Ocean Hills

A Note From Jeff Pries

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MessageFrom-OH

Sunday was such a great service. We looked at the ways God is challenging us to trust in HIS plan for our lives, both in the seasons where it easy and where it is challenging. It is such a joy being together on Sundays, and as we move into summer, we have lots of events designed to create fun ways for us to grow in community with one another, but even more importantly, with the people that surround us. We have been handing out calendars not only so you know what’s coming up, but also so you can pray about who you might invite to these events. We are called to reach our community, and these events are great first steps!

This weekend is going to be so exciting. We are having baptisms on the patio after service and celebrating with the dearly-loved BBQ! (Have I mentioned that I love BBQs?) We invite you to stick around after service to be a part of the baptisms and spend time with one another. While the BBQ is going to be fun, we are also planning a great service, looking at how God uses our brokenness for His Glory. We all have areas of our lives that are less than perfect. What would it look like for God to make something great out of those areas? Join us this weekend to find out.

Blessings,

Jeff

Irvine

A Note From Kyle Zimmerman

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MessageFrom-IR

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  2 Corinthians 4:1

I love this verse…that God has given us “this ministry” of comfort, hope, reconciliation, and freedom in Christ. We are the people that can live without losing heart or being swayed by the circumstances of life, knowing that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive within us as His followers. This week as I was reflecting on this verse I was reminded of how I can see it expressed in our church family. I’m grateful for the way we are experiencing this truth together in our church services as we worship in spirit and truth, pursuing Jesus and responding to all that God is with all that we are. It’s humbling to see what God is doing and how He is bringing healing, hope and freedom into our lives and relationships. I love that we are inviting our friends and family to experience the power of Jesus with us. This weekend will be amazing as our friend, Albert Tate, is back. He is a gifted communicator of God’s Word. He will encourage, challenge and inspire us to become more of who God created us to be as we live out this verse together. Be sure to invite your friends and family join us…can’t wait to see you all!

Peace…

kyle

Huntington Beach

A Note From Caleb Anderson

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MessageFrom-HB

The wind is blowing as I type this. The wind reminds me that God is still living and active all around us. I can’t see the wind… But I can see the effects of the wind. We can’t see God, but we can see His activity all around us.

We’re seeing it in our church…
– lives are being changed
– marriages are finding new hope
– kids are deciding to follow God
– practical miracles are unfolding and leading us to a new church home

Miracle 1
The City Council votes to change the zoning, allowing us to be in the Regency Theater building.

Miracle 2
The owner of the building participates in the sale by donating to Mariners Church (two others negotiating the deal also make large donations).

Miracle 3 (in progress)
God helps our church raise $1.5-2M to purchase the theater and upgrade it for our church.

Commitment Sunday was last week and was a big step in that direction. THANK YOU to those of you who are already participating. And if you haven’t yet, feel free to make a commitment this Sunday or in the near future. We need EVERYBODY to make this thing happen. It’s going to be amazing to watch this journey unfold. Make sure you’re part of it.

Sunday Night
We’re back at 6p and we’ll have something special on the patio for you that will be a hit.

See you soon,
Caleb

“Your grace is sufficient for me. Your power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

 P.S.: You can catch up on recent messages here or subscribe to the podcast here.

P.P.S.: You can give to Mariners Church Huntington Beach here.

Ocean Hills

A Note from Jeff Pries

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MessageFrom-OH
Celebrating moms and all of the women was so great this past weekend. We carefully plan these celebrations around an idea – that the experience will feel honoring to both you and God. Thank you to the team of volunteers who generously gave their time to help make the morning so special. Their desire is to create an environment that makes it easy for you to invite friends and family to. They pulled that off in a fun way.

If you are looking for something different to do this Friday night, we are having our first Date Night. Because we are a church that cares about marriages and families, we are creating a night for you! Show up at 6p, and we will have some appetizers, followed by a speaker who will give a brief 20 minute talk on relationships. Then you are free to go for the next two hours, while we watch your kids. The event is absolutely free, and the cost for childcare is only $5/child. Can I get a “what a deal?!” It’s a fun event to tell your friends about as well. Don’t have kids? No problem. We would love for you to join us. Register here.

We have a wonderful service for you this Sunday, and a message we all can relate to. It is actually one of the top three issues that gets in the way of our relationship with God. And here is the great thing…What if one of the biggest obstacles with our relationship with God could actually turn into something that draws us closer to Him? That is what this Sunday is all about. You won’t want to miss it.

As always, we are an inviting church, so be praying about who you can bring. Someone you know needs to know the Good News about Jesus!

Blessings,

Jeff

Mission Viejo

A Note from Jeff Maguire

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MessageFrom-MV2

“Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” –Psalm 66:8-12

The book of Psalms comes to us as collection of poetic songs. Many of the Psalms are preceded by written instructions for a music director on how their melody ought to sound. For instance, Psalm 69 starts with “For the director of music. To the tune of ‘Lilies.'” The ninth Psalm, far more morose, begins “To the tune of ‘The Death of the Son.'” This psalm, Psalm 66, begins only as “A song.”

If I knew the tune to the verses listed above, I doubt I could sing them.

It almost sounds like the people — a nameless choir —  are supposed to sing a prayer of thanksgiving for trials that have brought them through a refining process. I’m not entirely sure how silver is refined. But, I’m pretty sure it involves fire and melting. There’s language about prison and burdens. The imagery of being overcome by people who “ride over our heads.” And the song, at least this section, sings:

“…But you brought us to a place of abundance”

I know how to praise God in abundance. I don’t know how to praise God in much else. This psalm is about finding a courageous hope firmly fastened to abundance seen only in retrospect: “you brought (past tense) us to a place of abundance.” Maybe this is why the Bible puts so much emphasis on remembering. God remembers. God gives his people (who are notoriously forgetful) ways to remember him and the abundance into which he’s already led them — even when they don’t see it.

This Sunday is a Sunday to pause and remember. We’ll take communion. We’ll remember what God has done. We’ll tell God’s story through his Word, in song, and in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. We’ll affirm that while we may not ever understand the trials we face, nor be able to sing praise for “fire and water,” we’ll recall how God poured out his love on the cross to give to us His abundance. That will be worthy of a song, no matter the tune.

See you Sunday,

Jeff