November 18, 2011

God has blessed SBC with some special reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving season:  last week, we enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time with our former youth pastor at SB, Harold and Coni Knepper, and three of their national leaders with Hope of the Nations (today one of our elders is treating them to the beauty of Yosemite!). It was exciting to get an update of how God is working through them in Tanzania, Africa, and to be able to provide some help for them in the establishing of a new primary school. We’ll share with you some great news in this regard on Sunday morning. This weekend, Bob and Barbara Francis will be our guests. They were around SBC in the very earliest days and have served faithfully with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade For Christ) for many years. Because of their varied and lengthy ministry experience, I have asked them to help with the message this Sunday and be available for you to meet and greet. Give thanks with me for the wonderful missionary family we are connected to at SBC. See you Sunday!

Pastor Mark

November 17, 2011

Happy Thursday Morning!

Just one week and we will be observing the American tradition of Thanksgiving.  Something that each of us are very familiar with and often take for granted.  Last Sunday, one Promiseland leader was trying to explain Thanksgiving to our friends who are visiting from Tanzania.  After hearing our dear friend, Moses, speak, I know that we here in Tuolumne County have so much to be thankful for.  Yet often we are like the Israelites, wandering around asking God for more instead of seeing the blessings that are right in front of us.

My Blessings are great this year, and with a grateful and humble heart I pray that the Lord knows how blessed I feel.  We have seen him answer prayers in our family with jobs and with health.  We have witnessed his protection and provision far beyond our own dreams.  We have felt His tender touch on our lives during days of uncertainty and sadness.  Thank you Jesus, for your abundant unfailing love.

I want to say that I am very thankful for you, our friends and co-worker in Jesus Christ at Sierra Bible.  Not just because you are filling a spot in Children’s Ministries, but because you care about the lives of the children and families in our community.

May God Richly Bless You This Thanksgiving,

Becky

November 16, 2011

This past weekend, we brought a group of students to the Tenderloin for the huge pre-Thanksgiving blessing in the Tenderloin.

• We sorted food, prepped turkeys, cleaned, prayed and helped set up.
• We served over 3,000 hot meals to those living in SRO’s in the Tenderloin.
• We helped host a dinner and program in honor of Veteran’s Day for over 85 hungry.
• We came alongside what God is doing through City Impact to encourage, love and serve…

and we had a great time doing it!

As we headed back across the bay bridge and headed for home, there was a strange sense in the bus that we were the ones blessed – and then everyone fell asleep exhausted!

Pastor Nate

November 15, 2011

There is an old proverb that says, “Generosity is the heart of God.”

I marveled on Monday morning to learn of the generosity of the people of SBC.  The response to the needs of Tanzania was nothing short of phenomenal!!! The response of people filling bags of groceries for our CNN Food Pantry was also nothing short of phenomenal!!! I love being a part of such a generous church family.

We have just started some discussion of strengthening and developing our Pastoral Care Ministry.  This ministry will maintain contact with church people who no longer are able to attend worship.  This ministry will minister to those, due to health issues, are temporarily unable to worship with us on Sundays.  This ministry will intentionally bless those in long-term care.  This ministry would be a ministry of giving; only it wouldn’t be your money as much as it would be your loving heart.

I already know that SBC people will give generously of their hearts to this ministry as well.

Thankful for being a part of this family,

Pastor Rick

November 14, 2011

Please pray for the Creative Arts Planning Team, which is participating in a two-day Christmas Lock-In in order to create meaningful and engaging Christmas services.

Pastor Michael

November 11, 2011

We are looking forward to a great week with Harold and Coni Knepper and their Hope of the Nations leaders Moses, Dismas, and Sylvester. Join us Sunday morning for a great Bible challenge from I Thessalonians 5:1-11, come back in the afternoon for ice cream and a chance to hear about this expanding ministry, and book some time during next week to get together personally with them – your heart for missions will be encouraged and challenged.

Pastor Mark

November 7, 2011

Living in light of Jesus’ return is a rather ethereal concept.  I realize that “something’s coming,” but I’m not sure how to change the way I live or the thoughts that I have to better align myself with the reality of Christ’s second coming.  When I first heard the song, “When Love Was Slain” as recorded by the group Selah, I was moved by the way the lyrics simply address the fact that my life is not my own, it has been bought.  It was bought for a purpose, and it is my responsibility to live in that purpose.  Perhaps this truth will speak to you in the flowing lyrics.

When Love Was Slain
by Jennie Lee Riddle

This world is not my home,
Oh, this world is not my home,
My home’s been made at Heaven’s throne,
This world is not my home.

This life is not my own,
Oh, this life is not my own,
I am His and His alone,
This life is not my own.

I was bought when Love was slain,
What I cost, to pay death’s wage,
Now ransomed, I am freedom’s slave,
My Jesus raised me from the grave.

Come now and walk with me,
Oh, come now and walk with me,
Together we and Lord shall meet,
Come now and walk with me.

Soon Lord, very soon,
Oh, soon Lord, oh very soon,
You’ll come take me to be with You,
Soon Lord, very soon.
Soon Lord, oh very soon.

November 4, 2011

Looks like winter is here:   Twain Harte is white; the freeze-warning light is flashing on my thermometer; and the power is out!  If we needed any reminders that this Saturday night is the best night of the year – an extra hour to sleep! – we now have several!  So…after you get that extra hour of rest…make sure you also spend some time in God’s Word…and with His people on Sunday!

Pastor Mark

October 26, 2011

Mission…

I had recently written in my journal, ‘Are you the ultimate authority in your life?’  I often talk as if I am giving up control to Jesus.  I utter prayers with a sort of ‘I surrender all’ attitude, but I also wonder.  Have I just settled into what I think is best for my life, my days, my time and my energy…or am I actively giving these things to Jesus?

Mission.  Mission is the one thing that breaks me out of what I fear is a lifestyle consumed with making good and discerning decisions to further my ends rather than God’s.  Mission is the one thing that doesn’t make sense.  Mission is me saying, OK, I’ll go.  Mission is me under God’s authority, and the only good answer I have to the previously asked question.

Nate

October 25, 2011

The phone rang at midnight.  It was the Sheriff’s Office asking me to do a death notification to a family in our county.  Half asleep, I headed for the address given to me.  The house was dark, they obviously were asleep.  The dogs barked loud enough that the light went on, and a man came to the front door.

There are a lot of hard things that I do.  However, there are very few harder than to tell a young man, in the middle of the night, awaken him from sleep to let him know that his brother committed suicide several states away.  I am given little information, so I can’t answer their questions.  The only thing I can do is share in his pain.

Why do I do this?  Because there is something very powerful in sharing someone else’s pain.  There is opportunity all around us.  Hurting people, who for the most part, no cares about.  We can share in the pain of others.  Keep your eyes open, keep your hearts open and see if God doesn’t love someone through you.  Someone you can cry with.

Pastor Rick

« Previous Page — Next Page »