The Gift of Life

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend the SBC Annual Convention in Nashville.  One of the speakers I had the privilege of hearing from was Dr. Hearshel York.  Dr. York is the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Dr. York preached on Psalm 44 and the title of his message was, The Humiliation of Rejection.  Preaching on a passage that deals specifically with God's rejection of his people seemed odd, and even out-of-place at a time when so many of us were looking for hope in the midst of chaos and division.  However, through his message, Dr. York reminded all of us that "The cross is the answer to Psalm 44, because while we don't always know why at times God seems so distant, we do know that while we may feel defeated, humiliated and rejected, God is at work in order to redeem us through the cross".  Dr. York's words are an important reminder to never lose faith that God is still on His throne.

This Sunday at 9:30am, Pastor Roger will be continuing our trip through the book of Acts.  His focus this week will be on Acts 20:13-38.  As you prepare your hearts for Sunday, take some time to read Acts 20:26-27.  With these two verses, Paul provides us with two convictions that had been with him since his conversion.  First, he had deserved to die on the road to Damascus, but the Lord extended mercy; each day after that was a gift of grace.  Second, he had to preach Christ with every day given to him.  Very little mattered to Paul beyond these two convictions.  What convictions dictate how you live your life?  Do you live your life knowing that each day is a gift from our Savior, Jesus?

Plan now to join me and others in my office at 8:45am for a brief time of prayer before our worship gathering.
 
As a reminder, individuals attending church services at Parkside Fellowship, who are fully vaccinated, will not be required to wear a mask or social distance from others who are fully vaccinated.  According to the CDC, a person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose series, such as Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 14 days after a single dose vaccine, such as Johnson and Johnson's Janssen vaccine. 
 
We ask those who are not fully vaccinated to continue to wear a mask and social distance for your own health and the health of those around you.  In addition, anyone who does not yet feel comfortable attending church services without a mask is encouraged to continue wearing a mask or face covering.

Note:  Our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No reservations are required and we will continue to follow all necessary COVID guidelines.  Please wear a mask so we can keep everyone safe and healthy!

2.  We value our online church community and will continue to livestream our church service at 9:30am for those who wish to participate. 

After our worship service, consider joining our discipleship class led by Trudy Reusser.  Trudy is leading a discussion based on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class details below:

Discipleship Study:  Revelation (The Christian's Ultimate Victory)
Facilitator:  Trudy Reusser
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person and on zoom
Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768  

Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family.  

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug