Church Family,

I do hope your week has been full of joy as you reflect upon the grace and mercy of God.  This past Sunday, we considered God’s providence.  One cannot read Genesis without seeing God’s hand involved at every turn.  Despite the difficulties caused by humans, he remained faithful to his promises by being intimately involved providentially.  It’s precisely God’s providential care that moves redemptive history down the corridors of time.  Let us not think that He only did that then; He continues and will always continue to move.  God was, is, and will be sovereign, so therefore He did, does, and will act providentially in the world to do what is best!  Take some time to consider His providential care over you throughout the years (Psalms 44).

Let Us Pray!

This week’s link for our prayer gathering is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89633986422.  We will start at 6:30 pm.  Our time together will not only consist of prayer but scripture reading as well.  Do try to carve out some time to join us!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

I hope you all are doing well and find yourself overwhelmed with God’s faithfulness.  The faithfulness of the Lord has permeated the first 12 chapters of Genesis and will continue to be a theme throughout.  Despite humanity’s open rebellion and their disunity, the Lord shows up, again and again, to remain faithful to His promises.  We saw this past Sunday the Lord doing just that, moving his blessing down throughout history.  Abram becomes the recipient of God’s blessing that will eventually be a blessing for all families of the earth (Gen 12:3).  This blessing finds its greatest fulfillment in Christ (Gal 3:8-9).  We become a part of that blessing, of being an offspring of Abraham (Gal 3:29),  when we, in faith like Abram, trust Christ for our salvation. Rejoice, Brothers and Sisters, God is faithful!

Let Us Pray

This Wednesday, at 6:30 pm, we will gather on zoom to spend time in prayer.  Click this link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89104732757.  See you then, and like I said last week, come with an expectant heart that the Lord indeed will hear and respond.

Statements

Many of you, despite the uncertainty of 2020, faithfully gave to Light in the Desert Church this past year.  The Leadership Team and I want to say thank you for your generosity.  It was a tough year and your faithful giving brought encouragement as we sought the Lord’s wisdom.  Our bookkeeper is finalizing all the statements and you should receive an email in the coming weeks with a link to your statement.  In the meantime, please ensure we have your correct email.  Feel free to email financial@litdbaptist.org with any questions.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

I’m often surprised, encouraged, grateful, and a host of other things at how the Lord prepares us for tough times.  We pray and prep months ahead of time for each Sunday Gathering.  Without fail, the Lord provides us with timely scriptures that give us sound guidance as we face hard times.  This past Sunday was a perfect text for us to consider in our series on Genesis.  It had so much to offer us in this season of such divide and disunity.  It called us back to where true unity is found. It reminded us of the devastating result of sin in alienating humanity.  It confronted our tendency to believe theories and lies more than God’s Word.  Though earthly kingdoms come and go, the Kingdom of God remains!  Let us not find our identity in earthly kingdoms, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil 3:20-21).

Let Us Pray!

This Wednesday at 6:30 pm, we will gather in Zoom to spend time in prayer.  Here is the link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85808896678).  See you this Wednesday and come with an expectant heart that the Lord does hear and will respond!

Church Family,

What a great first Sunday of 2021 as we dove back into Genesis!  I cannot think of a better way to begin our year together than singing God’s Word, praying God’s Word, reading God’s Word, and preaching God’s Word.  These are the things that will sustain us in the coming months as the long-term effects of 2020 become more obvious.  Genesis has provided us with so much to consider in terms of who we are, how the world works, the devastating effects of sin, and, more importantly, the Grace of God in His faithfulness.  This book has served us well and will continue to encourage us in the coming months.  Hang in there, Church Family, because God is more than faithful!

Lottie Moon

This is just a reminder that we will continue to receive giving towards Lottie Moon until the end of January.  Click here to give.

Desert Kids

The Leadership Team and I want to thank all the parents for your patience and support as we try to navigate what is best to ensure everyone’s safety.  With the surge of COVID numbers, we will wait two more weeks before starting Desert Kids.  Our tentative start date will be January 24 for 0-5-year-olds.

Bible Reading

One of our convictions here at Light in the Desert Church is that we are a people who are Bible-Believing.  Scripture is our authoritative guide for all we believe and do. It is the centerpiece of all our gatherings and drives our life together. Because of this core value, we make it a regular habit to teach through books of the Bible during our Sunday gathering and heavily encourage 1-1 Bible reading.  With the new year upon us, let me encourage you to pick a Bible reading plan (click here), then grab a faithful brother or sister, and read through the Bible during 2021.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

During this Advent season, we reflected on the first coming of Christ when He took flesh, but let us not soon forget that His first appearing creates a longing for His second appearing (Titus 2:11-15).  This past Sunday, we were encouraged from Scripture to rest not only in the finished work of Christ accomplished in His first appearing but also in His second appearing when He comes in glory!  Holiness and hope are intrinsically linked to Christ’s return.  In 2021, we must be a people who rest in Christ for our holiness and our unshakable hope.  Join with me in praying that God would take the next 12 months and form us into a people who pursue Him with passion and who have a joyous hope rooted in Christ.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good” (Gal 6:9).

Desert Kids

This is just a reminder that we will not have Desert Kids this coming Sunday.  We feel it is best to let the holidays settle down, and it gives us some time to finalize plans for the upcoming year.  Parents, thanks for your patience and continued support during this time.

Bible Reading

The beginning of a new year is always a perfect opportunity to set a goal of reading through the entire bible in the coming year.  This is a worthy endeavor and has a way of helping you understand the Bible’s grand story with better clarity.  There are many options for different plans to tackle this goal.  Here is a list for you to look through to find one that fits your personality and reading habits.  Bible reading is the primary means for God’s people to grow, so let’s dive in during 2021 and see what the Lord can do through His Word (Psalms 19:7-11).

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

It’s been such a joy to focus our attention the past four Sundays on the God-man, on God taking flesh.  This past Sunday, we looked at John’s account of Jesus.  John soars to great heights in considering Jesus’ divine nature.  He begins his gospel account by telling us that He, Jesus, has no beginning (John 1:1)!  This is unique compared to the other gospel accounts and gives us a high and lofty view of the God-man.  He is no ordinary person; therefore, we should trust Him as the definitive Word and follow Him in obedience as our light that leads to life.  This Friday, might we rejoice in the goodness of God seen in Jesus.  God the Son took His splendor, His majesty, His glory and veiled it with flesh to be with us and bring salvation to His people (John 1:14).  Amen!

Christmas Eve

As with most things in 2020, our Christmas Eve gathering will look a little different.  So different that it will actually be online only.  This format is not our favorite but does allow us to encourage you to engage more specifically than normal.  The video walks through singing, scripture reading, then a small message on that scripture, and lastly, gives space for you and those with you to discuss a directed question.  The video will go live on Facebook and Youtube at 4 pm on Thursday, Christmas Eve.

Jefferson Elementary

We are collecting items for Jefferson Elementary for the next few weeks to help them serve their students well.  There will be a basket in the foyer for you to drop in your donations.  Here is the list of items: disinfectant (any), hand sanitizer, paper towels, and mask.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

As we approach Christmas Day, I hope our time this Advent has given you much to rejoice over during the Christmas Season.  Though hardships abound, let us not forget that we have a God who took on flesh identifying with our troubles to lift us from the devastating effects of sin.  This past Sunday, Luke reminded us through the perspective of the lowly that God came to us in our junk and willingly stepped into the mess of our lives.  This generates joy, especially in the first few chapters of Luke.  Joy is our response to the baby born in a stable.  Brothers and Sisters, joy is ours this season despite the overwhelming amount of pain, uncertainty, difficulty, and trouble this year has caused. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)

Christmas Eve

As with many things this year, our Christmas Eve gathering will be a little different.  Instead of gathering in-person, we will gather online.  We ask that you grab your family on Christmas Eve and make your way to our Facebook page to engage in a guided time together.  The live video will start at 4 pm.  We encourage everyone to make plans to view the video at 4 pm, but if you are unable at that time, the video will remain on Facebook indefinitely to view it at your leisure.

Lottie Moon

As many of you know, the Talbot family has asked that in lieu of flowers and cards that we give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering on behalf of Sandy.  What a great way to honor her life!  Sandy loved the gospel and desired all to hear it.  All contributions will go to international missions.  You can give to that here https://www.lightinthedesert.churchcenter.com/giving/to/lottie-moon-christmas-offering.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

This past weekend was one filled with a mixture of hurt and joy.  As many of you know, Sandy Talbot passed away Saturday morning on December 5.  Though we mourn, we are filled with hope because of what we were reminded of Sunday morning from Mark’s gospel;  Jesus is our Powerful Conqueror!  Because of Christmas, God taking flesh, we can be both sad and joyous.  This is due to His identification with our pain and the ultimate victory we have in Jesus.  Mark, succinctly and powerfully, presents Jesus as our only victor in life.  Losing Sandy is painful, and we will feel that pain for a while, but we rejoice because of the victory she knew in Jesus Christ.  Please continue to pray for her family.  We will be sending out details to our members on her funeral service through email.

God in Fullness

This Wednesday will be our final lecture in our God in Fullness series on the attributes of God.  This is a zoom-only event, so click here (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83307621816) and join us at 6:30 pm.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

I do hope you all are well and healthy.  This year has been a tough one for us all in many different ways.  In light of that, we must capture every moment we can to fill our minds and hearts with the truth of God, especially as it relates to Jesus.  What better time than the Christmas Season!  We want to muse upon the God-man this year during Advent to set our hope upon a solid foundation, to place our peace upon His victory, to feel joy in Him bearing our burdens with us, and experience His love in Him becoming man.  This past Sunday, we explored Matthew’s opening of his gospel account to see Jesus Christ as our deliverer.  Not just any deliverer, but the one who would deliverer us from our greatest enemy, sin (Matthew 1:21).  What a timely reminder.  God’s greatest promise is not deliverance from illness, circumstance, nor tough times, but rather a deliverance from everlasting ruin to everlasting life, from everlasting misery to everlasting joy!

Let Us Pray

This Wednesday will be our last Let Us Pray.  We are making a slight adjustment this week and moving from in-person to zoom only (link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84377159213).  As many of you know, Sandy Talbot is in the hospital with COVID.  She is not doing well, so we will spend the bulk of our time praying for her and her family.  There are seasons of life where God’s people must heavily lean in to pray.  This is one of those times.  Brothers and Sisters, 2020 has been tough, and if we ever expect to navigate all the difficulties well, we must pray and pray often—plan on joining us at 6:30 pm.

Church Family,

What a wonderful Sunday together as we concluded The Flood account in Genesis six through nine.  Though it was the end of that specific account, it really is just the beginning of the rest of Genesis.  Why do I say this?  It’s because God establishes a covenant with Noah.  Like any good story, the conclusion states a new reality, a new setting.  God establishes a covenant He will remain faithful to throughout the entirety of Scripture.  It’s a clear and concise glimpse of God’s faithfulness to His people despite their sin.  This wonderful act of God, covenant-making, carries His faithfulness throughout scripture and should cause us, much like Noah, to worship and, in full obedience, enjoy His commandments (Gen 9:1-7).

God in Fullness

There will be no lecture this week in our God in Fullness series.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Advent

What Christmas represents for God’s people is far greater than one can contemplate for just one day.  The portraits of Jesus given to us through the gospels are rich with different perspectives upon the God-man and require us to muse upon each with great anticipation.  This Advent season, join us as we look at the coming of Christ from each gospel account, learning and admiring our savior who took flesh.  In doing so, our hope will increase, our peace will settle us, our joy will abound, the love of God will be on display in multiple ways, and our longing for Christ’s return will comfort us.

• November 29th – Matthew 1 / Deliverer
• December 6th – Mark 1 / Powerful
• December 13th – Luke 1-2 / Bearer of Burdens
• December 20th – John 1 / Divine