Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There is so much going on in our country and in our world. Wars that have been going on for years are having periods of ceasefire (hopefully in Ukraine!). Tariffs have been applied, removed, applied again. The DJIA has plunged since the beginning of the year. In the midst of joys and sorrows and uncertainty, how are we to live?
As we heard last week, we are to abstain from passions of the flesh and live honorable, beautiful lives, so that others, while they may speak of us as troublemakers or evil doers, they will glorify God on the day of visitation. But as we wait for the day that Christ will return, how ought we to live?
Come this week to worship to hear how we are to do good in society. We’ll be looking at 1 Peter 2:13-25. And this passage has some very challenging things for us to hear, but that is because God is working to change us and to help others to know Him, through the witness that we share. Sure, God is in control, but we have work to do! God chooses to work through us, and even through difficult situations, like suffering for doing good, to point to Jesus. In fact, the only way that we can endure suffering for doing good is through depending on Jesus who has already done so himself. But I am getting ahead of myself. Come to Sunday worship to hear how we are to do good in society. Next week, we’ll consider how to do good in marriage.
***Reminder*** the Keeping It Vertical Bible Study (Ladies Tuesday Study) will be meeting online (via Zoom) on March 18 and April 1 (No Joke!) Here is the login information for that:
Time: Mar 18 and Apr 1, 2025; 1 PM Eastern Time
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88375672774?pwd=hixw0l3LbKLlIBNNvZTR2pjkFgMoGh.1
Meeting ID: 883 7567 2774
Passcode: 520488
Please continue to pray for the nations of Israel and Ukraine and South Sudan. Pray that the wars would end and the ceasefire in Gaza will hold and that a ceasefire may begin in Ukraine. Here is a suggested list of prayers if you are at a loss for words in how to pray: https://send.org/story/hh_pray_for_ukraine. And https://worldrelief.org/blog-prayer-for-israel-and-gaza/ And here are other prayers for peace in general: https://worldrelief.org/prayers-for-peace-in-the-world/ Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza and Lebanon, Sudan and South Sudan, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against the forces of darkness in this present age.
This Week (Mar. 14-20, 2025):
1. Tonight, Mar. 14, 2025, the Living Stones Friday Night Bible Study is meeting from 7:30-9:30 to study “The Benefits of Worship” You can read Psalm 63 to prepare. Bob and Jack are leading. Join in person in Room A-218 or online via the following link at 7:30 pm:
https://zoom.us/j/685376249?pwd=cWtyUk1pckJiRHJxZVZCSGdJZWw2UT09
Meeting ID: 685 376 249
Password: 840840
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
2. CrossPoint Community Sunday School meets this Sunday – Mar. 16 in the Koinonia Room (A-216). We will have our fifth lesson of Theology and Economics, led by Elder Wu. We will use the following link for those who wish to join online this Sunday:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/491248585?pwd=RnpLcnpjQ01nTGZLSmhaZ3l4L3dKQT09
Meeting ID: 491 248 585
Password: 403767
Join by phone: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
There will also be a connection hour, a time for conversation and prayer, in A-202.
3. This Sunday, Mar. 16, 2025, at 11:25 am, our CrossPoint Community Worship Service will start and Pastor Nathan will be preaching. Pray for him! Join us for worship at CBCGL and take communion with other brothers and sisters in Christ.
Text: 1 Peter 2:13-25
Title: Doing Good in Society
Live stream via Youtube: https://www.cbcgl.org/live-stream/
4. Each Wednesday, such as this coming week (Mar. 19) at 7:45 pm, you are invited, encouraged, and requested to join our weekly prayer meeting. We will not grow in Christ without growing in our dependence on God through prayer. In March, we will be praying with a focus on repentance. The link is found below in the section on prayer.
Administration / Events
1. We have a missions update (so check out the missions tab in the bulletin)! You can pray for the Panama STM team. They are presently in Panama (March 13-25). For more information, check out the missions tab of the bulletin. Also, if you’d like to help with providing mission updates for CPC – let Pastor Nathan know!
2. CPCM has reserved the Multi-Purpose Room on Saturday’s from 1:30 to 4PM for sports. In general, we can play any game: Ping-pong, badminton, pickleball, volleyball, basketball; we can do it all. The room is reserved only for CPCM members and their guests, so it is highly likely you will have lots of space and time to play whatever you want. The goal is to build deeper bonds through shared interest and activity. The contact person is Joshua Zhang.
3. We will have our next baptism service on Palm Sunday (April 13). To be baptized, you must attend baptism class. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact Pastor Nathan Willems. Come to baptism class to learn why we baptize people, what is necessary for baptism, and what rights and responsibilities you have as someone who is baptized.
We also will have child dedication. If you’re interested in dedicating your child(ren), talk with Pastor Nathan!
4. Sunday Lunch Service is available at CBCGL with $5 lunches that are first-come, first-served. Pizza is $2 per slice and Ramen is available (priced variously according to size).
5. Women’s Bible Study – “KEEPING IT VERTICAL” meets the first and third Tuesday of each month to learn, share and grow in the Lord. We are studying the Fruit of the Spirit. Come join us and meet new friends and bring more friends along! Contact jeannemic50 (at) icloud.com (Please note, on March 18, this will be online! See above.)
6. Space is still available! The Ladies Fellowship (Keeping in Vertical) invites you to register to attend a one-day women’s retreat at Calvary Bible Church in Derry, NH either Fri, May 16 or Sat, May 17, 2025 (a one-day event held on two separate days).
Online registration began on Monday, February 24, 2025 via https://www.cbcderry.org/lda25
Cost is $45 which includes breakfast, lunch and registration details.
EVENT DETAILS including the event schedule, a short bio on the speaker (Katie Davis Majors) and important things to know can be found on the website noted above. PLEASE NOTE Tickets are NONREFUNDABLE AND NONRETURNABLE (Feel free to sell or give your ticket to a friend if you register and can’t make it). For more info or to register as a group, please contact: Pat Fung (patriciafung5 AT gmail.com)
7. Mark Your Calendars!:
a. CPC’s turn for Cafeteria Cleaning is March 23.
b. The Hobby Bunch will be on Saturday March 29th, 1:30-4:30PM. Help make Easter decorations for Church, or learn how to make cards, or bring your own craft to work on.
8. All other announcements can be found here (in our CrossPoint Community bulletin).
For Prayer:
1. From Bishop J.C. Ryle – “To be prayerless is to be Christless, Godless, and in the high road to destruction…It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small.” Please join our Wednesday night prayer meeting (7:45 – 9:15 pm) even if you can’t participate the whole time.
https://zoom.us/j/758587937?pwd=aS9sZUdxcm1janNNM2I2aXJ6Smx2QT09
Meeting ID: 758 587 937
Password: 030086
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
We’d be glad to pray for you. If you need prayer, you can submit your prayer request via the following link: https://www.cbcgl.org/pray/
In Christ, your servant, SDG,
Rev. Dr. Nathan Willems
Associate Pastor of CrossPoint Community – A Ministry of CBCGL