Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
 
Meditate on the cross of Christ:  The sovereign King of the universe, wrapped in human flesh, bearing and destroying all human sin from a motive of love; the source and definition of life that death could in no way hold. Next to the cross, put your own works and consider how laughably puny they are. Rejoice that, because you are saved by Christ alone, you never need to worry that you have not done enough to satisfy God.
 
Pray for anyone you know who thinks he (or she) has to clean up his life before he can approach God. I’m thinking in particular of people who are guilty of what we (humanly) consider “big” sins – addiction to drugs or alcohol, consumption of pornography, adultery, etc. May they discover that they need Christ and his power.
 
How often do you say something like, “She’s a Christian” or “He’s not a believer” based on your evaluation of a person’s works? Don’t we, too often, play God or, at least, act like the conductor on His train, checking tickets? Let’s ask His forgiveness for times we’ve passed judgment on the state of someone else’s soul.
 
What good works has the Lord created you to do today? Realize that works include not just deeds we do but also the kind of people we are becoming. Ask God today – and every morning – to show you the good works He has set before you and to help you complete them.
 
Calvary Family
 
Pray over the Women’s Christmas Tea coming up this Friday, lifting up all the final preparations by our Women’s Ministry team and the guest speaker, Erin Weidemann. Pray that the many guests we Calvary women have invited will feel warmly welcomed and that everyone attending will receive a valuable message from the Lord.
 
Pray for our three pastors as they are away on a short retreat. They are asking the Lord for guidance in sharing the various pastoral responsibilities now that Shannon Estell, our new associate pastor, is on board. Ask the Lord to speak clearly to our pastors about how He wants to use each man’s abilities and passions.
 
I received a prayer letter from Tomasz Chylka in Poland last week, and I urge you to read it in full when it is posted on the Calvary website later this week. Tomasz writes, “Preaching is what I love,” and his letter is full of the topics on which he is preaching and teaching. Pray that his congregation will be receptive and responsive to God’s word. Tomasz also asks us to pray for his church’s evangelistic outreach efforts during the Christmas season.
 
A new session of the English Bible Study (aka ESL Bible Study) for students in Calvary’s Chinese congregation has just begun. Most are new immigrants, and many are new believers. Pray that their hearts will be good soil to receive God’s word. Also ask the Lord to increase their courage to speak a new language.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert
Calvary Community Church of Brea