My dad posted this on Facebook today … this vid has made its way around the web and is definitely worth a look:
FYI … Steve Harvey is a secular comedian – this wasn’t a “church” audience he was speaking to.
If you liked Steve’s vid, you’ll love this. 
Jews for Jesus are joining us at the Lake Merced Church of Christ this Sunday!
Have you heard of them? If not, click here or watch this video:
This Sunday after our regular worship service is over, representatives from Jews for Jesus are going to lead us through a very special meal – that of The Passover Feast.
Those with a passing knowledge of the Bible have probably heard of Passover – the Jewish holiday celebrating God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian enslavement.
What many may not grasp is the link between the Jewish Passover Feast of old and The Lord’s Supper (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7), and that’s what the teaching surrounding this Sunday’s lunch at Lake Merced will be centered on.
From the description on the JFJ website:
Christ in the Passover shows the link between the ancient Festival of Redemption and Christ as the Lamb of God—your church members will never forget it! This sermonic demonstration is visual, so the congregation will actually see a table set with traditional Passover items. The missionary uses Scripture as well as the visual items to walk through a Jewish Passover seder, weaving the story of the Exodus together with the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The words He spoke in the upper room come alive as each Hebraic item is carefully explained. Many churches finish this powerful presentation by celebrating communion, and most who have tell us that Christ in the Passover has deepened their church’s communion experience.
I’m looking forward to experiencing this on Sunday!
Did you know that every single Jewish feast is linked to Jesus – a very interesting study for anyone curious (here’s a fairly good article on that – you may have to spit out a couple of bones).
We held our first worship service today in the newly renovated fellowship hall:
The video was shot at the beginning of service … several others trickled in after the service started, and we quickly had a packed house including a bunch of visitors:
Before
After
We still have several things to finish up and install (mainly the audio/video system), but today was a good first day in our new worship center … looking forward to many more!
Almost everyone reading this is familiar with John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
A wonderful verse you’ve no doubt seen hundreds of references to plastered on poster boards, billboards, and bumper stickers.
But have you ever stopped reading that verse nine words in?
“For God so loved the world that He gave” – period.
A great jewel is found in this: it is love’s nature to give.
Think about it – can you come up with a single example of love that doesn’t involve some sort of giving?
You won’t, because if giving isn’t involved then it isn’t really love.
Our God is a lover and therefore a giver, and consider what God gave …
Besides Creation and life itself, God gave us the greatest gift in the history of the universe – Jesus.
Why?
God lavishes His love upon us because His greatest joy comes from having children who love Him back!
In Matthew 22:36-40, a first-century Jewish teacher asked Jesus:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
To love God back – to give back to God – the greatest commandment in the Bible.
To love others – to give to others – the second.
Who was the perfect example for us? I’ll give you one guess.
To love is to give.
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
