Rooted and Grounded in Christ

Are you a simply a believer, or are you "rooted and grounded"? Pastor Petteys explains what it takes to be a believer that is truly rooted and grounded Christ.

Sunday Service July 29th.

Speaker: Wade Petteys

Date: July 29, 2007

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The Power Of His Word

Dust off your bibles and go with me on a journey in His Word. I will be commenting on the books we read together and look forward to what the Lord is showing you along the way . Just so you know, any comment you make may end up in my next sermon. I’ll be reading from the translation "The Message".  The first book is Proverbs…

-Pastor

Now hear this!

Aunt Margaret couldn’t believe the face staring back at her in the newspaper.

There in her Roman Catholic newspaper amongst articles about the pope and the Latin mass was a photograph of her nephew, Wade, a Pentecostal preacher.

Margaret, an Irish Catholic who now lives in Florida, continues to subscribe to The Evangelist, the bi-monthly newspaper of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. On seeing the photograph of Pastor Petteys preaching during Corinth’s recent tent revival, she immediately picked up the phone to call her sister (Pastor’s mom).

The conversation went a little something like this:

Aunt Margaret: “Guess who is in The Evangelist lifting his arms?”

Pastor’s mom: “Who?”

Aunt: “WADE!”

Mom: “Noooooooo.”

Yes folks, the ripples of Pastor’s debut are still being felt, even as far south as Florida.

The photograph, which appears on page 8 of the July 12 issue, is joined by a picture of our very own Joel Byron. The caption reads: “Christians in Corinth gathered under one tent recently for a five-night, ecumenical prayer service, an extension of joint prayer gatherings they have held for more than a year.”

– Martha

Culivating Spiritual Life

Without comparing notes prior to service on 7/22, both Bro. Wade Petteys and Bro Dewaine Parker spoke on caring for our spiritual man.  Both used the analogy of our caring for our spirit as it relates to caring for a garden.

Worship Service on July 22nd, 2007.  Also listen to Bro. Parkers Sunday School teaching here.

Speaker: Wade Petteys

Date: July 22, 2007

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Tending Your Spiritual Garden

Just like a garden we must be always be mindful to care for our spirit.  Weeds will grow with no effort at all, but it takes work to keep our spiritual lives looking beautiful.

Adult Sunday school on July 22nd, 2007

Speaker: Dewaine Parker

Date: July 22, 2007

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Bouncing Down Memory Lane

When Dan and Martha invited me to contribute to Gateway’s blog page, I wondered if my husband would realize I have now been given something like equal time. Since I’m here, it seems pretty evident he didn’t.

Sunday morning’s message took me back in time, to 1985, to be exact. We had just arrived from California in what we hoped was obedience to God’s plan for our collective life. We had lived in a converted chicken coop (I am not kidding. For $160 a month and in Southern California what more could one expect?) and then we had lived in, and had oversight over, a kind of halfway house for teens, former pastors, prison parolees, basically anyone who was seeking to become either spiritually or financially established within our home church. This was all in God’s plan, because when I married my husband, I felt more than a little unwilling to make Upstate NY my home. After living in the places provided for us in California, I found myself pretty willing to give just about any other place a chance.

So, we arrived in Gansevoort with a small trailer full of belongings and a 65 Chevy that had received two good dings in each side near each headlight, obtained when they banged into the above trailer anytime we turned into a filling/draining station. I loved our old "black-eyed" Chevy. We’d purchased it from a little old lady from Pasadena (this is the honest truth) and the car, nearly 20 years old, was under $30,000 miles worn and cute as a button. Only it was rear-wheel drive. The first year we lived here, it took me for the ride of my life across an icy Northway bridge. Not bad for an old-timer.

That’s why the International Scout my father-in-law gave us was such a blessing. It was a huge, ancient thing, with a squeak that sounded like birds chirping but that was OK. It had the four-wheel drive mechanism that kept me firmly on the ground. It was a demanding friend, though, in that we had to make frequent gasoline stops. It guzzled the stuff. It drank so much it had two tanks. I think it drank from both at the same time.

So, this morning when my husband mentioned the Scout along with the statement that he didn’t know if I’d resented it (hey, I’m the girl who lived in the chicken coop and crazy house with him, and probably would have been happy living in a ditch, so long as we were together, so what was a turkey of a truck that thought it was a sparrow?). But I asked myself if I had resented it.

You know what I discovered? I love the memories of that truck. I am reminded of God’s provision and sweet faithfulness. Here’s what happened:

We were heading off on one of our rambles in said truck, and being very, very low on fuel, we were, as usual, headed for the Stewart’s gas pumps when, right about Thomas Road, the truck stopped chirping and began wheezing. Serious wheezing. Like, there were no more fumes rich enough to run on. This wasn’t like my little VW had been. There would be no pushing this monster. I started to pray.

And you know what? That truck rolled, silently rolled, down and past Thomas Road, past the railroad tracks, through the intersection and stopped, very obediently, in front of the nearest pump. It seemed that God had heard my prayer and for the last ½ mile our angel had gotten out and pushed. It was just that remarkable. That’s what I’ll always remember about the Scout. While many of our friends were striving for big financial gain, which labor I can respect and appreciate, Wade was possessed of a different calling. I’ve never resented that. And I’ll never resent one moment we spent bouncing down the road in that singing Scout, either. There was a lot of joy, there.

-Jean

Why we MUST worship in spirit and truth

The Bible says in John 4:24 " God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth".  What does it mean to worship in "spirit and truth"?

Adult Sunday school on July 15th, 2007

Speaker: Wade Petteys

Date: July 15, 2007

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Vacation Bible School – 2007

Where is Your Treasure

Super Sunday recording July 8th, 2007

Speaker: Wade Petteys

Date: July 8, 2007

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Save the date

Plans are under way for Gateway’s 2^nd Annual Community Fun Day. We hope the event, which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8, will be as successful as last year. The day will feature plenty of food (dessert this year will be hot fudge sundaes!), a bounce house, dunking booth, snow cones, games, music and much more.

To make the day a success, we need you. We will again be looking for Gateway members willing to donate a portion of their time to run the various attractions.

The event is a great way to show the community our church, so start thinking of who you’d like to invite to this day of fun and fellowship.

Also, if you’d like to help beyond just donating your time during the day of the event, please get in touch with me. A few extra hands would be nice.

Keep an eye out for sign-up sheets on the bulletin board.

– Martha

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