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"The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances." Robert Flatt
Information alone rarely changes lives. But when someone encounters the Truth (think Jesus), their future is changed for good. Sure, people's lives get changed for all sorts of different reasons, but the transformation that we see in the disciple's lives is irrefutable evidence that they believed they had encountered the living Christ. Take time to read John 20:19-20, and learn what transformed these men, from confused doubters, into radical and fearless, willing to give their lives in the name of Jesus Christ disciples. This encounter with the living Christ completely transformed them from men who were hiding behind "doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders" into an unstoppable team. History and tradition show us that the disciples were tortured, exiled, and killed because they wouldn't keep quiet about their encounter with the resurrected Jesus. Join us tomorrow at 9:30am for Easter at Calvary Parkside and allow an encounter with the resurrected Jesus to transform your life! Don't forget to bring a friend! See you Sunday. Doug Even as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, with all the crowds adoring Him and electricity in the air, He never struggled to keep His heart and mind set on the eternal task in front of Him. Just read the Gospels and see how often He talks to the Father. It's constant. Look at how He alludes to the Father and how often He directs the disciples to think about things above. At every step in His journey to the cross, Jesus never wavered from His commitment to fulfill God's plan. Jesus focused on things above, on things eternal, and not temporary.
As we approach Easter, may we do so with eyes on the eternal significance of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. "May we understand that spiritual growth is about experiencing eternal truths while living in a temporary world". Pete Briscoe (Pastor/author) This Sunday begins what many refer to as Passion Week. May our passion revolve around God, the truths of His Word, and that we are being made new through the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, Larry Annes will continue our series, Encounters with Jesus. In the story of the Triumphal Entry, it is Passover season and Jerusalem is the religious hub of this celebration. It is a time to remember how God delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh. Many pilgrims are making their way to Jerusalem to mark Passover. To offer the sacrifice at the temple. To remember that it is blood that covers our sin according to the Law of Moses. This is the context in which Jesus enters...and it causes quite a stir. Join us on Sunday at 9:30am, as we journey back in time when Jesus enters into the city of Jerusalem. Bask in the triumph, revel in the joy, delight in the anticipation of Jesus the Messiah...a King entering His city! Who are you inviting to Easter? A family member, a friend, a neighbor? It's not too late to make the "Ask". Take the next few days and spend time in prayer, asking God to give you boldness as you invite someone to spend Easter Sunday morning with you here, at Calvary Parkside. This Sunday, be sure and grab a stack of Easter invite cards, hand them to someone you know, and give God the opportunity to surprise you! Calvary Parkside Upcoming Events: Good Friday Service: April 7 at 7:00pm. Join us for a time of singing, scripture reading, directed prayer for our hearts to be receptive to the Easter message; for our friends and neighbors who need to hear the gospel message, and that we would continue to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton. The evening will conclude with the Lord's Supper. (In-person Only) Egg Hunt, Games and Crafts: April 8 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Invite your friends and neighbors to our egg hunt! Kids will enjoy games, food, crafts, a place to snap a family photo, and a good old-fashioned egg hunt. Easter Sunday Service: April 9 at 9:30am. Join us as we celebrate our risen Savior! Don't forget to bring a friend, neighbor or family member with you. (In-person and Online) Beaverton High School Serve Day: April 14th from 9:30am to 1:00pm. This will be a great opportunity to serve those who don't yet know Jesus. More details to come. See you Sunday Doug We are just two weeks (and a couple of days) from Easter Sunday. Every year, during the Easter season, Christians find renewed hope in the resurrection story. Easter and hope are synonymous. There is nothing like Easter to bring hope back to life. Easter has its own anthems. Easter has its own scriptures. And Easter has it own proclamation: "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said..." (Matthew 28:6)
This year, I want to challenge you to share the hope of Easter by inviting a family member, friend or neighbor to our Easter Sunday gathering. Easter is the perfect time to invite someone to church. Here's why, "...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. The Easter Story is the essence of the gospel. The most important piece of information you could ever share with another individual is that Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross, and that he overcame death by resurrecting on the third day. Easter is a day when Jesus' followers celebrate His victory over death and reflect on the resurrection. Jesus' sacrifice was real, and Easter provides an opportunity to refocus on the most important part of our faith. Who is God wanting you to invite to church this Easter? Is it that neighbor you casually say "hi" to when checking the mail? Or is it a family member who hasn't been to church in years? Maybe it's someone you haven't seen for a while, but they've been on your mind lately. Or it could be someone on your i3 list. Reach out with some type of invitation to join you this Easter. Be sure and use the invite cards from church (available at the next step table) to convey the church location and service time. This Easter, extend the invitation and give God the opportunity to surprise you! Calvary Parkside Upcoming Events: Good Friday Service: April 7 at 7:00pm. Join us for a time of singing, scripture reading, directed prayer for our hearts to be receptive to the Easter message; for our friends and neighbors who need to hear the gospel message, and that we would continue to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton. The evening will conclude with the Lord's Supper. Egg Hunt, Games and Crafts: April 8 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Invite your friends and neighbors to our egg hunt! Kids will enjoy games, food, crafts, a place to snap a family photo, and a good old-fashioned egg hunt. Easter Sunday Service: April 9 at 9:30am. Join us as we celebrate our risen Savior! Don't forget to bring a friend, neighbor or family member with you. Beaverton High School Serve Day: April 14th from 9:30am to 1:00pm. This will be a great opportunity to serve those who don't yet know Jesus. More details to come. See you Sunday Doug This Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our series, Encounters with Jesus. There are certain times when Jesus loves to surprise us. It usually happens just as we are ready to throw our hands in the air and give up hope; when we have come to the end of our resources, exhausted, out of ideas; when quitting seems like the only remaining option; Jesus pulls out a miracle...surprise!
Paul the apostle experienced this so many times that he began to detect a pattern. The best things happen when we've come to the end of ourselves. Look what he wrote in II Corinthians: But the Lord said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 12:9-10) This was Jesus' plan when he encountered Peter, Andrew, James and John on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He would teach them to become ever more dependent upon their Master. Their first lesson in dependence began with their calling in Luke 5:1-11, when their impossibility gave Jesus the opportunity to give them a surprise gift. Join us this Sunday, as we look at Simon Peter's encounter with Jesus. An encounter which involved not just listening to the words of Jesus, but responding in a way that would change his life forever. Easter Sunday (April 9) is just 4 weeks away. Who are you beginning to invest in? Are you sharing the love of Jesus to them through encouragement, listening to their story and serving them? As we begin to make an investment in the life of someone who needs to encounter Jesus, we open the door to invite them to experience our church community. Let me give you two reasons to invite someone to church this Easter: 1.) Everyone needs biblical community. The church is a hub for encountering Jesus and spiritual growth and we want people to engage in that. 2.) Everyone needs an invitation to follow Jesus. A gospel-centered church (a commitment of Calvary Parkside) is a church where Jesus is talked about and where non-believers have the opportunity to respond to Jesus. Let's begin praying that God would reveal to each of us, who he wants us to invest in, so that we will have the opportunity to invite them to church and be introduced to the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. Praying for each other is a great way to begin "Connecting with one another authentically". See you Sunday. Doug |
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