Church Family,

This week we picked back up our Psalms for the Summer. Starting back where we left off, Psalm 28 is a Psalm of lament, expressing David’s sincere and justified feelings of despair. Still, as a holy lament, this Psalm is a Psalm of faith. Rather than becoming despondent or vindictive, David responded with confidence that the Lord would be his salvation and would see to justice. Let us seek to be like David as we think back on Psalm 28, eagerly bringing our troubles to God and trusting in His faithfulness to His people.

Kids Camp

Kids Camp is just a few weeks away now, and along with continuing to encourage you to sign up to volunteer we’re also asking that you would take up some particular prayer requests regarding Kids Camp. This week, we encourage you to pray for strength and wisdom for our deaconesses of children’s ministry as they finalize decisions for Kids Camp and are hard at work with all the remaining preparations.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we looked at Peter and John standing before the authorities in Jerusalem after the two of them had been thrown in prison for preaching the Gospel. These authorities can find no grounds for charges in light of the two apostles’ arguments from the Old Testament and pointing to the man who had been healed in Jesus’ name. Still, the authorities worried what would happen if word of the resurrection spread further and commanded Peter and John to no longer speak in the name of Jesus. Despite the threats made against them, Peter and John said they simply cannot be stopped. The news of salvation through Jesus is too amazing, important, and urgent to be contained. As we look back on this passage this week, we should consider if we see the overwhelming value of the Gospel that Peter and John recognized or if we put greater emphasis on the worldly pressures around us to keep this message bottled up.

Prospective Members Class

We will be hosting a prospective members class on Saturday, May 25th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Attending this class is not a firm commitment to anything; it is simply an opportunity to learn about Light in the Desert Church and what it means to be a member. If you are interested in attending please sign up on the sheet in the foyer.

Pursuing Faithfulness Through the Summer

As our regular mid-week ministries take a pause for the Summer, and as many people use this time to go out of town, it can be easy to fall out of regular rhythms of faithful Christian living. In light of this, we wanted to offer a few practical suggestions for continuing to seek and serve God over these next few months. As we will be returning to the Psalms for our sermons in June and July, consider meeting weekly with someone to either read ahead the Psalm we will cover each week or reflect back on the Psalm afterwards (or both if you’re really ambitious). If you’re traveling, pray for churches you see in your travels, asking God that the truth of the Gospel would be proclaimed powerfully in each of those congregations and thanking Him that we are part of a global body of believers. Watch for the wonder and majesty of God, perhaps in the scenery as travel or in the awe-inspiring storms that will likely come through over the next few months. Consider using time normally spent at church on Wednesdays to share a meal with other church members as an opportunity to grow more invested in each other’s lives.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued to work our way through the book of Acts, we encountered yet another of the many signs and wonders performed by the apostles. As Peter and John entered the temple they came across crippled beggar. Lacking either silver or gold, the apostles offer this man something far more valuable, his strength to walk. Notably, this healing is performed in the name of Jesus, and the apostles use the attention drawn by this miracle to preach Christ crucified and resurrected. Peter and John proclaim to the very people who had Jesus put to death that He still is offering grace and mercy to them. The apostles call the crowd to repent and many do, but others grow irritated and have Peter and John imprisoned. We find in this passage that the Gospel is greater than money, our health, or even our worldly freedom, yet many still bitterly reject it. As we continue to think about this passage this week, we should seriously consider if we are valuing the Gospel as highly as we should.

Prospective Members Class

We will be hosting a prospective members class on Saturday, May 25th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Attending this class is not a firm commitment to anything; it is simply an opportunity to learn about Light in the Desert Church and what it means to be a member. If you are interested in attending please sign up on the sheet in the foyer.

Kids Camp Donations

We are taking donations for our upcoming kids camp. There are two ways to donate. First, you can take a sticky note with an item to donate off the board in the foyer and put your name down on the sheet for that item. Second, there is an Amazon wish-list you can use to directly purchase items needed for Kids Camp. You can access that wish-list through the QR code in the foyer or by following the link here.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we looked at Acts 2:42-47 where we saw the earliest moments of the ministry of the apostles and the developing character of the Early Church. This passage gives us a good opportunity to consider who the apostles were, what their role was, and how we are to understand their authority now. What we find is that they were twelve men uniquely sent out and empowered to point others to Jesus. In doing signs and wonders they demonstrated Jesus’ authority over all creation. In teaching all that Jesus had taught them they made known the good news of salvation through Jesus atoning sacrifice. The apostles’ ministry helped develop an Early Church marked by shocking unity, faithfulness to truth, and a kind of generosity that is beautifully counter-cultural, both then and today. The authority of the apostles even stands to this day as their teaching has been handed down to us in the Bible. As we consider the apostle’s teaching we should take time to consider if we could do more to respond with the kind of radical Christian living we see modeled for us in Acts 2.

Summer Break

Tonight is our last night of regular Wednesday activities for the semester. Feel free to join us tonight even if you haven’t been with us the rest of the semester. Our Wednesday night ministries will be back after summer break. Keep your eyes out for more specific details.

Kids Camp

Kids camp gets closer and closer every day. This is a huge opportunity for us to minister to our community, not just to the kids who attend but also to the kids’ families. Because of this we would strongly encourage you to set aside June 25th-27th to help make the whole thing happen. If you would like to volunteer please sign up on the sheet in the foyer; even if you think we already know you will be volunteering, make sure you write your name down to help keep the administrative end of things all in order.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued through the book of Acts, we looked at Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost after the sending of the Holy Spirit. In this sermon Peter proves that Jesus is the Christ who was foretold in passages like Psalms 16 and 110, that Jesus is the central message of the whole Old Testament because only Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to be with the Father in Heaven. As we consider Peter’s exceptional use of Scripture this week, let us sincerely consider if we are awed by this truth as we ought to be, if we are cut to the heart by the way that the whole Bible points us towards Jesus, or perhaps if we even know the Bible well enough to see how it all works together to point us towards the Savior.

Women’s Painting Party

This upcoming Saturday, May 4th, we will be hosting a women’s painting party from 11:00 to 2:30. The cost is $20, which will cover all painting supplies. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer that includes sign-up for items for a potluck salad bar for lunch. Feel free to invite friends as well.

Prayer Gathering

As we have been working our way through the book of Acts we’ve found prayer to be one of the most consistent practices modeled by the early church that we should strive to imitate. Particularly to promote prayer as part of our life together, we are hosting a prayer meeting this upcoming Sunday, May 5th, at 8:30 a.m. This is just a brief opportunity to pray in one accord as the early church did, and we would strongly encourage you to make the time to join us in approaching our great God in prayer together.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

Continuing through Acts, this past Sunday we looked at the moment of the sending of the Holy Spirit. To describe this moment as miraculous would be an understatement. The Holy Spirit made its presence known in a roaring sound and a brilliant image. The timing was perfect, such that people from all across the known world were present to witness and receive this moment. Those people then heard the Gospel, each in their own language, by the power of the work of the Spirit. Still some there do not receive this good word and mock the apostles as though they were drunk, but Peter refutes them by showing that this very moment has been foretold in Scripture. As we consider this text this week, let us grow in confidence that we are called by the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel, and not just called but empowered. This empowerment may not come as a tongue of flame or spontaneous fluency in a foreign language, but even that urge to share with a neighbor or those insightful words that come to us as we speak with coworkers are a clear demonstration of the work of the Spirit.

Church Picnic

We will be having a church picnic at Usery Park this upcoming Sunday, April 28th. We have Ramada C1 reserved from 2-6 p.m. (though there is no obligation to stay that whole time) and will bring some yard games as well as water games for the kids. Food will be potluck style, so please sign up in the foyer. Make sure to bring yourself something to drink and a chair to sit in. Entrance into the park is $7 per vehicle.

New Sunday Studies

This upcoming Sunday we will be starting a new series in our Sunday Studies. In this series we will investigate the Bible’s grand story. When we look at the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation we find threads that run the whole way through. This class is meant to help us see how these threads weave together to form a grand narrative, God’s story of His redeeming love and how He will renew all creation.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we looked at the first moments of the Church after Jesus’ ascension. Things were moving fast and the Church needed to replace Judas with a new twelfth apostle and prepare to fulfill the Great Commission. Certainly they used the best of their wisdom and organizational skills, but above all the Church leaned on prayer and Holy Scripture. They devoted themselves to these things with one accord and in so doing sought God’s will and guidance in all things. Both individually and as a church, we too must constantly lean on prayer and scripture. In light of the faithfulness of the Early Church, we should be relentless in seeking the will of God through these wonderful means he has given to us.

Church Picnic

We will be having a church picnic at Usery Park on April 28th. We have Ramada C1 reserved from 2-6 p.m. (though there is no obligation to stay that whole time) and will bring some yard games as well as water games for the kids. Food will be potluck style, so please sign up in the foyer. Make sure to bring yourself something to drink and a chair to sit in. Entrance into the park is $7 per vehicle.

Women’s Painting Party

Saturday, May 4th, we will be hosting a women’s painting party from 11:00 to 2:30. The cost is $20, which will cover all painting supplies. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer that includes sign-up for items for a potluck salad bar for lunch. Feel free to invite friends as well.

Save the Date for Kids Camp!

Kids Camp is on the horizon, coming up on June 25th-27th with setup on the preceding Sunday. This is a huge opportunity to minister to our community, reaching not just the kids but parents as well. With how important this event is to our church’s ministry we’d love if you would set aside those days now to come serve and to experience the joy of sharing the Gospel together.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we began our new series in the book of Acts. This book covers the earliest days of Christianity as the Holy Spirit moved and worked through the apostles and other believers to spread the Gospel and build the Church. Before we see the mission carried out, though, we had to see the mission given by Jesus. Having been with the risen Christ, the apostles asked him if he would restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus responded by saying the restoration will be for a later time that the Father has appointed, but for now the apostles were to spread the Gospel by Jesus’ authority. That very call stands for us today. We are to continue spreading the Gospel under the authority of Jesus until that day when returns from Heaven just as he ascended.

Life Among the Nations

Next Friday, April 19th at 6:00 p.m. Light in the Desert will help host a dinner for Life Among the Nations. This is a ministry run by Church on Mill in Tempe seeking to minister to international students at the main ASU campus. If you are interested in helping there are two ways you can serve. First, you can help provide some of the food by preparing either a salad or a dessert. Second, you can come to the dinner to help serve the food to the international students. If you are interested in helping in one or both of those ways, please sign up on the sheet at the welcome desk in our foyer.

Church Picnic

We will be having a church picnic at Usery Park on April 28th. We have Ramada C1 reserved from 2-6 p.m. (though there is no obligation to stay that whole time) and will bring some yard games as well as water games for the kids. Food will be potluck style, so please sign up in the foyer. Make sure to bring yourself something to drink and a chair to sit in. Entrance into the park is $7 per vehicle.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday was Easter, so we as a church made the bold decision to spend our morning considering the events of Resurrection Sunday. After what was surely a devastating Saturday on which it seemed all hope had been lost, Jesus’ followers arose that Sunday to find that the grave was empty, that Jesus had risen and overcome death itself. Now when the chief priests heard the reports of this resurrection they rejected this good news and spread lies that the whole thing was a hoax, as many reject the good news of Jesus today. But Jesus’ followers responded rightly, first with praise, and then by obediently setting out to spread the word of the resurrection. Let us respond likewise by marveling at the salvation secured by Jesus’ resurrection and by going out to share the joy of that salvation with the world.

Life Among the Nations

On April 19th at 6:00 p.m. Light in the Desert will help host a dinner for Life Among the Nations. This is a ministry run by Church on Mill in Tempe seeking to minister to international students at the main ASU campus. If you are interested in helping there are two ways you can serve. First, you can help provide some of the food by preparing either a salad or a dessert. Second, you can come to the dinner to help serve the food to the international students. If you are interested in helping in one or both of those ways, please sign up on the sheet at the welcome desk in our foyer.

New Series

We will be starting a new sermon series this upcoming Sunday in which we will be working our way through Acts. We would encourage you to begin reading ahead to be prepared to engage with the sermons each Sunday. In particular, since this book focuses on the early days of the Church, we encourage you to prayerfully consider the implications of Acts for our church body here at Light in the Desert. The first sermon will be covering Acts 1:1-11, though you are by no means limited to just those first few verses for now.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

As we work our way through Matthew’s account of Passion Week, this past Sunday brought us to Good Friday, the day on which Jesus was put on trial and crucified. Two charges were made against Jesus, that he claimed to be the Son of God and that he claimed to be King of the Jews. To both the Roman and Jewish authorities these claims were traitorous and heretical. But Jesus contested neither of these charges, instead answering both with the words “you have said so.” Jesus in fact claimed these things about himself, yet was justified because his claims were true. The authorities, blinded by sin, simply could not see the reality of who Jesus was. Ironically, as they levied charges against him and mocked him, they only served to proclaim the truth of who Jesus is. As we reflect on this passage this week, let us consider how sin can keep us from seeing the truth that God has put right before us, and so grieve the ugliness of our sin. And let us pray that God would open our eyes so we might clearly see Christ our Savior and Lord.

Events in the Valley

Lots of fantastic conferences come to the Phoenix area so we wanted to take a second to highlight two that might be of interest and valuable to our church. First is Holy Sexuality and the Gospel on April 8th. This lecture hosted by Phoenix Seminary will address how to bring the Gospel into the modern conversation around gender and sexuality. The second is Brave in Babylon on April 12th & 13th. This conference put on by The Gospel Coalition will focus on faithful and hopeful Christian living in an increasingly secular age.

Easter Schedule

While we have been studying Passion Week for over a month now, the week itself is finally here. As a quick reminder of the slight schedule changes, on the evening of Good Friday we will be having a service at 5:30, then Easter morning we will have a time of fellowship at 9:00 instead of our usual Sunday Studies, followed by our usual 10:15 worship service.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern