Order of Service
10:45 AM |
6:00 PM |
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Hymns:
I Sing the Mighty Power of God (59)
Satisfied (48)
Calvary Covers It All (103)
Special Music:
Paul & Karen Albaugh
Message By: Pastor Norris E. Belcher, Jr.
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Hymns:
At Calvery (114)
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (116)
Send the Light (437)
Offering:
Will Albaugh
Special Music:
Gabriel Kirby
Message By:
Pastor Norris E. Belcher, Jr.
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Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Lee & Joan Dillon at the passing of Joan’s brother, Bill Doney, on Friday, November 14. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, November 25, at 1:00 p.m. at Journey by Grace in Belle Vernon, PA.
SYMPATHY: Mary Ann Albaugh, Kenneth & Reba Burrier, David & Belinda Burrier, Paul & Karen Albaugh, and William & Anne-Marie Albaugh, at the passing of their brother/brother-in-law/uncle, John Burrier, on Sunday, November 16. Visitation will be on Saturday, November 22, at 10:00 a.m., with the funeral service following at 11:00 a.m., at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Middletown, MD.
THANK YOU: I am so grateful to have received so many lovely cards in the mail from Open Door friends who have been praying for my healing after my knee replacement. My recovery is going well. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness! With Love in Christ, Carlene Thomas (Romans 8:28)
CHRISTMAS OUTREACH: Be a blessing to a child whose parent is at the Carroll County Detention Center by choosing a tag from the tree in the foyer to purchase an item. You can also help by donating money toward the cost of Bibles or turkeys that will accompany the gifts.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING: The Church’s annual business meeting will take place on Sunday, December 7, which will be incorporated into the evening service.
DEACONS: Please pick up your packets at the Welcome Desk.
From My Heart
In Psalm 105:1, David said, “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people.” This is Thanksgiving week, and we certainly have much to be thankful for as believers in the Lord. I am thankful for my wife and the fact that she loves me - and I love her! I am thankful for my children, who have been a blessing to me and have made good and wise decisions along the way. I am thankful for my grandchildren! Dr. Hutson used to say all the time, “If I had known grandchildren were gonna be this great, I would have had them first.”
I am also very thankful for the Church of the Open Door. The Lord has blessed my life in so many ways through the ministries, the people, the impact, and the simple joys of being able to pastor this place. I have been so blessed to be able to serve the Lord in this wonderful fellowship of believers. Dr. Hamblin said to me last Sunday evening after church, “If you cannot preach at the Church of the Open Door - God certainly did not call you into the ministry.” He said he always has more freedom and liberty in our church, and no place is like it is here! Praise the Lord, I get to experience this liberty in the pulpit every week.
There is one thing each of us should be filled with thanksgiving for: our wonderful salvation. In Romans 6:23, Paul tells us that our salvation is a “gift of God.” And God’s salvation is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. This salvation gift is free, as it is already paid for by the Lord Jesus, and it is full, and it is forever. You see, God is not finished with this world just yet. Any day now, the Lord Jesus will return in the clouds to call His Church up to meet Him in the air. I am so thankful for the promise that the Lord Jesus is coming again.
Lastly, I am thankful for the Bible, God’s infallible, inspired, Holy Word! The older I get, the more in love with the Bible my heart grows. There is no book like God’s Book. It gives light, life, and helps us in every area of our earthly existence. I want to know it better today than I knew it yesterday. Every morning, I pray for the Holy Spirit to help me understand the Word of God and be able to explain it to you with clarity and understanding.
Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving! Hug your family a little tighter, and make sure to be a thankful person for all God’s many blessings.
Pastor Norris
Hospitalizations
Jon Casamento - Walter Reed
Evelyn Clemons - Johns Hopkins
Frank Elgersma - UMMC 40
Ronald Moreland - CHC 212
Gloria Tiggelaar - CHC G7
Theresa Waston - Lancaster