After Easter, Pentecost!

Praise the Lord for the awesome service we had yesterday. We now begin a journey to Pentecost.

In these seven weeks (50 days) we will focus on the Promise of the Father Jesus gave that fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. This is how we are going to do this together as a church:

1) Daily Devotionals (Book of Acts, parts of 1 Corinthians and Luke). Use the six methods of bible study learned in the 40 Days of the Word as you read these passages.

• Week 1 – Acts 1 – 7
• Week 2 – Acts 8 – 14
• Week 3 – Acts 15 – 21
• Week 4 – Acts 21 – 28
• Week 5 – 1 Corinthians 12 – 14, Acts 1 – 5
• Week 6 – Acts 6 – 13
• Week 7 – Acts1 4 – 19

2) Small Groups

• SG series When God’s Spirit Moves: Six Sessions on the Life-Changing Power of the Holy Spirit by Jim Cymbala.
• Everyone should buy a manual and it should be available in the bookstore this Sunday.  
• All small groups will take place on Wednesdays

 
3) Sunday Sermons

• April 15- The Promise of the Father
• April 22 – Pentecost and the First Fruits
• April 29 – Peter: Before and After
• May 6 – Power to Witness – Missions Sunday
• May 13 – The Women of Pentecost – Mother’s Day
• May 20 – The Gifts of Pentecost
• May 27 – On the Day of Pentecost – Pentecost Sunday

I pray you will be as much as possible involved in these activities. God bless you and have a great week.
 
Pastor Fernando Carvalho

Again, we want you to know how proud we are of you, for participating with us on this journey of the “40 Days In The Word.” Truth be told, even if you weren’t consistent in your daily devotional time with the Lord these past 39 days, God’s Word is not meant just to inform us, but to transform us (Romans 12:2). That is why I want to encourage you to join us in making a “devotional time with the Lord” a priority. Much like you would with a doctors appointment or a parent/teacher conference. We’ve heard this said before, the reality is, reading God’s Word is useless if we fail to put it into practice. The apostle James says if we want our lives to be blessed by God we must become what? That’s right, “doers of the Word” (James 1:22 KJV).

From the beginning we have been talking about the “Micah 6:8 Project” as part of the “40 Days In The Word” journey. It is a coming together, of our body of believers, to be the hands and feet of Christ to our community. The City of South San Francisco has presented us with two great opportunities to do just that….

Would you make a point to join us on one or both of these outreach events:

Coastal Clean Up Event @ the San Bruno Marsh (behind Costco)
Saturday, March 10th (9:00AM to 12 Noon)

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

- James 1:22 (KJV)

Let’s read Psalm 1:1-6 one more time today, again from the Amplified Version:

1[a]BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
    2But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.
    3And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].
    4Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.
    5Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor [b]sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].
    6For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God's will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).
 
Take a moment in your devotional time with the Lord to:
1. Read this passage through a couple of times.
2. Think about what God is saying to you.
3. Put this passage into your own words.
4. Ask yourself these questions:
    “How does this passage apply to my life today?”
    “What will I do about it?”
5. Talk to God about it.

May your day be filled with God’s best. May you walk in His annointing as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and direct you in all that you say and do today. We are so very proud of you and are excited to see all that God is doing as you’ve join us on this journey. Let’s continue in this process of “loving the Word, learning the Word and living the Word of God” in the days, weeks and years to come.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd Fabiano

 
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
- Psalm 119:105 (NIV)  

Hope you read the four chapters of Philippians and memorized Matthew 7:24.

Today, we are personalizing and praying Philippians 4:19, let’s do it together (remember to put your name in the blanks):

_____________, I will meet all your needs according to my glorious riches in my Son Christ Jesus.

How did that sound to you?

Turn it into a prayer:

Lord, thank you for meeting all my needs according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Can you feel God’s assurance that your needs are being met by Him who can do just that for you? It is a promise that you can count on.

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Fernando

Let’s personalize today’s passage (insert your name in the blanks):

________, so not be anxious about anything, but ______  in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving __________, present your requests to God. And the peace of God________, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart ________ and your minds __________ in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 6-7.

Personalizing it makes it so special. Now let’s turn that into a prayer:

Lord, it is so easy to be anxious about everything, but thank you for speaking to me today and I will right now in prayer and petition I am going to make my requests to you (go ahead and do just that). Lord I thank you for the answers and for guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.

Let this passage be in your mind throughout the day and by now you should have  memorized Matthew 7:24. Just say it now.

God bless you,

Pastor Fernando Carvalho

To paraphrase is to rephrase a passage of the Scriptures using your own words, to make sure you understand that passage.

We come today to a short verse with a deep meaning:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

Read it again:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

One more time:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

Search your heart:

• What does it mean to humble yourself?
• How do you do it before the Lord?
• What areas do you need to humble yourself?
• How would God lift you up?

So here we are approaching the end of the week. This week we have been reading The Book of James, all of five chapters. Using  the “Paraphrase It” method again today, let’s look at the passage of scripture for today which is found in James 3:13. That’s right, just one verse. In fact, if you click on the link below you will find this verse written out in five translations, side by side. I have found it helpful, and perhaps you will to, at times to read God’s Word more than once in several translations.

Let’s look at James 3:13 (NIV)
 ”13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Again, Let’s take the five steps, from the “Paraphrase It” method of Bible meditation, thinking of it as a two part conversation, focus on what God may be showing you through His Word…
Step 1:  Read the verse or passage over and over.
Step 2:  Think about what God is saying to you.
Step 3:  Put it into your own words.
Step 4:  Search your heat to see how the verse applies to you.
Step 5:  Talk to God about it.
* What will you do about it?
* How willing are you, really, to let the Word of God do its work in you?
* Respond to Him with your thoughts and prayers, basing everything on the
   passage you just read.

A Further Look Into Today’s Passage:
The wisdom that comes from God (James 1:5) is not mere intellectual skill neither is it the collection of information, it is practical insight and spiritual understanding which then is expressed through our “right living” (godliness).
James defines for us this “wisdom” in James 3:17-18 (NLT).

Have a blessed day

Pastor Todd Fabiano

Remember This Weeks Memory Verse is…

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11 (NIV)
* For a further devotional on Day Twenty-Six sign up at www.40ditw.com