Dear Parents,

As the early church expanded outside Jerusalem, new churches were planted in various cities. Each church needed godly leaders to help it grow and stay true to the gospel. Paul understood this need, which is why he wrote letters to some of the leaders in the church. Two of these leaders were Timothy and Titus. Timothy was Paul’s friend. He had traveled with Paul and helped him. Now Timothy was a leader at the church in Ephesus.

As I look back on the recently past Christmas season, one of the striking memories is the wonderful music of Christmas. It seems that once I start hearing those old familiar songs and hymns, I am filled with a renewed sense of joy and happiness. That got me thinking about the importance of singing as a follower of Jesus Christ.

You may not think of yourself as a singer, but let’s for a moment suspend all judgement about what makes a good singer “good” and simply notice the wonder of singing. Humans alone are invested with this ability to sing. We sing for joy, we sing the blues, we sing love songs and we sing songs of loss. But I think most importantly, we sing songs of worship and praise. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians…

As Christmas approaches – it reminds us of the blessing of giving gifts to one another. There is great joy in picking out just the right gift and knowing that the person to whom it will be given will need and appreciate it. Therefore how would you feel if you entered your friend's home weeks after Christmas and found the gift that you had given them still unopened?

Wouldn’t it make you feel bad if you heard a friend of yours complaining about an unmet need in their life, and yet you knew that you had given them a gift to take care of that need but they had simply not yet opened it?

Thank you, Quail family for helping our GO Lift Houston team raise a record-smashing $3049 at last Sunday's mission bake sale. At times, it felt like the team was running out of items to sell, then the tables would suddenly be flooded by new contributions, and people eager to buy the goods! It truly was a fishes-and-loaves situation. God is so good!

To all who contributed items to sell, to those who bought items or donated so generously, and to those who simply stood with the team in prayer: Thank you and God bless you.

Dear Parents,

Peter—one of Jesus’ original disciples—had grown up in a culture where the Jews believed that God only cared about them, not the Gentiles or non-Jews.
Most of the Jews looked down on the Gentiles and refused to even associate with them because Jews believed Gentiles were unclean; Gentiles didn’t live the right way to please God. Any Jew who did associate with Gentiles did so at the risk of being ridiculed by his own people.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

How do you define genuine success? Well, Paul had some things to say about that during his missionary journeys. Pastor Marc explains how Paul’s perspective on genuine success is a model for us even today.

One of the reasons I love the ministry here at Quail is that I see so much help being given to folks in crisis by so many. Just about every day, I observe a member of our Lay Counseling Team meeting with and assisting an individual or a couple in our counseling office.

Debt: How much love should we spend on others? How much money should we spend on ourselves? In all of this, where is contentment found? Pastor Marc offers the answers.

Dear Parents,

With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples were empowered to carrying out Jesus’ mission for them—to take the gospel to all the nations. More and more people believed in Jesus. They met together at the temple to praise and worship God, and the first church began.

I have a theory. I do not know this to be true, but I have this feeling that the Pharisees and the Sadducees who gave Jesus so much trouble when He walked the earth did not laugh very much. They seem constantly to be burdened with their responsibility, and consistently judgmental and cranky. By contrast, however, Jesus took joy in children, loved a good party and looked for reasons to be with people of all walks of life. I can picture Him smiling and laughing and being the kind of person whom other people wanted to be with.

On August 11th the Men’s Ministry at Quail hosted a men’s breakfast where Carl Hultgren spoke about how God has radically changed his life. He shared about how he professed Jesus but was not walking with him and how that has now changed.

Have you ever thought about what or who shapes your thoughts, your perspective, and your impressions? By that I mean, have you ever thought about why you believe what you believe about marriage, school, church, or God? Where did those beliefs come from? Was it your mom or dad, your friend, your grandparents or someone else?

By Katherine Evans

For every other Quail Young Adults Retreat, my main concern has been “do I have everything we need?” Excitement would build as we'd stuff the car (with everything I could think we could possibly want), knowing that the next morning we would wake up, not staring at the urban streets of our everyday Stockton, and instead be overwhelmed by the beautiful and extraordinary sights of God's creation.

Dear Parents,

When Jesus ascended to heaven, He instructed the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. So the disciples went back to Jerusalem, where they waited and prayed.

Each one of us possesses an incredible “superpower”: We can see through flaws and build up those around us! Pastor Marc illustrates the importance and value of doing exactly that.

I was driving this morning and a song came on called “I wanna go back” by David Dunn. The lyrics resonated with me as he sang, “I wanna go back to, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so”. He refers to a simple Sunday school song, one I used to sing in Sunday school and now sing to my babies.

In Deuteronomy 4:9, we read,

 “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”

NIV

When we demonstrate commitment, our character is defined more clearly. And we have fewer regrets when we stop one day and look back. Pastor Marc explains...

As Christians, we are to practice forgiveness on a regular basis. Here, Pastor Marc outlines some key principles that illustrate why forgiveness, regularly practiced, can be so powerful!

At Quail, everyone has a story. This is Grant’s.

At Quail, we are totally dependent on our wonderful volunteers for the excellent ministry for the Lord that takes place on the campus and beyond, week after week. But I am aware that there are a few myths about volunteering that need to be dispelled, so that many more of us can participate in a way that blesses the Lord and brings us joy.

Hey Ladies,

Have you ever noticed how many choices we have to make in a day?! Sometimes they can be easy (pickles or no pickles? Definitely no pickles!) And sometimes they are overwhelming! There is just too much to choose from, especially on things that take our time and require an investment of ourselves.

I want to talk to you about the “on the job training” that God provides. Back when God called Moses to leave the sheep he was watching and stand before Pharaoh and declare “Let my people go,” Moses was not so keen on the promotion. He responded by saying, “Please send someone else to do it.” (Ex.4)

Maybe that is how you feel today. Maybe you are pushing a calling that God has brought to you, or a job that He is giving you, back across the table of your life saying, “No thanks, that is not for me.” Or maybe you are putting something off that you know God wants you to do, saying, “I just don’t have the skills or the smarts to pull it off.”  If so, let’s remember how God replied to Moses: "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Ex. 4:12)

How pliable are you in God’s hands? Pastor Marc offers some pointers to guide us as we work to fully yield ourselves to the Lord and how He wishes to shape us.

You might have noticed the construction going on in the area between the Activity Center and the Education Building, as well as the parking spaces occupied by materials and equipment. This was not a planned project, but an urgent response to a critical PG&E transformer failure.

The Prodigal Son... one of the most familiar parables in the Bible. Here, Pastor Marc brings an additional cultural dimension to it, and contrasts that with the loving, gracious welcome our Heavenly Father offers to each who come to Him.

At Quail, everyone has a story. This is Kathy’s.

This month we will engage in our first 2018 “GO - Lift Every Church” project. I am sure that you know by now that these projects are designed to bless and lift up other churches in Stockton so that together we can effectively reach this city for Jesus as well as enhance our unity with other fellowships.

We’re all familiar with the age-old admonishment to ‘choose our friends wisely’. In this episode, Pastor Marc offers up some fresh thoughts as to just how important this is to our well-being as we go through life.

I am pleased and thrilled to announce that the Elders have voted to enlarge the staff role of Brandon Smith here at Quail to full time. For many years now, Brandon has had a part time role in which he was the primary teacher/leader in the young adult congregation called “Refresh.” Over the span of his leadership, that ministry has grown both in numbers and in quality of relationships.

What really matters in life? In this ep, Pastor Marc riffs on why it's so important to be intentional about stripping away the trivial, and hone our ability to focus on what really matters—with His help.

At Quail, everyone has a story. This is Tim’s.

It was some time ago that the staff here in the office came to me with information regarding a growing trend among churches. It was that in order to make giving as convenient as possible for the giver, many churches were enabling people to make donations via text. I must admit that at first this seemed a little farfetched to me, but we were able to initiate this process in 2015. Since then, I have been amazed when I have received the reports that come my way. Particularly in 2017, we saw a surge in giving through this process.

How will you approach the New Year? Are you ready to do so in a way that allows you to grow as a person, and closer to God? Pastor Marc offers some valuable guidance on how we can do just that.

When you consider the Great Commission that Jesus left us, the action that is called for is “make disciples. …go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matt. 28:19)

That is the job description of the church and, in fact, of every believer in Jesus Christ. In order to accomplish that, we need to keep a few things in mind. Here is my take on the most important points:

Christmas, again this year. Hustle, bustle, shipping madness, busyness, stress, etc. But if we pause and truly look for what’s important, it makes a world of difference!

All wisdom is valuable, but not all advice is. Pastor Marc looks at the life of David to illustrate this point and offers guidance to discern true wisdom.

Recently our own Sandi Cornett traveled to Houston to serve in the relief efforts sponsored by Samaritans Purse as they responded to hurricane Harvey. Sandi is a Pediatric Physical Therapy Assistant here in Stockton and has been attending Quail for almost 10 years. She and I dialogued about this experience of self-mobilized missions and here is what she said.

We all have a story... this is Yee’s.

Recently I saw the piece by Professor Todd Miles of Western Seminary.  He had some good ideas about what we must remember not to forget as we study our Bibles.  These simple points will help us stay away from bad habits than can creep into our time in the Word.  Here they are…

1. Don’t forget that the Bible is not a magic book.

One of the most basic, yet meaningful things in this life is the expression of kindness. Pastor Marc underscores this powerful truth in this month’s Moment.

Deut. 8:10, 17-18
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you…But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers…” NIV

In Deuteronomy 8, God warned his people not to forget that it was by His hand of blessing that they were able to enjoy their prosperity. It is an interesting paradox that people will cry out to God for help when they are having financial problems and then forget about Him when things are going well.

At Quail, everyone has a story. This is Andrea’s.

Encouragement is golden! But what if we are in a situation where there is no encouragement to be found outside ourselves? Pastor Marc offers a unique perspective into how we can muster needed encouragement from within, through God's word.

On March 4^th of 2016, an article was published in the Wall Street Journal entitled, “At Its Heart, Science is Faith –Based, Too.” Written by Matt Emerson, the article detailed a February 11, 2016 experiment where scientists detected gravitational waves which emanated from a deep space collision 1.3 billion light years from Earth. The news confirmed, to their satisfaction, the 1915 theory of Albert Einstein that there was a ripple effect in space-time.

Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli, commenting on this event, stated that the scientists were pursuing a “dream based on faith in reason: that the logical deductions of Einstein and his mathematics would be reliable.”

How many times have we heard or spoken of the need to stretch so we’ll grow? In this ep, Pastor Marc uses an appropriate analogy to illustrate this point.

The potter working his clay on a potting wheel is a well-known Biblical metaphor for how God shapes us, and that includes—sometimes—Him "crushing our pot". But there’s a good ending to the story! Watch, and be encouraged...

Countless times through the ages, the question has been asked, “How can we recognize the voice of God?” Many times in Scripture we read of God speaking to people audibly, and often they did not recognize it as God at first. (Gideon and Samuel come to mind!) So what are we to think about this?

1. To hear God’s voice we must be one of His children.