The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were constantly questioning Jesus’ authority. They regularly attempted to stump Jesus, and Jesus often replied to their hostile questions with a penetrating insight and exposure of their hearts. Last Sunday, Tim Owens, a guest speaker from our sister church in Pasadena, looked at one such example from Mark 11:27-12:12. Tim showed us how the unveiling of Jesus’ identity exposes every heart and demands a response.
We could give you a long list of reasons about why you should come to Celebration. Instead of hearing it from us, we want you to hear what the church has to say. That said, you’ll find the Sohie’s testimony below. If you’re on the fence, take a moment and read it. It’s more than a simple retreat. It’s meant to change your heart, encourage your soul, and make friends. It all starts September 30th through October 2nd in Idyllwild, CA. Details and registration below. Contact Melissa with any questions.
DYLAN: When we first learned about Celebration CA last year, we were so excited. We couldn’t wait to experience this with our then 1 year old daughter and our church family.
But excitement was met with challenges. We almost didn’t go last year. Christy was pregnant with our second baby and due in less than a month, and we were planning on a homebirth. It was busy season for me at work, meaning I would kind of have to go AWOL and make up my hours earlier in the week. COVID was still a big concern. Let’s just say the prep and planning for this event made it feel less like a “retreat” and more like another thing.
But we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to learn and fellowship with our Church family. We aren’t big risk takers, but here we decided to trust the Lord, and we are so glad we did. So I took a day off, we packed up our car with homebirth supplies, researched some hospitals along the route, and believed in the Lord’s provision.
Not only was the teaching at Celebration filled with encouraging and timely reminders and exhortations from the Book of Jonah that continue to spur us on to trust in the Lord through all circumstances today, but gathering with the California Sovereign Grace churches felt like a huge family reunion as we rejoiced in worship and fellowship together.
CHRISTY: One of the biggest challenges was being away from home with a toddler. If you’re a parent to young kids or have been a parent to young kids, you know how much they benefit from routines. Traveling to a new location where everything was different made it so our toddler desired a bit more care and snuggles than normal. We anticipated this going into the weekend and planned accordingly. We brought snacks (because toddlers never refuse those, right?), our baby carrier, and the expectation that if things didn’t go as planned or we only heard bits and pieces of the sessions, we’d trust that those were the bits the Lord wanted us to hear and our time with God’s people would still be a blessing. And you know what? We used all three of these things and our time at Celebration was 100% a blessing. A year later, the bits and pieces of the sessions that did stand out to us are still truths that our hearts are able to meditate on and our time with our church friends left us refreshed and eager to spread the Good News to our community all the more.
DYLAN: So, in summary, the air is thin, the mattresses are thinner, your kids will be cranky, but at least the food is bad! And you should do everything you can to go. In-n-out and a comfortable bed will be there when you get back, but this really is a unique opportunity to make memories, build relationally, and be built up yourself. You may feel uncomfortable, but you will go down the mountain with a happy soul. So come!
Do you ever have questions about the Holy Spirit? What does it do to us? How does it help us? For many, the Holy Spirit is clouded in mystery, but this shouldn’t be the case. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is vital to our faith, so we need to understand it. That’s why we’re bringing in an expert.
Mark your calendars for September 12th at 7pm. Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology for Sovereign Grace Churches, will be teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, drawing from our revised Statement of Faith. You’d have a hard time finding a teacher better than Jeff. You don’t want to miss it. All are welcome. You can find all the details here.
God promises to supply every one of our needs (Phil 4:19). It may not always be what we expect, but it is always what we need. An excellent example of God’s provision was announced last Sunday—we signed a 5 year contract to remain at the Women’s Club! God has been so good to our church family, and he continues to do good things. So, let’s respond in at least two ways. First, praise God for his faithfulness! This is a great, practical reminder that God is active in our church, and we want to humbly thank him for a place to meet in Old Towne. Second, learn to trust God to take care of you too! This is just one of the many ways God reminds us not to worry, to trust him, and watch him work (Matt 6:30-33). Truly, he is faithful.
Don’t forget to sign up for our Men’s and Women’s Bible Reading Challenges! This time we’re going through the entire Bible—but don’t be intimidated! Bible reading works best when you have a plan and a community, so you’ll have plenty of help and encouragement along the way. Sign-ups for the Men’s and Women’s Challenges are below.
Women
Ladies, it all begins tomorrow with the Celebration and Kick Off Event. You’ll be using the “To the Word” reading plan. The reading officially begins September 5th. If you’d like to join or have any questions, contact Kirsi.
Men
Fellas, you will be using the “Read Through the Bible Plan” by YouVersion. You can sign-up using this form. Once you do, we’ll email you the details. It all begins September 5th.
It’s getting hot, and it looks like it’s only getting hotter as Sunday approaches. That said, we will not be having our regular Grove classes outside. The excessive heat is pushing us indoors. This means that we will only be offering one children’s ministry class this Sunday. We will have children’s ministry for ages 0-5 yrs in the Women’s Club. We’ll also have some special activities for the older kids during the service. You can grab those as you come in the main doors.
We’re giving Pastor Mike a break for the month of September. We do this every year. He works hard to serve and care for our members—all while working a full-time job! That’s how much he loves this church. It’s our joy to give him time to rest. What does this mean for you? We ask that you pray for Mike and his family. Start by thanking God for giving us Mike and for all the grace in his life. Ask God to encourage him, refresh him, and bless his time with his family. There’s no official rules here, but we ask that you do your best to let them rest. If you need a pastor, you can always contact Dustin, Eric, or the church office.
Mark your calendars for September 12th at 7pm. This is an event you don’t want to miss. Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology for Sovereign Grace Churches, will be teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, drawing from our revised Statement of Faith. We’ll focus on our continuationist convictions and what they mean for us. This is a great opportunity to hear from an experienced scholar about a vital aspect of our faith. All are welcome. You can find all the details here.