Good Morning!
If you have read ahead in the book of Exodus to the scriptures we will be working through this Sunday (Exodus 32-34), then there is a good chance that after reading one passage in particular you found yourself thinking something along the lines of, ‘Seriously, Israel? Seriously?’ If you haven’t read the passage yet I don’t want to spoil it for you, but lets just say it involves an entire nation bowing before a golden calf in worship. For me, it is THE scene I think about when I think about idolatry, or idol worship. While this is definitely a very clear example of idol worship, the reality is that an act doesn’t have to be that extreme to be considered idolatry. In its most basic form, idolatry is the tendency to give value or devotion to something or someone that hinders our love and devotion to God. Idolatry is something that God takes so seriously that he dedicated the first two of the ten commandments to, so it ought to be something that we take seriously as well.
Idols can take the form of anything- possessions, jobs, hobbies, family, social status, etc.- and they may be different for everyone. It is up to each individual to look at their own life and determine if there is anything that is hindering their worship of the one true God, and humbly submit it to God, putting God back in His rightful place in your life, wholeheartedly worshipping Him, and Him alone. The following verse, from 1 John is only one of the many verses throughout scripture that warn against idolatry, and does so after giving a brief, beautiful reminder of the God that we put our hope in.
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:20,21
~Contributed by Charlie Hughes
There is a lot going on around the Park these days and we want to make sure you don’t miss a beat. Check out the following events and opportunities to serve:
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Job Opportunity in Family Ministries @ The Park:
Park Family Ministries is hiring! We are looking for someone who has a passion for families and kids to lead our Sunday morning classes. It’s part time and a link to the job description and application is below. Check it out if you are interested in applying or pass it along!
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Missional Partner Spotlight:
At the Park we partner with individuals and organizations around our city and the world to extend the great message of the gospel through words and actions. We pray for these partners as well as help fund many of their projects, initiatives, and personal needs. For a complete list of our current partners click
HERE.
Kari Kurz is the local area director (Northwest) for
YoungLife. Here is a little bit about the organization:
Young Life doesn’t start with a program. It starts with adults who are concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship. These relationships don’t happen overnight — they take time, patience, trust and consistency.So Young Life leaders log many hours with kids — where they are, as they are. We listen to their stories and learn what’s important to them because we genuinely care about their joys, triumphs, heartaches and setbacks.We believe in the power of presence. Kids’ lives are dramatically impacted when caring adults come alongside them, sharing God’s love with them. Because their Young Life leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning and purpose.
Kari would love to talk with you more about how to support the work she does here in San Antonio. Click
here to contact her.
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Join or Start a Community Group: Community Groups at the Park track with the Sunday sermons. We are wrapping up our study of Exodus over the next 2 weeks and then will be launching into a new study in mid-August. Since
community is a core value of the Park, we encourage everyone to get into a Community Group. Also, we are always praying for new groups to start. If you are looking for community, sometimes the best avenue to take is to be the one who initiates it by opening up your home and seeing what God will do. If you are interested in starting a new group for the next sermon series, please email Chris at the link below. You can find a current list of groups
HERE.
If you have questions, contact
Chris.
Have a great weekend, read Exodus 32-34, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday at Huebner Elementary!
Chris
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