Preparing for Lord's Day Worship - July 20

This Sunday morning we will be looking at John 15:18-16:4. As we do, we will be asking the question, "What does it mean to follow Christ?" Another way of asking the question is, "Will it cost you anything to follow Christ?"

As you prepare for this Sunday morning, I invite you to read the following passages of Scripture:
Luke 14:25-33
Matthew 10:26-39

Consider these questions:
Why does the world hate Christians and persecute them?

What should be the Christian's response to persecution?

I pray that you will be able to join us this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. May God richly bless you, and may God richly bless High Pointe as we seek to be whole-hearted followers of Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Juan
Acts 20:24

The Myth of Consensus on Global Warming

From The Daily Tech:

"Considerable presence" of skeptics
The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming. The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science. The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming "incontrovertible."

Read the rest of the article here.

Home, Sweet Home! At Last!

Alex and I finally arrived home around lunch time after making an obligatory stop at the grocery store.

It is great to be home!!!!!! I've just finished going through the mail, and I keep looking at the lawn because I know I need to do it sometime this afternoon.

I look forward to being with our High Pointe family in the morning. Thank you for all your prayers for safe travel.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Juan
Acts 20:24

On the Road/In the Air Again!

Alex and I are on the journey home. I picked up a rental car last night, and Alex and I started toward Jacksonville airport at 4:00 this morning. We are now sitting in the Jacksonville airport listening to boarding instructions.

We'll leave for Nashville at 7:30 a.m., then leave from Nashville to Austin at 8:40 a.m. We hope to arrive home before 11:00 a.m.



Here was the view from our balcony.












Here is where we spent most of our time!

Preparing for Lord's Day Worship - July 13

This Sunday morning I will be preaching from John 15:9-17. The overarching theme is love, and the main point of application is the love of the brethren. As you prepare your hearts for this coming Lord's day, read the text for Sunday morning and meditate on it. Ask yourself what it means to love as Christ has loved us. In other words, ask, "how ought we to love one another?" Then read 1 John, and meditate on the passages that point out the love of God for us and our love for one another.

On Sunday evening we will be in 1 Peter.

May God richly bless us as we prepare together to hear God's Word and apply it to our lives.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Juan
Acts 20:24

Vacation Update

On Saturday, Alex and I will be traveling back home to Austin while the rest of the Sanchez clan continues to vacation in Florida. It's been a good but long two weeks, and I am ready to return! Actually, I think all of us are ready to return, but Jeanine had already planned to spend the remainder of July in Florida.

At the beginning of vacation I had grandiose plans of all I would accomplish, but needless to say, I feel short of those goals. I did manage to read a lot, and for that I am grateful. I'll finish C. J. Mahaney's Humility: The True Greatness today, and I am also reading, Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough. This is an award winning biography of Teddy Roosevelt.

Please pray for our safe return home.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Juan

Acts 20:24

The Reason for God

Tonight I will finish Tim Keller's The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. It has been a very helpful read, and I highly recommend it.

If you have an unbelieving friend who is asking serious questions about the Christian faith and is truly searching for answers, then Keller's book is a must. In part 1, Keller addresses the top questions/objections (defeater beliefs) about/to Christianity that he has heard. In part 2, he begins to provide a positive case for Christianity by offering, not "proofs" for God's existence but "clues" that point to God's existence. Keller ends the book by pointing the readers to Christ.

This book will also help Christians get a better grasp of the faith and provide you aid in responding to skeptics. Enjoy reading this book this summer.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Juan

Acts 20:24