MBCLA English Youth

Posts to Reflect on Our Nation's Unrest (Part 1 of 3) Pastor Nam Park (who was one of my (Robert) instructors in seminary for preaching lab) pastors a predominately Asian American church near Northridge, CA. I was thoroughly encouraged by how he and his staff invited Pastor Bobby Scott to hear how he has been processing the tensions going on in our nation as an African American pastor in South Gate, CA. May we pursue such conversations to listen and move toward truth and fait...Continue reading

Take advantage of the summer and join us for a summer Sunday school elective from July-August, Sundays @ 11AM. We will have a combined meeting today to kick off the summer with some sharing, Q&A, and introducing the electives. Contact your Sunday school teacher or [email protected] for the link!

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." - A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy During our time apart, many leaders in our church (including many of our youth leaders) worked together to post video devotionals on 50 attributes of God. This summer, take the opportunity to get to know God--the most important person in the universe and the One who loves you with an everlasting love. Here are a few resources: 1. Playlist to our 50 epi...sode series on the attributes of God: facebook.com/watch/MBCLAEnglish/595562384365906/ *If you want the "50 Attributes to Adore" document that includes a short reflection on each attribute/title of God, email [email protected]. 2. The following two devotional books are a great place to start to help you move from head-knowledge about God to daily enjoyment and worship of God. GOD IS: A DEVOTIONAL GUIDE TO THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD by Mark Jones amazon.com/God-Devotional-Guide-Attributes-eb//B01N9SDV67/ NONE LIKE HIM: 10 WAYS GOD IS DIFFERENT FROM US (AND WHY THAT'S A GOOD THING) by Jen Wilken amazon.com/None-Like-Him-Different-Thats-ebook//B01BU6F7RI/ 3. For more prolonged meditation on the attributes of God, these next two books are classics and constantly make the list of top Christian books for good reason: KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY by A.W. Tozer ntcg-aylesbury.org.uk/books/knowledge_of_the_holy.pdf (free PDF @ monergism.com!) Knowing God by J.I. Packer amazon.com/Knowing-God-J-I-Packer/dp/083081650X

A Plea Against Soundbite Theology Each of the resources posted last week have a Part 2 because real progress in battling sin and loving God cannot be sustained by soundbites and slogans. In "Dear Church: Can We Talk About Race?" ... https://davidagundersen.com//part-2-dear-church-can-we-ta/ Pastor Gundersen urges the church to struggle together for unity in the Word that equips us to provide real hope in the real issues of this world. In Part 2 of IBC's discussion with Pastor Bobby Scott, the pastors model deep biblical thinking and dialogue that builds on the first interview. As they get more specific about issues in our culture, you may feel uncomfortable at certain points. But instead of simply latching onto one phrase, listen through the whole meeting and let it challenge and sharpen you. (It will be much more worth your time than another rerun on Netflix.) p.s. Randy Alcorn has another post coming with perspectives from a number of Christian police officers. We'll post it here when it becomes available.

Posts to Reflect on Our Nation's Unrest (Part 3 of 3) This last pastoral reflection today is from a man that I (Robert) deeply respect. "Gunner," as many call him, was my resident director @ the Master's University. I remember him for his bible-saturated wisdom, his craftsmanship with words, and his gritty faith. As a white couple, Gunner and his wife adopted 4 black children from overseas. They returned home with their first son while I was in college, and I will never forge...t the beautiful infant I got to play with, their story of how they went out of country multiple times to fight for the right to bring him home, and their commitment display the very diversity of the body of Christ in their family. His post will be well worth your time. Sit and grieve for the sin and brokenness in our own hearts and in this world, and turn to Christ. (There's a part 2 coming that I can't wait to read and share.) p.s. This reflection in 2017, "For the Life of Our Sons," challenges how much we really consider our shared humanity and gives a more personal view into his heart as a father for his sons. https://davidagundersen.com///03/for-the-life-of-our-sons/

Posts to Reflect on Our Nation's Unrest (Part 2 of 3) We should rightly stand against injustice and racism that we see in society; yet some voices are calling people to vilify the law enforcement officers who protect and serve justice and who overwhelmingly condemn the abuse of power that took the life of George Floyd. This has led some to dehumanize men and women in uniform to the point where some, such as retired police captain David Dorn, have been killed during this time of unrest. Read this helpful article from Randy Alcorn, as well as an article he links, https://erlc.com/resource-libr//how-to-pray-for-the-police, to consider how to pray for the men and women serving in law enforcement.