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Pastor Ryan Potelicki - Itasca

Nehemiah 8:9-18 ESV

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. 13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths[c] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

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Matt shared his testimony with the members and attendees of The Orchard Arlington Heights, and how he has seen God work throughout his life. My name is Matt and I grew up here at this church. I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart on the first day of second grade but I never really thought more about Jesus until my sophomore year of high school when Pastor Brad gave me a book on theology. With that book I grew to understand more of who Jesus is and what he had done. Unfortunately, that only lasted until I went away to college. 
May 16, 2025
Vince shared with the staff at The Orchard Itasca how God has been moving in his life, and how Vince's life has been turned around through faithful obedience. Coming to The Orchard Itasca has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. Pastors Ryan Potelicki and Ryan Coburn have been everything I’ve ever wanted in spiritual leaders and then some! Through them, God has really let Himself be known to me. Having grown up Catholic, becoming an atheist for 10 years, then rediscovering the Lord, the deep-dives into scripture during the sermons have been exactly what I felt was missing in my past. Ever since God led me to those doors on George Street in Itasca back on Mother's Day 2024, I went from reading my Bible because that’s what a “good Christian” is supposed to do, to now looking forward to