Green Valley News

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear the author of the New York Times #1 selling book, “The Shack”.  This is a wonderful opportunity to be on mission for Jesus and invite a friend or neighbor.   Remember Paul Yong will only be with us on Saturday night at 6 PM, not on Sunday.

Eugene Peterson, author of the the Bible Translation, “The Message” writes, “This book (The Shack) has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress did for his. It’s that good!”

In every man’s life, there is a cause worth fighting for and a victory worth claiming. What is yours? Discover how to not only prepare for the battles ahead, but more importantly, how to emerge victoriously. It’s time to stop playing the role of the nice guy and instead live as The Warrior.

Be there the first two weekends in February!

It was just brought to my attention that you can download for free the 40 days book, “The Relationship Principles of Jesus.”  Here is the simplest way to get them, simply copy and past this web site into your address line - it should get you there.  — http://saddlebackfamily.com/MediaCenter/DriveTime/Archives.aspx         Another way is simply through i-tunes podcasts, i typed in Tom Holladay in the search field and that took me straight to the chapters of the book.  For those of you computer challenged individuals i will have a few copies of the book in the lobby on disc this Sunday.

I don’t see the first week there any more, but beginning at week 2 it all looks good.

Enjoy

Peter

      Dusty bleached sandstone, glowing like a furnace in the dry afternoon heat, floods the Judean wilderness. Hills rise and fall monotonously throughout the plain; some lie smooth and winding like rumpled fabric while others tear through the earth’s surface with jagged cliff edges and steep inclines. The ocean-like landscape of the desert mocks both its inhabitants and travelers alike. You feel parched and famished. One drop of satisfying liquid would make your heart leap.

Suddenly, you notice the green promise of a bush emerging from the wrinkle of a mountain up ahead. Instantly you forget your fatigue and sprint to the cool refreshment of the trickling spring. You have never tasted water so delicious.

The Psalmist reflects on such a scene when he writes “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1).

While living in China for three months I experienced the novel atmosphere of a spiritually dry and weary land. I had  become used to accepting weekly sermons, passive reading, and fellowship among Christians to give me false  fulfillment. A few weeks outside of my American routine showed me that  inside I knew absolutely nothing. I had been living in a Christian oasis. There I relied on osmosis to passively attain nutrients while allowing the flourishing environment to distract me from actively pursuing and devouring Truth. I had confused spiritual saturation with spiritual satisfaction. In China, however, I had to think on my own, daily face tough questions, actively seek God and engage the Bible with my own time and effort. And I longed to drink it in.

What about you? Are you unwittingly allowing yourself to be starved? Is your life a parched stone in an oasis, depending on the dripping shade of palm trees to supply your nourishment? I hope it does not take you a trip around the world to realize that you may be spiritually starving.

I pray, in conclusion, that you will personally seek after the Word of God. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Reflect on it. Allow it to revitalize your life.

I am so excited about our new service!  i hope you are too…  We are still putting all the pieces together about what this celebration time will look like and would love some input.  What do you think?  should the service be long or short?  should it be early in the evening or later?  should it be loud (for a young audience) or soft and quite (for an older group)?  lots of questions.  We would love your input.  One thing is for sure, God will use this time for His glory.  It iwill be a time to celebrate and worship Jesus.  It will be another hook in the water (that’s what Pastor Ray said), another opportunity for people to come to Jesus.  I am so excited…Blessings Peter

 G.V.C.C. Thursday Night High School & College Youth

The lure of temptation is strong, and all it takes is one bite to get hooked–sometimes for life.  Temptation is everywhere!  Even if you’re not experiencing temptation at this moment, it will be knocking at your door in no time.

This four-week series covers:

Identifying and dealing with temptation

The importance of positive friendships

God’s plan to help us break the cycle of temptation

How Jesus is the model for us to follow

Please join us on Thursday, September 18th at 7:00 PM at G.V.C.C.

for Part 1–Don’t Bite! Dealing with Temptation.

         In the Jewish world of the Bible, the primary goal of a disciple is to conform to his rabbi so closely that he may one day receive the privilege of taking his place. If we have accepted the call of Jesus, our Rabbi, our primary objective should be to become more like Him. Because He conquered death, Jesus certainly doesn’t need a replacement. However, we can be assured that one day we will join Him in his glorious resurrection from the dead. In the meantime, we should continue to pursue the purpose of becoming more like Christ. We are, after all, created in the image of God; the mere fact of our birth into humanity is evidence that we are designed for discipleship.

        As the original Christian disciples understood 2000 years ago, becoming like Christ requires following after Him. Saturating ourselves in the Bible reveals to us the heart of the Rabbi after whom we follow. By adopting His words and deeds into our own, we model our lives after His.

        Practically, discipleship begins with a personal commitment. In order to become like Christ, we must willfully want to become like Him. Then we decide to do it, actively work at it, and continue to do it despite setbacks, discouragement, or distraction.

        We monitor personal discipleship by examining our character. Simplified, the impromptu responses we give in any circumstance or event communicates our character. For instance, if waiting at a long red light causes aggravation and distress to arise in me, I observe a deficiency of patience in my character. Every response we make, furthermore, is a choice. Problems and temptations in our lives provide the arena in which we have the opportunity to challenge our habits and transform our character. Instead of dreading and avoiding difficult circumstances, therefore, we need to allow ourselves to embrace them as opportunities for training in godliness. In so doing, we truly follow after our Rabbi and become more like Him.

Derived in part from “Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ” in Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.

Updated information–the Bill and Gloria Fox Family have made it to Indiana on their bicycle journey across the United States.  Catch up with their progress at this blog site:

http://www.ninefoxfamily.blogspot.com/

It’s been a very interesting read.  I’ve felt like I’ve been traveling with them, only without the pain.  :-)  It’s a free vacation!

Thursday High School and College Youth Night

Grab your doubles partner and join us at G.V.C.C. on September 4th at 7:00 pm for a Wii Tennis Tournament.  The top four teams will advance and play on Thursday, September 11th.  Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

We are pleased to present a special message from Pastor Dennis while away on Sabbatical.

Click here for the video.