Church Family,
This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we came across a moment in the early church where it looked like the wheels might be starting to fall off. Paul and Barnabas were preparing to return to the cities where they had previously preached the Gospel to encourage the young churches that had sprouted up. However, the two of them ran into a sharp disagreement over whether or not to bring along Mark, who had traveled with them before but left part way through the journey. It’s not clear if either person was in the right; Paul likely had good reasons for wanting to leave Mark behind and Barnabas just as likely had good reasons for wanting to bring him. What is clear is that neither Paul nor Barnabas was willing to let this disagreement get in the way of their Gospel efforts. Instead, their efforts were doubled as Paul headed out one way and Barnabas took Mark and headed out another way. It’s even possible that this is why Paul recruited Timothy to come with him shortly after. Church family, we are certain to run into disagreements with our Christian brothers and sisters as we live in service to the Lord, but it is vital that we take after the example of Paul and Barnabas. Let us never get caught up in prideful efforts to prove ourselves right but rather focus our efforts on the sending forth of the Gospel.
Church Game Night
We are having a church game night on the evening of Friday, January 31st, from 6:00 to 8:00. Feel free to bring your favorite board games or just show up to play everyone else brings. We have done a few of these game nights now and they are always a fantastic time. Thanks to these game nights, I have personally had the opportunity to throw a plush burrito at Pastor Bryan, and I think that’s an opportunity that everyone at Light in the Desert ought to have. Even if you don’t normally think of yourself as a board game kind of person, you may be surprised to learn a new game you really like and at the very least it’s an invaluable opportunity to spend time together as a church family.
Prospective Members Class
We are having a prospective members class this upcoming Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00. Attending this class is not any sort of a commitment, it is just an opportunity to learn the core convictions of Light in the Desert Church, including a particular belief in the biblical model of church membership. If you have any interest in learning more about LitD, we would strongly encourage you to come to this class. Even if you have not signed up, feel free to just show up on Saturday.
Grace be with you,
Logan Murphy
Pastoral Intern