DSC’s fourth annual Cause for Praise worship concert is this Friday, October 18, at 7:00 PM at Desert Springs Church. We use the word “concert,” but this event is more precisely a special and extended evening of corporate worship in song. The event will be recorded and several songs from the evening will be released over the next year.

As has become our tradition, we will learn a few new songs together. One new song we’ll sing is part of a future DSC recording project called, “Songs of Revelation.” As the title makes clear, this will be an album of songs based on texts from the Book of Revelation.

For a taste of what’s to come this Friday, here are the lyrics to a song based on Revelation 7:

Revelation 7
Chris Elliot, Drew Hodge

1. O eyes, behold the multitude
of souls amassed from ‘cross the globe;
No tongue from lyrics to preclude
a cry of praise to God enthroned.

Before the Lamb, clothed in white,
all in accord they cried . . .

Chorus
Salvation belongs to our God!
Salvation belongs to our God!

2. Saints and angels gathered round,
elders and the creatures sang;
Before the throne all faces down
beyond all time God’s glory rang.

Before the Lamb, clothed in white,
all in accord they cried . . .

As you are probably aware, DSC’s musicians have written a number of songs over the past few years, many of them recorded and available for listening and download at DSC’s Bandcamp Page.

Yesterday we had the joy of witnessing the baptism of ten brothers and sisters, five in each service. As a new tradition, we will post the baptism testimony videos following our baptism services. Below are the video testimonies from Sunday morning! You will be blessed by these testimonies of grace.

As we listen to these testimonies, let’s praise God for his salvation of these people and remember these words from the Apostle Paul for all of us who are in Christ:

… all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
— Romans 6:3-4

9:00 AM Service

[RSS and email readers, click here to view this video]

Isabel Betancur, Larry Gallegos, Ramona Gallegos, Carlos Stearns, Courteney Gurule

10:45 AM Service

[RSS and email readers, click here to view this video]

Melissa Velez, Eric Lewin, Amber McBride, Campbell Beck, Emma Beauchamp

DSC’s annual Global Missions Emphasis will take place this month from October 27-30. Follow the Missions Blog for details, and be sure to register for our second annual Dinner with the Missionaries, Sunday, October 27 (learn more here).

While we have a column of shelves dedicated to missions and evangelism, this month we are featuring three books on global missions. Below you’ll find Amazon links and descriptions for each.

Finish the Mission: Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged, by John Piper and David Mathis

“This is no ordinary missions book. The theme isn’t new, but the approach is refreshing and compelling, as contributors David Platt, Louie Giglio, Michael Ramsden, Ed Stetzer, Michael Oh, David Mathis, and John Piper take up the mantle of the Great Commission and its Spirit-powered completion.

From astronomy to exegesis, from apologetics to the Global South, from being missional at home to employing our resources in the global cause, Finish the Mission aims to breathe fresh missionary fire into a new generation, as together we seek to reach the unreached and engage the unengaged.”

The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence, by Thabiti Anyabwile

“There are between five and eight million Muslims living in the United States today. They either are, or soon will be, your neighbors and co-workers. Does the thought of reaching out to them with the gospel make you nervous? How can you effectively communicate the good news with such large theological differences? The Gospel for Muslims can help make sharing your faith easier than you think.

Thabiti Anyabwile, himself a convert from Islam to Christianity, instructs you in ways to share the good news of Christ with your neighbors and friends. The Gospel for Muslims allows you to focus on the people rather than the religious system. Meant for the average Christian, this book is not an exhaustive apologetic or a detailed comparative study of Christianity and Islam. Rather, it compellingly stirs confidence in the gospel, equipping the reader with the basics necessary to communicate clearly, boldly, and winsomely.”

Window on the World: When We Pray God Works, by Daphne Spraggett and Jill Johnstone

“Stunning photographic visuals complement this A to Z collection of countries and people groups providing an exciting learning experience and guide for prayer. Short stories about featured countries or people groups help relate foreign lands and people to children in the West. Each page includes a small map putting the country into perspective with neighboring countries and a fact box with essential country and people information. . . . This invaluable resource develops cultural, political, and geographical awareness through a Christian lens . . . [in order to help all of us] pray more effectively for [our] world.”

If the church is to be strong for her work in the world, she will need to be established in the Word. Preachers are a primary way God gets that done. Listen to how Paul described Timothy’s job:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. – 1 Timothy 4:1-2

And so this is how we can pray for the church: by praying for God’s preachers to preach God’s Word.

This week at DSC we’ve had 40 pastors from throughout the region on site for a preaching workshop led by Simeon Trust. It’s called, the Simeon Trust Workshop on Biblical Exposition and this is DSC’s second year to host this three day event. Its purpose is to help pastors grow in their confidence in and ability with the Word of God. For those interested in theological training who desire to know and teach the Bible well, Simeon Trust also offers an online course worth checking out here.

Below are some pictures from the last few days of the workshop. As you browse these photos and as this workshop comes to mind, please pray for these men and for their encouragement in the lofty, difficult, and wonderful task of preaching the Word.

This Sunday morning, Juan Sanchez, one of this year’s workshop speakers, will be preaching for us. Prepare for his sermon, titled, “When God is No Longer Silent,” by reading 1 Samuel 3. Juan is the preaching pastor at High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, and a council member for The Gospel Coalition.

The author of Hebrews writes this to believers:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

One way we can help our spiritual leaders (DSC’s elders/pastors) lead us with joy is by asking good questions. DSC’s elders are available in the halls around church, by email, and once each year they set aside an evening to take questions in the context of a corporate gathering. We call it, an “Elders Q&A.”

Our next Elders Q&A will take place on the last Wednesday of this month, September 25, at 6:30 PM.

If you have a question, submit it. If you don’t, think of one and then submit it. Here are three ways to ask your questions:

• Submit your question using your bulletin Comment Card next Sunday and drop that in an offering box.
• Email your question to info@desertspringschurch.org.
• Show up with your question on the 25th. The elders will take 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 by email.

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.”