Notes from Sunday Worship

Sunday, June 9 – Teacher Dustan Rohrer

Sunday school – Jesus Seals the New Covenant – Mark 15:6-15, 26, 33-39.

Dustan titled the lesson, The Greatness of God.

Would I have been like Peter – denying Jesus or would I have been like John – standing with his Mother?

At the cross: Some came to watch. Some came to mock Jesus. Mary was there because she loved Him.

Truths of the Cross – the altar that God chose for His Son.

  1. A forsaken place. There is nothing glorious about the cross.
  2. A dividing place. The veil of the temple was rent in two. It was a separation from the old and new covenant.
  3. A saving place. Jesus prayed for you while He was dying. The entire invoice for our debt of sin was paid on the day Jesus died.

Jesus left a legacy of faith to us – His followers. Because of the cross there is hope beyond the grave. The grave is the great equalizer: rich and poor, kings and homeless – all die.

Jesus isn’t asking us to stand near the cross. He is asking us to take up our cross and surrender our life to Him.

Church – Minister: Ron Copenhaver

Subject – Graduation. Scripture – Daniel 1:1-21

How will you carry godly values into your life?

Daniel and the three Hebrew children were dropped off in Babylon – a strange and pagan land. Graduates, in a way, you are being dropped off in a strange, pagan land.

The enemy is subtle. Satan makes his work look like the work of God.

  1. Be vigilant. Follow God’s Word. Read it. Study it. Obey it.
  2. Value each other. Value each other’s gifts.
  3. We each live in the kingdom of this world. A world filled with pagan values.

A current issue in our pagan world is undermining the authority of the Bible.

There is a popular teaching that says it is more important to follow “The spirit” than to follow the Bible.

This teaching claims:

  • Following the spirit instead of the Bible makes you more spiritual.
  • You will be more spiritual if you follow Jesus without following the Bible.
  • Getting a message from the spirit is more important than the message of the Bible.

God’s Word is powerful. No wonder the deceiver is diminishing the Bible. Satan, wants us to hold a low view of the Bible.

Go into the world – your Babylon – in faith, following God’s Word.

Ryan Bruckhart – Youth Leader – read part of Psalm 139 – reminding each one that God knows everything about them. Take God’s hand as you move into the next stage of your life.

High School graduates were honored individually with a concordance or study Bible of their choice.

  • Lamar Alwine – Ephrata Mennonite School
  • Dawn Cassel – Ephrata Mennonite School
  • Detrick Copenhaver – New Covenant Christian School
  • Lauren Fahnestock – Ephrata Mennonite School
  • Logan Fahnestock – Homeschool
  • Brandon Heisey – Homeschool
  • Jeremy Litzenberger – Susquehanna Valley Homeschool Diploma Program
  • Conner Minnich – Warwick High School
  • Christina Patches – Ephrata Mennonite School
  • Seth Patches – Terre Hill Mennonite School
  • Greta Shenk – Homeschool
  • Ashton Zimmerman – Ephrata Mennonite School
  • College Graduates
  • Lindsey Miller – PA College of Health Sciences
  • Levi Roop – Cairn University with a Master’s degree in Counseling.

Each graduate was invited to the front of the sanctuary where they were joined by friends and family for a prayer of commissioning at they go out into their world – maybe a strange and pagan world.