Hi Grace Vineyard Family and Friends!
I hope you’re managing to stay comfortable in this heat wave! I wonder how many of us have escaped to the beach to stay cool this weekend! (Although for comparison, I have to tell you that the average summer temperature where I grew up in Phoenix is 105 degrees, and the high today in Oceanside was 90, so I still think we have the BEST weather on the planet!)
It’s pretty late in the afternoon on Saturday, so I thought I better start typing my weekly update email if I’m gonna have a chance to touch base with you all this week.
Last Sunday with Eddie Roach was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?! His and Bethany’s ministry in Cambodia is such an inspiration. If you’ve never checked it out, you can learn more about ICF-Cambodia right at their church’s website, icf-cambodia.com. You can also go to Eddie and Bethany’s own website for more info right here: Cambodia For His Kingdom. Here’s a link to the sermon Eddie gave last Sunday, called Ignite Faith:
The Roach family is traveling in the U.S. this month, and will stop by Grace Vineyard in October on their way back to Cambodia for one more visit with us. As always, keep them in your prayers for a season of refreshing and renewal as they connect with families and missions partners this month.
Speaking of missions, I just want to mention that our own Steve Rogers is flying back to the U.S. now from Indonesia. Steve has had the opportunity to go on many short term missions trips over the years, but he tells me this has been the most fruitful trip he’s been on so far! What a blessing that our Oceanside church family gets to do the work of Jesus’ Great Commission all over the world with our Missions Program. I’m so thankful! I’m not even sure when Steve’s flight lands in LAX, but very soon we’ll get a chance to hear stories from this latest adventure.
The last 2 times I have preached on Sundays at Grace, I’ve been presenting topical teachings that I felt led to bring as training for each of us as we live out Jesus’ mission for His church, whether right here in North County or somewhere around the world, whether in some formal ministry environment or the more common environment of our day to day living. The first message was on “Overcoming Fear”, and the 2nd was almost a “part 2” with a talk from the first chapter of Joshua on “Be Strong and Courageous”.
Tomorrow I feel led to do another topic, and it is once again related to our role in Jesus’ mission. I hope you won’t mind one of my really long sentences as I attempt to describe the topic, but this is the thought I wrote in my notebook earlier today. “If we care about people – that they achieve their potential, that they be lifted from despair into fullness of life and fullness of joy – and if it’s true that that life is only found in God (and is lost if people try to find it anywhere else), than it is essential that God be exalted and glorified, that His Name be made famous. We must care about His reputation.” Ok, that was 2 sentences. But this is the thought undergirding the title for tomorrow’s talk: “Seeking God’s Glory: A Passion for the Fame of His Name”. It is rather striking to see throughout the scriptures how God is passionate for His own Glory. Here’s one example:
Isaiah 48:9-11
9 For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. 10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed?I will not yield my glory to another.
We’ll spend some time exploring why God’s passion for His own Glory is is not the act of a needy ego, as it would be if a human being were passionate for his own glory, but an act of infinite giving, of grace and of love. God is the one being in the universe for whom this is true, because He is the one being in the universe who’s exaltation and worship brings abundant life to the worshiper. And all of that explains why Paul can say in his letter to the Corinthian church, “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday morning at 9:30. If you are not able to be with us in person this Sunday, you can always join online via the Zoom app with this info: Zoom Meeting ID 153 112 432, Passcode 684814. You may also join us on Facebook Live at facebook.com/gracevcf.
Here’s some upcoming events you’ll want to be aware of:
Women’s Face To Face Home Group September 13
We’ll meet at Sheri’s house (4538 Coronado Dr., Oceanside) on Friday, September 13th at 6:30pm for snacks. Worship will begin at 7pm. Thelma will be telling her story and we’ll have a time of ministry. Bring a snack to share and your bathing suit for a swim after the meeting. For more information, please call or text Kim Ohst 760.519.4558.
Monthly Ladies Walk/Hike September 14
Ladies, you’re invited to join us at 9am at the Oceanside Pier sign across the street from Pacific 333, for our monthly walk/hike. This is a great opportunity for fellowship and light exercise in the beauty of the San Diego Coast. Please call/text Kathy Green if you plan to attend 760.583.1779.
Monthly Men’s Breakfast, September 14
Men, we hope you’ll join the Men of Grace on Saturday, September 14, at 8am at Ty’s Burgerhouse, 515 Mission Ave, just around the corner from the church. Really great breakfast, fellowship with the guys, worship, and an inspiring Word. Put it in your phone’s calendar now!
Sunday School Cleaning and Organizing Saturday, September 28th 9am-12pm
This one is for both Men and Women: Bring your cleaning supplies (buckets, rags, towels, old toothbrushes). We’re going to be cleaning toys and Sunday school furniture and organizing supplies. We could use lots of hands to make the work fun and easy. Please call Kim Ohst if you plan to attend 760.519.4558.
Reminder: Mexico Vineyard National Conference
I want to remind our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters about the Mexico Vineyard national conference coming up in October. Did you know that there is a Mexico Vineyard association of churches just like there is one in the U.S.? There are actually 15 associations of Vineyard churches in various countries and regions around the world (check out our international Vineyard family at https://vineyard.org). Over the years I have been to many Vineyard USA national conferences and always wish I could take all of you with me! I was super excited to learn that the Mexico Vineyard National Conference coming up October 16-18 is very close – MexiCali. Right now I am planning on going and I want to take as many Spanish speakers from Grace Vineyard as possible to go with me. The good news for me is that they’ll have English translation available to help me out. The worship from our Mexican Vineyard family is AWESOME! Please check out the details right here: http://vinamexico.com/ Here’s an excerpt (in Spanish, of course):
Estimados Pastores y Líderes,
Estamos tan emocionados por lo que Dios ha preparado para el movimiento Viña este año. Creemos, y hemos visto, como Dios ha estado construyendo a través de una de las temporadas más difíciles en el país y en la iglesia. En Su carácter como Constructor, el Espíritu Santo ha traído sanidad y unidad a un movimiento que muchos pensaron sería deshecho. Pero Dios . . . pero Dios, es Quien edificó la casa y Quien la ha sostenido.
Este año, celebramos Su fidelidad y Su amor por construir uniéndonos a lo que está haciendo en México: Construyendo. Seguimos el modelo de Jesús cuando dijo en Juan 5:19, “Les digo la verdad, el Hijo no puede hacer nada por su propia cuenta; solo hace lo que ve que el Padre hace. Todo lo que hace el Padre, también lo hace el Hijo . . .” Y si Dios está CONSTRUYENDO . . . nosotros construiremos también.
Invitados y Sesiones
Te invitamos a ti y a tu congregación a acompañarnos en Mexicali, B.C. del miércoles 16 al viernes 18 de octubre para nuestra Conferencia Nacional Viña 2024: Una Reunión de Constructores.Registro
Te puedes registrar en www.vinamexico.com por solo $150 M.N./persona depositado en BBVA BANCOMER a la cuenta 4555-1130-1242-4125 a Nombre de NOEMI GONZALEZ RUIZ. Les pedimos que una vez hecho el deposito manden por favor una imagen con la ficha de deposito a NAOMY.
That’s it for this week’s update.
Blessings and love to each of you,
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.