NLC Connect October 18 2023

October 18th, 2023
by Mark Isaac

CHINOH'S HOME!!

Josh "Chinoh" Aquino arrived home from deployment with the Air Force in Qatar on Tuesday morning, praise the Lord! He's been gone for over 5 months, though he's done his best to stay connected with his family and his NLC family by video calls and texts.
SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HOME, JOSH!

connect with God's Word

As the pastor of Dinuba's only Celebrate Recovery church I have begun my own Step Study. That's the core of the ministry of Celebrate Recovery, the weekly meeting of men (or women) to work through the 8 Principles and 12 Steps of CR based on the Beatitudes. Nine-month Step Studies are offered through our church's CR ministry, but I have joined one especially for pastors. We meet weekly on ZOOM since we're gathering from coast to coast and places in between.

This week one of the pastors asked if he could share a devotional from Ambrose of Milan, the man who was pastor to St. Augustine about 1700 years ago. You'd think this was written today! It sounds so much like the words of peace and gratitude we hear weekly at NLC's CR on Thursday nights. Take them to heart as an appropriate response to our memory verse--that God has given us a free gift of eternal life through Jesus.

The law of God has been useful to me, because through its ministry I have begun to confess what I used to deny; I have begun to realize how I have sinned, and I no longer conceal my unrighteousness. I have begun to condemn my own unrighteousness in the presence of the Lord – and behold, You have forgiven the ungodliness of my heart!

But this is also a blessing to me, that it isn’t by the works of the law that we are justified. This means I don’t have any grounds on which I can glory in my own works; in fact, I have no grounds at all on which I can boast. Therefore, I will glory in Christ!

I will glory, not because I am righteous, but because I am redeemed.
I will glory, not because I am free from sins, but because my sins are forgiven me.
I will glory, not because I have done anything good, nor because someone else has done any good to me,
but in this I will glory: Christ is an Advocate for me with the Father, and Christ’s blood has been shed for me! My guilt, which brought Christ to me, has become the price of my redemption, since for my sake Christ tasted death. So, guilt has proved more of a blessing than innocence!

Innocence made me proud; guilt has made me submit (humble). Those that boast, let them boast in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:31)

connect your Calendar

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering, Room 113

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19
5:30 p.m. - Celebrate Recovery meal and ministry. TESTIMONY. Small Groups. Solid Rock Cafe.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21
Next Gen Young Adult Breakfast - NLC

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
8:30 a.m. - GROWTH CLASSES (note change of rooms)
NEW STUDY! Salt & Light Class: The Book of Judges, Rooms 114-115
WOMEN: Life's Healing Choices, Room 111
9:30 a.m. - CONNECTING POINT (Dining Room)
10:00 a.m. - WORSHIP - NLC CREW - NLC KIDS - NURSERY
Jonathan & Joanna Gutierrez, Multiply Missionaries from Portugal
11:30 a.m. - Meet & Greet lunch with Gutierrez' - RSVP to church office (591-1176)

3-5 p.m. - Church family viewing for Galina Titar (Lyubov Heinrich's mother)
Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Chapel, 836 E Nees Ave, Fresno, CA 93720

4:00 p.m. - Young Adults serving at Harvest Festival at Templo de Oracion in Traver
4:00 p.m. - Women's Ministries "AMAZING SELFIE RACE" - Meet at NLC Dining Room

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24
6:00 a.m. - NEW STUDY! Men's Bible Study on Malachi, Dining Room
6:30 p.m. - Healing Rooms of Dinuba - West porch of Worship Center building
6:30 p.m. - GRIEFSHARE New 13 session group, NLC Community Room

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25
6:30 p.m. - Prayer Gathering - Room 113

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26
5:30 p.m. - Celebrate Recovery
6:00 p.m. - Open Gate Ministries 49th Anniversary Dinner - Living Word Fellowship

connect with Ways to Give & Serve

CR Sausage goes on sale this Sunday and next!

Still places to help out! Invite neighbors and friends!

We have an approved budget!

Received Last Week (10/15): …........$3,955
Received this year to date: ………..$43,573
Budget to Date: ………………........... $53,892
Budget Goal: ……….......……...….....$400,342
Needed Weekly: ………….........…….…$7,928

connect through Prayer

Pray comfort and strength for those who have lost loved ones recently: Janet Southard lost her husband JR at the end of September; Nora Reimche lost her mother Maria in Mexico recently; Lyubov Heinrichs lost her mother Galina in Fresno last Sunday after caring for her for a number of years. (See calendar above for service information).
Praise the Lord for Josh Aquino's safe return home from deployment in Qatar!
Eugene Enns had some setbacks this week related to his recent hospitalization. Pray for healing and peace as he continues to recover.
Manuel Madrid's mother Mary is requiring a procedure this week. Pray it goes well for her.
Alyza Dover's grandma, Lori, has been in church recently with the entire family and appreciates prayer as she fights cancer.
Continue praying for others who are fighting cancer, awaiting diagnosis or treatment, or resting in remission: Mike Naylor, Kristel Salazar, Eugene Enns, Carolina Coralles, Glen Zimmerman, Pastor Bill Nicolay, Bea De La Cerda, and Lanisha Washington.
Ron Froese will be scheduled soon for surgery to correct his hearing loss.
Please also pray for Cynthia Avendano, employed by Pitman Farms at the Froese's property. She has suddenly come down with an unspecified respiratory illness and is on a ventilator in St. Agnes Hospital.
Praise the Lord that humanitarian aid will soon be reaching the people of Gaza, half of whom are children 18 and under. Pray for an end to violence and war, for a release of hostages, and for healing among those hurting in Israel and Gaza.
Pray for our nation's House of Representatives as they seek new leadership.