NP Blog Posts 2020 | Northpoint Church

5.7.2020

Executive Pastor and Staffing Model

Hello Church Family,

In our recent update, the Pastor Search Committee introduced a new paradigm in our search for a Lead Pastor. Now, we would like to discuss further the position of an Executive Pastor and how this relates to the staffing model being developed by the Elders.

The Elders have been looking at a mix of full-time, part-time, and shared vocational roles to complete the church staff. For example, the Elders are looking to establish Steve Dahlgren as a permanent member of the staff in a shared vocational role, where he will continue to provide his leadership in music at Northpoint while working as a professor of music at California Baptist University. This is the same model that the Pastor Search Committee is using to vet Tony Chute as Lead Pastor.

The Executive Pastor is a full-time position that would report directly to the Lead Pastor. The ideal candidate will have the ability to lead and develop the pastoral and administrative staff, assist in nurturing the congregation toward a more mature relationship with Christ, and facilitate the church in its service of God’s Kingdom. This is a new position for Northpoint and fulfills some of the duties performed by several of the previous pastoral roles at the church.

The Executive Pastor will serve under the direction of the Elders and the Lead Pastor, providing boots-on-ground leadership for the operations of the church when the Lead Pastor is fulfilling other duties. He will be responsible for implementing the vision and mission of Northpoint while guiding the staff in their ministries. He will be the point person for day-to-day operations and lead weekly staff meetings under the direction of the Lead Pastor.

The Executive Pastor will be responsible for facilitating the spiritual formation and care of the congregation. This includes oversight and management of our discipleship ministries, training and development for ministry leaders and Growth Groups, and supervision of member care alongside the Elders. He will also be a primary liaison with the Deacon Team after the Elders bring candidates forward to the congregation for affirmation.

The Search Committee hopes to begin the search for an Executive Pastor soon, if the congregation votes to affirm the Committee’s role in this process at the Congregational Meeting on May 17 (see below). This position is a necessary part of the search of Lead Pastor. If you have any questions, you can email the Committee at pastoralsearchcommittee@northpointcorona.org.

Thank you,

Pastor Search Committee

Lay Members Elders: Rich Simpson, Chair, Mark Blincoe, Erin Hanson, & Sandra Tront
Elders: Steve Flood, Mark Kiker, & Vinoj Zachariah

4.2.2020

To our Northpoint Church family,

For years, we have all used expressions like “we’re going to church” or “I’ll see you at church.” We all knew what we meant: the church as a place, a building, or a landmark.

We’re now learning every day what “church” really means: people, connections, love, service, and a source of encouragement. And we’re finding new ways to be the church: a church that is the invisible body of Christ, a holy temple, a house made of God’s people where His presence on earth dwells.

The Elders, leaders, and staff at Northpoint are meeting regularly (by computer, of course!) to pray and seek God’s direction. Today’s email will provide you with just a summary of our priorities and direction during this time. We all long for the day when we will see each other face to face, but until then, this is how we’re going to do everything we can to be the church.

Our priorities are:

Keep working! While we can’t do everything we used to, we can do something, and what we can do, we must, by the grace of God, do it! Our ministry leaders, staff, and small group leaders, our Care Teams, and Growth Groups are working to reach out, meet needs, pray with each other, and keep our fellowship going.
Use the tools God has given us! God, in His providence, has given so many technologies that can help us stay connected. We’re streaming, Hanging-out, Zooming, texting, and FaceTiming. But remember, there are old tools as well: we’re rediscovering the telephone as a way to connect personally, and we’re using it. Don’t be afraid to use the phone as well!
Follow those in authority! As God’s Word tells us, we are to be subject to those in authority, not only because of their role but because they care for our health. We are respecting the guidance of the Federal, State and local governments on social distancing, shutting down operations, and not holding group meetings.
Keep our eyes on the Lord! God has always provided for His church and His people, and we, in turn, can do all things through Christ, who is our strength. We are going to be a light in our community and a helping hand to those in need, both within and outside the church. If there is a need and we can meet it, we will.

These priorities lead to seven specific steps we are taking regarding our meetings, our staff, and our ministries:

Our Sunday services – We are working to improve our online worship every week, and we owe a big thanks to those who are working so hard to make this happen. We’ve received positive feedback, and we’re going to make Good Friday and Easter services as special as we can. Remember, real worship takes place in our hearts as we lift up praise and thanksgiving, and we hope that our virtual services can create some of this and help bring us together. We will continue streaming our services until the circumstances and health guidelines clearly change.
Our Northpoint campus – In line with the guidance of our local health authorities, we have asked our staff to work from home and to avoid visits to the Northpoint campus. Of course, we have identified a few individuals to keep an eye on the facilities and to check for mail. Fortunately, God has provided many ways that we can extend our ministry and stay in touch during this time.
Our Northpoint staff – Our staff is working hard to keep various ministries going, to find new ways to communicate, and to meet needs. Some roles, however, are directly related to work on campus or events. During this time, we have made a decision to keep our staff employed and paid at their usual weekly hours through April 30. This includes our full-time leaders, part-time staff, and hourly employees. We will prayerfully consider where God is leading us as we move forward.
You can call! – Although the Church Office is not open, our staff receives notification whenever we receive a call, so we can followup right away. Don’t be afraid to call if you have any special needs or just need a pastor to call you back.
Cleaning – We will have staff coming in for the streaming and media work that goes on, as well as to pick up needed materials. Just to be safe and ready, we are thoroughly cleaning all surfaces at least twice a week. We have also assigned staff to keep an eye on our facilities and security.
NP Finances – Thank you for your faithfulness! Giving is still possible HERE on our Northpoint website, and although it has dipped slightly, it is still very consistent. At the same time, some of our expenses are lower. Please continue to support the work while we’re meeting virtually for a time.
Please Stay in Touch – Our Care Team ministry has made contact with every senior member of our congregation, as well as others who might have a need. Growth Group leaders and other ministries are doing the same. If you or your family need anything, please reach out and let us know.

Remember, God has established and empowered His church for exactly times such as these, and we are all playing our part in His plan. Stay close to the Lord, close to your family, and close to those God has entrusted to you at Northpoint Church.

In Him,

The Elders
Northpoint Evangelical Free Church

Northpoint’s Response to the COVID-19 Virus

Dear Northpoint Family,

We are writing to give you an update on gatherings here at the church and to provide biblical encouragement with respect to the COVID-19 virus. The potential spread and danger of this virus have led state officials to prohibit gatherings of 250 or more people and to discourage gatherings of 10 or more people over the age of 60.

Concerning these guidelines, and out of an abundance of caution, the Leadership Team has decided that our congregation should not meet in person for worship services during the next two Sundays (March 15 and March 22). Also, we are canceling all church events scheduled on-site for the next two weeks (March 15-March 28). Growth Groups that are scheduled to meet off-site will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

We are not making this decision out of fear but prudence with regard to doing what we can to protect members and friends of Northpoint. We do not want the illness to spread, even if inadvertently, to those in our church body who are at risk for serious illness.

We will, however, make our worship services available online so that you can participate from home. The service will go up on the website (northpointcorona.org/media/sermon-archive/) no later than 11:00 a.m. on both Sundays. Audio CDs will be available at a later date to those who request them. Our hope is that the online service will strengthen your faith and help you to process these challenging times with a biblical frame of mind. We will also include instructions for online giving.

Several churches in our area have canceled services and events for a longer duration than two weeks. However, we will continue to monitor events and communicate weekly about moving forward. It is our intention to meet as a body again as soon as it is reasonably possible to do so.

It pains us not to meet as a church family, but we trust our time apart will make our future gatherings much sweeter and more precious. In the meantime, may you be encouraged by the following:

Our God is sovereign. Though the world seems to be shutting down, God neither sleeps nor slumbers. He is in full control. He has promised that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Our prayers are effective. If there were ever a time to be anxious for nothing and to pray about everything (Philippians 4:5), surely this is it. Let us pray that God will restrain the virus, that He will heal the sick, and that He will comfort the fearful.

We are still here for you. If you become sick or if you need help in any way, please let us know by contacting the Church Office at 951.734.1335. We especially want to know if you are sick or if you feel alone or scared or need help.

In addition to praying that the Lord would stop the spread of the virus, please click HERE to learn what else you can do.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together through this unprecedented situation.
The Leadership Team

3.12.2020

What Should I Pray for Our Church Family?
By Holli Worthington
Northpoint Women’s Ministries

Hello Northpoint Family,

On Sunday, Pastor Tony urged us to pray that we would be faithful to the Word of God and mindful of the people of God. We know we should be praying for our church, but sometimes we don’t know what to pray.

When Jesus was with his disciples on the night before he was crucified, he prayed what is known as his High Priestly Prayer. In this prayer, he prayed for those who would one day believe in him—he prayed for us! If this is what was on Jesus’ mind to pray for us, hours before he was crucified, then we can be sure that this is what the family of God needs to pray for each other. What better things could we pray than what Jesus prayed for himself and for us?

From Jesus’ prayer in John 17:

Verse 1. “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.”

Pray that each of us would seek to glorify God above all.

That we would glorify God together. (Romans 15:6)
That we would make God look good in the way we act and speak. (Philippians 1:20-21)
That we would show his worth by the way we live our lives. (Philippians 1:27)

Verse 11. “Holy Father keep them in your name. …”

Pray that we would be kept in God:

That we would be steadfast and persevere daily in our faith and not grow weary in trials. (James 1:2)
That we would not grow dull of hearing, but be earnest in our faith. (Hebrews 6:11)
That we would press on to holiness and to the end of the race (Philippians 3:12)

Verse 15. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

Pray that we would be kept from the evil one:

That we would not give Satan any room in our lives and interactions to do his work. (Ephesians 4:26)
That we would not be led into temptation and that we would be delivered from evil. (Matthew 6:13)
Help us to put on the armor of God each day and fight against sin and Satan. (Ephesians 6:10-11)
Help us not to be carried away by our own selfish desires. (James 1:14)

Verse 17. “Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.”

Pray that we would be sanctified in the truth:

That our love for God’s Word would translate into godly thoughts and actions. (Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 3:16)
That his Word would penetrate our hard hearts and change us to be more like Jesus. (Philippians 1:9)
That we would be doers of the Word and not only hearers. (James 1:22)

Verse 11 (21, 23). “That they may be one even as we are one.”

Pray that we would be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one:

That our love for each other would abound. (Philippians 1:9)
That we would outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)
That we would count others as more significant than ourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
That we would remember that we have the same loving Father, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. (1 John 4:21)
That peace would rule in our hearts because we are one. (Colossians 3:15)
That the world (Corona) would see Jesus because of our singleness of purpose. (John 17:23)

Verse 26. “I made known to them your name and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

Pray that we would see God revealed and know his love:

That we would experience the love of Jesus and be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

Let’s rise up and pray one of these things each day for each other!

In Him,

Holli Worthington
Northpoint Women’s Ministries

3.5.2020

Turning Back
By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. – Joel 2:12-14

Hello Northpoint Family,

Being Christians in the mightiest, freest, and most prosperous land on earth has distorted our perspective. We don’t see how sinful sin is, and easily we airbrush fatal blemishes in our lives. We don’t experience the true evils that sin carries with it, so we toy with behaviors that lead to hell on earth as well as in the afterlife.

What’s worse is we develop no true love of righteousness and value God for the blessings He gives, rather than for who He is. Holiness becomes transactional—a way to a life that’s pleasing to us more than to God. Our spiritual condition is far worse than we like to imagine. Giving Jesus a nod rather than bowing before Him as Lord, we see Him as a friend and have no awe for His majesty, respect for His authority, or fear of His just judgment. Our cries for justice reject the grace that is the only way we can stand before the only God there is. He’s more frightfully holy than we can possibly imagine—“a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

We, the people of God in the United States of America—well-churched and Bible-believing Christians—need to repent and return to the God we worship, looking to Him as the One True Lord and our only hope for salvation. Joel led God’s people of his day in repentance, which is essential for His people in any day. Repentance that turns us from our own way and keeps us walking with our God involves:

Return: Turning back to God, acknowledging that we’ve strayed, doesn’t come naturally. But confessing our sin is the essential first step to true fellowship with God as He is, and not as we imagine Him to be. Ask God, through His Spirit and according to His Word, to define for you who He is and what He expects of you.

Fasting and weeping and mourning: In His grace, God produces genuine regret for sin. Ask Him to reveal our sin to us and make us so horrified by it that we turn from sin back to God, begging for His forgiveness.

Rend your hearts and not your garments: Outward expressions of confession and mere emotional regret don’t fool or impress God. He looks for a genuine turning of the heart that makes changes in our lives. Jesus’ words about fasting and praying “to be seen by others” (Matthew 6:5, 16) go to the crux of the matter. Are we trying to impress God or people? A close walk with Him, truly seeking Him in prayer to follow Him according to Scripture’s high and holy standards, pleases God, and makes us like Him.

Return to the LORD your God: God binds Himself to His people in a covenant relationship that’s much like a marriage. With Israel, the Old Covenant (or Testament) was expressed in the blood of sacrificial bulls and lambs and goats. With Christians, the New Covenant/Testament is in the blood of Christ, shed on the cross to pay the penalty for all sin. The strains and stresses of daily life, and our tendency to stray into sin, pull us away from our covenant bond with the Good God who made and bought us for Himself. “Returning” means repenting and turning back to Him. Repentance as a regular habit keeps us close.

He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity: God’s grace and compassion make it safe to come before Him, despite our sin. Right after receiving the Ten Commandments, including “you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3), Israel made the golden calf and began to worship it. God was ready to destroy the entire nation for their blatant disobedience. But in His “steadfast love” (the Old Testament precursor of New Testament grace), God repented and spared His wicked people.

By this grace, we live. Our only hope and the only way we can turn back to the God who saves is the grace of God in Christ Jesus. To Him alone be all praise and glory.

In Him,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

2.27.2020

Things That Make for Peace
By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9

Hello Northpoint Family,

We’re familiar with the so-called shortest verse in the Bible, and we know that Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus, even though He would soon raise Him from the grave. In Christ, we rejoice in the hope that one day, those who hope in Christ will also rise.

But Jesus came to conquer sin as well as death. Sin and its destruction also broke Jesus’ heart and caused Him to weep. On His final approach to Jerusalem before the crucifixion, Jesus paused amid the crowds cheering Him, and looked up at the so-called “Holy City.” The sight brought tears to His eyes.

His “triumphal entry” was devoid of genuine worship from His people. Their cheers of “Hosanna” would soon turn to cries to “crucify, crucify Him!” His response to the sight of His city was pointed and chilling. “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42). Their Messiah had come, and they weren’t ready to receive Him (John 1:11). Really, they wanted nothing to do with Him.

Since Jesus is God, He looks on the heart, not on the outward appearance. He knew what was inside their adoration. It wasn’t a passion for God’s kingdom and righteousness, but something else. Something that had nothing to do with holiness or “the things that make for peace—peace with God or with man. Little did the lauding crowd know they were on the eve of destruction. “For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:43-44).

What we delight in—what occupies our time and attention—reveals what matters to us most, and there’s more to being a Christian than merely professing—or even praising—Jesus. Our appetites need to be trained, and our desires weaned from earthly to heavenly things. The great temptation for the people of God has always been to use Him for our own purposes and co-opt the gifts of heaven for our earthly pleasures.

And since we live all our lives on earth and breathe in its air every day, the things of earth dominate our intake. Just going about the business of living becomes a primary preoccupation that determines everything we take in. Then there’s downtime, relaxing, and fitting into our surroundings and the people in them, and filling our minds with whatever the world puts out there.

What we take in, influences us, and the things of earth naturally displace the things that make for peace—the things that draw us close to God and prepare us for when He comes. To shape the hearts of the Philippian believers, Paul refocused their attention. He directed them away from temporal distractions and onto things of eternal worth. He urged them to give careful, reasoned attention to “whatever is” …

• honorable: deserving respect, pleasing to God
• true: honest and reliable, enabling us to reject what’s false, deceptive, and uncertain
• just: conforming to God’s values and perfect standards
• pure: wholesome, spiritually healthy, with no trace of moral impurity
• lovely: promoting peace and harmony with others, dispelling conflict
• commendable: well spoken of, positive and constructive, not negative and destructive
• excellent and worthy of praise: anything worth focusing our minds on

As we turn from earthly things and “think about these things,” in loving anticipation of Christ’s return, we learn to “practice these things”—the things that make for peace. That’s how the hope of Jesus’ return changes us, purifies us, and prepares us to meet Him, as we live to the praise of His glory.

In Him,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

2.20.2020

Joy Abounding

By Dave Dussault

Northpoint Prayer Ministries

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7

Hello Northpoint Family, There’s an old church saying: “To dwell above with the saints we love, oh that will be glory! But to dwell below with the saints we know, well … that’s another story.” Take the little Baptist church I grew up in. It split off from one across town because of conflict over the pastor. And of course, it was “their” fault! Even the church Paul planted in Philippi had its conflicts. But conflict is more than a church problem. It’s a human problem—the backstory of every life. Conflict fills the news and haunts every relationship. It’s as old as Cain and Able and as near as your next-door neighbor—maybe nearer. Clearly, the answer to the famous question is, “No! We can’t all just get along.”

According to James 4:1, what troubles us is that our passions are at war within us. And two questions deeply unsettle us. “Who’s in control?” and “How can I be sure I’ll get what I want?” The answer is very simple, in essence. Resting and rejoicing in the Lord brings peace and unity. But the process of receiving God’s peace in our struggles requires the power of Almighty God.

Joy and peace involve releasing as well as receiving. When we let our reasonableness be known to everyone, we let go of our personal demands on God and others. We’re anxious about nothing when we turn fears and anxieties into prayer and trust God to help. The process involves …

• Prayer addressing God directly and telling Him all we need,

• Supplication that seeks Him earnestly to meet our urgent needs,

• Thanksgiving which looks to Him gratefully, knowing that God owes us nothing but graciously gives us all things (Romans 8:32),

• Letting our requests be known to God by entrusting our specific needs into His hands, confident that He will meet them all.

These habits connect us with the divine realities that direct the events of this world and our lives. They bring peace, not so much from the assurance we’ll get what we want, but from the confidence that God is good and is sure to bring about what is good for us.

Confidence like Abraham had when he walked up Mount Moriah with his son Isaac, a bundle of wood, a small fire, and a knife to make his sacrifice. Or the awesome, mysterious, agonizing peace that enabled Jesus to submit to His Father’s will, knowing what His agony would accomplish and looking to the glory His obedience would bring (Hebrews 12:1-2). And the confidence that’s taking Northpoint through an extended time of growth, challenge, difficulty, and loss.

Too often, we tie peace to an expectation that we’ll get exactly what we ask for. But the peace prayer brings comes from realizing God’s actual presence with us and resting in the certainty that He will accomplish His purposes, which are always good.

And, they are always to the praise of His glory.

In Him,

Dave Dussault

Northpoint Prayer Ministries

2.13.2020

Hello Northpoint Family,

A Congregational Meeting was convened on February 9, at 4 p.m. We welcomed new members, had a financial update, and provided updates on our recent progress. Below is a recap of that meeting and some thoughts from the Elders:

Progress on NL Moore Recommendations
We are making good progress on the responses to NL Moore’s Recommendations. Out of the 32 or so specifically defined responses, 17 have been completed, 9 are actively being worked on, and 6 are soon to begin discussions.

Elder Expansion
The Elder Search Committee completed its work and passed ten names to the Elders in January. The next steps are conversations with each of these men with the goal to move 3-4 forward into a vetting process. We expect to end that process with names being brought forward to the body for affirmation after Easter Sunday.

Great Staff and a New Staffing Model
The Lord has blessed us with staff who love the church, serve well, and anchor down our ministry efforts. Volunteers also work tirelessly to minister in so many areas. Going back about 18 months or more, we have seen expansions and changes in staffing.

We called Tony Chute as Interim Pastor and Taylor Mendoza as our Pastor of Youth Ministries. We have expanded the roles of Tamene Menna as Director of Outreach and Care, Amber McEwen as Administrative Manager of Facilities, plus Corie Saunders as Ministry Associate for Finance and Accounting. More recently, we called Steve Dahlgren as Interim Worship Director. We have also seen God provide new staff to our team after recent departures and retirements. The Lord has been active in His effort to bolster our staff and support our ministries.

As we plan the future, we are exploring and leaning into a modified staffing model that includes part-time staff at the director/pastor level. This model looks to part-time staff who hold down vocational work in academia, or in the public and private sectors. We see this in Tony and Steve. They are full-time staff at CBU, yet the Lord is using them to anchor our ministries. So, we have already started using this model as you see a mix of full and part-time staff. We look to use the people that God has brought us and those who we reach out to.

Dr. Chute’s Role
Many of you have spoken to us with comments like, “Tony is a blessing; sure wish we could keep him.” As he mentioned at the meeting, he is a pastor at heart and has grown in his love and affection for the people of Northpoint, and in his deep desire to serve the Lord by shepherding and teaching here. Given that, he began considering the possibility of coming on as a full-time pastor about a year ago but wanted to allow the pastor search process to move forward. Although he recognized that NL Moore’s assessment showed Northpoint was not in a healthy position to call a pastor, he and the Elders began conversations about the possibility of him staying on as pastor.

Our new staffing model opens the door to the exciting possibility of moving Dr. Chute from an interim to a permanent staffer. Were this to happen, his role would expand a bit at Northpoint, but he would still retain his position at California Baptist University. His activity here would be a blend of shepherding, teaching, and preaching as he continues his pulpit duties, all the while serving as a professor, administrator, and writer at CBU. His wife and children have given their blessing to him for this endeavor, as have several close friends and colleagues at CBU.

We have had discussions amongst the Leadership Team and with Tony to delve into possibilities. We will also seek input from other churches in the area that have a similar model. In the meantime, we want you to pray about these things with us.

There are still some things to work out. We will work through open questions on the staffing model and Tony’s position, like:

Is it Possible? Can this even work, given the mix of part-time and full-time staff?
Is it Beneficial? Will this enable us to expand ministry and serve the body well?
Is it Sustainable? Can this solution carry us forward for many years to come?

We will gather the existing Pastoral Search Committee and begin discussions to define a process for vetting Tony and the positional responsibilities. As we explore alternative pastoral structures, we will also look to other staff areas that might be needed. Since Tony will not be onsite during the week, we will need to research bringing on an executive director/pastor. This would be a full-time position with oversight of staff and ministry coordination.

Please pray for us as we seek to follow the Lord’s leading in planning our staff. Pray that we can define roles, responsibilities, and oversight in such a way that we continue to expand ministry, anchor our teaching, support our staff, and reach beyond our campus to a hurting world.

In Him,

The Leadership Team

2.6.2019

Free!

By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.” – Acts 16:29-33

As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. When Paul set a slave girl free from demon possession, the “good citizens” of Philippi attacked him and Silas, tore off their clothes, beat them with rods, and threw them in prison. Then as now, the world we live in is no friend of grace and no true home for those who trust in Christ. Following orders, the Philippian jailer placed the two apostles in the inner prison and fastened their feet in stocks so they wouldn’t escape.

Only God’s Word can make sense of times of trial like this. Only God’s presence with them can explain the apostles’ songs in the night. “By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8). There’s a joy from outside us that sustains those who trust in Christ. Paul and Silas brought that joy to Philippi by “praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (16:25).

Prayer is the privilege of the redeemed, praise is the response of the free, and joy is the mark of those who believe in Christ. Confined as they were in a dungeon, and no doubt aching from their beatings, Paul and Silas were free to praise and call on God in prayer. And His answer was unmistakable. The earth quaked, and the prison shook until the doors flung wide open, and their shackles fell off.

But freedom for the prisoners meant death to the jailer, who immediately grabbed his sword and got ready to end his life. Don’t miss the irony of what happened next. The prisoners led the jailer to freedom. Paul reassured the jailor that none of the prisoners had fled, and the prison keeper bowed to the prisoner and asked how to be saved. The earth has been shaking with their answer ever since. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household” (16:31).

The jailer tended Paul and Silas’s wounds and was immediately baptized along with his family. Then they all enjoyed a meal together and rejoiced “that he had believed in God” (16:34). Joy has characterized people who have been set free by Christ ever since. Those who know the God of heaven no longer find their joy exclusively in their circumstances on earth.

G. K. Chesterton once said, “Joy is the uproarious labor by which all things live.” The message of freedom in Christ has echoed around the world and resounded throughout history. Our church is founded on the truth that Jesus saves and rejoices in the freedom only Christ can give—freedom from the shackles of sin.

Charles Wesley gave voice to everyone who celebrates freedom in Christ:

“Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee!
Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!”

And that Philippian jailer and his family are singing in heaven, along with all who’ve found freedom from sin, by believing in the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago.

To the praise of God’s Glory,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministry

1.30.2020

Sovereign and Sorrowing

By Holli Worthington
Northpoint Women’s Ministries

Most of us do not know the unique pain and sorrow that those who recently lost their sons are going through. But we do know they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, they are our church family, they are our dear friends, and we grieve with them.

In times like these, we look to God, and we remind ourselves that despite the chaos and tragedy that swirls around us, despite all outward appearances, God is in control. A story has been told somewhere about a woman sitting in a hospital after the death of her child. A pastor sat down beside her and told her that God had nothing to do with this tragedy. She responded, “Don’t you dare take away the only comfort I have.” God’s sovereignty is a comfort to us. We don’t know what God is doing, but we do know that he works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11). We know that all things are from him, through him, and to him (Romans 11:36). We know that our times are in his hands and that he numbers our days (Psalm 31:15, 139:16, Job 14:5). We know that whatever our good Father, who is perfectly wise, lavishly loving, and completely powerful, allows to come into our lives, he has a redemptive purpose for.

As we trust that God is seated on his throne and orchestrating his plan, I wonder, though, if we also tend to see him as far away and separated from our grief and sorrow. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is the exact image of God’s nature—so when we see Jesus, we see God. John 11, through a scene in Jesus’ life, shows us a picture of our God who is sovereign in our tragedies but also sorrowing with us.

Jesus’ dear friends were in a crisis. Lazarus was very ill, and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were very worried. So they sent word to Jesus. John 11:5-6 says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” He loved them—so he stayed away. … Wait, what? That doesn’t seem right to us. This did not make sense to Mary and Martha either. It did not feel loving, and they did not understand at this point. Especially when their beloved brother died. But Jesus had already told his disciples that this illness was for the glory of God and that he would be glorified through it. There was a purpose to this suffering. This was God’s sovereignty on display.

When Jesus did arrive, in his perfect timing (which did not seem perfect to everyone else), the sisters met him and expressed their pain and disappointment. John tells us that Jesus was deeply moved; he asked where they had laid Lazarus, and the sisters said, “Come and see, Lord.” We can invite Jesus to enter our pain and sorrow. He does not stand far off and unmoved, but comes willingly, moved by our pain. So moved, that the next verse tells us, he wept. He wept over the loss of his beloved friend. He wept over the pain of the sisters. He wept over the devastation of death. Even though he could have prevented it. Even though it would bring him glory. Even though death would not have the last word. Here, we see God’s sorrow on display.

So, dear church family, as we grieve for our friends’ profound loss, know that God’s sovereignty does not make him distant and unmoved by the pain of his children. He is sovereign and sorrowing. He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Jesus, our Savior is proof.

In Him,

Holli Worthington

1.23.2020

Dear Church Family,

On Monday, we gathered to pray for the Hawkins, Ivascu, Ruiz, and Campusano families. We are coordinating efforts and assistance to the family (click HERE for more information and to donate). We share their shock and grief. As we all process the tragic loss that has impacted the families in our church, we turn to God in prayer. Here is a summary of Monday evening’s focus that might assist you as you go to the Lord in prayer.

When you pray, acknowledge the greatness of God and our limitations in life:

Reflect on the Word of God in Psalm 90:1-11 —

Remember that the Lord has been and is our dwelling place from everlasting to everlasting; He is God. Jacob Ivascu, Daniel Hawkins, and Drake Ruiz were all taken sooner than anyone expected. We know that the Lord provides comfort to the families.

A Promise from the Word of God: Psalm 139:13-16 —

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Pray for healing:

Reflect on Psalm 103:1-5 —

The surviving boys are recovering, but it will be a long road ahead. Pray for their physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. They have been through multiple traumas and will need healing and encouragement.

A Promise from the Word of God: Psalm 103:8-22 —

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

Pray and express your grief:

This is a loss to all: the families, the friends, the church, the community. It is okay to grieve and to let God know, through prayer, how this is impacting you.

Reflect on Psalm 77:1-12 —

I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.

Pray for those who cry aloud to God wanting to be heard. Pray for those who cannot sleep because of their grief. Pray for those who need to be comforted, and those who are so grief-stricken they cannot speak.

A Promise from the Word of God: Philippians 4:4-7 —

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Pray for God’s comfort to the families:

Reflect on Revelation 21:1-5 —

Pray for parents who lost a son. Pray for siblings who lost a brother: Friends who lost a buddy.

Craig, Janet, Joshua, and Sara Hawkins
Alex, Ramona, Joshua, Jeremiah, Jillian, and Jedidiah Ivascu
Debbie Ruiz
The Campusano Family

A Promise from the Word of God: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 —

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Pray for comfort to all:

Reflect on Psalm 42 —

Pray that our souls would thirst for the Lord even when we are asking, “Where is God?” Pray that we would look to the Lord even when our souls are cast down, in turmoil, and we say to God, our rock, “Why have you forgotten me?” Pray for a renewal of hope in God, even when our soul is cast down.

A Promise from the Word of God: Hebrews 4:14-16 —

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Pray for our ability to understand:

Reflect on John 11:17-27 —

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

We often may not understand why things happen. When things happen that we do not understand, we should run toward God, not away from Him. We believe. Pray that the Lord helps our unbelief.

A Promise from the Word of God: Psalm 139:7-12 —

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

We affirm our confidence in the Sovereignty of God:

Reflect on Romans 8:26-30 —

We know that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we do not know how to pray or have the words to express our hearts. We know that God is at work even when we do not see how that can be. We know that He works for our good. We know He completes those things that He begins.

A Promise from the Word of God: Romans 8:31-37, 38-39 —

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are thankful for the first responders and medical personnel:

Reflect on Psalm 121:2 —

We know that our help comes from the Lord, who uses people to bring us comfort and healing. We pray that the memories of the first responders would be cleared of lingering scenes and that their consciences would be clear, knowing they had done all they could. The Lord never stops giving spiritual protections.

A Promise from the Word of God: Psalm 121 —

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Pray that we forgive the perpetrator whose actions led to the loss of life:

Reflect on Luke 6:27-36 —

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Love your enemies.

We are called to bless those who mistreat us. This is very hard to do. We should be merciful, even as our heavenly Father is merciful. Christ is our example.

A Promise from the Word of God: Romans 5:6-11 —

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Pray that we Commit Our Lives to the Lord:

Hear the Words of Psalm 90:12-17 —

Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

We should value every day of our lives. We should embrace family and friends and commit our lives to serving our great God. We pray for God to make us glad and to bless our endeavors as we do His will.

A Promise from the Word of God: Hebrews 13:20-21 —

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

We Acknowledge the Goodness of God —

We end with Psalm 23. As you pray, remember these Words from the Lord.

A psalm of David:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Amen

1.16.2020

An Update From the Elders

A quick note of thanks to our congregation for your faithful and sacrificial giving: We ended the calendar year with a General Fund balance that is up almost $50,000 compared to last year at this time, and we are currently $58,000 above our budget needs for the fiscal year. The Lord has provided, through your tithes and offerings, for unexpected, non-budgeted items that have come our way. The most recent one is a need to replace sound equipment and microphones for the Worship Center and Heritage Hall. The FCC has made changes in the allowable broadcast frequencies that impacted our older equipment. Replacement costs are around $14,000. The Lord knew of our need, and He has supplied the funds through your gracious giving. Praise His Name, and thank you for your financial generosity.

The Northpoint Leadership Team

1.9.2020

Seek and You Will Find

By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. … For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:6-7, 12

So often, what we need the most is what we seek the least, while treasures untold lay right before us untouched and neglected. The central story of the Bible is the all-wise and all-powerful God who made us offering His love to people who refuse to notice Him and who will exist eternally without Him, except for the work of His omnipotent grace. This self-revealing God calls us to seek Him and promises that when we do, we will find all we need.

Let’s learn from Isaiah what it looks like to be “seeking the LORD.”

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (55:6): Seek Christ now. We dare not presume upon His grace and assume He will always be available. Seek Him as a habit.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts” (55:7): There’s always a choice between following Christ and going our own way, which is sin. Cultivate obedience and confession of sin. Trust God and believe that what He has for you is better than anything else you may desire.

“Let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (55:7): Turn away from sin and toward God. Forsake pride and receive His abundant forgiveness. Learn to practice repentance.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9): We understand that a holy God demands justice. But His redeeming grace—which saves even sinners like us—is beyond our comprehension.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, … so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (55:10-11): God superintends physical and spiritual systems that are certain to accomplish His eternal purposes. God’s Word brings His blessings to all the earth, and He calls His people to take His truth throughout the world (Acts 1:8).

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (55:12): Along with all creation, we will enjoy the blessings of God’s favor and goodness. Our hope is certain because we have God’s promise.

Make 2020 a year of seeking God through His Word and in prayer. Let the Living Lord be the object of your daily search. Live in the hope of Jesus’ promise: “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).

And we seek the LORD to the praise of His glory.

In Him,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministry

– Each week, Dave updates a monthly Bible reading plan and writes a Bible and prayer focus, Prayer Life. The preceding is a recent installment. You can pick up both offerings at the Information Center in the Foyer on Sundays or sign up there to receive them via email. You can also click here to find the archive: https://northpointcorona.org/ministries/prayer/

1.2.2020

In 2007, we obtained a 0.6-acre parcel of land next to the southwest corner of our property. This was acquired as part of a larger transaction involving the development of the Rite-Aid, and resulted in Northpoint receiving $300,000 in cash and the land.

As the church and our ministries have developed since then, it has become clear that the land doesn’t fit into our long-term strategic plans. It’s too remote for a building, and its shape and location wouldn’t help improve parking. As such, we’d rather improve and grow the campus we have, or support church planting, than to expand into a narrow corner.

In early 2017, a buyer approached us about using it for a private residence, and based on a market survey, we agreed to a price of $100,000 and a split of the surveying costs. The congregation gave approval in the Spring of 2017, and we moved forward with the buyer and his builder.

The actual transfer and closing of the purchase took longer than expected, and to keep it moving forward, we gave permission to the buyer to start construction. God’s timing is always right; we closed escrow this week and have netted $98,994 from the transaction.

Our goal is to use the funds to improve our existing buildings. Some of our AC units are approaching the end of their designed life-span, and other areas need repair to help them last longer. We will follow God’s guidance and plan carefully for the best use of these funds so that we can sustain our ministries long into the future.

The Northpoint Leadership Team

12.26.2019

King of Glory

By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is this King of Glory? The LORD, strong and Mighty, the LORD, Mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is He this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.” – Psalm 24:7-10

No wonder they wondered! What was most remarkable about the newborn Messiah was how unremarkable He was—eyes tight shut like any newborn, hands clinched just as anyone would expect. Soft, tiny, and helpless. Yet they knew they were gazing on the King of all there is. There was only one way that band of gaping shepherds knew who this baby really was. God had revealed it to them.

We’ve been doing Christmas so long that we think we understand. We’ve got it down. This is exactly the time to stop and let God reveal Himself to us again. Take a fresh look at Jesus. Who is this King of Glory?

Lord of All: Since childhood, the shepherds had learned, “the earth is the LORD’s and all that fills it” (24:1). And now, there He was, a part of His creation. Everything belonged to the newborn Jesus because He made everything. He spoke, and it was. The tiniest flower. The most delicate butterfly. Hundreds of trillions of stars filling the night sky. All are His. The Holy Infant’s tiny clutching fingers wielded the power that made them.

The voice of Mary’s infant, crying to be swaddled, warmed, and fed, expressed the voice that tamed the seas and brought forth the dry land. He directs the course of all the water that flows, from the drains in our sink to the Amazon River. Everything there is came about at this Baby’s word. Then He filled the earth with life and every good thing that sustains life. Jesus Christ is “the Fountain of Life” (Psalm 36:9).

Holy God: No one ever looked at God—not if they wanted to live. Yet there He was, right before their eyes! Those present at Jesus’ birth had heard Isaiah’s dread-filled words, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3)! Why weren’t they dead? Who could possibly come before this glorious king? Who would dare to stand before Him? Only those with “clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4), who had never uttered a false word.

They were witnessing a miracle. More than a miracle of new life, this moment was the miracle of all time. This baby was the promise from the dawn of time, when Man violated the will of God Most Holy and devastated the earth with sin—the curse of separation from God. This Jesus would crush sin and Satan to bring an end to all the fears and agonies they caused, and swing open the door back to the Father.

LORD of Hosts: “The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.” Jesus is the “LORD of Armies”—all the armies of heaven and earth. No power in heaven or on earth belongs to anyone else but Him. When the armies of Israel conquered, it was in the name of the LORD. When their enemies defeated them, it was at His command, to accomplish His holy purpose. Psalm 24:7-10 depicts the LORD returning in triumph from battle, after laying waste those who do evil so they never rise again (Psalm 36:12).

The manger, that rough-hewn feeding trough in Bethlehem, held the Divine Warrior, who had come to bridge the infinite divide between sinful man and our Holy Creator and bring peace between us. Jesus is the perfect example of unconditional love. But He’s also the Warrior God who has conquered sin and death—not by slaying evildoers but by taking on human flesh and dying to sin for us. He conquered the world by surrendering to His Father’s will and accepting His just wrath for sin—our sin.

Prince of Peace: Peace is more than the absence of conflict. It’s the defeat of evil. More than an inner calm, peace is the complete confidence that all is well and all will be well. The “Sweet Little Jesus Child” does more than evoke tender feelings of peace. He is the Mighty God and Everlasting Father who came to make peace, by becoming God’s peace offering for us.

Lift up your heads and behold the Baby Jesus. “He is the King of Glory!”

To the praise of His glory,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministry

12.19.2019

Do You Know What I Know?

By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“He shall speak peace to the nations.” – Zechariah 9:10b

Do you see what I see? Christmas is a season for children. Gaze on a sleeping infant—so vulnerable, sweet, seemingly so innocent. We project all of our hopes on these tiny new members of our homes. Teach them well. Raise them with love. Transfer good values and provide a positive example so they’ll make us proud and encourage our hopes for the future.

But earthly hopes are born to conflict. Not everyone aspires to good things. Setting aside the reality of original sin—which shows up ever too quickly—newborn innocents enter too soon into the everyday battle of good against evil. Everything from playground tussles and pressure from peers to gangs and the war on drugs will assail our treasured newborns in a few short years. Innocence is an embattled commodity.

An ugly thought at Christmas, but don’t forget the ugly backdrop of the nativity. The slaughter of the innocent children of Bethlehem and Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more (Matthew 2:18) haunt Christmas’ idyllic tale and reveal the ugly reason why Christ came to earth. Man’s battle against evil is not going well—not really.

Even when good prevails over evil, innocence is lost, and corruption progresses. Winning requires gaining an advantage. This world is given over to the devil, and in this world, an advantage costs a little bit of your soul.

The invention of the stirrup gave the Mongols an advantage they used to strike fear into the civilized world. The English developed the longbow and used this advantage to control the world. Eventually, this arms race brought destruction to a staggering scale as “good” determined to gain mastery over “evil.” Only seven decades ago, after 70 million deaths, “good” gained advantage over “evil” and brought the horrors of the nuclear age. Death and destruction are the logic of fallen humanity.

Do you hear what I hear? False hope abounds. Faith in the goodness of humanity is becoming increasingly insistent as if just believing harder will change human nature and the clear trajectory of human events. As if blowing harder could extinguish a wildfire. The cost of hope is an emphatic denial of reality.

But Christmas brings joy like a refreshing breeze to our stifling days. And Joy is no denial of reality. Joy is the entrance of eternal reality into the stuffy confinement of daily events. God entered our race with the birth of the Child Christ and through Him, the reality of God’s Redemption.

In October 1962, the music industry commissioned a couple to write a Christmas song. The sight of children being strolled around the streets of New York brought no inspiration. It was the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the shadow of nuclear holocaust—a very real possibility—hung over the world. But finally, the couple produced a song that is popular to this day. Its climax is the earnest plea, “Pray for peace, people everywhere!” This carol turns our hearts in the right direction—to God.

Do you know what I know? Our message of hope to the world is the good news of who Jesus Christ really is. What He accomplished for lost humanity is the basis for eternal confidence. His birth brings “good news of great joy … for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

Because Jesus lived His life on earth as God the Son, fully divine and fully human, His death was sufficient payment for the cumulative weight of all the evils of all humanity for all time—including yours and mine. In Christ, faith doesn’t deny reality. It grasps the accomplished and documented reality that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and rose from the dead in victory over sin and death.

The tiny Baby in the manger would eventually astonish His disciples by uttering two commands from a small boat in a very large storm. In response to His disciples’ plea for salvation, He ordered the storm to “cease,” and it did, then He commanded the wave to “be still,” and they were.

Listen to what I say! One day, Christ will speak again. He will “speak peace to the nations,” and like the storm and sea, they will obey the voice of our Savior and Lord. Then and only then, will all the earth find peace through Christ the King and cry, “Glory!”

To the praise of His glory,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministry

12.12.2019

“True Treasure”

By Dave Dussault

Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:44-46

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21

Hello Church Family,

We live for a different world.

God made us to live, but the world we live in is dying. Jesus died to this dying world and rose again to a new one, which will never pass away. The Christian life—living by faith in Christ—is a life of dying to this world and living for the new world Christ created when He rose again. Living by faith in Christ means daily releasing the things that tie us to this world and receiving the eternal treasures God promised us in Christ. We let go of this world in order to gain the next.

We live for the love of Christ.

Jesus is our first love, our true treasure, the one essential thing in life. He is the Author of life and the Creator of the world. No one matters more in this world. Jesus Christ is the One who loved us and traveled the infinite distance from heaven to earth to make us His own. He became a man, died in our place to pay a debt we owe but could never repay. All things in heaven and earth belong to Him, so by possessing Christ, the believer owns all things. What else could we desire besides Him?

“Prayer is pursuing Christ.

Prayer brings the reality of heaven into our daily lives. It makes the next world part of this one by making Christ our goal on earth and His kingdom the essence of all we seek. Answered prayer is receiving Him.

The Holy Spirit is God in us.

He is our present realization of the ultimate blessing of being with Christ forever. He’s our “portion,” the present experience of a future reality bought by Christ. God’s Spirit is Emmanuel in the believer’s life today.

Faith that overcomes the world has a “come what may” quality to it. It trusts God when He takes away the things of this world and expects Him to replace them with better things—in His time. As we pursue the tasks and challenges of this life, we look to Christ to take care of us and provide for us, knowing that the last thing we’ll release to God is our life on this earth, and trusting that the first thing we’ll receive afterward is life forever with Him.

Expectant prayer embraces the good and bad in life, accepting the fact that this world is not our home. We evaluate what happens in this life based on something other than the good we do or don’t experience on earth. It prays, “not my will but yours be done,” as Christ did in Gethsemane, with the same faith that led Jesus to the cross to conquer death. This prayer and this faith led the apostles to follow Christ in life and in death. This faith built the church. This faith sees what isn’t but what will be. This faith obtains things through prayer, accomplishes God’s work on earth, and receives the hope of heaven.

True Treasure pays eternal interest. A life lived for the love of Christ reaps ten-thousand-fold interest. It claims Jesus as our greatest Treasure and understands that He is more precious than anything this world has to offer. It’s the hope of the coming year, as we live, pray, hope, and aspire for the praise of His glory.

In Him,

Dave Dussault

Northpoint Prayer Ministries

12.5.2019

The Satisfied Life

By Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministries

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” – James 4:1-4

Hello Church Family,

God is renewing Northpoint as a church. He’s getting rid of the old to make room for the new. This housecleaning is not without pain or difficulty. It’s the working out of death that brings new life. It’s following in the way of Christ. God is working a miracle in our church. There is so much for us to look forward to, but there’s also much we need to let go of as a body and as individuals.

And our passions are the first things that need to go. In order to embrace one another in love, we need to let go of the things that matter more to us than Christ. The trappings of church that are exactly to our liking and activities that perfectly suit our taste compete with our Savior for our love.

Our passions, as James calls them, create an insatiable desire for more. They turn our focus from God’s fullness to what we want but don’t have, and create demands that conflict with the desires of others. So we contend with each other so to get what we want at their expense. This is how our desires displace Christ’s love in our lives and relationships.

This process also blunts the power of our prayers. When what we want but don’t have becomes the focus of our prayers, the God we have but no longer desire begins to say, “No.” When we let our emptiness define us, His fullness will never satisfy us. Prayerlessness and unanswered prayer are symptoms of a compromised love for Christ. So are the interpersonal conflicts they produce.

As humans, we are made from the stuff of earth, so naturally, we desire things that are in the world. But our world is under the curse of sin, and it’s passing away. As Christians, we are not of this world. We’re free from this dying planet and everything in it that draws us away from the God who made us, and His Son who saves us. Prayer brings heaven down to earth to make us ready for heaven, and to do heaven’s work here on earth. Freedom in Christ is freedom from the power this world has over our lives.

And so, drawing close to Christ brings conviction more than comfort. But that conviction is healthy, and avoiding it is exactly the wrong thing to do. Drawing near to God means letting Him examine our lives for things that separate us from Him. It means praying with David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Here are some self-examination questions that go along with that prayer.

• What passions are leading me to ask wrongly?
• What do I get mad at God about when I don’t have it?
• What makes me angry with others when things go their way and not mine?
• What are some things God gave me to use in His service that I’m clinging to as my own?
• What things at Northpoint do I value for my sake instead of God’s?
• What do I need to let go of because it comes between me and my Lord—or me and my brother?

Our passions are things we love more than Christ. When we want the gift more than the Giver and the creation more than the Creator, we commit spiritual adultery. Letting God search our hearts sets us free to live the satisfied life and empties our hands so they can receive His abundant riches—riches we enjoy, not just for ourselves, but together as a body to the praise of God’s glory.

Living the Examined Life

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17

This passage gives us a filter for our affections and helps us separate the good from the bad in our lives. Living an examined life means evaluating everything we do, think, and value in terms of good and bad, darkness and light, of God and of this world so that we can live free in Christ.

• Do not love the world or the things in the world: Lust is anything we love more than Christ.
• If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him: This world is God’s primary
rival in our hearts.
• For all that is in the world: Everything in this world has the potential to pull us away from loving
God first.
– the desires of the flesh: Things that please us physically.
– the desires of the eyes: Things we see and want to have.
– pride of life: Things that gratify our need to feel important.
• is not from the Father but is from the world: Our choice in life is clear and stark—we can have the world and lose Christ, or we can have Christ and be free from this world.
• And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever: God is forever, and He made us in Christ to belong to Him forever. This world is an anchor that drags us away from Him and down to death. As humans, we are made from the stuff of earth, so naturally, we desire things that are in the world.

To the praise of His glory,

Dave Dussault
Northpoint Prayer Ministry

11.21.2019

Plucked Up & Torn Down

By Holli Worthington
Northpoint Women’s Ministries

“Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, and praise and a glory. …” – Jeremiah 33:6-9a

Hello Church Family,

It was not a very desirable job to be assigned to when God called Jeremiah to be his prophet and deliver God’s messages to his people. The message God wanted Jeremiah to deliver was that God was going to “pluck up” and “tear down” (Jeremiah1:10). This was not a terribly popular message. In fact, the people did not want to hear it at all. But leading up to this time and even throughout the time of Jeremiah’s preaching, God had given his beloved people many opportunities to turn back from following their own way and submit to God’s sovereign and loving will. Unfortunately, the people continued in their rebellious ways and did not submit to God.

In Jeremiah 31:28, God says, “As I have watched over them (emphasis mine) to pluck up and break down. …” Even as his children experienced the consequences of sin, God watched over them. And, in the midst of their sin, God had a plan and a purpose—because sin doesn’t derail God’s redemptive plans. Somehow, God weaves our sin into his good plans for his people. This is part of the mystery of his sovereignty. He does this without tempting us to sin, without wanting us to sin, and while still holding us accountable for our sin. And what the devil would rejoice in and use to destroy God’s people, God will use for the good of his people. The last part of verse 28 says, “So I will watch over them to plant and to build.”

God told Jeremiah that the reason he would pluck up and tear down was so that he could replant and rebuild. The time for pruning and repairing was over; God had plowed up the fields and torn down the buildings, and now God was going to do something new. Through the prophet Isaiah, he says to the people of Judah:

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

The new thing God was going to do was to transform their hearts.

Dear church, it would seem that we, too, have been plucked up and torn down. Certainly, there were numerous times when we could have made different choices or turned back from the many things that brought us to this place, but God, in his sovereignty, has allowed us to be right where we are. And if God, who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good, allows something—then he has a redemptive purpose for it. There is cause for godly sorrow and repentance, (and we should pray for this because it is a gift from God), but there is no cause for despair and hopelessness.

Listen to what God says about the devastated city of Jerusalem that had been plucked up and torn down:

I will heal.
I will restore.
I will cleanse.
I will forgive.

Maybe you have been hurt; God will heal. Maybe you have been wronged; God will restore. Maybe you are ashamed; God will cleanse. Maybe you’ve sinned; God will forgive.

One of the wonderful things about belonging to our sovereign God is that nothing is lost or wasted with him. He uses ALL things for our good if we surrender to his purpose of making us more like Jesus. Even our hurts. Even our sins. He sees them both and wants us to lay them at his feet.

Take heart church, for if there was hope in the days of Jeremiah, there is great hope for us! Ask God what needs plucking up or tearing down in your own heart and confidently hope in the promises of our faithful and loving God who says:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love” (31:3).
“With pleas for mercy I will lead them back” (31:9).
“My people shall be satisfied with my goodness” (31:14).
“There is hope for your future” (31:17).
“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish” (31:25).

Let us all pray for soft hearts and eyes of faith that will perceive a new work of God. Let us pray that our church will be to God “a name of joy, and praise and a glory. …”

In Him,

Holli Worthington

11.14.2019

Hello Church Family,

Please be in prayer for the Leadership Team and for our church. The Team meets again on Monday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m., for prayer and planning. We have regular meetings each month and ask that you pray for us as we review more responses to NL Moore’s recommendations. We are also moving forward with discussions on interim assistance on many levels. We need interim staff to help with worship, administration, and conflict resolution. Please be in prayer that we are unified, gracious, and strive together to see where the Lord is leading.

We also encourage you to join the on-campus prayer meeting that happens every Monday at 6:00 p.m. in the Commons. Just show up.

We seek only His will,

The Leadership Team

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – Colossians 3:12-17