Special Christmas Weekend - WRC Gift Opportunity

Greetings Lifers, 
As Christmas approaches, more families in our community are looking for help to feed their children this season. Many of them are coming to the Women's Resource Center and their shelves are beginning to look bare. The Publix on Kingsway, just across from Bay Life, has stepped forward to help re-stock the shelves - if you're able to help, the WRC would greatly appreciate it. This weekend, Sunday, Dec 18 and Monday, Dec 19, Publix has put together special food and hygiene bags for purchase to be delivered to the Women's Resource Center on Wednesday, Dec 21. 

Share the gift of food with a neighbor in need - Publix at 1220 Kingsway Road, in Brandon is offering options to help the Women’s Resource Center re-stock their empty shelves. 

To help, tell the cashier you want to purchase a food or hygiene bag for the Women’s Resource Center

Purchase: $10 food bags; $20 food bags; $10 hygiene bags

When: Sunday Dec 18 and Monday Dec 19 

Where: Publix at 1220 Kingsway Road in Brandon

Your donations are tax deductible with your Publix receipt

All food and hygiene bags will be delivered to Women's Resource Center on Dec 21

The Women’s Resource Center is a faith based not for profit organization supporting families in our community. Learn more about our services at wrctampa.org

This is the weekend to bring your neighbors, friends and names in wall to one of our services. We have a special Christmas weekend planned that you don't want to miss. 


Peace,
Mark 


 At the INFOdesk@baylife.org:

• Christmas Eve Services 4 pm, 5:30 pm and 7 pm - Childcare available through 5th grade during the 4 and 5:30 pm services. Deaf and Spanish interpretation available during those services also. 
• Additional ushers are needed for Christmas Eve, please email cperkins@baylife.org if you can help.
• Breast Cancer Support Group Dec 19 | 7 pm in Room 604
• Annual Business Meeting Jan 8  | during all services. This brief meeting is to affirm the Elders & Trustees for another year.
• Welcome Lunch Jan 15 | meet in the lobby at 1 pm

Bogus Car Wash

Greetings Lifers,


Only 17 days left before we celebrate the first coming of our Savior Jesus Christ – are you psyched or what? (Note here that I didn’t inquire as to your preparations for gifts and family and whatnot, which are nice appendages to the season we find ourselves in (like extras in a movie) but certainly not the overall point – not even close really. May Jesus be on the billboard of our hearts, our leading (God) man, now and always). I am finishing up another work week here (mine starts on Saturday and runs through Thursday after lunch, FYI) with this here missive. So, since I usually draw from my life experience to point out some minute but important theological idea, I thought I’d go ahead and do it again here. But before I do, a quick prayer request – Bay Life Academy has some unique opportunities to expand their ministry that hinge on the decisions made this Monday night at a county meeting. Would pray that God would work through the regulators present to provide His plan for the Academy? Thanks for praying – now prepare for a car wash anecdote – here we go.


So I’m filling my tank at a local gas station after enjoying lunch with three of our other pastors here. After keying in my zip code (hope I never lose my credit card in my zip code area – I think that’ll greatly diminish my chances of not being ripped off), the pump asks me if I want a carwash with my purchase. I look at a smear that has been on my rear van window since July and push the “yes” button. Tank full, I announce our adventure to my co-passengers and steer my dirty van into the automated car wash, being careful to drive all the way up to the flashing green light before coming to a stop in that one spot that makes one of those things work. 


This particular car wash has a stack of signs beneath the flashing green light that indicate which phase of the wash cycle is coming up next. The first sign blinks to life - apparently the “Pre-Soak” is about to commence. The sprayers on the wash arm spurt and sputter in an effort to soak something but only manage a few pathetic bubbles that trickle down the casing holding them. The arm passes back and forth over my van without anything get remotely wet.


The same thing occurs in the next cycle, entitled “Pre–Wash”. Lots of noise, a passing arm, but no liquid to speak of. Finally the “Wash” cycle begins, but apparently this car wash hasn’t been used since the Carter Administration, so the water that spews from the nozzles is toxic and instantly smells like the refuse of three aging herds of diseased elephants. That sweet aroma envelopes all in attendance – to this point in life, I have never had to cover my nose with my shirt while getting my car washed, but hey, it’s a day of firsts. If there is any actual soap agents involved with this cycle, I can only assume that whatever is making the water smell like it does has long since killed them.


Now here’s the capper. A white van is parked just outside the carwash, its nose pointed in the direction of the exit I am all too eager to use. The arm passes once more, this time to dry the filth the sprayers have deposited on top of the filth I’d paid to have the carwash to remove. The green light sign flashes again, cuing my departure, and as I head out, the gentlemen in the van emerges and heads toward the stink wash. I roll down my window to speak to him, and he informs me that the car wash has needed repair for some time and wonders aloud as to why the gas station would sell an unsuspecting customer a bogus wash (see: me). I wonder the same thing as I head back to work in a slightly less grimy but significantly stinkier van.


My point? Some things leave us thinking that they can cleanse when they can’t. Entire religions are built around the premise – if I do this, don’t do that, eat here, stop eating there for this amount of time, and never mess up, I become worthy of God. Only no one has ever kept their self-imposed rules perfectly. Works were never designed to make us clean. In fact, they aren’t that clean at all compared to the Holy God they are meant to appease. Check this verse out from Isaiah 64:6 -
        6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
It’s tricky though – our works can look good, and we can begin to think that we really are clean because of what we do. But may God constantly remind us that He is our righteousness, that Jesus alone saves and cleanses us from sin. Sure we need to obey, to honor, to glorify God in what we do. But spiritually speaking, if we are clean, it’s by the grace of God in Christ.


And now for what is going on at Bay Life – see you this weekend.
Mark Saunders
Pastor
Bay Life Church
1017 Kingsway Rd
Brandon FL 33510
813-661-3696


Christmas Eve Services 4, 5:30 and 7 pm - Childcare available through 5th grade during the 4 and 5:30 pm services


At the INFOdesk@baylife.org
·         Blood Pressure Screening Dec 11 | between services in the Cry Room
·         Breast Cancer Support Group Dec 19 | 7 pm in Room 604
·         Annual Business Meeting Jan 8  | during all services. This brief meeting is to affirm the Elders & Trustees for another year.
·         Welcome Lunch Jan 15 | meet in the lobby at 1 pm

Mark's Email - Tuesday Edition

Greetings Lifers!

Hope this is hitting your email box at a time where you’re aware of God’s bountiful blessings in life. I had the joy yesterday of sharing the gospel with a guy who’s been coming to church for a couple months and seeing him pray to receive Christ, so I am feeling pretty in awe of our God and the way He transforms a person through His grace. Be praying for our new brother in Christ that he might be rooted firmly in his new found faith and transition quickly to a life of serving His Savior.

And speaking of prayer, I mentioned this past Sunday that we are gathering as a church to pray tonight at 7:00 in the Student Worship Center. I know it’s a busy season, but with all that’s going on, aren’t we too busy NOT to pray? If you’ve never been to a prayer gathering, let me de-weird this one – we sing some songs (just like Sundays), I talk a little bit (not near as long as on Sundays :)) and then we gather in groups to pray through the areas we designate as needing prayer. You need not be seasoned in public prayer ministry – just come willing to talk to God (and hear from Him) on behalf of our church family and the work of the gospel here and around the world. In fact, if you are still trying to figure the whole prayer thing out, think of tonight as a training session as well – you can pray and hear the prayers of others.

So come on and pray with us, as just you or as a couple or as a life group (2 or 3 groups make this another gathering place for them) or however – let’s just take a night to lift our praise and thanks, our needs and our dreams to our Father in heaven.
--

Free,

Mark Saunders

Lead Pastor
Bay Life Church
1017 Kingsway Road
Brandon, Florida, 33510
813-661-3696 (w)

Veteran's Day 2011

Greeting Lifers!

I was driving back to the office today after a great lunch with a good friend when it occurred to me just how much God has blessed our country (epiphanies hit me often while I am driving). I know you know this, but ponder it anyway with me - you and I are free to live and work where we want, raise our families how we want, eat what we want where and when we want – what an incredible gift our liberty is.

Just then a commercial came on over the radio that mentioned Veterans Day, which made me think about the men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives to provide for and protect our freedom. Many of them live on to tell the story of the high price paid for our way of life – too many gave their all while defending it. That’s why I am using this week’s email to say thank you to all who have faithfully served our country in our armed forces and to the families they come from – this citizen appreciates your sacrifice. God has blessed our country through each of you - may He richly bless you and yours.

I rarely do what I am about to do, but I thought it appropriate for this email. Today I received a message from the mom/wife of a young family that just recently started attending Bay Life. I will let you read her note in a second, but you’ll note that she is here raising her baby boy while her husband is away serving as a military contractor in Afghanistan. I include her request so that we can be praying for their specific needs with their son Benjamin, but in addition I am calling us as a church to  remember in prayer all of the families in similar situations in our midst and around our community. She mentions an opportunity to support an organization - be a part of the fund raising initiative if you feel led, but know that my main concern is that families like this one get the prayer and nurture they need from God’s family (and that’s us). Thanks in advance for lifting them up – see you this weekend.

Peace,

Mark


Hey, Mark.
I've gone back and forth about emailing you. I've never been one to step out and ask for money on behalf of anything. But a lot has changed in our family the last year or so and I couldn't let this go without seeing if there was a way you and Bay Life could help.

Let me explain...
About a year and a half ago, my husband got a job as a military contractor. While we knew it was an exciting opportunity, we also knew it would be he would have to be gone most of the year. At the time, it was just Micah and I so the decision seemed easier.
Fast forward a few months. Right before he was set to deploy, we found out we were pregnant. Even though it made the deployment a little more on the sour side, we decided to continue with the original plan.
8 months later, Micah came home on a month long leave and we welcomed Mr. Benjamin on March 29th, 2011. 5 pounds, 11 ounces of perfection.
The day after he was born, we found out Ben had a secret. A nurse practitioner handed me pamphlets about Down Syndrome and my heart sunk. It's been a long road of grief and research since then. His diagnosis didn't change the way we loved our son, but we couldn't deny the fact that things were going to be different.
Our little dude is amazing. We really couldn't imagine life without him and we're so excited about seeing what God does in and through him as he grows and matures. He already charms the hearts of people everywhere we go!
Ben's first birthday is in a few months and we've decided to open a donation page in his name. All proceeds will go to the National Down Syndrome Society in support of those, like Ben, with Designer Genes. We'll keep it open until March 29th, 2012 and our goal is to see how much we can raise between now and then. Last month was theoretically Down Syndrome Awareness Month, but why not be aware all the time. :)

Here's the link - - http://ndss.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=470145&supid=344294949
Micah is back in Afghanistan now and will be home for Christmas this year. Ben and I have been in this area for a couple months and we're really enjoying Bay Life! So, thank you for what you're doing around here.

There's a lot more to our story if you're interested in reading it on my blog. amber-webb.blogspot.com

Thanks! Looking forward to Sunday!
-Amber Webb

Are we doing this?

Greetings Lifers,

Those were the words I used to close our services last week as we confirmed together from God’s word what we stand for as a church. If you weren’t with us, I reintroduced our church’s mission, which is as follows:
Our mission is to surrender to God as He makes disciples through us, here and around the world.

We talked some about what surrender looks like and how part of our surrender lies in us making ourselves not just available to God, but intentional with God in seeing others start/grow up in their faith. I was so pleased to hear reports from our Front Yard Fall Festivals that took place at various Lifer homes on Monday night. Hundreds of families got to hear about our church from those participating, and I am praying that all who who now carry the little flashlights we handed out will find themselves in our midst this weekend. A simple thing, handing out flashlights and letting people know about Bay Life. But it all goes into us accomplishing our mission of making disciples here in our community.

I heard a story recently from our 5th grade Sunday class, a huge “Yay God” as we see Him work through our faithful service to Him. Read and see what Miss Vicki and her team got to see God do in their midst... 

October 16, 2011 was a great day. Our 5th grade class has been studying the Old Testament peoples and events to answer the question “Why did Jesus have to come”? They saw the fall of man through Adam, the calling forth of a people and race through Abraham, Joseph saving them from famine and Moses rescuing them from Egypt. We went through the 40 yrs. in the wilderness, the Ten Commandments, Elijah, and then 800 yrs. later Jesus comes. We worked on building up to the big day that salvation would come to mankind. The penalty of our sins would be dealt with by the Son of God. Sunday was the BIG DAY. Finally, He came, chose His disciples, taught them, and established the new covenant by going to the cross. 

We talked about His sacrifice, his agony, and the extraordinary events that happened that wonderful day. He rose from the dead and salvation was complete with his resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit

I grabbed a dollar bill, held it up high and said “Whoever comes up here and takes this dollar can have it. They all just looked at me. I repeated the phrase. After a bit, two boys came at me and jumped and one of them took the dollar. I looked at him and said, “put it in your pocket and make it yours.’ I said to the class, it was mine to give to whoever wanted it, but this boy reached out and took it. Now it’s his. The rest of you just looked at me. They said, “but it was too easy, we thought you would call us greedy or something.”

I said “a lot of people say that faith alone is too easy when accepting what Jesus did.”

“You have to take His payment as your own. Make it yours, make him your Lord. YOU have to take it. No one else can take salvation for you, it’s your choice.”

One of the boys in the front row looked at me and said, “Can we do it now?”

Now this is the part that I love. My mind raced, I glanced around the room. Every eye was looking at me. Should I leave this to small group time or just go with it? In about a nanosecond I said “Sure, lets all bow are heads. If this is the first time you REALLY understood about what Jesus did for you on the cross that day, and if you want to take His offer of salvation and make it yours, then you need to grab it. If you want Him as YOUR savior and you receive what He did for you, in your place, then raise your hand.”

The room was so thick with the presence of God. Hands, arms raised as high as they could go and it took our breath away. My mouth fell open, I looked at Ken, he was frozen, I glanced at Susan her mouth was open. I could barely breathe. 17 hands had lifted. 17. All I could do was whisper “thank you Jesus.”

Stories like these happen because faithful people like you make yourselves available to be used of God. May God keep us mindful of and applied to our mission as we serve Him as a church. See you Sunday – bring a friend.

Peace,

Mark

Mark's Blog

Greetings Lifers,Missed you guys! I was in Texas last weekend enjoying some time with old life group mates from a previous church family. In my absence I was praying for you all as you assembled last Saturday and Sunday? It’s nice to go away, but it’s great to come home - I am amped to be talking to you again at our upcoming services and look forward to seeing you at one of them. The Bible is clear on our mandate as a body of believers – it's for our best that we gather together each week:

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.       Hebrews 10:24-25
Looking forward to being gathered, spurred, and encouraged! As for what I am talking about this weekend – I know I’m not alone in being the guy who walks into a room, pauses, and then walks back out because he can’t remember why he went in there. I stand for prolonged periods over open drawers in my kitchen trying to recall which utensil is best for eating soup. I sit down to my computer screen and notice an email I started to write to my church 2 hours before but failed to complete (this may or may not have occurred with this particular offering). I am over-prone to forgetting my point.

So it is with church. We can show up week after week, serve faithfully, give generously, and have little to no clue as to why we are doing these things or to what we are giving ourselves. This week, we will be reminded of why we are in our room and of what God is wanting to use us for as we walk this part of life’s journey with Him. Come ready to listen and be changed by God’s mission for us. See you soon.
Peace,
Mark

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org
Life Group Leaders Bonus Training – Oct 30 | 6:30 pm in the loft
Men's Retreat – Nov 4 & 5 | Register at the INFOdesk - $50
Holidays of Hope Food Collection begins on Nov 5 | in the lobby
Scrapbook & Crop for Missions | $25 – fliers at the INFOdesk
Revolve Student Retreat – Nov 11-13 | $65- visit the Family Ministry Center
Sewing Team Meeting – Nov 13 | 1 pm in the Conference Room
Life Group Leaders Training – Nov 13 | 6:30 pm in the loft
Ladies Missions Bazaar – Nov 16 & 17 | 7 pm & 9 am in the lobby
Thanksgiving Dinner – Nov 24 servers needed | register to serve at baylife.org

Lifers, Start Your Engines!

Greetings Lifers,

I have never been mistaken for a gear-head, one of those guys who can tell what’s wrong with your vehicle by listening to it idle and then fix it with a crescent wrench and a stick of Doublemint. On top of that, I have yet to take in a car race of any kind; open wheel, closed wheel, professional or amateur, street or track (although I may be guilty of trying to beat another car to a drive-thru lane at a fast-food joint a time or two – I don’t think that counts as a full on race though). But here’s the deal - even I know that race cars won’t race until the drivers crank the motor. Hence the pre-race request for the starting of engines. Spoiler alert – you’ll never win a race in a parked car.

This car talk comes to you courtesy of this weekend’s service subject – on Sunday I will be preaching through the first 10 verses of Ephesians 2, where the Apostle Paul explains, as clearly as anywhere in Scripture, what the gospel of Jesus Christ is. He points to what we’ve been saved from, what we are saved to, how we are saved, and then what happens after that. So here’s where the car stuff comes in – I know many of you have taken advantage of our worship stations during our services, and whether it’s been in a prayer request pinned to one of the crosses or in a name placed inside our walls, you’ve asked God to lead one of your not-yet-saved friends/family members to repentance and regeneration. I love that about our church – we know that people need a Savior and we are committed together to seeing the gospel spread in our world.

This weekend is a chance for you to shift out of neutral with some of your friends who need Jesus. You have between now and Sunday morning to pray for them and ask them to join you at church. If we’re going to have a car in this race with Jesus (and we all do if we have found faith in Him), then we’re going to need to steer it into traffic at times like these. I’d love to be a part of God’s plan in reaching your friend – let’s double-team ‘em on Sunday. You get them here, and together we’ll point them to Jesus! Lifers, start your engines!

Peace,

Mark

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

Blood Pressure - Oct 9 | after services in the Cry Room

Bay Life Kids Drama Clinic – Oct 9 | 1:30 pm in the Student Center

Kids First Step Class – Oct 16 | 10 am in Rm 606, register at the INFOdesk

Welcome Lunch – Oct 16 | 1 pm Register by Oct 9 at the INFOdesk

Life Group Basic Training – Oct 23 | 6 pm in the loft

Prayer Night – Oct. 25 | 7 pm in the Student Center

Men's Steak-n-Games – Nov 4 & 5 | $50 register at the INFOdesk

Scrapbook & Crop for Missions Nov 5 | 9 am $25 register at the INFOdesk

Rays, Red Sox, Squirrels & Lions!

Greetings Lifers, 

On behalf of myself, I’d like to congratulate the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays on winning the wild-card playoff spot last night in “defies description” fashion, and while I am at it, I’d like to thank God for trusting me and the other Christ followers who root for the Team That Shall Not Be Mentioned with the trial we now face (the one where we try to comprehend what just happened to our team). I cling to James 1:2-4 and consider it all joy to be facing this test of my baseball allegiances and sensibilities – I trust that He will lead us into perseverance and make us mature, lacking nothing.

All spiritualizing aside, was that not the craziest night of baseball ever?

So now for something completely different – I watched a squirrel navigate a parking lot the other day from my perch inside the Subway I was sitting in. A funny creature, the squirrel – I watched for what had to be 2-3 minutes and took in these observations:
        -   Squirrels don’t blink. Like not at all. Their big brown eyes are constantly open.
        -   They pretty much move in 3-4 step bursts – hop, hop, hop, stop, sniff, pan the scene, repeat. Cautious critters, they are (Yoda sentence there).
        -   The varmint I was watching (wanna call him Rocky, after the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show? Sounds good to me...) stopped over a man hole cover that had some water pooled on its top. I witnessed my first ever squirrel drink, and even that was done wide-eyed and cautious.

I know – you’re reading and wondering about squirrel talk – where is this all heading? How about here – what can you and I learn from Rocky? As I saw him bug-eyed and 4-hopping through the parking lot, it occurred to me just how careless I can be as I go through life. And no, I'm not merely talking about parking lots. Spiritually speaking, I think victory over flesh and sin comes to those who are carefully navigating the potential pitfalls each one of us face. What I’m saying is that we could all stand to be a bit more perspicacious (SAT word) - vigilance is a Christian's best defense against mess.

So, are you in a situation in life that could lead you away from the righteousness of God? Does the place you work in or the people who work there have like tractor-beam powers over you and you're making right choices? Do you have that old sin pattern that gets triggered when you're in certain environments? Take a page from the Rocky playbook – eyes open, head on a swivel, 4-hopping through the potential mess-makers of life. What did Peter tell his readers about our adversary?

⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.                                         1 Peter 5:8

Y’all are careful in the parking lot, you hear? See you this weekend.

Peace,

Mark

Bay Life Garden Work Day! This Saturday, October 1 8:30 am – 12 pm

Everyone welcome – we need you!!

Any amount of time you can be here will be appreciated. Meet in the back of the Worship Center at our garden.

Handy items to bring with you:

            Wheelbarrow

            Shovel

            Garden gloves

            Lawn Chair

            Water Bottle

At the INFOdesk this week:

• Welcome to the Nursery class – Oct 9 | after the 11:30 am service
• Bloodmobile – Oct 9 | after services in the Cry Room
• Bay Life Kids Drama Clinic – Oct 9 | 1:30 pm in the Student Center
• Kids First Step Class – Oct 16 | 10 am in Rm 606
• Welcome Lunch – Oct 16 | 1 pm in the loft register at the INFOdesk
• Worship Night & Artist Forum – Oct 16 | 7 pm in the Worship Center
• Christmas Event Drama Auditions – Oct 22 | 9 am in the Worship Center

Choose “AWE” Over “AWWW”

Greetings Lifers,

What is it called when one word can mean at least two different things, depending on the context/spelling? You know, like someone can be “right” when they turn “right”, but the first use of right means “correct” and the second is the “opposite of left”. Or how about getting “left” because you failed to turn “left”? I know when you use a word the wrong way it’s called a malapropism, but I can’t remember the word for this lingual phenomenon. Hang on – that’s why God made Google (be right back).

Back – and I found it. Homonym – a word that sounds (and is usually spelled) the same but has different meanings. I knew there was a word for it. Okay, so why the grammar lesson? I’ll tell you.

In my personal experience, I find that my life is shaped by which side I choose this particular homonym I am thinking of, especially when things that I would rather not have to live through come into my life. Here’s what I mean - my flesh looks at my troubles and immediately says. “AWWW!” as in, “Aww man, why did this have to happen to me now?” When I choose this side of the homonym, I trend in the direction of self pity and disappointment with God and His plan. Now, since trials almost always spin off into more trials (have you noticed this? Job loss leads to money crunch leads to marital angst leads to personal anger leads to words I wish I could take back... getting the picture?), I find that this path leads to innumerable “AWWW’s”, each one acting as a shovel to dirt, digging deeper the hole of discouragement. This is certainly a choice we have the right to make, but my take on the Scriptures is that this “AWWW” is not what God had in mind for us when He sent His Son for our sakes. In fact, Jesus came and died so that we could live out of the other side of this homonym.

He came that we might live in AWE.

Same word (except for the “e”), but something completely different from the flesh “AWWW”. Essentially, when you and I face life's messes, we choose between “AWWW” or “AWE”. When we stay in awe of what God has done, is doing, and will accomplish in our lives through our mess, we go through messes clinging to Him rather than angry at Him. The early church in Acts 2:43 was filled with this kind of awe, and it altered the way they handled their things and each other. Awe made them generous, allowing them to see past their own needs to the needs of their brothers and sisters, and gave them a perspective in life that lead to peace, even when things weren’t peaceful. What else could make a guy like Stephen preach the gospel so clearly that his incensed listeners picked up rocks and threw them at him? He was in awe of his Savior, so much so that his own well being came a distant second. Is this kind of awe what the apostle Paul was teaching the Philippians to pursue when he demanded that they be anxious for nothing but instead look to God in everything, asking Him for what they needed while thanking Him for what He had done (AWE alert!)? And is this kind of awe the source of the peace that surpasses human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7)? Methinks ‘tis true.

So, in whatever you face today, or in your tomorrow, or in your yesterday that has the residual strength to mess you up now, my simple prayer for you is this - that you will choose “AWE” over “AWWW” every time, by the grace of our awesome God who promises to walk us through our awful things. Blessings, my friends.

Peace,

Mark

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

·        Practical Prayer Training - Sep 25 | 1 pm in Rm 603 - all are welcome

·        Prayer Night - Sep 27 | 7 pm in the Student Center

·        Bloodmobile - Oct 9 | after all Sunday services

·        Kids First Step Class - Oct 16 | 10 am in Rm 606, register at the INFOdesk

·        Welcome Lunch - Oct 16 | 1 pm in Worship Center lobby



God's Grace

Greetings Lifers,

What is up! Half-way through another Thursday – must be time for an email to you all. Which direction should we head in for this one? Light and airy? Solemn and introspective? Revelatory and detailed? A combo of all three? I don’t know – may be I’ll just type and see where this goes.

How about we start, finish, and find our middle in the inestimable grace of God, no matter which of the previous tones prevails?

Truth be told, God’s grace is smack-dab in the middle of every mood, emotion, and circumstance that we face, regardless of its positive or negative vibe. What I mean is that everything we are is rooted in, wrapped around, and heading into the grace of God. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17) - and all because of grace. He has truly given us beyond what we could ever merit.

I find His grace more evident in the good times, don’t you? It’s hard not to, especially if you’re just coming out of a period of life where things haven’t been so great. You know what I'm talking about? That break you’ve been waiting for finally arrives and you can point to nothing else except the grace of God as it cause. It’s like someone turns the “God volume up to 11” and you’re hemmed in on all sides by His love and mercy and grace.

But then there are those not-so-great times, right? The times where God’s grace seems all but invisible, unperceivable to the afflicted and unattainable to boot. But I am reminded over and over again that “grace unseen” is not the same as “grace not at all”. Grace gurgles just below the surface of our calamities, like a huge oil field hidden beneath a lifeless desert. All we see is desolation, but God is working behind (and beneath) our scene as He prepares a gusher of grace for the exact time we need it. His grace may come in the form of complete deliverance, but more often I find that it takes the form of a reprieve, a brief but welcome respite from the desert so that we can refuel and have enough to face whatever is coming next.

Ah, but make no mistake – the grace is there. It’s the heart beat of the Christian life – in fact, take a second to put you pointer finger on your carotid (that’s the artery in your neck, in case you’ve blocked out freshman year anatomy class). Feel that pulse beating? As sure as you heart is pumping blood through your veins, so God is pushing His grace to and through your soul, always, without ceasing. His grace makes us go. Praise God for His amazing grace. Amen.

Now for some more of what God is doing around here at Bay Life, I turn it over to my stellar assistant Beverly – see you Sunday (or Saturday night). Bring your friends with you!

Peace,

Mark

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Welcome Lunch | Sunday, Sep 18 @ 1 pm, lobby - register at the INFOdesk
• Community Garden at Bay Life | Sep 24 & 25 - informational meeting after services
• Practical Prayer Training | Sep 25 @ 1 pm Rm 603 - open to all
• Life Group Bonus Training | Sep 25 6:30 pm, the loft
• Prayer Night | Sep 27 @ 7 pm, Family Chapel

Prayer Requests for a Couple of Lifers

Greetings Lifers,

Normally I start our Thursday email off with some pleasantries and small talk and then progress to a pithy anecdote on life with Christ from my recent experiences. Not so much today. I write soliciting your prayers for a couple of Lifers. Many of you have been here long enough to know and love Steve and Lindsay Frissell and their kids. Steve served here for years in our youth ministry before eventually ending up at a church in Texas. Their daughter Madison is a freshman in high school now and has bravely faced some recent surgeries that sought to correct an issue in her sternum (a metal bar was inserted to keep it from growing incorrectly and affecting her vital organs).

I just received word from their current Pastor that Madison has developed an infection since her surgery that is pretty serious and may require the removal of the previously inserted bar. Here’s an excerpt from the email I received.

“They saw their doctor this morning; he is doing some x-rays and any other diagnostics necessary to determine the source of the infection. They were hopeful yesterday that the infection was being caused by the stitches from Madi’s surgery a few weeks ago to insert a bar behind her sternum. But their doctor told them today that he is concerned and that there is a possibility that they will have to take the bar out of her chest if the infection is found there.  This would not be good news obviously, and Steve and Lindsay are, understandably, struggling.  Please pray…

-          For the infection NOT to be anywhere that would cause the bar to need to come out.

-          That the Dr.s can figure out the source and prescribe a swift course of action to heal the infection

-          For the whole family, (Steve, Lindsay, Madison, Reagan, McKinley and Harrison) comfort, grace, rest in their souls

-          For protection and encouragement for Madi.  (I’m not sure how much she knows about all this, so don’t be posting anything about this on Facebook right now).”

Steve’s parents (Rick and Denise) could use our prayers as well.

I said a couple of Lifers need prayer – Randy Buchholtz (the elder who prayed this past Sunday at the beginning of our services) is continuing his ongoing battle with cancer (a type of lymphoma) and is setting down to another treatment today. Prayers for his healing and for peace for him and his wife Susan (and daughter Deanne) are much needed.

I figured that these needs are a bit more pressing than you pondering my ruminations. More of that next week.

P.S.    The 10 o’clock service is almost full – some of us Lifers who frequent that time need to move to one of our other services (Saturday at 6, Sunday at 8:30 or 11:30) to make sure that folks visiting our church at the 10 o'clock have seats in that service. Pray about it. See you this weekend!

Peace,

Mark

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

Free blood pressure check – Sunday September 11 | after the 10 & 11:30 am services in the Cry Room

Welcome Lunch - Sunday, September 18 1 pm | Register at the INFOdesk 

Community Garden on sight at Bay Life | Informational meeting after services on September 24 & 25

Practical Prayer Training – September 25 1 pm | Modular room 603 open to all

Life Group Bonus Training – September 25 6:30 pm | in the loft

Prayer Night – September 27 | 7 pm in the Student Center

A New Creation

Greetings Lifers,

So it’s been too long – how are you doing, my Lifer friends? I am groggy from a 5:30 wake up call with my 3 high school kids (they catch a bus at like 6:20 – yikes), but other than that I am pleased to say life is quite satisfying right now. I am still reading through a book called “Grace Walk” by Steve McVey, and I find it quite edifying. Here’s an excerpt of what I read this morning:

“The human spirit is the essence and core of our existence. Before we trusted Christ, we had no meaningful identity because our spirit was dead. But when we trusted in Christ, the Spirit of Christ came into us and we gained an identity grounded in Christ. Peter said we became partakers of the divine nature. Since the Spirit of Christ comes into a person’s spirit at salvation, and because the essence of what we are is determined at the spirit level, one who has trusted Christ becomes a Christian.”

(this is the good part)

“To say that you are a Christian doesn’t simply refer to the particular set of doctrinal beliefs you hold. It doesn’t just refer to the way you live. It points to what you are at the deepest level of your being. At the center of your being is Christ! He has become your very life!”

“The totality of the Christian life is contained in Jesus Christ! The Christian life is not about Christ. It is Christ. It is God’s purpose to bring every Christian to the place where he no longer lives for self, but where Christ is allowed to live His life through us.” (pgs. 70-71, “Grace Walk”)

I know it’s only a couple of sentences, and I recognize that this Steve guy is not writing a part of the Bible or anything, but I hope you are picking up the implications of what he is saying. I find that I too often operate my life outside of my identity in Christ. I settle for “old Mark” when he doesn’t even exist anymore, if I am a new creation in Christ (which I am). I need to be less consumed with trying harder to be good and just learn to accept that I am good because of what Christ has done, is doing, and will do in the future through me. Anyway, great book so far – encourage you to read it.

I wrote for a specific reason – to invite you to get “Out of the Box” with me and the rest of the Lifers on this Sunday night from 6-8 p.m. in our Worship Center. Meet your new Life Group (sign up online if you haven’t yet or come to Out of the Box and find a group there), enjoy some wacky game show-type games (Let’s Make a Deal, anyone?), and then hear some short but important challenges for the year to come as together we seek to get out of some the boxes our fears and flesh put us in as we seek to let Jesus live through us. Then of course there's the ice cream to cap it all off, and what’s better than ice cream? Free ice cream, that’s what.

So if you’ve been hearing us talk about it at our weekend services or if you’re just hearing it now, plan to join us this Sunday night. If you have kids kindergarten age and below, their will be childcare provided. Otherwise, the older kids will have plenty to keep them occupied with the rest of us –  there’s even a game show game dedicated to them and their parents (it’s a “kids say the darnedest things” meets “the newlywed game” thing – awesome).

If you are coming, do let us know if you haven’t already. Email Melanie Langston at mlangston@baylife.org and tell her who is coming with you. If you need childcare, let Tammy Paul know at tpaul@baylife.org. Till this weekend, may God bless you with the knowledge that if you are in Him, you truly are a new creation, and the old you is dead. May we all surrender to Jesus as He lives His life through us.

 Peace.

Mark Saunders

Pastor

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Prayer Night – August 30 | 7 pm in the Student Center
• Ladies Bible Study – August 31| 7 pm in the lobby of the Worship Center
• Ladies Bible Study – September 1 | 9 am in the lobby of the Worship Center
• Worship Choir – September 1 | 7 pm in the Worship Center
• Baptism – September 10 & 11 | Pre-baptism meeting Aug 27 & 28 at the fountain in the courtyard after each service

Reaching our Neighbors, Co-workers, Classmates & Friends

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Life Group Leader Training – August 21 | 6:30 pm in the Worship Center
• Worship Arts Fall Kick-off – August 25 | 7 pm in the Worship Center
• Bay Life Out-of-the-Box – August 28 | 6 pm in the Worship Center
• Prayer Night – August 30 | 7 pm in the Student Center

Greetings Lifers, [Written Aug 11th]

Well, so far, so good – the first week of three services has come and gone and our church seems none the worse for wear (I’ve said that saying before, but I am not entirely sure what it means – felt weird typing it, actually – but I digress....). To all who served so capably and faithfully in making each service run smoothly, I say a heartfelt “thank YOU”. The 10 o’clock service was our most populated (as you might guess), but with our high school group meeting at 11:30 for the first time this week, I am praying for things to even out between the two later offerings. All of you 8:30 people were AWESOME considering the earlier hour – way to go and praise God for coffee (?).

Anyway, just a quick reminder of why we are doing this – there are just over 3,100 people packed in to every square mile in Brandon alone (I didn’t look up the surrounding regions – sorry), a total of 103, 000 souls (according to 2010 census numbers). My best guess is that the 105 churches (source: superpages.com (phone book)) in our area may welcome about 20,000 people to worship (based on a Gallup poll that found that 20% of any American population goes to church each week), and too many of those churches either aren’t preaching the Gospel or stopped caring about the people in their community who are staring down a Godless eternity. 80,000 people spending their weeks, months, years with no face time with Jesus. I know, the numbers are a bit fuzzy, but can we all agree that any number above zero is too many?

That’s why we went to 3 services – to afford us the chance and motivate us toward reaching our neighbors, our coworkers, or classmates and friends for Christ. When you come to one of our services and see some empty chairs, my prayer is that you’ll picture your Names in the Wall sitting in them next to you some day, singing praise to Jesus and being changed by His Word. Can you see them? That’s why we are doing three services – so our friends can know Christ.

So I will see you this weekend – I am looking forward to our dialogue on what it means to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”. Hope to see you – have a blessed weekend!

Peace,

Mark

3 Sunday Services 8:30, 10 & 11:30 am - See you there!

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Bloodmobile – August 7 | 8:30 am – 1 pm in the north parking lot
• Life Group Basic Training – August 7 | 6 pm in Room 603
• Free Blood Pressure Screening – August 14 | after service in the Cry Room
• Life Group Leader Training – August 21 | 6:30 pm in the Worship Center

Greetings Lifers,

It has truly been a while since I last wrote an email to you all – how’s it going? I am getting re-acclimated to my environment after some time away in Africa (awesome) and with my family (different, but equally awesome). I am looking forward to three nights with my bride to myself this weekend – this is our first year to send all of our brood on the same summer camp (high school). Be praying for a great weekend for our students, and in addition, would you pray that God would bring our next youth pastor to us soon? We have had some gifted candidates apply and are now deliberating on who God would have for this important role. Thanks.

It’s a big weekend for us as a church as we move to 3 services Sunday – 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30. Figured out which one you’ll be going to? For the record, I’m going to all three. I know that many of you have already committed to work in the various areas of ministry that will be needed in these services – huge thanks to you for your service. Remember why we are doing this – so that more of the people in our community can come to know and follow our savior Jesus Christ. This happens when we “the found” make ourselves available to the lost, the let down, and those looking for their next church home, befriending them and then inviting them to church. I talked to a Lifer in his 30’s this past week who just a few years ago reunited with a younger brother that hadn’t grown up with him. The two were living in the same town and didn’t know it. They started piecing together their sibling friendship, and as a result, the long lost brother started asking questions about God. This past week I got to meet this brother at our Saturday night service – he had come with his big bro to church. How great is that? Years apart, reconnected, and walking together in their journey with God.

It’s stories like these that leave me wondering how many more people are out there in need of someone who will lead them to Jesus. There has to be tons of folks who are just waiting for an invitation – maybe it’s that family member of yours who’s going through that “thing”, or that coworker you share lunch with, or that classmate you shouldered that semester project with last year. Our heart and hope as a church is to see God change people – I pray that we are all available to do our part.

There’s more to know about this weekend and beyond, so let me turn this email over to those details – pray you have a great weekend, and see you at one of our 4 services!

Free,

Mark Saunders

Pastor

Bay Life Kids:

Preschool and Nursery Families:  You may check in your children at any registration station when you arrive, however, the hallway doors will remain closed until the directors clear the hallways for the next service. For the safety of all of our children, pick up from the previous service must occur before drop-off starts.  Our coordinators will clear the hallways as quickly as possible, but we ask for your patience as we manage the process.  You're welcome to wait in the Student Center lobby until both doors open and drop off can begin for your service.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Elementary Families: Elementary student drop-off  happens in the center of the Family Chapel, the Large Group area. Each row is labeled with a group name and coaches will be available to direct you to the correct area. Pick up your student at their small group tables located on the left (Kindergarten through 2nd grade) and right (3rd & 4th grades) sides of the Family Chapel after service.

Back to School Supplies:

This is the last weekend to drop off backpacks and school supplies for the YMCA Back-to-School Supplies Fundraiser. No time to shop? You can still participate by donating $35 to fill a backpack. If you need school supplies for your children, stop by the INFOdesk  to complete a request for assistance. 

5 Family Members, 3 Continents - Oh My!

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Practical Prayer Training – June 26 | everyone welcome – 1 pm Room 603
• Prayer Night – June 28 | 7 pm in the Children/Student Building
• Kids First Step Class – July 10 & 17 | Register in Children/Student building
• Welcome Lunch – July 17 at 12:30 pm | Register at the INFOdesk, childcare is available with pre-registration
• Baptism – July 23 & 24 | Register at the INFOdesk
• High School & Middle School Camp registration forms are available at the Family Ministry counter.
• We need people with sign language skills. Contact the INFOdesk for further information.  

Greetings Lifers,

From my favorite booth at my second favorite local Mexican restaurant, I greet you - warm salutations to you in this already beyond warm summer. Pray you are all well. I am on the brink of another day off from work (my Saturday is really Friday - I work most weekends). it's a busy month coming up for the Saunders clan - Eleanor and I head to Africa (Village of Hope, Pastor's Training Conference and a wedding of a friend over the course of 12 days) as our 2 youngest head to their Aunt and Uncle's in Illinois and our oldest spends 2 weeks in Costa Rica. 5 family members, 3 continents, oh my.  Be praying for us please as we travel.

This weekend at Bay Life we are uncorking an all too familiar theme - the fact that good things often give way to bad/hard to handle things. "Life was going along fine, and then all of a sudden..."and everybody can fill in their own blank. Why does this stuff happen? What is God doing in the midst of our disappointments? How does God want us to walkthrough the hard things we face? Come and hear the story of the church at Ephesus as they worked through (or rather, God worked on their behalf through) the incredibly difficult circumstances surrounding their formation some 2,000 years ago. We can all be encouraged by we have to learn from them.

Alright then - signing off and shipping out - see you this weekend!

Mark

1200 arms and 1200 legs ...

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Practical Prayer Training – June 26 | everyone welcome – 1pm Room 603
• Prayer Night – June 28 | 7pm in the Children/Student Building
• Kids First Step Class – July 10 & 17 | Register in Children/Student building
• Welcome Lunch – July 17 at 12:30p | Register at the INFOdesk childcare is available with preregistration
• Baptism – July 23 & 24| Sign up at the INFOdesk or email cperkins@baylife.org
• High School & Middle School Camps registration forms are available at the Family Ministry desk.  

Greetings Lifers,

What has 1200 arms and 1200 legs, sounds like a jet plane taking off, has the raw energy of a nuclear power plant, and smells like a barn? If you guessed Kidapalooza here at Bay Life, you’d be correct (okay, they don’t all smell like barn animals – smiley face). If you haven’t been up here any night this week, you’ve been missing out on 580 plus kids and leaders having the time of their lives – games, LOUD singing, teaching time, awesome skits, and of course, the now customary “sliming” of an adult leader. Our Children’s Staff and volunteers are doing an amazing job!

Here’s why I mention it – the gospel will be clearly spelled out for these kids on Friday night. Potentially we could see dozens of young men and women find faith in Jesus for the first time. How many of us can trace our faith origins back to a camp or an outing like Kidapalooza? So here’s the deal – we need to pray for our vision to be realized, that these kids might become Christ followers who eventually make followers who make followers. It is “go” time, church – let’s all spend a moment right now in prayer for the young hearts that God is going to call to Himself this Friday night. Pray against distractions that would keep kids from attending and the fears that would keep them from confessing faith in Christ. The harvest is plentiful – may we see God reap!

Have a great weekend and do make it to one of our services on Saturday or Sunday – remember, we are committed to gathering, growing, giving and going.

Here’s why I mention it – the gospel will be clearly spelled out for these kids on Friday night. Potentially we could see dozens of young men and women find faith in Jesus for the first time. How many of us can trace our faith origins back to a camp or an outing like Kidapalooza? So here’s the deal – we need to pray for our vision to be realized, that these kids might become Christ followers who eventually make followers who make followers. It is “go” time, church – let’s all spend a moment right now in prayer for the young hearts that God is going to call to Himself this Friday night. Pray against distractions that would keep kids from attending and the fears that would keep them from confessing faith in Christ. The harvest is plentiful – may we see God reap!

Have a great weekend and do make it to one of our services on Saturday or Sunday – remember, we are committed to gathering, growing, giving and going.

Blessings!

Mark

Pastor

Bay Life Church

P.S.

Prayed for the kids yet?

The Life Groups/Connections office at Bay Life Church is currently accepting resumes for a full-time Administrative Assistant position. If interested, please submit a resume to jweaver@baylife.org.

Let Jesus Live In Us

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org

• Kidapalooza – June 13-17 | applications available at the INFOdesk or online
• Blood Pressure Screening – June 12 | after services in the Cry Room
• Welcome Lunch – June 12 | Register by June 5
• Chick-Fil-A cards at the INFOdesk | Missions Benefit - last day to purchase is June 5
• Men's Choir for Father's Day – June 19 | Meet on stage following any service on June 11 or 12 to participate

Greetings Lifers,

I know it’s a busy season – graduations, school wrapping up, etc., but I really need all Lifers on deck for this weekend’s services – I have much to say about our direction and future in my time with you on Saturday or Sunday. So please join us.

So I am reading a book (just started actually) that is challenging me to remember who I am in Christ and how I am to live my life with Him. I have taught you all to live like Jesus lived (and lives), but this book is saying that we need to let Jesus live in us, that Christ is in you and He will live the abundant life He has given you through you as you allow. It’s not a “He will help me live the life” thing, but a “He will live the life Himself” thing. I just need to get out of the way.

Like I said, I am just starting, but I like the authors point so far (he co-writes with another guy – their names are Dan Stone and David Gregory and the book is called “The Rest of the Gospel”). He uses 2 Corinthians 4:18 to set up for us the focus of life -

“...as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

He argues that we all too often make the seen/temporary things of life the focus of life (how much money do I have, who loves me, how important am I at work?) rather than living for the unseen/eternal things (how can I honor God with my money, how much does He love me, how important is God to me?). The unseen (eternal) things coexist with the seen (temporal), but since we can’t see them, we tend to neglect them for what we can see.

But this should not be the case with those who have been saved by the grace of God through Christ. We are to live as Paul teaches the Romans in 12:1-2 (The Message)

1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

So here’s my question – is your focus on things you can see, or things you can’t? Are you well adjusted to your culture and unaware of your Savior? May it not be so for any of us. See you this weekend.

Free,

Mark

Mark Saunders

Pastor, Bay Life Church

Perceptions and Realities

Greetings and Salutations Lifers!

Out of the Shoot Shout Out: if you are in town this weekend, join us on Saturday night or Sunday morning for a time of worship and connection. If you are looking for an awesome way to spend your Saturday afternoon, look no further than the Bay Life Car Show from 10-3. Hundreds of cars, tons of food and booths – a great day for bringing your name in the wall to something at church!  (Shout Out concluded – on with our email)

It has been too long since I last typed you all – I pray that your day/week/month has been laced with grace and that you are keenly aware of God’s hand in your life despite your current circumstances (good or ghastly). I am writing this email as a replacement for one that I started yesterday (I had 7 or 8 paragraphs going – I was on a roll) but lost to a power outage/glitch that popped the lights off here at the church for a second or two.  This one may be shorter than the previous, but no less from the heart.

Had a great time with one of my life groups last night – are you in one of these things? Don’t know how somebody does the Christian life without the shoulders of other Christians – I learn so much from leading my groups. Anyway, we got on the subject of perceptions and realities while discussing the train wrecks that our tongues can cause (James 3) and how our words get misinterpreted by other people’s perceptions. We decided that it’s best to choose words wisely. Turns out that this was God’s idea from the beginning.

So we’re riffing on this whole area of perception and it occurs to me that our view of things is a real life-shaper. I was talking to a friend just today who is in a “required relationship” with someone who is not exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (read: a real jerk). When I asked him if it was possible to perceive what this guy says or does as anything other than “jerky”, he admitted having a difficult time in granting him grace. Seems that people only go so far when it comes to making up their minds about people – with certain folks, we decide and then that’s it.

I guess the wrath that comes when a marred being judges another marred being is to be expected. It’s kind of like my daughter’s chorale concert the other night. I was in the back of the auditorium out of range of my corrective lenses. From where I stood, most of the girls looked the same, and picking my jewel from the lineup of black dresses was near impossible. I just wasn’t close enough to see. I think that’s what happens far too often in our relationships – our vision of each other is blurred by our perception lenses, and we aren’t about to cut someone some slack.

I am certainly grateful that is not the way of our God. His perception actually is reality and He chooses to love us anyway.  Always. When we were at our worst He offered us Himself. I wish I were better at that.

So I’m running a check on me right now – am I judging someone unfairly? How about you all - are you perceiving someone in a certain light and unwilling to change your mind about them? Oh that God would clarify and grant us grace for those around us. May we be more like Him in our dealings with each other.

Free,

Mark Saunders

Lead Pastor
Bay Life Church

National Day of Prayer/Mother's Day

At the INFOdesk@baylife.org this week:

• Blood Pressure Screening - Sunday, May 8 | after each service
• Meet the Need Workday - Saturday, May 14 | meet at 7:30 am in the Bay Life parking lot
• Welcome Lunch - Sunday, May 15 in the loft at 12:30 pm | register by May 8
• Prayer Team Training - Sunday May 15, 12:30 pm in Room 603 | Everyone welcome
• All-Campus Worship - Sunday May 22 | join us at 7 pm in the Worship Center

Greetings Lifers,

I write this email in a diminished state, perhaps a bit blurred from viewing a Lightning victory and a subsequent Dallas Mavericks playoff win (over the dreaded Lakers – I came here from Texas, remember?) that kept me up past even my night-owl bedtime. I share this as an excuse for the prose that follows – if I fail to make much sense, you’ll be apprised.

If you were in church this weekend, you’ll be glad to know that the door I butchered in my attempt to install it has been reworked and revamped by a friend who knows better, which invokes this question – aren’t you grateful for your “friends that know”? We all need them (read: we all need each other) because very few of us are gifted/knowledgeable in every area of life to the point of being able to make it on our own. And none of us (no matter how gifted/knowledgeable) are impervious to the effects of sin in life, right? Invariably we all make bad mistakes or the people around us do and the troubles of life come –it’s in these times that I am particularly grateful for the shoulders of good friends to lean on and cry on, to rest my weary hand on as God through them leads me get back to where I need to be. Where would we be without the love and grace of God through His people?

Ready for Mother’s Day? Me neither. I guess I am pretty well covered with Eleanor in that she brought home a nice new/old desk from an auction the other night and announced that the furniture was her Mother’s Day gift. Works for me – she gets what she wants without me having to shop – per-fec-toh-mun-do (Arthur Fonzerelli quote – if you’re under 30, watch the TV LAND channel, specifically “Happy Days”). But I do need to get some love out to my own mom – think she’d like a new golf club? Nah – she’d probably just give it away, say, to her son. That seals it – mom’s getting a new driver. :)

My tired-head is getting worse, so I will wrap this up. One request – as your pastor and fellow believer, I am asking that you make it out tonight to the Pole Barn at Winthrop Town Center (Bloomingdale and Providence) for tonight’s National Day of Prayer event. Aside from Feed the Bay (my favorite church-collaborative effort in our community), this night is our best chance to join with the other churches in our community. It’s from 7-8:30, and there will probably be a couple thousand of us there, in prayer, out in the open, enjoying our freedom to do so. Be there – you’ll be glad you came!


Free,
Mark Saunders

Lead Pastor
Bay Life Church