Dear Sierra Pres friends & family,
This past Sunday, I had the joy of continuing our Essentials of the Christian Faith series with a message from Ephesians 4:1-6 on what actually makes a church genuine. I opened by confessing that I had recently taken an online quiz meant to spot which pictures were real and which were generated by artificial intelligence, and I scored only a little better than a coin flip, which says something sobering about how hard it has become to know what to trust. Paul's answer for the church is that our unity is not found in getting everything right, but in being bound together in Jesus and humbly, if imperfectly, living out the calling he has given us. We walked through the seven "ones" Paul lists in verses 4 through 6, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God, and I noted that however you came to that one baptism, it is the very same baptism that brings every one of us into the same family. Thank you to everyone who worshiped with us in person and through the livestream, and to all who served so faithfully that morning.
This Sunday, Oct. 25, our whole congregation will gather for a combined One Church Worship service, and George will continue our Essentials of the Christian Faith series with a message from Revelation 22:7, 12 and 17 on the promise that Jesus Christ will come again. Three times in that closing chapter of Scripture, Jesus declares that he is coming soon, and George will help us consider what it looks like to live now in light of that certain hope rather than in fear or distraction.
Also this weekend, I hope you and any friends and family you invite will join us the evening before, Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., for our Harvest Festival, a festive night of food with a chili cook off, games and fellowship for every member of the family. I always treasure these weekends when our whole church family gathers together, and I hope you will make plans to be part of both.
I would love to see your face among us this Sunday, for our One Church Worship service at 10am! If getting to the building is not an option this week, you can always join us from wherever you are through our livestream at sierrapres.com/media, available anytime you need it. However you are able to worship with us, please know you are received here with open arms, and we are grateful for every person who walks through our doors, whether in person or online.
With you on the journey,
Pastor Greg Flagg
This past Sunday, I had the joy of continuing our Essentials of the Christian Faith series with a message from Ephesians 4:1-6 on what actually makes a church genuine. I opened by confessing that I had recently taken an online quiz meant to spot which pictures were real and which were generated by artificial intelligence, and I scored only a little better than a coin flip, which says something sobering about how hard it has become to know what to trust. Paul's answer for the church is that our unity is not found in getting everything right, but in being bound together in Jesus and humbly, if imperfectly, living out the calling he has given us. We walked through the seven "ones" Paul lists in verses 4 through 6, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God, and I noted that however you came to that one baptism, it is the very same baptism that brings every one of us into the same family. Thank you to everyone who worshiped with us in person and through the livestream, and to all who served so faithfully that morning.
This Sunday, Oct. 25, our whole congregation will gather for a combined One Church Worship service, and George will continue our Essentials of the Christian Faith series with a message from Revelation 22:7, 12 and 17 on the promise that Jesus Christ will come again. Three times in that closing chapter of Scripture, Jesus declares that he is coming soon, and George will help us consider what it looks like to live now in light of that certain hope rather than in fear or distraction.
Also this weekend, I hope you and any friends and family you invite will join us the evening before, Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., for our Harvest Festival, a festive night of food with a chili cook off, games and fellowship for every member of the family. I always treasure these weekends when our whole church family gathers together, and I hope you will make plans to be part of both.
I would love to see your face among us this Sunday, for our One Church Worship service at 10am! If getting to the building is not an option this week, you can always join us from wherever you are through our livestream at sierrapres.com/media, available anytime you need it. However you are able to worship with us, please know you are received here with open arms, and we are grateful for every person who walks through our doors, whether in person or online.
With you on the journey,
Pastor Greg Flagg
