I know that attending Secret Church is very difficult for a lot of people and nearly impossible for others and besides that 6 hours worth of church just sounds crazy! But those of us who got to come tonight were richly blessed. I personally was enlarged in my view of and love of Jesus as Myles Roberts opened up to us Colossians 1:12-20 and then a brief message from John 12, Isaiah 6 and Isaiah 53. One young lady that I was praying with expressed my heart when she prayed, “Lord, you just seem too good to be true but I am so glad you are all that you are.”

I was convicted of how easily I forget to pray for the 27 million humans who are in slavery today and I am tired of caring and then forgetting about the sex slave trade. I want to pray until God shows us how to act and then pray for the courage to act here in our city.

I was encouraged by the prayers for getAhead and the outreach to parents and listening to so many who prayed by name for students and parents.

I was encouraged as we prayed for Project 61 and I really expect God to somehow – someway provide a bus or two by Tuesday morning for His own glory and I am more hopeful than ever that God will use a camp to not only minister love to kids at the Sports Clinics but also that there might be birthed a real love in what is becoming one of the more racially and socially diverse youth groups in our city and that this might be the week that many of our young people come to true faith in the Lord.

I was thrilled when I got home after 1:00 am and heard my kids talking about the star God made that is as big as the distance between our sun and Mars! and how that God became a wee little man who suffered and died as a man and yet fully displays all the attributes and glories of God – to hear my daughter repeat that more glory could be seen in Jesus on the cross than in a 1000 galaxies and to hear my 17 year old son come home from secret church after quarterback school and a team basketball camp and be thrilled about a God who was bigger than He ever dreamed and to hear the hope in his voice that disqualifed people like us could really belong in His family.

I love secret church – because all of it helps me love Jesus more.

Whether you ever get to come to secret church (next one is July 19th) or not is not what I really care about – I just want all of our church family to keep growing in our love and passion for a Jesus who is more valuable than we could ever know but by His Spirit we can at least know that He is the most valuable of all.

Love you,

Pastor Joe

We will be having Secret Church on Friday, June 22nd, Friday July 20th, and August 17th from 6:00 pm-midnight. Come join us for prayer for the neighborhoods and the nations, the study of God’s Word and a night of seeking our holy, great, and kind Savior.

Springs of Grace!

Just a reminder that today is our Community Block Party at the Rose Bowl from 5:00-7:00. There will be food, games, haircuts, and an opportunity to enroll your kids in getAHEAD.

Please bring your whole family and take advantage of this opportunity to meet our neighbors!

Pray in particular today that God would bring many families from our neighborhood to enroll their children in getAHEAD for the summer. We really desire to impact this neighborhood and we hope that getAHEAD can be a starting point for connecting with and loving many of the families who live around our church building.

Also, please know that we would love to have you enroll your children in getAHEAD if you’re looking for a fun, Christ-centered way for them to profit educationally and be around our interns this summer. getAHEAD is a program that meets every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:15-12:45.

If you’re able to come a few minutes early and stay from 5-7 to run a booth, please call or text Malachi Blankenship (918-510-5567). We could use a few more volunteers.

Hope you can join us!

Springs of Grace!

Just a reminder that today is our Community Block Party at the Rose Bowl from 5:00-7:00. There will be food, games, haircuts, and an opportunity to enroll your kids in getAHEAD.

Please bring your whole family and take advantage of this opportunity to meet our neighbors!

Pray in particular today that God would bring many families from our neighborhood to enroll their children in getAHEAD for the summer. We really desire to impact this neighborhood and we hope that getAHEAD can be a starting point for connecting with and loving many of the families who live around our church building.

Also, please know that we would love to have you enroll your children in getAHEAD if you’re looking for a fun, Christ-centered way for them to profit educationally and be around our interns this summer. getAHEAD is a program that meets every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:15-12:45.

If you’re able to come a few minutes early and stay from 5-7 to run a booth, please call or text Malachi Blankenship (918-510-5567). We could use a few more volunteers.

Hope you can join us!

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/what-every-husband-should-know-about-stay-at-home-moms

This is a great article by Gloria Furman. I am committing to do better at keeping the truth of a great and kind Mediator before my wife and helping to fight the external chaos life brings.

This summer we are seeking to grow in our relationships with people who aren’t like us and seeking to grow in encouraging and praying for each other to live out the challenge of representing Jesus to our community.

Sunday night, June 10th will be our first Summer Special Sunday Night. We will have Jack and Holly Stagge of Faces 4 Hope from Tanzania with us that evening and we will break up into our small groups to pray and encourage one another. Plan on joining us.

We will also have Summer Special Sunday nights on July 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd.

We will still have small groups in homes on June 24th and July 29th.

Let’s encourage one another and pray big prayers for God’s glory and the spread of His kingdom to the neighborhoods and the nations.

Pastor Joe