News & Views May 13

MAY MEMORY VERSE
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NLT

MAY 16th WORSHIP
Connecting Point - 9:30 A.M. - Dining Hall
Grand re-opening continues
Worship  - 10:00 A.M. -  Family Center Gym and Online
Pastor Mark preaching - Jonah: Learning to Love our Community
NLC Kids - 10:00 A.M. - Rooms 101,103
NLC New Members 101 - 11:15 A.M. - Room 114-115

Sandy Sills, CEO/President of Dinuba Chamber of Commerce will share a bit of her heart for Dinuba with us during Sunday morning worship, particularly her desire to see a collaborative, faith-based community task force working toward the transformation of our community.
Sandy is retiring on June 30th, so we'll thank her and pray for her and our city.

I was hit pretty hard by a statement made at our Life Group this week. It's been rattling around in my head and become a matter of prayer for myself and for the people of New Life Community. The statement came from a speaker on a video series we're just beginning from RightNow Media: The Book of 1 Corinthians by Jennie Allen. (By the way, you have access to thousands of similar resources through RightNow Media from your own home using our church's account. Let the office know if you need help accessing it.)
As I wrote in the blog two weeks ago, the Corinthian church was hindered from fulfilling the purpose God had called it to because of division and sin among them. I had become discouraged reading it in the mornings with Laurie, and here our Life Group had taken it up! It was good that evening to be reminded of the power of God's grace to overcome challenges. 1 Corinthians has such grace, and I look forward to experiencing that together in the months ahead.
Back to the statement that hit me hard... Looking at the Corinthian church, the speaker observed that the people seemed more focused on "how God could be good to them" rather than asking "how they could serve God".  Such an inward-focused perspective kept them from being built up as the body of Christ and threatened to "disqualify" them from finishing the race God had given them to run. They stumbled and were causing others to stumble as well.
Coming out of the pandemic, slowly as we are, I'm not surprised that Christians are similarly challenged today. That's what made me take the statement so hard. I, too, am looking to God for his goodness to me, for his restoration after so many challenges, and for his strength to endure what is still happening and yet to come.
But here's the deal. If we spend our time seeking from God the things we need rather than moving outward to offer others the grace of God, we'll never be satisfied. We'll just want more. It's in turning ourselves outward to others that we find his grace is sufficient for us as well. Our experience of God's grace is multiplied when we spread it around to those in need. Case in point. It was one of the adults serving in NLC Kids last Sunday who was there to overhear a young girl whisper as she worked on her craft, "I just love Jesus." That's spiritual jet fuel!
It reminds me of Jesus, who, after ministering to the woman at the well and seeing her life transformed before his eyes, told his disciples that he didn't need the lunch they brought him. "I have food to eat that you know nothing about," he said. They asked if someone had brought him something to eat and he told them this astounding truth: (John 4:34-36) “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!"
The Apostle Paul knew what Jesus meant. Jesus had intervened in his life to shift his devotion from preserving religious traditions by whatever means necessary to spreading the Good News in whatever ways possible.  "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings" (1 Corinthians 9:22b-23). Interesting, isn't it? It's in sharing the gospel with others in whatever ways possible that Paul is able to share in its blessings for himself!  
If you're feeling less of the joy of the Lord than you want to feel, shift your focus to serving others. Look for opportunities to bring God's grace to meet their need and you'll find there's baskets full of grace left over for you, too!

Tuesday morning Men's Bible Study, 6-7 a.m., Dining Hall

Women's Bible Study

Let us know if you can help in the kitchen, serve outside, or meet and pray with people.
Call Cece at the office or send her an email: cece@newlifedinuba.org

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