Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
7:00 pm - Schlieder Home
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
In Mark 12:38-44, the religious pretense of the scribes is contrasted with the humble faith of the widow. The former fails to render themselves wholly to God and lapses in their love of neighbor - devouring widow's houses. The latter is exemplary for her total devotion to God, her offering demonstrates that she loves God and counts him as her greatest treasure. Her sacrifice points us forward to Christ's own sacrifice. "For though he was rich, yet for [our] sake he became poor, so that [we] by his poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9). Jesus “gave everything he had” for us - so that we could “live on” eternally with God. Listen to Sunday’s sermon to learn more.
For a second year in a row, we’re bringing an afternoon of food, fun and community to our French Park neighbors. This June, we’re making plans to go into our neighborhood so that we can get to know our neighbors. We’re throwing a party so that our neighbors would catch a glimpse of the joy we have in Jesus. It’s just one way to “paint another blade of grass blue” or to “spend a dollar” of the precious time we have to spread the joy of Jesus. We’ll invite our neighbors to join us for tacos, music, and games so that we can show our neighbors how glad we are to be their neighbors.
More details to come. But for now, mark your calendars for a fun night of summer fun, meeting our neighbors, making new friends, and extending God’s welcome to the people of French Park.
Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend small group this Friday at 7pm in order to encourage one another and be encouraged. To care for others and to be cared for. To point your brothers and sisters to Christ and apply his gospel to their lives, and experience the same.
Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
7:00 pm - Erkelens, Cunningham and Schlieder Home
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
7:00 pm - Houlton Home
Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
For our family of churches to bear much gospel fruit, as Mark Prater reminded us in his second quarter prayer requests, we must continue to abide in Christ, because apart from him we can do nothing. Jesus’ words capture our utter dependence upon him. Without him, we’ve got no hope. But with him, great things can happen!!
One of the ways that we abide dependently on Christ is through prayer. For Jesus says a couple of verses later in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Asking is a practical expression of abiding dependently on Christ, and so here’s how we can be doing that, together as a family of churches, over the next month…
Please continue to pray for the Ark Church in Dnipro, Ukraine asking God to protect them, and to use them to meet practical needs, and to offer gospel hope to people impacted by the way.
Please pray for Bob Kauflin & David Zimmer (Sovereign Grace Music), as they lead a SG Worship Matters Intensive in Sydney, Australia, with 19 guys, men from Japan, Philippines and all over Australia (May 3rd-6th).
Please pray for our two planned Chinese Church Plants for the US (Charleston & Maryland), for grace, provision, and the raising up of two strong church planting teams. If you are Mandarin speaker yourself, maybe the Lord is calling you to be a part of one of these endeavors?
Please pray for Jeff Purswell as he heads to Guadalajara (May 9-11th) to serve at the Mexican Pastors Equipping Retreat.
Please pray for Billy Raies, Steven Avampato, Jeffrey Jo & Pastor Ray as they head to Nepal (May 23-27th) to serve at the NIM Network Conference with our dear friend Barnabas (SG Key Leader in Nepal). Over 400 pastors, wives and missionaries will be present, from 163 different churches. Please pray for grace and wisdom as they speak at this conference, as well as grace and wisdom as they get extended time with Barnabas to think through the next five years of SG Nepal, as we plan together for the future.
Please pray for Ed O’Mara and Rocca Dalia as they look to plant a Sovereign Grace Church in Torino, Italy, later this year. Asking God to provide housing, financial resources, and a Sunday meeting place.
Please pray for Dave Taylor & Riley Spring (SG Australia) as they head to Liberia to serve at the Gracelife Pastors & Planters Academy (May 16-23rd), teaching on SG Church Planting. Please pray for safe travels, and receptive and faith-filled hearts. That the Lord's will may be done in these West African Nations, all for His glorious Name.
Jesus has beaten the Pharisees & Herodians and the Sadducees at their own games, and next comes an encounter with a scribe. Jesus is asked ONE question concerning his interpretation of the Scriptures, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” (12:28). He responds to that ONE question with TWO answers. Surprisingly, the scribe commends and agrees with Jesus’ answer and Jesus replies to him, saying, “you are not far from the kingdom of God”. The scribe had judged Jesus answer, but Jesus, the Lawgiver and the Sovereign Son of God, judged the worthiness of the scribe to enter God’s kingdom. He was near. But … he was not yet in. Why? Listen to Sunday’s sermon to learn more.
Every six months, we hold a brief members meeting after service which usually lasts about 30 minutes. This meeting is mandatory for all members, but guests are welcome as well. This meeting is a time to communicate what we wouldn’t communicate on a typical Sunday morning. We’ll look back on what God has graciously done in the last 6 months in our church and look forward to where we believe God is taking us as a church. Come on June 11th eager to hear what God is up to in our church.
Tonight, the men of our church are gathering together to sit under God’s word and spur on each other’s walk with Christ. All guys, 15 years and older, are invited to participate in a conversation where "men talk like men" about God. The topics are chosen to challenge the group and promote humble theological dialogue. Meets every second Thursday at the 4th Street Market patio at 7:00 pm.
Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
6:30 am - French Park Grass Area
7:00 pm - Fourth Street Market Patio
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
