This Sunday at 9:30am, we will wrap-up our series titled, Jesus in the Wilderness.  Through the lens of Matthew's gospel, we have been looking in on Jesus as he spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by Satan. With this third and final temptation, Satan drops his pretense and makes one final, desperate effort to corrupt Jesus.  He had first suggested what Jesus ought to do for Himself.  Next he suggested what the Father ought to do for Jesus.  In his third temptation, the devil attempted to coax Jesus into worshiping him for a magnificent but short-term gain.  Satan is telling Jesus what he can do for him--in exchange for what Jesus could do for Satan.

Through the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness, we learn the keys to victory over our own temptations:

1.  Trust and Obey God
2.  Commit to following His purpose and plan for our life.
3.  Hold on tight to our convictions and values without compromise.

Simply, we find help against temptation, just as we find help for everything else in the Christian life, by "fixing our eyes on God and His Son, Jesus".  Keeping our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope of conquering temptation and faithfully running the race that is set before us.  And as we do, I believe God will do for us exactly what he did for Jesus....

"Then the devil went away and angels came and took care of Jesus".  Matthew 4:11

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am and find your rest in Jesus.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside Fellowship has adopted a mask optional policy, based on the recommendations of our state and local leaders.  Please join us this Sunday at 9:30am, masked or unmasked, for a time of singing, prayer, encouragement from God's word and fellowship.  We look forward to seeing you!

After the service, at 10:45am, I want to invite you to join one of our adult discipleship communities.  We have two to choose from:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Holy or "Passion" Week at Parkside Fellowship

• Next Sunday, April 10 is Palm Sunday.  The climax of Jesus's messianic ministry began as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Holy or "Passion" Week could not have begun on a bigger note!  Make plans now to join us for a special Palm Sunday service on April 10th at 9:30am.
• Good Friday service will take place in our Fireside Room on Friday, April 15th at 7:00pm.  You won't want to miss this special time of singing, reflection and communion, as we "hear" from some who were there, as Jesus died for our sins.
• Easter Sunday at Parkside Fellowship!  Easter is the celebration of Christ's glorious resurrection and His triumph over sin and death.  Join us as hope is Unleashed through our risen Savior...Jesus!   Easter service at 9:30am.

Thank you for being a church that prays! 

See you Sunday.

Doug

Charles Swindoll, in his commentary on the temptations of Jesus in Matthew 4, wrote, "When we ponder Satan's strategies and goals in leading us into temptations that test our faith and obedience, we need to keep some important principles in mind."  He goes on to share 4 simple reminders as we face temptation:

1.  Remember that Satan is a defeated enemy--so don't fear and don't be intimidated in the face of his temptations.  "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."  (I John 4:4)
2.  Remember that God's Word is alive and powerful--so don't hesitate to stand on it.  "The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword."  (Hebrews 4:12)
3.  Remember that God is our shield and sustainer--so don't lean on your own strength.  "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge...".  (Psalm 18:2)
4.  Remember that you don't have to yield to temptation--so resist its call.  "Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  (James 4:7)

This Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our journey with Jesus in the Wilderness, only this time, Jesus is not in the wilderness, but is standing on a temple wall overlooking Jerusalem and the valley beyond.  With this second temptation, Satan is enticing Jesus to presume on God, to test God, to manipulate God...for His own personal gain.  Thankfully, Jesus was not about to put his own personal plans above those of His Father.  Jesus did not come to play God.  He came to cooperate with God...to fulfill the will of His Father.  Are you tempted to presume upon God for your needs, wants and desires?  Or do you rest confidently in His divine provisions for all that you need?  Join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we focus on Matthew 4:5-7.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside Fellowship has adopted a mask optional policy, based on the recommendations of our state and local leaders.  Please join us this Sunday at 9:30am, masked or unmasked, for a time of singing, prayer, encouragement from God's word and fellowship.  We look forward to seeing you!

After the service, at 10:45am, I want to invite you to join one of our adult discipleship communities.  We have two to choose from:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

 Thanks for being a church committed to praying for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug

Before officially beginning His public ministry, Jesus would figuratively retrace the steps of the Hebrew people through the wilderness.  There in the rugged Judean hill country, He would also face the temptations that would cause other kings, like King David, to fall.  Matthew states emphatically that Jesus went there specifically to "be tempted by the devil" (Matthew 4:1)  The Greek verb rendered "tempt" means to "try and learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing."  In other words, Jesus went into the desert to confront His enemy and prove that He was the Son of God.  At the end of his 40 day wilderness experience, Jesus would emerge as the one true King, worthy of saving us from our sins!  

What lessons can we learn from Jesus' time in the wilderness?  Why do we give into temptation?  Why do we keep making bad decisions?  Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we begin a 3 week journey with Jesus in the Wilderness.  During this series we will look at the driving forces behind the temptations we face every day.  Once we realize what is behind temptation, we can find the confidence to respond as Jesus did...with a right attitude, a right heart and a right desire.  In preparation for Sunday, you might consider reading Matthew 4:1-11 and Deuteronomy 8:2-3.    

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside Fellowship has adopted a mask optional policy, based on the recommendations of our state and local leaders.  Please join us this Sunday at 9:30am, masked or unmasked, for a time of singing, prayer, encouragement from God's word and fellowship.  We look forward to seeing you!

After the service, at 10:45am, I want to invite you to join one of our adult discipleship communities.  We have two to choose from:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Thanks for being a church committed to praying for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug

I want to thank all of those who attended our church's annual meeting last Saturday and took the time to vote on our 2022 proposed church budget.  The budget passed with 100% approval.....God is good!

Also, both Shirley Andersen and Mark Hester were confirmed to the church council with 100% approval.

If you were not able to attend the meeting, I presented a theme for the year...Re--Engage!

This year, I'm asking our church family to Re--Engage in three specific areas.

1. Within our Church Family
2. Within our "Churches on Erickson Ave." Family
3. Within our Neighborhood Community

In sharing these three specific areas of reengagement, Pastor Roger provided specific opportunities for engaging with each other, with the other churches that meet on our campus, and within our own neighborhood.  I would encourage you to contact Roger and join one of his initiatives to help you re--engage with what God is doing within Parkside Fellowship; the "Churches on Erickson Ave." and in our own local community.

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as Larry Annes speaks on being Alive in God's Love.  He will be sharing from I John 2, where the Apostle John reminds us how destructive and deadly sin can be.  The good news is we have a God who is for us and sent us an advocate in Jesus to extract us from the penalty of sin and walk alongside us in our walk with God.  Please join us and yes, masks will still be required to attend.

Also, consider staying after the service and joining one of our adult Sunday School classes.  We have two opportunities for you to connect in community:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

As our nation begins to open up, after 2 full years of limited social interaction, I want to share some thoughts on the "Power of Being Together".  As the power of technology continues to progress in our society, allowing for real time meetings anywhere, we are seeing a world that has never been more close...and more distant.  Smartphones and social media widen our relational networks, allowing us to keep up with old friends while constantly meeting new people.

While technology makes many new things possible and many old things easier, it limits intimate, personal relationships.  It limits true Christian Koinonia.  The digital age must never replace the personal relationships God intends for us as part of His body, the church.  There is no substitute for being together.  There is nothing that can compare to using one's gifts to bless, encourage, share with, and pray for other believers in person.  God calls us to be the church--personally.

Look at what Paul wrote about the power of being together.

"God knows how often I pray for you.  Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.  One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.  For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.  When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours."   Romans 1:9-12

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as together, we encourage one another!

Special Announcement:  Mask Required Mandate will end on Sunday, March 13th.

From the very beginning of the pandemic, our church leadership has been committed to following the guidelines and rules set forth by both the CDC, the Oregon Health Authority and our state leaders. 

On Monday, February 28th, Governor Brown made the announcement that Oregon would be joining with California and Washington in lifting the indoor mask mandate on March 12th.  This means that on Sunday, March 13th, we will no longer require that you wear a mask in order to attend an event at Parkside Fellowship (either indoor or outdoor).  Our church leadership has been diligent to follow all COVID-19 related guidelines and will continue to do so in the future.  Again, beginning Sunday, March 13th, Parkside Fellowship will no longer require that you wear a mask inside our building.

NOTE:  Masks will still be required this Sunday, March 6th!

Please pray for the needs of those in our church family.

For His Glory,

Pastor Doug

Don't forget that tomorrow (Saturday) is our Parkside Fellowship All-Church Annual Meeting.  We will meet at 2:00pm in the Fireside Room.

At this meeting our church council will present our 2022 budget and the nominees for church council (Mark Hester and Shirley Anderson).  We will also share some goals for this year and end our time with prayer as we seek God's wisdom and direction for our future.  Voting to approve our budget and church council nominees will begin immediately after the conclusion of our meeting and will continue until Sunday at noon.  Ballots will be made available after the meeting and on Sunday morning.

NOTE:  For those who are not able to attend either the annual meeting or our Sunday worship service, you may request an electronic ballot by replying to this email.

Join us on Sunday at 9:30am, as we conclude our series, The Gospel: The Story of a Redeeming God.  The gospel is the story of a God who sent his son, Jesus to earth in order to redeem, restore and renew a broken relationship with man.  Simply put, the gospel is God's story invading our story so that you and I can experience true joy and eternal life!  This week we will focus on John 9 and the healing of the man born blind. 

Question:  How do you resolve the tension that exists between the unexplainable and the undeniable?  Join us Sunday at 9:30am, as we explore the answer to this question.

"But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name."  John 20:31

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same. 

I want to invite you to stick around after our service, as we offer two opportunities for you to connect in community:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Thanks for praying!

For His Glory.

Pastor Doug

In his gospel, the Apostle John recorded these words of Jesus:

"I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."  John 15:11

Joy.  Is joy simply overcoming our inner Eeyore, where no matter what amazing circumstances come our way, doom and gloom seem to dominate our thoughts?  Is joy more like Tigger, bouncing through life without a care in the world, seemingly unfazed when things go wrong?  In our daily lives, it's easy to have the attitude of Eeyore while wishing we could have the outlook of Tigger--two very extreme viewpoints of life. 

Having biblical joy does not mean simply overcoming our inner Eeyore.  Joy does not mean that we are never sad, that we never cry.  Instead, joy is a quiet confidence, a state of peace found in our relationship with Jesus.  Joy is produced in our hearts when we know that Jesus loves us and when we have a close personal relationship with Him.

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we talk about Jesus, the Gospel and Joy.  We will be looking at I John 1:1-4, where John drives home the point that the outworking of a deep, spiritual union between God, Jesus and the believer, as well as between brothers and sisters in Christ produces a joyful life... joy that overflows!  

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same. 

I want to invite you to stick around after our service, as we offer two opportunities for you to connect in community:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Parkside Fellowship Annual Meeting
Our annual church meeting will take place on Saturday, February 26th at 2:00pm in the Fireside room.  At this meeting, our church council will share ministry highlights from last year, along with some goals for this year.  We will also be voting on our 2022 budget and the nominees for church council.  Please circle Saturday, February 26th on your calendars and plan to attend.

Finally, attached is this week's prayer list.  Thanks for being a church committed to praying for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug

​First of all, I want to thank all of you for your prayers, phone calls, text messages and cards over the last 10 days, as I recovered from hip replacement surgery.  I would say that I am now entering the rehab phase and would ask for your continued prayers.  Please pray for me, that I would listen and follow the prescribed rehab plan, and patience for Rose as she protects me from myself.  Believe it or not, but I can be an ornery patient sometimes! :)

Did you know that the God who created us and saved us by his grace knows us better than we know ourselves and desires for us what is much, much better than anything we would have desired for ourselves.  The kind of life God calls us to is a beautiful expression of everything humanity was intended to be.  God's desire for our lives is that they be an outward expression of our inward commitment to God and bring glory to his name.

This Sunday, at 9:30am, we will look at the doctrine of sanctification, which is the process God uses to make us what he has declared us to be...righteous.  Join us on Sunday at 9:30am as we look at life as God intended and to be reminded that sanctification is not meant to be a joy-killing burden to bear, but a welcome to a life where we surrender to the plan, purposes and call of God on our lives.  Remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the early believers in Philippi:

"And I am certain that God, who began the good word within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."  Philippians 1:6

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am for the good news of the gospel story.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same. 

I want to invite you to stick around after our service, as we offer two opportunities for you to connect in community:

• Study of the Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Parkside Fellowship Annual Meeting
Our annual church meeting will take place on Saturday, February 26th at 2:00pm in the Fireside room.  At this meeting, our church council will share ministry highlights from last year, along with some goals for this year.  We will also be voting on our 2022 budget and the nominees for church council.  This year's Parkside Church Council Nominees are Mark Hester and Shirley Anderson.  Please circle Saturday, February 26th on your calendars and plan to attend.

Finally, attached is this week's prayer list.  Thanks for being a church committed to praying for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug

On the last night of his life Jesus prayed a prayer that stands as a citadel for all Christians:

I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching.  Father, I pray that they can be one.  As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us.  Then the world will believe that you sent me.  John 17:20-21

It's overwhelming to think that Jesus, knowing the end is near, prays for us.  Notice he didn't pray for our success, safety, health or happiness.  He prayed for our unity.  He prayed that we would love each other.  I also want to point out that he prayed for "those who will believe because of their teaching."  Jesus, before he went to the cross to die for our sins, prayed that together, we would spread the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we continue our series, Gospel:  The Story of a Redeeming God.  This week, we will unpack one of Jesus' most famous parables...the sower, the seed and the soil.  In this parable, Jesus is going to scatter seeds over the crowd, landing on all kinds of soil.  The harvest would, in time, reveal which kind of soil the seed found in each person.  Would their hearts look to the Lord for more, or turn away?  While this parable is included in Matthew, Mark and Luke, we will be focusing on Luke's account in Luke 8:4-15.  As we prepare to gather together to give God praise, consider taking a few moments to read Luke 8:4-15.

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am for the good news of the gospel story.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same. 

I want to invite you to stick around after our service, as we offer two opportunities for you to connect in community:

• Study of Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Sunday Morning Tech Volunteers
We are still in need of volunteers to help with the sound, live-streaming and PowerPoint on Sunday mornings.  No experience required!  Please see Doug or Roger for more information.

Church Council Nominations
This Sunday is the last day to submit nominations for our church council.  You can nominate by submitting their name via email to doug.boyd@parksidefellowship.org or there will be submission forms available on Sunday.

Parkside Fellowship Annual Meeting
Our annual church meeting will take place on Saturday, February 26th at 2:00pm in the Fireside room.  At this meeting, our church council will share with you ministry goals and opportunities for the coming year.  We will also be voting on our 2022 budget and the nominees for church council.  Please circle Saturday, February 26th on your calendars and plan to attend.

Finally, attached is this week's prayer list.  Thanks for being a church committed to praying for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug

​"The gospel is more than a set of ideas to be believed; it is a personal and restorative relationship with God who desires to bless us each day with well-being, identity, purpose, community, release from our guilt and shame, and the assurance of eternal life with God."       Dick Staub, Author, Too Christian. Too Pagan

This is the Gospel:  The Story of a Redeeming God.  Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we look at the good news of the gospel, a good news expertly woven into the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15.  The story of the prodigal son is a biography of all human history, the story of every single one of us.   Through the story of the prodigal son, we get a picture of the heart of God.  This is a story of a son behaving in a manner that is completely unforgivable...and yet...completely forgiven by his father.  This the good news of the gospel.  A gospel that has the power to fill the deep longings of our soul.  It has the power to save everyone who believes.  As it reads in Romans 1:16:

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes."

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am for the good news of the gospel story.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same. 

I want to invite you to stick around after our service, as we offer two opportunities for you to connect in community:

• Study of Gospel of Luke
• Study in Wisdom

Sunday Morning Tech Volunteers
We are still in need of volunteers to help with the sound, live-streaming and powerpoint on Sunday mornings.  No experience required!  Please see Doug or Roger for more information.

Church Council Nominations
It's that time of year again, where we nominate individuals to fill open positions on our church council.  A nominating committee has been put in place and is actively seeking recommendations to fill these open positions.  If you know an active member of Parkside Fellowship with outstanding leadership ability, you can nominate them by submitting their name via email to doug.boyd@parksidefellowship.org or there will be submission forms available on Sunday.  All submissions will be due no later than January 30th.

Finally, attached is this week's prayer list.  Thanks for being a church committed to praying for one another.

See you Sunday.

Doug