Brothers and sisters,

It was good to be with you all on Sunday, and to worship the God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ!

Sermon Recap

In the second part of our sermon series, “Scandalous,” we considered Jesus’ teaching on money. From Matthew 6:19-34 we learned this central truth: We are to leverage every resource for God and his purposes. Why? Interestingly enough, Jesus’ argument focuses on the fact that selfless spending for God’s purposes benefits us! When we freely give for God’s purposes, we 1) guard ourselves from being consumed by our possessions, 2) keep God on the throne of our hearts, and 3) increase our dependence on the God of infinite resources, who loves us and has promised to care for all our needs. Do you find yourself overly anxious about money? Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness—with your money and all of life. We can trust the God who “did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all…” (Rom. 8:32).

8 Weeks

This Sunday brings us to 8 weeks until our 2 Gatherings launch (August 6)! Services will begin at 9:30 and 11:15 am, with connection classes being held concurrently. This transition calls for the continued commitment of our church body in acts of service and love—and oh what a worthwhile endeavor! It is our conviction that moving to 2 gatherings will increase our ability to share the gospel with more people. Will you consider and pray about how you might participate by serving in one of the following areas? Send us an email if you are interested, and a deacon or staff member will follow up with you.

College Bible Study

Are you a college student? Join us in the College Building on Friday evenings at 7 pm. We will be reading through the book of John and breaking out into small groups for discussion. Afterwards, stick around for games and conversation!

Sabbatical

This week Pastor Chuck begins his 4-week sabbatical. In that time he plans to 1) partner with Simeon Trust in equipping and training pastors in Brazil to faithfully preach God’s word, and 2) spend time in prayer and preparation for COM ministries this fall. In the meantime, we have the privilege of hearing from Dr. Greg Tonkinson, who will kick off his sermon series “Soaring” this Sunday.

Your brother in Christ,

Phil Hoshiwara