Pleasant Grove Community Church

Good Morning PGCC!
April 29, 2020

TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT by Pastor Phil

What would make you "be happy"?
  • Maybe you should move to Switzerland or Iceland. A global study says they are the happiest countries on earth.
  • Or maybe become a pastor. Surveys say that’s the happiest occupation followed by acting, architect, and firefighter
  • Attending church is a good start, 43% who attend weekly say they’re very happy compared to 26% of those who never attend church
  • And did you know those who serve/volunteer two hours a week are happier than those who don’t?

Happiness is elusive. We all want it, but we have a hard time gaining it and even harder time keeping it. Maybe we are looking in the wrong places. Jesus said,

“Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).
 
The poor are people who are broke, empty-handed, who have nothing and can offer nothing. To be poor in Spirit means you recognize you are spiritually bankrupt, it means you recognize your complete and utter need for God. You realize money didn’t buy you joy and having power or control didn’t give you happiness or peace.
 
If you want to experience a:
  • JOY that can’t be STOLEN,
  • PEACE that can’t be SHAKEN,
  • FULFILLMENT that isn’t MOMENTARY. 
You need to be filled with God. Nothing else will do.
 
So, you finally accept the truth. You realize that “I have to have God or I’m doomed. Nothing else matters, nothing else works.”
 
But you also realize that you are empty-handed, you have nothing to offer God to earn His favor but your life.

That’s being POOR in Spirit!
  
It’s saying, “I’ve got to have God.  I’m at the end of my rope.”
But when you’re at the end of your rope, you’re at the beginning of God’s hope!

And Jesus says, “I’ve got great news. When you’re poor in Spirit, you will be blessed because the Kingdom of Heaven is yours!”

In other words, when you’re desperate for God, you get God. In fact, you only get God when you are desperate for God.

When we give up and let God be in charge, He starts to fill us so we can have the life we’re created for. 
 
What are you desperate for?  Happiness? Companionship? To get out of the house? Lunch?
 
Are you desperate for God? Will you hold nothing back? Are you ready to say, “God I need you! Everything I have is yours. I will not keep you out of any part of my life. I will give up anything and everything you need me to give up, so that I can live the life you’ve been waiting to give me.”

Blessed are those who are desperate for God, for they get God!
 
This is the first commitment to experiencing life by Jesus and building happiness.
   
Blessed are those who make that choice.

Have you tried the Beatitudes Bible study we offer every Monday as we do our message series on the Sermon on the Mount? You can find the first two studies by clicking here .
Daily Salt and Light Suggestions
PRAY: We are going to launch a way for community neighbors to contact us and ask for prayer. Would you be willing to pray for the requests we receive? PLEASE CONTACT US IF INTERESTED and we will give you the details. We can't launch this until we have enough volunteers willing to pray.

ENCOURAGE: Join or launch a front window bear hunt for people walking or driving through the neighborhood (doesn’t have to be a bear). CLICK HERE to see what we mean. It works for adults, too.

CONNECT: Set up a little pantry outside your home and fill it with toilet paper and non-perishables .
We Can Still Serve Our Community!
Send a Thank You Note to Our Local Grocery Store Workers!
The people who are making sure we can buy food are also taking risks to do so. They interact with more people in an hour than most of us have interacted with in a month dramatically increasing their risk of catching COVID-19. Let's show them God's love by expressing our gratitude.

There are 103 employees at the Raley's on Pleasant Grove and Woodcreek Oaks. We have contacted the store and shared with them our idea and they gave us every employee's first name. Would you be willing to write a thank you note to a few of them? If enough of us do so, all 103 will be showered with appreciation, which they probably seldom receive, especially in writing.

Here's how:
  1. Contact the office at 1730pgccoffice@gmail.com
  2. Let us know how many cards you want to write (you provide the card or stationary)
  3. We will email you a list of names to write to and give you instructions on how to send the cards or notes.

It will cost you a little time. It may cost you a little money. But what price can you put on sharing the light of Christ and brightening someone's day?

Our hope is that all of you will participate!
Be Careful When You Forward This Email

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SHARE YOUR ART
Music by Wyley Wilkin
"Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel"
Click on arrow to watch and listen

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel, then why not every man

He delivered Daniel from the lion's den
Jonah from the belly of the whale
And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
Then why not every man

I set my foot on the gospel ship and the ship began to sail
It landed me over on Canaan's shore
and i'll never come back no more

Written by Paul Robeson

Do you have original art that you created yourself and would like to share? It can be paintings, drawings, crafts, sewing, photography, sock puppets...If so, send a picture of the piece to us at 1730pgccoffice@gmail.com .
FOOD BANK DONATIONS
This coming Sunday is when we would normally collect food for the St. Vincent DePaul Food Bank. The need there is unprecedented right now. We will collect food items all week long. Just drop off you nonperishable items in the grey container next to the doors on the west side of the church where the drive-thru portico is. Someone will pick up your donations each evening. Get your neighbors involved! Ask them to make donations as well and offer to pick them up and bring them to the church.

SHOPPING ASSISTANCE
If you are at high-risk and/or not able to do your own grocery shopping, please request assistance through the PGCC Shopping Assistance Program. If you need assistance, please call the church office at 916-771-4447 and someone will contact you to make arrangements.

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU
Do you need help? Someone to talk to? Running out of food or supplies? Please reach out and contact us. We are trying to make sure everyone in our congregation gets a call, just to check in, from someone else in our congregation, but it's a long list and sometimes we have the wrong information. You don't need to wait for a call, you can contact us. We are here for you.

STAY IN TOUCH
Call us at 916-771-4447 (If no one answers, please leave a message.)
Email us at  1730pgccoffice@gmail.com
Prayer Requests to  prayerandpraisetree@gmail.com
Write us at 1730 Pleasant Grove Blvd, Roseville, CA 95747.


Blessings, PGCC staff


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Pleasant Grove Community Church
1730 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville, CA 95747
(916) 771-4447 www.pgcc.church
Email: 1730pgccoffice@gmail.com