Be Watchful
Church Family,
I hope you were as encouraged as I was this past Sunday. Our journey through the book of 1 Corinthians has been needed and timely. 1 Corinthians 16 was an excellent summary to challenge us as we part ways with this book. It reminded us of the great truths the book unpacks for us as the people of God, the local gathering. One such challenge was to “be watchful.” Brothers and sisters, we must be vigilant in these days to be watchful for our tendencies to doubt, to waiver, to slide down into despair, and to neglect God’s Word. We must be watchful for one another as well, looking for ways to encourage, to meet needs, to serve, and to be generous. All of which should be done in love!
Schedule for this week:
- Disciple-Makers: We will shift gears and focus solely on unpacking God’s Word together, using the skills and techniques we discussed throughout the semester. The link is the same (https://zoom.us/j/501936397). See you at 6:30 pm on Wednesday.
- Sunday Virtual Gathering: Last week, we introduced a new element to our 10 am virtual gathering. It went well, so we intend to use the Zoom webinar again this coming Sunday. You do not have to use zoom; you can still view it through Facebook or our website. Speaking of Sunday, see below for our new sermon series we will start this Sunday. Take some time this week to read the first chapter of Proverbs.
Proverbs | Wisdom for Today
A person gripped with love for God and overwhelmed with His grace will never be the same. His or her life will be marked by an unusual take on life and unfortunate circumstances. They will desire to live for God’s glory and leverage everything for His purposes. But, who are we kidding, that is not easy. Decisions are not as clear cut as we would like them to be, and sometimes an answer can be right in one situation and wrong in another. This is why we desperately need the wisdom to navigate life’s quick and uncertain turns. Proverbs has long been that source of wisdom. It provides insight into what godliness looks like in our day to day affairs. Join us as we look at the nature of wisdom and what it looks like in our lives.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
This Sunday 4/19/2020
Church Family,
I do hope you all are well and had an enjoyable week. I was able to join hundreds of pastor across the country to attend (virtually) a pastor’s conference. Though it was not a usual way to enjoy and participate in a conference, it still encouraged my soul. Going with the flow and making adjustments to our old rhythms is the current theme of our lives. With that said, we are making a slight adjustment to our Sunday Virtual Gathering. It still will be on Facebook live at 10 am or our website as well. The tiny change is that we will be using Zoom to broadcast the Livestream to Facebook. So if you want to use Zoom instead of watching on Facebook, here is the link (https://zoom.us/j/93829106917). It is not a regular meeting that most of us are familiar with but the webinar feature. This simply means you will be an attendee and just be viewing the gathering. The only benefit I can perceive at this point is a better quality video. We are using this feature because many months ago, I scheduled a dear brother to preach this coming Sunday. I trust the Lord already knew the unique circumstance we would be in when I asked; so, he is preaching from his home. Zoom allows for multiple people from different locations to be on the Livestream at once. We will more than likely continue to make use of this feature in the coming weeks as we wait to meet face to face.
Let me encourage you to prepare your hearts for tomorrow morning. Many distractions are pulling at your attention as you watch from home. Take the extra steps to silent your phone, turn off notifications on your computer, and ready yourself to hear God’s Word.
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Dealing With Anxiety
Church Family,
What a great Easter weekend! It was enjoyable to reflect on a few of the most important truths we hold dear. In times like these, it is essential to hold tightly to the truths about Jesus that never change, waiver, nor fail. “He is alive” is much more than a slogan once a year; it’s our rally cry into eternity!
I wanted to direct your thinking towards a helpful article I stumbled upon a few days ago about anxiety. One thing is for sure, whether you struggle with anxiety or not, COVID-19 is more than likely causing you to worry. It’s helpful when dealing with anxiety to clarify exactly what you are feeling and what type of anxiety you feel. In doing so, it allows you to address the worry better and begin to cope and or overcome the stress. The long term effects of this virus are very uncertain, so it is wise for us to be aware of the areas we are prone to higher anxiety and to be experts on God’s Word that reminds us of our ultimate reality. This article will help with both. Click here to read more. If you need someone to chat with further about anxiety, reach out to myself or Blaine Barber, who can be reached by email (bbarber@biblicalcounselingaz.org).
Schedule this week
- Disciple-Makers: Wednesday at 6:30 pm, click this link (https://zoom.us/j/501936397) and jump into a wonderful conversation about reading scripture well.
- Sunday: We will continue to go live on Facebook at 10 am with a few announcements and then a message. You don’t have to have a Facebook account to view that video, just click here, and you can watch it from our website.
- You: Yes you! Why would I include you in the schedule for the week? Because it is crucial that we as the body take time each week to connect through whatever means we have available. Emails are ok, a text message is a little better, a phone call is way better, but a video chat is the best! Use these things to chat, listen, and pray for one another this week. Perhaps you could even read scripture together as part of your time.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Easter Weekend Schedule
Church Family,
I hope this week has been a fruitful time of reflection upon the person and work of Jesus. If you have not considered thinking through the days of Passion Week, here is a list of events from the last week of Jesus’ life. Take time and read through the various events and the words of Jesus. Considering the magnitude of what this week represents, we as a church family want to take advantage of each moment to contemplate the multiple feelings that surround this week. We pray for conviction, for strengthening, for a deepening of our faith, and for joy unspeakable to result from this weekend. Below are the events we are encouraging us all to participate in:
- Good Friday: Good Friday is designed to be somber and focused solely on the cross. We want to approach this moment together as a solemn preparation for the joys of resurrection. We will try to do that by maintaining a reverence throughout that highlights that reality. So as you join the Zoom, join prepared with a quiet spirit ready to receive from the Lord. We will begin at 5:00 pm. Here is the link (https://zoom.us/j/486027828)
- Waiting Saturday: Waiting is not pleasant and uncertainty can be crushing. That is exactly how the disciples and all those who followed Jesus felt as his lifeless body lay in a tomb. We are encouraging us all to take time to walk through this guide with our families on Saturday praying to be strengthened in our waiting.
- Resurrection Sunday: He is ALIVE! Join us at 10 am Sunday on Facebook to celebrate our Risen King! You don’t have to have a Facebook account to watch the live video. Simply click here to watch it without a Facebook account.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
This week and Easter Instructions
Church Family,
I do hope you all are well and encouraged today. Yesterday was a great day of connecting with you all in various ways. From our 10 am Facebook live (you can watch it here as well) to the many Zoom calls, it all was good for my soul.
With that said, now that we are several weeks into COVID-19, perhaps things are starting to feel a little overwhelming. We should anticipate as this virus drags on an increased sense of frustration and a longing for normalcy. Knowing these things will come, it’s wise for us all to stay connected and participate in the different activities we are making available throughout the week. So grab your calendar or open it in on your phone and put in these activities:
- Disciple-Makers: Every Wednesday, we will continue our disciple-makers class at 6:30 pm. The link will remain the same (https://zoom.us/j/501936397) each week. We are discussing healthy and practical ways to read the bible.
- Easter Schedule: Historically, the church for centuries has marked out this week, often called Passion Week, to reflect deeply on Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Though we are separated, we can still leverage this week and experience joy, conviction, and hope! I will be sending more details as the week progresses to prepare our hearts for these moments:
- Good Friday (death): Jesus experienced a brutal death upon a rugged cross. We must not soon forget the enormous suffering He endured that brings us our salvation. At 5 pm on Friday the 10th, we will have a Good Friday service through Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/486027828)
- Waiting Saturday (burial): The period after the death of Jesus until resurrection would have been a very uncertain time for God’s people. It would have been extremely disorienting to them as Jesus was their great hope who now lies in a tomb, died. This is similar to our current state of uncertainty, and this is the one time in our lives, we can think deeply about the waiting, about the uncertainty, and express how disoriented we feel. To reflect on this, I will be sending out some instructions for you and your family to use to reflect on this time.
- Resurrection Sunday (resurrection): The tomb is EMPTY! He is ALIVE! We will continue with our 10 am Facebook live unpacking all the resurrection means to us from 1 Corinthians 15. Invite those who you have been praying for and sharing with about the gospel of Jesus.
Lastly, thank you for the many that continue to give. If you are unaware of how to give during this time, there are three different ways:
- Online: This is the simplest way to give. Just click here and follow the steps.
- Church Mailbox: If you feel like getting out, you can drop it in the onsite mailbox to the left of the glass double-doors.
- USPS: You can simply put it in an envelope, slap a stamp on it, and send it in the mail.
I miss you all tremendously! I look forward to this week of reflection and wholeheartedly trust the Lord will encourage us, convict us, give us joy, and strengthen our faith!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Instructions for Sunday (4/5/2020)
Church Family,
This is a friendly reminder of our schedule for tomorrow. At 10 am, we will be on Facebook live for a few announcements and to unpack the next section of 1 Corinthians. You don’t have to have Facebook to view that video. You can click here and watch it on our website. The best way to make the most of this unnormal rhythm is to watch the video together and then participate in family worship (here are two resources to help you, a video and an article). We have encouraged this every week and hope that repetition has neither annoyed you or lessen its importance. It is our effort to wisely do things that will help to build each other up. Remember, it is simple: read, pray, and sing (see songs below)!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Virtual Prayer Gathering (UPDATE)
Church Family,
I hope you all are well and healthy. We are scheduled to have a prayer gathering through Zoom at 7 pm this Friday. I wanted to give you a few instructions to make the most of tomorrow. Below is a guide put together by The Gospel Coalition to help you spend the entire day focused on prayer for various things. It breaks the guide up into a morning prayer, a midday prayer, and an evening prayer. The evening prayer is going to be online, and the link is provided in the prayer guide. It will take place from 4 pm-5 pm (APRIL 4TH). I would suggest participating in that as it will be an encouraging time. By God’s sovereign design, we already had a prayer gathering scheduled from 7 pm-8 pm. We will make use of the midday prayer during that time because it focuses on praying as a group and praying for the local gathering. I look forward to spending some time together tomorrow evening. Find the links below:
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/719683473
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
UPDATE: this week and April
Church Family,
I’ve been encouraged by watching you all love each other well during this crazy time of separation. Our series on 1 Corinthians is exactly what we have needed to direct us in our love for one another. Yesterday’s text was very encouraging for me, and I hope for you as well. As the weeks drag on, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. With that said, I wanted to update you all in two ways, 1) our plans for April and 2) this week’s schedule.
April
With the latest recommendations for the nation and Arizona, the leadership and I feel it is best to continue with our current unnormal rhythm we have established. We are canceling all face to face gatherings for the month of April. With that said, please take advantage of everything we are doing to stay connected. If you have not tried a Zoom meeting, give it a try this week. You will be surprised by how encouraging it will be for you. We will update you soon on the various things we will do and encourage you to do for Easter.
This week (March 30th)
Each week I intend on posting that week’s schedule with the necessary information you need to participate.
- Disciple-Makers: this is our effort to help us read God’s Word well, which takes place on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm. Please join us through Zoom as we talk through practical ways to read your bible. (https://zoom.us/j/501936397)
- Prayer Gathering: last Friday, we gathering for a time of prayer and encouragement. We are going to do that again this coming Friday through Zoom at 7 pm. (https://zoom.us/j/719683473)
- Sunday 10 am: we will go live on Facebook to unpack the next section of 1 Corinthians scheduled for that day. You don’t need a Facebook account to watch that because the stream goes to the website. Click here for that link.
- Members Meeting: we have our quarterly Members Meeting scheduled for this coming Sunday, April 5th. We will go forward with that meeting through Zoom at 4 pm. (https://zoom.us/j/806456517) We will discuss several important issues and celebrate what the Lord is and has been doing.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Instructions for this Sunday (3/29/2020)
Church Family,
We will meet this Sunday again through Facebook Live at 10 am. If you don’t have a Facebook, no worries, just click here and you can watch the Livestream. After the video, we strongly encourage family worship. Spend some time together as a family reading scripture (helpful questions to ask here), praying together about what you learned from God’s word and each other, and then singing together these songs:
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Praise to the Lord the Almighty
- In Christ Alone
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Because He Lives
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Cornerstone
I identify with Paul’s words to the church in Rome. He says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you [in our case seeing you face to face]. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthing you–that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Rom 1:9-11).
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
“How To”
Church Family,
We have made it through another week of Covid-19 and still have many questions ahead of the long term effects this will have on us individually and our life together. In the meantime, we can continue to be the church through various outlets. I am encouraged about how many of you are staying connected through those outlets and taking the time to pick up the phone and call one another. Keep it up! You cannot imagine how significant it can be for one another. Below, I put together an instructional video on where to find all our updates, on ways to connect, and how to give online. Check out the video and let me know if you have any questions.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan