Last Sunday we said goodbye to a family that was with us only 11 months. They pressed in quickly and began sharing their lives with us...and it paid off. Last year they were strangers. This year they are old friends.
Dominic and Ashley shared...
We moved to California knowing nobody, leaving our family and a church we loved deeply. I would be lying if I said it was easy. It wasn't. Yet we will never forget the friends we met here, and we are extremely grateful for how loved we have been by all of you here. Thank you.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge…righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1-9)
Are we ready to start things only God can finish?
Pastoral Resident Dustin Smetona preached last Sunday from Luke 2:22-35 and the encounter Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had with Simeon. He was a man full of the Spirit and waiting for a permanent solution to his present troubles. And He believed the answer was found in a boy named Jesus.
Last Sunday marked the beginning of our Advent Season. This is a time to consider the wonder of the incarnation and hope again for the return of our Savior. Just as the saints of old waited for the Messiah, we are still waiting. Christ will come again.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
"If your Christianity isn't weird, you are doing it wrong."
Our faith hasn't suddenly become embarrassing, it always has been embarrassing. The gospel is foolish according to the standards of logic and common sense. Any respect we gain is but an illusion.
God chose us to prove the world is wrong.
Pastor Eric preached this past Sunday from 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, exhorting us to abandon our efforts to be known as the "cool people." We aren't cool. We are Christians, which is far better than being cool.
Anne begins her new role as an Executive Assistant this week. She shared the following last Sunday...
It is an honor to be your new Executive Assistant. This is a huge deal for our church. We are a small church full of people on tight budgets living in overpriced neighborhoods. The very fact that you are willing to support administrative staff is evidence of God's grace in you.
I want to serve you.
I'm aware that so many of you, including Pastor Mike, work countless as volunteers. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. It humbling to be on staff and I covet your prayers.
I am excited to see God continue His work in and through us this coming year. My responsibilities will focus on serving our leaders and Pastor Eric in particular. I've been asked to help ensure Pastor Eric has the sufficient time and resources to study, teach, lead, care for us, and equip us for ministry.
I believe God is using our church and has shown us great favor. His generosity and sovereignty are on display in this moment in our young church’s history. He is using your giving to equip and support our pastors. I want to glorify Him with you, as together we all lay down our lives for Him.
Pray for me.
I will need God's help. You know that I love you. Thank you for being such a beautiful expression of the body of Christ.