HAPPY NEW YEAR!

STAFF FAVORITES FROM 2025:

Song: “Don’t Stop Praying”
Rachel Tidwell, Kids Min. Director

Book, The Circle Maker
Jocelyn Gomes, Youth Min. Assistant

Book, The Familiar Stranger
Bethany Mowad, Jamestown Outreach Coordinator

Podcast, “Am I Doing this Right?”
Comfort Stanton, Comm. Assistant

Book, Blessed Broken Given
Erik Wold, JHM Lead

Book, The Power of Moments
Bryan Stanton, Worship Pastor
 
Podcast, The Daily Grace
Keri Conlin-Stanton, Worship Assistant

Podcast, The Bible Project
Amber Sanfeliz, Nursery Coordinator

Book, Jesus Calling for Kids
Sarah Sommarstrom, Friendship Team Master

Song, In Jesus Name
Deb Martinelli, the real boss

Book, Room For Good Things to Run Wild
Anna McCay, Facilities

Book, Redeeming Your Time
Emily Turner, Director of Comm. & Connection

Songs, Highlands & Seasons
Victoria Williams, Kids Min. Assistant

His book list will need it’s own post!
Nate Levering, Lead Pastor

Book, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands
Ralph Milnik, Shepherding Pastor

Book, Where The Wind Leads
Molly Howard, Comm. Assistant

Book, Systematic Theology
Randy Richter, Director of Operations

As the air crisps up and the trees trade their summer greens for the deep golds and fiery reds of fall (have you seen our campus???), it’s hard not to pause and reflect on the goodness of God. There’s something about this season — the rhythm of harvest and tradition, the slow fading of light, the gathering warmth around crockpot meals. To me, it's the invitation of gratitude. And in many ways, the Book of Esther mirrors this same theme: quiet transitions, unseen movements, and the steady, faithful hand of God working behind the scenes to change the story.

One of the remarkable things about Esther is that God’s name as we read it in the English text is not mentioned and yet His presence is everywhere. In Esther’s courage, in Mordecai’s wisdom, in the sleepless night of a king — every turn of the story reveals divine providence working through human choices.

It’s a reminder that even when God feels silent or hidden, He is never absent. God’s plan is powerful and His character is faithful, bringing about redemption in ways we often recognize only in hindsight.

Have you ever considered that fall is a season of trust? Farmers have gathered the harvest, but the fields now rest. Trees let go of what once gave them life. Nature itself demonstrates a faith that the Creator’s plan will continue — that what dies will rise again.

Esther’s story carries the same truth. She risked everything with the words, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). We witness a surrender born not of despair but of deep faith that her life was held by a greater hand. In our own seasons of uncertainty, we can rest in that same truth: God’s timing is perfect, even when we cannot see it. What are you uncertain about that you need to surrender to the Hand who holds it all?

As we move closer to the holidays — to Thanksgiving’s gratitude, Advent’s anticipation, and Christmas’s joy — Esther’s story points us forward to our Deliverer.
Just as God raised Esther “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) to save the Jewish people, He sent Jesus at the perfect time to bring salvation to those who believe in Him. Esther’s courage opened the door for her people’s deliverance; Christ’s sacrifice opened the way for our eternal redemption. And it reminds us that no matter how uncertain the times, hope always has a name: Jesus.

So as you sip your cider, wrap up in sweaters, and watch the leaves fall (or Sunday football), take time to notice the subtle beauty of God’s faithfulness. He is present in every detail — from the turning of the seasons to the turning of our hearts toward Him.

May this fall be more than just a transition of weather and crockpot meals (though they are tasty!). May it be a season of renewed trust, grateful reflection, and hope anchored in Jesus, the One who works all things — seen and unseen — for our good. Because He is good. 

Yessss ... it's raining! There’s something cozy about a rainy day, right? Like, the world is all quiet (unless your office window faces Tuolumne Road), the air smells fresh, and you can just curl up with a cup of coffee (or tea, if you're feeling fancy) and let the drizzle soundtrack your thoughts. Sure, you might get soggy on the way to work, but who’s caring?

Speaking of Sunday (did you just go back through the first paragraph to see if I mention Sunday?? Nice transition, right?)...I’ve been loving this series on the book of Jonah. I mean, all of what we know about Jonah through these 4 chapters is relatable, right? Run away from God, get swallowed by a fish, then pray for deliverance – all in a day’s work. What really strikes me, though, is the mercy that shines through the whole story. God didn’t just give Jonah a “you blew it” lecture; He gave him another chance. And that mercy wasn’t just for Jonah, but for the people of Nineveh too. Talk about a second (or third or fourth) chance! If that isn’t a reminder that God’s mercy is far greater than our ability to mess things up, I don’t know what is.

As much as Jonah tried to avoid the whole “do what God says” thing, God’s mercy kept showing up like an uninvited guest who’s just there to love on you. In a world where we’re all running in different directions—away from responsibilities, commitments, or even just our own flaws and mistakes—it’s good to know that God isn’t up there keeping score. He’s all about offering grace, even when we think we’ve messed it all up. The fact that He let Jonah get another shot at it is a reminder that we’re never too far gone for His love to reach us.

So, here’s to rainy days that make us pause, to looking forward to the Sunday message as we continue in this Jonah series, and to remembering that God's mercy is as refreshing as a downpour in what has felt like a winter drought. Let’s all take a moment to enjoy the rain and the grace that pours out, no matter how far we’ve tried to run from it.

The story of Jonah begins with a simple command: God tells Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and deliver a message of repentance. But Jonah, in his humanness, does the opposite. Instead of heading east to Nineveh, he boards a ship heading west to Tarshish. It's a moment many of us can relate to—a sense of running away from what God has asked us to do, perhaps out of fear, resentment, or a simple desire to avoid discomfort. And yet, it is in this very moment of disobedience that God's mercy shines brightest.

In Jonah 1, God doesn’t immediately cast judgment on Jonah for his defiance. Instead, He sends a mighty storm, one that threatens the lives of everyone on board. What’s striking here is that God's response to Jonah’s flight is not to punish him immediately but to wake him up. The storm is intentional. God’s mercy is not in sparing Jonah the storm, but in using the storm to bring Jonah back to Himself.

In a late night chat with my middle daughter, she asked me why God doesn't "save us" when He is all powerful and can save. Asking her what she meant by "save us", her response was rearranged to pose this- why doesn't God just give us what we want and make life easy for us since He can? Also, she is 11 and I wanted to ask, "What is hard?" ... but I thought better of it.

I silently chuckled at her question because most parents, I believe, would echo that we certainly know it is not in anyone's favor to give our child/ children everything they want. Could you imagine the chaos if everyone had a right to what they wanted, when they wanted it without any sense of boundary, consideration or reality that our wants change from moment to moment? My goodness. Pure insanity! So what is God's response to us in our human response to what is hard?

The sailors, who at first have no idea of Jonah’s disobedience, become increasingly desperate as the storm intensifies. In their panic, they turn to their gods, but nothing changes. Jonah, however, knows the storm is meant for him, and he admits his guilt. He tells them to throw him overboard, and the moment he is cast into the sea, the storm ceases. God’s mercy, it seems, is also extended to the sailors. It’s a beautiful reminder that God’s mercy is not confined to one person or group but has the power to affect all who are touched by His grace.

Jonah’s journey is not unlike our own at times. We often try to flee from God's calling, seeking refuge in places where we think we can hide from Him. Whether it's in the busyness of life, in relationships, or even in our hard, we try to outrun what we know God is calling us to face. But just as God didn’t leave Jonah alone in his running, He doesn’t leave us either. In fact, He pursues us with love and mercy (and boundaries), even when we are at our lowest, and invites us back to the place where we can encounter His grace.

This story speaks deeply to the nature of humanity. Jonah’s story isn’t just about a prophet in rebellion; it’s about the universal truth that we all, at some point, need God’s mercy to restore us to the path He has set before us.

God’s mercy is not earned by our obedience or our goodness. It is often in our weakest moments that we experience it most profoundly. Jonah’s journey shows us that even in our failures, God’s love is relentless, and His desire for our restoration is unwavering. Just as He sent the storm to turn Jonah around, He is always willing to use whatever means necessary to bring us back into His embrace. It is in this tender mercy that we find our greatest need: a need for God, for His guidance, His forgiveness, and His love.

A Year of Blessings: Reflecting on God's Faithfulness in Our Church and Community

As we close out another year, it’s hard not to be filled with gratitude for the many ways God has worked in and through our church and community. This year has been one of incredible growth, service, and transformation, and we are humbled to witness the continued faithfulness of our God. From the tireless work of those serving in our Food Pantry and Hospitality ministries to the exciting development of a new youth facility, it’s clear that God’s hand has been guiding and blessing the steps we take together in the mission, To Know Jesus and Make Him Known. With hearts full of praise, we take this opportunity to reflect on the abundant mercies we’ve experienced and to look forward with anticipation to 2025.

One of the most inspiring aspects of this year has been the unwavering commitment of our church family to serve those in need. Our Food Pantry continues to be a beacon of hope in the community, providing food, household products and prayer to families facing hardships. Volunteers have poured out their time and energy, every week, ensuring that each individual and family be greeted with love and dignity. In addition, a new opportunity showed up for many of our teams to love on and serve the kids in Jamestown. Many of our missions partners were visited, served and supported by staff, youth teams and many of you! Whether through events, trips, pantry services or simply offering a kind word and a welcoming smile on Sundays, the generosity and compassion poured out locally and globally displayed by you have been a testament to Christ’s love in action.

This year also saw the exciting beginnings of a project that has been close to our hearts for some time ... literally, years! The construction of our new youth facility has not only begun but is more and more complete each week. It’s hard to overstate how significant this is—not only for the faith being built up in our church but for the future of the next generation. This new space will provide a safe, welcoming environment for our young people to gather, learn, and grow. As the walls go up, we are reminded of the foundation already laid in the lives of so many of our youth. We’re grateful for the many hands that have contributed to this project ... and when we say, many, we mean hundreds!!

Our children’s programs have also been a source of joy and growth this year. From Sunday and Monday PM programs to Vacation Bible School and summer camp at Hume Lake, we have seen our Kids Ministry thrive! It’s been amazing to witness the enthusiasm with which our kids are embracing their faith, and we are thankful for the dedicated leaders and volunteers who pour into their lives week after week. Through creative lessons, worship, and activities, these programs are planting seeds that will bear fruit for years to come.

As we reflect on the year, we are reminded that all of these blessings come from the abundant mercy of our Heavenly Father. It’s been His provision, His grace, and His love that have sustained us through every challenge and celebration. We are in awe of how He has used our church to be a light in this community, and we trust that He will continue to lead us in the year ahead. As we look to the future, we do so with hearts full of hope, knowing that God has great plans in store for each of us.

In closing, we want to take this moment to thank God for His faithful presence throughout this year, and to thank each one of you for your dedication to the mission, To Know Jesus and Make Him Known. We are a family, united in Christ, and we have seen the power of that unity in thousands of ways in 2024. As we step into the new year, our prayer is that it will be a year of continued growth, service, and blessing for everyone in our church and community. May we all continue to walk in His grace and peace, and may 2025 be a year filled with even more opportunities to serve, love, and glorify God in all that we do. Wishing you a blessed and fruitful new year ahead!

The SBC Staff Team

I'd love to just start this post like any others but I also feel like because it has been such a long time in between this and the last one, I should take a quick second to reintroduce myself and this blog. The blog originated as a way to bring the Sunday sermon back to our mid-week minds, while also sharing some highlights from the week and reminders for upcoming events. What it turned into, I realized, was an incredibly special way for God to meet me in His word and in those sermons I'd recap. He'd graciously remind me of stories from my life that connected to His truth, gently refreshing Romans 8:28 in my soul, and through sharing those tidbits, you and I connected. You'd find me in the Commons on a Sunday or email me to tell me your story and that has been such a joy. I have absolutely loved hearing your stories as well.

Our church is in the midst of such a fun season of growth. We have newcomers each week. Friends are growing in their faith and in their families. Teams are building and strengthening. When I say fun, I mean ... this is FUN! What God does is so fun. Hard and all the things, sure. But certainly fun! So, hi! I'm Emily Turner and I get the amazing privilege of being our Director of Connection and Communication here at Sierra Bible Church. I've been attending SBC for the last 15 years and have been on staff for the last 3 of those years. I've served here in a variety of ways, from Youth Ministry and Kids Ministry to the Friendship Team and missions. When I say I love this church, I really mean I love this church!

But as much as I love this church, it was really hard to be vulnerable with you. It wasn't you. It was me. Back in January, if you were around, you may have heard Pastor Nate mention to pray for me as we weren't really sure what was happening and why I was so sick. It came on quickly. Below is a photo of me with my oldest daughter as she prepared for her very first middle school dance. We had been excitedly talking about it for weeks and I mustered up enough strength to get up, get in the passenger seat and walk her to the school gym door. This was one week in to having kaleidoscope vision, losing all balance and coordination, having facial paralysis on my right side, combating the worst head and right eye pain I've ever had, and battling constant nausea. I couldn't drive, could barely eat or drink, was quickly going blind in my right eye, losing the ability to walk and still found myself too prideful to ask for help. Pray for me, sure, but any other help, I'm good. UNTIL a dear friend, who also happens to be a nurse in town, called me literally the minute we got home from dropping our daughter off, and told me that God had put me on her heart and she needed to take me to the ER. It was because of that call that I went to the ER, had multiple MRI's and CT's, a spinal tap and more blood tests than I can count ... and eventually made my way to Stanford Hospital for even more blood tests and what turned out to be a 3-day steroid treatment for an MS (Multiple Sclerosis) diagnosis. 

I'm sharing all of this because I needed help. There were people in my life who were looking and praying and seeing that this was a burden I could not carry on my own. Each day while I was at Stanford under such excellent care, God met me. He met me in the quiet at night when the other patients were sleeping and the lights were dimmed. He met me in the kindness of the nursing staff who created crafted eyewear for me while my vision was being corrected. He met me in the chaos of not knowing what was happening because I knew He knew. He met me in the moments of grief and mourning a diagnosis I never wanted. And over and over again He reminded me that I was never meant to do this life alone. I was never meant to single-handedly carry the burdens and weight of this world. I'm not even meant to carry the diagnosis of MS alone. And praise the Lord for that. 

When I came home, because I was still unable to drive and was very slow to walk, my mom came to visit and helped in just about every way. Friends would pick me up for work so Eric could bring the girls to school and go to work. Someone paid for a house cleaner and I was incredibly awkward when she came to clean. It was great. Friends, not only be open to asking, but be open to the idea that God is waiting to meet you by the extent of someone else's generosity. Like Pastor Nate said on Sunday, "God makes it personal". God knows us so well and knows our needs even more than we do, so when he prompts us to help or prompts someone else to help you, listen. 

Do you hear me, church? God is fun. Life is hard. Diagnoses are hard. Treatments can be hard. Days can definitely be hard. Carrying burdens is not easy. But not only is God good through all of it, He offers us JOY in it. We get to grow in our faith. We get to see His promise of truth conquering every hard thing about what we walk through. We get to experience life and connection and sweet moments with Him and it is fun.

Ok, well, I sure love you church and always consider it pure joy to be with you, share life with you and serve alongside of you. Tonight is our final Summer Growth Workshop so I'm headed up to the Commons shortly for our potluck. I hope you'll sign up and join us at Old Oak Ranch on August 18 for the all-church potluck/ picnic to we can have fun together. The Fall holds so many opportunities to build community and grow together so I hope you'll jump in! 

The campus this week has been and continues to be inundated with people hungry for connection, urgent for aid and willing to serve. Our staff team and volunteer teams say this repeatedly - it is an honor to sit front and center to watch how God moves and changes lives. He has sure changed our lives.

On Sunday, April 7, Pastor Nate led the start of a new series, Praxis. This is an 8-week study through the book of Acts. We will talk about boldness in our faith. We'll share stories about how God continues to work out His salvation in our lives through His goodness and mercy. On April 21, we'll begin a 6-week run for Spring LifeGroups, which is always a good way to connect and help make a large church feel small. We invite you to plug in and dive deeper into this study with amazing people!

As I've been going through the 2-Week Praxis Workbook (handed out on April 7), I've been taken aback by some of these verses. One of them is this:

Acts 2:24, "God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it".

It was not possible for death to overcome our Jesus. Can you just fathom the power of our Lord? This week as we've met with Food Pantry clients, the Caregiving Team, hosted the Not My Kid event, and met individually with families, couples and friends who are hurting, suffering, and desiring to find joy, I am reminded that it is He who is able. Our God. Our God is able to cure. Our God is able to mend. Our God conquered the grave and restores humanity. Our God. And He is not done. Amen?

We'll see you again this Sunday, Church. 

You can download a 2-week workbook here that covers our first 13 days of Acts.

Here is the reading plan bookmark if you'd like to further your study in this section of Scripture.

This introduction is a long time coming! A few months back, there were some necessary changes and shifts for our church staff. One of those was hiring for a Communication Assistant. After many hours of praying, discussing and meeting with potential applicants, it was obvious that (drum roll ....) Molly would be our newest member to the staff team. She comes to us as a recent college graduate, eager to learn and serve the Lord. Molly is in the office part-time and would love to meet you. We asked her a few questions so that you could all get to know her as well. Here we go, church. Here's Molly!

1. Tell us a little bit about where you grew up and how you came to faith.
I’ve lived in the Don Pedro area for most of my life and I went to college in Phoenix, AZ. I was very fortunate to grow up with a family who loves Jesus and attended church regularly. When I was a young child, I remember vividly thinking about the Gospel and not being able to get it out of my head. I thought, even at that age, about the fact that I was lost without Jesus in my life. I told my parents about this and with some guidance from them was able to understand what it meant to be saved through Jesus Christ and put my faith in him. When I was 14 years old and had a deeper understanding of what following Christ looked like, I decided to get baptized. I am forever grateful for how He has worked in my life and the opportunity to grow deeper in my faith each day and serve Him!

2. Was there a class you took or a teacher you had in college that changed the course of your schooling?
The most impactful class I took during college was called design practicum. I went to Grand Canyon University and studied advertising and graphic design. This course helps students know what it takes to succeed in a career post-college. In this course, I attended networking events and job fairs. I also updated my LinkedIn, personal branding, and professional presence and prepared for different kinds of interviews with the help of my peers and professor. However, the most impactful part of this class was creating a physical portfolio book with the best designs and campaigns from all the previous years of college. It was amazing to get feedback from my peers and professor on how to improve as well as get to see the awesome work my classmates had created. This course ended with a showcase that was an incredible event for everyone involved. I will take with me much of what I learned in this course going forward and will not soon forget the practical advice from my professor and peers.


3. Tell us about what exciting life event you have coming up.I recently got engaged to my college sweetheart, Chris Gilles! We are getting married in September and I am beyond excited for this new chapter.



4. Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? What makes it special to you?
I’ve never thought about this before, but I would have to say my favorite book changes depending on what I’m reading and where I am in my life. Right now, I’m reading Psalms and have been getting so much out of this book and finding so much goodness in each chapter.

5. Coffee or tea?
I love tea! I drink it almost every day. Chai is one of my favorites, but I also really love fruit flavored green tea!

6. Beach or lake?
This is a hard one! I would say beach because I love the ocean waves and the sand. Although, I do love the lake and I even worked at one for a time.

7. Pause or rewind time?
I would choose to pause time and savor the moment!

8. Pizza or sandwiches?
Pizza is one of my favorites!

9. Would you rather swallow a live bee or dead fly?
Both sound pretty gross, but I have to choose a dead fly.

10. If you could live anywhere for 30 days where would you choose?
If I could live anywhere for 30 days, I would probably choose to live in a modern treehouse home. That sounds like it would be a fun adventure for 30 days!

What does love look like in your life?

Today on campus, it looks like food distribution and prayer. Tomorrow, it'll look like hundreds of people gathered to learn more about how they can support their loved ones, friends, schools and this community around mental health wellness. On Thursday, it'll look like people in grief coming together to be reminded that they're seen and loved and valued. Love is Jesus and in His name, we get to love others well. Really well.

We are currently in the middle of our What Love Is series. For the past few Sundays and the ones to come, the messages have and will continue to focus on the truth of love. Not our feelings about it. Not how society or trends try to define it. But what it actually is and how Jesus has displayed Himself as love to our world, from generation to generation. Last Sunday, teacher, Nathan Milnik asked the congregation this, "Are you an effective Christian?". Are we prepared to be dropped into any situation and, with the knowledge of who Christ is and what He's done for us, share that well with others? Have we been affected by the life and death of Jesus so much so that it has changed our mindset and our heart?

The text we looked at on Sunday was Luke 24, specifically the Road to Emmaus when Jesus low-key appeared to two of His disciples after His death and resurrection, and hid His identity from them. Do we realize we are walking with Jesus in our day to day lives? Are we remembering that because of His sovereignty, He is with us in all things? What habits in our lives need to change to reconcile our identity in a risen Christ who lives in us?

Colossians 1:15-23 says this,

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Christ wants to heal all of it- the separation of man from God, man from nature, man from self and man from others. Why? You know this, church. Because of His great love for us. Ephesians 2:1-10 spells this out wonderfully,

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

How are we addressing our broken world in light of how God is inviting us to be a part of His heart for reconciliation? Church, as we head into the Christmas season, reflecting on the birth of our Savior, we have every opportunity to fully live out our identity in Christ Jesus. May you be encouraged today. May you know the greatest love in the history of the world and be affected by what He did to reconcile your heart.

Further information / links:

• To watch the live stream on YouTube: click here. 
• For Nathan Milnik's slides, click here. 
• To register for Not My Kid, click here.
• To register for Surviving the Holidays, click here. 

Here's something you may or may not know about our family: we homeschool on Fridays. When I say "homeschool", hold that loosely. The charter school that my kids attend generate what we call Friday Work and that comes to us either in paper packets or through Google Classroom. Friday Work is not new for my children and yet, every Friday, what do you think their attitude is toward it / me? You guessed it. Not good. Every week, I think it'll be different and I have my trusty, super helpful phrases as they begin like, "This is not an option so knock it off" and "Jump to it". I don't know why they still growl towards me.

Last Sunday, as we wrapped up the Built To Belong series, Pastor Nate made this comment and it stuck with me, "We feel the tension of the anticipated completion of what we've been longing for". Each week, I anticipate the completion of Friday Work and a hopeful, restful weekend. My coffee is ready. Breakfast is made. Candles are lit to exude a cozy atmosphere. We prepare and plan throughout the week, building on math skills, continuing independent reading goals, and still ... eye rolls, complaints, time spent arguing and the whole time, I long for them to come into a posture of learning so these can be completed.

A dear friend and prior student was recently married. I know she and her groom had been anticipating that day for years. They longed for that kind of love. Then they met one another, dated, fell in love and were finally married. What a perfect dance of both celebration and rest.

A few years ago, my husband and I embarked on what we thought was a simple home remodel. We didn't realize, until we exposed one wall, that most of it had to come down and be rebuilt. After three years of what seemed like endless days working on this home, we finally moved in and could settle. The peace we had longed for had arrived.

What happens to someone in a state of anticipation? Depending on what we anticipate, some of us feel anxious and unsure. Others are strengthened by lists and tasks as what they anticipate is positive and their brains are full of natural dopamine. There's an array of emotions or actions that come from anticipated longing. What we see in the book of Nehemiah is that he and his community continued to push through what God was calling them to, knowing He was calling them to it. The anticipation was full of promise and security. After the anticipated completion of the wall, they gathered together to remember the Lord. For hours, they listened to Scripture and celebrated.

I love the promise of Hebrews 4:12-13, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account". I am so grateful that nothing is unknown to our God. No amount of anxiety and anticipation we wade through goes without His promise. He is good and what He's called you to is held in His grip just as it was for Nehemiah. God is worthy of being praised and His word is forever.

What does it look like to desire God’s word and depend on it this week?

Coming Up ...

What is your wall?

Our LifeGroup had such a fun discussion last night about what our walls are and how those are both threatened and protected. Most of the walls expressed are our families. We each expressed how rampant the threats are, specifically with current media and social media, and different ways we're actively protecting our marriages and children. Have you or your group identified your wall/ walls?

Last Sunday, Pastor Nate led us through Nehemiah 4 as opposition comes to him and those working on the wall. We are shown that the aggression escalates from insults to legitimate, life-threatening warnings but they stand firm with one another. Some years back here at Sierra Bible Church, there was a man named Rick Larson who was on our pastoral team. He would often teach to the vertical- if we have our relationship first and right with God, then we can lead and serve well in those horizontal relationships with friends, co-workers, or family. But God comes first. I was reminded of Rick when reading through Nehemiah because he, too, went to God first. Nehemiah's leadership is admirable still, generations later, because he led with confidence in where God had them and what God had called them to. He was a visionary and faithful follower of our same God.

If you haven't read through the book of Nehemiah, I'd encourage you to do so. There is so much goodness in what God restores and how He moves. You'll see God stir in the hearts of the nobles as they begin to work to register those who come back. You'll see God's favor as He reveals Himself to the people by the building of this wall. You'll see reconciliation and hope. As we come to an end of the Built To Belong series this coming Sunday, I pray that these would all be true for you and for us as a church and a community. Where there is opposition and threat, I pray that God would bring about hope and peace. What lacks, I pray that God would fulfill. What is broken in your heart, I pray that God restores. Because we know He is able! As for the building campaign, we pray that God would continue to bless it as we are faithful that He has led us here. 

God is at work.

Earlier this week, I was sitting in my kitchen with a group of moms who commit each week to praying over our children, their teachers and the school they attend. Our discussion and prayer focus this week was on Jehovah Jireh- God will provide, as He is named in Genesis 22:14. Philippians 4:19 reads, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus". As much as I would love to believe that each of my needs will be met, I'm also aware that many of the needs I believe I have are in fact wants. Some feel like desperate wants, but wants nonetheless. In reflecting on and praying this verse over each of our children, we discussed how the name, Jehovah Jireh signifies more than just God meeting our needs. It's His ability to know each of us so intricately that He knows our needs and knows, therefore, what we lack. It is His sovereign ability to provide for us that we get to lean into and rest upon. I pray the knowledge and security of that truth over us today, dear friends, because it is a reality that each and every day we face the decision to either lean in and believe HE is sovereign to KNOW us, or not. That choice will make a difference in our day. It will affect how we parent, how we engage, what we desire, and how we approach situations in the world around us. What I know to be true is this- our souls are constantly longing but only at rest in the Lord where we are fully known and seen and loved.

I often wondered if, in fact, God saw me in those early years of parenting. I guess, compared to the many years ahead, these are still these early days of parenting though I'm referring to the sleepless, never-ending diaper changing days for years and years and years because we had three daughters in four years. It was just a lot. The season we were in felt lonely and unending. Often times, when my husband was at work and I was alone with screaming or fussy or disobedient children, I would wonder, "Is this it?". Was that the original image of how I'd be as a mom? Not at all. My idealistic mindset was opposite of how reality was for us in those first years and yet did God not know that? Did He not see me? Did He ignore what I needed and hold out on me? Somedays I would have argued that to be true, but when I look back at those times, I see Him refining me. I see His blessing in being able to say home with our children for 8 years before returning to the workforce. I see the relationships built between our daughters. Though we sacrificed and there were low (many low) moments, what I know is that He is faithful. I believe you know that also. Your story and those seasons reflect His refining, because you are still here.

Last Sunday Pastor Nate preached on Nehemiah 3, the vital mission to rebuild the wall. As God's people came together, they did so in community, obedience and humility. The act of rebuilding with rubble couldn't have been easy, glamorous or restful. Yet one by one, they laid beams, put bolts in place and continued. This coming Sunday, we'll journey through Nehemiah 4-6, where we'll see opposition. This is also a truth of walking in obedience to what God calls us to- there will be opposition. "When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, 'What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?'" (Nehemiah 4:1-2). I think of the opposition that Noah faced in Genesis 5 while he built the ark. His community mocked him and yet he persevered because not only did God call him to it, but God's plan isn't thwarted by opposition.

Church, wherever you are today, in whichever season God has you, may we know and remember that His plans are made perfect because He is able. His unchanging, sovereign ability to know us and see us and therefore provide, will not be moved. What is He calling you to today? How will you choose to serve Him? Be encouraged, dear friends. He is for you!

I might mention this almost every time I verbally share through 8@8, during Sunday announcements or in other posts on this blog, but there is SO much happening here and through Sierra Bible Church. Each day, whether driving onto campus, speaking with the missionaries we support, attending a group we're hosting or in the conversations we connect over at the soccer field or grocery store, I am grateful for your participation in the faith. I am grateful to belong to such a community as this and I sure hope you know you belong.

Last Sunday, Lead Pastor Nate Levering introduced the new series, Built To Belong, with the truth that you / I / WE belong to Jesus. On Monday, as my youngest daughter was working on a piece of homework, she looked up and asked how long it would take someone to count to infinity. I loved her thought that it was possible and equally love the fact that it's not. She, however, did not love that it was something she would never be able to do. I thought about how earlier that morning, sitting at the same kitchen island, was a group of moms who met to pray over all of our kids and as we did, we read through a list of the attributes of God. One of those attributes was His infinite goodness. James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift is from Him, who does not change like shifting shadows. Psalm 145:3 says, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom". As us moms reflected on His infinite goodness, I thought of how much more wonderful it is to know that we are heirs of that goodness. Think about a time in your life when God's power was so evident that you stood in awe. His power and perfection in that power knows no limits. In the Old Testament, the book of 2 Chronicles, King Jehoshaphat was told that a large army was coming their way. He stood at the entrance of the temple and declared, "Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you", 2 Chronicles 20:6. What God revealed was that the battled belonged to Him, not to man. A moment of trembling awe.

Oftentimes, we falter and succumb to the belief that our life is ours. There are books and speakers and classes to take that all tell you how to have the life you want. The life you deserve. The life you are owed. And those philosophies make this life all about you. But who owns that life? I'd bet to say that when we make our life all about money, it is the money who owns us. We then are slaves to the dollar. If it's the plan or hope of fame, then we will do whatever it takes to gain that fame and become a slave to the choices and lifestyle we wager with no guarantee. What can we be certain of when we surrender our life to the God who infinitely loves us, secures us, knows us and claims us? Can you image what would happen to the statistics and lives behind those statistics of young people who attempt or commit suicide if they knew who they could belong to? How about those who struggle with identity? Bullying? The list goes on and on because we live in a fallen world. And yet, like Pastor Nate said, belonging in the antidote to fear and it's often the fear of not belonging that takes us back to those false ideas about our lives.

Who do we belong to? Romans 8 is so, so good and if you haven't yet read it, here it is:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I included the whole chapter because this has personally been an anchor for my life and my prayer is that this truth covers you today and always, reminding you that YOU, my friend, belong to an infinitely good, infinitely kind, infinitely loving God.

Focus. Pay Attention. We're in it. We've got this. 

Hello church and happy September! Can you believe we've already come to this part of the year? Over the weekend, we had a team of men from church who went down to serve in Mexico. Sierra Bible Church has held a long-standing friendship with these pastors and missionaries, and with the funds raised by the kids during VBS (Vacation Bible School) week in June, they were able to re-roof the church as well as the roof of a single woman's home from their congregation. Thank you, church, for your continued generosity!

We had the privilege of hearing Nate Milnik, long-time congregation member and teacher of Philosophy, preach the service this past Sunday. He walked us through the latter part of the Sermon on the Mount, speaking specifically about Matthew 7:13-20 as Jesus instructs us to be discerning of truth from false prophets, and the narrow gate from the wide gate. What does this all mean?

Whether you have been a Christ-follower for many years, are a newer believer, or curious about faith, we have all made choices. Those choices come to us with facts, opinions, sometimes pressure. Some are easy to wade through. Other choices are life altering and heavy hitters. The way of the world is wide. It will say that all good people have a peaceful after life. It will tell us that no good person deserves pain or illness. The world will try to convince us that there are many ways that lead to eternal life.

I'm currently reading through a book called, The Night is Normal, by Alicia Britt Chole. Throughout this book, she tells readers that often times our view of the darkness or of the night- when those dark seasons or moments of our lives can be perceived as being void of God, void of goodness and void of growth, that the Bible is full of the opposite. Let us not forget that God's design started in the darkness. He was still there. Genesis 1:2 tells us, "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters". The narrow gate is settling your life in the truth of God and scripture, regardless of how the world will challenge it. In John 16, Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (vs. 33). It's not that Jesus promises that dark and difficult times will never come, we should rather expect them in this broken world, but He has overcome. That is the promise. That is the narrow way.

Currently my uncle is terminal. Cancer is awful and I absolutely hate it. There are friends and family members mad at a god I'm not sure they believe in, claiming it's unfair. And at times throughout this all-too-quick cancer journey, I've been tempted to believe the same. It's unfair. He's a great man. A wonderful husband, father and grandfather. The best uncle. And yet. If we really consider Christianity, we all deserve death. We all deserve the pain. It is by the grace of God that He sent His son to make atonement for our sins. So how does pain make sense in this world as a believer? In the Psalms, David is full of lament and grief in his desperation of God's presence and yet stands firm on the promise of God's faithfulness, being found known as a man after God's own heart. As Job loses almost everything in his life, he calls out to the same God. In Job 3:20-26 he says, “Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water. What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” Then a friend of Job responded. This is what he says in Job 4:17-21, "Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker? If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error, how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth! Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever. Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?" The narrow gate is to know that our understanding is not above God's, that our ways are not above His and that His faithfulness endures despite what we may or may not believe about Him. He does not change.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). The narrow way is not wide. It does not give any other option of a savior. Friends. This is a hard one. I'm with you. It is so tempting to be discouraged in the faith when our lives or situations don't pan out how we hope or expect them to. As Nate asked, how do you consider Christianity? How do you observe fruit and discern it's contents? In 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (vs. 3-5). How much have we seen that to be true in the world today? Consider the cancel culture. Consider the hesitancy to proclaim truth in a world ravenous with lies. Jesus said many things the world didn't want to hear and yet we know just how much we need it. People are starving for the truth. I'll leave you with these words from Paul as he wrote to the church in Ephesus, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, many have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 4:14-21).

If you are curious about faith and what the Bible says about who God is and who you are in Him, consider signing up for our Alpha group. This will begin on September 19 at the White Barn off Phoenix Lake Road. This group is our new on-ramp for new or curious believers. If you'd like to continue your journey of faith, growing in community and the Word, join our Rooted group or one of our many LifeGroups, which will also begin the week of September 17. Sign up here.

Link to YouTube live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyPB5SklbSQ
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1w4PqpE7qjacKgdz3I1Tbf

On Monday, I drove home from the Bay Area. My parents have our children all week for their Annual Grandma & Papa Summer Camp. Papa has fully planned out their itinerary and the girls could not be more thrilled. While I drove through the Bay, more than slightly irritated by the overwhelming traffic, the song Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship came on through Pandora. Part of the lyrics say this:

I searched the world
But it couldn't fill me
Man's empty praise
And treasures that fade
Are never enough
Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire
Is now satisfied
Here in Your love 
Oh, there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord, there's nothing
Nothing is better than YouI'm not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord, You've seen 'em all
And You still call me friend'
Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There's not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won't find me again
Oh, there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord, there's nothing
Nothing is better than You

As I began to sing along (listen to it here ... the actual song, not me singing it), specifically "there's nothing better than you", it was like God vividly turned that into a question for me. Is there anything better than Him? What am I keeping to myself, by way of harboring frustration or un-forgiveness, or the treasures I hold near? Is holding on to the frustration of Bay Area, and now also Valley, traffic better than releasing my angst to God? I know that's a really silly, simple question to consider but as I did, God effortlessly walked me through what I don't let go of and I began to settle in the wonderment of what else I am holding onto. Most of the time I don't realize I'm harboring, but all it takes sometimes is seeing a particular person, hearing a name or phrase or feeling a certain way and BAM! I'm right back in the mindset or emotions of an unsettled heart. Many times I don't realize the treasures I'm equating to my significance until they are threatened. BAM!

If nothing is better than Him- no way of handling it on our own, no treasure, no idol we create, nothing, what then do we have to hold onto?

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:19-34

This is the text that Lead Pastor, Nate Levering taught last Sunday. In the New Testament book of Matthew, chapters 5-6, Jesus is teaching His disciples in what's known as the Sermon on the Mount. He walks the disciples through how best to live this Christian life. It is here that Jesus leads them in wisdom, understanding and the invitation to better see the love and care of God.

What we will continually need to assess in ourselves is the anchor in which our value of significance is placed. Is that significance anchored in what we do for work, how our children behave, what we drive or where we live? Is it who we associate with or how we vacation? The broken system of how we place our value can often lead us to be distracted from the truth of God's care over us. It's easy to worry and want to have control, but even that distracts us. God has more for us if we are willing to set down our broken systems of control and lean in to letting Him take it. Nothing is better than what He is offering us. Nothing.

What's our stuff and are we willing to be honest in the presence of our God to work this out? 

Listen to the 8/6 message here.

Bulletin for 8/6 here. 

Coming up:

For a couple of days a couple of weeks ago (are you following this?), a few of us staffers went up to Hume Lake Christian Camp to encourage the 200+ SBC students and counselors who were there for the week. As we were able to visit each of the three camp areas that our staffers and students were in, there was one theme that continued to follow. Wisdom. Over and over I heard things like, "Don't walk on that", "Grab your life jacket", "Go use the bathroom", "Drink your water", "Pay Attention". All wise reminders for the restless counselors to repeat in unison, because at some point the wisdom we have gained becomes the wisdom we realize we need to offer.

As we continue to walk through these red words of the Bible in the Sermon on the Mount, we read the very words of Jesus that are our reminders of His perfect wisdom. From the literal beginning of creation, mankind searched for wisdom. Genesis 3 tells us that Eve was drawn to the tree as a way of gaining wisdom, which tells me that there is an inherent lacking in us that we've always tried to fill with our own understanding. We know this because how did that work out for Adam and Eve? How has that worked out for us? For me, when I lean on my own understanding and my own accomplishments, which in all honesty I'd hope would carry me, it's a quick face plant to floor. It's a stumbling block in my parenting when I think I can move ahead without consulting God. It's a prideful arrogance when I think I can forge ahead with plans that don't include a dependence on Him. When I lack wisdom, it's evident.

So what is Jesus inviting us into when He calls us to pray? Pastor Nate says we are invited to boldly ask Him to take our cup. Think of your cup. What's in it? Today, mine looks odd. It's both murky yet polished. It's filled with sorrow and worry for a dear friend and my uncle who were given grave cancer diagnoses. This cup also holds a few unknowns for the school year that I wish I could control, if I'm being honest. There are decisions that our family needs to finalize that I'd rather not have to deal with because they are uncomfortable. But it's like all of the muck was poured into a clean glass because at the top, I can see the shine of the dishwasher's magic. In that space just along the rim, where it's almost glowing in the sunshine, is the excitement of our SBC Fall Groups launching soon. The hope that God continues to meet us where we're at, with just what we need from Him and we, in turn, get to lean in and absorb His good teaching amongst merciful friendships. This is my cup today and the invitation from our loving Father is that I get to offer that up to Him, muck and all.

The very nature of prayer is intimacy. It's us presenting ourselves before our King. Not the perfect versions of ourselves. Not who we think God needs us to be before we bow a knee. Not the image of who others think we are. Just ourselves.

So what stops you from praying today? What is distracting you or misguiding you from entering into that intimacy with our Jesus? Is it worry that you won't be heard? Is it the concern that what you have in your cup is either not enough to grab His attention or maybe too much that He won't be able to handle it? Guess what- He's God. He can handle all of it. The intimacy of prayer is communion with our Father- whether by thanksgiving or petition, He listens. He is present. The very same God who created the world and everything in it, is the very same God who is near to you. Decide today to live a prayerful life. Lean into the wisdom He has to offer. What's there to lose?

Oh, hello there, church. I like to think of greeting you like how Paul would greet the church in many of the New Testament books. Greetings, my fellow believers in the one true God. Grace and peace to you. 

Our students and leaders are at Hume Lake for the week and today is their first FULL day. If you have never been to or heard of Hume Lake, it is an all-out, incredible Christian Camp an hour east of Fresno, with sections of camp specific to elementary, middle school and high school kids. Sierra Bible Church has had an on-going relationship with Hume Lake for numerous years, to which we have been blessed. I, myself, was able to live and work there for 1.5 years, have been a counselor 6 times and even met my husband there. In light of yesterday's message from Pastor Nate, let us continue to pray for our students and leaders- that they will experience an encounter with Jesus, build impactful relationships with one another, and come home with a renewed ownership of their faith, embracing His divine love. 

A couple of weeks ago, my sweet husband flew me out to Texas to visit with some family who recently moved from California. My uncle is suffering from an awful (not that there are non-awful) form of aggressive tongue/ mouth cancer. He was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and the battle he is fighting is just a storm. I was able to stay with he and my aunt for a few days and during that time, had sweet moments with both of my cousins and their families, watched blips of a Giants game with my uncle and had multiple dinners with my aunt and grandma. The time was so precious but the most impactful moments were witnessing my aunt prepare and clean the products needed for his feeding tube, dispersement of pain medicine (or stomach medicine or Parkinson's medicine or ... the list went on and on), and her detailed approach to his treatment. The task is not for the faint of heart or weary of soul. It is regimented and aggressive, so while I'd pretend to be on my phone checking emails, I'd sneak snapshots of them because what I was really witnessing was sacrificial love.

Pastor Nate approached this yesterday and it's a stance we so often have to assess in ourselves and one another as a team, "It's about relationships". In this portion of the text, Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus is very clear- these "I say" commands are all an invitation toward relationships. Healthy relationships. Loving relationships. Forgiving relationships. Agape kind of love relationships that breed goodness and show the love of Christ. So how do we assess ourselves in terms of the difficulties in those relationships? Pastor Nate suggested responding to these four questions:

How do you respond when someone insults you? 
How would you respond to someone who wanted to sue you and take everything you had? 
What happens when someone tries to force you to do something? 
How do you respond when someone wants to borrow what is yours? 

Romans 12:9-21 would assess the characters of believers this way:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

If the only gain by how we love others is that that person sees a glimpse of the love God has to offer to them, is that enough? Is that enough for us as a church? As we continue to extend our church campus to the greater community around us, that is our hope- that each and every person who comes into contact with our church is shown a love that sparks the invitation of Jesus.

Walking into another week, may you be full of grace and mercy given by a good and kind Father, with the hope of His enduring love. 

Impact must be the word of the week that God is reiterating in my soul. I've used it countless times while preparing for our Annual Congregational Meeting. It's been a primary "why" of how we plan and consider the JOY Club for our adult seniors. Our staff team has felt it. I've read it and heard it through a book I'm reading and podcast I'm listening to about effective growth groups. Impact.

On Sunday, June 18, 20 people from our congregation chose to be baptized. Talk about impact. Their decisions to proclaim their trust and hope in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior will continue to make an impact in their families, relationships with friends, how they perceive the community and world around them, and in future choices they'll make. Impact.

This summer, Pastor Nate Levering and other teaching pastors and leaders in our community are and will be teaching through the Sermon on the Mount. In the very words of Jesus, told by Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples, Jesus outlines our identity and the heart He has for His people. Last Sunday, Pastor Nate preached on being SALT & LIGHT.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven". (Matthew 5:13-16)

What is the impact of salt and light in this world? Salt not only stops decay but enhances flavor. Salt is the main sources of sodium and chloride ions in the human diet, making it a crucial component to sustaining human life. It's essential for nerve and muscle function and is essential in the body's control of blood pressure and volume*. Consider God's creative creation of humanity- giving us what we need to survive, creating a body to need specific vitamins and minerals for function. I love how often Jesus reminds us of His one-ness with God by reminding us who we are and that we are necessary to His body. You are salt. Impact.

Did you know that light waves travel in straight lines? Imagine that. Jesus himself calls us light. Light is able to push out darkness and we have straight access to our God who enables us to seek truth. Our ability to be light is a direct reflection of access to the creator of light. As Pastor Nate reflected on pastor and writer John Stott's own reflection of our responsibility as believers, he quoted this:

"Our Christian habit is to bewail the world’s deteriorating standards with an air of rather self-righteous dismay. We criticize its violence, dishonesty, immorality, disregard for human life, and materialistic greed.
‘The world is going down the drain,’ we say with a shrug. But whose fault is it? Who is to blame? Let me put it like this. If the house is dark when nightfall comes, there is no sense in blaming the house; that is what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, ’Where is the light?’
Similarly, if the meat goes bad and becomes inedible, there is no sense in blaming the meat; this is what happens when bacteria are left alone to breed. The question to ask is, ’Where is the salt?’
Just so, if society deteriorates and its standards decline until it becomes like a dark night or a stinking fish, there is no sense in blaming society; that is what happens when fallen men and women are left to themselves, and human selfishness is unchecked.
The question to ask is, ‘Where is the Church? Why are the salt and light of Jesus Christ not permeating and changing our society?"

You have an impact here. Your saltiness is necessary in our world and the truth of Jesus that you carry with and within you has the ability to push out the darkness. As we walk this out, I want to leave this with you. It's our Summer Reading Psalm of the Day:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
The friendship[b] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.
Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.
-Psalm 25

*https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/
Watch the June 18 message here. 

Do you ever wonder whether or not you have any business walking with Jesus?

As we approach God and His law, some of us will see Him and His law as the great intimidator. Some will see Him and His law as comfort. Others may be drawn there, at His feet because of what they know He has to offer. Where do you stand today?

Did you know that there's a whole world view that exists with a loving God who saved the world and has hope for us. A lasting hope. A world where our sins are forgiven and when we come to Him, acknowledging what He has done for us through Jesus on the cross, we can embrace and experience this world. Throughout the week, I've thumbed through the stories of kids, youth and adults who are choosing to be baptized this Sunday. Over and over again, I've read a line similar to this, "Only Jesus can forgive my sins and I want others to know". 

Each day this week, over 500 kids and volunteers have gathered here on campus for Vacation Bible School. SBC Kids Ministry Director, Rachel Tidwell, and her team are a well-oiled machine. From crafts and food, to recreation and Bible stories and everything in between (because there are a million moving pieces), the many (MANY) volunteers have loved well on these kids, showing them what I looks like to walk with Jesus. Just like some of those who will be baptized, I too can't remember a time in my life when I didn't know who Jesus was. I grew up in a fairly conservation Lutheran Church. There were traditions and rhythms of services and church membership that were entirely different than when I began attending a non-denominational church in high school, which then varied from the Southern Baptist affiliated college I later attended. Somewhere along the road of faith discovery, I to make the choice to make it my own if I really wanted it. And I did. I knew I wanted it but I mostly knew I needed it. I needed to know that there was a God who loved me- all of me. I knew that I needed a God who would save me, protect me and provide me with hope. It had to be my choice to walk humbly with Jesus, knowing that all He is asking of me is a willing heart. 

Walking with God is less about what we bring to Him and more about what He's waiting to show me. We start. We move. We ask. We seek. We lean on Him and look at what He's looking at, willing to have our hearts broken for what breaks His. This is what these kids are learning this week and it is THE MOST EXCITING THING! Ready, set, MOVE!

COMING UP/ REMINDERS:

• Service times change THIS week to 9:00 and 10:45. 
• Baptisms are this Sunday. If you'd like to be baptized, please contact Pastor Nate Levering (nate@sierrabible.com). 
• Our Annual Congregational Meeting is on Monday, June 19 at 6:30pm in the Worship Center. We'll discuss what God is doing and the fiscal budget for 2023-2024.
• To watch the Worship Service from June 11, click here. 

What have you decided on lately? My decisions for today have included but have not been limited to how much creamer to put in my coffee, which photos or videos to use in an Instagram reel, what to say to a friend who was asking for advice about church planting, and which Bible tracts to consider for our Food Pantry ministry. The choices and decisions that have met me today are vast. Some have taken a lot of time and consideration. Others are easy. Quick. Effortless, almost.

And then there's the decision to follow after Jesus. This decision is a choice I must make each and every day. I make it for myself. It is not forced but is a constant decision, made of hundreds of choices to choose God's best for myself, my marriage, our family, our home, our neighbors and friends, and this workplace. All of these choices come together to realign who I am as a child of God.

What does the word, authority stir in you? Is there peace at the mention of the word? Is there distress? Maybe dread? Curiosity or questions of who that authority is or why there may need to be rules or conditions? The choice that I make to follow after God, the choice we all make to follow Him, is in direct realization that our authority is Christ alone. It is He that wants a relationship with us and I don't know about you, but I'm more content with my life when I know I'm leaning into His guidance and submitting myself under His authority. When I stray, there are regrets. Quickly and obvious. So pay attention- what is God leading you into or away from? Where is He calling you? What has He been asking of you? What would it look like for you and I to consider lordship authority as always good? Romans 13 tells us that authority comes from God alone. He is above all, and we know from Romans 8 that His goodness is for His people.

Imagine the scene in Matthew 4 as people began hearing how Jesus was healing and the many bringing the sick to Him to be healed. The crowds grew. The word got out. Jesus' showed His authority over sickness, sin, and brokenness. Matthew 7:28-29 says, "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes". Jesus talks because He has something to say that we need to hear.

What do your choices look like today? What is it about the Lord's authority do you need to be reminded of? What sin or brokenness do you need to lay before Him as He calls you out in faith? Let it be today.

REMINDERS:

• Beginning on June 18, our worship services will be at 9:00 and 10:45. Kids Ministry will be available during BOTH services. Yay! Go Kids Min. team!
• JOY Club Luncheon on June 21 at 12:00 in the Worship Center. If you are 55+, please join us for lunch as we worship together, eat and hear Jay Pink as he walks us through estate planning and preparation. RSVP to Emily, emilyt@sierrabible.com by June 18. 
• Vacation Bible School starts on June 12! Continue to pray for the 500+ students and leaders who will be on campus all week. Register your kids here. 
• The Foothill Pregnancy Baby Bottle Boomerang is NOW on! Grab a bottle in the Commons this Sunday and fill it with your loose change. 

May 30, 2023

I am still recovering from Sunday. And it's Wednesday. I have said this over and over again to our staff team- Sunday just really moved me. At one point during the youth-led worship set, I couldn't hold back my tears. I am so incredibly proud of our students and it's been such a gift to see them step into their gifts with such passion. Having recently wrapped up a series on Mental Health, as we've partnered with youth organizations and local families to surround students, the crisis of struggling teens is ever-present on my mind. There is a constant prayer for this generation to know their worth, feel their value and step into a relationship with Jesus.

As Pastor Jason was talking through 2 Timothy, it made me think about when I was in high school. During my freshmen year, I took a Spanish class and absolutely loved my teacher, Hillary. Within a few months, she invited a group of us girls from each grade to a morning Bible study where her goal was to help us build Paul/ Silas/ Timothy friendships. Each of us would have a mentor, mentee and peer, and you would be someone's mentor, mentee and peer. It was incredible! Throughout high school and even into my early college years, those morning Bible study friendships turned into some of my strongest. We've attended one another's weddings, have held each other's babies, celebrated each other's joys and cried with one another's trials and grief. Many of these women helped direct me and re-align me, to which I am incredibly grateful.

In the last few days, I've thought on Pastor Jason's sermon. In so many ways, each and every day, we pass some sort of metaphorical baton. Our kids listen and learn from what we say, how we react or respond, and how we choose to learn. This is my last week as a school board member and I have become especially aware that people have watched how I conduct myself, not only at board meetings but also at school pick up or in the community at large. There are constant batons that I'm passing along, sometimes just barely making it, sometimes dropping it and sometimes not even realizing I'm in the race. 

I am so appreciative of Pastor Jason to remind us that the window of time that we are currently living in, is a short one and we must always learn to pass well, pick up our baton if we fumble, and try again, keeping our eyes on the goal that God has set before us.


You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:1-2). 

Have you fumbled today? Maybe this year, or this season of your life is not quite how you expected it to be. It's not how you planned it or prepared for it. Now what? Get up. Set your eyes on Jesus and pick up that baton. 

Watch May 28 sermon here.

Announcements:

• SERVICE TIME CHANGE, beginning on Father's Day (June 18). Service times will now be 9:00 and 10:45. 
• Kids Ministry at BOTH services, beginning June 18. Contact Rachel Tidwell, rachel@sierrabible.com, if you'd like to help. 
• New To Lunch on June 4 after the 10:30 service in the Music Room. Email Emily Turner, emilyt@sierrabible.com, if you're new or newer to the SBC community and if you'd like to attend. 

MAY 23, 2023
WATCH SERMON HERE.

What does life feel like right now for you?

Goodness. Lately for me it feels like as soon as I get ahead, or feel like I get ahead of a task or parenting move, the rains come and wash away progress. I'm sure that's not how God sees it, but it sure is how I feel. How do I keep moving and trudging ahead when I'm just so, so tired? It's my last year of the 30's and when my husband asked what I wanted for my birthday, my response was, "For the girls to pick up after themselves for a whole week". He responded, "Well, I can't perform miracles." Isn't that the truth.

And certainly, though I do want my children to pick up after themselves each and every day, I know that even that would not make me fully happy or fully joyful. It also shouldn't be why I am fully frustrated and exhausted. It's not the worst thing. But there are really big, life-changing events or circumstances that shift our perspectives not only on joy but also on tears.

Pastor Nate said it this way, plant your tears. Does joy ever surprise you? C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series, also has a book called, "Surprised by Joy", where he shares much of what made him who he was through his upbringing. In it, he says this, “If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone". To know joy and the faithful sower of our tears, we must first know God. Knowing God and then knowing that God is in charge and that He is faithful, we lean in and look up to Him in our physical and mental exhaustion of life because I know that He is able to bring about joy and restore me.  

Where are you needing to plant your tears today so that you may experience JOY?

Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

May 15, 2023
CHASING HAPPY
Watch here.

Are we equating a blessed life with a happy life?

A couple of Sundays ago, while I was standing under the Commons, a few of us ladies were chatting about the week prior- the good, the bad and the burdensome. One of them was sharing what had been a struggle for her, when suddenly she paused and said, "I must be really strong in my faith because Satan is surely trying to attack me". I chuckled but then immediately thought, let me always see trials as a way to identify the strength that God has equipped me with. What an incredibly faithful way to consider her surroundings and circumstances!

Lead Pastor, Nate Levering, led us into our short, two-week sprinkle of Psalms, focusing mainly on Psalm 1.

Reflecting on last weekend's sermon and on this Psalm, I think of so many in our church community and others throughout my life, who have exhibited such fruit that does not wither. Not that they have lived a perfect life or have even come close, but time and time again, stand on the faith that God is able and in control. Our response to His faithfulness is a choice. We can choose to waiver, to wander and to stray away from His truth, away from the grace He offers and protection of His love, or we can lean in hard- falling almost into His catching us. Either way, He remains.

Each week as we prepare the LifeGroup questions for our LifeGroup leaders, there are a few questions selected for a section named, God Is Relevant in the World. These questions are asked particularly about the sermon and help lead the groups to connect Scripture to what is happening in our world today regarding that specific topic. It's my favorite section to work through because each week, I come face to face with that choice- I can lean in to where God has our world, trusting that He is still here in our crises, or I can avoid the truth He offers and wander. The world is extremely tempting, which is no surprise, but the choice is ours. Sometimes, depending on our crisis, it may not feel like a choice. I think back to when the Ditler's shared about finding their son in their backyard, having committed suicide, and Robert (the dad) immediately calling out to the Lord, despite not having much of a relationship with Him. Their crisis led them to an immediate need to know and lean on the faithfulness of Jesus in their time of suffering and grief (watch the recap video here). I was thinking about how we are moving out of a mental health series, into a short glimpse into Psalms, before then going into the Sermon on the Mount (the very words of Jesus), but the truth is ... we're not moving out of or into anything because it all ties together. It's all the story of a perfect Father, loving His children well, using the stories we have and bringing others into a relationship with Him. He's done that from the beginning of time. There is nothing new under the sun. There is nothing that surprises Him or catches Him off-guard because He knows us. We are known by Him.

Today, we proclaim that God is good and His word endures forever. His word says that. Our stories share that and the way He uses those stories confirms it.

So, what are we producing today, church? Compassion? Bitterness? Forgiveness? Faith? Arrogance? Let us, together, choose fruit.

It has been obvious to our whole staff team that God is and has been pressing on us to lean in to what He says about mental health. From joining a county-wide collective on mental health advocacy and awareness to participating in trainings and events with our youth, we are committed to leaning in. Our leaning in-ness also means that we are actively assessing our own mental health struggles because let me debunk the myth that people in ministry are perfect or anywhere close. We are engaging, constantly, in prayer for God to both expose and guide us in where God's truth needs to subdue thoughts and feelings and situations of fear, anxiety and worry. Like Pastor Nate said, we want to lean in the best we can because these are our kids in our community.

Every morning at 8:30, whatever staff is in the office gathers to pray. This morning as 5 of us gathered, we reflected a little on yesterday's church service. Maybe you, like myself, appreciated hearing that mental health has personally affected Pastor Nate's family. Not that we are thrilled to know they too have battles, but I strongly believe when we opt to go first, if you will, with our own experience, it allows others to release that brokenness we all carry.

I'm going to say this and I want you to really take it in and assess what you feel when you read it. Ready? Ok, are you sure? Do you trust me? Ok, here it is.

There is hope that transcends our circumstances.

Do you believe that to be true? Because it's the gospel. It's the promise we get to stand on and proclaim as His church. There is hope. There is hope for these teens struggling with identity and truth. There is hope for your family in whatever brokenness you're sitting in today. There is hope for your heart, however it is hurting today. There is hope. You are here because God isn't done.

Often times, one of the problems with mental health wellness or illness, is how invisible it can be to the common onlooker. If your co-worker, child, friend or spouse has the flu, it's obvious. A physical illness shows through their flushed face, constant cough, high fever, lack of appetite, etc. etc. We've all had the flu. You get it. But often times when someone is struggling in a circumstance that causes worry and anxiety, it's not always so obvious. So we are learning and trusting that God is catching us as we learn what to look for, how to talk about it, and continue to allow God to transform our minds to center on His truth NO MATTER WHAT. This is where, together, we are leaning in and we hope you'll lean with us so that what you experience is wholeness and peace.

Watch the sermon from 4/23 here.
Bulletin from 4/23 here.

LifeGroup Questions for this week:

• Is there anything you’re currently worried about or carrying that’s causing fear or anxiety? 
• Together, read Matthew 6:25-34. Is there anything new or noteworthy in this section of text? 
• After Jesus was tested in the wilderness (Luke 4), he returned to Galilee and began teaching through Nazareth and then Capernaum. “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority” (Luke 4:31-32). What authority does the Lord give us through scripture over fear and anxiety? (If the group is stuck here, you can read from Philippians 4:6 and 1 John 4:18). 
• What are some coping mechanisms people use to fight or distract themselves from feelings of stress, anxiety or worry? 
• Matthew 11:27-29,  “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”.
• What does God ask us to do with our feelings or circumstances?
• God invites us to lean into His sovereignty and rejoice in Him, despite our circumstances. What prevents you from trusting in God’s sovereignty? 
• How does trusting in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness change our perspective over trials and circumstances? 

The Best News For All People: Easter Sunday (4.9.2023)
Lead Pastor: Nate Levering

Click here for 4/9 live stream
Click here for 4/9 bulletin

He is Risen!
He is risen indeed!

What a God we have.

Peter says it this way in 1 Peter 1:3-9-
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

What Peter knows is this- he needed a savior.

In all of our stories, we share this common thread of needing a savior. There is no other formula that equals restoration for my soul. Good Friday and Easter Sunday remind us of the great love of our Father- that He would know our need, carry the suffering on our behalf and die for all so that He could then conquer death and restore us once and for all. Pastor Nate said it this way, "Easter was God's great reveal". 

If today, you still have doubts about either needing a savior or that Jesus is that Savior, let me say that you're not alone. You're not the first person in history who has carried doubts. You won't be the last. But regardless of our doubts, feelings or hesitations, God's truth remains and He is able to show Himself to you, making Himself known because He knows you. He knows your name and your sin and your tendencies. He knows your desires and passions and failures. He knows you and He invites you to know Him.