Announcements – Calvary Baptist Church | Temecula, CA

Bulletin Note 10/1/17

admin — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:19:59 +0000

I read that this past weekend all 28 NFL teams had at least some players who protested the American flag and the national anthem in response to the President’s condemning some others before them, who had been using their fame, wealth and prestige as a platform for expressing their liberal politics by refusing to stand for the national anthem. Just the fact that you are on an NFL team means you are very rich. The average salary, not counting all the bonuses, endorsement deals, investment gains etc. is over two million dollars per year. Spoiled, pampered, and living in luxury, many of these people still find it necessary to demonstrate their dishonoring of the country and the symbol of this country, the flag.

I wonder, will anyone in the NFL ever get it as to the factors causing the ongoing declines in attendance at their games? This was a headline from Business Insider in this week’s Sept. 22, 2017 edition: “The NFL is getting hammered after another game was played in a half-empty stadium. It’s not just football itself. The same week the Rams drew 56,000 and the Chargers drew 25,000, USC had over 84,000 at their game against Texas. Don’t be too surprised though, if we see college football following in the direction of NFL football in becoming politicized and further polluted.”

Not every NFL player buckled under to the pressures to join in the dishonoring actions though. World magazine reported the following account: “The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to remain in the stadium tunnel prior to their game in Chicago Sunday, with one exception: offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva. The former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan stepped out onto the field in front of his teammates to take part in the playing of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’ Good for him!”

Far beyond our allegiance to flag and country ought to be our allegiance to our Saviour and to those eternal truths which transcend all nations and all times. Psalm 62:8, Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

Bulletin Note 9/24/17

admin — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 00:24:56 +0000

The label “Snowflake Generation,” applied to those presently in their teens and early twenties, is not entirely unearned. Twenty-year-old Tiffany Zhong conducts research about young people. She polled 11,000 people in that age bracket, as she related to their “growing unease with doorbells.” 54% of respondents agreed, “Doorbells are scary weird.” Tiffany explained, “Doorbells are just so sudden. It’s terrifying.” Oh dear. What will poor Tiffany do when the smoke alarm goes off in Mommy and Daddy’s house where she lives rent free? She’ll melt.

On the other hand, it is nice to know some young people who don’t want to live cowering in “safe-spaces” insulated from anyone or anything which might bother or upset them. Life in this world has its adversities, and we can’t always avoid them by just “not answering the doorbell.” For the child of God, we have been provided with the safe space of His grace and help in times of need. We are never alone, and we have that abiding presence of the Holy Spirit who keeps us in His care and delivers us from all our fears.

Psalm 27:1, The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Lines Are Memorized, Right?

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:37:16 +0000

Your lines are memorized tonight, right? You know…like for Comedy Night?

They’re due today. Have you been watching your videos? Remember your “homework” assignment last week…“go home and watch YouTube.” Did you do your summer homework? It’s an easy assignment.

Comedy Night is more of an activity for us, and less of a fund-raiser. I love Comedy Night. I love that you all are so weird. I love laughing at y…no…WITH you.

I missed being with you on Sunday, and I’m glad to be back tonight.

Sorry about the canceled Open House. We were really looking forward to that. We’ll have a couple more before summer is over.

Just a reminder: keep up on your personal devotions. Keep your

passion for souls. Keep your testimony pure and clean.

Love God. Love others. Do right.

-Bro. Ryan

Bro. Ben’s Note

“Man… This is just not cool,” I was thinking while I stirred some mix for a watertight patch. “WHY IS THIS NOT MIXING?!!!!!” Was my next thought.

Bro. Nathan and I filled up the fountain and right when the water went through it, it started to leak. This was a job for the intern—ME to do whenever I had time. So I researched a patching epoxy online, then went to Lowe’s and picked some up, thinking that this was a quick-mix and spread job. You’d think it would just work, the mix I bought, but of course not… That would be silly. So I mixed in the first batch which didn’t go to bad, but it was too thick. So, like the directions said I added some more water. Then I began to mix it some more. Then more. Then more. Then a little more. But no matter what I did, the mix just wouldn’t… What’s the word… Oh yea… MIX. Needless to say this was pretty frustrating to me. This morning I read Proverbs chapter 29 for my devotions. The chapter seemed to have a recurring theme, maybe God was trying to tell me something. Verses two, three, six, seven, and a few other all have one thing in common. A comparison. Verse six says, “In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.” All these comparisons show one thing: choosing the wrong path ALWAYS leads away from a joyful fulfilled life. Just like my mix, the joy of the Lord CANNOT mix following after your flesh. Always remember that no matter what, you are choosing a path, and you cannot ever mix both together, it just doesn’t work.

-Bro. Ben

Another Record-Breaking Sale… Over $4,000!

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:31:57 +0000

Yesterday, we raked in over $4,000, not counting the rest of the funds that should come in after tonight’s sale.

Starting several weeks ago, the interns started collecting goods from all over America. Junk, really, in my opinion. Yet, somehow, all that junk sold. Tons of it. Like, $4,000 dollars’ worth of it.

How great is that?! And all you had to do for it was straighten some tables, label some items, and wave some signs (excellent signage, by the way!)

This was another record-breaking year for us. Four years ago, it was about $1800. Three years ago, we broke $2k and were really excited about that. Two years ago, we were amazed with $2,500. Last year, we couldn’t believe we made about $2,800. Now—NOW—it seems like we’ll never top this sale. $4,000. I love that.

The funds go partly toward the youth staff’s camp fees, and is divided according to how many hours you worked leading up to and during the yard sale. Plus, we factor in sponsorships and other parent’s desires, and then post your totals on a spreadsheet (coming soon.)Although the Comedy Night will not earn as much money this year (no lumpia sales), the increase from the yard sale will amply cover much of your camp fees.

Great work yesterday. I expected you to be more tired, but you handled yourselves well. Even if you had nightmares of scary masked men chasing you through dark hallways. Good work.

-Bro. Ryan (PS: I miss being with you and hope you have a great

Sunday as Bro. Michael preaches. Listen well and respond to the

Word!)

Bro. Michael’s Note

Apart from 50 grown men gathered together in the Halls of Art Wilson 1st Floor (HBBC Dorm), I have never seen a comradery quite like the one found in TOF. I have even benefited from your close friendships with one another! You are a group of stellar young people that I would have loved to grow up with.

Though I didn’t have a huge group of young, awesome, godly friends

to grow up with, I did have one! I mentioned David, that super helpful godly friend, in my salvation testimony a few weeks ago. I’m very thankful for the friendship the Lord allowed me to have with David growing up and through High School. He was not only integral to me getting saved, but also to me staying faithful in church, listening to God-honoring music, witnessing in my public HS, going to church camp, reading my bible on a daily basis, being a leader in the youth group, and a plethora of other things. Basically, God used our friendship to grow me in ways I would never see myself growing in had I not been blessed with a close, godly friend like David. In other words, do NOT take the awesome comradery you have for granted. God can really use each of you to help one another during this phase of life. Be a godly friend. If you have been, keep being one; you are helping whether or not you see it. If you haven’t been a godly friend, ask God to help you be one.

–Bro. Michael

Wow… 600+ Contacts!

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:27:01 +0000

I think it’s very cool that we had over 600 contacts last Sunday! That was amazing. And more than HALF of those were personal contacts–door-knocking, passing out tracts, inviting teammates, etc. I think that’s amazing.

I’d love to see that number grow and grow.

If the LA Missions Trip did anything, it made you aware of the need for soul-winning. The hard part is actually doing it—putting a spiritual twist on your whole life. Every contact you have with people should somehow be motivated by trying to keep them out of hell when they die. Do you have THAT kind of focus? Do you care THAT much about your friends at school? Do you want your teammates to be right with God like you are?

“Contacts” are just a number. But each number represents a person. Every post, every instagram picture, every text, every message, every tract…EVERYTHING we communicate should have some kind of spiritual value. We’re counting all that.

Are you on Instagram? Post a selfie with the church in the background, with your church friends at church, or a picture of the pulpit and Bible. Comment something like, “Excited for church today! If you’re in Temecula, come on over to 31087 Nicolas Rd. just down from Chap HS. ”

Seriously! Every follower you have counts as a contact. If you post TWO pictures like that and you have ONE HUNDRED friends, that counts as TWO HUNDRED contacts!

That can add up quickly. Try it Sunday!

-Bro. Ryan

Bro. Ben’s Note

My “journey” in my devotional life was something that I struggled with very much as a teenager in High School. I knew it was important to have daily devotions, and mostly, I did it—read my Bible a little and prayed some every morning. But, I can’t say I got something from them very often. This really discouraged because I didn’t get why I should if it wasn’t helping anything.

“What’s the point?!” I always thought. Before I knew it, I had stopped

doing my devotions, knowing I should do them.

Eventually, the Lord convicted me of my need to do them again, which I obeyed against my will. But, this time I came in the morning with a heart desiring to learn from the Bible and to actually develop a friendship with God… And it worked! The Lord saw my heart and knew my desire and only by HIM was I able to get something from it.

Listen to the message tonight and it will help you greatly with your heart.

–

Bro. Ben

Aaaand… We’re Back!

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 20:56:27 +0000

Last week, a bunch of us were out of town for the LA Missions Trip. We spent time with Anchor Baptist Church in Covina, Solid Rock Baptist Tabernacle in LA, and Bible Baptist Church in Gardena; and we visited the Emmanuel Baptist Rescue Mission. It was an eye-opening trip for those of us who went, and I appreciated the spirit of the group.

If you were here last week, our class was dramatically smaller in size, for sure. We’re sort of back to normal now as we launch headlong into summer. With the first big thing behind us (the missions trip), we are now looking ahead to the Yard Sale, Comedy Night, and camp! Before going on the trip, I was bummed that it was coming before camp instead of after. But now I’m fired up for the summer and SUPER glad we did it early in the summer. God’s timing is always best.

One thing about being back…the door-knocking is a lot different here than it is in LA! Out there, we met SO many friendly people, but I was back to Temecula yesterday and most people were back to their cold, rich, Temecula selves. Praise God for those of you who went out door-knocking yesterday. I’m preaching on the “Obedience Factor” tonight—that it’s not about the results, but about obeying God and watching Him bring the increase.

I love you all, and I’m glad we’re back home. Let’s make the most of today.

-Bro. Ryan

Bro. Michael’s Note

When I surrendered to full-time ministry, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have a hard time putting my finger on a specific time when God called me. My “call” came about through a series of circumstances and going to church faithfully, where God placed burdens and desires in my heart. Before I get ahead of myself, here are the preceding events to my surrender to God.

Before my surrender, I was out of church for about 2 ½ years. I started going again sometime in December of 2011. I went faithfully and listened to the preaching with the intent to apply it to my life. Though I was still in the process of coming back to God, He began to place a burden for the lost in my heart and a strong desire to preach. So about 6-7 months later, I went to Indian Creek Youth Camp! The preaching was very pointed and focused on surrendering to God–so I surrendered! It was there when I finally let God have full control of the direction of my life. I was still light years away from being the young person God wanted me to be, but I knew God wanted to use me. Little did I know that I surrendering to God would lead me to Bible College to study missions and to serve here at Calvary Baptist Church!

My “surrender story,” in my opinion, is an example of Psalm 37:4-5. My desires were born out of my delight in the Lord, so He gave them to me! Though there is not a particular time when God tapped my shoulder and said, “PREACH,” I know He called me to because of how God has worked in my heart through the years.

Trips Are Like Alternate Universes

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 20:50:47 +0000

My wife and I were driving to our house after dropping everyone off for this LA Missions Trip last week, and it struck me…we’re home. This is weird. This is back to, like, normal.

Every morning of our LA Missions Trip, we opened with devotions. And then we took testimonies. And then we ministered. And we played. And we gave more testimonies. And we gave of ourselves. And we lived in this weird little non-normal alternate universe for 5 days.

Then when we returned, it was like…oh…I drive this road every day. I see that building every day. I see those people every day.

When we were in LA, everything was about ministry and outreach and spiritual things. Then real life strikes back. And the real struggle begins.

Making your spiritual life real means that you live it day by day. It’s Monday morning spirituality. It’s Friday afternoon spirituality.

It’s shutting off Netflix and opening your Bible. It’s REALLY talking to your guy friend about his salvation instead of just being burdened about him when you’re in church and the preaching’s convicting your soul. It’s like…talking to him!

Everyday spirituality is holy living (asking the questions from last Thursday’s sermon: “Am I MORE holy after the Knott’s trip? Did I obey God yesterday? Am I pure? Am I right with God? Am I trying to be like God wants me to be?”)

Trips are like alternate little worlds we go to. But you have to return from those trips and make real-life choices.

I’m glad you’re in church tonight. That’s a great start! Keep doing right. I love you all. For those who went on the LA Trip…thank you for making it one of the TOP FIVE trips I’ve ever taken. Seriously!

-Bro. Ryan

Bro. Ben’s Note

Hello again everyone! Last week I told all of you about when I got saved, now I’d like to tell you about when I surrendered.

I was fourteen, a freshmen in high school (and obviously the coolest guy in the group, if not the world). Every year we went to the “Our Time Youth Conference” in Washington, Iowa. Every year God always spoke to me there in a big way and I expected Him to do the same. This year, throughout the whole conference, I knew God was trying to tell me something; I could feel it. Bro. Sam Epley got up to preach a message, and he had a fake fire near the pulpit. I was very curious what the message was going to be on. The title of it was “Keep the Fire Burning,” from Jeremiah 20:9 (now my life verse). I could tell you the whole plan of the message, I could tell you the amazing illustration he gave. But all I wanna tell you is that I knew God was talking to ME. A fourteen year old kid, and as simply as I could do I asked God what He was telling me. The preacher then said something along the lines of, “maybe God is calling you to the mission field!” I remember that thought sticking with me, and I asked God one question: “Lord, the mission field?” Immediately I hear the Lord tell me YES. IT took me a whole year to tell anyone, and six months more to say yes to God. But boy am I glad I did! God has given more opportunities than I could’ve imagined in just these 5 years since, all because I obeyed Him.

Is Class a Little Low Today?

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 20:43:55 +0000

Where is everyone?! Have you been “left behind?”

Kind of. But the missing people are not in heaven. Far from it. They’re in LA. That’s more like the opposite of heaven.

Today is the day that many members of the Teens of Faith have been working for since last year. About 20 students and a bunch of adults headed to Los Angeles last Thursday to help out 4 different ministries in any way possible. The group is doing outreach, singing in services, helping in nursery, and just having some fun with the families of the church planters.

Pray for the safety of the group today. Pray that God will bless their efforts.

I appreciate Bro. Wilson filling in for me today. He’s only been in our class a couple weeks as youth staff, and already he’s taught twice for me! He’s a blessing, and a great Bible student. I like that about ANY person.

I’ll see you on Wednesday!

-Bro. Ryan

Back to Preaching, But Keep Up On Your BIBS

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 20:37:49 +0000

Last week, the men focused on Prov. 24:10 from our BIBS, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” We related it to doing right when it’s easy AND when it’s hard.

Some of the guys mentioned marriages failing because a man couldn’t stay committed to his marriage any more.

Then it got real. Because none of the teen guys were married.

Where can YOU be committed? Where have YOU failed when the work gets hard?

How about BIBS? How about your daily devotions?

I mentioned to the guys that during our six weeks off class (when we met in the sanctuary for combined services), almost everyone’s numbers dipped. Almost every person was less consistent with their daily devotions. When we got back to our weekly meetings together (accountability), your numbers picked back up!

One of the main things I emphasize in the Teens of Faith is that you—YOU—should have a relationship with God. A personal walk with Him. It has to be real to you. He speaks through His Word, and it’s the main way to hear His voice. A good relationship with God is impossible without a consistent diet of God’s voice.

I like Mrs. Wilson’s testimony from last week. She told the ladies that when she was newly saved, someone told her that she should read the Bible through each year, and Mrs. Wilson was just crazy enough to believe it would help her! So she has…thirty-something times!

That’s pretty cool. Adversity has come to her, I’m sure, but she hasn’t fainted yet! I’d say her strength is pretty not-small.

-Bro. Ryan

Bro. Ben’s Salvation Testimony

I can’t believe I’m in California! Every day I get a title more used to it but I never thought I would ever come here; thankfully God had different plans. My salvation testimony is not a necessarily an “amazing story of absolute revival in the heart of a wicked man as I!”…No, I was just a little, ” innocent” boy when I accepted Christ.

At the age of six, our church, like most, had separate classes for

different ages. I was in the first grade, which was Mrs. Molly’s class for Sunday school. After Sunday school, all the kids went to the big classroom upstairs for our “junior church” program. Bro. Joe almost always taught the lesson. After every lesson, Bro. Joe would ask if there were any kids that felt like they needed to get saved… Well I raised my hand, of course! Every Sunday… for about three months. So no real decision had been made, as you might’ve guessed.

It wasn’t until one day that something was different. I can’t tell you the date or what the lesson was about, but one thing is certain: I knew I needed to be saved. So, that Sunday morning after the lesson Bro. Joe (like always) asked the same question he always did. This time, I went with him and about twelve other kids into the next Sunday school room. I knelt down on my knees and asked God as simply as a child can to save my soul. I got saved! Even as a little church boy, Christ was there for me too! He has never since that moment left nor forsaken me. And oh boy what a journey it has been. Just look where I am now! It’s definitely a little different from the corn fields of Iowa…

MORE New People!!

Sun, 19 Jun 2016 20:15:53 +0000

I get pretty excited for the summer. Why? Hm…let me count the ways…More sunlight. More activity. Warm weather (I hate the cold!). Swimming. No school (for you)!! Hanging out Sunday nights after church. Volleyball. Missions trips. CAMP! Vacation. Water activities. Summer plants that grow (I even like the brown hills around here). Fire season (did you see the Pala fire yesterday?) CAMP (did I say that one already?)! I like that the graduates stay, but we ALSO get the new 7th graders in our class! Interns. Camp t-shirts. Picnics (like last Monday). Yard sale. Comedy night. Knott’s. Need I go on?

Summer’s awesome, but MOSTLY because of our new 7th graders. As of TODAY (Promotion Sunday), everyone graduates to the next grade! That means that no matter how young you are, you’re no longer the youngest.

That award goes to the two newest promoting members of our class: Johnathan Jordan (did I spell that right?) and Daniel Theurich (maybe we’ll just call him Daniel T. and not try to pronounce Theurich). Both of these are very cool guys, and I want the Teens of Faith to be a place that they can 1) Grow closer to God, personally, and 2) eventually help others grow close to God, too.

You that are older have a responsibility for everyone younger than you. Since you are older and have heard the teaching in the TOF for at least a year now, your job is to model what’s expected of being a person of faith (a TEEN of faith–Rom. 1:16-17). You should have a clear salvation testimony (saving faith) and try to live as a Christian (growing faith).

There’s nothing better than living for God and helping others do the same. It’s even better than swimming in the hot summer. Love God, love others, and do right.

-Bro. Ryan

Bro. Michael’s Salvation Testimony

Hey! I didn’t grow up in a Christian home where I read the Bible and stuff like that. I wasn’t a drug baby either (you know, those kids whose parents drug them to church every week).

The summer before 5th grade, my family and I moved to a different house in a neighboring town near Indianapolis, Indiana, called Whiteland. It’s where I met a good friend named David. He lived in the neighborhood and rode bikes with me. He asked one time if could stay the night at his house and go to church with him and his family on Sunday. I agreed because David’s mom always kept his house fully stocked with any kind of candy you could ever want. And who doesn’t like free candy in the 5th grade?

Anyways, I started going to church with David and his family every week. After about 6 or 7 months of going to church pretty faithfully, I knew that I wasn’t going to heaven when I died if I didn’t receive Jesus and get saved. I asked David’s mom to tell me how to get saved and she did! Mrs. Lisa (David’s mom) led me to the Lord on January 27, 2007. I knew I needed to get saved but I didn’t know that Jesus wanted to change my whole entire life. I’m thankful He did because now I get to be here in the TOF class with all you guys!