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July 25, 2025 | ||
Dear Church Family, Would you rather hear good news or bad news? I bet your answer is good news! There are times, though, that you have to face some bad news. There are other times where truly letting the bad news sink in makes the good news all the better. Both are true with the Gospel. Unless we really face the bad news, that we are sinners deserving eternal punishment, we will never reach out for the good news that Jesus died for us. When we truly understand just how bad that punishment is, and how completely unable we are to save ourselves, we rejoice that someone would take our place. We are in awe of a God that would graciously offer us what we don’t deserve instead of giving us what we rightly deserve. We have to face the bad news. I just finished the book of Isaiah, and the book ends with both good news and bad news. Verses 22 and 23 tell of a new heaven and new earth, where God is rightly worshipped and adored. Then, the final verse of the book describes this:
Why do you think the book ends with such a sad verse? I think God wants this reminder to stick with us: those who rebel against the Lord will face an eternal punishment: one in which the worm shall not die and the fire shall not be quenched. In fact, Jesus quoted this verse when He described hell in the Mark 9:48. The important thing for all of us to understand is, even though we all deserve this bad fate, God calls out to all of us with the offer of eternal life. Leading up to these verses are a description of a God who is calling out.
God is calling. Will you listen to His call? Will you turn from your own ways and choose His way? We each need to come to grips with the bad news, so we can receive the good news. –Pastor Dave ———————————————————————————————————- What’s Happening at Gospel Life:No Youth Group: We’re taking a break from regular Sunday evening youth group. Youth group will start back on August 17th. We’re looking forward to seeing you! Worship at the Park: Everyone is invited to join us outside at Orah Brandt Park (7999 Cherry Ln, Nampa, ID 83687) for a worship night on August 10th. This will be a special time of worship in song and we will also have food and drinks to share with the community. Please consider inviting a friend. If you would like to help, please talk to Brooke Kropf. We are looking for help with food/drinks, setup/takedown, and prayer. Hands of Hope Ministry: We have a ministry to help those in need in our church family. If you are interested in helping in this ministry or have a need for help, please sign up at the Welcome Table on Sunday. Upcoming Dates: Elder Training (Aug. 12th), Communion (Aug. 17th) Life Groups: If you’re interested in joining a life group, we have several to choose from. You can check them out here: Request Prayer: It’s important for us to be praying for each other as a church! If you ever need prayer, we would love to come alongside you. You can always turn in a prayer request on Sundays using the Connection Card, but you can also submit a prayer request online at any time: Previous Worship Services: | ||
God is calling. Will you listen?
