Dear Westgate family,

We hope you are having a great week as you look forward to Easter, and consider the great love God has shown us through the Cross.  Our world is full of fear and doubt, but we can have joy and peace because the tomb in empty!  I love that question - "Have you hear the good news?  The tomb is empty!"  We send you our greeting with this fun little video to remind us that we need flexiblity right now as we seek to minister to people!

As we prepare for online Easter services, we will send you an invitation to pass on to others.  Claudene will be sharing a monologue from the perspective of Mary "My Son, My Savior".  In addition to inviting others let me ask you to do two things:

1. Please take a few second recording of yourself or your family completing the sentence "Because of the empty tomb I, ... " and email it to me at james.wooten@wbcs.org by noon on Saturday.
2. Perform an act of kindness in Jesus's name - a gift for a child, a note or card for a first responder or medical personnel, groceries for someone in need, mow a yard...

Please see tonight's prayer and Bible study on the treasure we have in clay pots.  The handout and prayer sheet are attached.

Treasure in Jars of Clay — Watch Video
 

God Bless,

Pastor

Today I read: Psa 1:2  "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."  In our day of information glut and overload, may god help us delight in His Word.  God help us to pause and meditate day and night.  Help us to think about truth and how to apply it to our lives.  In the last couple of days I have also read about the Pharisees in Matthew 23.  They were hypocrites - looking clean on the outside, but dead on the inside: religous but corrupt and proud.  Please take a moment and pray - "God search me and try me, and see if there be any wicked way in me."  God, please show me one truth today I can apply to my life, and help me to do it.

Prayer requests:

Job losses - John Lever & Ron Rodriguez

Emergency surgery - Jennifer Wingo's daughter Katie (eight months pregnant) had to have emergency surgery this morning.

Bible studies:

Men's "The Making of a Man of God - Life of David" Bible study will have an online meeting on Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 pm.  Sign up and order the book here.

Ladies' "Be Careful for Nothing" Bible study will have an online meeting on Thursday, April 9 at 7:00 pm.  Sign up here.

God Bless,

Pastor

Today I read: Rom 8:31-32  "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  (32)  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"  What amazing love - God spared not the expense of offering His Son for us!  All of my needs and problems are small compared to the price God has already paid to make me His child.  He will freely give me all good gifts.  I need to take everything to Him in prayer fully confident that He loves me and knows best!

Praise God for His love!

Pastor

Here is the invitation to join the Westgate "The Story" film group that I mentioned in tonight's sermon.

This gives you access to the share cards for social media.

Making Christ Known!

Pastor

Dear Church family,

I was reading in Nehemiah 10:28-39 and the people renewed their commitment to the Lord.  The commited to follow God's law, not intermarry with the ungodly, and honor the Sabbath, tithes, and sacrifices.  "Neh 10:29-33  They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;  (30)  And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:  (31)  And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.  (32)  Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;  (33)  For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God."   What a great reminder that even in the face of difficult circumstances to be faithful to God.  God is faithful, and will take care of us.  Even though we are gathering in our homes we can still pray, study the Bible, and give.

God Bless,

Pastor