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* – Alison Law
Praise & Worship*- Praise Team and Congregation
Welcome & Announcements – Daniel Chen
Sermon “Look to Jesus” Colossians 3:1-17 (page 984) – Kenny Noh
Song(s) of Response* – Praise Team
Doxology (Words of Praise)*- Congregation
Prayer & Benediction (Lord’s Blessing)* – Kenny Chan
*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
- Married Couples Fellowship (8/21): We will be meeting today from 4:30-6:30pm at Tony & Michelle’s home. Contact Pastor Kenny for questions or more information.
- Friday Night Fellowship (8/26): Our summer fellowship for adults (college/working) will meet this Friday (8/27) from 8-10pm. Location is TBD. For more information, please contact Joshua Chang (joshy.dynasty@gmail.com).
- Saltshakers (8/27): We will be gathering for Large Group this Saturday (8/27) from 7-9pm in the Fellowship Hall. For more information, please contact Daniel Chen (dantchen83@gmail.com).
- Inheritance: We still have copies of July’s “Imago Dei” edition which can be found on the hallway table. Inheritance is a monthly magazine that focuses on how Christian faith interacts with Asian and American cultures. (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in Inheritance do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of CFCCSJ.)
Prayer Requests & Praises
- Praise God for yesterday’s church-wide clean up. It was a wonderful time of serving together.
- Praise God for our brothers and sisters who have recently returned from their short term mission trip.
- Pray for our students who have recently started going back to school that their transition will go smoothly. Pray that this school year will be a growing experience not only academically but spiritually.
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 45: Is baptism with water the washing away of sin itself?
Answer: No, only the blood of Christ and the renewal of the Holy Spirit can cleanse us from sin.
Passage(s): Luke 3:16