Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we worked through a series of what were essentially proverbs reflecting on many of the vanities we have encountered in the book. The last set of these proverbs drew particular focus to how good leaders and bad leaders affect the people they lead. We may, in this life, find ourselves under good leaders and we should thank God for the flourishing that comes from good leadership. But we must also recognize that all earthly leaders are fallen will stray from godliness, whether frequently or infrequently, and we must not embrace moments of poor leadership, or even excuse such moments, because poor leadership is a woe upon the people. As Christians, though, we know that our highest authority is only and always God and we can rejoice in knowing that he will one day bring us into his eternal kingdom and we will live under his perfect reign forever.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Wednesday Nights

This is our last week of Wednesday nights for the semester until we start back up after summer break. This, of course, does not mean that we want to be any less plugged-in to the life of the church. Consider using some of the extra time on Wednesday evenings over the summer to share some meals with other church members. The summer would also be a great time to get plugged into a life group if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in life groups feel free to email me at logan@lightinthedesert.church or just grab me whenever you happen to see me at church.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

While there was a lot to chew on in the sermon from this past Sunday, one verse in particular stood out to me as something to consider further here in the weekly blog. Ecclesiastes 9:17 reads “the words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.” We as people have a tendency to give most of our attention to the loudest voices in the room. Certainly social media giving everyone what is essentially a virtual megaphone does not help this problem. But the preacher of Ecclesiastes makes it clear that we are not to listen to the shouting of fools but to the words of the wise heard in quiet. Of course, we cannot listen to what we cannot hear, so we must continually return to the well of perfect wisdom that is the Word of God. What’s more, we must also help one another in this by preaching biblical wisdom to one another day-by-day.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 10:8-20

Prospective Members’ Class

We will be offering our prospective member’s class on May 2nd from 9 am to 12 pm. If you’ve visited us at Light in the Desert this is a great opportunity to learn about our church and especially why we think formal church membership is so important and so valuable. Even if you’ve been to the class before, and even if you are already a member, it would also be good to come to this class as a refresher on membership. If you’re planning on attending please be sure to sign up on the sheet in the foyer so we can know how many to expect. And if you need childcare during the class please let us know so we can be sure it is available.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we took a good hard look at one thing that is certain for everybody: death. It doesn’t matter whether one is righteous or wicked; everyone will some day die. While this sounds like a dire reality, the preacher of Ecclesiastes concludes that the proper response is to enjoy the lives that God has given us. Death is ultimately a reminder that our lives are in God’s hands rather than ours. As much as our hearts my want to fight against this, it is actually wonderful news because it means that things like justice and salvation and restoration are not subject to the whims and limits of humanity but are secured by the perfect and unchanging God.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 9:11-10:7

Sunday Studies

We began two series in our 9:00 Sunday Studies time this past Sunday. In one we are going back over our series answering the the question “who am I?” It has been a while since we’ve offered this class and it’s such a crucial question to answer well so we are offering it again for those who have not partaken in this class before. For those who have been through that class, we are also offering a series of sessions of guided prayer focused on major needs of the church. This will culminate in a focused twenty-four hours of prayer in which we will have church members volunteer to pray for the during each hour of the day spanning from 9:00 am Saturday, April 23, until the start of our final prayer time at 9:00 am the following morning.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we worked through the particularly maddening chapter 8 which, at first glance, seems to swing back and forth in its observations, contradicting itself sentence after sentence. But those apparent contradictions are only the result of a limited perspective of the text and serve to mirror the maddening experiences of our life that come from our limited perspective to see, and even more limited power to control, the things that happen in the world around us. But God not only has the perspective to see all that happens for all of time, he has power over it all and he has promised us that his plan is good. This frees us, then, to stop fretting over all that happens around us and joyfully focus on what called has called us to each day rather than trying to solve all the problems we see by our own faulty ideas of wisdom. So, church, whether it is parenting, workplace ministry, caring for neighbors, or any other task God places in front of us each day, let us joyfully serve in obey him knowing that he has freed us to do so.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

Game Night

We will be having our next game night on Friday, April 10th. We have done several of these nights and every single one has been wonderful. Not only are they an opportunity to enjoy playing games, they’re an incredible opportunity to spend time surrounded by our church family, to encourage one another and grow in affection for one another as we all seek together to grown in our affection for Christ. So if it is at all possible for you to make it, I would strongly encourage you to pack yourself some dinner, grab a couple of your favorite board games if you have them, and join us that evening ready for a wonderful time.

Members’ Meeting

Our next members’ meeting is on Sunday, April 12th at 2:00 that afternoon. These meetings are both an important and joyful part of the life of our church and part of the commitment to the church we make as members so please set aside time that afternoon to attend. Also, please consider using the time between the end of our morning service and the meeting to go have lunch with another or maybe a few other members.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we came across perhaps the most perplexing passage of the whole book. At first glance it seems that the major themes of this passage are running every which direction. It talks about the injustice of people prospering by wicked means at one point, the unrighteous state of all humanity at another point, and the ungraspable nature of wisdom at yet another point. But a careful examination reveals a consistent point: we cannot scheme our way to salvation. Those who prosper by wickedness now will always meet death sooner or later. Nobody can strive for righteousness such that they are made right before God. Nobody can think their way to the point of understanding how to live forever or even to know the best way to live now. We must humbly receive all from God for “God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

Easter

Easter is just around the corner and with it come a few minor adjustments to out usual schedule. First, we will have a Good Friday service on April 3rd at 6:00 that evening. On the morning of Easter Sunday we will have a fellowship hour in place of our usual 9:00 Sunday Studies followed by our usual 10:15 service. We encourage you to invite guests to join us for Easter, especially those who would not otherwise attend a church service that morning. We also encourage you to use the bookmarks we have available as you invite guests. The bookmark has Light in the Desert’s information and a QR code to contact us on one side and a simple means of remembering and presenting the Gospel on the other side.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we looked at two different ways that hard work can prove to be nothing but vanity. Work that is done with an envious heart is never fulfilling; rather it wears away at us as though we are eating our own flesh, according to Ecclesiastes 4:5. Likewise, work that is done in isolation and without concern for others is mere emptiness because the fruits of that labor have no greater purpose and die with the laborer. When we work with content hearts, however, and pursue the good of others in our work we reflect Christ whose life work was the reconciliation of God and man.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Prayer Team Meeting

There will be a prayer team meeting Sunday, March 1st following our regular Sunday service focused on setting the expectations for prayer team members. This meeting is mandatory for those on the prayer team or those who wish to join the prayer team so please be sure to set that time aside if you fall into either category.

Sunday Studies

We’ll be starting a new series in our Sunday Studies this upcoming Sunday that will be focused on addressing key recurring themes in the book of Ecclesiastes. As we have already found in our sermons on Ecclesiastes, the book weaves in and out of many major ideas to work them into one another and create a rich philosophical and theological tapestry. Still, it can be helpful to us to focus in on a few of those individual threads and follow how they are used throughout the book. This class will allow us to address the themes and questions of Ecclesiastes directly and conversationally and help us to better engage with the text as we continue to work through the book in our sermons.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we wrestled with the agony that results from injustice in the world, particularly when those who have authority use that authority maliciously. If such injustice was the fate of humanity forever then we would be no better than mere beasts. But as God’s people we can know that Christ will one day return and bring perfect justice to bear upon all creation. Even as we witness or are subject to injustice now, we can find peace in this hope that we have and live joyfully in the life that God has given us now as we anticipate the eternal life that is to come.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 4:4-16

Sunday Studies

We’ll be starting a new series in our Sunday Studies on the 22nd that will be focused on addressing key recurring themes in the book of Ecclesiastes. As we have already found in our sermons on Ecclesiastes, the book weaves in and out of many major ideas to work them into one another and create a rich philosophical and theological tapestry. Still, it can be helpful to us to focus in on a few of those individual threads and follow how they are used throughout the book. This class will allow us to address the themes and questions of Ecclesiastes directly and conversationally and help us to better engage with the text as we continue to work through the book in our sermons.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we looked at the mystery (and often frustration) of the passing of time. The author made perfectly clear that both good times and hard times come and go, and it is not up to us to control the changing of time as much as we might like. While this may frustrate us to no end it is actually for our good as the passage of time is ultimately in God’s hands and we know that at the end of time God will bring an end to all evil and restore creation to its full glory. This truth provides hope and peace that allows us to rejoice in whatever good or hard time God has gifted to us now.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3

Sunday Studies

This week we’re taking a second to highlight our Sunday Studies classes and how they connect to Light in the Desert’s mission statement: Light in the Desert Church exists to glorify God by making disciples who love God supremely, love others sacrificially, and share hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all peoples. As we pick topics to cover in our Sunday Studies we make sure they are directed towards loving God, loving others, or sharing hope through the Gospel. For instance, the spiritual disciplines we are studying right now help us shape our daily lives around our love of God above all else. These classes are not just a way to keep early risers busy on Sunday mornings; rather, they are an important way we seek to fulfill God’s calling for His church and we would encourage you to make a habit of joining us during that time if you don’t already.

Tax Documents

Tax documents for 2025 giving have gone out. If you have any issues receiving yours or have any questions related to the documents please email our accountant at lindsey@lightinthedesert.church.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we were surprised with a breath of fresh air as the author took a short break from all his talk of vanity to speak of what is good and worth enjoying. Of course the vanity talk resumed almost immediately, but only as warning to the one who will not heed the simple advice to “eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil” which is a gift “from the hand of God.” One of the key antidotes to the vanity of life is to enjoy each moment as it has been given to us by God rather than seeing each moment as means to further worldly ends. Church, let us be careful to recognize and enjoy each moment that God has given us.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Catechism

We newly taken up a very ancient practice in our Sunday morning gathering of learning theology through catechism, the asking and answering of questions central to our beliefs. We would encourage you to engage even more in this process throughout the week by accessing the New City Catechism either on your computer or on your mobile phone. These resources not only allow you to review or preview the questions we go over on Sundays but also provide relevant passages of scripture, short prayers, and commentaries on each question. There is even a children’s version of the catechism with simplified questions and answers plus a song for each question to help with memorization.

Celebration of Life

As you may know, one of our dear church members, Emily Serrano, passed away a few weeks ago. We have not been able to get into contact with her family about a service for her so we will be hosting our own celebration of life service for her on Sunday, February 8th, immediately following our regular Sunday gathering.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Ecclesiastes, we listened in on the author’s reflections on his exploration of both wisdom and folly. He expressed that, on one hand, there is more to be gained from being wise than from living foolishly, which is no surprise to us. Still, he lamented that whether one is wise or whether one is foolish, everyone dies and is forgotten all the same. Let us embrace the clear call of this passage to live wisely, to act intentionally and carefully to bring about good, but not to place our ultimate hope in our wise living. There are many problems we will never solve because we are limited beings with limited strength and time and wisdom. Our only true hope is Jesus Christ, our perfect and infinite savior, and our efforts to live wisely are only good in as much as they are born of a love for him.

Passage for this upcoming Sunday: Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

Celebration of Life

As you may know, one of our dear church members, Emily Serrano, passed away a few weeks ago. We have not been able to get into contact with her family about a service for her so we will be hosting our own celebration of life service for her on Sunday, February 8th, immediately following our regular Sunday gathering.

Prospective Members’ Class

We will be offering our prospective member’s class this upcoming Saturday, January 24th from 9 am to 12 pm. If you’ve visited us at Light in the Desert this is a great opportunity to learn about our church and especially why we think formal church membership is so important and so valuable. Even if you’ve been to the class before, and even if you are already a member, it would also be good to come to this class as a refresher on membership. Even if you have not signed up you are still welcome to join, we just ask that you email Bryan ahead of time at bryan@lightinthedesert.church so he can know how many people he can expect in attendance.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern