Archive for September, 2012


Sep 28

Commissioning New Deacons for Service

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Announcement

On Sunday we announced the appointment of six new deacons: Sandy Beauchamp, Greg Dart, Leonard Duran, Marvin Gibson, and Jason Mancini.

Here’s a nice description of the office of deacon on DSC’s Leadership page:

In the New Testament Scriptures, there are two offices in the local church: pastors (or elders) and deacons. The deacon is a “servant” office (this is what the Greek word “deacon” means, and what we see in Acts 6 with the first deacons). However, it is also a managerial office: deacons lead others in an area of service. In Acts 6:3 “the seven” (deacons) were put “in charge” of a task. The seven of Acts 6:3 may have helped to manage around three thousand in the church at that time.

In Acts 6 we see areas that require some form of leadership, such as problem-solving and peace-making, related to an area that starts in the material realm (in this case, taking care of the needs of widows). Again, deacons give attention to more practical needs of the body. This frees up elders for the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). Though the needs that deacons respond to often start in the material realm, the ministry often mingles physical and spiritual needs. For example, “complaints” are handled (Acts 6:1), Stephen preaches (Acts 7), Philip preaches (Acts 8), and deacons “hold fast the mystery of the faith” (1 Timothy 3:9).

On our Leadership Page you will also find photos for each of DSC’s leaders, including these five new deacons.

Sep 26

Creation and Mental Health

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Sermon Follow-Up

This Sunday, Ryan preached a message from Psalm 104, “God’s Intimate and Intricate Care for Creation.” Psalm 104 encourages us to look to God’s creation with wonder, curiosity, and delight.

Ryan quoted from former Wheaton English professor, Clyde Kilby’s, “Resolutions for Mental Health“:

At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me. . . .

I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event, filled with worthy potentialities. . . .

I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. . . .

I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be a “child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder.”

Psalm 104 is one of many psalms that focus on God’s glory in creation that we have heard preached in our series through the Psalms, Pour Out Your Heart to Him. Here are a few others:

Sep 20

More Books, More Love – Resource Center Relaunch

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Book Nook

If you were at DSC on Sunday, you noticed that our Resource Center is back open, and in force. With 250 titles including 150 titles we haven’t carried before, the Resource Center has a broader selection of books from a broader range of categories.

More books around is good for our church. As Christians, we are learners, thinkers, and reflectors. God has made us that way, and this is part of what it means to know God, and it’s part of how we grow as Christians. Jesus even summarized God’s entire law with the command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Books work on the heart and the soul through our mind. Some the heavier ones (try picking up the 6 pound Large Print ESV Study Bible) even work on our strength! What is a good Christian book but the careful work of another Christian person to learn, think, reflect, and then write on a subject for the growth and maturity of God’s people?

On the week of the relaunch, here are three things to notice about the new Resource Center:

New Hours

The Resource Center is open on Sundays before and after each service, and during the week during regular office hours. Browse any time, and purchase books during those hours.

New Checkout

Out with the big kiosk and computer. In with the iPad and The Square. This should make buying books faster and easier, with cash, check, or credit card.

New Titles

More shelf space means more titles.

On the square island are seasonal books, books at a deep discount, featured books related to DSC’s preaching and teaching ministry, and books authored by guest speakers.

Along the wall you’ll find a column of Bibles along with five columns focused by subject with topical shelves. Right now we carry one title of each book, and in time we may carry two copies of some books. This approach allows us to carry a breadth of titles, so don’t feel bad about taking the “last copy.” When a book is sold on Sunday, it’s purchased for replacement on Monday.

We will highlight specific shelves and titles here on the blog in the future, but for now here’s an outline of the columns and shelves you’ll find along the wall. In addition to an entire column devoted to Bibles, we have five columns with topical shelves:

Biblical Studies

  • Old Testament, New Testament
  • Biblical Interpretation, Bible Studies
  • Biblical Theology
  • Systematic Theology
  • Historical Theology
  • Biography

Christian Life

  • Devotionals
  • Christian Life 101
  • Spiritual Disciplines, Prayer
  • Suffering and Loss
  • Vocation, Decision Making, and Money
  • Manhood and Womanhood, Sexuality

Church

  • Church 101
  • Corporate Worship, Church Leadership
  • Various Church Topics
  • Biblical Counseling 101, Conflict
  • Issues in Biblical Counseling
  • Perspectives on the Church

Family

  • Marriage, Dating and Courtship, and Singleness
  • Parenting
  • Books for Children
  • Books for Youth

Mission

  • Global Missions, Church Planting
  • Introduction to Christianity
  • Evangelism 101
  • Apologetics 101, Issues in Apologetics
  • Worldview and Culture
  • Issues in Worldview and Culture

We pray for this Resource Center to encourage, equip, and build up the church here at DSC. For recommendations of books to purchase online, many of which are not available on site, visit DSC’s Resources page.

Sep 19

Questions for DSC’s Elders?

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Events

Our next Elders Q&A will take place on the last Wednesday of this month, September 26, at 6:30 PM.

Every important relationship includes some question asking and some question answering. As part of their leadership here at DSC, our elders are always available to answer questions in person, and once a year these men make themselves available to answer questions in a church-wide setting.

Since this is a Q&A, you are invited to submit questions for our elders to answer in the course of the evening. You can do this in three ways:

  1. Submit your question using your bulletin Comment Card next Sunday and drop that in an offering box.
  2. Email your question to info@desertspringschurch.org.
  3. Show up with your question on the 26th. Ryan will be taking some questions from a mic in the course of the evening. Of course, we appreciate your questions early. This helps us notice recurring themes and spend our time in a way that best serves the congregation.

Any questions that are not addressed at the Q&A will be answered through the DSC Blog or email.

Asking good questions encourages unity among our body and helps all of us pray more specifically for our church and its maturity in Christ.

To help you better pray for these men, consider Peter’s words to elders concerning the wonder and weight of their calling as shepherds from 1 Peter 5:1-5:

I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Get acquainted with DSC’s elders by reading their biographies on the Leadership Page. Also, audio from previous Elder Q&A evenings is available at our Messages Page under the topic “Elder Q&A.”

Sep 12

Exultant Description: Ascribing Glory to God in Prayer

2012 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Prayer,Recommended Resources,Sermon Follow-Up

In Sunday’s sermon, “The Growing Crescendo of God’s Praise,” Ryan unfolded Psalm 96, a psalm that calls on God’s people to praise God over a dozen different ways.

One of the ways that we’re told to praise God is through exultant description. For example, in verses 7-8 we’re told to “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.”

To encourage us in this, Ryan mentioned a list of God’s attributes alphabetically listed in a book called, Prayer Coach. In the appendix of this book, there’s a section titled, “A to Z of Biblical Names, Titles, and Attributes of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The book is available online or at our newly refreshed Resource Center, opening this Sunday. This is a great tool for ascribing to God glory in our prayers.

Here’s an example from the letter A:

  • Able (Dan. 3:17; Matt. 9:28; Rom. 16:25; 2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 3:20; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25)
  • Abounding in love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6)
  • Adam, the last (1 Cor. 15:45)
  • Advocate (Job 16:19; 1 John 2:1)
  • All (Col. 3:11)
  • Almighty, the (Job 5:17)
  • Alpha (Rev. 1:8, 21:6)
  • Amen, the (Rev. 3:14)
  • Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:22)
  • Anointed One (Psa. 2:2; Acts 4:27)
  • Apostle and high priest (Heb. 3:1)
  • Architect and builder (Heb. 11:10)
  • Atoning sacrifice (2 John 2:2)
  • Author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2)
  • Avenger (2 Sam. 22:48; Psa. 94:1)
  • Awesome (Ex. 15:11; Neh. 1:5; Dan. 9:4)

Another church that caught on to this great idea published this list in Pdf form for printing as a tri-fold pamphlet. Click here for a Pdf of the list of attributes found at the end of Prayer Coach.