Church Family,

This past Sunday we worked our way through Acts 5:12-42. Upset by the tremendous growth of the early church, Jewish leaders had the apostles imprisoned for their public teaching. Yet that night an angel set the apostles free and they immediately returned to their teaching the next morning. Though they were beaten and threatened with further punishment, the apostles refused to stop their preaching because in light of the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit given to them, they must obey God and not man. Are we ready to have the same mindset as the apostles, even in seemingly mundane circumstances? Do we fall in line with the cultural expectation that we should always maximize our income, or are we prepared to decline a promotion to have more time to minister to our families? Do we buy into the culture of vanity and curate our social media posts to present the facade of a perfect life, or are we prepared to humble ourselves to those around us by being honest about our difficulties and shortcomings? Let us ask ourselves questions like these regularly as we reflect on this past Sunday’s sermon.

Prayer Gathering

This upcoming Sunday, at 8 a.m., we will be having a prayer gathering in the Sunday Studies room. This is part of an effort to saturate the life of the church more and more with corporate prayer as this is very clearly something the Bible calls churches to do. Especially as we are working through the book of Acts right now, it is apparent that prayer is essential for fruitfulness as a church and results in greater glorification of God. In light of this call for the church to be praying together, we strongly encourage you to make time Sunday morning to join us for this prayer gathering.

Thinking About Sunday Morning

In light of our current Sunday Studies series on the purpose and characteristics of the church gathering, it seems worthwhile to give some brief encouragements on how we can all be preparing for Sunday morning each week. Surprising as this may be, it is more than just the preacher and the teachers who should be preparing for Sunday morning. If we are to see to our convictions about the gathering, like that it is entirely about God and should be saturated with the person and work of Christ, we must come into Sunday morning with our hearts and minds focused on God. Prayer is, of course, a large part of getting into the right mindset, even prayer on Saturday night and throughout the week that our time of worship and time in the Word would be fruitful. We would also benefit greatly from reading passage for the sermon ahead of time. Coming into Sunday morning with a basic understanding of the text helps us follow the direction of the sermon and pick up on the finer points that emerge. Think of it like re-reading a book or re-watching a movie and noticing new details or instances of foreshadowing that were not as apparent the first time through. If this isn’t a regular practice of yours, perhaps try it this week as we get ready to work through Acts 6:1-7 this upcoming Sunday.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we returned to our series through Acts. For the second time in Acts we were told of the profound generosity that marked the early church. They met every need as those needs arose, not because of rigid obligation but because they had been transformed by the grace of God. However, one couple sought to take advantage of this situation to bolster their reputation. They sold a plot of land, giving a portion of the proceeds to the church while claiming what they gave was the entirety of the proceeds. These two could have kept the land or sold it. They could have given all the proceeds, part, or none. Their failure was their dishonesty, and dishonesty has no place in the life of the church as it disrupts the very unity that defined the early church.

Members’ Meeting

We will have our quarterly member’s meeting this upcoming Sunday, August 11 immediately after service. We will be taking care of important and exciting functions of the church, including sharing testimonies and bringing in new members. If you are a member of Light in the Desert please be sure to set aside time in your calendar to be part of this meeting.

Women’s Brunch

The Fall Women’s Bible Reading will kick off with a brunch this upcoming Saturday, August 10 at 9:30 a.m. All ladies in their teenage years and older are invited. The brunch will be potluck style and sign-up for the potluck will be posted in the church lobby.

Grace be with you

Logan Murphy,

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we looked at the last of our Psalms for the Summer, Psalm 36. This psalm speaks with intensity on the wickedness of those who do not fear God, then jumps suddenly to a brilliant description of the steadfast love of God. This creates an extraordinary contrast. On one hand, the brilliant light of God’s love makes it abundantly clear how cruel and dark human sin is. On the other hand, the darkness of sin provides a point of contrast that helps us to understand just how incredible the steadfast love of God is. We are also reminded that God continues his love in spite of our rejection of Him in our sin; He always has and He always will. In light of this truth we can have an overwhelming confidence that he will hold us close to him, seeing us through even the direst of circumstances.

Members’ Meeting

We will have our quarterly member’s meeting on Sunday, August 11 at 4:00 p.m. We will be taking care of important and exciting functions of the church, including sharing testimonies and bringing in new members. If you are a member of Light in the Desert please be sure to set aside time in your calendar to be part of this meeting.

Sunday Studies

This upcoming Sunday we will be starting a new Sunday Studies series on the church gathering. It will be taking an in-depth look at the purposes of the Sunday gathering, then walk through our regular practices in the Sunday gathering to see how those purposes are fulfilled. The goal is that we would develop a greater appreciation for the church gathering and become more intentional in engaging with our regular practices so their purposes might be better served.

Women’s Brunch

The Fall Women’s Bible Reading will kick off with a brunch on Saturday, August 10 at 9:30 a.m. All ladies in their teenage years and older are invited. The brunch will be potluck style and sign-up for the potluck will be posted in the church lobby.

Grace be with you

Logan Murphy,

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

Continuing our Psalms for the Summer, this past Sunday we looked at Psalm 35, a rich and robust imprecatory psalm. Here David shows us that God cares greatly for justice. Not only does He care for justice, His righteousness makes him uniquely qualified to declare what is just and his power makes him uniquely capable of administering justice. God’s justice is seen in its fullest in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus alone lived a life undeserving of death, and though death struck out against Him on the cross, He overcame death in his resurrection, putting death itself to death. Let us, like David, respond to this glorious display of God’s justice with shouts of joy and gladness, praising God and telling of his righteousness all the day long.

Fall Schedule

The weather may still feel like summer for a while longer, but according to the calendar we’re coming up on fall and so we’re returning to our fall schedule. This upcoming Sunday will be the last of our Psalms for the Summer, so starting August 4th we’ll be picking back up where we left off before summer with Acts 4:32-5:11. The next week-and-a-half would be a great time to look back and remember where we’ve been in Acts and even to read ahead to see where we’re going. Our Wednesday night ministries are still a little further out, but will be starting back up on September 11th.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday guest preacher Brandon Reimus walked us through Psalm 34. This psalm highlights God’s persistent goodness as seen in his love towards his people. It does not claim that God’s people will not face hardship, in fact it argues the exact opposite. Still, God will meet the needs of his people in those hardships. We can be certain of this by looking back at how God has provided for us and others in the past. Even if hardship persists to our deathbed, we can trust in the ultimate provision that is eternal life in the coming Kingdom of God.

Christian Challenge

Starting in the Fall semester, Light in the Desert will be leading the Christian Challenge ministry on ASU’s Polytech campus. Christian Challenge is a ministry organization focused on bringing the Gospel to Arizona’s college campuses and connecting students to local churches for discipleship and service. We plan to establish a consistent on-campus presence at Polytech by tabling to spark Gospel conversations and having regular Bible studies on campus. We also plan to connect the students we reach back to Light in the Desert so they would reap the benefits of the church gathering and of discipling relationships. This past Sunday Brandon Reimus, the director of Christian Challenge at the Tempe ASU campus, took a few minutes to tell us about why this ministry is so valuable to both students and churches. If you weren’t there to hear it we would highly recommend you check out our sermon feed to at least listen to that portion of Brandon’s time with us. We would also strongly encourage everyone to be regularly praying that this new ministry effort would be fruitful and life-giving.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we looked at Psalm 33. This psalm clearly establishes that the Lord alone is our rescue. The laws and structures of even the greatest nations cannot be our rescue; they are subject to the will of God which alone stands forever. The might of armies cannot be our rescue; they all pale in comparison to the might of our Lord. We are called, then, to be glad in the Lord and to sing songs of praise to him who alone is enthroned over all. Let us rejoice in the fact that our hope is not in the fading things of this world but in the sure and steadfast love of the Lord.

Christian Challenge

Starting in the Fall semester, Light in the Desert will be leading the Christian Challenge ministry on ASU’s Polytech campus. Christian Challenge is a ministry organization focused on bringing the Gospel to Arizona’s college campuses and connecting students to local churches for discipleship and service. We plan to establish a consistent on-campus presence at Polytech by tabling to spark Gospel conversations and having regular Bible studies on campus. We also plan to connect the students we reach back to Light in the Desert so they would reap the benefits of the church gathering and of discipling relationships. Even as someone who was a believer long before college, being part of a college ministry that was closely tied to a local church played a vital role in keeping me grounded in a church and in the Gospel both while I was in college and afterwards, so I have no doubt that this is a valuable ministry. As we approach the start of the semester we ask that you would be praying regularly for this new ministry effort, not only that it would be fruitful but also for guidance in how you might come alongside us in reaching the students at Polytech.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we looked at Psalm 32 which centers around a clear point and counterpoint. First, it tells us “blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven.” There is a true and utterly unique joy that comes from receiving the forgiveness found in the work of Jesus Christ. By contrast we are told that “many are the sorrows of the wicked.” While it may at times seem appealing to live in unrepentant sin that is just a deception of sin itself. In reality it makes the sinner waste away and leads ultimately to death. As we reflect on this psalm this week let us consider if we recognize godly blessedness and the sorrow of sin or if we have fallen prey to sin’s lies and envy the unrepentant. Let us pray that God would open our eyes to the joy that is found in faithfully following Him.

Guest Preachers for July

As per usual we will have guest preachers covering all the sermons in the month of July. This allows for people from both inside and outside our church to have the joy of preaching and to gain a little more of the valuable experience that preaching provides. This also allows Bryan the benefit of sitting under the preaching of the word and frees him up to put in some hard work on things like planning future sermon series and, especially this year, preparing the church to take on new ministry efforts like running Christian Challenge on the ASU Polytech campus. We encourage you to be praying this month both for guest preachers we will have over the next few weeks and for our elders as they enter into an intensive period of planning.

Sunday Studies

Church Family,

This past Sunday we spent our time in Psalm 31, one of David’s lament psalms. This psalm indicates that David was facing the dreadful experience of being slandered and being rejected for that slander. David responds by asking that God would preserve him, not just physically but spiritually. He asks that God would protect his character, and displays tremendous confidence that God will do just that. David repeatedly calls the attention of his readers back to God’s steadfast love by which the Lord preserves the faithful. Brothers and sisters, as we inevitably face trials in our lives, let us think back to this psalm. Let us be like David and pray that God would keep us in righteousness, and let us overflow with confidence in the steadfast love of God.

Kids Camp

Kids Camp is this week, maybe even happening right now as you read this blog! What are you doing checking your email? You should be here helping! In all seriousness, we want to thank everyone so much for all the hard work you have already put into Kids Camp and for all the work that is to come. We also ask that you would continue to pray for all the kids in attendance and for their families, that the Gospel would take hold in their hearts and even take hold in entire households. We trust that God is using all this effort to grow His kingdom and glorify His name.

Sunday Studies

We just wanted to take a second to remind you that while our Wednesday night ministries are on break for the Summer, our 9 a.m. Sunday Studies are ongoing. These classes are a great way to address important matters on a topical basis and to do so with a discussion-oriented approach that allows us to speak into each other’s lives in a unique way. If you’re not already in the habit of making it to these classes we would greatly encourage you to give them a shot.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we spent our time in Psalm 30, which David wrote for the dedication of the Temple but is also fit for any moment of gathering in the house of the Lord. It highlights the permanence of God’s glory, especially in contrast with the fleeting moments of our prosperity. It also highlights God’s faithfulness to his people. While the life of a believer surely involves suffering, that suffering inevitably gives way to joy. God turns our mourning to dancing, as David puts it. Ultimately Psalm 30 shows that we can have tremendous confidence in the Lord our God, and it calls us, not just individually but together as a unified voice, to respond in a bold outpouring of praise.

Kids Camp

Kids Camp is now less than a week away. If you are signed up as a volunteer please plan on attending a meeting this upcoming Sunday immediately after the main service. That meeting will involve handing out roles for Kids Camp and providing any necessary instruction for those roles. As you continue to pray for Kids Camp we ask that you would specifically pray for the kids who will attend and their families. Pray that they will develop good relationships with our volunteers and, more importantly, that they would hear the Gospel clearly and be transformed by that truth.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we continued our Psalms for the Summer with Psalm 29. Here David makes use of opposites like heaven and earth, land and sea, mountains and lowlands to emphatically declare that God has undeniable lordship over all things. The Psalm even makes reference to high and low moments of the people of Israel to show that God’s lordship stands even in the best and worst of times. As we reflect on this Psalm this week we should be filled with incredible hope as we recognize God’s authority over every moment of our lives, which he acts upon in mercy and grace. We should also take Psalm 29 as a reminder to witness the majesty of God displayed in creation and declare to him the glory due his name.

Kids Camp

Registration for Kids Camp is open and available here. It can also be accessed through the Light in the Desert Website and the QR code on the Kids Camp flyer. As we continue to pray for God to do amazing work through this ministry effort we encourage you to specifically pray this week that our volunteers would be united in loving the kids that attend Kids Camp, caring for and cooperating with one another, and ultimately seeking to honor God in their volunteer efforts above all else.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern