|
One of my Facebook friends posted a video about a Wendy's "secret menu item". If you ask for a "T-Rex Burger" you'll receive a 9-pattie monster! That's 3,240 calories that you can't even fit in your mouth! Why would anyone eat that much? Some might answer: "Welcome to 'Merica!" Comedian Jim Gaffigan points out the absurdity of our tendency to over eat - especially around holidays. "I usually don't have a burger, a brat, and a steak, but it is 4th of July... and I'm gonna need the energy if I'm gonna start blowin' stuff up. It's what the Founding Fathers would want!" Setting aside issues of over-eating, meals are a wonderful way to get to know others. As we eat and drink, conversations happen and friendships are formed. Could that include friendships with people who don't know Jesus? This Sunday, July 2nd, we'll be continuing our BLESS series on living and sharing the Good News through 5 simple life rhythms. This week we'll be talking about Eating - perfect timing as we prepare for the 4th. Just take it easy on the quantity! Agros Fundraiser & Pig Roast BBQ PotluckThis coming Saturday, July 8th, Bill & Suellen White are hosting their annual Pig Roast to raise money for AGROS. Why not invite some of your "pre-Christian" friends to come up to the White's ranch (about 1/4 mile up Lookout Mountain Rd in Twisp) at 5:00 for live music, plenty of great food, and the chance to contribute to this wonderful ministry.
Agros staff member, Guillermo Jimenez, and his family will be with us to share some of the wonderful things that are happening in a number of villages in Central America. Thanks to financial contributions, the poorest of the poor are farming their own land and moving into a hopeful future. Financial gifts will be collected at the event, but there is still a chance to contribute online and have your gift matched if you do so by Friday, June 30th. Make your donation here: https://agros.org/do I love this scene from the crazy film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in which some guards aren't quite able to understand what they're being instructed to do. Have you ever experienced someone who is hearing you speak, but obviously isn't really listening to you? Have you ever been guilty of that? (Be honest). One of the greatest blessings we can give to someone is to listen to them with care. It validates them and their feelings. It's been said that every person you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. That is, unless you're willing to listen to them. We're in the midst of a sermon series called BLESS in which we're learning 5 missional practices that can enable us to naturally bless people and introduce them to Jesus. The first one is "Begin with Prayer". This Sunday, June 18th, we'll look at how to "Listen with Care". As we get better at this, we'll become real friends with people and God will open up ways to bless them. I hope you'll be able to join us. Church Camp OutThis coming weekend is our All Church Camp Out at the Bridgeport State Park. You can stay for the whole weekend (beginning at noon on Friday through Sunday) or you can just stop in for the day. You can contact Scott Larson for more info (509-220-8475) VBS this week at Cascade Bible Church Our Valley-wide Vacation Bible School is taking place this coming week, June 19-23. This year it is being hosted by Cascade Bible Church. Please consider volunteering in some way - I believe they're still looking for help in various areas Graduate Recognition (Part 2)This Sunday, June 18th, we will be honoring 3 more graduates who were unable to be with us a few weeks ago when we celebrated with Fallon Hutson and Mihayla Phillips.
This week we'll get to honor Derek Alumbaugh, Cole Darwood, and Jesse Tissell by presenting them with bibles and praying for them. Each of you have an encouraging role to play in the lives of all of the children within our congregation. And when these young men and women move into their future lives we want them to feel the love and support of lots of surrogate uncles, aunts, grandmothers, and grandfathers! Be sure to let them know that you're proud of their accomplishments.  Do you have people in your life that seem to be far away from God? I do. Some are family members. Others are friends. But I really care about each of them. It's a helpless feeling to watch them go through life without the peace and hope that I've experienced through having Jesus in my life. Some of these people have had a negative exposure to Christianity that turned them off. Others simply feel that they are doing fine without any "religious stuff" in their lives I really long for these special people to come to a saving faith in Jesus, but sometimes it seems like a lost cause. I think, "They won't listen to me - what am I going to say that they haven't heard or don't have an argument for? Do I really want to get into some sort of debate? Maybe I should just let them be...." Well I've got some good news for you -- and me! There are some simple practices that we can make a part of our life that may just break through the hard shell of our loved ones. We're going to be unpacking these missional practices in the coming Sundays, but they begin with the most powerful secret weapon we have: prayer! Prayer is an amazing resource that God makes available to us. We can speak with the creator of the universe -- and He listens and responds to us! While God is completely able to accomplish whatever he wants to do without the need of our assistance, He has chosen to partner with you and I. That seems crazy, and yet it is also amazing! I'm invited to join Jesus in his mission to reach out and bless those around me! And through my prayers, God chooses to transform individual lives! This Sunday, June 11, we'll begin unpacking the five missional practices of B.L.E.S.S. as we begin with prayer. I want to encourage you to ask God to reveal 3-5 individuals in your life who are far from him and that you will commit to pray for in this coming year. I believe that we're all going to see amazing things happen as we use our secret weapon of prayer! The Shack Movie CCC and Mazama Community Church are partnering with Cascade Bible Church to have two showings of the powerful film "The Shack". The film will be shown at CBC at 7:00 PM this coming Friday, June 9th, and Saturday, June 10th. These are free showings, but donations will be collected to help with renovations for the Master's Christian School gym.
I strongly encourage you to see this movie and spend some time discussing it. While it is a work of fiction and I would caution anyone to base their understanding of God solely on this book/movie, it may open your heart to the love and healing that God offers to each of us as we struggle with the challenges of this life. You may want to bring a friend and plan to talk about it over dessert following. |
Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
Categories |
RSS Feed
HoursService Time:
Sun. 10:00am Office Hours: Tues/Wed- 11am-1:30pm Thurs- 4:00pm-7:00pm |
Telephone |
|