FAMILY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

ORDER OF WORSHIP

-OPENING PRAYER - Emily Parsons
-PRAISE AND WORSHIP - FCF Praise and Worship Team
-Days of Elijah
-We Have Overcome
-Victor's Crown
-Mighty to Save
-WELCOME & ANNOUNCMENTS - Pastor Alex Cabansagan
-WORSHIP IN GIVING - Marjorie Diche
-THE WORD - Mark Dela Cruz
- "Different Calling in a Dark World" - 1 Peter 2:9
-BENEDICTION - Bishop Jun Cabansagan

DIFFERENT CALLING IN A DARK WORLD

· AN ETERNAL CALL TO CHRIST.
· A TEMPORARY CALL TO AN ASSIGNMENT.
· A DAILY CALL TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD.

…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NLT

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
1 Peter 2:11-12 NLT

… It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 1 Peter 2:15 NLT

For God called youto do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 NLT

He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. 1 Peter 2:22-24 NLT

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 NLT

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Talk It Over

-Read 1 Peter 2:9-12. What message does my life, as-is, send to people around me?

-What are you already doing that not just tells, but shows people God’s goodness?

-What can you do differently to lead more people to Jesus?

-Who do you need to practice the 1 Peter 3:9 principle with most?

Pastor's Corner
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It's Time For A Bit Of Bad News

Last week I wrote about our identity as children of grace and the good news that holds. But remember, good news is only good if there's bad news to preface it.

On the off chance that you haven't noticed already – or, more likely, that you haven't considered it recently – here's the bad news: there's a conflict between what the Bible has to say about you and what you would like to think is true about you.

I want to think that my greatest, deepest, most abiding problem exists outside of me: my spouse, children, neighbors, government, boss, traffic, social media. The list could go on and on.

The Bible tells us something very different. Even though our world is fallen and the people we interact with are broken, our biggest problem is moral, not environmental.

There's probably no better description of our internal, moral problem than what David says in Psalm 51:
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

What does it look like to have an identity of a sinner? David reveals three ways:

1. Transgression of the Rebellious

To transgress is to know where the boundaries are and willingly step over them. There are moments when you and I know what God's law says, but because we're only focused on selfish comfort and convenience, we willingly ignore it.

2. Iniquity of the Soiled

Not every act is high-handed rebellious against God's wise authority, so David employs this second word. Iniquity is moral uncleanness, produced by indwelling sin. It has less to do with our motivations and more to do with a moral infection that corrupts everything we desire, think, say and do.

3. Sin of the Weak

If iniquity is moral uncleanness, then sin is moral weakness. It has left us weak, foolish and incapable of consistently obeying God. Even if we were to always desire what is right, we wouldn't have the power to follow through. Because of sin, we consistently fall short of God's standards, despite our best intentions and efforts.

How discouraging! Transgression, iniquity and sin are three realities that we have to deal with every day. Yet while it's critical to understand and admit these realities, we cannot dwell on them. The weight of it will defeat and discourage you, which is exactly what the enemy wants.

Instead, we must pair the bad news of our identity as a sinner with the good news of our identity as child of grace. Our need is deep and pervasive, but our potential is expansive.

By the transformational power of his grace, God unilaterally reaches into the muck of this fallen world, through the presence of his Son, and radically transforms his children from what we are (sinners) into what we are becoming by his power (Christ-like).

There's only one word I can think of that summarizes what grace is, and John Newton already took it: AMAZING!

God bless,
Pastor Alex Cabansagan

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Reflection Questions

1.What did you blame yesterday that was ultimately a moral problem, not environmental?

2.Think of one reason why you would transgress. What appears so pleasurable or convenient (initially) that would allow you to willingly ignore God's law?

3. How has God proven that the boundaries of his law are the safest place for you to live within? Think of specific examples.

4. How did iniquity and sin reveal themselves in your life recently? Despite your best intentions and efforts, where did you fall short?

5. Are you allowing your identity as a sinner to consume your thoughts and emotions? How can you take advantage of your expansive potential as a child of grace today? Be specific in your application.

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(Devotion from Wednesday word from Paul Tipp Ministries)

About us

Family Christian Fellowship - exists to share the love and grace of God, to help you see the reality of the Kingdom of God here on earth. To help you find a community of believers and where you can worship God freely. We desire for each member to discover, encounter, experience the fullness of God's love and to grow in a variety of ways through our weekly bible studies, our Sunday school programs, and through our several monthly church activities. We hope and pray you will have a blessed experience with us.


Statement of Faith

We Believe in One God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally co-existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We Believe in the bible the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, as the inerrant,
infallible, and inspired Word of God.

We Believe in Jesus Christ, as God-man, in every respect God, and in every respect man. His death, burial, and bodily resurrection provide the only reason for forgiveness of sins and salvation for all who believe in Him.

Mission, Vision, & Purpose

Our MISSION is to give families of the San Francisco Bay Area a GENUINE love encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our VISION is to see families of the San Francisco Bay Area growing and thriving by the love of the Lord Jesus Christ

Our PURPOSE is to give you the best opportunity to become a fully developing follower of Jesus by helping you go D.E.E.P (Discover, Encounter, Experience, and Pursue) with God