The Sunday Set-Up for April 19, 2015

How would you know if a $20 bill was a counterfeit? Are you familiar enough with the real thing to tell the difference? Is the 20 I'm holding real? In the same way, how do you know if if the teachers you listen to are speaking the truth, or the books you read are telling the truth? That's what our passage and Titus 1:10-16 is all about. By the way, I do speak the truth… But don't take my word for it! See what the Bible has to say. Join me this Sunday as we take a look and listen to the Word of Truth.

In Christ with you,

Patrick

The Sunday Set-Up for March 29, 2015

GAME TIME

Two men stand poised, a black-and-white striped referee between them, their eyes fixed on the round orange ball between them. As the referee prepares to lift the ball in the air between them, every eye looks intently on what's about to happen: Game Time!

It's an exciting time of year. March Madness presents a veritable feast in the world of college basketball. The opening games of the NCAA tournament appear one right after the next, and every team shows up hungry to win.

That's Palm Sunday. Jesus showed up in Jerusalem, and it was Game On. The moment had arrived.

We will celebrate and consider this Sunday how Jesus entered this massively important week, with every part of him fixed on what he needed to do, while the noisy, busy crowds looked on.

Come ready to celebrate, and ready to see Jesus.

Hosanna!
-Eric

Reflections on the Ash Wednesday Service

By Laurie Murphy

Our family attended the Church of the Apostles Ash Wednesday service last year, and we are so thankful that we did.

  

We almost didn’t attend because it was a dark, cold week night, and my husband had to meet our children and me at the church after a long, hard day at work. I did not grow up in the Anglican tradition and had only ever been to one other Ash Wednesday service, but for years had heard French friends speak of the beauty of “le Mercredi des Cendres” (“The Wednesday of Ashes”). Beautiful ashes… such a different way to see the world.

  

As we entered the church, we noticed that the sanctuary was over half filled. The music was beautiful and worshipful. The tone of the service was one of peacefulness and quiet reverence.

  

Near the end of the service, we went forward, and one of the pastors placed ashes in the shape of a cross on each of our foreheads, saying the classic Lenten reminder, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” They were strange and somber words, and yet they awakened something hopeful in me… a merciful reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the preciousness of each day. After receiving the cross of ashes on our foreheads, we returned to our seats for a time of reflection, repentance, and prayer. Seated there, Ken and I felt encouraged to see our three normally distractible young children drawn in by the reverent tone of the service and bowed in prayer. Just hours earlier, my mind had been swirling with so many random thoughts and distractions… choosing paint color samples for our home, picking the right pair of boots, reading my sister’s Facebook posts… all good things, but how quickly I had lost my focus and purpose for the day. Now in the stillness of the service, God was calling me to be still. The quiet time of prayer forced me to face my heart and my sins, my petty selfishness, my addiction to sugar, worrying about my brother…so many burdens I had been carrying…so many things holding me back from whom God wanted me to be, so many things from which he wanted me to be free. 

  

Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” As we prayed, I saw in the upcoming days of Lent a hopeful picture of letting go of the old in order to take hold of the new. The Ash Wednesday service helped me to focus on Jesus and His love. It reminded me of one of my favorite parts of worship: taking Communion. For me, Communion just never gets old. Almost every time I take Communion, I am moved by His great mercy, remembering that I am nothing without Jesus. Like the bread in my hands each week, the cross of ashes on my forehead that day reminded me that Jesus loves me so much that He was willing to suffer greatly to save me from sin and death and to give me new life and new hope.   

  

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Zephaniah 3:17. We have it framed in our home, and I look at it each morning: “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”  During the Ash Wednesday service, God quieted me with His love. God showed me my brokenness so that He could begin to heal and to restore me. My time of “sackcloth and ashes” was not my whole story. Philippians 1:6 reads, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Leaving the service, I felt hopeful, remembering that God had not given up on me in all my mess and sin.  He was carrying me and renewing me. He is the God of all Hope and Grace.

The Sunday Set-Up for February 15, 2015

We have all had conversations with people who differ over questions of life. Should abortion ever be allowed? When does life begin? What is best for our country as far as this issue goes? We have often gotten into debates over right and wrong. What if we changed the conversation? What if there is something even more persuasive than “right and wrong?” 

Join us Sunday as we examine this issue in light of a surprising response from Jesus when faced with a question of life.

Reading: John 9:1-7

The Sunday Set-Up for February 8, 2015

What does the Bible really have to say about homosexuality? What is God’s opinion? What is the church's stance on homosexuality? 

Has this topic ever come up in conversation with others as you have been speaking about your faith in Christ? It can be a real bridge burner. How do you handle questions like this? Where do you begin? Is there a way to deal with this question that actually builds (rather than burns) bridges of faith for others to walk across, even when so many in our society have conflicting views on this topic? 

Join me Sunday as we delve into these hard questions. (And please pray that I will handle them well in a manner that pleases God and helps people.)

In Christ with you,

Patrick

Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Bulletin: February 8, 2015

The Sunday Set-Up for February 1, 2015

A Question Of Science

My 11th grade Physics teacher Mr. Prim was an excitable guy. He climbed on top of tables to demonstrate inertia. He shot lasers across the classroom. He dropped tennis balls from the roof of the gym to demonstrate gravity. And in the middle of every experiment, he would exclaim, "OOOOHHH, VERY GOOD!!! HOW EXCITING!!!" 

Mr. Prim - Former Millbrook HS Physics Teacher

I loved Mr. Prim, but I was terrible at physics. Nevertheless, Mr. Prim's excitement was infectious, so I stayed engaged. (Incidentally, he's now retired and is an oil painter living in Durham, NC.) Some of us are more science-minded than others. Facts, evidence, measurable results matter in the world of science. But do they matter when it comes to faith? Does science preclude faith, or vice versa?

Come and consider this further this Sunday. See you then!

Eric Bolash

Readings: Genesis 1:26-2:3 and Colossians 1:15-23

Bulletin: February 1, 2015

The Sunday Set-Up for January 18, 2015

A friend of mine recently asked, "Why do Christians accept some things in the Bible literally and not others?  On what basis does one decide what is “gospel” as opposed to what is cultural?”

This, and some other questions posed by many of you, got me thinking. How can we be sure we are interpreting the Bible correctly? How do we know that it has been translated accurately? How can we be confident that it hasn’t been changed over the thousands of years since it was first written? 

Join us this Sunday as we consider these matters. 

Readings: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 and Matthew 5:17-20

Bulletin: January 18, 2015

The Sunday Set-Up for January 11, 2015

“If a good and powerful God exists he would not allow pointless evil, but because there is much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional good and powerful God cannot exist. Some other god, or no god may exist, but not the traditional God.” - J.L. Mackie, philosopher and author of The Miracle of Theism. 

Could Mackie be right? This week we are examining the question of why God would allow evil in the world. 

Could God have a purpose in it? 

Is there any satisfying explanation? 

Does the presence of evil have any implications for our faith and how we live in this world? 

Join us this Sunday as we wrestle with the question of evil.

With you in Christ,

Patrick

Reading: Luke 13:1-9

Bulletin: January 11, 2015

The Sunday Set-Up for December 21, 2014

If you could live life in reverse…if you could undo past things you have said, done or left undone, what would you undo? This is the question we will consider this Sunday as we delve into one of the most famous songs in the Bible, the Magnificat, sung by Mary as she joined her cousin in celebrating God’s favor in choosing her to be the other of Jesus the Savior. The Magnificat has been called “the most revolutionary” of passages in the Bible. The words celebrate a great reversal engineered by God. 

Join us this Sunday as we consider the implications for our faith in the practical day to day living of our lives as we wait for the return of Jesus.

Reading: Luke 1:39-56

Bulletin: Sunday, December 21. 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for December 7, 2014

Jesus is coming again! 

The season of Advent is all about being prepared for his return. We are not told to cower or to hold on with white knuckles until he does. Rather, we are given pictures of God’s people living in eager expectation and full trust, even when everything around them seems to counter such trust.

The image the prophet Isaiah gives us in the 40th chapter of his book is that of a strong shepherd (God) holding his lambs (his people) in his arms. The lambs’ job is simply to trust. Yet he gave this picture to a people who were about to have their world shattered. 

Would you please join me this Sunday as we consider how to live a life of trust in a world that offers us every reason not to? We are waiting for the return of our Lord, but how we wait is important. Come Lord Jesus!

- Patrick Dominguez

Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8

Bulletin: December 7, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for November 30, 2014

You may have fallen into a blissful afternoon snooze on Thanksgiving after going back for seconds of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and maybe one or two passes by the pie sampler station.

Time to wake up!

Jesus teaches his disciples about the importance of spiritual alertness in Mark 13. And as we enter the season of Advent, we will consider what it means to live our lives wide awake for his return.

See you Sunday.

Awake and Ready,

Eric

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37

The Sunday Set-Up for November 16, 2014

In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul writes:

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:17b-19)

He places major emphasis on the need for Christians to know how lavishly they are loved. In this week’s sermon we have the privilege of considering the account of a “sinful woman” who came to know this amazing love of God and as a result poured out her love towards Jesus. 

I hope you will join us as we seek to know Christ more deeply and to experience this lavish love of God in such a way that our lives overflow with grateful love towards him and towards others…even “sinners.”

Reading: Luke 7:36-50

Bulletin: November 16, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for November 9, 2014

"…and deliver us from evil.”

Have you ever considered how much the Lord has done for you by delivering you from evil? This week, we are examining a direct encounter that Jesus has with a man possessed by an army of evil spirits. The confrontation is bold, decisive, and dramatically transformative. What’s more, it teaches us something about the mission of the church as we follow Jesus. 

Maybe you don’t see yourself as a warrior, battling evil in this world, but maybe it’s time that you do. Jesus proclaimed that the very gates of hell would not be able to withstand the onslaught of his church, a church that includes you! Join us this week as we continue in our series: Crossing Paths with Jesus. Pray that we would encounter him and be open to however he might shape us for his mission in the world.

With you in his adventure,

Patrick

Reading: Mark 5:1-20
Bulletin: November 9, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for October 26, 2014

Jesus loves you! 
Could a sermon ever consist of those three words and nothing else? If so, why is it we know that Jesus loves us and yet struggle to live into that wonderful reality? Jesus loves you! Yes its true. But it is truth well worth investigating, contemplating and incorporating (I promise, those are not my three main points!). Join me this Sunday as we consider this truth and pray that God may open our hearts to how wide, and deep, and high, and long is the love of God for us in Jesus Christ.

In His Love,

Patrick

Reading: John 1:43-51

The Sunday Set-Up for October 19, 2014

Quick! On a scale of one to ten, how good are you at evangelism? How ready to share your faith are you? How equipped to explain the basics of the Gospel? Go ahead, rate yourself! 

If you are like most Christians you probably rated yourself pretty low. Me too. But, what if I told you that Jesus can actually make you, and all of us, quite effective at evangelism? What if evangelism was not as scary and monumental a task as we might think? What if I told you the message this week has to do with evangelism, but in away that won’t make you feel defeated but rather hopeful that God will use you, no matter how ill-equipped you feel, for His great evangelistic purposes in the world? 

Join us this week as we look at a life-changing encounter that Peter has with Jesus that set him, and later the whole church, on a lifetime adventure of catching people (evangelism) for Christ. If it can happen with Peter, it can happen with you! 

With you in His adventure,

Patrick

Reading: Luke 5:1-11 

Bulletin: October 19, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for October 5, 2014

Join us this Sunday as our Bishop, Steve Breedlove, preaches at both services and wraps up our series on the book of Philippians. We will also have baptisms at both services. 

Bishop Steve Breedlove

As faithful Christians we find ourselves increasingly swimming against the moral tide in our country. (In some ways it feels more like we’re caught in a rip current!) The fact is, by what we believe and (hopefully) what we practice, we call people to a very different life, especially in the realms of morality, ethics, and self-fulfillment. In shorthand terms, we call ourselves and the world to a life of godliness. The Good News is a new life in Christ, and that includes godliness. And we are audacious enough to believe a life of godliness is a life of love. 

But unfortunately for many people, when it comes to morality ethics, and a commitment to self-fulfillment, the Good News sounds like Bad News. “You’re asking me to deny this, to change that, to give this up? You’re expecting me to abandon all that I know of fulfillment. What are you offering in its place?” 

It’s an important question: what do we offer in place of the morality and ethics of the world? Can we offer a community that is so powerful, so rich and true, so plausible, so full of love, that the Gospel’s “No” becomes what we believe it truly is — a “Yes” to love? How can we live with one another in order to have a substantial community for ourselves, our children, and our friends who have yet to believe? 

The last few paragraphs of the book of Philippians offers the hope of a truly plausible community, a place of love, with godliness. 

Readings for Sunday: Philippians 4:10-23 and Matthew 9:1-13

The Sunday Set-Up for September 28, 2014

It sounds brave and blissful to loudly declare, "Rejoice in the Lord always!" Especially when things are going well.

But some days you feel more like this:

"I am annoyed with that person so much that it's distracting me from other things. But I'm not sure what to do."

"I am anxious about this every time I think about it."

"I am really glad no one can read my thoughts."

The Bible's got some things to say about our conflicts, anxieties and thoughts. And it's not just rah-rah, pep talk declarations. It's really helpful stuff, and it will be the focus of Sunday's message.

See you then!

In Christ,

Eric

Reading: Philippians 4:2-9

Bulletin: September 28, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for Vision Sunday, September 7, 2014

Vision Sunday 2014

Jesus said,  

"...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” -John 12:24

He entered this world with a singular vision to offer up his life for the sake of the whole world. He clearly saw that it would cost his very life, yet he did not shrink back. This Vision Sunday we will take a look at several amazing examples in the Letter to the Philippians, of what it means to follow Christ in his vision. We will see how it relates to the vision of our church and the particular vision to plant a church in South East Raleigh. 

I hope you will be praying for and attending this important day in the life of our church. May His vision be revealed with clarity and power that we might live into it with faith and humility.

Seeking His kingdom with you,

Patrick

Readings: Philippians 2:19-30 and John 12:20-26

Bulletin: September 7, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for August 31, 2014

For the last few weeks we have been reading through the book of Philippians together. One of the marks of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi is that he is proud of them and finds great joy in the way they are living out their faith.  C.S. Lewis wrote, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”  It seems as though the church at Philippi lived this quote.  They allowed their faith to impact the way they viewed everything about their world.  Yet, Paul encourages them to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling." How does that exhortation hit you?  What does it mean to work out your salvation?  

Paul also says to do so "without complaining or arguing."  
When you are working on something that is difficult, how long is it before you complain?
Does hard work or great effort cause you to be short tempered?
If it does, and it often does for me, why is that our response?  Let's think this through a bit more as we look at Philippians 2:12-18 this Sunday.  Listen to your conversations this weekend and see how often what you say is a complaint even when it doesn't need to be?

Readings: Philippians 2:12-18 and Matthew 5:13-16

Bulletin: August 31, 2014

The Sunday Set-Up for August 24, 2014

Do you have a motto you live by? There are many catchy ones and some meaningful ones out there. “Live free or Die!” “Sic Sempre Fidelis!” “Always be prepared!” Have you ever considered what might be an appropriate motto for the Christian life? This Sunday we delve into Paul’s exhortation to the church in Philippi to live lives “worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” That may be a motto worth adopting. Join us as we explore the worthy life and come prayerfully expectant to hear the voice of the Lord.

With you in Christ, 

Patrick

Reading: Philippians 1:27-2:11

Bulletin: August 24, 2014