MOTHER'S DAY MOTIVATIONS

Mother’s Day is a good time to speak about mothers and raising children. My mother, pictured below, was the oldest of seven children. Since her mother had left home with the youngest child, it became her job to raise her other five sisters in Moses Lake. This prepared her early for marriage to my father. She really was a great mother to my brother and I. We are thankful for her even though she died relatively young in 1972.

The world has changed much since then. A sexual revolution has affected the home, marriage has been put on the back shelf, books have been written on the family from many perspectives, conservative values have been set aside, and LGBTQ issues have brought new confusion into what or who we are. But the book God wrote, the Bible, is still the best seller with enduring wisdom for the family. As Christians we are reminded to refocus on those timely truths. Nancy and I have been doing that most of our life. It has brought much blessing even though the world around us has and will continue to change.

This Mother’s Day, May 9th, I’ll bring a message about current issues families are facing and how Christians should be prepared to meet them with “motivations” from God’s Word. If you can’t make the service you can watch on Livestream at 2:30 at www.discoverybaptist.org. Our church is still meeting at Harborview Fellowship 4819 Hunt Street here in Gig Harbor.

Click the link below with timely comments by Dr. Al Mohler about some of these concerns families are facing. We need to beware in light of the fast changing and declining culture we live in.

My mother Victoria and my brother Gary and myself (Mark) in about 1951. Happy Mother’s Day Mom. She would be 110 years old this month. Dad didn’t get in this picture for some reason.

Happy Mother’s Day, Hope to see you Sunday.

Mark Suko

Pastor Redeployed

PS We are very close to occupancy of our new building….all 12,000 square feet of it. We anticipate our first service will be our Grand Opening and Dedication Service set for Sunday May 16th at 2:30pm (4902 Gustafson Dr. NW, Gig Harbor, WA). Please join us for this historic event that will be remembered for Generations to Come. There is plenty of parking. If you can’t make it then go to www.discoverybaptist.org, click the Livestream button and watch live or any time later.

RESURRECTION EVENTS FOLLOWINGS

Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday morning early. The women arrived at the tomb and were first to see him alive. This was the miracle of all miracles that Jesus did. Why? It was to confirm what He had said earlier and really was God in the flesh. All four gospels record this fact. It is also interesting that all four gospels devote a major part of their record dealing with just the last weeks of Christ’s life. Why? This was the important part that secured salvation for all who who would come to believe. This Easter do you know Christ as your Savior? Read John 3 and see what Jesus says about it.

The tomb it is thought Christ resurrected from.

Jesus didn’t stop with His resurrection. He continued to verify it by making appearances for forty days to individuals and groups as large as 500 at a time. Then he topped it off by ascending to heaven from Jerusalem as people watched and angels attended.

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11

Checkout this wonderful new and touching song about Christ’s resurrection in the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3NZEdHQaI

Happy Easter.

Pastor Mark

RESURRECTION EVENTS RECALLED

Recently I was thinking about an Easter service that was likely our first one many years ago. That morning our little band went to a beach somewhere on Fox Island. There at water’s edge the sun rose in glorious brilliance for our time of worship. It was a great memory of fellowship, worship, and rejoicing because of Christ’s resurrection.

Ancient wall of Jerusalem with many tombs outside the wall awaiting resurrection. Up to 150,000 are buried in the area. -by MS taken on location in 2011.

With Easter we also must reflect on the pain that Jesus endured earlier. After the Passover Feast with the twelve Jesus soon was arrested and whisked away for series of six trials. They were illegal because they were all at night. The first three were before Annas (Jn. 18), then Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Mk. 14), and finally before just the Sanhedrin (Mk. 15). At about this time Judas, one of the twelve, committed suicide. All of this must have been a terrible drain on Jesus. The last three trials were before Pilate (Jn. 18), then Herod Antipas (Lu. 23), and finally before Pilate again (Matt. 27). It was a dark night for Jesus. But that was just the beginning.

Pilate then scourged Jesus and he was given a crown of thorns (Jn. 19). He hoped to release him but the people cried “Crucify, crucify Him!.” It was about six in the morning now.

Next Jesus was mocked and led to Golgotha where he was nailed on a cross. He languished in physical and emotional pain there about six hours and died. A few followers then took his body away and prepared it for the tomb.

Golgotha where it is thought Christ died on the cross on top of the hill. Note the holes in the rock face liking like a scull.

But the grief of Christ’s death was wiped away by the joy of his resurrection on Sunday morning. What a glorious moment for rejoicing that was and still continues to be. He paid the price for our redemption and changed history and the calendar too. We have an eternal hope.

David Gunn of RBP wrote, “This life is transient, and someday it will surely end. But that is no cause for fear. Death is not the end. Springtime will come again. The resurrection of Christ portends our resurrection too. Because He triumphed over death, the portal to life everlasting—an eternal springtime—has been opened.” He is risen!

Near Golgotha an ancient tomb where Christ likely was laid. Here the women came early in the morning and found it gloriously empty and Chris standing nearby.

He is risen!

Pastor Mark (Redeployed)

EASTER WEEKEND AT DISCOVERY April 2-4 2021

Good Friday - Everyone is welcome to join us this Friday at 6:30 for a special Good Friday service at the Helland Home (12976 Gopher Hill PL SE, Olalla, 98359).

We plan to meet indoors, but if it's sunny and not unbearably cold, we will meet out back. Please bring your own chair if the sun is shining brightly.

Thank you for coming with hearts prepared for communion. May Christ be lifted up as we lovingly worship Him throughout this Passion Week.

Easter Sunday - We’ll celebrate his resurrection at 2:30 as usual at Harborview Fellowship. Our new building is going up fast and very soon we hope to be back in it for our first service. Thanks for praying.