Greetings Wayside Family,

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. 

The Lord is near. 

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in every situation,

by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your request to God.” –Philippians 4:4-6

I have had the amazing privilege of serving here at Wayside Chapel as the Office Manager (and Receptionist) for over a year, and it has truly been one of the BEST years of my life.  That is because of all of you, and how the Lord is at work here.  As many of you may know, my husband Jon and I, along with our almost 3-year-old daughter Esme, are going to welcome our new baby son into this world in the first week of June.  With this new season of life upon our family, the Lord has called me to stay at home with our new son, and leave my position working here at Wayside.  Although I am so extremely grateful to be able to stay at home, I am also filled with true sadness to leave this position at the church that I have grown to love so much. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank you, Wayside Family, for welcoming me, and blessing me with your love, generosity, prayers, wisdom, and friendship.  I want to especially thank Pastors Dave and Brian, fellow staff, AMAZING volunteers, and Ministry Leaders for encouraging me, supporting me, and teaching me just what it means to live, love, and give as Christ did, as well as forever changing my life to truly bring every ounce of my being to the feet of Jesus, and live for Him alone, dependent in EVERY way.  I’m so humbled to have been able to work in such amazing fellowship here and truly have nothing but a thankful heart for this experience. 

Chelsea Dyas is the new Office Manager and is going to be a wonderful blessing to Wayside with her love for the Lord, His people, and beautiful personality.  Although it is so difficult for me to leave this position, I know that it could not be in better hands than hers.  J  Please introduce yourselves to her if you don’t already know her.

I so greatly adore the Lord’s precious Word, and although my Bible is highlighted with favorite verses from front to back, I wanted to close this email with one of the most powerful verses I have clung to this past year.   I love that each verse is short and sweet.  I encourage you to meditate over each verse below. 

“ ¹⁶ Rejoice always,

¹⁷ pray continually,

¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In Humble Admiration of His Love,

Jen Beich

BACK TO THE BASICS

By Pastor Dave Zimbelman 

If you had 24 hours to live, what will you do? Most people will spend that precious time with their loved ones. You will not be in the stock market trying to make another million or checking your bank accounts to see how much money you are leaving behind. It shows that the things we value most in life are our relationships with our loved ones. 

Is it the same with our relationship with God? If we knew we would be meeting God face to face in 24 hours would one of our greatest regrets be that we don’t know Him well because we did not spend enough time in His presence in prayer and worship?

MANY ARE BUSY, SOME ARE BUSY BODIES BUT FEW ARE BUSY IN PRAYER

Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

IF WE ARE TOO BUSY TO PRAY, WE ARE TOO BUSY.

One of the greatest distractions in worship is music itself. Many have made an idol of Hymns or praise and worship songs. Much of church worship today has degenerated into seeking to satisfy our own preferences of music style rather than seeking the presence of God.

SOME FOCUS ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE SERVICE MORE THAN THEY FOCUS ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Matt Redman is one of UK’s top songwriters. In his song “The Heart of Worship”, he shares about what God spoke to him. They were so distracted with their music that for several weeks, they worshipped God without any music. I wonder how many people will leave the church if we decide one day to throw away all the musical instruments.

“The Heart of Worship,” by Matt Redman

“When the music fades and all is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring something that’s of worth

That will bless Your heart

I’ll bring You more than a song, For a song in itself

Is not what You have desired

You search much deeper within,

Through the way things appear

You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to the heart of worship

When it’s all about You, Jesus.

MUSIC IS THE VEHICLE THAT BRINGS US INTO GOD’S PRESENCE. BUT WE HAVE GLORIFIED THE VEHICLE MORE THAN WE HAVE GLORIFED GOD.

In Amos 5:23, God rejected all the songs that Israel brought to Him because their lives were not right. They were worshipping idols and at the same time that they were worshipping God. This is what God says to Israel through the prophet Amos, “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.”

God was more interested in lives changed than beautiful songs. Let’s get back to the basic of seeking God’s presence through prayer and worship.

Precept Bible study taught by Nancy Zimbelman has begun a spiritual journey that has reached in and touched every part of my life. It has been such a blessing to dig in to God’s word and experience Him working in my life. Nancy has faithfully brought this study to us on Thursday mornings.

I have just completed my third precept study called ‘Marriage Without Regret’s.’ This study has personally blessed my marriage and has taught me the roles in marriage that God designed for men and women. Living within these roles has helped me to establish and build a healthy marriage and family life. This study has also affected me with how important the matters of the heart reflect my relationship with God and others.  

In the Precept Bible studies I have learned the method of Inductive Bible Study.  I have learned to slow down and focus on what God’s word is saying.

·         This first step is called Observation.

·         The second step is Interpretation. Not what I think the Bible is saying but really discovering what the text is saying. Sometimes this requires a word study. I have learned how to use tools that help me find a deeper and clearer meaning of a word. One of these tools is the blue letter Bible. This tool helps me discover what the text is saying and makes the true meaning of the text understandable.

·         The third step is application. After I have carefully read and studied God’s word I can then apply this knowledge to my own personal life. 

As a student of the Precept Bible study I would like to encourage all women to come to our next class starting Thursday, March 1^st at 10:00 am at Wayside Chapel (childcare is provided!). We will be studying 1 Thessalonians. This study will feed your soul!

Grace be with you all,

Andrea Goetzelman

What an exciting way to start the 2012 year here at AWANA. On January 28^th we attended our first AWANA event of the 2012 year. AWANA Bible Quizzing! What a wonderful event this was. Over 130 T&T kids from Rosamond went to Bakersfield ready and willing to recite verses from memory, answer questions based on the Bible as well as stand up proud to represent their Church and Club.  What an amazing experience it was for me the new AWANA director to sit proudly and watch as our kids shined like bright little stars radiating the knowledge within their hearts.  AWANA is such a wonderful program to be a part of; teaching kids to hide GOD’S word in their hearts. That’s what we have done for the kids that attended this event and all the other kids that attend the many AWANA groups around the world.

Our kids did such a great job!

Our 3^rd grade boys Book one team, Jacob T. and Andrew C., came home with 1^st place. Kevin R. took 2^nd in Book two 4^th grade boys. Kaitlyn R. and Elanna J. brought home 1^st place in 3^rd grade girls Book one. Kaitlyn also won Quizzing Master and Highest Honors. Highest Honors meaning PERFECT SCORE!

Caleb B. took 1^st place in 5^th grade boys as well as Quizzing master.

What a blessing it is to see the kids’ hard work payoff in such a positive way. It certainly makes all the hard work that we as leaders do on a week-to-week basis so worth our time and effort. Many of us love these kids like our own, and knowing that they truly hide GOD’S words in their heart is a reason for all to celebrate.

We have many more events coming up this year. And being our 20^th year anniversary we have many reasons to celebrate. On that note if you or someone you know has served in AWANA here at Wayside Chapel, please contact Yanet Coombes the AWANA Director at waysideawana@yahoo.com for details about this big event.

I look forward to sharing our Blessings with you!

In Him,

Yanet Coombes

AWANA Director

Before You Say “I Do”

From Nathan Ash

Marriage is just as much a fad today as it was in Noah’s time, you know, just before they closed the door on the only vessel in the middle of the desert that could float. The problem was never with God’s institution of marriage, a holy and blessed union of one man and one woman, but with our desire to objectify marriage as one of our many social experiments. Now, this simple plan to glorify God has morphed into something that is cliché and pathetic.

Exhibit A: The Kardashian Marriage

Have we ever had a bigger scam than this “made for television” disaster? The amount of money and resources used on this 74-day joke could feed an entire country in Africa for a couple of years. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the most devastating consequence; the entire tradition of marriage went on life support. We already live in a country that thinks marriage is irrelevant and unnecessary. Those two irrational ‘celebrities’ just confirmed what an entire generation already felt. Marriage is an experiment, if it doesn’t work, we move on. The sacred union of God’s creation is now nothing more than the return policy at Macy’s.  If you don’t like it take it back for a full refund.

The same lame excuses Moses heard in the wilderness exist today for dissolving a marriage. Irreconcilable differences?  Really? Could you imagine if God gave up on us the way we give up on each other? We had some serious irreconcilable difference. We were children of sin and He was the Holy Living God who could not even look on sin. Talk about irreconcilable differences. Yet he never gave up on us, he pursued us like we were His only son. That is what a marriage should consist of. Two people who are willing to take the next step to being closer to God. If the marriage is built on anything else, it will not prosper. God is clear on his feelings for divorce, He hates it.

So what is it we should consider before taking this leap of faith? While I don’t fancy myself a marriage expert, I have been married for seven years now, and I have seen many marriages in my life that have worked and seen just as many fail. I’ve also studied the Biblical scenarios, and what the Bible teaches, and it is clear marriage is an act of worship. Here are my top five things to consider before saying ‘I do’.

1. Consecrate yourselves.

We see a beautiful picture of worship in the Old Testament where the priests would literally spend hours preparing themselves to worship Jehovah. This act is repeated by the angels themselves in Job, where the Bible says they were consecrating themselves when Satan walked in to petition God. Why is this important? Because marriage is stepping into a deeper relationship with God. It makes you accountable for not just yourself, but also your significant other. It should not be taken lightly, but both of the parties involved should spend significant time in prayer and contemplation. This is a permanent decision, not a spontaneous ‘Thelma & Louise’ moment. Couples who jump in with no preparation end up driving their marriage off a cliff. Humble yourselves to the vast reality of this truth: Marriage is permanent. You will become one flesh. Dwell on that, and consider the holiness of this action.

2. Be Madly in Love with each other.

Pretty obvious right? Well the truth is many couples have lofty ideas about marriage because of the culture we live in. Especially in this world of “the church”. We are strong defenders of marriage, almost compelling our young people to pursue it as our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal should be to pursue a relationship with God. A loving passionate relationship with God sets the stage for a loving passionate relationship with your significant other. You see past the illusions of lust, security, and worldly pressure and you marry the person God meant for you to be with.

3. Have a firm financial footing.

This is almost as obvious as love, but it persists today as the number one relationship problem. Notice I didn’t say, ‘wait until you get rich’. Most of us would never get married if we had to wait until we were wealthy. In fact most married couples I know start out with very little possessions and barely anything in their bank account. The key is a fundamental understanding of your personal finances, and how you as a couple will manage them. Having a joint or separate checking account, financial long and short term goals, and debt are all issues that must be discussed before a marriage, not after. This may all seem like common sense, but statistics show it is not quite so common.

4. Leave doubts and regrets in the past.

 How many of us still cling to doubt and problems from our past? Guess what? They are still there, in the past, leave them there. Marriage is a clean slate for both of you; there will be enough problems in the present to keep you occupied. These doubts are the seeds of a relationship that lacks trust. A lack of trust means you are not ready to get married yet. That is not a bad thing; again, it is better to see problems and issues before the marriage, not after. So whatever it is that bothers you about your partner, let it go. Chances are they already have.

5. Establish a spiritual foundation.

Foundations are everything. Without a solid foundation the very building you are sitting in right now would collapse. It is important to understand that Christian marriages fail almost as much as non-Christian marriages. We are not immune to heart-break, disappointment, and complete failure. There are many reasons for this, one of them being couples who are unequally yoked. If you marry somebody who is a weak Christian and you are strong, they will bring you down. Marriage is not the place to bring up someone spiritually, but inevitably many couples forge forward trying to influence their significant other to mature. They believe if they are married they will be able to influence the weaker partner. Unfortunately, if they can’t get their spiritual house in order before a marriage, it is very unlikely to happen after you say ‘I do’.  Remember marriage is a sacred promise between you and your partner, a spiritual act of worship that is not to be taken lightly. If the foundation to your marriage is anything but Jesus Christ, when the storms of life inevitably come it becomes very difficult to weather them.

Remember what we learned last Sunday:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalms 127:1a NIV

Understanding the DNA of Relationships

When you and I look around, we see countless relationships that need a miracle. Every day we see shattered relationships—husbands and wives, parents and children, sisters and brothers, neighbors and co- workers who aren’t talking to each other, who intentionally or unintentionally hurt each other. You know what I’m talking about.

Relationship pain keeps growing in our country, but it doesn’t have to. The best way to address this crisis is to understand how God designed us to live, to understand our relational DNA. Just as understanding our physical DNA reveals the mysteries of how our bodies work, understanding our relational DNA unlocks the miracles and mysteries of how our relationships work.

What is the DNA of relationships? It is simply the genetic relationship code with which we were created. It’s our relational hardwiring. It’s the unalterable, immutable relationship truth that is true for all people, for all times. It started with Adam and Eve, which when we look at it is the account of us all, and has continued throughout the history of the human race.

THE DNA OF RELATIONSHIPS IS OUR RELATIONAL HARDWIRING.

DNA Code: This DNA code is made up of three profound strands.

1)    You are made for relationships

2)    You are made with the capacity to choose

3)    You are made to take responsibility for yourself.

Relationships change when people understand the relational DNA and then apply the principles to their relationships. Be looking for further information about the DNA of Relationship class in the days ahead.

Shalom, Mike Gulley

A Father’s Wisdom

The book of Proverbs has much to say to us about our families.  And, given that Solomon, a man famous for his wisdom (2 Chron. 1:7-12), wrote a significant portion of Proverbs, it would be wise for us to listen.  This week we will look at the importance of fatherly instruction.  The first seven chapters of Proverbs are addressed to Solomon’s sons and are an insight into what godly, fatherly advice looks like and an indication of where real wisdom comes from. 

When we think of our own upbringings and how our fathers raised us (or didn’t raise us), I’m sure mixed feelings abound.  For some of us, the advice and wisdom from our fathers ring in our heads even today.  For others, fatherly advice was few and far between, and we cherished whatever wisdom was given to us.  Still, there are others who never knew their fathers for any number of reasons.  Whatever our memories and whatever our feelings when it comes to our fathers, the Bible is clear that fatherly wisdom, when rooted in God, is itself a direct extension of God’s own wisdom. 

As mentioned earlier, Solomon addresses the first seven chapters of Proverbs to his sons (1:8, 15; 2:1; 3:1, 11; 4:1, 10, 20; 5:1; 6:1, 20; 7:1, 24).  His instruction ranges from avoiding sin and the “adulteress woman” to pursuing wisdom, honoring God and working hard.  Solomon’s desire to instruct his sons in the way they should live should be an example to all fathers.  In fact, it should be an example to all parents.  Instructing your children is a great thing and instructing them in the Lord is priceless.

In Proverbs 1:7, Solomon indicates where his wisdom comes from: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  The fear of the Lord is the foundation for all real knowledge, wisdom and instruction.  Why is that?  It is because when we truly realize how great and awesome and powerful God is, we will fear Him.  This fear is not a crippling, there’s-a-monster-in-my-closet fear.  This is a fear of God motivates us so that we 1) realize His power, 2) realize our sinfulness and 3) establish Him as King and us as His people.  Through this fear, our dependence on Him and our humility before Him become evident.  Through this fear, God is able to speak to us as our Master and we are able to listen as His servants.  And, as this verse indicates, those who choose to ignore the truth about God (His sovereignty, His wisdom, His power) are fools.  In fact, one could argue from this verse that any wisdom and knowledge that doesn’t begin with a humble heart before God the King is foolishness.

So fathers (and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers), where does your instruction to your children come from?  The evil ways of this world?  Life experience?  Second hand advice?  Or from the Creator of the universe?  Let Solomon’s instruction be an encouragement to you.  Let it encourage you to pass on wisdom and knowledge to your children.  Let it motivate you to instruct your children in the proper ways of life.  And let it humble you in your efforts to find true wisdom, knowledge and instruction in the Lord, Himself.  Our prayers are with you fathers (and parents) as you seek to instruct your children in the knowledge and wisdom of our Heavenly Father.  God bless you all!

Clayton Dyas

Family Foundations

Ephesians 5:1-6:4

The family is the most basic unit of all society.  The stronger the family unit, the stronger our church and our witness into our community will be.  That is one of the reasons I chose to lead Wayside Chapel through the “Family Foundations” series.  The growth and vitality of the church depends on the health of its families.  If stability and fruitfulness are being experienced in the home, individuals not only flourish, but the church body becomes stronger!

The Family Foundations series will last for six weeks and covers the following subjects:

·         Marriages that Last

·         Marriage Killers

·         What Parents Owe Their Children

·         What Children Owe Their Parents

·         Consider These Things Before Saying I DO

·         Consider These Things Before Saying I QUIT.

I encourage you to take the principles and lessons of these messages and apply them in your own life and in the life of your family.  Let’s see what God can do as we seek to honor Him by working together to strengthen our families and our church.

Blessings,

Pastor Dave

Winter Camp is on the way!

Jr. High camp is just around the corner. The date for Jr. High camp is January 27^th-29^th.

We are looking forward to an exciting week of camp this year. Please pray that God moves in an amazing way this weekend. He has already blessed us so much this year, and I know that winter camp will be the catalyst to another year of blessings for our youth group.

There is plenty to do up there, including wakeboarding, ice skating, broom hockey, and of course the famous Boxsled Blitz! In addition to all that, there is awesome worship and great speakers, bringing our young people closer to God, and helping them realize the life they have in Christ.

Jr. High Camp Deposit is Due January 5^th.

The deposit this year is $75. If you cannot meet this deposit, please talk to Nathan Ash ASAP to work out arrangements. If you need to apply for a scholarship you should contact Nathan Ash or Eric Mendoza as soon as possible so they can secure some scholarship money. We have limited space this year, only 20 spots were made available, so please be pro-active about returning this form with the Deposit. 

Total cost is $175, due the day we leave for camp.

Sr. High Camp is February 24^th-26^th.

The deposit of $75 for Winter Camp is due January 19^th.  Scholarship inquiries should be turned in to Eric Mendoza or Nathan Ash.

Total cost is $175, due the day we leave for camp.

Please hand the deposit money directly to Eric Mendoza or Nathan Ash.

You can also drop them off at the church office (661.256.9222). Please do not put the deposit in the offering.

Contact Information-

Nathan Ash Email:  ndavidash@gmail.com

Eric Mendoza Email:  ericlilalissa@sbcglobal.net

(The form to fill out is below)

We look forward to a great time this year, and pray that God moves in a mighty way.

Nathan Ash

Winter_Camp_Form_2012.docx Download this file