April 19, 2025
Happy Easter Grace Vineyard Family and friends of Grace Vineyard!
Today is known as “Silent Saturday”. Little is known about what was happening with the disciples, or anyone else for that matter, after Jesus was crucified and before that first Sunday. It’s a day that reminds us of the times we have to wait between promise and fulfillment. It’s a day to remember how we live by faith when it looks like all is lost, and all hope is gone, and all we have to cling to is the Promise God gave us before all the bad stuff happened. But soon, Sunday morning will arrive, and when it does, and when we see God’s work accomplished and His promise fulfilled, we can do things like renaming Friday as “Good Friday”. I pray that all of us will learn to quietly rest in faith, clinging to God’s promises when we face the inevitable Silent Saturdays that come our way.
The DNA of the Gospel
I wasn’t great at biology in school, and I especially wasn’t great at chemistry (Kim was very good at both of these subjects), but I did learn to say “deoxyribonucleic acid”, which I guess is the proper chemical name for DNA. And I do remember being taught that we all started out life as a single cell, and in the nucleus of that single cell was DNA that contained the instructions for how to build our entire unique bodies, with all our many different kinds of cells – heart muscle cells, lung cells, brain cells, eye cells, skin cells, fingernail cells…you get the idea. I cannot begin to imagine how complex that even is, but wow! This week as I was thinking about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, it occurred to me that when Paul shares the core of the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, that core is kinda like the DNA of the Gospel, encoding into a few words the stuff we need to know to experience the whole, complex Gospel that has the power to save, heal, and even renew the entire creation. Here’s how Paul puts it:
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
When we come together tomorrow morning to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, I’m going to talk about the DNA of the Gospel. People in America still come to church on Easter Sunday, so please pray with me that people who do not yet know Jesus will be there, hear the Gospel, and respond to the invitation to follow Jesus. And it’s not too late to invite a friend or family member to come with you tomorrow!
Last week’s sermon
Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, and as we thought about Jesus resolutely heading into Jerusalem knowing full well it was a death trap and that He would be betrayed by His friends and viciously crucified before the end of the week, I brought a sermon called “The Things We Do For Love – how Christ’s love in us is a compelling force, blessing everything in its path”. If you’d like to hear or watch that message again, here are the links to our Gracetalks.org podcast and our Youtube channel:
Mom 2 Mom on April 25
Are you a mom in need of support from other moms? Or are you a mom who has been there and wants to lend your support to others? Then you are welcome to Mom 2 Mom, a peer to peer and mentoring group designed to uplift, enrich, share and connect moms. We’ll gather Friday April 25th at 6pm at Grace Vineyard on the terrace for a program that will include sharing a meal, connecting, inspiration and resources. Childcare will be provided- please let Sheri know how many kids/what ages. To find out more, call Sheri Winter at 760-208-8403.
Breath of Heaven Golf Tournament Fund Raiser
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Golfing for our Breath of Heaven children at Bear Creek Golf Club – Murrieta, CA
Come May 1, 2025 at 1PM for our Golf Tournament at the exclusive, members-only Bear Creek Golf Course!
Registration is OPEN TODAY! Join us for this special fundraiser benefiting Breath of Heaven Children’s Ministries, supporting orphans in Lusaka, Zambia.
Pricing Options:
Individual Golfer: $199
Foursome Package: $755 (Save $41!)
Dinner-Only: $55
Don’t miss this perfect opportunity to enjoy a spring day on this prestigious PGA course while making a meaningful difference in children’s lives!
Questions Contact Tom LaManna at 951-296-7530 or tom.lamanna@bofheaven.org
Women’s Clothing and Shoes Collection
National Day of Prayer is May 1st.
Our May 1 Oceanside National Day of Prayer event, from 6:00 – 7:15 pm, will be at the El Corazon Senior Center courtyard. We’ll gather with Christians from all over Oceanside, and be led in prayer by a number of local pastors (including yours truly). I think those of you that were with us last year will agree that it is a really great event. I hope you’ll try to join us.
Women’s Clothing and Shoes Collection
Family Recovery Center Dinner (FRC) Saturday May 10th
We will be decorating and serving a blessing dinner at the FRC, a residential drug treatment program for moms. We need men to help walk the ladies to dinner and people to bring Italian themed food: pasta dishes, bread, salad. We did this dinner last year and it was loved by the ladies, I hope you’ll join us. For more information, see the sign up table in the lobby or call Kim Ohst 760-519-4558.
Steve Rogers’ Mission Trip to Malaysia and Indonesia
Steve Rogers and David Yoder will be leaving for Malaysia and Indonesia on April 28th through May 20th. The leader of Vineyard Missions-Asia has asked Steve to do a ground breaking trip for Vineyard Missions in Malaysia. Steve and David will be breaking fresh ground walking the streets in prayer, looking for “people of peace” (people who are receptive to the Gospel and are interested in sharing what they have learned with family and friends), seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance for divine appointments. We need to be praying for the team starting NOW. In Indonesia they will meet up with a couple of young Christians who Steve has been discipling online since his last trip there. They are graduating from the Vineyard Institute in Bekasi, Indonesia, and have invited Steve to come to the graduation. These 2 have asked Steve to come to their home towns to meet their families and friends and pray together about starting Churches there. Prayer is essential for all of this work! In addition, there is a practical way we can join in this missions trip: they need to raise $4,000 for trip expenses. To donate either bring an offering to church and write “Steve’s Mission’s Fund on the check memo line or the offering envelope, OR click on this link: Steve’s Missions Fund.
Vineyard National Conference West June 16-20
People from the Vineyard churches all over the United States are getting together this summer for our national conference. There will be a conference on the West side of the country in Denver, Colorado on June 16-20, and there will be one on the East side in Cincinatti, Ohio July 14-17. I am planning on going to the Denver conference, and I’d love it if a bunch of you joined me. There is great programming for the kids too. For all the info, check out it out at https://conference.vineyardusa.org/ Steve Rogers is making plans to drive caravan style to make the trip more affordable for more people! If you are interested in this adventure, give him a text/call at 760-500-4324.
And that’s everything I have for this Grace Vineyard Weekly Update, Easter Edition. See you tomorrow as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is Risen!
with blessings and love,
Ron Ohst
Tithes and Offerings Online
THANKS for taking ownership in the life and ministry of Grace Vineyard! And thanks to all of you who are stepping into a lifestyle of generosity with your tithes and offerings. It really does take all of us doing our part with the income God has entrusted to us for His church. If you’d like to give your tithe or offering online, click the donate button below.