November 2, 2024
Greetings, Grace Vineyard Family and Friends!
It is Saturday evening, so it’s definitely past time for our Weekly Update. Let’s jump right to it:
The Gift of Holiness
When we open the Word together tomorrow, I’m planning on continuing where we left off in the writings of Peter, which was reading at 1 Peter 1:13, and paying attention to the admonition at verse 15. Here’s what it says in Peter’s own words:
1 Peter 1:13-24
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
I’m calling this “The Gift of Holiness” because I think we’ll see in the Bible that holiness really is a gift from God to us and through us. And I’m noticing that Peter says to be holy in all we do. Now, I usually think of holiness as a state of being, but I see from Peter that it is also of way of doing what we do. I want to explore these concepts with you tomorrow as we continue to learn how to “Do Life from Heaven’s Resources.” And if you’d like to see/hear what we talked about last week, you can do that right here on either our YouTube channel for video, or our Gracetalks.org Podcast for audio:
The big idea was “Get your head in the game, and keep your eye on the prize” as we approach life here on earth.
I want to remind you to set your clocks back by one hour before you go to be. We all get an extra hour of sleep. Yay!!
The Women of Grace are at their “Being the Beloved” retreat right now! Let’s take a moment to pray for an outpouring of the Spirit on their time together! On a fun note, I saw a video on Facebook of some of them during free time this afternoon — they were throwing axes, hatchets, and knives at big wooden targets. Daria looked she has a pretty deadly axe-throwing arm. Watch out! 🙂
There are about 65 women at the retreat, so men – let’s fill the house tomorrow morning when we come together to worship!
No Men’s Breakfast on November 9
Next Saturday, November, 9th, is the 2nd Saturday of the month, so we would normally have our monthly men’s breakfast. This month, however, with so many men at the Convicted 4 Christ Golf fundraiser on Saturday, we won’t be meeting.
Convicted For Christ Golf For Hope Tournament
However, we would encourage you all to participate in the Golf For Hope Tournament. Check it out by clicking here: https://www.convicted4christ.org/2nd-annual-golf-for-hope-fundraiser.
Men’s Tuesday Night Bible Study at the C4C House
Also, I want to let all the men know that there is now a Tuesday Men’s Bible study at one of the C4C houses, and you are welcome to come. If you’d like to go, contact Jesse Bass at (619) 915-1712 for the details.
Encounter Night This Sunday
I’d love to have you join me and church communities from all over San Diego for a night of worship and prayer at the Oceanside Amphitheater. Chris Quilala will be our guest worship leader, as well as a worship band made up from worshippers at a bunch of different San Diego churches. It all starts at 6pm.
Operation Christmas Child
If you’ve been in our lobby the last few weeks, you’ve seen our Operation Christmas Child table. It’s that time of year again, when we box up Christmas presents in shoeboxes to be sent around the world. Many of you already know about this program, but if you don’t, check out all the info at samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child. They have a very complete website with everything you would want to know about the mission and history of this great ministry as well as instructions for how to pack a shoebox. Also, stop by the booth in the lobby and pickup a shoebox and get more info. The last day to return your shoeboxes is November 17th.
And that’s it for this week.
Love and blessings to each of you,
Ron Ohst