Weekly Update 05-24-2025

May 24, 2025

Greetings Grace Vineyard Family and Friends,

It’s time for our Weekly Update, and it’s another perfect Saturday in San Diego, AND a holiday weekend as well!  I read some news headlines today saying travel records are expected to be broken this weekend with 45 million people traveling for the holiday.  Wow!  I hope whatever your plans are, they’ll be filled with joy and hope and love.  I also encourage people to take at least a moment to pause and consider what this holiday is about.  On Memorial Day we remember and mourn the U.S. military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  The ultimate sacrifice.  This morning I was reading a message that Billy Graham delivered back in 1955.  Here’s a really short excerpt from it where he tells the story of a young man who had been severely injured in the Korean War:

I stood by the bedside of a boy in Korea whose spine had been torn away by a shell blast the night before, but by some miracle he was still living. He was unable to change his position; and if he lived, the doctor informed me, the rest of his days would be spent lying on his stomach. The army medics had patched him up the best they could. I gripped his cold, perspiring hand and said words of comfort to him. He made a statement I will never forget. He said: “It was worth it if it will keep America free!”

The famed evangelist went on to talk about the cost of freedom and the price Jesus paid when He laid down His life for all of mankind when He died on the cross.  He writes:

My mind goes back 2,000 years to another battle which was fought on a hill called Calvary. It was a battle of one young man against all the forces of evil. It seemed like a futile, hopeless struggle as Jesus Christ took on Satan’s task force single-handed. The jeers of the rabble, the spittle of the soldiers and the sneering of the people were incidental compared to the inner struggle which was taking place in His soul. But I watch Him, in fancy, as one hand is stretched out toward God and the other toward rebellious man, and He makes the connection and says: “It is finished.” He got through for us!

So on this Memorial Day, let’s enjoy family and friends and probably lots of grilled hotdogs and hamburgers.  But lets also pause to remember, and give thanks, for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to purchase the freedom that we enjoy today.  And as always, every beautiful thing on earth points our gaze toward the beauty of Jesus, and all that He did and and is still doing right up to this day to free us eternally.

This Sunday – The Beauty of Spiritual Language

“The Beauty of Spiritual Language” is the title of a book that Jack Hayford wrote to unveil the mystery of the spiritual gift called “speaking in tongues”.  I’ll be back in the pulpit this week bringing the teaching from the Bible, and we’re back in our equipping series called “God’s Empowering Presence”.  Most of you have been around for much of it, and you’ll remember that we are learning about the spiritual gifts that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.

If you feel like this gift is just a little bit strange, you’re not alone.  It’s at least somewhat mysterious that God would choose to enable His people to speak, pray, and sing in a language that they didn’t learn and don’t understand!  And yet the Bible teaches that exercising this gift builds us up.  Not only does the Bible teach this, millions and millions of people around the globe who have a “prayer language” testify to it’s effectiveness.  And if you’ve ever been in a crowd of people who spontaneously sing together “in the Spirit”, you would be able to testify to the beauty of this experience.  That’s the topic we are going to be exploring together this Sunday morning, and I hope you’ll be able to be with us starting with worship promptly at 9:30am.  Perhaps you’ll be traveling for Memorial Day and won’t be able to be with us in person; here’s the link for joining us online on Zoom: Zoom Meeting ID  153 112 432, Passcode 684814, and here’s where you would go for the Facebook Live channel: facebook.com/gracevcf.

Last Sunday we were encouraged and equipped with a a message by Damian Allen, the pastor of Canyon Vineyard in Anaheim.  Here’s a video of that sermon in case you’d like to hear it again:

Fruit of the Spirit Study Begins This Thursday

Matt Evans will be launching a 10-week study on the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5.  The group meets in the church lobby on Thursday Nights at 7pm starting this coming Thursday night.  If you have any questions, you can find Matt on Sunday morning and get all the info you need.

Mom 2 Mom Next Friday, May 30th

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 May 30th 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.

Ladies Retreat November 14-16th at Pine Valley

Benevolence and Building Funds

I hope most of you have experienced the reality of the old saying “you can’t outgive God”.  Many of us (perhaps most of us) can testify to the amazing “math” of tithing with stories of trusting God by giving Him 10% of our income and somehow ending up with more financial resource after giving 10% away than we had when we used to keep  that 10% for ourselves. It’s also been said that tithing is like the “training wheels” for learning how to be a generous giver.  In addition to the tithe, we are invited to give “free will offerings”, and many of us have discovered there is blessing in giving above and beyond the tithe.  That’s where things like giving to missions and other places of financial need come in.  In our church family we are constantly invited to help poor people locally and internationally who experience critical financial needs. Another area where free will offerings are needed is for the maintenance this wonderful house of worship we are privileged to own together.  So, I’m encouraging you to pray about making it a regular practice to give free will offerings in addition to your tithes.  There will be a button for electronic giving at the end of this letter for those who like to give online, and today I’m highlighting Benevolence fund and the Building fund.

And that’s it for this week’s update.  Have a great rest of your weekend, and I hope to see you tomorrow.

Richest blessings to each of you! With love,

Ron Ohst