I have been enjoying Christmas in Isaiah, a series that Pastor Phillip and I are sharing on prophecies of the Messiah from “The Gospel According to Isaiah,” as some have referred to this wonderful book. It has enriched my Christmas season already and, I trust, that of many others. Please pray for the remaining messages and invite your friends and family:

· December 18 The Humility of Messiah (Isaiah 42) PPM

· December 24 The Suffering of Messiah (Isaiah 53, part one) PMJ

· December 25 The Success of Messiah (Isaiah 53, part two) PPM (one 11:00 AM service

only)

On January 1, Pastor Miguel Yustiz’s messages in both services will launch our New Year at IBC. We will also celebrate Communion around the Lord’s Table.

Pray as well for two important sermons planned for January. In these two messages, I will seek to present God’s vision for the Universal Church, the Body of Christ and for the Local Church, where we are called to live out what it means to be a member of Christ’s Body. After both services on January 15, there will be a Question-Answer opportunity related to the amendments to our IBC constitution that our elders are recommending concerning church membership procedures.

· January 8, God Loves the Church

· January 15, Church Membership

I am burdened that all who attend IBC have a clear understanding of the high priority that God places on Christ’s Church and on local churches as His primary means of working in the world in the present age. Watch for an upcoming blog article explaining this more in depth.

Starting January 22, we will return to the Gospel of John with a series leading up to Easter, Precious Final Words (John 13-17). John, Jesus’ closest earthly friend, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to record for generations to come, our Lord’s precious, life-altering words given the night before He died on the cross.

Would you pray for all these messages? I again look forward to seeing how God will use His Word in our lives at IBC.