I love November. Fall is in the air - even in sunny Southern California! Football season is totally geared up. The whales are starting to come down the coast. Men are growing mustaches for “Movember.” (to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide) We are already smelling the turkey and pumpkin pie. And most of all, our hearts are turning toward God in thanksgiving for who He is and what He has done!
My prayer for The Rock in November is to have an ongoing focus on Thanksgiving. Prayers of thanksgiving change us. We become more in tune to God’s gracious kindness to us. We also become more aware of God’s gifts to us in the form of work, family, friends, material blessings, and most importantly the loving act of God in providing Jesus to rescue us from sin and give us new life with God now and for eternity.
There are two specific services designed to give thanks this November. First, this Sunday we will gather for a special worship and communion service with a meal at Lil’ Simzey’s at The Point to follow. We will sing, read the Bible, have individual opportunity to offer prayers of thanksgiving, and share in God’s grace & mercy together. Second, we will celebrate our annual Thanksgiving service on November 17. This is time to publicly give thanks to God as a way of thanksgiving to God and encouragement to fellow believers. After the service we will gather together for a turkey dinner with all the trimmings at the church.
I look forward to being together to offer thanksgiving throughout the month of November!
"Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15
- Pastor Curt
Theological Word of the Week:
Word of God
A phrase that refers to several different things in the Bible, including the Son of God, the decrees of God, God’s words of personal address, God’s words spoken through human lips, and God’s words in written form, the Bible. It is this last form of the Word of God that is the focus of systematic theology, since it is the form that is available for study, for public inspection, for repeated examination, and as a basis for mutual discussion.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
Upcoming Events
Children's Ministry
This week Rock Kids will be digging into the story of when God was faithful to Nehemiah, found in Nehemiah 1-2. The kids will learn the Bible point "God is faithful, so we're faithful." A lot of kids are still learning what it means to be faithful to God. They may compartmentalize God to the part of their lives when they're at church. We want to help kids see that God is faithful to them all through their week, in all they do, and he wants them to be faithful to him in return.
-Cameron
Sermon Topic - November 3
Special Service of Worship/Communion
Meal at Lil’ Simzey’s in The Point to follow
Lectionary Readings
Joshua 3:7-17
Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Matthew 23:1-12
September 2019 YTD