Weekly Update Archive

Dear SanLo Community, an update for the week of January 29, 2012…

Thank you to Pastor Eric Yata for the message from Acts 19:1-10, “Marked By The Spirit.” The world is watching and looking for Christians to live out their faith in God. It longs for Christians to display the glory and love of Christ, and for us to demonstrate what we believe, that we be consumed by God in order that they might know God. Luke records a situation in which Paul explains John the Baptist, because they are missing something in regards to their relationship to God and in their understanding of the Holy Spirit. Paul points out something crucial in order that they might live out their faith in Christ. We’re going to ask a simple but significant question, “What are the marks and characteristics of the indwelling of the Spirit?”

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Dear SanLo Community, an update for the week of 1/22/12…

Thank you to Dr. Vernon Kam for the message from Acts 17:16-31, “Making God Known.” As Disney is good at creating a fantasy theme park, so were the Athenians at creating gods.

A.  Athens. Paul was in Athens about 50 AD (Acts 17:16). Everywhere he looked, he saw sculptures of the Greek gods and goddesses.  Alexander the Great conquered much of the ancient world.   He brought Greek culture with him.   Paul was very familiar with Greek culture.  He was brought before the Areopagus who were the leaders of Athens.  He tells them that he noticed an altar to the unknown god and uses it as a way to tell them about God (v.23).

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Dear SanLo Community, an update for the week of January 15, 2012…

Thank you to Pastor Brian Tekawa for the message from Acts 16:11-40, “Second to None”. In Christ you are a first class citizen of the Kingdom of God, but have you ever been treated like a second class citizen?  In God’s Kingdom you are a first class citizen because you know Jesus. In God’s Kingdom you are second to none. We need to constantly remind ourselves that God is in control, it is God who COUNSELS, it is God who CLEANSES, and it is God who CONVICTS His people, bringing them to the highest level of worth, children of God, the Father. So, how do you enter God’s kingdom?

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Dear San Lo Community, an update for the week of January 8, 2012…

Thank you to Pastor Scott Shimada for the message from Acts 15:22-32, “Revealing God’s Love.” When we come to faith in Christ, some people go through a period of time figuring out how to live as a Christian. It was similar for the Gentiles in Acts.  They had come to Christ and left a life in darkness to live in the light.  But they were still unsure what that exactly meant. The Jerusalem Council (apostles and elders) not only helped them but also set for us an example of how God’s love is revealed. At the beginning of this chapter, some were being taught they needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. One group of Jewish Christians pointed to the laws of Moses which required that.  Paul, Barnabas and other church leaders believed Old Testament laws were very important, but did not need to be obeyed in order for someone to be saved.  Converted Pharisees, on the other hand, preferred a legalistic religion.  They believed that faith alone was not enough, that Gentiles would have to be circumcised in order to be saved.  Had this been the case, Christianity would have been just another Jewish sect. So the council met and discussed this and agreed that the Gentiles did not have to be circumcised. The Gentiles are waiting to hear what they should do which poses the question – How is God’s love revealed?

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Dear San Lo Community, a New Year’s 2012 update…

Thank you to Pastor Rod Yee for the message from Acts 14:8-18, “An Unexpected Walk.” There are times when we may find ourselves walking into something quite unexpectedly, however, most likely not as much as did the man in this passage. We learn about a man who was without any hope and how he responds after he encounters God. As we consider this man’s experience, we should ask, “How can we make an impact for God?”

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Merry Christmas SanLo Community! An update for the week of December 25, 2011…

Thank you to Pastor Brian Tekawa for the message from Luke 2:17-20, “Pondering His Presence.” This message concludes our Christmas series “Light of Salvation,” which focused on the gift of Jesus. Sadly, giving and receiving gifts has become such a major part of Christmas that Jesus is often neglected or overlooked. Christmas for some is a treasured time for family gatherings. Others treasure time off from school or work. Studying the story of Jesus’ birth according to Luke, we are reminded of the meaning of Christmas and God’s remarkable gift of Jesus. Think about what is important to you. What is it you value? What do you commit your time to? What do you treasure?

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Dear SanLo Community, an update for the 4^th week of Advent, December 18, 2011…

Thank you to Pastor Rod Yee, for the message from Luke 2:12-17, “What’s Your Sign? Some believe that their astrological sign influences their lives. One sign continues to influence all life. That is Jesus Christ.  How did God reveal Himself to us?

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Dear SanLo Community, an update for the week of December 11, 2011…

Thank you to Pastor Scott Shimada for the message from Luke 2:6-11, “A Significant Birth.” Like many people I thought Christmas was all about Santa and Rudolph and Frosty, trading presents and decorating the tree. I had heard the name Jesus and knew Christmas was about His birth but I could not grasp the magnitude of the importance.  As I got older I wanted to find out why we celebrate Christmas every year. Is it wrong to exchange gifts, put up a tree, hang a wreath or put up stockings by the fire?  No – but when we forget that Christmas is much more than these things, we miss out. The truth is, Jesus’ birth has more significance and meaning than we realize.  What does Jesus’ birth mean to us?

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Dear San Lo Community, an update for the 2^nd week of Advent…

Thank you to Pastor Eric Yata for the message from Luke 2:1-7, “The Chosen One.”  There are many things during the busy time of the Christmas holidays that call out for our attention. This year we have the NBA to have its first game of the season on Christmas Day! We don’t want the celebration of the coming of the Chosen One to be lost in all of the hustle and bustle. We can keep our focus when we consider, “Who is the Chosen One”?

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Dear SanLo Community, an update for the week of November 27, 2011…

Thank you to Pastor Rod Yee for the message from Acts 12:13-16, “Asked and Answered.” We would consider speaking directly to the president of a large business about a customer service issue as very special, so how much more should we appreciate the privilege to have direct communication with the founder of the universe through prayer and praise?

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