NCF Update 10/19/24

Good morning church family,

I know that many of our families have been enjoying Fall Break this week. For those who have been spending extra time with kids and grandkids, I hope you have been extra blessed by your time together.

We have made it to another blessed Saturday. Do you ever get the sense like I do, that Saturday is often the most peaceful day of the week? Perhaps I’m alone here, but I doubt that I am. Every Saturday is blessed because it was on Saturday that the Lord rested from His creation work. It can also be said that on Saturday Christ’s physical body rested from His redemption work on the cross (His soul fully at rest in the Father) as He awaited resurrection and ultimately ascension to His throne as King.

Saturdays are days of rest with the Lord. I get that not everyone has the opportunity to take the day off, but I would encourage all of us regardless to take time to pause and to thank the Lord for His ultimate sabbath rest which is ours in Christ. Because of what He has done, we have forever rested from our work of trying to justify ourselves before God and man. We are truly at rest, fully justified and righteous before God in Christ. May we bask in His goodness today.

Often it has been said that Sundays are the Christian sabbath, but I think that is a wrong understanding of what Sundays mean for us. Sunday didn’t replace the sabbath day but is more like a response to it. Out of our rest in Christ, we serve Him. Sunday, is the Lord’s Day. Every Sunday is resurrection day and resurrection means that it is time to work. We practice rest on Saturday, and we come together to join Christ in His work of building His church by loving one another and making disciples each Sunday. The church gathers on Sunday as an act of worship to Christ, but also as an identification with Christ. By choosing to gather together over anything else we might do, we are dying to ourselves for Christ’s sake and for His church, joining Him in His work of building His church. Christ has stated clearly that His church is His plan to fill the earth with His glory and to save as many out of this world as possible.

So when we gather tomorrow, remember that we are not doing an ordinary thing. Our gathering is a sign to the world that we choose Christ above all. It a sort of giving of the first fruits of each week to God. It is a sign also to one another, that we are dedicated to serving one another and to using our gifts to build one another up. Our gathering is a sacred and beautiful endeavor and so I encourage you to make every effort to join us. Invite others also who need a church family. We would love to show the grace and peace of the Lord to your friends through our love for one another!

Tomorrow we will have prayer at 9:30am. We will worship at 10:45am as usual. Our focus Bible passage for the week is Revelation 11:15-19. This is a short passage, but is extremely rich. Come ready to glory in the goodness of Jesus!

The Bethany Fall Festival is this upcoming week on October 25. We do need candy and so if you are able to bring some it would be appreciated. We would also love to have people show up to help serve and love on people that evening as they come through our building. I plan to have an evangelism team operating. We will also have a prayer booth, games, face painting, and other activities. Talk with Stacey or me if you have a specific area you want to help with. 

May Christ reveal afresh to you His grace and peace today. May you rest in Him, and may His love abound in you and through you to others. I love and appreciate you all! I’m excited to be with you tomorrow morning!

In His steps,

Pastor Nick

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” -Habakuk 2:14