|
|
 |
|
| April 13, 2011 |
NEWSLETTER
Wednesday Edition
|
|
Greetings!
Let's all be encouraged to believe and rely on God's faithfulness at all times. May this be the constant prayer in our hearts and minds throughout our waking moments:
"Thank you for your promises, Oh God! I want to draw closer to you, to feel your presence as never before. Fill me with reverence and awe and humbleness in your presence. Touch my soul and cover me in your joy and peace. Minister to me Lord, I pray. All praise and glory and honor be unto You. In the precious name of Jesus I come to you and trust in you, dear Lord. Amen."
The Church Staff
|
|
 | FYC
|
|  |
For Your Consideration
There's hardly a day that passes where one does not encounter the "FYI" acrostic, For Your Information.
We'll introduce you to "FYC" this time, For Your Consideration.
Love letters are almost always welcome! Most of us received one on Sunday. The contents of this "love letter" were rehashed at our Core Group Meeting.
Basically, it was an annual report on the finances of Gospel Life, and it does amaze us, how the enormous financial obligations and projects of our church are sustained through the faithful gifts of our relatively small congregation.
Most of you probably notice that there is hardly any appeal made from the podium whenever our gifts are received on Sundays. It is because we know that there is no lack of a desire to bring your gifts and offerings to the Lord and that so many of you do this on a regular basis.
Nevertheless, the "love letter" we received clearly shows the needs of our church and that perhaps a little more added to our regular proportional giving, plus a measure of sacrificial giving, and a whole lot of faith giving as explained in the letter, will altogether result in a far greater influence our presence is and will be, in our community and in our global outreach.
So this is all laid out FYC, prayerfully and humbly as we seek guidance and direction in this most important task before us.
|
| TEMPUS FUGIT!
|
| |
Time Flies!
Somehow that Latin phrase stayed with me since high school. And it was not from a Latin class either. My best friend shared that phrase with me, "Tempus fugit!" meaning, "Time flies!"
And yes, the time is fast approaching when you can bring your sponsorship dollars for the Pastors' Conference to be held next month in Palawan, May 12-16. Fifteen Gospel Life pastors and lay ministers who have registered for the conference need assistance for their transportation to and from Palawan. Approximately $150 is needed to defray the cost of transporting each one of them.
Please send in or bring your donations no later than this coming Sunday, April 17th. You may want to provide either a full or partial sponsorship: that's something entirely up to the Holy Spirit as he prompts you.
|
| APRIL SHOWERS |
| |
Fund Drive Till Month's End
Our God is good, all the time!
The success of our Japan Disaster Relief Fund Drive can only be attributed to God as He impresses people in our community to contribute to this effort. And there is no denying that there are many more well-known and prestigious groups raising funds for the same purpose.
Our fund drive will continue till the end of April. Let our family members, friends and neighbors know about this and let their generosity be the showers of blessing for the month of April.
All checks should be made out to Gospel Life with a memo for "Japan Disaster Relief." Our mailing address:
Gospel Life Community
436 Crestwood Lane
Walnut, CA 91789
|
| OUR SHARED VALUES |
| r | |
The Development of Strong Family Units
"We will help the believers' families to develop and model agape-love relationships and Spirit-led lifestyle for their children and their neighbors." Every Wednesday we review "Our Shared Values" printed in the pamphlet "Vision 21: Journey to Divine Destiny." This is the seventh in the series of ten. |
| DEVOTIONAL
|
by
Buddy
Owens
| |
|
|
|
"As she stood behind Jesus at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." Luke 7:38 (NIV)
|
"You don't have to clean up your act before you can worship God. Just worship him and he'll clean up your act. You don't repent and confess in order to earn forgiveness. You change your ways because you've been forgiven."
|
There are some powerful lessons about worship and about the transformation that happens in the life of a worshiper in Luke 7. The sinful woman in this story exhibited four traits we need to take note of:
- She worshiped boldly. This woman took a risk coming to the Pharisee's house. She could have been thrown out or stoned, but she came boldly. She marched right into the house, into the dining room, into Jesus' presence. Why would she do that? She was looking for forgiveness. She was looking for hope and acceptance. She was looking for some kind of change in her life. She was not there just to pay homage to some holy guy.
- She worshiped humbly. She wept in Jesus' presence, wetting his feet with her tears. Then, in her deep sorrow, she got down on her knees, showing her submission to God, and dried his feet with her hair.
- She worshiped honestly. Many biblical scholars believe the sinful woman must have been a prostitute because she brought an expensive jar of perfume with her. This jar of perfume had significance - it represented her life; it represented her background; it was one of the tools of the trade. When she came to Jesus with that jar and poured it on his feet, it was her confession. She was honestly telling Jesus who she was.
- She worshiped extravagantly. She showed Jesus extravagant worship by using a jar of perfume that probably cost her an entire year's wages. And she didn't just dab on a couple of drops. Luke 7:38 says she poured the perfume on his feet. Why? This was her opportunity to come clean, to meet God, worship him and be transformed. It was her chance to start over.
You don't have to clean up your act before you can worship God. Worship him and he'll clean up your act. You don't repent and confess in order to earn forgiveness. You change your ways because you've been forgiven.
Romans 12 says that we offer ourselves to the Lord in worship so that he can transform us. It's the worship that comes first. That's what we see in this woman's life.
(From connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com by Rick Warren)
|
|
| RESCHEDULED |
| |
Ministry Class
The Ministry Classes on Homiletics were concluded last Saturday. However, the previously announced Ministry Class on "Worship" for April 23 is rescheduled for sometime after the first week of June. We will keep you updated.
|
| CHURCH GREETERS' SCHEDULE |
|
|
April 17 - Linda & Danny Santos
April 24 - Vonnie & Tito Cabrera
May 1 - Penny & Conrad Miranda
May 8 - Eunice Alinsod
May 15 - Lelit & Tony Luciano
May 22 - Ruby & Ding Dijamco
|
|
| THE BACK TABLE
|
|
|
|
|
|
MEDITATION
"Dear Father in Heaven, Please work in me today to ripen the fruit of the Spirit. Let my life bear this fruit...to show and share love, joy, and peace; to be long-suffering, gentle, and good; to have strong faith; to be meek and temperate, slow to speak and quick to listen. I want to walk in the Spirit so that my life will be pleasing to you and a light in the darkness, that the world may know that You are God. With praise and thanksgiving, in the name of Jesus. Amen."
|
|
|
|
|
|
