Gesundheit!
Hello Harvest South Bay!
The chain link fence for the Basketball Court went up today: again, VERY quickly! Hopefully we can enjoy the full usability of the paved area this coming week!
Please keep our church in prayer as we consult with the denomination concerning our future structure of governance. This year in particular will be a turning point in how our church runs in the future!
Here are this weeks announcements and notes!
Byron
Notes:
Gesundheit!
Live Like a Song: Psalm 128
Exposition/Passage Breakdown
1. 2 Prerequisites for Enjoying God’s Goodness:
Fear the Lord and Walk in His Ways
(Let God be God and submit to Him)
2. 2 Dimensions of Experiencing God’s Goodness: Contentment and Productivity
Experiencing God’s goodness is all about being thankful and touching other people’s lives rather than having material blessings.
3. The Fruit of Knowing God’s Goodness:
Powerful Happiness: Blessedness that changes our live in very concrete ways: helps us live longer and impact our community.
One Application:
Count our Blessings
2 Dimensions
1. Understand Deeply our Contentment in God: Think with great depth at how much the contentment we have in Christ impacts our daily living.
2. Appreciate the Reach of God: Be thankful that God’s blessing of us reaches other people instead of simply touches our own lives.
Weekly Application Exercises
1. Take some time this week to count your blessings- to thank God especially for your contentment in life and to reflect on how He has used your life specifically to influence others to know God more deeply.
2. Purpose to cultivate inner joy through gratitude toward God: when feel at all the martyr, impatient or frustrated, review your motives and your degree of thankfulness before God. Take time to pray a prayer of thanksgiving throughout your days t his week
Parking Lot
Praise God for the Parking Lot! We’ll be scheduling some sort of “Completion Celebration” some day in the near future. Please thank Shawn Kuo in the Taiwanese Congregation for all of his hard work on this much needed project.
Baptism
As has been shared in the past, we are planning a Baptismal service. Please contact Byron if you are interested being baptized. For all who have made your interest clear, more info on dates and our baptism class is forthcoming!
Harvest Summer Retreat!
Save the dates for our Harvest Summer Retreat- August 5-8, 2010! Our speaker this year is Alex Schweng. We look forward to a great time of growth and a FINISHED swimming pool (complete with water slide!)
WOW! Mission Almost Accomplished!
Hey Harvest South Bay!
Looking out my window, it seems as if you all might be parking in an all new parking lot this coming Sunday! Yes, it’s true, that big patch of weeds and dirt last week looks PAVABLE today and they say that they’ll start tomorrow morning: that means that by Sunday you will have much more blacktop to park on (Basketball court coming later I think).
I hope you had an awesome Easter! Thanks for celebrating Good Friday with us and make sure that you say “hi” to all the new people making their way into our congregation… have you noticed them?
Here’s last week’s notes and announcements!
Resurrection Reaction
Easter Sunday: Acts 1:1-14
Exposition:
3 Applications to the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus
1. Stop and Listen: the disciples paused to listen to Christ’s commands in reaction to the resurrection.
2.Obey against our Inclinations: The disciples obeyed Jesus to sequester themselves while they most likely were very excited about the resurrection and ascension.
3. Be Empowered: The disciples waited for Christ’s power through the Holy Spirit to go and be His witnesses.
Parking Lot Construction
Take a look out the window and see the progress of the parking lot! Constuction has been delayed due to rain but completion of the project is not far off. Please advise your children to be careful during this period.
Baptism
As has been shared in the past, we are planning a Baptismal service. Please contact Byron if you are interested being baptized. For all who have made your interest clear, more info on dates and our baptism class is forthcoming!
Harvest Summer Retreat!
Save the dates for our Harvest Summer Retreat- August 5-8, 2010! Our speaker this year is Alex Schweng. We look forward to a great time of growth and a FINISHED swimming pool (complete with water slide!)
EFC General Assembly Officers
During the EFC General Assembly in Taiwan last month, these officers were appointed:
Pastor in Charge:
Rev. Tse Feng Chuang
V.P. in Charge:
Rev Livingstone Liu
Moderator: Elder Jay Kuo
Vice Moderator: Elder Max Wu
Weekly Application Exercises:
1. If your quiet time routine has been less than routine, take this week to either reestablish your time with God or make it more consistent and deep. Take special time to reflect and listen to the Lord as you invite Him to address your relationships and your prayer needs.
2. Weigh the sum of your discipleship to Christ: does it consist mostly of actions that are comfortable and beneficial more to yourself rather than the Kingdom of God? What difficult things might God be calling you to do and change in your life? What barriers would God empower you to overcome?
New Website! Happy Passion Week!
Hey everyone! I’m just now using the new website- you have to come see it, it looks great! (www.harvestsb.org).
Have a great Passion Week! Don’t forget our Good Friday Service this coming Friday night at 7:00-8:00! Bring your friends and family- and to Easter Service too!
Byron
Harvest Good Friday Service
Friday, April 2nd 7:00-8:00 PM
Harvest will be conducting its first Good Friday Service this year! Come out to join with the Harvest family to commemorate the sacrifice of our Lord, anticipating the celebration of His resurrection.
Parking Lot Construction
Take a look out the window and see the progress of the parking lot! Constuction has been delayed due to rain but completion of the project is not far off. Please advise your children to be careful during this period.
Baptism
As has been shared in the past, we are planning a Baptismal service. Please contact Byron if you are interested being baptized.
Harvest Summer Retreat!
Save the dates for our Harvest Summer Retreat- August 5-8, 2010! Our speaker this year is Alex Schweng. We look forward to a great time of growth and a FINISHED swimming pool (complete with water slide!)
Happy Place
Live Like a Song: Psalm 126
2 Applications from Psalm 126
1. Reflect on God’s Deliverance.
2. Reflect on God’s Promised Hope
Weekly Application Exercises:
1. Take some time this Passion Week to reflect on how different your life would be like apart from the work of Christ on the cross. Think through especially how your inner life would differ throughout the course of a normal day and how salvation changes your thoughts and actions.
2. Make a mental list of 3 things which you will enjoy in heaven. Ponder especially the impact of living forever and how our hearts will be different when we are finally free of all rebellion, sin and temptation.
Don’t Forget: SPRING FORWARD!
Hey Harvest!
Just a reminder to set your clocks forward this Saturday night for DST!
Have a great Sunday!
Byron
Rest In Peace!
Happy Tuesday Harvest!
Once again the heavy machinery and workmen are hard at work on the retaining wall downstairs in the new parking lot. At this pace they should be done VERY quickly- take a look this coming Sunday and I’m sure you’ll be impressed.
As I mentioned this last week, the Gideons International are going to be joining us March 14th for a presentation of God’s work through their ministry. Please welcome them! Since they will be doing a presentation during the Sunday School hour as well, please be on time and usher others into the Sunday School room at 11:30 AM!
Here, again, are the notes and the announcements.
Byron
Rest In Peace
Live Like a Song: Psalm 122
3 Applications from Psalm 122:
1. Church Ought to be a Happy Place! A place that we’re glad to come to, even when it means that we face some painful realities. We should be happy to connect to God, His people, and a clear view of reality.
2. We need to Wonder at the Work of God. The Psalmist expresses marvel at how God puts the people of God together in unity despite their diversity.
3. We need to Work toward the Principle of Peace. Enjoying fellowship and God’s work comes as we work toward not disturbing the peace that God gives to believers. It takes sacrifice!
Weekly Application Exercises:
1. Take stock of your ministries here at Harvest South Bay. How are you contributing to the Body here? What is your attitude toward that contribution? Do you look forward to ministering to others?
2. How can you work harder at making your time at church spiritually productive for others? Have you been praying with and for people as we were challenged to do at the beginning of the year?
Special Missions Offering
The Board has approved to set up a special offering for Mike and Nancy Tseng to provide for them two round trip air tickets for two of their parents to go from LA to visit them. If you like to participate in this offering, please specify in the memo of your check: “Mission Gift”. We are currently short only ~$400.
Refreshments Sign Up
The new sign up sheet is in the foyer! Sign up to do your part and thanks to all who have been faithfully supplying refreshments thus far!
Parking Lot Construction
Take a look out the window and see the progress of the retaining wall! Constuction has been delayed due to rain but completion of the project is not far off. Please advise your children to be careful during this period. Also, the project budget is still short $10,000. Please prayerfully consider giving toward the finalization of the parking lot as it adds to the ministry and welcoming nature of our church.
Communion Sunday!
Today is communion Sunday! Going forward we will partake of communion every last Sunday of the month. Prepare your hearts and anticipate the table of the Lord.
Baptism
As has been shared in the past, we are planning a Baptismal service. Please contact Byron if you are interested being baptized.
Sure!
Sure!
Live Like a Song: Psalm 121
The Environment of the Psalms:
There was always the temptation of polytheism for the Old Testament believer since the mindset was to guard oneself by paying homage to more than one deity. If one deity was either angry or let you down, at least another who you worshiped would be on your side. We are idolatrous in the same way when we invest our security in different sources, whether education or money, popularity or personality.
3 Applications from Psalm 121
1. Have no other Saviors: Don’t rest secure in anything else except for Christ.
2. Fear no other gods: Don’t be afraid that anything in life can overpower our God: He is omnipotent.
3. Trust God for Salvation: Trust that God is both good and powerful, that He will save us.
Weekly Application Exercises:
1. Take some time to identify your major goals in life: the things you spend serious time devoting energy and thought to. Examine how these have become your source of security or help supplanting God. Reaffirm your confidence and security in God.
2. Examine your fears about life, the sources that hold you back from living fully for God. Recall God’s power over your other sources of fear in the past and how He has proven Himself faithful and sovereign.
Special Missions Offering
The Board has approved to set up a special offering for Mike and Nancy Tseng to provide for them two round trip air tickets for two of their parents to go from LA to visit them. If you like to participate in this offering, please specify in the memo of your check: “Mission Gift”. We are currently short only ~$400.
Refreshments Sign Up
The new sign up sheet is in the foyer! Sign up to do your part and thanks to all who have been faithfully supplying refreshments thus far!
Parking Lot Construction
Construction has begun and will continue throughout the month of February. Please advise your children to be careful during this period. Also, the project budget is short $10,000. Please prayerfully consider giving toward the finalization of this project as it adds to the ministry and welcoming nature of our church.
Mad at the World
Hello Harvest!
It’s exciting to look out my window and see the progress of the new “basketball court.” It will be such a great change to come to church and not have to worry about having our cars damaged since the new basketball court will afford us so much more room for our cars to maneuver as well! Remember to keep your kids safe out on the blacktop while construction is occurring!
Here are the note and announcements for this week. Also, keep an eye out since I will be trying to send out daily morning devotions during Tuesday-Friday sometime soon. I had planned on doing it sooner but many life changes prevented it happening for a bit!
Byron
Harvest South Bay: February 14th , 2010
Mad at the World
Live Like a Song: Psalm 120
The Nature of the Psalms (and studies therein):
The Psalms are first and foremost SONGS- they were meant to resonate with our hearts and help us to sing to God the different emotions that we experience in life. They affirm truth about God and about our own inner state and are meant to be memorized, sung, hummed (when we have a tune!) and made a part of our experience. These Psalms that we are studying, the Psalms of Ascent (PS 120-134) were sung on the journey to Jerusalem during the three national festivals: Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.
3 Applications from Psalm 120
1. It’s Okay to be Frustrated!: Believers do not belong to the world and so it is okay to feel frustrated at how the world does things.
2. It’s Okay to Complain: We are not to push down and extinguish our emotions, but let God know about them. Then, as we complain to Him, He changes our hearts, addresses our issues and helps us through the frustration that we have with the world.
3. Trust in God’s Deliverance: We need to go to God and trust in Him as our savior in all circumstances instead of placing our hope in other sources to fix our lives.
Weekly Application Exercises:
1. Take some moments to understand what you most complain about in life: whether at work or school or within your family. Let God into your complaint and ask Him for strength, wisdom and grace in that situation.
2. Memorize Psalm 120:1-2 in order to remember God’s deliverance. Apply God’s deliverance by asking for His help in your everyday struggles to grow in Christ.
Special Missions Offering
The Board has approved to set up a special offering for Mike and Nancy Tseng to provide for them two round trip air tickets for two of their parents to go from LA to visit them. If you like to participate in this offering, please specify in the memo of your check: “Mission Gift”. We are currently short only ~$400.
Refreshments Sign Up
The new sign up sheet is in the foyer! Sign up to do your part and thanks to all who have been faithfully supplying refreshments thus far!
Parking Lot Construction
Construction has begun and will continue throughout the month of February. Please advise your children to be careful during this period. Also, the project budget is short $10,000. Please prayerfully consider giving toward the finalization of this project as it adds to the ministry and welcoming nature of our church.
Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) Joint Meeting (Feb 21 11:30)
Per the request of the EFC South Bay SPC (Strategic Planning Committee), a meeting to discuss Harvest’s future, Byron’s ordination and any other church matters is scheduled on Sunday, February 21 with the Harvest Leadership Team. Please pray for the discussion and outcome.
Wii…Empowered
Hey Harvest South Bay!
Quick check! How many people sat and prayed with someone after the GA meeting? After Sunday School? Well, there’s one more way to follow through on this Sunday’s application: praying with someone SOMETIME this week in a casual setting!
As many of you know, our family will be away for the weekend in sunny (actually the forecast is for rain) Solvang. We’ll catch up with you and see you all NEXT week!
Byron
Harvest South Bay January 31st , 2010
Will Empowered
Live Big: Ephesians 6:10-20
The Passage:
A. Overall Motive: Be Strengthened
B. The Armor
1. Belt of Truth 2. Breastplate of Righteousness (God’s Imputed Righteousness)
3. Shoes of Peace (the preparation of the Gospel of Peace)
4. Shield of Faith 5. Helmet of Salvation 6. Sword of the Spirit
C. The Activator: PRAYER!
Follow Through Applications
1. Realize the Nature of the Battle
2. Rely on God’s Strength (How?)
A. Ask for God’s Strength (Admit our own weakness)
B. Rely on God’s Defenses (affirm what He says in His Word about the Armor)
3. PRAY
Weekly Application Exercises
1. Pray with a fellow believer outside of a church structured time of prayer.
2. Spend some time meditating on changes God would have you commit to this year. Express your dependence to Him in prayer concerning each change that needs to happen in your life.
Announcements!
Prayer Ministry every Sunday @ 9AM
Sunday Morning prayer meetings are starting up weekly. Come join us in the Sunday School room to pray for our church and our community.
Special Missions Offering
The Board has approved to set up a special offering for Mike and Nancy Tseng to provide for them two round trip air tickets for two of their parents to go from LA to visit them. If you like to participate in this offering, please specify in the memo of your check: “Mission Gift”. We are currently short only ~$400.
Annual General Assembly Meeting Join us today after service for our annual general meeting with the rest of EFC South Bay. We will vote on the new year’s budget and approve other items of business! We need you there for a quorum!
Refreshments Sign Up
The new sign up sheet is in the foyer! Sign up to do your part and thanks to all who have been faithfully suppying refreshments thus far!
Haiti Earthquake Relief
The Republic of Haiti was hit by a severe earthquake on January 12th, and the EFCGA is seeking to raise funds for disaster relief. Collected funds will go towards: 1. Financially helping Taiwanese/Chinese immigrants in Haiti who are in urgent need 2. Supporting the re-building of Taiwanese/Chinese churches in Haiti 3. Identifying opportunities to provide a caring center or to build a local EFC church in Haiti. This ministry will be handled by the North American Eastern Regional Assembly. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please write the check out to “EFC” and designate “Haiti Disaster Relief” on the memo line.
Parking Lot Construction
Contruction has begun and will continue throughout the month of February. Please advise your children to be careful during this period. Also, the project budget is short $10,000. Please prayerfully consider giving toward the finalization of this project as it adds to the ministry and welcoming nature of our church.
Who’s the Boss?
Good Morning/Week Harvest South Bay!
You may have noticed that these posts haven’t been as consistent this year. I’m hoping to be more on the ball as Christine and I clear up our long term childcare needs and form a new groove for 2010. Thanks for your patience!
Thanks everyone who is being so diligent at providing snacks during Sundays! I can speak for everyone when I say that everything has been top notch!
See you all this Sunday!
Byron
Harvest South Bay January 24th , 2010
Who’s The Boss?
Live Big: Ephesians 6:5-9
2 Commands
1. The Command for Slaves: Obey!
2. The Command for Masters: Be Considerate (Do to them the same).
Workplace Applications
1. Change Masters: we need to now consider Christ our motivation.
2. Redefine Excellence: doing our job well means intending well toward those who it is directed.
3. Serve with Integrity and Faith: we need to act fully in integrity and trust that God takes care of the results- just as Christian masters had to give up threatening their slaves and trust that God would be the ultimate arbiter in their relationship.
Weekly Application Exercises
1. Commit on Monday to an hourly attitude check: on the hour, every hour revue your attitude at whatever vocation you are at (student, employee, employer) and whether you are actively serving Christ. End the day with an evaluation of how this practice changes your perspective on people that are difficult or work that might seem menial.
2. Spend some time meditating on how God would have you change your behaviors at work or school so as to reflect the character of Jesus: how does He call you to be different, even though it might seem inefficient or ineffective in the eyes of the world?
Truth, Be Told
Hi Harvest!
Once again, Christine and I and our whole family would like to thank you for your prayers and support during this difficult time as her dad is in the hospital. Please continue to pray this week for his health and healing as he battles the bleeding in his lungs. We thank God for His great strength and comfort, but most of all that dad is greatly at peace in the presence of Christ.
Byron
Prayer Ministry every Sunday @ 9AM
Sunday Morning prayer meetings are starting up weekly. Come join us in the Sunday School room to pray for our church and our community.
Harvest Christmas Celebration
Dec. 19th 6:30 PM
Save the date and join us! Willis and Linda Shu have graciously opened their home to our church for our annual Christmas celebration. Food, fun, and a time to focus on our Savior! Make sure to respond to the Evite and let Martin know if you would like to be added!
Special Missions Offering
The Board has approved to set up a special offering for Mike and Nancy Tseng to provide for them two round trip air tickets for two of their parents to go from LA to visit them. If you like to participate in this offering, please specify in the memo of your check: “Mission Gift”. If we receive more money than the actual expense, the surplus will go to the church’s general mission fund.
Lunch Offering
Our church’s Sunday lunch has been traditionally supplied by families sponsoring one, two or more weekend’s per year ($350 per weekend). The offering is now open for church members to sign up. In the past we received most lunch offering from Taiwanese congregation but we would like to encourage families/members in both the English and Mandarin groups to participate more. To sign up go to:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=ttB7YbGBz9XNeVMVDyEyB-Q
EFC/HarvestSB Christmas Banquet Sunday, 12/20 6:00-9:00 PM
6-7PM – Banquet
7-7:30PM (Program Preparation)
7:30-9PM Christmas Program
Short message: 10 – 15 mins
CYM program: 20 mins
Taiwanese Cong program: 10 – 15 mins
English Cong program: 10 – 15 mins
Mandarine Cong program: 10 -15 mins
Harvest South Bay
December 13th, 2009
Truth, Be Told
Live Big: Ephesians 4:17-32
Background (Eph 4:1-3)
Our Goal: Preserve the Unity of the Spirit
One Application:
Speak Truth to One Another
3 Dimensions:
1. Speak of Right Ethics
2. Speak of Right Speech
3. Speak of Right Attitudes
Weekly Application Exercises
1. Reflect on the last time that someone “spurred you on” to become more Christlike. How can you take that experience and replicate it in helping other Christians grow by keeping them accountable to their commitment to God?
2. In what ways can you be seeking out effective accountability? Make a short list of people you would like to see help you grow spiritually; how can you welcome them to confront you more honestly and more often in your areas where you need the most help?