07/31/2016 English Sunday Service

Chinese for Christ Church of San Jose

English Worship Service

Worship Service: 10:00 –11:10 am followed by snacks in the Fellowship Hall.

Call To Worship* – Albert Liu

Praise & Worship*- Praise Team and Congregation

Welcome & Announcements – Daniel Chen

Sermon  “What is it About Mountains?”  Exodus 19:16-25 (page 61) – Victor Quon

Song(s) of Response* – Praise Team

Doxology (Words of Praise)*- Congregation

Prayer & Benediction (Lord’s Blessing)* – Victor Quon

*Please stand, if physically able. Also, please set your cell phones to “silent.”

Please exit through the ‘front’ of the sanctuary at the end of service.  Thank you.

We are glad you are here this morning to worship God together with us! We hope that through this service you would experience God’s blessings to you — and know His love for you through Jesus Christ and the presence of His Spirit!

If this is your first time here, please fill out one the pink cards in the pew and pass onto any of our ushers if you would like us to contact you with more information about our church.

Sermon Notes

Announcements

  1. Combined Sunday School: We will be gathering in the Fellowship Hall today during the Sunday School hour (11:40am-12:40pm) to hear from one of our church supported missionaries, Victor Quon.
  2. EM Prayer Meeting: We will be having our monthly prayer meeting this Wednesday (8/3) from 8-9:15pm at the church duplex. For more information, please contact Pastor Kenny.
  3. Friday Night Fellowship: Our summer fellowship for adults (college/working) will meet this coming Friday (8/5) from 8-10pm. Location is TBD.  For more information, please contact Joshua Chang,.
  4. Saltshakers: We will gathering for Large Group this Saturday (8/6) from 7-9pm in the Fellowship Hall. For more information, please contact Daniel Chen (dantchen83@sbcglobal.net).
  5. Yard Sale (8/13): We’ll be having a church-wide yard sale on Saturday (8/13) from 9am-3pm in the front yard of our church. If you have usable and sellable items that you would like to donate, please drop them off at one of the boxes or barrels located in the church hallway by 8/7.  All proceeds will go towards City Team Ministry.  For more information, please contact Daniel Chen (dantchen83@sbcglobal.net) or Keh-Chiang (kehchaing@gmail.com)
  6. Inheritance: This month’s issue is now available! The topic is “Image Dei”.  Inheritance is a monthly magazine that focuses on how Christian faith interacts with Asian American cultures.  (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in Inheritance do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of CFCCSJ.)

 Prayer Requests & Praises   

  1. Praise God for this past Saturday’s Random Day of Fun. It was a great time of fellowshipping between both the youth and adults.
  2. Pray for our brothers and sisters who currently serving and sharing the gospel overseas. Pray that we as a church continue to support them through prayer.
  3. Pray for Pastor Joey (and family) as he is currently on sabbatical (July 1-September 30). Pray that during these three months, it will be a time of rest, growth, and discernment for him.

What is a “Sabbatical”?

The principle behind the sabbatical comes from Genesis 2:2-3 and Exodus 20:8. As Christians we are all commanded to “sabbath” (rest) weekly.  God has created us to work and then to rest.  The rest commanded is not just physical rest or to busy ourselves with other projects or distract ourselves with entertainment but a deep rest where worship of God is the source of our rest.  Our rest is mean to refuel us to work.  Our rest is also meant to remind us that we are not God (i.e. in complete control) but that God is God!

For CFCCSJ, we have an extended sabbatical policy (3 months) for our full-time pastors.  This sabbatical is not the same as a vacation.  The purpose behind the sabbatical is for pastors to be refreshed, refocused and renewed.  This extended time allows the pastors to take classes, have extended time to read, spend time with their families, visit other churches, etc. As author Thom Rainer writes, “A pastor has emotional highs and lows unlike most other vocations.  In the course of a day, a pastor can deal with death, deep spiritual issues, great encouragement, petty criticisms, tragedies, illnesses, and celebrations of birth.  The emotional roller coaster is draining.  Your pastor needs a break – many times a break with no distractions…Most pastors don’t have an “off” switch.  They go to sleep with the knowledge they could be awakened by a phone callat anytime of the day.  Vacations are rarely uninterrupted.  It can be an exhausting vocation, and a sabbatical can be a welcome time to slow down.

New City Catechism (from www.newcitycatechism.com/intro.php)

We hope that this will be a tool for us to use in disciplining our children, one another and ourselves as a church community.  The New City Catechism is also available online & for your smart phones.

Question 43:  What are the sacraments and ordinances?

Answer: The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection.  By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.

Passage(s): Romans 6:4 ; Luke 22:19-20