Throughout the New Testament we read of the changed life that follows genuine conversion.  When God freely and fully forgives the sins of our former life--when the righteousness of Christ is credited to our account and the Spirit of God takes up residence in our hearts--the old things pass away and all things become new (II Cor. 5:17).  This week, Larry Annes will be preaching as we continue walking through I Peter.  Beginning with chapter 4, the apostle Peter is going to remind us, as followers of Christ, that we have entered into a glorious relationship with our Heavenly Father, made possible through His Son Jesus Christ.  In addition to a new relationship with God, Peter also addresses how this new life impacts our way of thinking and living.  Our lives should look very different from the culture around us.

Though almost 2,000 years separate us from Peter's original audience, many Christians today can identify with the apostle's words.  Written for a particular time, his words are nevertheless timeless.  They speak with incredible relevance today--especially his comments regarding the reaction of those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus.  Join us this Sunday, at 9:30am, as we continue in our series, Resilient Hope.

Note:  Not only is Larry Annes preaching this Sunday, but we will also be celebrating Larry's recent ordination by our church council!  Congratulations Larry!

Special Invitation:  Immediately following this Sunday's service, please join me as we gather together for a special time of thanking and praising God for his past faithfulness.  During this time of prayer, we will also ask God to give us boldness in proclaiming our salvation through Jesus and for a spiritual awakening to grip our city.  Finally, we will ask God to guide us in our endeavor to be a light in our community.  This "Concert of Prayer" will begin at 10:45am in the large Sunday School classroom directly across from the Fireside Room.

Thank you for being a church that actively prays for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug

I have been a follower of Jesus for over 45 years and yet, I still find the process of spiritual growth to be a long and often painful process.  If you've been a Christian as long as I have...or even longer, I'm sure you've experienced moments along your Christian walk, when you've said things that made others question your spiritual age.  Like a toddler who doesn't get their way, we are susceptible to temper tantrums, or we may pout like preschoolers, or argue and complain like teens.  All the while, we should be conducting ourselves as mature believers, setting an example to those younger in the faith.  Unfortunately, even the spiritually mature have moments when they find themselves back in days of the "terrible twos."

This is Paul's purpose for including a barometer for spiritual maturity in his letter to the early church.  In I Peter 3:8-12, the apostle Peter sums up what he sees as the kind of lifestyle that epitomizes Christian maturity.  In just 5 verses, Peter points out 9 virtues that act as a sort of measuring rod for spiritual growth.  As a tangible, objective set of checkpoints, we can use Peter's list to discover areas of our lives that may need some attention.  Sunday at 9:30am, we will listen, as Peter describes for us this strange life that we are to pursue, as aliens and ambassadors in a strange land.  Again and again, Peter ties this lifestyle of holiness to the life of hope--consistent anticipation of the reward that will come with the return of Christ.  Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we continue in our series, Resilient Hope.

Special Members Meeting:  I want to thank everyone who has attended informational meetings, asked questions about, and has spent time praying for the recommendation from our church council that Parkside Fellowship vote to be adopted into the Calvary Family of Churches.  By joining with other Great Commission driven, Gospel-centered churches, Parkside will be poised to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton and to the ends of the earth!

This Sunday, at 10:45am, you will hear a motion from our church council regarding being adopted into the Calvary Family of Churches.  Each member will then be given the opportunity to cast their ballot regarding the motion presented.  Our prayer and hope throughout this process, has been and continues to be, that each member of Parkside Fellowship will make a prayerful, informed voting decision.

This special members meeting will take place in the large Sunday School classroom, directly across from the Fireside Room.  This meeting will NOT be live-streamed.  For those who are unable to attend in-person, I will send out an email, early Sunday morning, stating the motion and how to cast your vote.  You will have until noon on Sunday, to submit your ballot via email.

Please reach-out to me with any questions or concerns you may have.  I can be reached via email at doug.boyd@parksidefellowship.org or by phone at 949-838-6981.

In addition to our church, please continue to pray for those who are hurting.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug