What you'll find in this week's email:
Community Life Update
This Week in Worship: Nothing Can Separate (Romans 8:31-39)
Faith on Tap (Tonight! 6:30-8pm)
Vacation Bible School (7/21-7/25)
Kids in Community (7/28-8/1)
Family Movie Night (8/9, 7:30pm)
We’d love for you to be a part of our new photo directory! We are growing so quickly that it would be really great to have a photo directory in order to better facilitate our community life. So, for the next few weeks we will be taking pictures before and after worship and everyone is welcome! You need not be a member of the church to be included… we want everyone there! Please consider stopping for a quick picture one of these Sundays!
A GIFT FOR TYLER
As you know, Tyler will be soon moving full-time to his creative company, Bradley Mountain. His last Sunday in leadership will be August 10th. Tyler has been with us since the very beginning of this faith movement, and we are looking for ways to show our appreciation for all that he has given us. Well, recently his car was broken into and his guitar was stolen. In light of this event, we were thinking that a new guitar and case would be an appropriate and timely gift! If you would like to show your appreciation to Tyler, we are asking for people to give donations for his new guitar. Donations can be mailed directly to the church care of Tyler’s gift, or you can place a donation in the offering box on Sundays, labeled "Tyler’s Gift". The gift will be presented to him on August 10th during worship. Let’s send Ty off with so much love!
And this idea of being between two worlds, in many ways this is what it means to be the Church and to be someone with faith. We live with that knowledge and realization that the world is not what it should be, and yet we also do not lose hope that one day that will change. We hold the newspaper in one hand, and the Bible in the other. “Soon, but not yet” we repeat.
Well, this week in our Scripture passage, we will also hear about what comes next. That while all of this is true, there is also something else which changes this for us. While these truths remain, there is also another truth which changes everything; for there is someone who crosses the divide of these two worlds and who knows what it is to live in both. There is God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. The one who is with us where we are, but also walking with us to where we will be. This Sunday, we will celebrate this as we read one of the very best Scripture verses in the whole Bible:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”
We’ll see you on Sunday as we celebrate this truth. And feel free to stay after worship this week and be a part of our Vacation Bible School Ice Cream Party! We’ll be in the Social Hall after the service. This would be a great time to meet some of the kids and families who came to VBS. Plus, it’s ice cream!
Scripture Text
Romans 8:31-39
Romans 8:31-39 So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary:
Romans 8:31-39
Verse 31
[31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
What shall we say then to these things — Related in the third, fifth, and eighth chapters? As if he had said, We cannot go, think, or wish anything farther.
If God be for us — Here follow four periods, one general and three particular. Each begins with glorying in the grace of God, which is followed by a question suitable to it, challenging all opponents to all which, "I am persuaded," etc., is a general answer. The general period is, If God be for us, who can be against us? The first particular period, relating to the past time, is, He that spared not his own Son, how shall he not freely give us all things? The second, relating to the present, is, It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? The third, relating to the future, is, It is Christ that died - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Verse 32
[32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
He that — This period contains four sentences: He spared not his own Son; therefore he will freely give us all things. He delivered him up for us all; therefore, none can lay anything to our charge. Freely - For all that follows justification is a free gift also.
All things — Needful or profitable for us.
Verse 33
[33] Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
God's elect — The above-cited author observes, that long before the coming of Christ the heathen world revolted from the true God, and were therefore reprobated, or rejected. But the nation of the Jews were chosen to be the people of God, and were therefore styled, "the children" or "sons of God," Deuteronomy 14:1; "holy people," Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; "a chosen seed," Deuteronomy 4:37; "the elect," Isaiah 41:8,9; 43:10; "the called of God," Isaiah 48:12. And these titles were given to all the nation of Israel, including both good and bad. Now the gospel having the most strict connexion with the Books of the Old Testament, where these phrases frequently occur; and our Lord and his apostles being native Jews, and beginning to preach in the land of Israel, the language in which they preached would of course abound with the phrases of the Jewish nation. And hence it is easy to see why such of them as would not receive him were styled reprobated. For they no longer continued to be the people of God; whereas this and those other honourable titles were continued to all such Jews as embraced Christianity. And the same appellations which once belonged to the Jewish nation were now given to the gentile Christians also together with which they were invested with all the privileges of "the chosen people of God;" and nothing could cut them off from these but their own wilful apostasy. It does not appear that even good men were ever termed God's elect till above two thousand years from the creation. God's electing or choosing the nation of Israel, and separating them from the other nations, who were sunk in idolatry and all wickedness, gave the first occasion to this sort of language. And as the separating the Christians from the Jews was a like event, no wonder it was expressed in like words and phrases only with this difference, the term elect was of old applied to all the members of the visible church; whereas in the New Testament it is applied only to the members of the invisible.
Verse 34
[34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Yea rather, that is risen — Our faith should not stop at his death, but be exercised farther on his resurrection, kingdom, second coming.
Who maketh intercession for us — Presenting there his obedience, his sufferings, his prayers, and our prayers sanctified through him.
Verse 35
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ — Toward us? Shall affliction or distress - He proceeds in order, from less troubles to greater: can any of these separate us from his protection in it ; and, if he sees good, deliverance from it?
Verse 36
[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
All the day — That is, every day, continually.
We are accounted — By our enemies; by ourselves. Psalms 44:22.
Verse 37
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
We more than conquer — We are not only no losers, but abundant gainers, by all these trials. This period seems to describe the full assurance of hope.
Verse 38
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
I am persuaded — This is inferred from the thirty-fourth verse, in an admirable order: - Neither death" shall hurt us; For "Christ is dead:" "Nor life;" 'is risen" Nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers; nor things pre - sent, nor things to come;" "is at the right hand of God:" "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature;" "maketh intercession for us." Neither death - Terrible as it is to natural men; a violent death in particular, Romans 8:36.
Nor life — With all the affliction and distress it can bring, Romans 8:35; or a long, easy life; or all living men.
Nor angels — Whether good (if it were possible they should attempt it) or bad, with all their wisdom and strength.
Nor principalities, nor powers — Not even those of the highest rank, or the most eminent power.
Nor things present — Which may befal us during our pilgrimage; or the whole world, till it passeth away.
Nor things to come — Which may occur either when our time on earth is past, or when time itself is at an end, as the final judgment, the general conflagration, the everlasting fire.
Nor height, nor depth — The former sentence respected the differences of times; this, the differences of places. How many great and various things are contained in these words, we do not, need not, cannot know yet.
The height — In St. Paul's sublime style, is put for heaven.
The depth — For the great abyss: that is, neither the heights, I will not say of walls, mountains, seas, but, of heaven itself, can move us; nor the abyss itself, the very thought of which might astonish the boldest creature.
Nor any creature — Nothing beneath the Almighty; visible enemies he does not even deign to name.
Shall be able — Either by force, Romans 8:35; or by any legal claim, Romans 8:33, etc.
To separate us from the love of God in Christ — Which will surely save, protect, deliver us who believe in, and through, and from, them all.
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Join us on tonight from 6:30 to 8:00 to hang out at Pastor Brent's house, where we will be participating in a casual theological discussion over a pint of local beers and munchies. This month, we'll be meeting at 3567 32nd Street, San Diego. The topic of the month is a free-flowing conversation called “Ask the Pastor” where people will be able to ask anything about faith, church, Methodism or theology! Feel free to bring something to share! Contact Pastor Brent at brent@nhunited.org for more details!
Join us in the Social Hall directly after Church to celebrate the success of Vacation Bible School! Click here to visit our 2014 Summer Camps page to learn more about Camp Creation. Check out these pics from these week!
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Our mailing address is:
Normal Heights United Methodist Church
4650 Mansfield Street
San Diego, Ca 92116 United States
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