Sponsor a Child - El Salvador

One of my goals is to add value to someone’s life every single day. I believe this was the heart of my Savior Jesus. Everyone He visited and everyone He spoke to and everyone He touched were blessed.

I work hard to accomplish this and at the end of every day I ask myself, “who’s life did you impact today for the Kingdom of God?” One thing I do know is that my family’s picture is sitting in the family room of the child I sponsor through Compassion International. I believe that not only does my sponsorship help meet his needs every day, but it adds value to his life every day too! That makes me happy, and it glorifies my Father in heaven.

Today there are many children to choose from. In our church foyer there are dozens of kids from El Salvador that need a sponsor family. Will you consider sponsoring one of them? Our goal is to see 20 children from El Salvador sponsored by Shadycrest families. Added to this we pray God will open the door for us to travel to El Salvador in the future to do mission work amongst the people we are praying for and sponsoring through Compassion.

One important thing to note about Compassion International is that you can trust them. Compassion consistently receives the highest ratings for financial accountability and integrity. Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator, has awarded Compassion its highest rating—4 stars—each of the past 14 years. This consecutive run places Compassion in the top 1% of all charities. 

This Sunday, October 18th, the El Salvador children will be in the Worship Center Foyer. If you have not gotten a chance to sponsor a child, you can do it then.

Share the Gospel: Heaven—Am I Ready to go There?

How can a person be ready for  heaven? How do I get into the presence of a Holy God? God has already done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus said "...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:1-8). He explains that the second birth is to be born spiritually. Those born just once will die physically then will die spiritually at the second death (following the Great White Throne judgment—Revelations 20:11-15). Those who are born twice (both physically and spiritually) will die physically, but will live spiritually forever and be given new and transformed bodies (1 Cor. 15:43; 2 Cor. 4:13-18).

How are people born again spiritually? Jesus said: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). By faith we trust in the work Jesus did on the cross to pay for our sins, and through God’s grace we are born again (Eph 2:8-9).

When you commit to follow Jesus as Lord you become righteous (by faith taking on the righteousness of God through Christ—Romans 3:22), by faith, before God. This forgiveness of sins is a gift given by God alone, not based on your good behavior, but based upon the righteousness of Christ—Roman 5:8; 6:23. By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, we give Him permission to change us into a new creation—2 Cor. 5:17. We grow closer to Him daily as we seek Him and experience His presence. If you choose not to believe, you will be judged on the basis of your sin and will be separated from God forever (the second death). God will not allow sin to live with Him in Heaven.

Core Value 1 -- Biblical Truth

I work with a 1^st grader every week as a mentor. My time supports him emotionally, provides a male role model for him, helps motivate him at school, and supports the school’s goal of producing literate and successful students.

Illiteracy is a crippling curse in any circumstance, but biblical illiteracy today is a chronic problem, even within the church…and it is unacceptable.

Why is biblical illiteracy such a big problem? Do I really need to study the Bible?

To truly understand the dilemma you must first get over your own pride. We think we know a lot, but we don’t, and as people who are easily deceived living in a world of counterfeits and lies, knowing biblical truth is of great importance.

Biblical truth contains the Word of God. This truth has come to us from God the Father, through the Son of God, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Due to its trustworthy source it is the complete and final authority for belief and behavior.

Thus, our desire should be more than studying the truth; yes, we should also let the truth study us. These are the very Words of God to us. They are alive and powerful (Heb 4:12). They are life changing (John 14:6-9; 8:32). We need to live lives that are laid bare by the truth of God about our lives. We need our relationship with God to be centered around the Truth (Jesus Christ—John 14:6-9), and the freedom that is only found in Christ. 

Our Palm Sunday King is Near!

The Psalmist declared the coming of the King of Glory to Jerusalem, and He came:

Psalm 24:7-8 -- “Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and might, the LORD mighty in battle.”

This whole Psalm was likely penned during the time of the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem (Zion). Yet, it speaks forth a great prophecy that was true in the day of the Ark of the Covenant’s journey into Jerusalem and the presence of Yahweh (God), was true when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey 2,000 years ago, and will soon be true again at the 2^nd Coming of Christ.

“The LORD mighty in battle,” speaks unashamedly of a warrior-God, who went out and fought for His people, who subdued the nations, and spread His name that His glory might be known all across the earth. Christ is “the LORD mighty in battle.” It is also true that He is the Prince of Peace, but He is also the better Joshua, the victorious warrior, in whom dwells the powerful and conquering might of the living God. Christ is the Commander of all the forces of the universe.

Revelation 1:7 – “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him.”

Christ is coming! Our King draws near!