SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
Accessing God’s power through grace, faith
Youth advocate Schultz to
speak at FUUF Sunday
Noah Schultz, 23, writer,
poet and youth advocate, will
be the speaker at the Florence
Unitarian Universalist Fellow-
ship tomorrow, Aug. 2, at 10
a.m.
Schultz, a resident of Camp
Florence, will recite two of his
poems and talk about his
transformation from a kid
with problems to a young man
who recently graduated from
Oregon State University with
a double major in human
development and sustainabili-
ty.
“Spring into Life” is the
poem that won Schultz first
prize at one of the monthly
Spoken Word Poetry Contests,
being sponsored by Florence
Regional Arts Alliance.
In a very poignant way, he
talks about the struggle to find
love while incarcerated.
Schultz was first introduced to
poetry in a program called
“Write Around Portland”
when he was a resident at
MacLaren Youth Correctional
Facility.
According to Schultz, the
program changed his life.
Now, he teaches a curricu-
lum at MacLaren and other
youth facilities called “Vision
Strategy Action,” which is
designed to change the lives
of youth who have gone down
the wrong path.
The UU Fellowship is at
87738 Highway 101, at
Heceta Beach Road.
For more information, visit
www.florenceuuf.org or call
541-997-2840.
Watch
“In Search of the Lord’s Way”
Sunday, 7:30 AM
KMTR Channel 12
Then visit the
Florence church of Christ
1833 Tamarack
Florence, Oregon
God has a great plan for each
person’s life, and He wants us
to enjoy every day of our lives.
But we can’t do it if we live in
fear and lack confidence.
Confidence is the belief that
you’re able to do what you
need or want to do. God gives
us confidence, but we need to
know how to access it by faith.
God-given confidence is
actually the grace of God. We
usually hear grace defined as
God’s undeserved favor or God
doing something for you that
you don’t deserve.
But it’s really more than that.
It was life-changing for me
to learn that grace is also God’s
power, freely given to me, to
enable me to do with ease what
I could not do on my own with
any amount of struggle or
effort.
Think about this for a
minute. Everyone who accepts
Christ as their Savior is taught
that we’re saved by grace
through faith. Ephesians 2:8
(AMP) says, “For by grace you
have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast.”
But the same way we are
saved is the way we are sup-
posed to live. In other words,
once we are born again, God
wants us to do everything in
life by grace through faith.
This has been one of the
greatest revelations of my life.
I remember how exciting it
was to realize that God is not
just there to help us when we
have an emergency. God wants
to be involved in every single
thing we do on a day-to-day
basis.
There’s nothing you’re
involved in that God doesn’t
care about, and He wants you
to pray and ask Him to help you
with every detail of your life.
He doesn’t want you to live
striving in your own effort to
do anything. God wants to be
your close, personal, intimate
friend.
I was a Christian for years
before I learned how to access
God’s grace, or power, to live
my everyday life.
First, I had to get an under-
standing that once I was saved,
God didn’t expect me to live
right by my own strength. Just
as I couldn’t “earn” salvation
through my own works or
effort, I also couldn’t really
change my heart or behavior in
my own strength.
Jesus says in John 15:4
(NIV), “No branch can bear
and experience the joy and simplicity of
pre-denominational New Testament Worship. (Romans 16:16)
LIKE
BUTTON!
www.churchofchristfl orence.org
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To be included in this directory contact
the Siuslaw News at 997-3441, or drop off
information at 148 Maple St., Old Town, Florence.
J OIN U S I N W ORSHIP
WATCH! 3 ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK
(3ABN) TV UHF Channel 48.
24 hour Christian TV highlights Bible studies of prophecy, inspirational music, health
lectures, healthy cooking and more.
BAY BERRY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
SINGSPIRATION
You are invited to come and sing your favorite old time gospel hymns
Every Friday night at 7pm • Non-denominational
Bay Berry Square; 101 at Sutton Lake Dr. /milepost 185 N.
For more information , please call 541-997-2681
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
4590 Hwy. 101, Across from Fred Meyer –- 997-7418
Sunday School, 9:30a.m. – Worship, 10:45
Wed. Prayer - 6:00 p.m. –Wed. Ministries 1-8 Grade 7 p.m.
CROSS ROAD ASSEMBLY OF GOD
Corner of 10th & Maple –- 997-3533
Bible Study at 9:00 A.M.
Services: Worship, 10:30 A.M.
fl orencecrossroad.org • offi ce@fl orencecrossroad.org
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - SBC
1935 25th St. – 997-7660 • Pastor, Dr. Marvin Owen
Series ‘Through the Bible’ on Wednesdays 6 p.m.
A friendly place to worship, vacationers welcome.
Sun.; 11am & 6pm, Sunday school 9:45am.
FLORENCE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
FLORENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Worship & Kids Sunday School 10:00
located at 2nd & Kingwood (541) 997-6025
“Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”
FOURSQUARE CHURCH
1624 Highway 101 (next to A&W) –- 997-6337
Pastor George Pagel – Something for the entire family.
Sun. Services: 10:45 a.m., Wed. Bible Study 7 p.m. – Youth Group: Sat., 6 p.m.
Website:fl orence4square.com
FLORENCE VINEYARD (GOD’S POWER HOUSE)
2610 Kingwood, Florence • 541-268-2025
Sunday Worship @ 10:00 a.m., experience the Power of the Holy Spirit
Pastors: George & Beverly Sisemore
Intercessory Prayer & Worship, Thursday night @ 5:00 pm
fl orencevineyardchurch.com
NEW LIFE CHURCH-UPC
1525 12th St., Suite 24 •541-991-9398
Sunday Services: 10am and 6pm
Tues. Bible Study 7:00pm
NEW LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH, E.L.C.A.
21st & Spruce Street – 997-8113
Adult Forum 9 a.m. – Sunday School 10:30 a.m.
Worship services; Sun. 10:30am & Wed. 6pm.
Pastor Lori Blake
www.lutheranchurchfl orence.com
2nd & Ivy – 997-2961 –Non-Denominational
Worship Service: 9:00 am & 10:30 am
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE SIUSLAW
Middle School and High School youth groups meet on Wednesday.
Traditional Worship Service 10:00 a.m. , Pastor Steve Knowles
Sunday School and Nursery – Organ and Choir
All Welcome. Come as you are.
3996 N Hwy 101 997-7136
FLORENCE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Pre-Denominational (Romans 16:16)
1833 Tamarack Street (2 blocks east of Hwy. 101 on 18th St.)
Bible Study: Sunday 10 a.m.; Worship: Sunday 11 a.m.
www.churchofchristfl orence.org
RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS)
“War is still not the answer.” FCNL
We worship in homes at 11am Sundays
Call 997-4237 or 902-9511 for locations.
FLORENCE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
12th and Nopal –997-9020
Sunday school for all ages 9:15 a.m. • Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
Youth Group Wed. 7-8:30 p.m.
Sunday School (for all ages) 9:50 a.m.
RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH, L.C.M.S.
Every Sun., Bible Class 9 a.m., Worship Service 10 a.m.
85294 Hwy. 101 S. – 997-8038
DVD of Weekly worship service available.
Dan Wurster, Pastor
FLORENCE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
1318 Rhododendron Dr. –- 997-2523 – Worship at 11:00 AM –- Sunday School
at 9:30 AM – Variety of Sunday evening activities - 5 PM
Wed. Bible & Children classes at 6:00 PM
Call for details.
ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
FLORENCE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
2135 19th St. –- 997-6600
The Rev. Georgia C. DuBose, Vicar
8:30am, Tuesdays, Morning Prayer
Sunday Services: 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. - Wed, 11 a.m.
Everyone Welcome – Come walk our Labyrinth.
4445 Hwy 101 (South of Fred Meyer) – 997-3951
Worship on Saturday 10:30 A.M.
Adult/Children’s Sabbath School 9:15 A.M.
SAINT MARY, OUR LADY OF THE DUNES
CATHOLIC CHURCH
FLORENCE UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP
N.W. Corner of Heceta Beach Road & Hwy. 101
Every Sunday at 10 a.m.
All are welcome. (541) 997-2840
fruit by itself. It must remain
joined to the vine. In the same
way, you can't bear fruit unless
you remain joined to me.”
Every day we need to come
to God and tell Him, “God, I
can do nothing without You.
Nothing in my life is going to
work without You.
Apart from You, there is
nothing good in me. My confi-
dence is in You. I need You all
the time. I believe You and trust
You, Lord.”
When we humble ourselves
before God and ask Him for
help, we can access His grace
through faith.
So to help you do that, I want
to share three things that com-
monly short-circuit our faith,
cutting off our access to God’s
power: complaining, self-pity
and pride.
• Complaining is a negative
attitude that keeps us from
being thankful for all God has
done, is doing and will do. It is
a sin we need to repent of, and
then be determined to thank
God in all things, at all times.
His grace and blessings
always outweigh the things we
think are wrong in our life.
• Self-pity is simply a “poor
me” attitude. It is a form of
idolatry because it causes you
to focus on yourself and think,
“What about me?” But we can’t
be pitiful and powerful at the
same time, so let’s decide to
give up all self-pity.
• Pride takes credit for what
God has done and steals His
glory.
It makes us independent of
God, and we can’t bear good
fruit apart from Christ.
Before I learned how to live
my life by God’s grace, I was a
mess. I was a nagging wife,
manipulative and controlling.
And I wasn’t satisfied living
like that. Then God helped me
by opening my eyes to see that
I couldn’t really change until I
started taking His Word seri-
ously and trusting Him to
change me.
When I made a firm decision
to pray and study the Word in
areas I was weak until the truth
made me strong, then God’s
grace gave me the power I
needed to overcome the things
that were wrong.
And I keep going forward in
my journey with God the same
way today.
God has all the power you
need to do anything you need to
do. He loves you and wants to
give you His power to live your
everyday life with joy.
Lean on Him with absolute
trust in His wisdom and good-
ness, and live with God-given
confidence.
HIT THAT
Bible Study: Sunday, 10:00 am
Worship: Sunday, 11:00 am
Join Us In Worship
4 lines, approx 15 words, $9 a week
4 week Minimum
Deadline 3 p.m. Mondays.
5 A
Masses: Sat. 5:30 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m.
1.5 miles south of river on Hwy 101 – 997-2312
Soup’s On to discuss
what makes us happy
On Monday, Aug. 3, at 6:30
p.m., at 875 Seventh St.,
everyone is invited to join a
group of thinkers, artists, poets
and others who like to dis-
cuss life’s questions.
This week’s topic will be:
“What Makes You Happy...
make a list.”
One Baha’i prayer says; “O
God! Refresh and gladden my
spirit. Purify my heart.
Illumine my powers. I lay all
my affairs in Thy hand. Thou
art my Guide and my Refuge. I
will no longer be sorrowful
and grieved; I will be a happy
and joyful being.”
The evening will begin with
bowls of chicken and spice
soup, fruit, homemade bread
and vegetables, followed by
the evening’s topic until 8:30
p.m.
The gathering will end with
prayers for the requests left in
the Prayer Pole in the garden
of the Florence Playhouse,
along with those shared by the
group.
Florence Christian
Church offering VBS
Florence Christian Church
would like to invite all 4-year-
olds through fifth-graders to
its Everest Vacation Bible
School (VBS), where kids will
learn how to conquer chal-
lenges with God’s mighty
power.
It will take place the week
of Aug. 3 through 7, from 9
a.m. to noon each day.
Kids will learn through
amazing experiments, un-
tamed games, lip-smacking
snacks, surprising Bible
adventures, fun music and a
special mission outreach proj-
ect for the Food Backpacks for
Kids program — which pro-
vides food packs for at-risk
children in the Florence and
Mapleton area.
For more information or to
register, contact the church
office at 541-997-2961 or visit
www.florencechurch.com.
Shorewood to host
open house Aug. 14-15
The Shorewood Retirement
Residence, the only independ-
ent retirement community on
the central Oregon coast, is
hosting an open house on
Friday, Aug. 14, and Saturday,
Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m.
The public is invited to tour
the apartments and meet with
the current residents and find
out more about the exciting
things that go on at The
Shorewood.
The Shorewood is an inde-
pendent retirement community
that caters to people age 58
and older. They promote the
concept that their residents
have the freedom to do just
what they want to, when they
want to do it.
During the two-day event,
there will be coffee and donuts
in the morning, a free luau
lunch buffet, and a raffle draw-
ing each day for prize baskets.
The event will wrap up with
a grand prize drawing for a
free 32” flat screen T.V.
Pamper pooches at LCC
‘Dog Days’ workshop
Join Lane Community
College’s Florence campus
for a three-hour workshop,
“Dog Days of Summer” on
Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 1 to
4 p.m.
Elizabeth Kennedy, CVT,
will discuss nutrition needs,
grooming and healthcare rec-
ommendations that will
enhance your dog’s health
and happiness while provid-
ing insight into some of the
things that might cause unin-
tentional harm.
For fee information on this
class, or to register, contact
the Florence Center at 3149
Oak St., or call 541-997-
8444.