Mission Hills Church, San Marcos CA

Day 16 ISAIAH 35:1-10 . SCRIPTURE REFLECTION The prophet paints a colorful picture of the coming day of salvation. God will come with healing strength. The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk and the mute will speak. In Jesus’ first advent, this beautiful picture of God’s salvation was on display for all to see. He healed the blind, the deaf, the lame and the mute. Yet, we also know He will come again, and on that day there will be no more sorrow. What joy... we have in the healing of Jesus’ first advent, and what joy there will be in the consummation of that healing in His second advent. One day He will come again and there will be no more sorrow and sighing, only gladness and joy. . PRAYER Father, I rejoice in your salvation. It is good news for a broken and hurting world. It is good news in my brokenness and pain. I rejoice in the healing of Jesus’ first advent. Yet, I eagerly await His second advent, when there will be no more tears and no more sorrow. As I remember His first arrival, I long for His second. In Jesus name, Amen. . . . #adventweek3 #joy #foruntoisborn See more

Sunday Worship Service

Day 15 ISAIAH 52:7-10 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace,... who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. . SCRIPTURE REFLECTION God’s salvation brings joy. The prophet Isaiah looks to a day when God will come. He will comfort. He will redeem. He will bring salvation to the ends of the earth. This time of great joy is inaugurated that first Christmas in the town of Bethlehem. . PRAYER Father, you alone are my salvation. In you is hope and peace. What joy there is in your salvation! As I prepare my heart for Christmas Day, I am reminded of the salvation I have in Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen. . . . #adventweek3 #joy #foruntoisborn See more

Tonight is our Harvest Drive Thru Celebration at 7 PM to 8:30PM! We'll be starting the festivities in the church parking lot shortly after our 5 PM Worship Service. Invite your family and friends to receive a nice treat. Heath guidelines will be followed.

Day 14 ROMANS 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. . SCRIPTURE REFLECTION... We have peace with God through Jesus. He came to restore the communion we lost with God. He is our mediator. We have right relationship with God, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus has done. Our faith is in Him alone. This great plan of restoration through Jesus all began on Christmas Day. . PRAYER Father, I celebrate the peace I have with you in Jesus Christ. It is easy to forget how great a gift you gave on Christmas Day because I have heard the story so many times. As you prepare my heart for Christmas, may I see how spectacular the birth of your Son truly was. May I receive the greatest gift ever given afresh in my life this advent season. The gift of peace with you. In Jesus name, Amen. . . . #adventweek2 #peace #foruntoisborn See more

Day 13 LUKE 2:13-20 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’... 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. . SCRIPTURE REFLECTION Can you imagine a birth announcement delivered by angels? What an amazing moment this must have been for those humble shepherds. God’s great plan of salvation, His covenant of peace was breaking forth into the world, and it was being revealed to a group of poor, lowly shepherds. God did not intend to make peace only with the spiritual elites and culturally powerful, but with all people. . PRAYER Father, your peace extends to all people. Jesus came for the entire world. He came to bring peace to the rich and poor, the famous and the forgotten. He came to make peace with me. I did not deserve it. I did not earn it. Just as you came to those humble shepherds on Christmas night you have come to me. With your angels, I rejoice in the great gift of your Son. In Jesus name, Amen. . . . #adventweek2 #peace #foruntoisborn See more

Psalm 57: 1-3 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.... I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness . It is common knowledge in the Midwest that when you hear a long, steady siren blast, it signals a tornado is threatening the area. Having had my aunt lose her home and nearly her life in a tornado, my family took these warnings very seriously. At the sound of the first horn blast, my mother would rapidly gather us together, head to our underground closet, and wait until the storm had passed by. All I remember was the peace I felt having my loving parent’s presence with me. That memory reminded me of David’s situation in today’s Psalm. David finds himself huddled in a little cave as he hides from King Saul threatening to destroy his life. As David takes cover, he knows he is outmanned, outnumbered and overpowered. David keeps his eyes on His loving, eternal, and ever-present Father. Fear did not consume him nor did his powerful enemy cause him to give up. Instead, he asks his Father, Be merciful to me O Godfor in you my soul takes refugetill the storms of destruction pass by. David’s mood and words are more a triumphant call of praise. I cry out to God who fulfills his purpose for me. David knows in the depth of his soul that even in the worst circumstances God’s good purposes will prevail. Life’s storms are always temporary but God’s purposes are everlasting. God is with you in your storms of loneliness, powerlessness, or fearfulness. Keep your eyes on your Heavenly Father. Consider His steadfast love and faithfulness that is covering you until the storm passes. See more

10/26/20 Order of Prayer The Prayer for the Appointed Week Almighty and everlasting God, increase in me the gifts of faith, hoe, and charity; and, that I may obtain what you promise, make me love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ... Psalm 66:7-12, 16-17- who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nationslet not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. Prayer for the World Take a moment to pray for international, federal, state, and local leaders, for essential workers, for those suffering from illness, for those who are struggling financially, and for all those who need to hear the gospel. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Prayer Requests If you would like prayer, please send your requests to [email protected]. . . . . #morningprayer See more

Join us tomorrow for church on Saturday at 5 PM on the church lawn as we continue our Faithful Politics series. We look forward to seeing you!

Psalms 145:18-21 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.... The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. . Amazing truths are packed into these four verses. How comforting it is to know that God is near to all who call on Him in truth. The mere fact that the Lord is near, that we can live in relationship with Him, has been made possible because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. He became one of us, lived in perfect obedience to the Father, died in our place taking on our transgression, and rose again. He took on our sin and gave us His righteousness. It is because of these things that the Lord is not only near us, but He is able to make His dwelling inside of us. . This psalm is comforting because even when the Lord feels distant, we are reminded of His closeness. We are reminded that He hears our cries for help and He is the one preserving us. We can join the psalmist in praise to the Lord because of His wondrous works. We can look forward to the day that we will be with Him face to face blessing his holy name forever and ever. See more

10/22/20 Order of Prayer The Prayer for the Appointed Week Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of you mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ... Psalm 68:3-5 - But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him! Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Prayer for the World Take a moment to pray for international, federal, state, and local leaders, for essential workers, for those suffering from illness, for those who are struggling financially, and for all those who need to hear the gospel. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Prayer Requests If you would like prayer, please send your requests to [email protected]. See more

Psalm 71:19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? . The psalmist recalls a lifetime with God- a wonderful combination of problems and praise. Much like our own, David’s life was not without the utterance of struggle. He faced dangers, distress and was tempted to despair but God was faithful to be with him and His steadfast love is life’s greatest gift. David experienced the constant care of God and offers ...an abundance of thanksgiving for God’s goodness. . One of the greatest things we have to praise God for is the assurance that He is with us no matter what we face in life. Similar to David, our lives also face trials, temptations and troubles but God remains our strong refuge. In life we discover there is nothing that builds character, grows patience and creates compassion like suffering. Spurgeon once said, When I cannot rejoice in what I have, I will look forward to what shall be mine and will still rejoice. In painful times when our present circumstances are hard, we still have joy because we know that God is with us, forming Christ in us like no one else. Paul said, But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame. Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom5:3-5) Nothing can compare to God’s great works; creation, providence, and redemption. As miracles of love abound from God we are revived. . There is none like you O’ God. May praise abound from our hearts and mouths always. . . . . #middaydevotion See more

10/21/2020 Order of Prayer The Prayer for the Appointed Week Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of you mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ... Psalm 71:19-24 - Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt. Prayer for the World Take a moment to pray for international, federal, state, and local leaders, for essential workers, for those suffering from illness, for those who are struggling financially, and for all those who need to hear the gospel. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Prayer Requests If you would like prayer, please send your requests to [email protected] . . . . #morningprayer See more

10/20/2020 Order of Prayer The Prayer for the Appointed Week Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of you mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ... Psalm 60:6-12 - God has spoken in his holiness: With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph. Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. Prayer for the World Take a moment to pray for international, federal, state, and local leaders, for essential workers, for those suffering from illness, for those who are struggling financially, and for all those who need to hear the gospel. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Prayer Requests If you would like prayer, please send your requests to [email protected]. See more

Psalms 90: 10-12 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.... Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. . During my life and ministry, I sadly have attended many memorial services of friends, family and acquaintances. It never ceases to amaze me how their death, no matter their age, always feels it has come too soon. These memorial gatherings of humorous and touching stories with visual displays of childhood years, milestone events and special relationships are a beautiful peek into their world. Yet I always wonder what did this person carry in their life behind the laughter, smiles, trips and hobbies? What inner battles were fought; defeats withstood, pains suffered, tears cried, loves lost, and lessons learned. We all know that life consists of much more than birthday celebrations and days at the beach. Most of our days are spent managing relationships, battling fears, accomplishing agendas and processing disappointments. . Our Psalm today clearly defines humanity’s lot in vs. 10, yet their span is but toil and trouble. This certainty prompts the psalmist to plead for one thing. Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (vs.12) Amazingly, accepting our brevity here on earth is attached to gaining God’s wisdom in the midst of our life’s toil and trouble. We live in a country whose culture finds aging distasteful and talk of looming death as unpleasant. Yet in the kingdom of God, we view and understand our temporal state in light of God’s eternality. Whether you are currently enjoying a season of joy-filled rest or enduring seemingly endless difficulties, may God help you to number your days and may you find peace and wisdom in knowing that they are soon gone and we fly away (vs.10) to our eternal home. . . . #middaydevotional See more

10/15/20 Order of Prayer The Prayer for the Appointed Week Lord, I pray that your grace may always precede and follow me, that I may continually be given to good works; through Jesus who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ... Psalm 45:1-8 - My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; Prayer for the World Take a moment to pray for international, federal, state, and local leaders, for essential workers, for those suffering from illness, for those who are struggling financially, and for all those who need to hear the gospel. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Prayer Requests If you would like prayer, please send your requests to [email protected]. See more

10/14/2020 Order of Prayer The Prayer for the Appointed Week Lord, I pray that your grace may always precede and follow me, that I may continually be given to good works; through Jesus who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ... Psalm 90:1-8,12 - Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, Return, O children of man! For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Prayer for the World Take a moment to pray for international, federal, state, and local leaders, for essential workers, for those suffering from illness, for those who are struggling financially, and for all those who need to hear the gospel. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Prayer Requests If you would like prayer, please send your requests to [email protected]. See more

Psalm 37:39-40 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,... because they take refuge in him. . The Psalmist makes it evident that salvation is from the Lord. Nothing and no one else can deliver us from times of trouble. Not only does the Lord deliver us from troubling times, but He walks with us through them. As we take refuge in Him, we find that He is walking us through the valley. He takes us by the hand, He sees us and knows us. . Throughout Scripture we see God’s people cry out to Him. Over and over again, He hears them and delivers them. He calls us to lay our requests at His feet. 1 Peter 5 tells us that we can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. Whatever season you find yourself in, may the Lord be your stronghold. May you take refuge in Him and remain faithful to Him even in times of trouble. . . . #middaydevotion See more