Dear Peace Families,
Before this week’s message, I have an important announcement:
VBS registration begins on Sunday!
We are excited to welcome your children to a week of fun at this year’s Vacation Bible School! VBS will be June 26-29, 2023 at Peace, from 9:00am-12:00pm each day. This year’s VBS theme is Stellar, and we’ll be launching the kids on a cosmic quest, to Shine Jesus’ Light to the world. The week will be full of uplifting music, engaging Bible adventures, imaginative crafts, galactic snacks, incredible games, and much more.
The cost is $20/child with a $50/family cap. Scholarships are available—please contact Pastor Joe if interested. VBS is perfect for children from age 4 (potty-trained) to current 5th Graders. Middle school students, high school students, and adults are invited to volunteer as crew leaders and station leaders as we Shine Jesus’ Light during this amazing week! Register online at https://vbspro.events/p/peacecclc23
Additionally, in Lent we follow Jesus on the 40-day journey to the cross and beyond. During the season, many Christians have traditionally given up something—things like coffee or desserts—sacrificing something they love for 40 days, acknowledging that Jesus sacrificed even more for us. As we continue through Lent, I’ll be offering suggestions for things we might give up—though there won’t be anything tangible mentioned.
This week is the last week in Lent before Holy Week begins, and I propose giving up pride and insecurity.
Some might think those are opposites, but I see them as being intertwined, as both are rooted in being overdependent on what other people think. The only difference is how we respond. When we are insecure, we lack self-confidence and struggle to hear God’s voice uplifting us; our response is to withdraw. Similarly, when we are prideful, we rely on our strengths to overinflate the doubts that we have inside and use our pride to distract others from how we really feel.
The antidote to both of these is simple practically, yet difficult personally. We must share with others how we feel and open up about what we’re going through. God has created you in God’s Image—you are beautifully and wonderfully made—and not only does God see that, but God has surrounded us with people who see that in us too. When we voice our insecurities, they lose their power, and we create the space to rebuild our self-esteem in healthy ways—rooted in who God says we are, first and foremost.
Grace and Peace,
Joe
Family Tip of the week
1. Register your family for VBS.
2. Share an insecurity you have with someone you trust, and pray that God would remind you that you are wonderfully made in God’s Image.