Sunday, January 30, 2011

DOUG METZGAR SPECIAL GUEST THIS SUNDAY

Doug Metzgar will be preaching this next Sunday. I will be taking the freshman BAT student on a church observation visit. Doug and Leslie are back in California for a few weeks visiting their son. It is such a joy to welcome them back to First Sourthern Baptist Church Palm Springs!

Sunday Worship




Tuesday, January 25, 2011

THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST IN COLOSSIANS

As we have been going through the book of Colossians on Sunday mornings, it is important to keep the big picture of the book in view. Paul exalts the supremacy of Christ as the very center of the faith. This Sunday morning we will be looking at one of the great Christological passages, Colossians 1:15-23. It is a passage so rich that it will take us two or three weeks to work through. I want to encourage you to read the passage over several times this week both carefully and prayerfully. In everything Jesus is to have the pre-eminence!

DD

Thursday, January 13, 2011

FAITH AND THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

When Don Jerge call this past Monday evening with the news that because of sudden medical problems he would not be able to be here in view of a call this weekend and that the knee replacements would take months, my first concern was encouraging him in the Lord. My second concern was of course the church and the Pastor Search Committee. There is disappointment all around. But, deeper than any human disappointment there is the truth of the providence of God. He is in control and as the heavens are higher than the earth so are His thoughts higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways. There are many things in the moment that we cannot understand, but we know that our God is never surprised, never is mistaken and that His purposes are perfect. The providence of God calls us to lay aside our anxieties and be still and know that He is God. The providence of God calls us to seek wisdom and discernment in His will. The providence of God gives sure faith that what God does is for our good and His glory.

DD

Friday, January 7, 2011

Letter From the Pastor Search Committee

The following letter was spent to the church family this week:

Dear Church Members and Friends,

Your Pastor Search Committee have been meeting regularly for the past year. After much prayer we have been led to announce to the the Committee has invited Pastor Don Jerge to come and preach on Sunday, January 16, 2011 at the 11:00 Worship hour in view of a call.

Following the Worship hour there will be a Business Meeting in order to vote on calling Pastor Jerge. We have budgeted $53,000.00 as a salary package for our new Pastor.

There will be a Fellowship on Saturday, January 15 at 5:00 p.m. All church members and friends are invited to attend. At that time our church members and friends will have the opportunity to eat, mingle and get to know Pastor Jerge and his wife, Linda.

Please join us on January 15th and 16th ready to start a new journey that our Lord has set before us.

You may call the church office, 760-327-7800 to let us know if you will be able to attend the Fellowship time Saturday evening.

In Christ,
Ruby Berdan, Barbara Keylon, Barbara Ratliff
Your Pastor Search Committee

E-mail from David & Emily Rimestad

Ministry at UCR has been so incredible! Our Lord has been moving especialliy in the hearts of the young men on the Baseball Team. Most of the players are on major scholarships and some have already been approed by the major leagues! Needless to say these students are going to be major influencers.

We have a great opportunity to take eight guts up to Big Bear for our first ever winter discipleship retreat for the Baseball Team. We will be leaving today and we return Sunday afternoon.

Please join us in prayer:

1. Ask God to move abundantly in the hearts of these students as our guest speakers (Brian Zunigha & Josh De La Rosa) speak on: Lordship, the Word, Prayer, Evangelism, and the importance of a church family (Eph. 1:17-18).

2. Ask God to grant these young men a time of refreshment, growth, and encouragement through His Word and our time spent together this weekend )Col. 2:6-7).

3. Ask God to grant vision and firmness of faith so that these men may be encouraged and ready to go back to UCR and start doing ministry among their peers on the Baseball Team (1 Cor. 15:58).

We are grateful for all of you and your prayers,

David & Emily

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Voting and Church Business

We as Baptist believe in the congregational form of church government. No one tells a local Baptist church what to do. Each church by congregational vote makes its own decisions. Congregationalism is based on the "priesthood of the believer" the biblical truth that each one of us has direct access to God.

But, it is important to understand what the priesthood of the believer and thus the congregational form of church government really means. It does not mean that each is free to vote according to their individual preferences or opinions. It does not simply mean that the majority rules. We believe that Jesus is Lord and the only Head of the church. As believer priest we vote out of a deep conviction of the Lord's leading. When you vote on church business, what you are saying to the rest of the church that you have spent much time seeking the Lord through the Word and prayer to find wisdom and discernment in His will. And you are saying that your vote is an expression of your conviction of what you believe with all of your heart to be the will of God for your church.

DD