Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:
Join us for worship this Sunday as we welcome our former pastor Dr. Larry Selig to the pulpit.
Dr. Selig was a pastor here in the 1980's and 90's and has remained a part of our church family, keeping in touch with members in many ways, including through prayer and leading trips to the Holy Land. Many church members have gone with Larry and his wife, Ida, to Israel, and in November he'll be taking his 20th group there!
I came to MLEPC after Dr. Selig had left, but even so, he has impacted my life. During his time here, Dr. Selig started the "Joy of Sharing Christmas" program which brought thousands through our doors each Christmas season. People still remember us as the church of the "Joy of Sharing Christmas!" That event involved the work of hundreds of church members through the years as rooms were set up to look like scenes from the Bible, and visitors traveled through them. There was a train display and cookies and punch and I remember bringing one of my Cub Scout dens through. Dr. Selig developed a spiritual gift survey that he shared with my husband and me at our former church, Dormont Presbyterian. And in July of 2007, Dr. Selig and I officiated at the funeral of Naoma Hall, an amazing Sunday School teacher who was close to 100 years old.
Bee Williams was Dr. Selig's administrative assistant, and as we worked in the kitchen on Wednesday at Family Fusion, she said Dr. Selig was always a pleasure to work with. However, Bee noted that he had a unique filing system . . . under his desk . . . although he knew where everything was!
One of the programs Dr. Selig brought to MLEPC that is still alive and well today is Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministers attend a 50-hour training program and then use their spiritual gifts, life experience, and training to walk with people who are going through a difficult time in their lives such as a loss, divorce, a health crisis, loneliness or separation from God for any reason. We are blessed to have Dr. Selig here this Sunday to participate in the commissioning of our latest class of Stephen Ministers.
Longtime member Heather Casturo remembered that Larry had always included a sermon outline in the bulletin, so to encourage you to come, included here is his sermon outline. Hope to see you in church as we welcome back a good and faithful friend of MLEPC!
Love, in Christ,
Linda Pokrajac
Sermon Outline
"Five Prayers God Always Answers"
Dr. Larry Selig
In John 15:7-8, Jesus said that if we stay close to Him and His words guide our prayers, God will answer whatever we ask. Jesus' words in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 tell us at least five things we should ask and God will always answer.
1. Heavenly Father, help me to know Who You really are."Our Father in heaven, worthy of praise is Your name". Jesus said that if we really watch Him, we would see His Father, for He and His Father are One. (John 10:30,14:6-9)
2. Father, how can I help You make this world a better place? "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Nehemiah prayed for God's vision before making his request to the King. (Nehemiah 2:12) Prophet Micah shares God's heart for His children: "This is what the Lord requires of us, that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God." (Micah 6:8)
3. Father, show me the difference between my needs and my wants so I can have more to give to others. "Give us today our daily bread." Jesus asks, "Why are we anxious like pagans? Are we not aware that our Heavenly Father knows all our needs?" (Matthew 6:31-33)
4. Father, help me to forgive, so that I can be forgiven. "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us." Jesus reinforces this when He said, "If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
(Matthew 6:14-15)
5. Father, help me resist temptation, either by avoiding it in the first place, or by finding an escape when it stares me right in the face. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Paul gives us hope when he wrote, "There is no temptation facing you that is not also common to what many others face. But just remember that God will never let you down. He will never let you to be pushed past your ability to resist. He is always there to help you overcome." (I Corinthians 10:13) Learn to just say "NO", and turn your eyes toward Jesus.
Jesus says these are all God's will for us.
He will always answer when we pray!
