New Life Community Church, Atwater, CA

The Shining: Shining like Stars in the Sky Philippians 1:12-21 & 27

We all have difficult times and deal with difficult people, yet we are invited to  "shine like the stars in the night sky".  Paul, writing from prison, to the church in Philippi about their struggles, noted how to navigate such times without losing our "shine".

The Shining: Shining like Stars in the Sky Philippians 1:1-11 #1 “First Impressions”

Paul’s letter to the Philippians (which we open today) was written to Jesus’ followers living in the dark world. Rather than to give in to despair, Paul invites the church to experience the Joy of life in Christ and to shine that light into the darkness.

Our world, so many years removed from Paul’s day, remains dark, but his invitation to us remains. Today we begin to explore this call to “shine like stars in the night sky”.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHURCH! I Chronicles 16: 31-34

Happy Birthday Church! Today we mark the 25th birthday of New Life Community Church!  Through it all, the ups and downs of life together, one thing remains certain: God is faithful! So today we offer thanks for His goodness to us, and for His hand that continues to guide us. We join with the ancients and proclaim: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Guest Pastor Kevin Borges Sermon Scriptures: John 21:12-19, Luke 22:31-33

Good morning Church,

Thank you for having me join you today. I've known Pastor John for many years now, and I'm sure he appreciates having the time off.  I pastor College and Young adults as well as small groups at Gateway Church in Merced.

I have been married for 32 years to my beautiful wife, Tammy.  We have three grown daughters, two sons-in-laws, and five grandchildren; all walking with God! God has been really so good to me.

Blessings,

Kevin Borges

Sermon Scriptures: John 21:12-19, Luke 22:31-33

Mathew 26: 31-35, & Mathew 26:69-75

Learning to Love First Things First. Part 3 Luke 10: 25-37

Jesus often spoke in parables:

practical stories intended to reveal spiritual truth. One of his most famous was the parable of the “Good Samaritan”. Loving your neighbor is the point of the parable, but we can have trouble with simple the simple command to “love your neighbor as yourself”.

Learning to Love, Putting it into Practice. Part 2 Luke 10: 25-37

Jesus often spoke in parables:

practical stories intended to reveal spiritual truth. One of his most famous was the parable of the “Good Samaritan”. Once we can get past our excuses, what are some of the practical ways we can love and touch the needs of others?

Learning to Love (#1) Luke 10: 25-37

Jesus often spoke in parables: practical stories intended to reveal spiritual truth. One of his most famous was the parable of the “Good Samaritan”. This familiar story highlights the truth that there is no way to overstate the importance of loving your neighbor, despite the excuses we are quick to adopt. Over these next few weeks we’ll explore learning to love rather than looking for loopholes.

PSummer in the Psalms #8 Psalm 23 “The Sheep Life”

As the Summer rolls along, we continue through the Book of Psalms. The Psalms are a collection of poems, prayers, & hymns comprising the core of ancient Biblical spirituality. Made of a variety of styles, covering a range of emotions, they can be a significant help for our spiritual lives today. Today we wrap up the most famous of all the Psalms, Psalm 23. To say the “Lord is my Shepherd” is one thing, t o live as the Lord is my Shepherd is quite another. Today we explore seeing the world through sheep lenses and learning to live aware of the Shepherd’s presence.

PSummer in the Psalms #7 Psalm 46 “The Pause that Refreshes”

As the Summer rolls along, we continue through the Book of Psalms. The Psalms are a collection of poems, prayers, & hymns comprising the core of ancient Biblical spirituality. Made of a variety of styles, covering a range of emotions, they can be a significant help for our spiritual lives today. We often feel rushed and hurried, with so much to do

that we are unable/unwilling to slow down. Part of the beauty of the Psalms is that they offer more than just information to glean, but the opportunity to encounter God amid the words, and be impacted beyond the surface level of our lives. Some Psalms, including today’s Psalm 46, include a funny little word that we generally ignore, yet this Hebrew word “Selah”, may be the key to experiencing the power of praying in the Psalms. 

PSummer in the Psalms #6 Psalm 13 “How Long?”

As the Summer rolls along, we continue through the Book of Psalms. The Psalms are a collection of poems, prayers, & hymns comprising the core of ancient Biblical spirituality. Made of a variety of styles, covering a range of emotions, they can be a significant help for our spiritual lives today. Many are filled with hope and praise, but some contain notes of darkness and despair, yet these too help when things aren’t going our way. Today, we

consider the cry of the psalmist in Psalm 13, as we struggle with tough times that linger for too long.