Dear Church Family,

“Does anyone have a problem with the fact that my client was drinking on the night of his arrest?”  This is the question that the lawyer asked the pool of potential jurors of which I was a part this past Monday at the downtown courthouse.  The defendant was on trial for a DUI case and I was the only person in the courtroom to raise my hand.  I’m not quite sure why I was the only person to raise my hand.  I think it’s a sad commentary on the world we live in today that only the pastor in the room had a problem with the fact that this guy was drinking on the night he was arrested for drunk driving.  I didn’t even really understand why this called for a jury trial other than the fact that the defendant was trying to not take responsibility for his actions. 

So, the lawyer looked at me with what I would describe as an incredulous look on her face and said, “So, you have a problem with the fact that he was DRINKING?”  Like I was some kind of weirdo for thinking that there is something wrong with drinking alcohol.  So, I said, “Well, it seems to me that he would not find himself in this predicament if he had of abstained from it.”  She gave me a disgusted look and moved on and of course I was not selected to serve on the jury, but this whole episode reminds me that our choices have consequences.  If you make the decision to drink and drive, then be prepared to suffer the consequences of that bad decision.  Paul put it this way, “A man reaps what he sows.  The one that sows to please the sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”  So, let’s make good choices and reap the benefits of a life of self-discipline.

Sincerely,

Pastor Mark

Call Church for location…

4  Reasons to come to this group….

• To make better friendships with other parents at Del Cerro.
• To create a support system for raising your kids.
• To grow in your faith through Bible study and discussion.
• Because it’s very convenient. (because you have to drop your kids off at the church anyway)

James, Jesus’ own brother, started out as a skeptic. See how one glimpse of the resurrected Savior
turned an unbeliever into a disciple. Bible scholars compare James to the prophet Amos.
In other ways, James more closely resembles the Book of Proverbs than any other New Testament
book. Topics in this study include: joy, hardship, faith, reversal of fortunes for rich and poor, wisdom,
gifts from above, single-mindedness, the dangers of the tongue, humility, and prayer.

8 video sessions with 7 weeks of print study.

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Beginning: Friday, February 10th – March 30th

Led by: Patty Mallette     Room: 212

Time: 9:30am to 11:30am

 Location: Del Cerro Baptist Church

5512 Pennsylvania Lane, La Mesa, CA  91942

For More Info & to order a workbook call 619.460.2210

Call me today so we can get you signed up.

5512 Pennsylvania Lane, La Mesa, CA 91942

Beginning Monday, February 6th ~  1pm to 2:30pm
Led by Ray & Carol Fields

Please RSVP so we have enough literature.

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“I’ve never been to a support group like this before. I don’t know what to expect.”

Most people quickly feel comfortable and accepted in their GriefShare group. They discover there are others who have the same kind of feelings they do-and who understand the hurt they feel and the loss they have experienced. Here is an overview of the GriefShare experience:

You’ll probably feel a little nervous about going to GriefShare the first time. Those feelings go away quickly for most people, usually during the first session they attend. GriefShare is a warm, caring environment designed to help you.

You’ll discover there are people who understand your hurts, emotions and painful experiences! When someone you love dies, it’s common to feel isolated. In GriefShare, you’ll find that you are not alone, that there are others who understand what you are going through.

You’ll learn helpful, practical information that will help you recover from the pain of grief and loss. The GriefShare DVD videos feature top experts on grief recovery subjects and case studies of people just like you, who have been through the grief experience.

You’ll have the chance to talk about your experiences. It can be very healing to tell others what you are going through. The support group sessions include a time to talk about what you’ve seen on the GriefShare videos and what is going on in your life. And while you have the opportunity to tell your story, there’s never pressure for you to do so if you don’t feel like it.

You’ll have a workbook for personal study and to write down things you’ve learned. The workbook provides opportunity for further study about the grief process and personal reflection about your grief. The weekly journaling questions help you sort through your emotions. You can tear out and carry with you the perforated “Care Cards” for words of encouragement during the lowest points of your day.

You’ll begin to gain closure in your loss. It’s sometimes hard to move on in life when you are still dealing with the grief and emptiness that happens after a loved one dies. You’ll learn how to go through a healthy season of grieving, then begin transitioning to emotional and spiritual wholeness. We call this “your journey from mourning to joy.”

You’ll become part of a “family.” GriefShare group members often tell us that they feel like their group has become a family, that they made new friends and are around people they can relate to.

You’ll discover hope for the future. While things may look bleak now, you’ll learn ways to restore your hope and rebuild your life. Many GriefShare alumni tell us the program helped them move from deep grief to peace and a sense of joy again.

Please call me at 619-460-2210 so we can reserve a spot for you.

This year’s theme for Children’s Ministry Day is “Operation Education”. We will be joining children all across the
United States as we carry out an education themed mission project in our community. Our children will be making
special educator appreciation gift bags during their Sunday school classes and during their GA’s meeting.

Dear Church Family,

 you sometimes find yourself in a tough situation where you just do not know what to do?  Do you ever feel like God has abandoned you and that your prayers are just not getting through?  I want to encourage you to not give up by listening to these words from Isaiah,

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!  O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.  Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:18-21)

Unfortunately, we occasionally find ourselves eating the bread of adversity and drinking the water of affliction, but God has not abandoned us.  God longs to be gracious to us.  The text says, “He rises to show you compassion.  He will answer when you cry out for help.  If you will be patient and wait for Him, then He will whisper in your ear, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”  So, let me encourage you with these words to not give up—-blessed are all who wait for Him!  I hope to see you in church this Sunday.

 Sincerely,

 Pastor Mark

Please join us for Prime Rib dinner, music,
sweets, treats  and lots of fun!! 

Date : February 10th ~ 6:30pm

Place : Del Cerro Fellowship Hall

Tickets: $12.00 per person.
Ticket purchase deadline February 5th.

Purchase your tickets on the Patio.
Childcare is available.

Dear Church Family,

Are you thankful for your church?  Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his classic book Life Together says,

 “How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?  If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.”

 So, again, are you thankful for your church?  Do you give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which you have been placed?  Are you allowing God the opportunity to work in your life?  Do you attend with a spirit of expectation?  I believe church ought to be a place where people are encouraged, built up, and strengthened.  I believe God will do great things when we keep our eyes on Him.

 Sincerely,

Pastor Mark

Dear Church Family, 

I hope this note finds you happy and well.  Anna Dewey was a quiet, unassuming individual who always made you feel special.  She was also a deeply principled woman who loved her country and worked hard to protect the freedoms and promote the virtues that have made this country great.  I came across a quote this week that I wish I could have shared at her memorial service.  It is from the American political leader Adlai Stevenson.  Hopefully, she will forgive me for quoting a Democrat since she was such a staunch conservative, but this is what he said,

“Patriotism is not a short and frenzied burst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a life.” 

I believe this quote is a fitting description of Anna’s life.  She formed the ladies VIP’s or “Volunteers in Politics” organization almost forty years ago and made a significant difference in the political landscape of this region as evidenced by the number of dignitaries present at her service last week.  We heard from a sitting congressman, a former congressman who once ran for President, a former state legislator, and a current Assemblyman.  It was an impressive display of the difference one life can make.  I’m inspired by her courage and challenged by her life to remember that patriotism is not a short burst of emotion, but the steady dedication of a life.

Sincerely,

Pastor Mark

Dear Church Family,

I hope this note finds you happy and well.  How do you respond to the good news of Jesus Christ?  We see three common responses to the message of Christ by examining the story of the Wise Men.  The first response is hostility.  We see this in the life of King Herod.  He pretended to the Wise Men that he wanted to know all about the coming of the Christ child, but showed his true colors by having all of the baby boys in and around Bethlehem executed.  He wanted nothing to do with the new-born King.  Like so many in our world today, he rejected the idea of a Savior. 

The second response is indifference.  We see this illustrated by the religious leaders in Jerusalem.  They answered correctly when consulted about the birthplace of the Messiah.  They knew the Scriptures, but they did care to know the Savior.  It seems to me that the most glaring omission in this story is not what is said, but what is not said.  Seven Hundred years have passed since Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah, but the religious leaders were not even interested enough to send a delegation to Bethlehem to check out the story.  They were comfortable with the status quo.  They liked things the way they were.  They did not want to do anything to rock the boat and as a result they missed the birth of the Messiah.  How many today continue to miss him because they are not looking for him?

 The final response is worship.  We see this in the example of the Wise Men.  The Bible says, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”  The passage says that they bowed down—-at a minimum this means they knelt down, it could mean that they prostrated themselves before him.   So, pagan men from a pagan land were the first to recognize the deity of Christ!  They were the first to acknowledge him.  They were the first to worship him.  So, what about you?  How do you respond to the message of Christ?  Have you acknowledged Him as Savior?  Do you worship Him as King?  Let me encourage you to seek Him this Christmas.

Sincerely,

Pastor Mark