Hello FBC!
Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep My statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
(Leviticus 20:7-8)
Sometimes wading through Leviticus can be challenging, I admit. But there are also amazing truths that help us understand powerfully the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and the efforts God goes to in order to bring His people into restored relationship with Himself. I like what the Gospel Transformation Bible says about Lev. 20: “Leviticus 18 listed unholy practices the Israelites were to avoid in the realms of sexual immorality and illicit worship. This chapter now describes the penalties that come from engaging in those practices. These penalties emphasize the seriousness of sin, the importance of addressing it among the Lord’s people, and the reality of the Lord’s justice for those who persist in it (see Acts 5:1-11; Gal. 6:7). But Grace is not absent. The penalties serve as warnings of sin’s consequences and of the pain of distance from fellowship with God. If God did not love His people, He would not so warn them… The chapter also emphasizes that experiencing these penalties were not the Lord’s intent for humanity. His desire is that people experience His blessing and good pleasure as they walk in close fellowship with Him in His ways. It is this same desire that prompts Jesus to call us to take His yoke upon us, learning from Him how to walk in God’s ways, in this way finding rest for our souls (Matt. 11:28-30).”
This Sunday I will be starting a new series — “DAVID: A Man After God’s Own Heart”. The first message will be from 1 Samuel 16:1-13, “The LORD Looks at the Heart.” I am excited about what God will show us about our hearts and our relationship with God through this series on David! I’m even more excited about how the stories of David point us to the ultimate Son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ! Please read the passage prayerfully in preparation, and join us Sunday at 10:30! We will also be remebering the Lord’s death together as we partake of communion. Another good thing to read and meditate on in preparation would be Isaiah 53, which I plan to read from on Sunday.
As most of you know, Justin & Lynsey Hostetter and their 3 kids (Evie, Nora, and Grady) will be here with us April 5-12, as Justin comes as candidate for the position of Associate Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries. The search task team has prepared a full schedule for them, with many opportunities for you to meet them and hear from them. Justin will be preaching on Sunday, April 10, and we will vote during our quarterly business meeting after the service. Below is their schedule:
Justin & Lynsey Hostetter Candidating Week, April 5-12, 2016
Tuesday, April 5 – 5:15pm Arrive Portland Airport. Dinner and taken to Joiner’s home.
Wednesday, April 6 – 10:00am Join FBC ladies for coffee at Randy’s on Main St.
— 6:00pm Meet & pray with Elders
Thursday, April 7 – 12:00pm No host lunch @ Pioneer Villa, meet, Q & A
— 7:00pm AWANA (7:00 speaking to parents; 7:30 Sparks Counsel time; 8:00 TNT Counsel time)
Friday, April 8 – 7:00pm Dessert & snacks in FBC Fellowship Hall, meet and Q & A
Saturday, April 9 – 7:00am Men’s Breakfast (Justin speaking, open for questions)
— 11:00am Lynsey to P.A.C. Ladies’ Tea
— 6:00pm Teens & Parents Night w/Pizza
Sunday, April 10 – 9:00am Sunday School (all adults and youth classes combined) (Justin & Lynsey sharing testimony)
— 10:30am Worship Service (Justin preaching)
— Noon FBC business meeting and voting
— 5:30pm Join Teen Night at FBC
Monday, April 11 FREE DAY
Tuesday, April 12 – 9:50am Depart Portland Airport (leave Brownsville around 6:00am)
Please continue to be in prayer for this whole process, for God’s will to be done, for wisdom for our church, and for Justin & Lynsey. This is an exciting and important time in the life of our church, so I hope you will be able to be a part of this week. May the Lord guide us and bless us as we pursue His desire for FBC!
On a completely different note:
It is our desire to be a blessing to our community. I hear of needs and opportunities frequently. One that recently came my way was the Central Linn high school band, which is taking a group of students to California on a special band trip. The band instructor, Kyle Kivett shared with me about a need for some percussion items, for which the school has no budget for. So I’m asking on his behalf if there are any of you who would like to make a contribution towards that. This is not something that is going through the church, so it is not something you would receive credit for on your giving statement to FBC. But Mr. Kivett is looking for around $320 to complete the purchase. If you would like to help with that, could you contact me personally? Either reply to this email or contact my cell phone. Thank you for considering it!
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael