Dear Church Family,
As I wish you a ‘Happy New Year’ my heart overflows with appreciation to you, and for you, our Lubbock church family, for the generosity and faithfulness that has been so abundantly displayed.
Some of the highlights from 2013, include our paid-off mortgage which made us debt free! Lubbock Junior Academy finished its fourth year and is half way through the fifth year of providing an excellent Christ centered education for our children. Numerous needed projects were funded; such as the Water Well and HVAC units for the school were replaced. Badly damaged exterior doors were replaced or repaired. The renovation of the Women’s restroom on the South-Hall was funded and will soon be a reality. Contributions started coming in for the Sanctuary Sound System, and more.
Nearly $2,000 was sent in response to the Philippine Typhoon disaster. Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets were distributed to struggling individuals and families. The Health Ministry Team hosted a community-wide healthful Cooking Class. They have also renovated Classroom 20 in preparation of weekly Health-centered classes. All this was in addition to meeting the monthly expenses of all our church ministries and returning $300,000 in tithe to our Texico Conference. Thank you for all you have given to the Lord’s work in 2013, and for allowing God to work through you and in you.
II Chronicles 16:9 is one of my favorite passages in Scripture, it says,
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” (NKJV)
When reading this verse it is tempting to omit the second half because it seems to clash with the beautiful promise of the first half. But this verse is both a promise and a warning. If we choose to rely on our own strengths God will not force His blessings upon us. God sent Hanani the prophet to King Asa of Israel because Asa relied on his money to bribe the King of Syria for help in a time of need, rather than turning to the King of Kings. I believe this promise, and potential rebuke, is perfect as we start the New Year. God is looking at our lives, our church and our town, for the opportunity to display His strength in our behalf! The choice is up to us. In the year ahead where will we anchor our faith? Let us take every challenge and concern to God, and together we can look forward to seeing God put His strength on display!
January Worship Service Schedule will be a continuation of our search to “Know Him”:
Sabbath, January 4, we return to our study of the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11 with a study of the first Passover and the final plague. In this story of “Leaving Egypt” God gives one of the most vivid illustrations of the plan of Salvation and the consequence of sin side by side. I pray you will join me in this powerful study.
On Sabbath, January 11, I look forward to spending time together as we see what treasures God has prepared as we study how Israel traveled an “Impassible Road.” With God there is no need for years of construction and traffic delays. He can make a superhighway through the middle of the Red Sea with a thought. What can He do for our road blocks?
January 18, the Sabbath message will be,“Rahab’s Peace.” The faith of the harlot Rahab in the midst of an unbelieving perishing city is such an inspiration. I think there just may be something relevant in her story for us today, in an unbelieving perishing world. What do you think?
January 25, will be Religious Liberty Sabbath and we will have the wonderful opportunity of having Professor Vaughn James as our guest speaker. He will have just returned from serving at the annual meeting as a member of the Board of Experts of the International Religious Liberty Association, which represents our church in Religious Liberty. I’m sure you will not want to miss this energetic, inspiring message from God’s word!
Thank you for your prayers for me as I am praying for you.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jeremy McCombs
Lubbock Seventh-day Adventist Church
P.S. I want to draw your attention to the enclosed letter and invitation from our Health Ministries Team. This will be a great opportunity for you to not only start your year out right with your physical health but also as a witness for Jesus. Invite a neighbor, friend or co-worker to come along. It is a great venue for sharing.
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