SERIES ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE

 The three-part series on Spiritual Warfare was capped yesterday with Pastor Hansel's sermon on "The Battleship Called Church." He delivered the message that the Holy Spirit spoke through him with clarity and simplicity, indicating why the church is a "battleship" rather than a "cruise ship."

Christ's instruction to His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations" is the church's primary mission, he said. In the end, the church victorious will be at the "marriage supper of the Lamb."

At the end of yesterday's Good News Hour the congregation gathered around Pastors John and Jessie, and Paul and Dollie Sy, to bless them as they go on their missionary trip to the Philippines.

Paul and Dollie will be leaving for the Philippines in a couple of weeks.

THE TREASURE CHEST

No doubt you have all seen the "treasure chest" laying against the back wall of the church sanctuary. This is to remind you that it is there for a special purpose, and that is to put in your sacrificial gifts every Sunday for the redemption of Gospel Life's mortgage note, separate and apart from your "usual" or "regular" gifts or offerings.

You may want to solicit small and large donations from friends and family,  from businesses large and small who are looking for tax breaks, or from your associates and colleagues in the marketplace. There are a lot of possibilities. 

MEN'S BREAKFAST 
 

October 15, Saturday morning, is tentively set for a Men's Breakfast fellowship.  Plans are being made for this event so watch out for details regarding this.

A sign-up sheet will be passed around to make sure there will be a good number of interested men for it to be a viable first time gathering for this group.

DEVOTIONAL 
 

From Pain to Destiny
 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-5).

God often allows pain to ignite destiny in our lives. Without motivation, many of us would never fulfill the purposes for which God created us. Oftentimes a measured assault invades our life and creates a depth of pain that all we know to do is press into God with all our being.

At first, our motivation is to alleviate the pain. After a season of extreme emotional and sometimes physical pain, a second phase begins. This phase moves us to discover a new and deeper relationship with God. We begin to discover things about ourselves and about God that we never would have discovered without this motivation. Gradually, our heart changes our motivation from pain to loving obedience because there is a transition of the heart that takes place. No longer do we seek God for deliverance from the pain; we seek God because He is God. We seek His face and not His hand.

When we move to the second phase we often find ourselves moving into a new destiny and calling for our lives because God often separates us from the old life in this process. No doubt Joseph and Peter felt the pain of their individual crises.

However, later they could realize God's purposes in their crisis. Like Joseph, we are able to say, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."

Today, let God move you from the place of pain to the place of destiny. Let God show you the secret things He has reserved for you as a result of the crisis you may find yourself in.  

(Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.)

WALNUT FAMILY FESTIVAL

Mark your calendars for the Walnut Family Festival at Suzanne Park.  We will have two booths: one at the Community Awareness area where our Blood Pressure and Diabetic testing clinic will be located, and another one at the Game area operated by our youth.

We will also participate in the parade which starts at 10:00 a.m. We will assemble at a prearranged area at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Join us in celebrating the 35th Annual Walnut Family Festival. This year the theme is "The Great Outdoors!" This annual milestone is a non-profit community event, planned by a volunteer committee of local residents.

The Festival highlights a variety of service clubs, youth organizations, businesses, environmental services, art, products and technology all aimed at improving the quality of living in Walnut. Be sure to visit the Business Expo, Arts & Crafts Alley and Community Awareness booths and sample cuisine from around the world available in the Food Court area. We expect to have a wonderful turnout and hope you can join us!

Featured Events

8:00 am . . . 1K/5K Run (Sponsored by So. CA Roadrunners) @ Snow Creek Park
8:00 am to 10:00 am . . . Pancake Breakfast Sponsored by the Lions Club at

    Suzanne Park 
10:00 am to 12:00 noon . . . Parade along La Puente Road from Lemon Ave. to

    Suzanne Road

11:00 am to 6:00 pm . . . Kid's Kamp @ Suzanne Park
11:30 am to 12:00 noon . . . Opening Ceremonies @ Suzanne Park
12:00 noon to 6:00 pm . . . Entertainment @ Suzanne Park

The day kicks off with the annual 1K/5K run at Snow Creek Park and a Pancake Breakfast at Suzanne Park, followed by a parade down La Puente Road. Then the fun and entertainment kicks into high gear at Suzanne Park.