rock.”
Notice that it is not “if” the rain falls or “if” the floods come or “if” the winds blow, but when they do.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that our world is hostile to the gospel of Christ and His people. In
this day and age the rain of slander will fall and the floods of persecution will come and the winds of
hatred will blow and beat on your house and try to destroy it. Only through the power of Jesus Christ
will your house stand because Jesus is the Rock.
It is a great comfort in the midst of our storms to know that we have the One who is in control of all
things, even the weather. In Luke 8:22 Now it came about on one of those days, that He and His
disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” And they
launched out.
23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake, and
they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 And they came to Him and woke Him up, saying,
“Master, Master, we are perishing!” And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves,
and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were
fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the
water, and they obey Him?”
Notice that Jesus said they were going to the other side of the lake, not just to the middle. Notice that
He had a perfect peace and trust in His Father so that He could sleep even in the midst of the storm.
Notice that the disciples forgot both of those and assumed they were perishing. In fact in Mark, they
even accuse Him of not caring about them. Notice that the All-powerful One simply speaks to His
creation and it obeys.
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Heartland Community Church ▪ 457 S. Woodlawn ▪ Wichita KS ▪ 67218
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Jesus has promised us a sure destination. He has said we will be with Him in heaven. He is going to
prepare that place and come back to get us. He didn’t say we would just go part way and perish. He
still has perfect peace and trust and tells us to come to Him to find our rest. His peace He gives to us.
Too often we are like those disciples. When things get tough we doubt that Jesus really cares for us
and assume we are perishing. “Where is your faith?” is the same question He asks us.
Jesus says storms are a great test of faith. If we will trust Him to calm our storms, He will do it. He
simply has to speak into our time of crisis and it will become still. It doesn’t alleviate all of the
consequences. The disciples were still wet and the boat still had water in it, but Jesus got them safely
to the other side.
Many of you are facing very difficult times and the prospect for the near future doesn’t look good.
Lay offs, financial stress, illness, surgeries and difficulties. But what a great opportunity for us to be
the church. What a wonderful time for us as a congregation to care for and love one another very
practically. We may have the privilege of sacrificially giving and providing for our brothers and
sisters who are going through great hardships. How exciting to think we can begin to mirror the
church in Acts. “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one
of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to
them. And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who
were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at
the apostles’ feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need”. (Acts 4:31-35)
Storms are coming but as we experience storms this March, use them to remind yourself of the great
love, care, power and salvation of Jesus. He does care for you!
God is at work. Keep striving towards obedience. You will succeed. God has guaranteed it.
Thanks for your love and support. Thanks for being involved in each other's lives. Thanks for being
faithful to Jesus. Keep finding ways to serve Him here at Heartland. I love you all.
Have a great month.
In the palm of His hand!
Compassion Sunday
April 26, 2015
Heidi Whitman is coordinating an event for Compassion Sunday on April 26th, during the Sunday
School hour. Heidi would like to know the names of all the church members who currently sponsor a
child, so that they can be recognized. She also needs people willing to speak for a few minutes about
their positive experiences sponsoring a Compassion child. Please contact Heidi at
[email protected] or 259-5324.
Upcoming Short Term Mission Trips
March (Spring Break) - Jacob Mathews will be going to Managua, Nicaragua with 14 other
students from Trinity Academy
April 8-15—Sarah Willis will be going to Guatemala with “Joni and Friends”.
June 6-13—Youth from Heartland will be going to Walthill, NE to the Indian Reservation
July 25—Aug 2—Group from Heartland will be going to Costa Rica
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HOW JESUS GIVES YOU PEACE
BY PASTOR RICK FRANKS
One thing I like to do for personal edification is listen to sermons and recently I listened to one by Ligon Duncan on "How Jesus Gives You Peace" from John 14:1, 16:33, 2 Thessalonians 3:16,18. The
sermon can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/l2alvan. I encourage you to take the time to listen to it. The
sermon so resonated with me that I thought I would share my summary of the sermon with you below:
We know that if we are a believer we have peace with God. Our sins have been forgiven and the dividing wall of sin that stands between us and God has been removed by Christ’s sacrifice for us and therefore gives us peace with God (Rom 5:1). However, we also read in 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 the Apostle Paul’s prayer that Christians would have peace. Which raises the question,”Why is Paul praying
this??" If Christians already have peace, then why pray for peace? Because Christians face circumstances in this world that are “peace robbing,” and Paul is very concerned that believers receive all the
subjective encouragement which can possibly be received from the glorious objective things that God
has done for us in Jesus Christ. Paul knows that we need peace in this world of trouble. However this
is not something found only in the New Testament! In Numbers 6:24-26 we read how God commanded Moses to have the priest pray this beautiful blessing on God's people,
The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious
to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.' (Numbers 6:24-26
NAU)
Peace, in this context, is the total well being that comes from God's favor. So how does a believer get
this sense of total well being that comes from God's favor? There are three passages that are very helpful as we consider having peace in the midst of turmoil:
D
" o not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1 NAU)
This is on the night of Jesus' betrayal and His disciples know that He is going away and so Jesus is telling His disciples the remedy to a troubled heart.
" hese things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have
T
tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."(John 16:33 NAU)
Now Jesus tells them why He has been teaching them all these things.
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The
Lord be with you all! 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (2 Thessalonians
3:16,18 NAU)
How do you get peace from Jesus? These passages tell us four ways.
The way we receive peace from Jesus is through faith.
The way we receive peace from Jesus is through truth.
The way we receive peace from Jesus is through presence.
The way we receive peace from Jesus is through grace.
Before looking at these four things, it is important to note that the peace that Paul is talking about in
2 Thessalonians 3:16 comes from Jesus Himself. The phrase "Lord of peace" is a reference to Isaiah
9:6 and the "Prince of Peace" who is Jesus the Messiah. So it is Jesus who wants to give peace to His
people and that peace is a gift from Him. Eastern religions say you can self generate peace through
meditation & body posture. But the Bible tells us that we cannot generate this kind of peace, as it
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comes to us as a gift from Christ. This peace is put within you by Jesus, but it does not come from
within you, it is a gift from the Lord of peace.
Therefore, the way Jesus gives you peace is, first of all, through faith (John 14:1). Interestingly, in
John 13-17 Jesus is preparing to face the cross, but He is not preoccupied with Himself, but rather with
His disciples; we see this in the words of John 14:1. Jesus gives us the remedy for a troubled heart;
"believe in God, believe also in Me." It is through faith in Jesus, trusting in Jesus, that He gives you
peace. Put your hope & confidence in Jesus and you will have peace. Faith is not just something for
the beginning of the Christian life. We walk by faith, not by sight! Jesus says I want you to have
peace in this world of trouble and this is how it starts, by believing in Me.
Secondly, look at John 16:33. Between John 13 to 17, Jesus speaks to His disciples in the upper room
about doctrines such as election and the Trinity. These are not the basics of the Christian Faith; instead
Jesus is dealing with some mind blowing theological topics. And when Jesus wraps it all up in John
16:33, He says to His disciples, "Why have I been teaching you all these things?" So that you would
have peace! What we learn from this is that we get peace from God's truth. Peace not only comes
from faith, but also from the truth of God's Word. As we read the Word and hear it preached from the
pulpit, we listen, not just so that we can learn information, but that we might receive peace. We get
through trials & tribulations as we read & listen to the Word. The Word of God is meant to be peace
generating.
Next look at 2 Thessalonians 3:16. This is a prayer of benediction or blessing on God's people. In this
prayer, Paul prays for God's presence to be with His people. Now this may raise a question in the
minds of some because is not the Lord always with us? The answer is, "yes". It is like peace; we have
peace, yet we still need peace. Likewise, the Lord is with you, and yet Paul prays that the Lord would
be with you. Paul knows how important this is. There was a time in Paul's life in which he was entirely alone. It was when he was giving testimony to the highest court in the Roman Empire. In 2 Timothy
4:16 Paul tells us that he was alone because everyone deserted him. But if you look at verse 17 you see
that Paul was not alone, for he says, "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me...". Paul had
been humanly abandoned by every Christian friend in that moment of great trial, but he was not alone!
Paul tells us here of one of the Christian's great sources of peace; the sense of God's presence
(Immanuel; "God with us!").
Finally, look at 2 Thessalonians 3:18. There can be no peace without God's grace; God's forgiving favor poured out on us, though we are undeserving in the extravagantly expensive gift of His own Son
who died in our place, that we might be forgiven, free, and finally alive. Think for a moment how expensive this free grace is. To you it is given freely. Peace is given to you that you do not deserve.
How is it that God has granted to me, a sinner, that kind of peace through His grace? What was the
cost to me? Nothing! What was the cost to Him? Everything! How does the Prince of Peace give me
that peace? He gave up that peace for me. That peace was His birthright. If ever a being in this universe deserved the favor of God's total well being bestowed upon Him, it was Jesus. And He gave it
up on the cross and cried out, "My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?" So that the resurrected Jesus could give you that peace. It is a very expensive peace. Free to you, very costly to Him.
Do not give God's benedictions (His blessings) a casual glance. God does not give you blessings that
you do not need. We need peace and God pours out His blessing of peace on us. You have peace and
you will have peace, but it is my prayer that you will experience that peace; especially when you need
it the most. The way you will do that is through faith, truth, a sense of His presence, and grace.
In Christ,
Pastor Rick
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Heartland Bookcase Focus
You have probably heard of George Muller, but how much do
you know about him? He had something to do with orphanages, right? Or was he an evangelist? Or did he establish
Christian schools? Something like that, right? Well, he was all three. He established several orphanages and 117 schools. He preached in three languages and
traveled over 200,000 miles (this was before air travel). He was known as a
humble man, and he had great confidence in God’s providence. If you are interested in learning more, we have The Autobiography of George Muller in our
HCC Bookcase at a special price of just $5.00 (it is $8.99 on Amazon).
From the publisher’s web site:
“What can be accomplished in an ordinary man who trusts in an extraordinary God? George Müller
discovered the endless possibilities! These excerpts from his diary allow Müller to tell his own story.
Join him on his journey from a life of sin and rebellion to his glorious conversion. Share his struggles and triumphs as he establishes orphan homes to care for thousands of English children, depending on God’s response to his prayer of faith to supply all things. Müller’s unwavering, childlike dependence upon his heavenly Father will inspire you to confidently trust the God of the impossible in
every area of your life.”
To browse the above book, or many others, please see the Heartland Bookcase in the gathering area.
You will find there a number of books and booklets that may be of interest to you and your family.
To make suggestions, please see either Larry Paarmann or Morten Vigilius.
Youth Happenings!!
Youth Group Mission Trip: The Youth Group will once again be participating in a mission trip to the Omaha Indian Reservation in Walthill, NE. The trip
will take place June 6 – June 13, 2015. If you or your HS age youth (those entering 9th grade in the fall) are interested in learning more about the trip or if you already know you would like to participate in this trip, please let Rachel Bouma
know at [email protected]. Our initial confirmation is due February 1st
High School Ski Trip: The HS Ski Trip will be March 13 – 16 this
year. We will be driving to Winter Park on Friday, March 13 and returning on
Monday. If you are interested in going, please let Rachel Bouma know
[email protected].
Looking Forward on the Calendar
March 1 Membership Class
March 6 & 7 Annual Women’s Retreat
March 13-16 High School Ski Trip
March 13-14 Heartland Presbytery (at Heartland)
March 19 Keely/Layton Bridal Shower
March 23 Fortune/Trembly Bridal Shower
April 26—Compassion Sunday
April 17-18 Men’s Retreat (MorningStar Ranch)
June 6-June 13 Omaha (Youth) Mission Trip
July 25—Aug 2 Costa Rica Mission Trip
Heartland Presbytery
March 13 & 14, 2015
To be hosted by
Heartland Community Church,
Wichita, KS
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Women in the Church
Congratulations to our
Engaged Couples...
David Dirks & Kaitlin Vestal (March 21)
Nathan Franks & Sarah Waalkes (May 22)
Brandon Layton & Sarah Keely (June 5)
Ben Johnson & Elizabeth Franks (June 20)
BJ Brinkman and Miranda Sterling (June 27)
Casey Carmichael and Amy Alexander (June 27)
Grant Trembly & Lynsey Fortune (July 11)
Ben Franks & Cherie Farinola (July 18)
...and Expecting Families
Chris & Hannah Ladehoff (March)
Jens & Jennifer Lukoschat (March)
Dean & Lindsey Flaten (April)
Brian & Ruby Nelson (April)
Stephen & Ashley Granberry (May)
Upcoming Bridal Showers
03/19/15 Sarah Keely
(engaged to Brandon Layton)
7:00 p.m.
Sheryl Jaeger’s Home
4605 N Marblefalls
(620) 874-0680 (for directions)
RSVP: by 3/16 to attend or
contribute to group gift
to Lindsey Compton at
[email protected]
or (616) 334-8516
3/23/15 Lynsey Fortune
(engaged to Grant Trembly)
7:00 p.m.
Vicki Granberry’s Home
6409 E Elm
(316) 683-0336 (for direction)
RSVP: to attend or contribute
to group gift to Ruby Nelson at
[email protected]
or (316) 617-8334.
Meals for New Moms, Illnesses and Bereavements - You may have noticed
that you have started getting emails from SignUp Genius for providing meals and service for
those who need a little extra assistance. We ask that each woman and family consider sharing
a meal with a member in need as they are able. This is a tangible way we can be the hands of
Jesus to each other. If you need help with signing up or are not getting emails from the WIC
Signup Genius, email Ann Harder, [email protected], or Hannah Ladehoff, [email protected].
. Know of an expecting mother or engaged couple?
Let us know at [email protected]
See more info on Women in the Church on the bulletin board west of the women’s restroom!
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March
Birthdays
Nursery Schedule
Date
Sunday School 9:00a.m.
Mar 1
Kathy Caleb Morris/
Hannah Larson
Mar 8
Heidi Whitman/Cynthia Deb, Elizabeth & Jason Johnson
Shelden
Mar 15
Ann Harder/Sylvia Petit
Brinkman Family/Celeste Mathews
10 Cale Ladehoff
Wyatt Sauer
Mar 22
Chris & Kristin Jackson
De Jong Family/Susan Shelden/
Ruth Waalkes
11 Susannah Neblett
Michael Rauch
Amy Wegener
Mar 29 Willis Family
Ralston Family/Kayls Flora
Apr 5
Deb, Elizabeth & Jason Johnson
1
Sara Blackman
Jane Shelden
3
Cynthia Shelden
4
BJ Brinkman
Jeff Dugger
Ralston Family/Kayla Flora
Kathy & Caleb Morris/
Hannah Larson
14 Eric Lamp
Morning Worship 10:35a.m.
Worshipers In Training
16 Isaac McConeghey
John Ralston
Date
Music Leader
Teacher
Helpers
17 Charlotte Gensch
Mar 1
Cynthia Shelden
Cynthia Shelden
Ben Waalkes/
Sarah Franks
18 Dathan Foss
Nancy Huenergardt
Heidi Whitman
Mar 8
Anna
Hetherington
Lois Johnson
Nancy Hansen/
Tim Johnson
19 Gabrielle Phillips
Mar 15
Lauren Johnson
Ruby Nelson
Gabrielle Phillips/
John Hetherington
Mar 22
Rolaine
Hetherington
Rolaine
Hetherington
Hannah Larson/
Daniel Johnson
Mar 29
Kayla Flora
Daphne Phillips
Sally Peterson/
Rebekah Waalkes
22 Jesse Sauer
23 Caleb Schaeffel
Benjamin Vigilius
25 Kevin Jansen
Greg Petit
Nathan Schaeffel
Prayer
26 David Alexander
Brandon Layton
James McConeghey
Lawrence Whitman
Date
Prayer of Confession
Prayer of Thanks/
Supplication
03/01/15
Eric Lamp
Matt Phillips
28 Elias Lukoschat
03/08/15
Ken Larson
Brad Hansen
03/15/15
Brandon Layton
Ron Johnson
03/22/15
Jens Lukoschat
George Bruce
03/29/15
Barry Malcom
Bryan Hanning
04/05/15
Nate Mathews
Stan Shelden
30 Taylor Johnson
Jayden Klassen
Michelle Lamp
J J Lukoschat
Grant Trembly
Greeters:
For March:
Greg and Mary Kahrs
Please arrive at 10:15 a.m.
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