Panorama

The final session of Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word will be held June 3, 7:00 PM, at New Life Church, West Linn. Join in person or on livestream at https://bit.ly/NewLifeWomenLivestreamJune. Materials and videos of sessions one through four are on the church website.

Materials for our current Side by Side Bible study of Revelation can also be found on the church website. We will finish our study of Revelation at 1st Thursday Connect on July 1 and then break for the rest of the summer.

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Poll

The Women’s Ministry leadership team would very much appreciate your input as we plan for next year. Would you take a minute to answer five questions? Whether you are a regular attender or have never participated before or are somewhere in-between, your feedback is valued. Thank you for your help!

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Isaiah 40

As we memorize Isaiah 40, these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund are provided for your education and enjoyment. We will be memorizing verses 27-28 in June.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:27-28 ESV)

The Jewish exiles living under a kind of mass house arrest in Babylon felt abandoned by God…. This way of thinking is not new…. Isaiah articulates for us our poisonous thoughts, but not to coddle us…. No one lives with an unwavering faith. But Isaiah reasons with us, challenging the irrationality of our unbelief, to help us get back on track.

Everything that matters in life hangs on who God is. What does Isaiah say? Four things. First, God is eternal, everlasting…. So we should never panic if things aren’t falling together according to our deadlines. God is working his purpose out in his own way, at his own pace, without our hurried, nervous desperation.

Secondly, God is the Creator of everything, all the way to the very “ends of the earth….” We lie in his grace and power at all times, everywhere.

Thirdly, God is always at work…. He never grows tired or weary but is forever fresh, always alert, always able.

Fourthly, God is wise, and “his understanding in unsearchable.” In other words, we can’t figure God out…. If our lives are not exactly the way we would like them to be, we can be sure they are precisely the way God wants them to be. He knows what he’s doing. So we don’t live by explanation; we live by promises. We don’t figure God out by our brains; we submit to him by faith.

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Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Welcome to Exile: It’s Going to Be OK—by Alistair Begg @ TGC. “So we do not panic and we do not vent, and we enjoy a deep confidence even as the tides seem to run against our faith.”

• Four Defining Moments for Young Marriages—@ Desiring God.

• Whitney Woollard on Worshiping Through Chronic Illness—@ Disciple Hinson Podcast. “Suffering is a famine, but Christ is a feast.”

Let Us

The statistics in Hebrews tell a story.

Six times in Hebrews, the author entreats us to draw near to God and shows us how Jesus, as the better priest and king, makes God accessible to us. How incredible that our Creator God does everything necessary through Jesus’ sacrifice to redeem we rebellious image-bearers and invites us to draw near to Him! Are you drawing near?

Four times in Hebrews we are told to hold fast our confession, our hope. Put another way, Hebrews twice more mentions need of endurance. Not unlike other times in history, these are times when it feels hard to hold onto faith in Jesus Christ, our hope. The world is not always kind to us for expressing that kind of hope. Life experiences and world changes can leave us wondering what God is up to and if He truly cares. According to Hebrews 10:23, we can hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering—for he who promised is faithful. Are you holding fast?

We are invited to draw near and admonished to hold fast. But how do we do it? Twenty times Hebrews uses the two small words—by faith. We see what faith looks like in Hebrews 11 when real live ordinary people are commended for believing God, listening to him, relating to him, obeying him, trusting his promises, considering him faithful, choosing the sufferings of Christ, and more. Lest you think these were giants of the faith, and you just can’t muster it, Hebrews 12 follows Hebrews 11 and gives us hope. We draw near to God and hold fast to hope by faith—looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-3). It isn’t the strength of our faith, but the object of our faith, that matters. Twenty-five times in Hebrews we are told Jesus is better, more, or greater. Are you looking to Jesus by faith?

Why should I choose this radical life of faith? A Day is drawing near (Hebrews 10:25) when the coming one will come (Hebrews 10:37), and those who shrink back will be destroyed, but those who have faith will preserve their souls (Hebrews 10:39). If that isn’t reason enough, four times a city is cited and sighted in Hebrews. This city is in a better country, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:16). It’s a city with foundations, designed and built by God (Hebrews 11:10). It’s a lasting city, the city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22; 13:14). Remember those faithful folks in chapter 11? As they looked forward to the joyful city of God, they were motivated to hold fast. Are you looking forward to that city?

Sounds simple enough, but we know from experience this life of enduring faith is neither easy nor our default. The book of Hebrews has plenty of practical helps, which you can reread as needed, but let me point out one. Perhaps most impressive of all the stats in Hebrews is that we are told 14 times to do something collectively—let us. Here is a summary of the let us calls in Hebrews.

• …while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. (Hebrews 4:1 ESV)

• Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)

• Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (Hebrews 4:14)

• Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16-1)

• …let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity,… (Hebrews 6:1)

• …let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)

• Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

• And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

• …since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,… (Hebrews 12:1)

• …and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, (Hebrews 12:2)

• …let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,… (Hebrews 12:28)

• …and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,… (Hebrews 12:28)

• …let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Hebrews 13:13)

• Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. (Hebrews 13:15)

Let us is a clue that we need each other. We are in this together; we are not alone. How could we as sisters in Christ better be the us for one another? Sometimes it is as simple as showing up, not neglecting to meet together, as Hebrews 10:24-25 states. It might be a call or text or note to remind someone of the truth, of the gospel, of our hope. Connect in a Life Group or in Side by Side Bible Reading and have conversations about how the gospel applies to daily life. Make a point of asking questions about someone’s soul, about how they are viewing God and themselves in light of His Word. Offer a hug and a prayer. What if we mindfully and proactively did Hebrews 3:13—exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin? Who could you encourage today, tomorrow, the next day…?

The statistics in Hebrews are much more than numbers. They exhort us to draw near to God, looking to Jesus by faith. But they are also practical, linking us together to help one another hold fast to our hope and look forward to the better city that is to come. Shall we do this? Let us!

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1st Thursday Connect

1st Thursday Connect is this week! We will meet in person in the sanctuary at New Life Church, West Linn, May 6 at 7:00PM.

We will connect with each other, enjoy teaching from Hebrews, and get started on our 8-week study of Revelation. If you can’t come in person, join us via livestream at https://bit.ly/NewLifeWomenLivestreamMay.

Materials for Revelation can be printed from the church website or picked up at 1st Thursday Connect. Sign up for a Side by Side Bible Reading partner and share prayers requests at https://bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp. If you missed any sessions of the Panorama study, videos of lessons 1-4 can be found on the church YouTube channel. Our final Panorama session will be Thursday, June 3 at 7:00PM.

In Side by Side Bible Reading this year, the goal has been to refocus our hope on God’s promise and provision and all that is to come. Genesis begins with God’s beautiful plan for a relationship with his people. Sin breaks that relationship, but God promises an offspring, a Redeemer. Isaiah shows us how far we can stray from God, yet God continues to move forward with his redemption plan to send a Savior. Matthew reveals the promised Savior King, and we see the life and death and resurrection of Jesus unfold. Hebrews details what Jesus achieved by his sacrificial death as the better Priest and King. And now we come to Revelation, a letter and vision of the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God. May God continue to build our hope in Him as we see what the Lion Lamb has accomplished and look forward to when He will make all things new!

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Isaiah 40

As we memorize Isaiah 40, these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund are provided for your education and enjoyment. We will be memorizing verses 25-26 in May.

To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. (Isaiah 40:25-26 ESV)

In this passage Isaiah is speaking to people whose mood is like that of many today. They may say the right things, but deep inside they don’t really believe anymore—not with a faith that overcomes the world. They’re looking at things through their own eyes. So the promises of God do not put a spring in their step and a sparkle in their eye and steel in their backbone. Why? God just doesn’t look big enough for the risk-taking audacity of true faith. But God is inviting us to turn our perceptions around and see everything from his point of view. He understands that the struggle of faith is won or lost in the way we perceive reality. Yes, we are dwarfed by the creation; but the creation is dwarfed by God. See it that way. See him that way. When you feel threatened by world events and overwhelmed by your own problems, there’s another way to perceive it all. God is opening up to you a prophetic vision. And the Biblical gospel is his way of calling to us, “Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9.)

Will you repent of the sin of diminishing God in your thoughts? It is a hidden idolatry…. Will you dethrone your idols and rediscover God? Look at God, and everything else, through his eyes.

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Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Revelation for You—by Tim Chester, an accessible book to read along with Revelation.

• How should we understand the book of Revelation?—a short video by Dr. Thomas Keene.

• What to Do While Waiting on The Lord: Turning Waiting into Worship—@ RPM Ministries.

• Lord, Help Me Love My Parents—by Chelsea Stanley @ TGC.

• His Strength, Not Mine and When God Doesn’t Give You the Desires of Your Heart—two good ones by Glenna Marshall.

• The Pathway from Heartbreak to Hope with Mark Vroegop—@ Daily Grace the Podcast.

• The Gospel Coalition Podcast—lots of excellent episodes that focus on the gospel. Topics include marriage, parenting, grief, evangelism, and much more. Here is one to get you started—Hope for Exhausted Mothers. Good for all, not just exhausted mothers.

Panorama

Session four of the study Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word is coming up Thursday, April 1 at 7PM. Join in person in the sanctuary at the West Linn campus or by livestream at the link bit.ly/NewLifeWomenLivestreamApril. It is not too late to join! Materials can be found on the church website.

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Isaiah 40

As we memorize Isaiah 40, these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund are provided for your education and enjoyment. We will be memorizing verses 21-24 in April.

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. (Isaiah 40:21-24 ESV)

Isaiah argues with us because what we know to be true doesn’t always make an impact on us. But it helps when we stop seeing the glory of God through our own eyes and begin to see him through his own eyes. What difference does it make as we look out on the political realities and social constructs of our world today?

God is at work in the world today. It is he who raises up leaders and brings them down again, according to his own purpose and for his own glory. The power brokers who seem so formidable to us, with their monumental egos and pretentious ambitions, are to God like little seedlings—scarcely planted—and God merely blows on them, with zero effort on his part, and to them his mere puff of air is a raging tempest driving them into oblivion. And that makes God himself the only world-figure really to fear, doesn’t it?

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Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Let’s Talk: Fear and Anxiety—highly recommended podcast. Another good episode is Why We Pray.

• What the Success About Gentle and Lowly Reveals About Our View of God’s Love—@TGC. “If we accept the portrait of Jesus drawn in Gentle and Lowly, it will transform the way we see other people.”

• How to Prep a Sermon—@The Payneful Truth, a thorough and helpful outline to follow when studying or preparing to teach God’s Word.

• Home—by Kristen @The Palest Ink. Here is a taste of this beautiful piece.

  “He also spoke of a time when a mentor urged him to pay attention, to heed those seemingly trivial moments in life that bring tears or a throat lump: whether while watching a movie, or reading a book, or listening to music. Those tender spots just might be the very places that God longs to heal. How often do we rush past these emotions, rather than understanding them to be maps? Maps leading to all sorts of unfinished business. It is good to be still, to be quiet and alone with the Lord. To ponder these things while reminding ourselves that He is God and we are not (Psalm 46:10). An invitation to pay attention to what God is choosing to do in and through us; in our ordinary days that often slip by without our full attention.”

• How to Redeem a Wasted Life—@Desiring God. Follow the thief on the cross to the Savior.

• Deconversion Is Not as Countercultural as You Think—by Brett McCracken.

• Why Do We Add to Our Trouble?—@Tim Challies. “The prize lies not behind and not beside, but only ever ahead.”

• Holiness Begins in Intimacy With Jesus—by Scott Hubbard @Desiring God. “The only people who can truly kill their sin are those who are preoccupied with Jesus….When you sit down to read, pray, or hear God’s word, do not settle for anything less than communion with the living Christ.”

• Aim All You Have at Heaven: How God Inspires Ambitious Generosity—by Marshall Segal—inspirational, practical, beneficial. “Investing in heaven does not mean forfeiting present happiness. It means relocating and deepening our happiness.” “Ambitious generosity grows in the imaginations and pockets of those awed by the generosity of God.”

• New Life Women Sign Up—a place to let the Women’s Ministry team know of any prayer requests you would like us to bring before the Lord for you. You can also request materials or partners for Side by Side Bible Reading.
  

1st Thursday Connect

Our next monthly gathering for women is March 4 at 7PM. We will not be meeting on Zoom this month, but we will be meeting in person in the New Life Church West Linn sanctuary! It will be wonderful to join together for conversation, Bible teaching from Matthew, and more. If you cannot make it in person, please join us by livestream at https://bit.ly/NewLifeWomenLivestreamMarch.

For the months of March and April, we will be soaking in the beautiful truth of the superiority of Christ from the book of Hebrews. A reading plan for Hebrews and Side by Side Bible Reading studies are available on the church website as well as at the 1st Thursday Connect meeting. Sign up for a Side by Side Bible Reading partner at https://bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp. Share prayer needs and request printed materials at the same link. New to Side by Side Bible Reading? Look for more information on the church website or email the Women’s Ministry team at wlwomen@newlifenw.com.

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Isaiah 40

As we memorize Isaiah 40, these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund are provided for your education and enjoyment. We will be memorizing verses 18-20 in March.

To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. (Isaiah 40:18-20 ESV)

Isaiah is a wise pastor. He knows our most urgent need. He knows that the human heart is driven with a compulsive desire to make God controllable by reducing him to our own categories. That’s why he insists that God is unique. The Bible often describes God with comparisons from within the creation. He’s like a lion, a fountain, a tower, a husband, a father, a soldier, and so forth. But verses like Isaiah 40:18 remind us that no analogy within the creation can say it all. When we see God through God’s eyes, he doesn’t fit into any box of created size. He goes beyond our categories of experience and therefore deserves our trust.

Isaiah doesn’t criticize idol-making; he just describes it…. Idol-making is too stupid to require comment. His serious tones and careful observations are dripping with sarcasm. Idols may be decked out impressively, they might even inspire awe and mystery, but all they are is what they are. And that’s why we must never derive our sense of worth from anything within the creation. It will rot. That’s why we must delight that God alone is God. His incomparability is our salvation.

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Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• 4 Ways to Love Someone Blindsided by Loss —by Clarissa Moll @ TGC.

• Things We Remember —@ The Palest Ink. Beautiful. Encouraging. “We all have our own aches, deep down, that we long to crush. Those Israelites grew weary, as do I. So I am reminding myself that our Savior will soon return.”

• Pray Because God is Sovereign—@ Desiring God. An important topic, and this article sums it up well. If you are needing motivation to pray, it’s here.

• Easter Monday —an Easter livestream concert by Andrew Peterson on April 5. Tickets are for sale online.

• The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World —by Brett McCracken. “To become wise in the information age…we need to be more discerning about what we consume.”

• Food Trucks in Babylon—listen to Brett McCracken speak on the topic of his new book, The Wisdom Pyramid.

• Risen Motherhood—a beneficial new mini-series on fear at the Risen Motherhood podcast.

Panorama

Please join us for 1st Thursday Connect February 4 at 7:00 p.m. We will cover the third lesson of the study Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word. It is not too late to join! Materials and videos of the first two sessions are on the church website.

We are excited to announce that this month we will meet in person in the sanctuary at New Life Church West Linn! We will follow the same protocol that the church does on Sunday mornings. If you can’t come in person you can join via livestream using the link bit.ly/NewLifeWomenLivestream.

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Isaiah 40

For those who are memorizing Isaiah 40, we have worked on verses 1-14 thus far. In February, we will memorize verses 15-17. As we memorize Isaiah 40, I hope you enjoy these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund as much as I have.

Isaiah 40:12-14

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? (Isaiah 40:12-14 ESV)

Standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, with the work of the Creator displayed before us, our hearts sing to God, “How great thou art!” But that view of his glory isn’t enough. We need more than seeing God through our own eyes. Isaiah shows us God through God’s eyes. If we see God through our own eyes, we diminish him without meaning to or even realizing it. But if we see God through God’s eyes, it changes how we see everything else. Isaiah understands that. In this passage he shows us the whole universe through God’s eyes.

In Isaiah 40:1-11, God promises to come to us, to make his glory the unavoidable center of everything in this world. Now, in verses 12-26, God anticipates an objection. It’s this: Making a promise is one thing; keeping it is another. Can God really do this?…

The structure of the passage focuses on the one and only incomparable God, transcending all his rivals…. God is able to keep every promise he has given us because he is the Creator, he is the Lord of history, and he alone is God…. When God created everything, he needed nothing…. God the Creator needs no one else, including you and me.

Isaiah 40:15-17

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. (Isaiah 40:15-17 ESV)

If you were carrying a bucketful of water across your backyard and jostled it so that a drop sloshed out and rolled down the outside of the bucket and fell kerplunk to the ground, would you go back and refill the bucket? Of course not. One drop doesn’t matter. And so it is with God’s deployment of the nations in his plan for history. He does not despise the nations; he loves them. They are not worthless. But they derive their worth from him alone. Sadly, the nations are blind to God’s glory, pursuing their own self-exaltation and resisting his kingdom. But this isn’t a problem that God has to work around somehow. It doesn’t matter. As God governs this world, he has no problems….

Isaiah moves from the nations in general to one nation in particular. Lebanon was famous for its cedar forests. What if you could cut down all those trees, collect all that timber in one massive pile, and then top it off with the bodies of all of Lebanon’s animals as a burnt offering to God? Would it be enough? Would it be worthy of God? Not at all. How much less, then, our little worship.

We should worship God as well as we can. But let’s remember that to God a fugue by J. S. Bach is like playing “Chopsticks.” Don’t let “the greatness of the God we worship” slip in our thinking into “the greatness of our worship of God.”… There is only one sacrifice worthy of God. It was offered 2,000 years ago on a cross. Everything else is, at best, “Chopsticks.”

Isaiah shifts back again from a particular nation to all the nations. His point is that when God created man, he didn’t dig his own grave. He didn’t create an unforeseen difficulty. All human opposition is, to God, a minus factor in the equation of reality. Why are we impressed with it? When we begin to see God through God’s eyes, we see the promises of God as more real, more weighty, more solid than anything else in all of life. And that’s thrilling.

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Details

• Let the Women’s Ministry Leadership Team know how we can pray for you by filling out the form at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp.

• If you would like to receive study materials in the mail, fill out this form. You can print your own materials from the church website. If you have already signed up at any time this year for Side-by-Side study materials to be mailed to you, you will continue to receive them through June.

• You may view the video recordings of the teaching from Isaiah and the introduction to Matthew here.

• We are currently reading the book of Matthew for Side-by-Side Bible Reading. Find materials on the church website.

• There are so many ways to use the Side-by-Side Bible Reading studies. You can do it on your own, of course. But it is even better and truly becomes “side-by-side” when done with another woman. Ask someone from church or a neighbor or co-worker. If you would like to meet with someone over Zoom, you are welcome to use the link bit.ly/NewLifeWomen for your meeting. If you would like to meet with a group, one meets Thursday evenings at New Life Church Gladstone. You can do some or all of the lessons provided. You can use all or some of the questions in each lesson—or come up with some of your own. You can prepare ahead of time or just show up and do the study together. No matter how you do it, God’s Word will always be good for you.

• We hope you are enjoying the scripture prayer prompts as you pray for five New Life Women. You might also like to use them to pray for yourself, your family, and your friends. The prayer prompts are available on the church website.

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Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Shedding Tears Over Sorrows That May Never Come—@Challies, a way to pray through anxiety. “Ultimately, if there is to be comfort, it will not be grounded in the hope that nothing bad will happen to me or to the people I love, but in the perfect God whose perfect character is displayed in his perfect will.”

• An Open Letter to a Distressed Sufferer—by Mike Emlet @ccef, another one that pairs well with the sermon series on Lamentations. “One way we lean against despair in the midst of trials is by acknowledging our distress before God rather than have our questions bounce off the echo chamber of our own minds.”

• Praising God in the Darkness—@Lovesick Scribe. “It is not lost on me how distant and comfortable we can become in our fellowship with Christ when all is well. We all so desperately want to have smooth sailing and calm seas without ever so much a crest of a wave to rock the boat, but we are not promised such things lest we do away with the sea itself.”

• Spiritual Disciplines for Dark Days—by Christopher Ash, since we seem to be on a theme here.

• There are no Shortcuts—@The Palest Ink, beautiful writing and encouragement for more of God’s Word.

• Looking for Truth in All the Fake News—by Amy Medina @Not Home Yet, a solid and balanced perspective.

• The Book of Hebrews—a video study for women by Michael Kruger. Study notes are also available, and a book comes out March 1, in case you want resources to go along with our study in Hebrews coming up March-April.

• Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul—commentary by R. Kent Hughes.

• Exalting Jesus in Hebrews—commentary by R. Albert Mohler, another R. who goes by his middle name.

ISAIAH 40

As we memorize Isaiah 40, these excerpts from the commentary Isaiah: God Saves Sinners by Raymond Ortlund are provided for your education and edification.

Isaiah 40 begins a major new section of the book. Isaiah is no longer addressing Judah in his own day. He is being projected by the Holy Spirit out into the future, like the Apostle John in the Revelation…. He is saying to them and to us, “God has not abandoned you. Your best days are still ahead. God has a purpose of grace for you better than ever. He is coming to save you. Believe it, and let this hope fill your sails….”

Chapters 1-39 address Isaiah’s own generation with a message primarily of confrontation. Chapters 40-55 address the Jews of the Babylonian exile with a message primarily of consolation. Chapters 56-66 seem to be omni-temporal, urging all readers to apply the truths of chapters 1-55 to their own times with reviving power. Within that simple framework, nuances abound….

Chapter 40, then, changes the subject. Its structure is threefold. In verses 1-11, the introduction, God comes with his comforting promise of worldwide salvation. In verses 12-26, the body, he argues that he is able to keep his promise. And in verses 27-31, the conclusion, he explains how his promise can energize us to live above despondency right now….

We brood over the bitterness of life. We think God is against us. But he wants to breathe new life into us. Will we give ourselves permission to stop resenting him and start delighting in him, according to the promises of his gospel?

Isaiah 40:1-2

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2 ESV)

There is an end to the disciplines of God. Faith is not all struggle. It is also release and hope and new beginnings. God’s deepest intention toward us is comfort…. He overrules our stupidity with his own absolute pardon through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Do we sin? Yes. Do we suffer for it? Yes. Is that were God leaves us? No. When his discipline has done its good work, God comes back to us with overflowing comfort. See in God not a frown but a smile, not distance but nearness.

Isaiah 40:3-5

A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:3-5 ESV)

Isaiah hears a voice! God has commanded his servants, still unidentified, to bring a message of comfort to his people…. What is God saying? Three things.

One: the King is coming. He comes to us as we are, where we are, in the wilderness and desert of our real lives. He wants us to get ready to receive him, because right now we aren’t ready. We know from Luke 3:1-18 that Jesus is the coming King and that the readiness we need is newness of life. We can’t hide behind denominational labels, however correct. What we need is new selves. Prepare the way of the Lord!

Two: God will accomplish his purpose. Every valley shall be lifted up, and so forth. Isaiah is not talking about literal, topographical change. He is talking about the upheaval of true repentance. He is talking about a new moral topography, a new social landscape. He is talking about the disruptive advance of salvation. He is saying that lifting and lowering and leveling and smoothing are necessary to the kingdom of Christ. He is talking about depression being relieved, pride being flattened, troubled personalities becoming placid, and difficult people becoming easy to get along with. And he is also implying that if we cling to the status quo and refuse God’s upsetting but constructive salvation, we risk having no part with Christ.

Three: the glory of the Lord Jesus will be revealed to the whole world. We can be certain of it. God has decreed it: “…for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” His glory will be admired and delight in and trembled at everywhere….

The glory of the Lord, therefore, is God himself becoming visible, God bringing his presence down to us, God displaying his beauty before us, the true answer to our deepest longings. And he promises to do this for us. It is the central promise of the gospel.

Isaiah 40:6-8

A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:6-8 ESV)

Isaiah hears another voice, giving him a message to declare. It’s a strange message. Isaiah is told to tell us that we are unreliable. God’s promise is infallible, we are not, and that must be said…. Even our good intentions are inconstant, like the flower of the field. We blossom only under ideal conditions, not under the blasts of real life. That’s why Christianity is not about what we can do; it’s about what God promises to do for us. Christianity is not fundamentally challenge; fundamentally it is assurance. It must be. Only God qualifies for our final trust. And he does because no human power or condition can stop him. We are the merest grass and flowers, but the word of our God will stand forever. Human failure is costly, but it’s not the end of our happiness. God’s promise of salvation is final. He is committed to his own glory and our joy in his glory. And in that certainty our hopes come to rest.

Isaiah 40:9-11

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV)

Isaiah calls all who cherish this hope to spread their enthusiasm for God’s coming glory…. Our God doesn’t work at arm’s length or only through church programs or just by handing down decrees from on high. He comes. He brings his presence. And his presence is our joy. This is a simple message to spread around. You don’t need to know much. You only need the courage of faith….

God’s purpose is not only that you and I enjoy the comfort of the gospel, but that we increase our enjoyment of it by spreading that joy to others, all to the glory of God.

God had told Judah to trust him and no one else. They refused and suffered for it. But God does not forsake people who forsake him. His promise, his initiative, his imagination, his grace and glory are our comfort in our failure. You can trust this God even more than you trust yourself. You can trust this God absolutely.

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

Join New Life Women on Zoom at bit.ly/NewLifeWomen Thursday, January 7 at 7pm! We will enjoy friendships, teaching from Isaiah, and begin our study of Matthew for January and February. Sign up for a Side by Side Bible Reading partner or group by filling out the form at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp.

If you signed up at any time this year for study materials to be mailed to you, you will continue to receive them through June. It is not too late to sign up. If you would like to receive study materials in the mail, fill out the form at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp. If you want to print your own materials, they can be found on the church website.

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DETAILS

• If you missed our Christmas celebration, Share the Joy, please enjoy the video, “Fix Your Eyes,” that Gay Haugen created for the event. It is a wonderful way to reflect upon 2020 and begin 2021.

• We have memorized Isaiah 40:1-11 thus far. Learn verses 12-14 in January and verses 15-17 in February.

• Let the Women’s Ministry Leadership Team know how we can pray for you by filling out the form at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp.

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LINKS

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Lord, I Need You/Auld Lang Syne—by Matt Maher, sung live for New Year’s Eve. As we needed God’s help in “auld lang syne” (meaning “days gone by,” or “old times”), so we need Him in 2021.

• The Bible is a Lifelong Project—by David Mathis @Desiring God. “We won’t read the Bible as well in 2050 without the investment of 2021. The lifelong project starts now.”

• The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan—by The Navigators. If you are looking for a way to read the entire Bible in a year, this plan has readings from four places in the Bible for twenty-five days of each month.

• Rooted Bible Reading Plan—@newlifenw.com. This two year plan takes you through the entire Bible chronologically, plus gives a month of immersion in each of the epistles.

• The Bible Reading Plan I Recommend for 2021—@Challies. One more for your consideration, a five day per week reading plan.

• Sometimes, I See the Stars—by Glenna Marshall, a beautifully written reminder.

• Grief Should Always Make Us Better—by Tim Challies, who is experiencing it as he writes.

• Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: a Theological Commentary—by Jonathan Pennington, a book you might enjoy alongside our study of Matthew.

• Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth—by Douglas O’Donnell, a hefty but reader-friendly commentary.

• Exalting Jesus in Matthew (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary)—by David Platt, a devotional-style commentary.

SHARE THE JOY

Even as we follow safety guidelines this Christmas, we are eager to get together and fix our eyes on Jesus! New Life Women and friends are invited to Share the Joy, a Christmas reflection and celebration.

• December 6, 4:00pm or 5:45pm

• New Life Church Gladstone

• Register at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenShareTheJoy

Since numbers are limited, all attendees must register. Plan to arrive at your start time and stay 75 minutes. Please wear a face mask, and we will smile with our eyes as we share the joy of Christmas together.

Please contact Elaine Hochstettler at 503-314-4107 if you need to cancel or if you have questions.

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PANORAMA

Panorama Session 2 will be held on Zoom Thursday, December 3, at 7:00pm. Get out your chart and map and do a little review! Join Zoom with the link bit.ly/NewLifeWomen. If you haven’t gotten materials yet, they can be found on the church website.

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ODDS & ENDS

• November’s memory verses are Isaiah 40:6-8, and for December we will be memorizing Isaiah 40:9-11. If you would like memory cards, sign up for them at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp.

• You can also share prayer requests at the same link. The Women’s Ministry leadership team is praying for each of you.

• The November/December Bible Reading and Side by Side Bible Reading are in the book of Isaiah. It’s not too late to join in. Isaiah is a rich and beautiful book to be reading as we celebrate Christmas. Materials can be found on the New Life Church website.

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LINKS

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Don’t Let 2020 Stop Your Thanksgiving—@TGC, a needed reminder.

• Thanksgiving—some beautiful writing at The Palest Ink. “Aren’t we like taffy, being pulled and twisted again and again and again? As a Christ-follower, I understand that none of this is random. God is working out his kindness and perfect goodness, measuring our days on the machine, creating air bubbles of faith and obedience, making us more like his Son. Each day is a treasure, and although we cannot control what unfolds, we are permitted to choose what attitude we will hold.”

• Encouragement for Hard Times from Saints of Old—by Tim Chester.

• Thanksgiving Song—on Ben Rector’s new Christmas album.

• Panorama Session 1—by Gay Haugen, in case you missed it or want to review.

• New Every Morning—Audrey Assad singing the song we sang at November’s 1st Thursday Connect.

• Light of the World—a new Christmas song from We The Kingdom.

• O Come, All You Unfaithful—by Sovereign Grace. For Christmas and all the year long.

• Face of God—on Phil Wickham’s new Christmas album.

• Advent—since we seem to be on a music kick, here is a whole Christmas playlist to brighten your December!

OUR LAW-ISH HEARTS, HIS LAVISH HEART

excerpted from Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

There are two ways to live the Christian life. You can live it either for the heart of Christ or from the heart of Christ. You can live for the smile of God or from it. For a new identity as a son or daughter of God or from it. For your union with Christ or from it.

The battle of the Christian life is to bring your own heart into alignment with Christ’s, that is, getting up each morning and replacing your natural orphan mind-set with a mind-set of full and free adoption into the family of God through the work of Christ your older brother, who loved you and gave himself for you out of the overflowing fullness of his gracious heart….

Think of a vent in your bedroom that’s connected to your furnace. If you keep that vent closed on a cold winter day, the heat will be circulating throughout the ducts in your home, but you will not experience warmth because you’re closing it off. Opening the vents floods your room with warmth. The heat was already there, waiting to be accessed. But you were not benefiting from it….

As the gospel sinks in more deeply over time, and we wade ever deeper into the heart of Christ, one of the first outer shells of our old life that the gospel pierces is the doing of works unto approval….

There is an entire psychological substructure that, due to the fall, is a near-constant manufacturing of relational leveraging, fear-stuffing, nervousness, score-keeping, neurotic-controlling, anxiety-festering silliness that is not something we say or even think so much as something we exhale. You can smell it on people, though some of us are good at hiding it. And if you trace this fountain of scurrying haste, in all its various manifestations, down to the root, you don’t find childhood difficulties or a Myers-Briggs diagnosis or Freudian impulses. You find gospel deficit. You find lack of felt awareness of Christ’s heart. All the worry and dysfunction and resentment are the natural fruit of living in a mental universe of law. The felt love of Christ really is what brings rest, wholeness, flourishing, shalom—that existential calm that for brief, gospel-sane moments settles over you and lets you step in and out of the storm of of-works-ness. You see for a moment that in Christ you truly are invincible. The verdict really is in; nothing can touch you. He has made you his own and will never cast you out….

In the gospel, we are free to receive the comforts that are due us. Don’t turn them off. Open the vent of your heart to the love of Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you.

Our law-ish hearts relax as his lavish heart comes home to us.

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

Our next gathering is Thursday, November 5, 7-8:30 PM. The Zoom link is bit.ly/NewLifeWomen. We will have fun “scavenging” through Genesis, worshiping the Lord through song and prayer and teaching from Genesis, and begin our study of Isaiah for November and December. You can print materials for Isaiah from the website or sign up to have a copy mailed to you at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp.

As you personally read through Isaiah, notice that the reading plan schedules 7 weeks. You will actually have 9 weeks to read Isaiah before 1st Thursday Connect in January, so feel free to adjust the schedule or read other scripture. As you read, try writing a one-sentence summary of the topic of each chapter. You might like to use The Story of Redemption Bible or Ray Ortlund’s Isaiah: God Saves Sinners or Exalting Jesus in Isaiah (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) along with your reading. If you like to take notes in your Bible while you read, try the Scripture Journal for Isaiah.

If you missed Panorama Session 1, you can view the video and find materials on the church website. Our second Panorama session will be December 3 on Zoom at 7 PM. Use your materials and review the geography and structure of the Bible before session 2!

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SHARE THE JOY

Our annual Christmas celebration is Sunday, December 6! Though it will look a little different than past years, it will have a lot of the same elements. There will be time for reflection on the meaning and joy of Christmas, fun crafting and remembering God’s faithfulness through the year, and a take-home treat.

We will meet at New Life Church Gladstone Campus. One session will start at 4:00 PM and one session at 5:45 PM. All attendees must register. Friends are welcome but must be registered. Face masks and safe distancing practices will be followed. Arrive at your registered time. Each session will last approximately 75 minutes.

Sign up for either a 4:00 PM or a 5:45 PM start time at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenShareTheJoy. If you find you need to cancel your registration, please call or message Elaine Hochstettler at 530-314-4107. Thank you!

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ISAIAH 40

Are you memorizing Isaiah 40 with us? You should have verses 1-5 about memorized. Memory verse cards are still available. Sign up on the New Life Women Sign Up Form.

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LINKS

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Isaiah: God Saves Sinners—by Ray Ortlund, a commentary on Isaiah that would make a good addition to our study of Isaiah in November and December.

• Isaiah: Judgment and Deliverance—@ Knowable Word, a good place to begin grasping Isaiah.

• My Problem Goes Much Deeper Than Racism—by Amy Medina at Not Home Yet, so many relatable insights.

• Looking to What is Unseen—by Lauren Washer. Will you trust God when you don’t understand?

• Will We Die to Our Rights?—another by Lauren Washer.

• Two Truths and a Lie About Applying the Gospel—@ Risen Motherhood.

• Why Waiting is Good For You—@ Revive Our Hearts.

• You Can’t Be a Saint By Yourself—by Megan Hill @ TGC. The gospel puts us in a new community, and we need each other.

• All That is to Come—song by Christy Nockels. “Tomorrow You will be faithful again.”

• Advent is for Everyone—@ Glenna Marshall. So many good resources on her blog. Here is one to help you get ready for Advent.

1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

Our next gathering is Thursday, November 5, 7-8:30 PM. The Zoom link is bit.ly/NewLifeWomen. We will have fun “scavenging” through Genesis, worshiping the Lord through song and prayer and teaching from Genesis, and begin our study of Isaiah for November and December. You can print materials for Isaiah from the website or sign up to have a copy mailed to you at bit.ly/NewLifeWomenSignUp.

HOMEMADE COOKIES DAY

Did you know that October 1st is National Homemade Cookies Day? Want to celebrate? Here are three ways!

1. Find your favorite cookie recipe and share it in the Women’s Ministry Facebook group.

2. Bake yourself a batch to enjoy at 1st Thursday Connect on October 1st!

3. Pack up a batch in individual serving zip-lock bags for The Father’s Heart. Do a porch drop-off at one of these locations on Sunday October 4th or Monday October 5th, and we will deliver them to The Father’s Heart as a treat for the homeless and needy.

• Elaine Hochstettler’s house: 5385 Amy Street, West Linn, OR 97068

• Marcia Reavely’s house: 2277 Ostman Road, West Linn, OR 97068

• Cindy Shaw’s house: 19650 Kalal Court, Oregon City, OR 97045

• Toni Hedrick’s house: 3001 SE Concord Road, Milwaukie, OR 96267

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

PANORAMA

1st Thursday Connect meets October 1, 7-8:30 PM. This meeting will be the first session of the study Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word. If you have taken the class before, the materials are the same. If you do not have the printed materials for the study, you can print them from the church website. If you are unable to print them, please email the Women’s Ministry team for information on picking up printed materials. You will need them for the first class!

This interactive study would be fun to do with a friend! It is also an excellent introduction for someone new to the Bible. Invite a friend to join you for this study and be sure to print materials for them!

MAILINGS

We are currently in the middle of our study of Genesis. In November, we will begin Isaiah. Materials will be available to print from the church website. Or, we are happy to mail them to you. Printed materials will only be mailed to people who have signed up for them. Please use this form to sign up: NewLifeWomenSignUp. Once you sign up, we will mail each study to you for the upcoming school year.

ZOOM

1st Thursday Connect will meet monthly on Zoom for the time being. The link is the same each month: bit.ly/NewLifeWomen. Or join with the meeting ID 825 8083 9189 and passcode Connect. Contact Elaine Hochstettler at 503-314-4107 for technical assistance.

ISAIAH 40

Would you join us in memorizing Isaiah 40 this year? Pretty little memory cards are available. Sign up for a set to be mailed to you by using the form NewLifeWomenSignUp. These might be nice for your Isaiah memory cards: floating picture frame, wall frame, wood block photo holder.

SIDE BY SIDE

One-to-One Bible Reading is now called Side by Side Bible Reading. Many do the study one-to-one, but there is also a new group of women meeting at New Life Church Gladstone on Thursday evenings to read and discuss God’s Word together. Hence the new name. If you would like to be part of that group, sign up using the form NewLifeWomenSignUp. Email the Women’s Ministry team with any questions. The notebook and handouts are the same, but you will see the new name on the church website and on new materials.

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THE FATHER’S HEART

At 1st Thursday Connect in September, Robin Schmidt (now Robin Keating) shared with us about the ministry of The Father’s Heart. Below is a list of some of the opportunities for ministry with The Father’s Heart.

• Make breakfast burritos for distribution on a Monday.

• Serve food at their facility.

• Provide sack lunches.

• Supervise the showering station.

• Pray.

• Give.

Find more ways to serve and learn how to get involved by going to their website, by visiting their office in Oregon City, or by calling them at 503-722-9780.

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PRAYER

If you would like prayer for any particular needs, there is a group of women committed to praying for you. There is a place on the NewLifeWomenSignUp form for prayer requests. Or, email the Women’s Ministry leadership team anytime at wlwomen@newlifenw.com. Thank you for the privilege of praying for you.

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SHARE THE JOY

Save the date for Share the Joy, our annual Christmas celebration: Sunday, December 6th, 4-7 PM.

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LINKS

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Heroes—by Kristen Couch @The Palest Ink. A simple and beautiful message.

• Depression on My Doorstep—by Colleen Chao @Revive our Hearts. “Depression’s visits once scared and overwhelmed me, but now I see them as a conduit of blessing.”

• The Still More Glorious Day—by Marshall Segal @Desiring God, because we need to keep remembering what is ahead. “Has the eagerness slowly dissolved out of your waiting for him? Meditate, again, on just how glorious that great day will be.”

• What Could Make You Sell Everything You Own?—by Nancy Guthrie @GCD. “There seems to be great joy in the very act of emptying out his assets in pursuit of the prize.”

• God’s Word and Our Emptiness—an episode with Nancy Guthrie at Daily Grace podcast. Nancy Guthrie shares from her new book, God Does His Best Work with Empty.

• Decision-Making—on the Let’s Talk podcast with Melissa Krueger and friends.

• Keeper of Days—an album full of encouragement by Jon Guerra. 

• ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God—leads readers through the story line of the Bible with conversational commentary written by pastor Greg Gilbert interspersed throughout the full ESV text. Highly recommended.

1st Thursday Connect for women is coming up on October 1 at 7 p.m. Join us on Zoom at bit.ly/NewLifeWomen for the first session of the study Panorama: a sweeping vista of God's Word. If you don't have the materials for the study, they can be printed from the church website. If you have questions, please email the Women's Ministry team.

This is a good study for both those new to and those experienced with the Bible. Invite someone to watch with you!

WISHES

by Marcia Reavely

Today, as I write, is my birthday, and I’ve been asked twice so far about my wishes for this year. When we pause to think beforehand about where we want to end up, it helps us head in the right direction. Since Women’s Ministry is also starting a fresh year, I figured it would be profitable for us to consider—what do we wish to have happen in our lives spiritually this year as women of New Life Church? Though it is bad luck to blow out the birthday candles and tell the wish, here are some wishes as we begin this new year.

No doubt, we probably all wish we could meet for 1st Thursday Connect like “normal” this fall—in the church building with a fun meal, sitting side by side enjoying hugs and smiles. That would be lovely, and I hope we get back to that before long. But even if we never do, that is not our deep-down, can’t-live-without-it wish, is it?

Paul tells the church in Philippians 1:27 to be “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” Our true wish as New Life Women is to fully live this verse.

Philippians 1:27 reminds us of what is important—the faith of the gospel. The gospel isn’t a try-harder-to-do-good program. All that is needed is supplied by the saving and sanctifying work Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf. We need to know the gospel, in all its richness and fullness. But we also need to learn how to live in it—to experience the grace, to receive the forgiveness, to extend the love that we’ve been shown in Christ. So we wish to more fully know and believe and live the gospel.

Philippians 1:27 does, however, imply effort—striving for the faith of the gospel. Faith doesn’t come naturally or automatically to us. It is a gift of God’s Spirit, but it can also be cultivated. Faith is cultivated as we dig deeply into God’s Word—praying for understanding, hearing His promises, marveling at His works, examining His character, digesting His truth, following His ways. Faith is practiced, for one, when we give thanks in all circumstances, trusting that our ever-faithful Giver is doing what is good. We thank God for a beautiful summer for outside meetings, for Zoom so we can continue live gatherings for 1st Thursday Connect, for leading us into 1-to-1 Bible Reading before COVID-19 made it a necessity. But faith is stretched when we also thank Him for ruffling our comforts, spurring us toward more creative ways to love, drawing us to pray, meeting us in our loneliness, stirring us to more deeply long for the glorious eternity ahead. We wish to be women who strive for and cultivate faith.

Philippians 1:27 hints at the fact that we need each other—striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. Most of us probably believe the gospel, at least at some level, but we get bogged down with the here and now, don’t we? Dental appointments, life disappointments. We read the Bible, but sometimes we read it more like a history book than our Life story. We forget that we are in the Book, and that the story is nearing the climactic end which is really a new beginning. I wish I could keep my heart more in love with that new beginning and less with the aging demi-pleasures of this world. God knew, and I am becoming more and more convinced, that we need each other in this struggle. So we wish to be women tightly intertwined, encouraging each other every day—reminding one another of what is true, of what matters, of all that is to come.

As we “strive side by side for the faith of the gospel,” we will grow more and more to be Gospel believers, grace receivers, biblical thinkers, spiritual milk drinkers, love and truth bearers, Good News sharers, faith walkers, encouragement talkers, persistent pray-ers, sin slayers, new life livers, forgiveness givers, church treasurers, God’s glory tellers. What a year it would be if wishes really did come true!

Just yesterday I asked a little girl what she knows about God. Her answer was simple, “We tell God our wishes, and he does them.” She quickly added, “Doesn’t he?” I smiled, “Sometimes.”

Jesus had something to say about wishes. He said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” You can read the rest of what He had to say in John 15. As we simply stay connected to Jesus and his words, He gives life and nourishes us and produces fruit. Abiding changes us, aligning our hearts and minds with Jesus and His thoughts. “Abide in me and my words in you.” Then ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Some wishes really do come true.

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

If you missed 1st Thursday Connect for September, Robin Schmidt, Executive Director of The Father’s Heart, shared with us about their ministry in Oregon City. If you haven’t met Robin yet, she has two adult sons and two precious grandchildren. She moved to Oregon seven years ago after living as a missionary at an orphanage with her sons for 3½ years. She has been serving at The Father’s Heart as Executive Director since 2017. Robin became engaged to our friend, Kevin Keating, over a church Zoom meeting last spring, and they are getting married September 19th! To volunteer in any of the many areas of need, either visit The Father’s Heart office in Oregon City or call them at 503-722-9780.

Meghan Haugen gave us a wonderful introduction to the book of Genesis. The video is available to watch or re-watch. Resources for reading and studying Genesis are on the church website.

Sign up for 1-to-1 Bible Reading or the Thursday evening discussion group meeting at New Life Church Gladstone by filling out this form: New Life Women Sign Up Form. Use the same form to sign up for any printed materials that you would like to receive: 1-to-1 mailings, a 1-to-1 notebook, Panorama study materials, and Isaiah 40 memory cards.

1st Thursday Connect will be meeting monthly on Zoom for the time being. The link is the same each month: bit.ly/NewLifeWomen. Or join with the meeting ID 825 8083 9189 and passcode Connect. Contact Elaine Hochstettler at 503-314-4107 for technical assistance.

Here is the schedule for 1st Thursday Connect this year.

• September 3: Introduction to Genesis

• October 1: Panorama Session 1

• November 5: Conclusion of Genesis and introduction to Isaiah

• December 3: Panorama Session 2

• January 7: Conclusion of Isaiah and introduction to Matthew

• February 4: Panorama Session 3

• March 4: Conclusion of Matthew and introduction to Hebrews

• April 1: Panorama Session 4

• May 6: Conclusion of Hebrews and introduction to Revelation

• June 3: Panorama Session 5

• July 1: Conclusion of Revelation and introduction to summer plans

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DID YOU KNOW?

• If you are on the church mailing list, you should have received a new set of 5 women to pray for this fall along with a Prayer Prompt Page. The Prayer Prompt Page can also be found on the church website and used as desired.

• This year we hope to memorize Isaiah 40 together, a few verses every month! If you would like the full set of memory cards sent to you, fill out the New Life Women Sign Up Form. We are working on verses 1 and 2 for September.

• The study, Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word, will be offered on alternating months of 1st Thursday Connect. It is a good class to repeat often! If you have taken it before, the materials are the same. If you would like materials, please let us know on the New Life Women Sign Up Form.

• Did you know that you can find Bible reading and memorization resources, all the 1-to-1 handouts, prayer pages, the newsletter, and more on the Women’s page of the New Life Church website? Look for it at newlifenw.com/ministry-women. You can print your own monthly resources from the website. Or, if you would like to continue to have the printed handouts mailed to you this year, sign up on the New Life Women Sign Up Form.

• There are several ways you can participate in 1-to-1 Bible Reading this year. You can do it 1-to-1 with a partner or partners of your choice. You can ask the Women’s Ministry team to help connect you with a partner. Or, new this year, you can do the study with a small group of women meeting on Thursday evenings at the Gladstone campus with Toni Hedrick. Sign up for the option of your choice by filling out the New Life Women Sign Up Form.

• You can keep in touch with happenings for New Life Women by joining our private group on Facebook, finding us on Instagram, signing up for monthly email newsletters, or emailing the leadership team at wlwomen@newlifenw.com.

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LINKS

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• No Longer I Who Mother—how union with Christ impacts motherhood by Christina Fox @Desiring God.

• All That Sparkles is Not Gold—@The Palest Ink. Needed reminder; beautiful read.

• Prioritize Church, Even When There’s No Childcare—@TGC.

• Parenting is About Treasuring—4 ways to nurture joy in God by Ryan Lister @Desiring God.

• Ministry Network Podcast—a good new podcast. Check out Rosaria Butterfield speaking on COVID-19 and hospitality.

• A 5-part series on Progressive Christianity—by Alisa Childers @Impact 360. Timely and important.

• If Not For Ben—don’t miss this one @A View of the Lake. “Just because something is hard, doesn’t make it bad. It’s just hard. And in God’s economy, hard always produces something good. Because of Ben, I’ve tasted grace in the hard and glory in the good.”

If you are planning to make Honey Caramel Corn, please note that the recipe should read 3/4 cup of unpopped kernels, not 1/4 cup! Sorry for the mistake!

Here is a link to the recipe online:

Honey Caramel Corn from The Prairie Homestead Cookbook by Jill Winger.

Hope to see you tonight at 1st Thursday Connect with your popcorn!

1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

Make yourself a batch of Honey Caramel Corn and pop in for the new season of 1st Thursday Connect, coming to you September 3rd from 7-8:30 PM Pacific Time. You can find us on Zoom (each month at the same link) at bit.ly/NewLifeWomen or with the Meeting ID: 825 8083 9189 and Passcode: Connect. Start logging in at 6:45 to get settled and chat. Contact Elaine Hochstettler at 503-314-4107 for technical assistance.

This month we are featuring The Father’s Heart ministry. We’ll mix it up with a game of Popcorn Beginnings. We will share the plan for Women’s Ministry for the coming year and get started with our first Bible book of the month: Genesis. See you Thursday!

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ZOOM

Here are some tips for getting set up with Zoom if you haven’t already.

• Zoom on a Tablet.

• Zoom on a Phone.

• Zoom on a PC.

• Zoom: into the Next Season of Ministry—a video presentation by Carol Tetzlaff.

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LINKS

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Will the New Creation Look Like This One?—by John Piper @Desiring God. “There will be radically new dimensions of love and joy that make the sweetest, deepest married love seem like child’s play.”

• Grounded in God’s Word—how to study the Word with Kay Arthur @Revive Our Hearts.

• The Quiet Power of Ordinary Devotions—by Scott Hubbard @Desiring God. Encouragement to press on in reading your Bible!

• Spoiler Alert: We Know What the Future Holds—@Truth for Women. It would do us all good to think more about what the future holds.

Recognition

by Marcia Reavely

We, as women’s ministry of New Life Church, have much to be thankful for this year. God has been gracious to us—giving us joyful gatherings as women, providing a wealth of teachers, using His Word to encourage and shape us, allowing us to meet one-to-one and over Zoom in spite of circumstances. We have been “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27), and God’s Word does not return empty but accomplishes all that He intends (Isaiah 55:10-11). God is working among us as we lovingly labor in His Word and prayer in relationship with each other. It is God’s fruit, for His glory, and we do indeed have much to thank Him for!

There are also many people to thank for their labor of love for the Lord and for the women of New Life Church this past year. It is good and biblical for us to “give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to regard them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess. 5:12). So, I want to follow the instruction and example of Paul and extend some recognition.

Thank you to the 2019-2020 Women’s Ministry leadership team—Michelle Glynn, Elaine Hochstettler, Layna Fullington, Toni Hedrick, Gay Haugen, Karla Thommen. They put in hours of sacrificial service, with love, and it has been a privilege to serve with them. Thank you to all who faithfully taught God’s Word to us this year—Meghan Haugen, Carolyn Rieger, Gay Haugen, Karla Thommen, Toni Hedrick, Sierra Edmonds, Debbi Robertson, Layna Fullington, Katie Maricle, Mallory Conley. What a group! What a blessing! Carolyn Rieger wrote a number of helpful Bible study questions for us to enjoy One-to-One. Thank you, Carolyn! Thank you to the many who contributed to the music—Leslie Estep, Kati Roberts, Alina Gauthier, Lauren Edmonds, and more. Hours of time went into videos and Zoom preparation, particularly from Lisa Reavely and Lauren Edmonds. Thank you! There were several writers who shared encouraging newsletter articles—Alina Gauthier, Kati Roberts, Lauren Edmonds, Sierra Edmonds, and Nancy Carlson, who also wrote Share the Joy devotionals. Thank you! Karla Thommen and Toni Hedrick organized the Panorama Retreat, and many of you helped pull it off. Sandi Saxe cut a mountain of onions wearing swimming goggles to provide food, and Gay Haugen graced us with her Panorama study. Thank you, one and all!

Kim Brandstetter printed reams of paper into handouts for us—thank you! Several of you were gracious to do the heavy lifting and come early and stay late to set up and clean up. You know who you are—thank you! Many of you cheerfully shopped, made soup and chili and cornbread and cookies and biscotti, brought flowers, decorated tables, washed tablecloths. It wouldn’t have been the same without you—thank you! Even the men got involved—Scott Haugen and Billy Ferguson and more. True service!

Numbers of you met with friends and neighbors and spoke truth into one another’s lives as you read the Bible one-to-one. Some welcomed new women in this way. Many discipled new Christians in this way. Others faithfully walked with a friend through the scriptures in this way. Some mentored younger women in this way. Your investment may not be known by many, but it is making an impact and the Lord sees. Thank you. Many of you are praying 5-for-5 for the women of New Life Church this summer. What a gift—thank you! God alone knows the fruit this will bear.

To each one of you, thank you for your participation and investment. As we met month by month, you served and loved and hugged and welcomed and encouraged and prayed and laughed and listened. You brought mascara, tied blankets, made and wrote cards. Even when our live meetings were curtailed, you continued to write notes and drop off food and call and text and pray and zoom and do all you could to encourage your sisters in the Lord. Together we are women’s ministry. Thank you for what each one of you has invested in the women of New Life Church and beyond this year. It is a joy to serve alongside you. Well done, my friends.

Spiritual growth is hard to quantify. There are no tick marks on the wall year by year to show our progress. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, can feel imperceptible day to day. But as we abide in Christ, receiving His life-giving and life-transforming love, He bears much fruit in us (John 15). The fruit looks like Christ, because it is the fruit of Christ’s Spirit that is slowly but surely remaking us. Life, with all of its ups and downs and victories and defeats, ticks along and in time you look back and realize you are growing. You are bearing fruit. We who belong to Christ are becoming who we already are in Christ, and that is the Good News! I hope, when all is said and done, that our lives will show that this was a year of marked spiritual fruit—for our joy and God’s glory.

It has been quite a year, as you can see from the photo review of 2019-2020! But God has been, is, and will be forever the same. Forever faithful to His promises, faithful to His people, faithful to His character and worthy of our trust. Let’s press on, sisters, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

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Panorama

Plans have changed for the summer study, Panorama: sweeping vista of God’s Word. Instead of meeting live, we hope to film the sessions in the next few weeks. We then plan to make them available on the church website and possibly as a live online class. Hopefully this will make the study more accessible for more people. We will let you know when it is ready!

The Panorama Bible reading plan, a 10-week survey of the major eras of the Bible, can be found under Summer 2020 on the West Linn Women’s Ministry page on the New Life Church website.

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Links

Here are some links to articles or books or music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• How the Gospel Speaks into Our Longing for Normal —by Amber Thiessen.

• Let’s Talk—a new podcast for women at The Gospel Coalition. The second episode is on battling discontentment.

• Becoming Who You Already Are—by Gary Millar, author of Need to Know. If you read one, read this one.

• The Cure for a Lack of Fruit in Our Christian Lives—by Derek Thomas @Ligonier Ministries. So good—read this one, too!

• Hope for ‘Bad Sons’ on Father’s Day—or ‘bad daughters’, by James Choi @TGC. Father’s Day is past, but the truth is still the same.

• Sovereignty in the Midst of Suffering—@TGC. All the way to the end, good for the heart.

• The Ministry of Small Talk—@GCD. Even small talk matters and can lead to more talk.

1st Thursday Connect

1st Thursday Connect, our final for the school year, is scheduled for 7 PM, Thursday, June 4th on Zoom. Make a cup of tea and join us at bit.ly/JuneConnect. To prepare, be thinking about how you would answer these two questions: 1) What is one thing you learned in May? It can be silly, simple, serious, or substantial. 2) And what is one thing you hope to do in June?

If you miss it, or if we encounter technological difficulties, here is a video with the prerecorded parts of the evening.

June 4th, 1st Thursday Connect.

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Feedback

The Women’s Ministry leadership team would appreciate your feedback on Women’s Ministry this past year. If you haven’t yet, would you help by taking a few minutes and giving your input at this link: bit.ly/NewLifeWomenFeedback? Thank you for your participation!

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Summer

5-for-5 Prayer

One simple way we can all connect this summer is through prayer. If you are on the New Life Church West Linn mailing list, you should have received 5 names along with 10 weeks of suggested prayer prompts for summer. All you need to do is pray. If you want to do more, drop the women a note or get together with them sometime this summer. 5 women will be praying for you, too! If you did not receive a list and would like one, contact Elaine. The 5-for-5 Prayer prompts can be found on the Women’s Ministry page of the church website.

Panorama Study

Gay Haugen will be teaching a 5-week study called Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word. We hope to have an evening session, a morning session, plus a video option. Class size will be limited, dates TBD. Contact Gay to sign up.

Panorama Bible Reading

The Panorama Bible Survey is a 10-week Bible reading plan that can be done separately or in conjunction with the Panorama study. It gives an overview of the narrative of scripture, from beginning to end. If you wish, make a plan to discuss the reading with another woman or a small group. The reading plan can be found on the Women’s Ministry page of the church website.

Need to Know

Need to Know by Gary Millar is a short guide to the Christian life. This new book is concise, thorough, simple, gospel-centered, engaging, and helpful for Christians old and new. Plus, it’s written by an Australian, so it has a cool accent. The book includes suggested reading and discussion questions. Purchase a copy and go through this one-to-one or in a small group this summer!

Simeon Trust Training

The Charles Simeon Trust Workshop for Women is designed to help women learn to study the Bible with a view to teaching. The course includes online videos, homework, and small group presentations. Cost is $19. Dates TBD. Contact Marcia to be part of a small group going through the study this summer.

1-to-1 Bible Reading: John

The last but perhaps best idea is to invite someone new to Jesus to read the book of John with you this summer. One-to-One Bible Reading handouts for John are available on the Women’s Ministry page on the New Life Church website.

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

We will meet via Zoom for our final 1st Thursday Connect of the 2019-2020 school year! Join in for smiles, encouragement, and teaching from the book of Ephesians.

• Thursday, June 4, 7 PM

• Zoom link: bit.ly/JuneConnect

• Or call in: 1-971-247-1195 with meeting ID 982-7200-3709

• Join with video and audio

• For assistance, contact Elaine: 503-314-4107

• Start signing in at 6:45

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FEEDBACK

The Women’s Ministry leadership team would appreciate your feedback on Women’s Ministry this past year. Together we are Women’s Ministry, and together we are “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). We want to invest in the things that are fruitful. Would you help by taking a few minutes and giving your input at this link: bit.ly/NewLifeWomenFeedback? Thank you for your participation!

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OPPORTUNITIES

Summer is usually slow-down time, but this year it feels we have had our slow time. With that in mind, here are several opportunities to help us “strive side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27) this summer.  Some are for personal spiritual growth. Some allow us to reconnect in small groups but can also be done online. Others encourage us to connect and grow with someone new to Christianity this summer. One thing that each of us can do to minister to other women is pray. Look at the opportunities, make the necessary preparations, and make the best use of summer!

5-for-5 Prayer

One simple but impactful way we can all be involved in ministry to women is through prayer. Would you take 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week to pray for 5 women from New Life Church? If you are on the church mailing list, you should receive 5 names along with 10 weeks of suggested prayer prompts for summer. All you need to do is pray. If you want to do more, drop the women a note or get together and get to know them. 5 women will be praying for you, too! If you did not receive a list and would like one, contact Elaine. The 5-for-5 Prayer prompts can be found on the Women’s Ministry page of the church website.

Panorama Study

Gay Haugen will be teaching a 5-week study called Panorama: a sweeping vista of God’s Word. We hope to have an evening session, a morning session, plus a video option. Class size will be limited, dates TBD. Contact Gay to sign up.

Panorama Bible Reading

The Panorama Bible Survey is a 10-week Bible reading plan that can be done separately or in conjunction with the Panorama study. It gives an overview of the narrative of scripture, from beginning to end. If you wish, make a plan to discuss the reading with another woman or a small group. The reading plan can be found on the Women’s Ministry page of the church website.

Need to Know

Need to Know by Gary Millar is a short guide to the Christian life. This new book is concise, thorough, simple, gospel-centered, engaging, and helpful for Christians old and new. Plus, it’s written by an Australian, so it has a cool accent. The book includes suggested reading and discussion questions. Purchase a copy and go through this one-to-one or in a small group this summer!

Simeon Trust Training

The Charles Simeon Trust Workshop for Women is designed to help women learn to study the Bible with a view to teaching. The course includes online videos, homework, and small group presentations. Cost is $19. Dates TBD. Contact Marcia to be part of a small group going through the study this summer.

1-to-1 Bible Reading: John

The last but perhaps best idea is to invite someone new to Jesus to read the book of John with you this summer. One-to-One Bible Reading handouts for John are available on the Women’s Ministry page on the New Life Church website.

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LINKS

Here are links to articles or books or music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Every Woman Needs the Whole Bible @Desiring God—yes! So good!

• Church, Don’t Let Coronavirus Divide You @TGC—helpful encouragement as we wrestle through this together.

• Ephesians @Look at the Book—wrap up your study of Ephesians with John Piper!

• Review: Need to Know by Gary Millar @TGC—excellent book and this review is spot on.

• No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus by Steffany Gretzinger—beautiful new song…“when I’m old and grey and all my days are numbered on the earth, let it be known, in You alone, my joy was found.”

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

1st Thursday Connect, our first via Zoom, is scheduled for 7 PM, Thursday, May 7th. Make a cup of tea and join us at bit.ly/1stThursdayConnect.

If you miss it, or if we encounter technological difficulties, here is a video which captures the music and teaching portions of the evening.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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ONE-TO-ONE BIBLE READING

Will you join us in reading Ephesians in May? Resources are available on the New Life Church website. The One-to-One Bible Reading studies can be done with a partner over Zoom or any other safe means available to you. Sign up here and let us know who you are partnering with or that you would like assistance in finding a partner for May.

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LINKS

Here are some links to articles or books or music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• What We Need to Know @the corner shelf—what we need to know about God for hard times, with quotes from Betsie ten Boom.

• John Piper’s Encouragement for Moms in Suffering @Risen Motherhood—a walk through Romans 8.

• Philippians @Look at the Book—go back through it one more time!

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ROD AND GOD

by Nancy Carlson

I have a favorite son-in-law: Rod.  He’s my only son-in-law, but if I had a dozen more, Rod would still be my favorite. 

Every member of my family is my ‘favorite’, but this isn’t about them this time. This is a story about Rod . . . and God. 

Rod showed up in our lives one Saturday morning. Our daughter, Susan, then a senior in high school was taking advantage of a no-school day, and still snuggled in bed.

A knock on the front door, and there stood a scruffy looking young man asking if he could see our daughter.  "No! She’s still in bed.” 

“I’ll come back later,” he answered and left. 

Obviously, there were some questions when Susan got up, but long story short, she ended up marrying him (and trust me, it is a long story.)

Rod showed up at my door again this past Sunday. He came over to walk with me at the High School track, knowing I’d been home, avoiding contact with others, being among the many hoping to avoid a Virus that is sweeping through our world. As one of the ’seniors’ (a high-risk category), my family has lovingly quarantined me, checking in several times a day. Rod decided to come to my rescue.

As we walked around the track, I told him he could run ahead, but he’d already been out on his morning run. This time, this walk, was for me. When I got back home, I recalled another walk with Rod.

Twelve years ago, after my husband left to be with Jesus, I joined a one-on-one health club and exercised three times a week. It was time to get in shape so I could be fit and not a burden on my children . . . but I wanted to keep it a secret. Every year some of us spent a family time at Sunriver, and I was usually pushing my bike up the hills while the rest of them zipped right along on the bike trails.

This year I planned to ‘zip’ with them. “Surprise!”  We both were.

So we decided to try for the Gold and left one afternoon for Crater Lake. The plan? We would walk the mile down from the rim to the lake and the mile back up again. I was so proud of myself and made it down and back . . . almost. The last few yards at the top of the trail had been re-sanded and it was the most difficult part of the journey. I was breathing hard, while Rod walked beside me. 

“You can do this!” he said. “You can do this, you’re almost there!” And I did. The family stood at the top and applauded.

That moment and this day, this week, this difficult ‘Journey’ of a Virus that is keeping people confined, that’s changing our world, that is an inconvenience to most of us, but is also tragically taking lives, has reminded me that last time I checked, God is still in charge. A walk on the track with my son-in-law took me back to that day on the Crater Lake trail. Rod that day reminded me of the Holy Spirit. Rod and God! (Not necessarily in that order!)

We all want to finish this journey. We are tired, afraid, wondering what’s next, or will there be a ‘next’?  Yes! 

“You can do this!” God says, “You can do this!” He says it because HE walks beside us. That’s His promise. "You can do this,” He says, "you’re almost there!” 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17 ESV).

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4 ESV).

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OPPORTUNITIES

Do you like to write to encourage others in their faith in Christ? Would you consider writing a brief article for the Women’s Newsletter? Contact Marcia for more information.

The Women’s Ministry leadership team is beginning to plan for next year. Though we don’t know exactly what the route will look like, we do know the desired destination won’t change—it’s always “for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). We also know that we need each other on the journey. Paul urges us in Philippians to be “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). If you are passionate about these things, would you consider hopping in the car and helping toward that destination? Contact the Women’s Ministry team. We would love to talk with you about how you might serve.

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

1st Thursday Connect is going online via Zoom May 7th at 7 PM! It should be an adventure! We will see faces—yippee!—have fun, try some singing, learn from Philippians and start Ephesians for May.

Resources for Ephesians will be mailed to women on the church mailing list. Resources for reading Ephesians in May are also on the church website and can be accessed or printed as needed.

We encourage you to ask another woman to partner with you and go through the One-to-One Bible Reading for Ephesians in May. You can meet over Zoom, by phone, or any other safe way available to you. Thankfully, there are many ways for us to continue to connect with each other in God’s Word.

Would you like to make a video greeting for 1st Thursday Connect? Record yourself saying hi, your name, and a 10 second word of encouragement to the women of New Life Church. Text it to Gay Haugen at 503-319-6438 by Sunday, May 3rd. Thank you!

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LINKS

Here are some links to articles or books or music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

• Before Your Suffering Comes: Five Rocks to Put Beneath Your Feet by John Piper @Desiring God—Important and pairs well with our Sunday sermon series in Job.

• Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me by CityAlight—learn this one to prep for Thursday, May 7th!

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MAMA

by Kati Roberts

“Mama, will you stay right by me aaaall day?” Lincoln, my 6 year old son, said to me with his arms wrapped around my neck. 

My constant presence has been particularly sweet for him during this quarantine. Before the world skidded to a stop, he had been going to full day kindergarten, never apart from me that much before. Even this late in the school year, he was still struggling with the responsibility to deal with the unknowns of his day without the security of his mama right there to help him. 

Being humans, we don’t know the future and, try as we might, we don't know how our story is going to play out.  When our world gets rocked by trials, it highlights for us the lack of control we have over our lives. This uncertainty plays on our fears. Rather than allowing the uncertainty to rule our thoughts, we must allow what is certain to rule us.  We can be certain of the character of God. He is ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and He does not forsake us.  He is so good and He loves us completely. Those aren’t just some things He feels or does sometimes, but they are who He is.  He completely embodies all the goodness that we could ever imagine. 

And that God is the one who says to us, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He has promised to stay right by us aaaaall day. 

The Israelites had to remind themselves of that fact also. In the book of Nehemiah, the leaders of Israel recount to them the faithfulness of the Lord throughout their history.  After rehearsing the story of God’s great rescue from Egypt the Levites proclaim, “By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night, to light for them the way in which they should go” (Nehemiah 9:12).

These supernatural pillars were such a vivid visual of God’s constant presence throughout their days and nights.  These wonders were always visible from wherever they were in the camp. They could look to them and find comfort with the Lord’s promise of His presence at any moment. He put His presence in the midst of their camp to be a constant reminder that He was leading them, He knew where they were and where they were going.  Every time they caught a glimpse of that cloud they would be reminded of His nearness and that He was leading them. Every time they saw the glow or felt the warmth of the fire they would be reminded that He was close by, even in the dark. The Lord offered His very presence so that they could rest, even in the midst of a scary uncertain time. They could have the peace that comes from having someone bigger, stronger and smarter to guide and manage their new journey into uncharted territory. Their only job was to follow; they didn’t have to figure any of it out for themselves, they could simply rest in His presence. 

In Ephesians 2:14 it says because of the blood of Jesus we have been brought near to God, “for He himself is our peace.”

His presence is peace, it’s ours to look at and be comforted from wherever we are.  That presence is our certainty in a world of swirling uncertainties. We can have peace because He has given us Himself and in Him we can rest. Rest from our worries, rest from our attempts to guide our own path, rest from having to carry our own burden.  We have His presence as a constant in our lives. We have access to that peace whenever we start to waver or worry. He has made all that He is available to us, He himself is our peace.  We can be reminded that He is leading us, He knows where we are, and He knows where we are going.  We can be assured every time we call out to Him that He is there, and He will not forsake us. We may not know where our “travels” are taking us, and we may not know what the future holds, but we do know that He is God and He loves us. We can be certain He is good and He is taking us to a good place.  We can have peace immediately because He himself is with us right where we are. He has a specific plan and destination in mind even though we don’t know what that might be. He offers His warmth and light to us as we go, in the midst of our uncertainty.   

At the end of that day, as I tuck in that very same boy who is now overtired and very cranky, he finally settled down when he pulled me in close for a hug and asked me, “Will you scratch my back?” Mama’s presence was able to calm his raging heart. God is able to calm our raging hearts, our weary souls, our worried minds simply with His presence. Look to Him today as often as you need knowing He is there, always. He is a constant certainty in our lives of constant uncertainty. 

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1ST THURSDAY CONNECT

Though we can’t yet meet in person, we can still connect in other ways for encouragement and teaching from God’s Word! 1st Thursday Connect will look a little different, but we plan to meet in May—on Zoom. We will have fun, see faces and smiles, learn from Philippians, and start Ephesians for the month of May. Will you make a cup of tea and join us?

• 1st Thursday Connect, May 7th at 7 PM

• Join the Zoom meeting with this link: bit.ly/1stThursdayConnect

• Or call in at 971-247-1195 with this meeting ID: 994-2642-0285

• Join with video and audio if possible

• Start signing in at 6:45 to work out any technical issues and get settled

• For technical assistance, contact Elaine at 503-314-4107

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LINKS

In each newsletter, we try to include links to articles or books or music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Enjoy!

• As the Foolish Women Speak by Julie Gossack—a monologue on Job from the perspective of his wife, written and performed by Julie.

• Floodplain by Sara Groves—a beautiful album.

• Jesus Loves Me This I Know @the corner shelf—truth for every heart.

(Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church.)