Church Family,
Reading God’s Word is one of the most fruitful things we can do as Christians. So, it makes sense that during the Sunday Gathering, we would read God’s word, sing God’s word, pray God’s word, and preach God’s word. As we faithfully dive into various books of the bible on Sunday mornings to unearth timeless truths, we will inevitably arrive at tough passages. I say tough, but let’s understand, it’s only tough for us, not God, and often it’s because of our own sinful tendencies that blind us from the wisdom of God. This past Sunday brought us to a passage of scripture that has gained lots of attention over the years. This is because it discusses distinctions between males and females in the life of the church. These distinctions, roles, do not diminish the worth and value of a female or a male, it highlights the uniqueness and celebrates the glory seen in the differences. It also clarifies that when we go against God’s design, it will become a major distraction in our lives together and keep us from human flourishing (to borrow a popular term in recent discussions). We only flourish when we live according to God’s good design. His wisdom is always greater than ours, so our attitude towards the opposite sex should not be an “anything you can do I can do better” attitude, but rather an “anything God says is better” attitude.
Get the Vision
This past Sunday, we gathered at our first Get the Vision meeting for the fall to discuss upcoming changes we will pursue in the coming months. It was an exciting time to celebrate God’s faithfulness in sustaining us and helping us grow in spiritual maturity. We shared that we will take significant steps this fall to move towards a plurality of Elders. If you missed that meeting and would like to hear the portion discussing those steps, let me know. We recorded what was shared and would be happy to send a link for you to watch. Would you join us in prayer as we become more obedient to scripture in biblically structuring our leadership?
ESOL
One of our convictions here at Light in the Desert Church is outward-focused. As the gospel increasingly changes us, we strive to impact the world around us and share the hope of Jesus that we so desperately depend on to all peoples. We yearn to engage people in spiritual conversations, demonstrate the love of Christ through acts of mercy, and live in such a way that God will draw people to salvation through our words and deeds. We will leverage all we have to accomplish our mission, and ESOL is a way we will try this fall. Contact Kris Barber or Priscilla Holcomb for more details on how to get involved.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan