Hi Newport Church Family,
We trust that you are doing well and experiencing a fresh measure of God’s presence, grace and peace.
God’s Presence and Peace
Last Sunday I spoke about our heart being the wellspring of life and how our heart will determine how much we experience God’s presence.
King David, who God said was a man after His own heart, valued God’s presence above all else.
David said:
Here’s the one thing I crave from God,
the one thing I seek above all else:
I want the privilege of living with him every moment in his house,
finding the sweet loveliness of his face,
filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace.
I want to live my life so close to him
that he takes pleasure in my every prayer.
In his shelter in the day of trouble, that’s where you’ll find me,
for he hides me there in his holiness.
He has smuggled me into his secret place,
where I’m kept safe and secure—
out of reach from all my enemies.
Psalm 27:4-5 TPT
The more David sought God’s presence, the more he experienced God’s peace.
Even though David needed peace, it wasn’t peace that was his focus, God’s presence was his focus. He sought God’s presence first, above all else, and with God’s presence came God’s peace.
The more David sought God, the more he experienced God’s presence and the more he experienced God’s presence the more he experienced peace.
It’s so easy in times of stress or trouble to focus on seeking God’s peace instead of seeking God’s presence.
God’s presence is the key to knowing true peace.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28 NIV
As we focus on “Presence” this year, let’s seek God above all else as David did, and never forget that God’s presence is the source of our peace, His power and His provision.
Our Presence and our Part
The Apostle Paul spent much of his ministry encouraging every Christian to know the importance of the part that we all play.
He described in detail how we are all part of the body of Christ, and that we all have a specific function, just as each part of the body does.
Paul emphasized that our presence makes all the difference and that when we are not present the body suffers and is incomplete.
He also said:
He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Eph 4:16 NLT
Let’s never forget the importance of the part that each one of us plays. Our presence not only makes a difference but it makes all the difference!
As we presence ourselves through our talent, time and treasure may we continue to be the difference that makes the difference in our homes, church, community and world.
Our Presence through our Generosity
We want to thank all of you who are partnering with us through your giving, making it possible for us to be present as a church in our community and beyond.
Thank you for taking time to prayerfully read the letter you received in the mail about our Vision 2021 initiatives and asking God what He would have you do this year.
You can fill the card out and put it in the offering box in the foyer of the church, or email a photo or copy of the card to michael.ellmann@newportchurch.com.
Whether it’s as a Vision Partner, Kingdom Builder or a contributor in any way, your generosity is resourcing us as a church to be present in people’s time of need, body, soul and spirit.
And as we give, John said that our giving reflects the heart of God, who gave His Son Jesus for each one of us.
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 1 Jn 3:16 NRSV
We look forward to you joining us in our service tomorrow at 11am either in person or online, it’s going to be a great morning and it won’t be the same without you!
Thank you for your love and support, we are believing for a great year together!
With love and blessings,
Jonathan and Dianne Wilson
Senior Pastors