Legalism and License
Church Family,
Disregard the email you received yesterday. We are working on a registration form for ESOL, and I did not account for the email blast that goes out!
Sunday was joyous as always, and I hope we find strength and comfort from God’s Word directed towards the church. We are more than just a gathering of people on random Sundays. We are God’s children coming together to worship Him and encourage one another. With last week’s text, we were reminded that we are to protect the gospel. We cannot undermine its work in our lives by the way we pursue holiness. Holiness, both positionally and practically, is obtained in the person and work of Christ Jesus. If we do anything to undermine Christ, it will draw people away from the faith. All of holiness is found in Christ Jesus, and we use all God has created to grow into mature followers of Christ.
Disciple Makers
One last reminder that we have started back our Disciple Makers class on Wednesday nights at 6 pm. We are discussing the gospel and will begin discussing essential doctrines that will help us read our bibles. See you this evening!
Get The Vision
We will have another Get the Vision meeting on October 10 at 4 pm. We will take any questions about the previous documents (Biblical Explanation of Elders and Common Questions about Elders) we handed out and then propose Bylaws that reflect our convictions about church polity.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Household of God
Church Family,
We had another wonderful Sunday celebrating the person and work of Jesus in our lives. As we saw Sunday, when we gather, we are putting on display what it looks like when the gospel takes root in a people. As we become a godly people, God is honored, and it shows how effective the gospel is in changing people (1 Tim 3:14-15). It’s also mysterious that sinful people can become holy. The mystery of that godliness (1 Tim 3:16) is that it is accomplished through the person and work of Christ Jesus! The local church is significant because it is a display of Jesus to the world.
Disciple-Makers
Join us this week as we discuss “What is the Gospel?” to better understand it, articulate it, and most importantly, depend on it! We don’t graduate from the gospel at conversion. It is what sustains us as we mature in our faith. See you at 6 pm this Wednesday!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Deacon-served
Church Family,
What a great Sunday! Baptism is a wonderful reminder of God’s grace in redemption. For the believer, it is a public declaration that one has, through faith and repentance in Jesus Christ, been saved from the eternal effects of sin. For the church, it’s a joyous moment of celebration to come around that believer in support, affirmation, and commitment to look after them—what a significant moment for us as a church. Now to put on the dad hat, thank you, church family, for your outpouring of love to my daughter. She was overwhelmed with the encouragement you all gave her and could not stop talking about it all afternoon. It is a deep joy to watch you all care for one another as you do! Because of your servant’s hearts, it was a joy for me to be preaching through 1 Timothy 3:8-13, which is about deacons, this past Sunday. Light in the Desert Church already has many serving in this capacity well, so I long to officially put in place a robust deacon-served structure to continue and to do even more. As verse 13 reminded us, when one serves this way, others are encouraged, and their joy increases as they grow in confidence of what the Lord can do through His people!
Disciple-Makers
This Wednesday, we will begin our disciple-makers class at 6 pm. Join us this evening as we lay a foundation for why it’s important to make disciples and set a course for the fall of what we will be covering.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Elder-led
Church Family,
Church structure is often viewed as boring and irrelevant to the life and well-being of a church. This could not be farther from the truth laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Paul has left Timothy in Ephesus to charge the false teachers to stop teaching things contrary to sound doctrine. In that work, he is also to find godly men to serve as Elders/Overseers/Pastors to ensure the church in Ephesus does not return to false teaching. One clue we have to the significance (rather than boring and irrelevant) of this work is the phrase, “The saying is trustworthy,” that introduces the office. This phrase serves as a citation-emphasis formula.[1] Meaning that by this time in the early church, a saying of importance had developed about the work an Elder/Overseer/Pastors does at a church, indicating how vital it was for the life and well-being of a church. At Light in the Desert Church, we love the bible and desire it to guide all our practices. Therefore, this fall, we are making significant strides to move to a plurality of Elders as our church structure. We announced this move at our recent Get the Vision meeting and will keep everyone updated as we make progress. Continue to pray that God would raise up godly men to serve in this capacity.
Disciple-Makers
Disciple-makers is designed to help equip and encourage a follower of Christ to fulfill their responsibility of making disciples. It is a two-semester course that covers various foundational beliefs, extremely practical ways to read scripture with believers and non-believers, and the ins and outs of how we change. On average, it will require about 30-45 minutes of reading each week before the class. Then, each Wednesday from 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm there will be discussion and practice reading scripture with others. We will begin this class on September 15th.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
[1] See George W. Knight III, The Faithful Sayings in the Pastoral Letters. Kampen, 1968; reprinted Grand Rapids, 1979, for an excellent treatment on the use of the saying within the PE.
Men and Women
Church Family,
Reading God’s Word is one of the most fruitful things we can do as Christians. So, it makes sense that during the Sunday Gathering, we would read God’s word, sing God’s word, pray God’s word, and preach God’s word. As we faithfully dive into various books of the bible on Sunday mornings to unearth timeless truths, we will inevitably arrive at tough passages. I say tough, but let’s understand, it’s only tough for us, not God, and often it’s because of our own sinful tendencies that blind us from the wisdom of God. This past Sunday brought us to a passage of scripture that has gained lots of attention over the years. This is because it discusses distinctions between males and females in the life of the church. These distinctions, roles, do not diminish the worth and value of a female or a male, it highlights the uniqueness and celebrates the glory seen in the differences. It also clarifies that when we go against God’s design, it will become a major distraction in our lives together and keep us from human flourishing (to borrow a popular term in recent discussions). We only flourish when we live according to God’s good design. His wisdom is always greater than ours, so our attitude towards the opposite sex should not be an “anything you can do I can do better” attitude, but rather an “anything God says is better” attitude.
Get the Vision
This past Sunday, we gathered at our first Get the Vision meeting for the fall to discuss upcoming changes we will pursue in the coming months. It was an exciting time to celebrate God’s faithfulness in sustaining us and helping us grow in spiritual maturity. We shared that we will take significant steps this fall to move towards a plurality of Elders. If you missed that meeting and would like to hear the portion discussing those steps, let me know. We recorded what was shared and would be happy to send a link for you to watch. Would you join us in prayer as we become more obedient to scripture in biblically structuring our leadership?
ESOL
One of our convictions here at Light in the Desert Church is outward-focused. As the gospel increasingly changes us, we strive to impact the world around us and share the hope of Jesus that we so desperately depend on to all peoples. We yearn to engage people in spiritual conversations, demonstrate the love of Christ through acts of mercy, and live in such a way that God will draw people to salvation through our words and deeds. We will leverage all we have to accomplish our mission, and ESOL is a way we will try this fall. Contact Kris Barber or Priscilla Holcomb for more details on how to get involved.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Pray for ALL
Church Family,
I do hope your week is off to a great start and that you are finding God’s presence to be joyous. We’ve been in 1 Timothy for four weeks, and already it has provided great insight into our life together as a church, and our life lived within a society. This past Sunday particularly dealt with the reality that we exist in a society that has civil authorities. How relevant this section of 1 Timothy is for us today. During 2020 and now in 2021, questions about how the church should respond to civil authorities as they try to navigate pandemic issues are still here. In a world of polemic responses, 1 Timothy 2:1-7 grounds us. Our best response and responsibility is to PRAY and pray all sorts of prayer for those in high positions. If we give ourselves to prayer, we might find greater peace in our own hearts and a greater willingness of civil authorities not to hinder the church’s work. The point of those prayers is gospel-centered. In our prayers, we must be more concerned with gospel work than being right. We must be more concerned with gospel work than our own comfort. We must be more concerned with living holy lives than passing policies!
Get the Vision
We are just a few days away from our Get the Vision meeting. We will share a meal at this meeting and where the Lord is taking us as a church. We could not be more excited about the fall and anticipate great days ahead. Would you please plan on joining us this Sunday, August 29, at 5:30 pm? We will provide food and childcare. If you did not get a chance to sign up this past Sunday, please let me know you will be attending.
Prospective Members Class
One last reminder, our next Prospective Members Class will be Saturday, September 11 at 9 am. This class is designed to discuss the ins and outs of Light in the Desert Church. We will cover, what we believe, what the church is and why join, and lastly, all the nuts and bolts of LITDC. Many of you have already confirmed your attendance, but it’s not too late if you want to attend. All you have to do is let me know! It’s that easy!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
An Unlikely Conversion
Church Family,
When you consider your conversion, do you see God’s grace? Paul certainly did, and it spilled over into thankfulness (1 Tim 1:12). For Paul, God’s grace did not stop in his conversion but continued in calling him to ministry and filling him full of faith and love–two things he definitely lacked pre-conversion (1 Tim 1:12-14). At every turn in Paul’s life, he sees God’s grace so clearly; there is no other explanation. He simply cannot phantom that the Lord would save him, a former blasphemer, persecutor, and violent opponent (1 Tim 1:13). Paul is one of the most unlikely converts there ever was, and in his older age, he is overwhelmed with gratitude. As Paul reflects on his unlikely conversion, he gains tremendous clarity wrapped up in this statement, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim 1:15). That’s it! That’s what is most true about himself and the world around him. Christ Jesus saving sinners, will, or least should, never grow stale or outdated but should generate thankfulness, an urgency to share and provide rock-solid clarity of what is most important.
Desert Kids
Parents, we are short-staffed in the Desert Kids area for our 10:15 am Sunday Gathering. So, instead of overworking our current volunteers, we will not offer Desert Kids during the 10:15 gathering this coming Sunday. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. On a side note, if anyone who is not currently serving is interested in volunteering, let me know!
Get the Vision
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been announcing our Get the Vision/Members Meeting on August 29. This meeting will cover a few housekeeping items and will also introduce our plans for the fall. God’s grace is so clearly seen in the history of Light in the Desert Church, and we don’t want that to be in vain (2 Cor 6:1). We want it to push us towards greater obedience, deeper faith, and more intimacy with God. In light of that, we’ve been praying and seeking the Lord regarding the next steps for us as a church, and we’re happy to share what we perceive those steps are for us. So, please mark your calendars for August 29 at 5:30 pm and plan on joining us (all are welcome). We will provide some food and childcare. There will be a sign-up sheet this coming Sunday so we can plan accordingly for food.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Warning
Church Family,
What an instructive time together as we dove into the next section of 1 Timothy this past Sunday. The aim of Timothy’s difficult work in Ephesus is love (1 Tim 1:5). Love is the aim of the charge he must give to the false teachers. This does not mean avoiding the truth in the correction or watering down their wrong teachings, but rather stating the wrong plainly out of love for them, not for the love of conflict. How does one aim at love in confrontation? Well, Paul instructs Timothy to evaluate his own heart before he gives himself to the tough task of confrontation. This is because love, according to Paul, issues from a pure heart, good conscience, and a sincere faith. The greater work, it seems, is self-evaluation through the lens of the gospel. This will ensure that love for them and God’s truth will guide the confrontation. If there is ever a hope that others will heed the charge, it must be done in love, and love comes from the radical work of the gospel in a person’s heart.
COVID
The past year and a half were difficult, and the constant unsurety was unsettling. But just when we began to think it was all behind us, another surge creeps up, creating greater controversy and exciting more “theories.” These things have the potential to derail all that we have gained throughout the difficult days of 2020 and draw us into useless speculations. I’ve been so encouraged and grateful for a church family that navigated all the madness with grace, mercy, and peace, so let’s not stop now. There will continue to be many views and thoughts about what is and what is not appropriate in response to COVID. Let’s bring them all to God’s authoritative word and let it guide our thoughts of the world, of each other, and our circumstances. We cannot let speculation guide us. It will lead to vain discussion and unhealthy views of each other and render us useless.
Desert Kids
Parents, here is the Family Packet for August. I hope you have been able to enjoy good conversations with your children and reflected together on the truths of God’s Word more frequently.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
Greetings
Church Family,
Last Sunday, we began looking at 1 Timothy through the first two verses (1 Timothy 1:1-2). With one long sentence, Paul encourages Timothy and reminds him that God the Father and Christ Jesus are the sources of church work. Timothy’s work in Ephesus will be difficult, and he must focus his attention upon the Godhead. God appointed Paul by His command, and now Paul, based upon his calling by God, is appointing Timothy to work in the local gathering in Ephesus. What is most fascinating about these first two verses is the greeting at the end of verse two. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Tim 1:2b). Paul puts before Timothy what will sustain him and what God’s desire is for the church with these three words. It will take grace–ongoing forgiveness and enabling to do the work, it will take mercy–sympathetic care to soothe the soul, and it will take peace–God’s tranquility and stability to give rest. [1] This, in turn, is our prayer for Light in the Desert Church; that grace, mercy, and peace from God will abound!
Jefferson Elementary
We will receive donations for Jefferson Elementary one more week. With school starting this week, I took what we’ve already collected to the school, and the front office was overjoyed! They thanked me repeatedly for the donations. I’m so grateful to all who gave and, please know that you encouraged many with your gift.
Path to Membership
Membership within a local body of believers is essential to help us grow into mature followers of Christ. The bible is vocal on this issue, offering us insight on the who and what of the church. Here at LITDC, we have worked hard to let scripture guide our understanding of church and then let it drive our practice in becoming a member…read more here.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan
[1] George W. Knight, The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1992), 67.
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.”
Church Family,
What a great Sunday as we finished our series in the book of Psalms. Psalm 8 was a wonderful way to conclude our time mining the depths of this tremendous book. It is and will always be overwhelming to consider ourselves in light of God’s majesty. The Lord has set his glory above the heavens, yet he considers us (Ps 8:3-4). David cannot fathom that the Lord cares for us and has given us a special place in all of creation. As he reflects upon the creation account, he says, “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Ps 8:5-6). This is wonderful and should generate praise. What’s of great significance is that the New Testament applies all of this to the greatest human, Jesus (Heb 2:5-9). He alone captures these truths to their fullest extent, and because he does, he can taste death on our behalf (Heb 2:9).
New Sermon Series
As we have been announcing over the last few weeks, we will begin a new series on the book of 1 Timothy this Sunday. This book is called a Pastoral Epistle. This means that its content is about Timothy’s pastoral work he is to do in Ephesus. The aging Paul is writing to young Timothy to give him direction on how the church should function, correct doctrinal issues, establishing church leadership, etc.. I think we will find a wealth of insight to guide us to become more and more healthy. Take some time this week to familiarize yourself with this wonderful book.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Bryan