Baylight Church Community

It's great to have my family with me on this Sunday as we worshiped at Baylight Church Community located at Mountain View Academy's main auditorium. The "A" signs were placed well for us to find the parking entrance and also the worship location once we entered the school campus. We actually met a friend of ours welcoming at the entrance and so we were filled in on where to send our children when. As it turns out their oldest child is 5 years old and so our children were way older than them. During the adult worship, our chilren praised with us and during the announcement time, they were excused to go to their Sunday School which was a single large class because they did not have many children over 3 years old.

The congregation which filled about 40% of the auditorium was led into a time of worship by the praise band. The praise leader and the band presented a style that you would find from a small band playing at a comfortable and relaxing coffee shop. I learned a new song here which at first started like a slow rap, but the lyrics were quite touching with how the music built up to the chorus. I'm definitely going to learn this song: Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle.

The pastor gave a message based on Genesis 39:1-23 on the topic of Personal Sin focusing the two characters: Joseph and Judah. Joseph kept his integrity even against Potiphar's wife's schemes of seducing him leading him through a string of injustice. However, God's blessings for Joseph remaind with him constantly. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 talks about we need to stay humble and face the "testing" situations from God because He wants to strengthen us through it and bring us to a higher Spiritual ground.

Question to ponder: How will I relate to sin in my life?

On a different plane, Judah, who had basically gave into multiple temptations and lived a life that reflected pursuit of our flesh's desires was used by God as a line of the Savior. When we see Judah, it should remind of what we do often -- we blow it so many times.... God's message for Judah is clearly articulated in Genesis 49:8-10 which really amazingly displays His grace. When I feel like I've blown it big times already, think of Judah and the grace of God and we must approach Him in humbleness to take part in His great mission on earth.

After the service, we were invited to a farewell luncheon in the fellowship hall for the worship pastor and his wife who had been called by God to relocate to another church out of state to lead the worship/praise ministry there. The program proceeded over delicious Togo's sandwiches where various members share praises and emabarrassing moments of the couple to send them off by pouring out their blessings. The atmosphere was quite family-like for sure and could sense the sadness of separation but anticipation and tahnkfulness to God for what He is going to work through them.

In the following week Pastor Mike emailed me to arrange a time of gathering over coffee and we had a great time sharing our visions and how God is about to do some awesome works in this area and how we're excited about joining Him where He's at work. We departed commiting one another that we would continue to collaborate encouraging one another as long as we are here (Hebrews 3:13).



Website: www.baylightchurch.org
Worship Times: 10:30am