Church Family,

Can you believe we have just one more week left in the book of Genesis?  This series has been encouraging to me in at least two ways.  One, the entire bible finds its roots in the book of Genesis.  So to study it thoroughly will aid your understanding of the whole bible.  I pray that has been the case for you.  Secondly, how it sets the tone for the importance of God’s sovereignty has been deeply encouraging.  What has been extremely clear is that we owe our salvation, from beginning to end, to God alone.  There is no other explanation for all we have in Christ; it’s God’s work!

Thank you for your desire to consume God’s Word above all else every time we gather!

Kids Camp

Pray for those who will attend and the volunteers as June 8-10 draws near.  We are excited and looking forward to what the Lord will do with that time.  Also, we will announce this Sunday a day we will need as much help as possible to clean and set up after the school removes all their stuff.  Please consider helping those days!  We are going to need it!

Prospective Members Class

We are excited for the many who have signed up for this Saturday’s Prospective Members Class!  There is still room for others, so if you did not get a chance to sign up just be here this Saturday at 9 am.  We’d love to see you!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

What a great Sunday together as we explored Genesis 46, which explains Jacob’s entrance into Egypt.  By this point in the story of Genesis, many years have passed since God made a promise to Abraham (Gen 12).  Though time has passed and people have come and gone, God has not wavered in keeping His promises. He alone has proven to be faithful. It is Him who works providentially to bring about his desired ends.  Genesis 46 shows us God’s faithfulness in multiplying Jacob/Israel and highlights His future faithfulness to bring them back to the promised land.

Kid’s Camp Registration

Registration is now open!  Click HERE to register your child/children for Happy Holidays: Celebrating God’s Good Plan Kid’s Camp.  Please join us in prayer as we send out a flyer through multiple schools in the area!

Prospective Members Class

We announced this past Sunday that we are having our next Prospective Members Class on May 21 from 9 am – 12 pm.  Please register in the foyer if you are interested in attending.  This class is designed to give further details on all things Light in the Desert Church.  We will discuss what we believe, what a church is, why join a church, and lastly, the nuts and bolts of our life together.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

I hope you all have enjoyed our time in the book of Genesis.  It’s been a joy studying and preparing each week.   We are scheduled to finish up Genesis in four weeks, and then we will dive back into the book of Psalms for June and July.  This week, take some time to read the final chapters of Genesis and consider Joseph’s words in Gen 45:4-8 and Gen 50:20. (Check the entire series out here or listen to last week’s message here.)

Kids Camp

Thank you to everyone who has donated supplies to Kid’s Camp!  Continue to be in prayer as we open up registration in a couple of weeks through various schools in the area.

Disciple Makers

There will be no Disciple Makers Class this week, April 27.  We will resume next week on May 4.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

I do hope you all are well.  I want to invite all who receive this blog post to join us this weekend as we contemplate and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  This week in our calendar, often referred to as Passion Week, captures the heart of where our hope lies–in a living Savior who took the punishment we deserve.  Please participate in the various opportunities available this week to contemplate and celebrate our Risen Lord!

Easter Schedule

• Good Friday, 6 pm
• Waiting Saturday, provided readings given out on Friday
• Resurrection Sunday,  9 am fellowship, and 10:15 am gathering

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

What a wonderful time together this past Sunday as we prayed, sang, read Scripture, and heard God’s Word preached.  Genesis fills in so many details that the entire bible unpacks with its 66 books.  It has been a joy to study the history of God moving providentially within the world to bring about His desired ends.  I want to personally thank you all for your desire and encouragement to put Scripture before us each week, eager to understand its truth.  It’s a joy to pastor you all and preach God’s Word each week.

Easter Weekend

Easter is just three weeks away!  We want to make sure you are aware and planning on participating in all we will do for Easter weekend.  So grab your calendars and mark these dates and times:

• Good Friday (April 15) at 6 pm we will gather to reflect on our crucified Lord
• Waiting Saturday (April 16) we will provide readings to reflect on uncertainty and trust
• Resurrection Sunday (April 17) at 9 am we will provide refreshments for fellowship and then have our normal scheduled gathering at 10:15 am to celebrate our risen Lord!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

As we continue to make our way through Genesis, we are beginning to see Joseph as the faithful one. Despite all the difficulties he faces, he is consistent and unwavering in his faith in God. This past Sunday, Joseph was faced with an opportunity to be unfaithful, wicked, and sin sexually with Potiphar’s wife. The decision was easy for him, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”  After rehearsing all that the Lord had done for him in finding favor with Potiphar and being put in charge, Joseph cannot pursue wickedness and, more importantly, sin against God. His desire for God overshadowed the temptation to sin. That’s the trick; having a greater desire and affection for God than sin’s seductive call.

Disciple Makers

This is a friendly reminder that we will start back up our Disciple Makers class this Wednesday. Join us at 6 pm as we discuss how to read our bibles.

Mission

Perhaps it would be wise to refresh our memories on what we here at Light in the Desert Church believe is our mission. At Light in the Desert, our mission is to glorify God by making disciples who love God supremely, love others sacrificially, and share hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ to all peoples (read more).

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

Sunday was a fantastic day as we continued in the book of Genesis.  Joseph will carry the story from here.  We will see the ups and downs as Israel moves out of the promised land and into Egypt.  Genesis 37 begins that journey by telling us how his brothers poorly treated Joseph; he is rejected, stripped of his robe, and sold for money.  This is the genesis of how the people of God end up as slaves of Pharaoh who deals shrewdly with them and ruthlessly makes life bitter for them (Exodus 1:1-14).  Things don’t just happen overnight.  There are many movements along the way that bring them, bring people, to unhealthy situations.  Genesis 37 reminds us just how desperate we are for God’s grace once again.  It also gives us hints towards the more excellent brother who is rejected, stripped of his robe, and sold for money (Matthew 27:27-31).

Disciple-Makers

This is just a friendly reminder that we will be gathering this week, March 2, for our disciple-makers class at 6 pm, but will not gather next week, March 9, due to Spring Break.

Ukraine Prayer Guide

Take some time to be praying for the unrest in Ukraine.  Here is a prayer guide to help.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

As we watched Jacob’s narrative in Genesis come to a close on Sunday, we learned a few things (Genesis 35).  First, the longer we walk with God, the more maturity we should see in our lives.  Time is one of the greatest tools God has to grow us and our faith.  Jacob has endured a lot, which has caused him to deepen his trust and heighten his holiness.  He called his family to live like a people who follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob.   Secondly, we observed that sin does have consequences.  Grace is always evident, and God’s faithfulness never waivers, but Simeon, Levi, and Reuben all forfeit the joy and privilege of carrying on the blessing of God (Genesis 49).  Lastly, we saw in Jesus the fulfillment and obedience to the covenant–which is God taking flesh and doing what no people, no prophet, no king, and no priest could do; be obedient fully to the covenant.

Destination Unknown

One last final reminder that this Sunday, from 4 pm – 6:30 pm, we are having a church-wide get-together.  Food and childcare will be provided.  Don’t miss it!!

Prospective Members Class

There is still time to join us this Saturday from 1 pm – 4 pm for our Prospective Members Class.  This class is designed to answer all your questions about the church, why join, and the nuts and bolts of Light in the Desert Church.  Let me know if you are interested!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan

Church Family,

What a Sunday!  Genesis 34 is indeed a difficult chapter, but I’m so grateful for a church that does not shy away from hard passages and wants to dig into God’s word to understand.  The story of Dinah is one of terrible mistreatment and blind justice.  We understand the longing for justice when the innocent are mistreated.  The brothers cannot bear the thought of their sister being humiliated, defiled, sinned against, and treated like a prostitute.  Their longing is rooted in a right thing, justice, making right the wrong, but their massacre was out of step.  Though Shechem had committed a grievous sin that “must not be done,” justice cannot be executed blindly.  The good news is that God does bring justice wisely.  Dinah is the innocent one mistreated who needs justice to roll down from a wise and powerful God.  He is better at vengeance (Deut 32:35, Rom 12:19, Heb 10:30).  What has been done to her is heinous, outrageous, something that “must not be done!”  Upon reflecting on this event, Moses strategically labels the sin with words that clearly communicate that Shechem’s sin is grievous. Therefore, it requires a wise and powerful one to bring adequate justice.  Interestingly enough, another innocent one who was mistreated that brings that justice, Jesus (Heb 7:26).

Senior Luncheon

We announced this past Sunday a get-together for our Senior Adults at Fat Willy’s.  We will meet there at 11:30 am to have lunch and spend time together chatting, laughing, and encouraging one another.  I’m looking forward to hanging with you all!

Destination Unknown

Speaking of get-togethers, we have a church-wide event on Feb 20th from 4 pm -6:30 pm.  Food and childcare will be provided.  Please sign up in the foyer so we can have an accurate number to prepare.  As we said Sunday, the adults will be split into teams to participate in an activity that will require some driving.  The children will enjoy time together playing and eating pizza.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Bryan