Pursuing Peace with God

Every year, it seems like Christmas just kind of sneaks up on us.  Whether we're ready for it or not...whether we deserve it or not...in just 9 days, we will be given the opportunity to experience the blazing miracle of the incarnation of Jesus.  God becoming flesh.  The light of the world moving into the neighborhood.  And yet, with the passing of another Christmas, many will once again miss the significance of the moment.  The moment when Christ came to bring peace on earth and good will to all.

A central task of Advent, and the Christian life as a whole, is to pursue peace with God--to live today with our eternal tomorrow always in mind.  The apostle Peter wrote:

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?  You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming...Since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."  II Peter 3:11-12, 14

More than anytime of the year, Christmas is a season where we get caught up in the busyness of doing.  Christmas is almost here, and our shopping list is long, but the invitation of the apostle Peter is to focus instead on being--specifically, being the kind of people we ought to be.

Take time over the next few days to focus on your relationship with God, and then join us on Sunday at 9:30am, as we celebrate the peace we have because of Jesus.

Following our service, our Adult Sunday School class will continue their titled, "Going Viral: The Birth and Advance of the Church".  As Jesus ascended into heaven, he looked at his disciples and proclaimed, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  Acts 1:8.  What we will encounter in our study of Acts is a group of people who, after hearing the gospel and receiving the Holy Spirit, became bold witnesses for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Eve At Parkside Fellowship:  Make plans now to celebrate the birth of Jesus with us at Parkside Fellowship's Annual Candlelight Christmas Eve Service.  This year's Christmas Eve service will begin at 3:00pm.  There will be singing, scripture reading, a special Christmas Story designed especially for kids (each child will receive a special Christmas gift), and a time to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his incredible gift of His one and only Son, Jesus.  We will end our service with the traditional singing of Silent Night as we light candles in anticipation of the birth of Jesus!  Please bring the whole family and don't forget to invite your friends and neighbors.

Christmas Day At Parkside Fellowship:  Revelation 7:9 says:  "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb."  Do you ever wonder what our time in Heaven will look like?  Join us Christmas morning at Parkside Fellowship, as 4 of the 6 churches that share our campus gather together for one huge birthday celebration.  This special Christmas service will include: Christmas carols sung in Korean, Mandarin and English; prayers in multiple languages; and a time to reflect on the birth of our Savior, Jesus.  The morning kicks-off at 10:00am with light snacks, followed by our Christmas service at 10:30am.

Thank you for being a praying church.

See you Sunday.

Doug