To God's Beloved Children:
We are entering the time when we discover the NEW NORMAL, and although there are things I like about it, I am ready for the old normal to come again! As this situation lengthens it is normal for us to feel frustrated, and to become less patient with people and life. Let us be those who honour Jesus in how we respond to this new normal by being patient, kind, and giving. If we choose to stay close to God and overflow His grace at this time we will stand out in our world, and grow in unity and love as a church (1 Peter 2:11-12). The youth are meditating on the Fruit Of The Spirit, and I think a good model for us all as we seek to use this opportunity to glorify God.
So this week seek to respond to everything with grace, to everyone with encouragement, and to life with HOPE! Remember as you respond to this and every situation that you can trust God and serve Him now and always! I love the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus and how it can shape our lives moving forward, and a reminder that He is with us, has gone before us, and the victory is sure. He has good works for you today that He prepared in advance, LOOK FOR THEM, WALK IN THEM, and be encouraged to love and build up the bride! If you have a need, or know of someone in need, please let us know as we want to make sure we are walking in love and caring for the people in our community of faith, and physical community.
I have heard story after story of people watching online, who in the past did not attend any church, and for that I am grateful! Take the time to invite people to online church, and to chat with them afterward about what God has said to us through the songs, prayer and WORD. We have an amazing opportunity for personal renewal, and impact in our own sharing of Jesus love with others through our online impact.
This week in history is very significant, Abraham Lincoln was shot today, and although history is never as clear as we would like, probably for doing the right thing when it came to slavery. It is also the day (April 14) that Mitsuo Fuchido became a follower of Jesus. If you don't know the story, it is worth looking up. He is the pilot that led the attack on Pearl Harbour, and that was willing to fight to the last man to protect Japan against all enemies. He believed so passionately in his religion, emperor and country that he was willing to kill, and to die for her. When it all collapsed, he was not sure what to do, but through the testimony of someone who had been severely hurt in a war camp in Japan, that in Christ found forgiveness, he too trusted in Jesus, and spent the rest of his life helping people know God and follow Him in Christ. He found a Person that would never let Him down, and a battle that through Jesus he knew would end in VICTORY. May these history reminders help us to stand up with courage for what is right, even as those around us struggle, and to see what is truly worth giving our lives to in the Gospel and the God of the Gospel. What we are going through right now is difficult, but many have gone through similar and even worse, and this is our opportunity to shine the love of Jesus and the light of the Gospel in a world that is hurting.
This Week:
We are considering doing a Questions & Answer bible study, and would love for all of you to participate. If you have questions as we are walking through this pandemic, or just questions that you have, please send them to our office (info@cloverdalebaptist.ca) and we will seek to gather these and respond on a Wednesday night study.
Reminder: We desire to stay connected and one of the ways we are doing that is through being together even as we are apart. Please consider joining us in this pursuit, for it is only as we do this together that we can grow stronger and our impact wider through this time.
- Tuesday: Young Adults Bible Study on ZOOM; Email Update (getting longer each week) Watch for PRAYER MEETINGS.
- Wednesday: Youth Bible Study on ZOOM; Bible Study Online
- Thursday: Connections Video
- Friday: Update and announcements when needed
- Saturday:
- Sunday: Service ONLINE
Our tech people have been able to put the entire service online (Thank You Tech People). We want to give you as many options as possible, so please use this if you desire enjoy the entire service again or if you missed a little, and advertise this new option to your friends and family. I know people all over the world tune in as we livestream, and know that through you and you're sharing this with family and friends, God can use what we are doing to reach and teach many more. So please use these resources and be our greatest advertisement tool to maximize our encouragement and Gospel sharing as a church with others.
We are considering doing a prayer meeting online, led by Ken Bayne, if you would join us in this (first one being April 28), please let the admin team know and we will make sure you are invited to this zoom time of prayer.
Giving: We know in these unprecedented times it is harder to give, and our resources can be challenged, so THANK YOU so much to those who continue to give to Jesus and His Bride! What a blessing to be a family that continues to be able to minister and flourish at such a time as this. Please continue to make this a priority as we continue to grow through this and prepare for a future in God's care that may be different.
Sunday Is Coming
You may have noticed that we have decided to go to click tracks during our worship in song time. We have done this to keep our tempo and lyrics consistent for our congregation as we seek to engage hearts and voices. It is also helpful for those seeking to guide us into the presence of God in song to grow in unity and consistent quality even when we can't have a full team. Please be patient with our teams as they take this next step towards excellence in engaging our hearts and voices as a church! Please pray for Jeff as he leads us in this essential ministry.
Sermon Text: Galatians 2:20
Sermon Title: Living The Crucified Life
- Have you ever had an event in your life that changed and shaped everything else? What was it?
- Why is the Gospel, when believed the most significant event of our lives? How can we make sure that we live in light of it?
- What does it mean to be justified?
- What does it mean to have faith?
- How can we live our lives in light of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us as those who have been CRUCIFIED with CHRIST?
Blessings as you live for God this week, and seek to show how amazing He is in reaching out with His Gospel of Grace!
A fellow child of the KING,
Pastor Rob