Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks

July-August 2013

Looking Unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2a

Portraits From Sandie

Fragrant Life Womens Ministry Newsletter

Costa Rica, totally depending on the Lord for their new church and their livelihood. I was excited and encouraged listening to him tell how the Lord has sustained them through this entire process, often providing over and above what they could think or ask. Today there is a thriving Calvary Chapel in Costa Rica because one man did what he couldnt.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.. Hebrews 12:2a

Inside this issue:

Portraits From Sandie Prayer, Poetry & Praise Fruit of Her Hands Titus 2 & Recipe 1 2 3 4

John Henry Jowett told a story about a small village in His native England where an elderly woman had recently died. She died penniless, uneducated, unsophisticated, but during her lifetime her selfless service and countless acts of faith had made a tremendous impact on the villagers for Christ. On her tombstone they simply chiseled the words, She did what she couldnt. I dont think faith can be better defined than that, doing what we cant. Hebrews 11:1 says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.It is that which makes the invisible things visible and the impossible things possible. And it all centers and rests firmly on Jesus Christ.

The best thing about this whole faith walk is that the Lord is the one who gives us faith, and He also gives us the ability to walk in it. Our part is simply to be obedient to what Hes called us to do and take that first step. When we take that step of faith it is important that we remember that the Lord will always honor his word and will never fail to keep his promises to us. Knowing this takes a tremendous load off our shoulders, we are not in this alone. We can know that he is absolutely faithful The Bible is full of stories of people that to fulfill his promises. It is never up to us. Even when we feel alone we are not. His did what they couldnt. By faith David slew the Philistine giant, Goliath. By faith word says he will never leave us or forsake us. He is always there assisting, encouragNoah labored for 100 years to build the ark, enduring the mocking and rejection of ing, leading, comforting and providing for us as we take our steps of faith. the people. Because of his great faith, the Apostle Paul took the Gospel to the entire Our responsibility is to look unto Him known world, encountering tremendous and keep looking to him. We dont look hardship along the way. Hebrews chapter once and then look away, its a continual 11 is a testament to several great men and ongoing process looking to Jesus, we nevwomen of faith, men and women who did er stop doing this and he will never stop what they couldnt and trusted the Lord being the initiator and perfecter of our for the outcome. faith. At a recent Wednesday night service, My prayer for each and every one of we had the privilege of hearing Pastor Phil you is that you will all be strong vibrant McKay tell the incredible story of how the women of faith. That you will all be womLord lead him and his wife to Costa Rica en who do what they cant to plant a church there. Leaving friends Love, Sandie and family and jobs, and security behind, they packed up everything and moved to

Joyful Books & Fellowship 5 Devotional Expressions of Love Calvary Chapel Info Calendar OUR DESIRES FOR THE WOMENS MINISTRIES ARE:
To encourage deeper relationships and spiritual growth for the women in the body of Christ. To provide a place where women will be encouraged and uplifted to seek Gods best for their lives. To give opportunity to study the Word of God together that women might grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. To equip women to be lights in their homes, neighborhoods and workplaces reflecting the love of Jesus Christ to all.

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Looking Unto Jesus

Prayer, Poetry and Praise

Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Elizabeth C. Clephane (1830-1869)

Overcome
Jon Egan2007 Vertical Worship

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand, The shadow of a mighty rock Within a weary land; A home within the wilderness, A rest upon the way, From the burning of the noontide heat, And the burden of the day. Upon that cross of Jesus Mine eye at times can see The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me; And from my stricken heart with tears Two wonders I confess: The wonders of redeeming love And my unworthiness. I take, O cross, thy shadow For my abiding place; I ask no other sunshine than The sunshine of his face; Content to let the world go by, To know no gain nor loss, My sinful self my only shame, My glory all the cross.

Seated above Enthroned in the Fathers Love Destined to die Poured out for all mankind Gods only Son Perfect and spotless...one He never sinned But suffered as if He did All authority...every victory is Yours All authority...every victory is Yours Savior worthy of honor and glory Worthy of all our praise For You overcame Jesus awesome in power forever Awesome and great is Your name For You overcame Power in hand speaking the Fathers Plan Sending us out Light in this Broken land We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony Everyone overcome

PRAY FOR HARVEST AMERICA

FRIDAY EVENINGS 7:30 PM BEGINNING JUNE 28, 2013

CALVARY CHAPEL RENO-SPARKS

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Fruit of Her Hands Ministry

Is a giving ministry with a focus on sharing the love of Jesus Christ to others through the joy of home making. Our focus is on Proverbs 31, Titus 2:3-5 and Galatians 5:22-23. We come together for devotionals, worship, prayer, fellowship and a structured activity every quarter and as needed. Watch the bulletin and Womens Ministry Counter for updates.

This photo is of Clear Creek Camp out of Carson City, Nevada. The summer of 1980 the Holy Spirit encouraged me to come forward publicly and profess my love for Jesus Christ and be baptized. Although I had already confessed my sins and asked Jesus to come into my heart 4 years before, this summer marked a call to the mission field that has burned deep in my heart and continues to burn today. Some may say, that in order to be a part of the mission field you must be OUT in the field. Pastor Chuck Smith in the book, Prayer Our Glorious Privilege tells of Corrie Ten Boom who in the later part of her life was bed ridden and felt useless. Pastor Chuck had the opportunity to encourage Corrie by reminding her that she still could pray for others, and through prayer, she could pray for those who lived here in the United States or in other parts of the world. She could be in the mission field right along side them while in prayer. Greg Laurie tells a story of missionary George Smith. From all outward appearances, the ministry of missionary George smith was a failure. He had been in Africa only a short time when he was driven from the country, leaving behind only one convert, a poor woman. He died not long after that, while on his knees, praying for Africa. Years later, a group of men stumbled onto the place where George Smith had prayed. They also found a copy of the Scriptures he had left behind in Africa. Then they met the one convert of Smiths ministry. A hundred years afterward, a mission agency discovered that more than 13,000 converts had emerged from the ministry George Smith began. Now thats what I call a successful ministry! But Im sure it didnt seem so successful to George Smith. To all outward appearances, his ministry was a failure. One convert, thats all. As we look unto Jesus for opportunities to serve Him, the first place for us as women to look is in our own homes. It says in Titus 2:3-5 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanders,

not given to much wine, teachers of good things that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Our ministry as women is first to our husband and family, then to our church family, and then to others.

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
Pray for the Missions and Missionaries Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks supports:

CSN International 87.9 and 103.3 FM Gospel For Asia Crisis Pregnancy Center Samaritan's Purse (Operation Christmas Child) Hope for Today (Dr. David Hocking) For Zion's Sake (helping with Jews who return to Israel) Pray for Solomon and Rosario Ojeda as they prepare to plant a church in Tejaro, Michoacan Mexico. Did you know that Fruit of Her Hands Ministry has several opportunities to make things to be given to those in need? You can be part of the mission field when what you make is given to someone, along with the message of Jesus Christ. Here is an upcoming opportunity to reach out to others.

Blankets for Veterans

We will be making blankets on July 24th from 10am-2pm at the home of Kelly Gardner. Lunch will be provided. If you would like to participate please email gardner.joyfullbooks@gmail.com or call: 775-843-0650 Supplies Needed: Scissors, 1 1/2 yard print fleece 1 1/2 yard solid fleece

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Looking Unto Jesus

Titus 2
Hospitality and What I learned
Kelly Gardner

you practice hospitality the more God will give you love and wisdom to pass on to others.

Kaylynns Texas Sheet Cake

Pre heat Oven 375 degrees Cake Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon salt cup butter cup strong brewed coffee cup unsweetened cocoa cup buttermilk 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla

One of the fondest memories I have when I was a young mom, was visiting with a friend who lived just around the corner from my home; her name was Kaylynn.

My children and I decided to surprise Kaylynn with a visit one summer afternoon. When we knocked on the door we were greeted by the most wonderful aroma wafting through the air. To our delight Kaylynn was making Texas Sheet Cake and we watched in anticipation as she cut very large slices of cake for each Directions: of us! In a large mixing bowl, combine: flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir with whisk. Set aside. In a small sauce pan comKaylynns Texas Sheet Cake was to be bine: coffee, butter and cocoa; bring to a boil stirring frequently. shared that evening with her church, but even Remove from heat and pour into flour mixture. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla to bowl so, she offered us a sweet treat of hospitality. and beat again until well blended. Pour into prepared 17X11 pan For Kaylynn though, this did mean that her and bake at 375 degrees for 17-20 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare icing. cake would no longer be perfectly presented. Christian hospitality is about loving others through Christ. Many times we think our home has to be in perfect order, dates for fellowship need to be pre-arranged and NEVER would we think of cutting into a cake early in order to offer hospitality to unexpected guests. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:13 that we are to be ...given to hospitality. This means to be a lover of strangers.
Icing Ingredients: 6 Tablespoons butter 1/3 cup milk cup unsweetened cocoa 3 cups powdered sugar cup chopped pecans 2 teaspoons vanilla Directions: Combine butter, milk and cocoa in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar, pecans and vanilla.

cake is finished baking, pour icing over hot cake. Cool comWhen we are hospitable we must be aware When pletely. Can serve up to 20 depending on how they are cut. of our treatment, reception and disposition towards others. For some of us hospitality comes easy, but for most of us, it takes practice.

For may of us, we might want to be hospitable, but we may feel we dont have anything to share. Have faith and look to Jesus. The more

This recipe may seem overwhelming, but it is so delicious, worth every effort and serves many at Church Potlucks!

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Joyful Books Ministry

and believe that John 3:16 is all there is to it, our life now is on automatic pilot and we can just sit back and enjoy the ride. This is the source of a great deal of disillusionment that leads to discouragement in the Christian life. There is no such This book is a compilation of never thing as automatic pilot in our Christian experience; every step is an operation of faith that will before published sermon notes be fiercely contested by the enemy of our soul. from renowed theologian A.W. This kind of automatic pilot thinking leads to spirTozer. In this book you can hear itual lethargy. Breaking out from the tyranny of Tozer gently, but powerfully speak of the dangers spiritual lethargy-whatever the cost-should be the of spiritual lethargy. Tozer warns believers in Christ against the dangers of living too close to the number-one priority of every Christian. world. The Dangers of a Shallow Faith is a book to not put on the shelf, but to read and re-read as Tozer This book is so prophetic that you would have encourages you to go deeper into Gods Word. thought it was a current writing and yet it was written prior to 1963. Tozer reminds us that Gods Our Joyful Books Book Club will be holding a speWord, not mans words or church tradition is what cial evening summer session at the home of Kelly gives us faith in Jesus Christ. Gardner, because this book demands to be discussed! The great deterrent to victorious Christian living is Please consider joining us! the idea that once we accept Jesus Christ as Savior

For the month of July-August our Womens Ministry Book is, The Dangers of a Shallow Faith by A.W. Tozer.

Special Summer Events

Womens Summer Monday Night Bible Study
1750 Jewel Star Court Reno, 89506 (in Golden Valley) 6:00 8:00 pm The Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. We are using the book and the workbook that accompanies it. Our bookstore has a limited supply or you can purchase on Amazon or CBD. It goes for 11 weeks, starting June 24th thru September 2nd. Leaders are: Kimmie Bowser 775-745-5688 and Karen Kasser. 775-772-5101. If anyone is interested in attending, please call one of the leaders so they can plan accordingly!

Womens Summer Tuesday Evening Joyful Books Book Club

2025 Honey Ridge DrReno, 89511 6:30 - 8:00 pm The Dangers of a Shallow Faith by A.W. Tozer Books are available in our church bookstore. We will meet July 2nd thru August 27th. If anyone is interested in attending, please call or email: Kelly Gardner 775-843-0650 or

gardner.joyfullbooks@gmail.com We will read (2) chapters a week. Please have chapters 1 & 2 read for July 2nd. You can also visit: http://joyfullbooks.blogspot.com

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Devotional
anger, sadness, discouragement and pride if we allow them have the power to cause us to focus on By DiAnn Wolfe ourselves, to turn us inward, rather than toward The knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ that we our Lord of peace, love, comfort, strength and humility. But the man, who desires the will of God in receive through His word is effective and adetheir life, will look to the one who leads us in the quate to provide for us all things that pertain to path of faith, the originator of that faith, Jesus life and godliness 2 Peter 1:3. As a Christian our yardstick for measuring what is true and what Christ. is a lie is based on whether it agrees with the inIf I am putting my faith, my trust, my dependency spired word of God, there is no other authority on anyone or anything else, I have chosen to take which we can trust. Our feelings and our experi- the step in the wrong direction. Those detours are ences can quickly and easily take us on detours trouble, and troublesome. They can delay or even away from the path of truth. impede Gods desire for us; His will for us. For example, we pray but our eyes are on the answer, However, only knowing the word of God is not enough, it must be accompanied by faith. It profits rather than on the one who has the power to me nothing to simply have knowledge of the truth, answer, Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. unless I trust the person who made the claims and The looking to Jesus is something we and only promises. Faith which is accompanied with trust we can do; it is a choice we have to make to turn our eyes toward our Lord, not away. will always have an action, that action is obedi-

Fixed and Rooted In Faith

ence. If I trust the Lord I will obey Him.

I am grateful for my patient, longsuffering Savior, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He is who understands my weaknesses, but doesnt the author, He is the creator, and He is the origina- leave me in a state of woe is me thinking, but retor of our faith. looking unto Jesus, the author minds me to fix my spiritual eyes on Him where and finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12:2a. This is my faith is rooted. a word of instruction for us to look, NAS says to fix our eyes on Jesus. The word literally means, to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something. Clearly the something is the person of Christ. He is our motivation, our inspiration for running this race, He is our leader, and we are to follow. The carnal man will look to other things or someone else for wisdom, for comfort, for strength, for help, whatever the need is at that moment. The other things could be something as simple as our feelings or experiences, that we trust over what we know to be the truth in Jesus Christ. Our emotions, particularly strong negative emotions will drown out the voice of truth. Fear,

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12:2a

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Expressions of Love
Walk With God
by Mary Jane Robinette

Just a closer walk with thee, Grant it Jesus is my plee, Daily walks close to thee, Let it be Dear Lord, let it be. I had a destination in mind when I headed out for my early morning walk. I knew it would soon take me on the path that would lead me away from the distractions of my day. I was heading for the peacefulness of the pond. Walking by the wetlands I sensed my God was walking along side of me. He was all around me. He was holding my hand. As I grasped this feeling it reminded me that I am never alone. I looked up at the sky and thought of heaven and what is to come for me. I listened to the music of the many water birds singing in perfect harmonies. The scent of honeysuckle blooming along the path gave the air a sweet fragrance of perfume; but not as sweet as the fragrant aroma of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My eyes became captivated by the beauty surrounding me. My prayer became a praise to God who provided these things for me. I prayed, In the beginning was God. God created this beautiful earth. He put me here to love and serve Him. He gave me His promise of salvation through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I felt the joy of Jesus inside of me. 2Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. I soon arrived at the pond and made myself comfortable on a nearby bench. A welcomed time of restful tranquility and a feeling of my creator was all around me. Shielding my eyes from the bright morning sun I watched the ducks swimming about, and with grace dive for food. Smiling with acknowledgement my eyes witnessed how God provides nourishment even for His smallest creatures. The nervous mamas kept swimming around their baby ducklings. The ducklings soon recognized their mamas call, follow me. Oh what a moment of happiness I felt as I recalled the words of Jesus, follow me. How blessed I felt to know that I know, I love and strive to follow Jesus every day. My life is not the same set apart from Him. My physical walk this early morning was a reminder of the importance of how we need to take a spiritual walk in the Word with God everyday. John 15:5 for without Me you can do nothing. The first step in our walk with God is to know how desperately we need Him. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It is beyond our comprehension to think beyond the beginning. In the Word we read about the beginning of creation, the heavens, the earth, all things on the earth, and the creation of man

in the image of God. Then Satan revealed himself, and man knew sin. God gave man a beautiful world to live in. He gave man commandments to follow in life. Man however showed his sinful nature and his inability to follow Gods laws. But God had a plan for us, a way out for the forgiveness of our sins and to receive eternal life with Him. God gave us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ as our Redeeming Savior. Jesus is the author of our faith. Hebrew 12:2a Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. God said in Genesis 1:26 Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. If we are made in Gods image then we are to emulate His attributes. We are to live His Will be done, not our will be done. Our behavior should reflect how we live our Christian life. We cannot find these qualities in ourselves unless we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. We should not look to the right nor to the left but have eyes only for our Redeeming Love. We must not be a silent Christian. We should daily proclaim our love for Jesus to those around us, family, friends and unbelievers. We are Christians, but not by name only, but by witness to what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. Living an intentional Christian life is more than saying the prayer of salvation and accepting Jesus into our heart. That is not where our walk with the Lord ends. Jesus said to be holy for I am Holy. To be holy means to change our hearts and minds to that of Jesus Christ. Living a righteous life means to be set apart from the world. We can no longer participate in the sinful activities of the world that Satan promotes. Our light should so shine so that others see our belief. A faith that is lukewarm is a shallow faith. A faith that is empowered by the Holy Spirit is on fire. We cannot live a holy life unto God without the daily filling of the Holy Spirit. Staying in the Word allows the Spirit to interpret Gods Words, it is then we hear God speaking to us. As a child of God we are to walk in faith and fulfill the purpose in this world that God had planned for us. We should look to Jesus and what is to come. Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. Jesus Christ, the author of our faith will be with us to the end of our spiritual journey.

Womens Koinonia
Saturday, August 17th, 2013 10:00 a.m.12:00 p.m.

Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks July-August 2013

July 2013
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See pg. 5 2,9,16,23,30 7th 5,12,19,26 14th 3,10,17,24,31 7th17th Happy 4th of

Womens Bible Study Joyful Books 6:30 pm Missions Prayer 12:30pm Harvest Prayer 7:30pm Widows Meeting 8:15 am Womens Prayer 6pm Costa Rica Mission Trip JULY!!!

Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks

220 Edison Way, Reno, NV 89502 (775)856-1110 FAX (775) 856-2031 www.calvarychapelreno.org

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Senior Pastor Admin. Pastor Youth Pastor Worship Pastor Secretary

Tom Luitwieler Rob Wolfe Juan Rodriguez Scott Cresta KimBowser 28 29 30 31

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Womens Bible Study Joyful Books 6:30pm Womens Koinonia 10am Womens Prayer 6pm Missions Prayer 12:30 pm Couples Potluck 6 pm Widows Meeting 8:15 am Baptism Lake Tahoe 8am Harvest Prayer 7:30pm

Evangelism Pastor Leonard Sanchez

PRAYER CHAIN ANN-(775)673-1238 EILEEN (775)972-1790 CHURCH OFFICE: (775) 856-1110

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2,9,16,23,30

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED AT CALVARY CHAPEL?

First: Present yourself to God (Romans 12:1) for confirmation that He has planted you in this fellowship. If so, then discover your gifts and Gods calling your life. Second: Study to show yourself approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15). As you grow in your relationship with God, let Him prepare you for effective service. Third: Be doers of the Word (James 1:22). Commit yourself to the work of Jesus Christ in this fellowship. Get involved as a yielded vessel to Gods guiding anywhere He directs.

Contact the Church Office and Fill Out a Ministry Questionnaire

(775) 856-1110
Helps Ministry: Food Pantry, Meal Ministry Caf 2:42 Womens Greeters Womens Monday Bible Study Womens Conferences, Koinonias & Retreats Womens Wed Evening & Thursday Morning PRAYER Family Worship Night Childrens Ministry, Nursery, Childcare Widows Meeting (Encourage &Prayer) 2nd Sunday of the Month in Caf 2:42 8:15 am Moms In Prayer, Mondays 12pm. This ministry is for moms who want to get together and pray for their children. We meet on a weekly basis in the 3rd/4th grade classroom. Child care will be shared as needed. Call DiAnn at 972-4264. Spirit Led Writing/Recipes for Newsletter. Gardner.joyfullbooks@gmail.com or Kelly Gardner (775)843-0650