Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we say Paul finally give his defense before Festus and Agrippa which focused primarily around Paul’s own testimony. Here we get a new detail about what Jesus had said to him in that miraculous encounter. Early in their encounter Jesus had told Paul “it is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Goads were pointed sticks used to get stubborn animals to move where herders wanted them to move. Jesus was saying that Paul simply could not continue to resist the path of faith and obedience towards which Jesus was pushing him. The message of the risen Christ was the clear endpoint of the Old Testament law and prophets; Paul’s striving for Jewish piety would lead him there sooner or later. And simply put, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were just too powerful and wonderful to be denied. Church, let us consider how we too kick against the goads. Where do we ignore the clear commands of scripture? How have we gotten our priorities out of order? How do we live in ways inconsistent with our belief in the risen Lord Jesus Christ? And let us pray that God would overcome our stubbornness and lead us back to the life of faithfulness he desires for us.

Kids Camp

On Saturday, May 17th, we will be handing out fliers in our community for our upcoming kids camp. If you would like to be part of this outreach effort please meet up in the church lobby at 8:00 that morning, and make sure to wear a hat and sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

Women’s Event

This is just a quick reminder for those who signed up for the women’s event that it is this Saturday, May 10th.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday we picked our series in Acts back up with Acts 25. This chapter continues Paul’s journey through the Roman legal system. While legal hierarchies and courtroom strategies can make the whole process a bit difficult to follow, the governor of Caesarea gives us a surprising moment of clarity when he states that the whole matter centers around “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. the governor recognized that everything hinges on whether or not the resurrection really happened. For those of us who believe the resurrection this puts a particular call on our lives as it gives Jesus an utterly unique authority. If we believe that he alone can conquer death then he alone is worthy of a radical kind of obedience. If we believe he has risen from the grave then the only sensible response is to follow him. The question we ought to consider then as we reflect back on this passage is whether or not we live as though we truly believe.

Wednesday Nights

Tonight was the last night of our regular Wednesday activities for the semester, but we want to encourage you not to let that mean that your engagement in God’s word and in the life of the church stalls out between now and when we pick back up in the fall. Rather, we’d encourage you to use that time to be doing extra Bible reading in smaller contexts. Consider meeting with someone on Wednesday evenings to read through a book of the Bible, or finding a Bible study to work through with your family. This would even be a great time to invite a non-believing friend or coworker to explore God’s word with you.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, in observance of Easter, we looked at the account of Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28. This narrative clearly lays out for us how those who opposed Jesus sought to overcome him both by strength and by cunning. They posted a guard to secure the tomb, yet it still was empty on the third day. They then spread lies saying that the body had been stolen, not resurrected, but the true story still spreads like wildfire. It is no coincidence then that as the risen Jesus sends his disciples out into the world he does not tell them to lean on their own might or cunning. Instead, there is one singular truth that empowers them, and us now, in living out the great commission. God, the Living God, is with us always, to the end of the age.

Prospective Members Class

We are having a prospective members class on the afternoon of Saturday, May 3rd from 1:00 to 4:00. Attending this class is not any sort of a commitment, it is just an opportunity to learn the core convictions of Light in the Desert Church, including a particular belief in the biblical model of church membership. If you are interested in participating in this class and learning more about LitD, please sign up in the foyer.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we looked at yet another step in the extended legal drama that is Paul’s journey to Rome. This particular step in the process brought the contrast between Paul and his accusers into focus. His accusers, not believing in the resurrection of Christ, lacked assurance of God’s coming justice and so sought to satisfy their own sense of justice by whatever means they deemed necessary. This led them to use deception and flattery to try to get their way in the court of the governor Felix. Paul, on the other hand, had total confidence in the resurrection of Christ and, by extension, the perfect justice God would bring to bear in the coming resurrection of all people. Satisfied in God’s justice, Paul felt no need to manipulate his own justice into existence. He spoke plainly and truthfully about the charges brought against him and did not give in to regular opportunities to bribe his way out of imprisonment. Church, let us consider this week if we have the same heart as Paul in this regard, or if like his accusers we are inclined to play sneaky games to satisfy our own (often misguided) sense of justice. Whether it be filing our taxes, posting political messages to social media, or anything else we do, do our actions display our confidence in the justice of our God?

Prospective Members Class

We are having a prospective members class on the afternoon of Saturday, May 3rd from 1:00 to 4:00. Attending this class is not any sort of a commitment, it is just an opportunity to learn the core convictions of Light in the Desert Church, including a particular belief in the biblical model of church membership. If you are interested in participating in this class and learning more about LitD, please sign up in the foyer.

Easter Schedule

The upcoming Easter weekend brings a few small changes to our usual schedule. On Good Friday we will have an evening service at 6:00. On Easter Sunday we will have our 10:15 morning service as usual, but rather than being preceded by our usual Sunday Studies, we will have a fellowship hour starting at 9:00.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we read through yet another of what will prove to be a long string of legal proceedings for Paul. While this passage speaks to many ideas, including the danger of hypocrisy and the importance of having well-defined beliefs, the weight of the passage seems to lie in one powerful statement from God. Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” Church, how could we read this and not take courage ourselves? God is clear that he will see to his purposes without fail. That doesn’t always mean Paul will be comfortable, nor does it mean that we will always be comfortable. But it does mean that our obedience to God will not, and indeed cannot, ever be in vain.

Easter Schedule

Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes a few small changes to our usual schedule. On Good Friday we will have an evening service at 6:00. On Easter Sunday we will have our 10:15 morning service as usual, but rather than being preceded by our usual Sunday Studies, we will have a fellowship hour starting at 9:00. If you want a helpful reminder to keep on your fridge or, even better, an easy way to invite someone to join us feel free to grab a card with our Easter schedule from the foyer.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we read of Paul’s journey to and arrival in Jerusalem. The time leading up to his arrival was ominous to say the least. Not only had countless brothers and sisters discouraged Paul from continuing to Jerusalem, a prophet came before Paul with his hands and feet bound saying that Paul likewise would be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem. Paul, however, was not discouraged by all this, though not because he thought the foretold suffering was untrue or even exaggerated. In fact, Paul himself had told the Ephesians that the only thing he knew for sure about going to Jerusalem was that he was going to suffer. Yet he pressed onward in obedience, led by the Holy Spirit. His concern was not first for his comfort or even his safety, but rather for the name of Jesus and the spread of the Gospel. Church, let us be encouraged by Paul’s example to freely let go of our own comfort for the sake of serving God, however he may call us to do so.

Church Game Night

We will be having another church game night next Friday, April 4th. If you have not joined us for a game night before I genuinely cannot recommend it enough. These events are not simply enjoyable, they are downright joyful as we spend this time enjoying the good gift God has given us in our church family. Feel free to bring your own games and to invite friends. We hope to see you there.

Easter Schedule

Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes a few small changes to our usual schedule. On Good Friday we will have an evening service at 6:00. On Easter Sunday we will have our 10:15 morning service as usual, but rather than being preceded by our usual Sunday Studies, we will have a fellowship hour starting at 9:00.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we examined Paul’s speech to the elders of the church in Ephesus. Much of what Paul had to say was dire and difficult. Paul’s ongoing work would involve imprisonment and affliction. He would not return to see the church in Ephesus again. After he left, the Ephesians would face an onslaught of false teachers seeking to destroy true belief. Yet the greater tone of Paul’s speech was joyful confidence, for he had seen the faithfulness of the Ephesians in their care for him and his traveling companions. What’s more, he knew that in the midst of the coming difficulty the Word of God would lead the Ephesians to grow all the more in their faithfulness. Church, this is the very Word we have today. Let us join with our brothers and sisters of that ancient church of Ephesus in taking up that Word with joyful confidence that it would grow us in our faithfulness in the face of every trial.

Members’ Meeting

We will have our quarterly members’ meeting at 2:00 p.m. this upcoming Sunday, March 23. These meetings are an important part of church membership. They are an opportunity to stay informed on what is happening in the church, to pray for the church, and even to welcome new members into the church, so be sure to set aside time that afternoon to be part of that meeting. Also, consider using that window between the end of service and the start of the meeting to have lunch with a fellow church member, or even several fellow church members. Even if it is just a matter of grabbing leftovers from home and meeting at a park, the time we get to spend in each other’s lives is invaluable and we should be eager to jump on the opportunities that arise.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we tackled the first half of Acts 19. While there are several matters of note in these twenty verses, I want to take a second here to reflect on the last three verses we covered. Here we encounter the response of early believers to their newfound faith. There was an outpouring of confession and repentance, such repentance that led the new believers to burn the objects of their idolatry (50,000 silver pieces worth of sorcery books in this case) so that such items would no longer hold sway over their lives. Church, it is worth considering whether or not we have burned the idols that have influence in our lives. They may not be literal idols (and may not need literal burning by extension) but we all have influences from our unbelief that must not be allowed to control our lives as believers. It may be an idol of social influence, greater income, leisure, or any number of other things. Whatever it is, if it draws us away from God rather than closer to Him, it is an idol and deserves only to be burned.

Members’ Meeting

We will have our quarterly members’ meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 23. These meetings are an important part of church membership. They are an opportunity to stay informed on what is happening in the church, to pray for the church, and even to welcome new members into the church, so be sure to set aside time that afternoon to be part of that meeting. Also, consider using that window between the end of service and the start of the meeting to have lunch with a fellow church member, or even several fellow church members. Even if it is just a matter of grabbing leftovers from home and meeting at a park, the time we get to spend in each other’s lives is invaluable and we should be eager to jump on the opportunities that arise.

New Sunday Studies

This past Sunday we began a new series on the Holy Spirit in our 9:00 a.m. Sunday Studies class. If you have not joined us for Sunday Studies before, it is a class where we pick a topic and work our way through it over several weeks in a way that centers around a lot of group discussion. Topics can include somewhat abstract theological concepts, like this upcoming series on the Holy Spirit, as well as highly practical concepts like the series we just finished on evangelism. Even if you aren’t able to be there every week, these classes are easy to jump into at any time so we highly encourage you to join us at 9:00 any Sunday morning you are able.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we encountered a moment in the early church that was notably lacking our usual main characters. The story centered around a man named Apollos who was especially capable and eager to demonstrate that Jesus is the very messiah described in the Old Testament. His efforts were bolstered by Priscilla and Aquila who were able to identify shortcomings in Apollos’ teaching and provide him helpful correction, which he humbly received. What’s more, Priscilla and Aquila encouraged Apollos to continue on to minister in another city and wrote ahead so that the church would receive him gladly when he arrived. Church, these are the regular efforts of regular Christians engaging in evangelism, discipleship, and care. These are God’s people seeing to the responsibilities God has given us. Let us never believe that we have no role to play in God’s plan because we consider ourselves insignificant or ill-equipped. Rather, let us equip and encourage one another through faithful application of Scripture, and stir one another up to the good works to which God has called each and every one of us.

New Sunday Studies

This upcoming Sunday we will begin a new series on the Holy Spirit in our 9:00 a.m. Sunday Studies class. If you have not joined us for Sunday Studies before, it is a class where we pick a topic and work our way through it over several weeks in a way that centers around a lot of group discussion. Topics can include somewhat abstract theological concepts, like this upcoming series on the Holy Spirit, as well as highly practical concepts like the series we just finished on evangelism. Even if you aren’t able to be there every week, these classes are easy to jump into at any time so we highly encourage you to join us at 9:00 any Sunday morning you are able.

Parenting Conference

Just a reminder that the parenting conference we have been promoting is coming up soon and the end of early bird pricing is coming up even sooner. As I am writing this there are two more days to register at a discounted price. If you are interested in attending this conference and would like more information click the link here, and please let Brooke Murphy know if you are planning to attend so we can make sure to save seats for everyone and potential organize some carpool options.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern

Church Family,

This past Sunday, as we continued our series in Acts, we examined Paul’s rather extensive stay in Corinth. While the year-and-a-half he spent there seems to have been riddled with rejection by the locals the whole time, the conflict escalated greatly as a proconsul named Gallio came to power. Many of the Jews of Corinth dragged Paul before Gallio and accused Paul of promoting forms of worship that were contrary to the law. However, Gallio seems to have seen through the claims that were made and recognized that this was not an issue of Roman law but rather of Jewish custom. The conflict comes down to right understanding of the Old Testament, which Gallio rightly recognizes is well outside his own or any other government authority. The responsibility for matters of the faith, brothers and sisters, falls entirely on us. As those who have heard and received the Gospel, it is our responsibility alone to ensure that the good news goes out to all people. Let us bear that responsibility well.

Parenting Conference

With the Phoenix area being such a major population center, we get a lot of great conferences near by and we like to highlight some that may be especially worth your attention. This April, The Gospel Coalition’s Arizona chapter will be hosting a parenting conference at Trinity Bible Church in Phoenix. This conference aims to give parents a biblical approach to cutting through competing world-views and distractions to effectively reach the hearts of their children. If you are interested in attending this conference and would like more information click the link here. There is a discounted early bird rate for the conference but only until February 28th, so sign up soon if you plan on attending.

Grace be with you,

Logan Murphy

Pastoral Intern