MOVING DAY

If you were in College Bible Study Sunday then you heard the BIG news.  We’re moving! That’s right we’re moving from the basement at 10:15 to the Life Building at 11:30 on Sunday Mornings.  

WHY?

• Over the past few years God has been very good to us.  We’ve seen our ministry grow from around 80 students gathered in the basement to well over 300 crammed into a room that comfortably seats 250.  

• This summer Pastor Carlos and I began to talk about possibilities for us growing and it became clear that it was time to try something new.   Since we’ve outgrown our space, the only place large enough on the property that allows us to grow numerically is the Life Building.  So after a lot of prayer and discussion the pastors and the deacons decided we would use the 11:30 service as a way to accommodate our growth and reach more students. 

• It also gives us an opportunity to serve in the life of our church in various ministries.

• And lastly- this is an AWESOME opportunity for our college ministry to reach even more students with the gospel.  

What will it look like?

• We will still have the same great Bible teaching team with a few incredible additions.

• We will open by being led in worship by our amazing music team.

• Pastor Carlos and Carla will be in the room each Sunday meeting and interacting with students. 

• Pastor Carlos will occasionally be on the teaching team.

• We’ll be working through Romans this fall.

When?

• Our first official day is August 17^th at 11:30 in the Life building.

• Join us at 11:00 on the grass courtyard for a pre-service “tailgate” where you can meet other students and maybe grab a donut and some coffee.

So let me recap: 

God has been very good to our ministry as we have sought to be faithful in teaching the scriptures and calling students to radical obedience as we lift up the beauty of the gospel in the person of Jesus.  Because of this we have grown both spiritually and numerically.  The leadership in our church has seen this as an opportunity to trust us with the 11:30 worship hour in an attempt to push the gospel further onto the campuses in our area and literally around the globe.  I can’t stress enough that this is an AWESOME opportunity for us and I believe it will lead to even greater things for our ministry in the days ahead.

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Pastor Vic

We're All on the Naughty List (Why You Should Read the Geneologies)

If you're like me, when you read the scriptures this Christmas season, there is a temptation to skip over or to read the genealogies with little or no interest. I mean, it's only a list of names and we want to get to the "good stuff".  You know, singing angels, and wise men and shepherds and the baby in the manger.   What can you learn from a list of names? Surprisingly there's plenty to learn from a list of names.  For example in Matthew chapter 1 we see that the grace of God is wide.  

Check this out: 

Matthew mentions five different women in this list (which was rare). Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba were all women of questionable behavior. Odd people to highlight in your family tree, for sure.  

Tamar was a woman who was wrongfully denied motherhood by her husband and after he died, then her brother-in-law.  They both refused to sleep with her, which was immoral and illegal.  She disguises herself as a prostitute and ends up sleeping with Judah, the son of Jacob.

Rahab was a professional prostitute in Jericho.  She’s a Gentile. 

Bathsheba, was complicit in one of the most notorious adulteries of all time, not resisting the advances of the king while her husband risked his very life on their behalf. 

 Ruth is a godly woman, but she is a Moabite (sworn enemies of Israel). 

Remember this is the family tree of Jesus! What in the world is Matthew doing here? He is showing us that God's grace is deep and wide. His grace condescends to the lowest. If you could gather all of Jesus' ancestors for Christmas dinner you'd have adulterers, prostitutes, warriors, heroes, wicked kings, good kings and Gentiles. 

In  the genealogy of Matthew, before you ever get to a baby in a manger or visits from wise men, you see the beauty and scandal of the Gospel.  The glory of Christmas is that the baby we celebrate invaded earth to save us because we need it and he loves us.  

Who were the Nephilim?

Genesis 6 introduces us to some strange characters known simply as the Nephilim.  While I'm not sure exactly what's gong on in Genesis 6:4 I do think this video is a pretty good attempt at explaining it.

We plan to post more answers to questions that you may have about Genesis.  So if you have a question let us know.