Can you think of a good phrase to describe how we should live together as a church?
One of my favorites is found in Philippians 1.
Paul is in prison. He could die. But he thinks he is going to live so he can continue to serve the church. Either way, he’s sharing what he wants most for them. He writes,
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.
Now I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear ‘let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel’ my ears perk up. And it’s that line at that end that stands out to me.
With one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.
If you want to live in a way that honors Jesus, you need to ask yourself, am I striving side by side with other believers for the faith of the gospel?
Man, I want that phrase to describe how we live together as a church.
Don’t you?
One great opportunity to learn how to do so at CBC is by coming to the Family Meeting this Sunday during Equipping Hour. This is our third meeting. Some of you have been able to come. Others haven’t. But, we’d love you all to listen to what was shared during our times together. And we’ve got one more to go!
So far, we’ve spent some time talking about our mission and vision as a church and hearing what God’s doing in the lives of different people in the church. This week we are talking about some of the specific goals we have in the next year or two as a church.
Then on to Luke 5:17-26 in our worship service!
I realize, I’ve already rambled on for quite a while now, so let’s just say it’s an amazing text. We’re going to be thinking about forgiveness, why people reject Jesus, the sacrificial system, self-righteousness and more. I can’t wait. And it’s not only because there is so much to learn, it’s because, I believe God changes lives forever through His Word.
Come ready! Come expectant! Come praying!
Joshua
I’ve included some things in the sermon brief document that I think will help you and your children benefit from the message this Sunday. Check them out. Print out what’s helpful. Or perhaps you can come up with a better plan yourself. For the younger children this Sunday, you can have them listen for the word, “forgiveness.” To encourage them, Marda will have some treats afterward.
This past week on the Q&A podcast, Isaiah and I had a good conversation about gossip, not being delusional and the way Jesus deals with our shame. Then on the Family Matters podcast, I talked about friendship and what makes a conflict, conflict. Check them out here. If you are being helped, let me know. You might even give a rating on our Apple Podcasts channel. Apparently that helps others know about it.
Once again, if you have any questions you would like the pastors here at CBC to discuss on the podcasts, please share them here.
Church-Wide Prayer. Next week, June 5th, the church will join together to pray at 9 a.m. Have you enjoyed the Church Family Time? Then let’s praise God for what He’s doing and pray for HIm to do more!
Vacation Bible School (VBS) Volunteer Sign-Up. You may have missed the meeting but you can still serve at VBS. Please email Ryan Bakonis with any questions or sign up here. VBS will be on the evenings of July 31-August 3.
Always Ready. In our next Equipping Hour class, we want to prepare you to be ready to tell the Gospel whenever you have a listening year… including to those who’ve never been to church! This class will have some simple memorization work, outside listening, and light reading. Class begins June 13th at 9 a.m. and will meet for three Sundays. (If you’re attending the class, please see Isaiah Mackler for your book.)
Short-Team Missions Fundraising. On June 10th, members of the South Africa and Alaska STM's, as well as students from ROOTS, will babysit your kids! We will be at the church from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., playing games, watching a movie, and having fun. Take the opportunity to drop the kids off and have a date night or catch up with old friends! We will provide dinner for the kids. A donation will be taken to support the STM's. Please fill out this form for each child that will be attending.
Short-Term Missions Offering. An offering for short-term missions will be taken during service on June 5 and 12.
CBC Outing! Angels vs Astros, Wednesday July 13th at 6:30pm. Enjoy fellowship and invite your friends to watch baseball with your church family! Tickets available next Sunday for $8.
Bible Reading Project. Come and learn with Pastor Joshua from Exodus as we read God’s Word together! Thursdays, Auditorium, 6:30–7:30a.m.
Weekly Pre-Service Prayer. While the whole church will be joining together at 9am on the first Sunday of the month, there will be a weekly, pre-service prayer time from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the Upper Room. The focus will be praying for that morning’s ministry, our missionaries and other requests
This is the finale of our family time trilogy. God is working at CBC! Please plan on attending both hours so that you can stay informed about what God is doing at CBC so you can both praise Him and know how to pray for your church. Non-members are welcome to attend!
If you missed the previous weeks, here are links to Part 1 and Part 2.
Welcome and Call to Worship - Joshua Mack
Singing
Announcements
Scripture Reading: Luke 5:17–26
Pastoral Prayer
Preaching of God’s Word: “Why Do You Question in Your Hearts?” – Luke 5:17–26
Singing