Church Family,

What a joy it is to gather together and come underneath God’s Word, learning, growing, and being encouraged by the truths of Scripture.  This Sunday, Genesis reminded us that though sin brings disorder, it will not win in the end.  In the third chapter of our bibles, we see that God will and has made the way for us to be restored and return to the garden.  This promise is found in Genesis 3:15, which has been called the Proto-Evangelium, first gospel.  In the midst of consequences being laid before our first parents, there is hope in Eve’s offspring; it’s Jesus.  Sin brings disorder and plagues us today.  It is the root of our problems and requires more than bandaids and ointments.  So the Lord in Genesis provides the way to be restored, provides hope in these dark days of sin’s consequences.  Be encouraged and fight the good fight against sin, not through your own strength, but through the person and work of Jesus promised in Genesis 3:15 to offer the final and decisive blow to sin.

Let Us Pray!

This week’s in-person prayer gathering will begin, as usual, at 6:30 pm on Wednesday.  If you have not been able to join, let me encourage you to carve out some time to participate along with us in prayer.  We will also provide a zoom link for those who feel particularly venerable in gathering (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81202051634).

Church Family,

I am so grateful for the last few weeks and how the Lord has used the first two chapters of Genesis to encourage us all.  There are few controversial issues we are enduring right now within society that Genesis does not address.  It offers tremendous insight into humanity and lays before us God’s good design in gender.  This past Sunday, we unpacked the intimate details of God, creating both male and female.  Gender is God’s good design that we should celebrate, not eliminate.  Male and Female are given to us by God and should be seen as good; therefore, we must diligently pursue an understanding of gender from scripture and willing to trust His wisdom over ours.

Let Us Pray

This is just a quick reminder that there will be no in-person prayer gathering this week.  I want to encourage you to still spend time in prayer, either individually or with those in your household.  Fill free to use our Prayer Guide.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

I hope you have been able to rest well (physically and spiritually) in the last few days.  Sunday, we reminded ourselves that rest is ultimately found in the finished work of God the Son who provides for us, like God the Father in creation, all we need (Hebrews 4:1-13).  This side of heaven will be filled with uncertainty, unrest, difficulty, and the like, but that does not mean we cannot experience rest!  Day Seven of the creation account forces us to pause and consider all that God is and has done.  He did not rest for fatigue; he rested because it was finished and full of all that creation needed to be sustained.  Today, stop, yes, stop and consider all that God is in Himself and all He has done, is doing, and will do.

God in Fullness

This Wednesday, we have the privilege to hear from missionary Bobby Lane in our next lecture on the attributes of God.  Boddy is a faithful and passionate communicator of God’s word and a dear friend and brother.  Make plans to join us on zoom (link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81999328776) at 6:30 pm to hear him address God’s love.  For your information, we are recording all the lectures, so if you have missed any of them and want to listen, click here or subscribe to our podcast on spotify or itunes by searching “Light in the Desert Church Sermons and Podcast.”

Church Family,

I’ve already thoroughly enjoyed our time in the book of Genesis.  Each week it becomes more and more apparent just how crucial the first few pages of our bibles are to understand the world and humanity.  We simply cannot function nor thrive as humans without understanding these beautiful words found in Genesis 1:26, “Image of God.”  The image of God satisfactorily answers the question, “What is man?”  It also gives us clear direction on how we should see and treat others.  There is no theory that comprehensively deals with humankind more adequately then Genesis one and two.  To be fully human is to be directed towards God, each other, and rightly relating to God’s creation.  This is turn, drives us to the greater image-bearer of God, Jesus (Col 1:15), who through his person and work, is renewing that very image in us (Col 3:9-11).  Human flourishing is directly connected to our union with Jesus Christ.

Let Us Pray

Don’t forget to make plans this Wednesday at 6:30 pm to gather with us in prayer either in-person or online.  Here is the zoom link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89211053668)

Reading the Bible

Here at Light in the Desert Church, we love the bible.  As a matter of fact, one of our distinctive is Bible-Believing, and we are deeply convicted of making it a regular part of our day.  With that said, consistently reading the Bible is not as easy as we would like it to be, especially during this weird season of pandemic and social unrest.  Unfortunately, studies also show that the less one attends church, the less likely they will read their bibles.  So as a recent article I read stated, “When people engage less with the local church, they engage less with their Bibles…With church gatherings prohibited or limited, hospitality curtailed, and prayer meetings and small groups moved to Zoom, we’ve missed out on some aspects of church life. Many of us have also missed out on opening our Bibles.”  So dust off your bible and dig in!  Also, let me encourage you to read the article I referenced here.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

There is hardly a day that goes by that we are not faced with the implications of our beginnings.  All humans are struggling in a variety of ways this year.  The way we grapple and make sense of our troubles will reflect our view of existence, our worldview about creation.  “Why is all this here?  Why do I exist?  What purpose do my surroundings have in this life?” are just a few questions that Genesis chapter one unpacks for us, for all the human race.  It’s essential for us, God’s people, to not forget our origins and to live in such a way we bring attention to God, our creator.  As we said Sunday, we must marvel at and surrender to God the Creator.

God in Fullness

This Wednesday will be our second lecture in the God in Fullness series on the attributes of God.  This will take place in zoom only; there is no in-person option.  Zoom allows us to have other godly people present lectures who we would otherwise not be able to hear.  The God in Fullness topic this week is the immutability of God presented by Jared Whitehurst.  See you at 6:30 pm!  Click this link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86771191259

Church Family,

I hope you have enjoyed the past several weeks of looking at Romans eight.  I would strongly encourage you to make it a regular habit to read Romans eight frequently and remind yourself of the greater realities we have in Christ.  We have endured a lot and will endure a lot before 2020 is over, so it would be wise for us to revisit what the Godhead has done and is doing in our life.  This past Sunday, we were reminded of Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession.  That in Him, we are no longer condemned, and ultimately no charge can be brought against those who stand under the shed blood and broken body of Christ, who has been raised and now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us.  Good news, indeed!

God in Fullness

This week on Wednesday, September 2, at 6:30 pm, we will have our first lecture in our series God in Fullness.  This series will explore different attributes of God to stir our affections for Him and give us stability in such uncertain times.  The lectures will take place on zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89672108549) and have time for questions and answers at the end.  The lectures will be broadcast on Facebook Live, but to participate in the Q and A, you will have to use zoom.  Click here for the schedule of lectures.

Church Family,

The Lord has been gracious to us over the last several weeks through the encouragement He has provided in Romans eight.  This past Sunday, as we began the final section of this glorious chapter, we likened it to a crescendo.  Paul moves sound theology towards a magnificent culmination of realities we have in Christ.  We felt the weight of our adoption in understanding that God continues to give graciously as our Father.  The conclusion, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom 8:31).  How can we say that, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32).  Brothers and Sisters, take adequate time this week to reflect deeply on these truths!

Let Us Pray!

This Wednesday (Aug 26th) at 6:30 pm will be our first in-person prayer gathering for the fall.  These gatherings will take place every other week with our lecture series God in Fullness on the off-weeks.  If you are unable to join us in person, here is the zoom link for you to participate (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88698579623).

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan