Christ Is the Goal. Scriptures Are the Fuel.
Discipleship is deep because Jesus Christ is inexhaustible. If you’re going deep into the Bible just to be a scholar, or a smart guy, or a good student, you’re missing the point.
Why else would God reveal himself except to have a relationship with us? Our lives are not about what WE can get out of HIM, but by denying ourselves, we find he IS, in fact, much more fulfilling than we could have ever imagined otherwise.
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Our discipleship series is about looking at both the doctrines and disciplines of following Jesus. The doctrines point to Jesus. The disciplines deepen our walk with him. If either the doctrines or the disciplines become ends in themselves, we’ve made scholarship or moralism our god instead of God himself!
Christ is the goal. Scriptures are the fuel.
Going deeper in discipleship should only fuel our love of Jesus.
–Pastor Ryan
SERMON TEXTS: Habakkuk 2; Matthew 16
John 5:39 Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
PROJECT UPDATES
We’re marching along on several more projects! Here are a few updates:
- Children’s Wing. Christian has finalized the color scheme and designs for the new Children’s Wing, and they’ve started painting! If you are able to help, please talk to Bro. Christian!
- Office Updates. My dad spent all day here today, and the middle wall of partition is complete! I know we’re violating Eph. 2:14–15, but there’s peace between me and Bro. Christian. I promise.
- We’ve chosen paint samples and will be painting this week.
- We’ve removed the old floor and will install new flooring after the paint is complete.
- The door on Bro. Christian’s office is hung!
- Hallway trim. Done!
- Elevator. We have a couple (slow) quotes coming for a new elevator. Please pray for God to work this out.
- Carpet. We have a couple (slow) quotes coming for carpet repair. Another company took measurements on Monday.
- More sanctuary lighting! Praise the Lord for newer, brighter LED lighting being installed in the sanctuary wings.
- More baptism t-shirts. We’re already running out of baptism t-shirts! Praise the Lord! We’ve changed the design a little and the new ones are on their way soon.
- New Announcements Email. I’m SO excited about this one… did you like the new layout of the Announcements Email? We have a signup form on our website to get the latest information, which includes event details, Wednesday bulletins, and Sunday bulletins. Check your inbox on FRIDAY for a sneak peek at the next Sunday’s bulletin.
- Outreach maps. Mrs. Linda has highlighted hundreds of new outreach maps that we use on Saturdays.
- Routine maintenance. Light fixtures replaced in office, toilet repaired upstairs, every AC filter replaced in the church, fixed airflow in offices, bathroom soap dispenser repaired, new kick-stands on doors, leak repaired, Jeep repaired, etc.
- New flag. Doesn’t it look beautiful? The Rangels always donate the new flag as soon as the current one starts to fade.
LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED? All of these projects represent people who are making both their time and expertise available. Your expertise might be in something more “white collar” than what we’ve listed here, but how CAN you use your experience for Christ?
I’d love to hear what creative ways you try to use the talents and inclinations God has given you to spread the Gospel. Sales? Project management? Small business? How does God use you in this church?
For example, Rachel has experience and an inclination toward theater, and she will be using that talent to direct A Christian Christmas Carol this Christmas! What a blessing!
After our interns leave, some of the projects they’re overseeing will have to fall back on someone. These project updates reflect some of the day-to-day “church work” that happens around here, and shows some of the needs that a church of our size generates weekly.
Every week, Bro. Zack and Bro. Evan:
- Unlock and lock up buildings
- Prepare the missionary prayer list
- Set up for Saturday outreach
- Prepare the orders of service
- Help with media (announcement slides / offering / lyrics screen / livestream)
- Do yard work
- Fix broken stuff!
What’s going to happen when they leave? I think the most biblical model of “church work” is that members serve one another—as volunteers, not as professionals. Instead of charging for your services, how could you serve? Vacuuming? Building? Painting? Raking? Locking doors? Setting up tables? Typing song lyrics? Replacing lights? Tutoring / mentoring someone? Using your tools, your home, your kids, your music, or your organizational skills to help out? It’s a JOY to serve!
We’re praying for missionaries in England, Japan and Chile this week. Please email the church for more information.