First or Last

THE PARABLES OF JESUS
This week our study takes us to Matthew 20 where the workers in the vineyard are not treated equally. Those who worked the last hour of the day received the same wage as those who worked the entire day. Crazy stuff. Then He ends with this statement, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” What does it all mean? We’ll sort it out on Sunday.

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Christmas Eve service will be at 5:00pm. with communion. Christmas Day service will be at 9:00, 10:30, and noon with beautiful music and a wonderful expression of praise to God for His amazing love. Come and worship Jesus with me.

CLEAN SLATE
2012 provides an opportunity to begin the year with a clean slate. Our focus in January comes from the book of Philippians. We are going to learn how to turn disappointments into victories and grumbling into thanksgiving.

Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Pastor Rick

God & Prayer

SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE

Five more exciting performances of the Singing Christmas Tree this weekend. It's not too late to get in on it. Kick off your Christmas celebrations with this wonderful Sacramento tradition. This is our 55th consecutive year of presenting the Christmas story this way.

PARABLES OF JESUS

How do you deal with the disappointments of life? The parable of the persistent widow provides insights that are inspiring and potentially life changing. I'm looking forward to a special time in God's presence with you on Sunday.

CHRISTMAS WEEKEND

Our Christmas Eve service will take place at 5:00pm and Christmas Day we will have our regular Sunday morning schedule with services at 9:00, 10:30, and noon. When making your plans for Christmas it would be great to include family worship at Capital. No better way to celebrate the greatest gift ever given!

Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.

Pastor Rick

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Eve services this week are going to be amazing!! The Annie Moses Band brings their joyous spirit and exceptional music talents to CCC. It will be an hour of inspiration that will stay with you into 2011. There are two options to choose from at 4:00 or 6:00 pm.

Then, we continue our celebration on Sunday with more from the Annie Moses Band, an incredible video review of 2010 with some surprise guests, and a message of hope. Let's finish the year strong and with vision for what is ahead.

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Rick

Preparations for Christmas

We are in the midst of preparations for Christmas with friends and family. The big priority the next couple days is making sure our house is ready for our staff and board Christmas party on Friday night. We are looking forward to joyful times with friends and co-workers. Then, getting gifts mailed to Cathy’s family in Colorado to get there on time for Christmas and to Nate and Lisa in New York. Not to forget a special birthday dinner on Tuesday for my Dad’s 77th birthday. Good times with four generations of family. Then, we will be serving on Wednesday night at Port in a Storm as we care for the homeless on these stormy winter nights.

Christmas Eve is going to be incredible as we welcome the Annie Moses Band as our special guests at 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. It will be a musical and spiritual experience that will be remembered all year.

This is going to be the first Christmas that one of our kids will not be with us. Nate and Lisa have a busy work schedule surrounding Christmas and it simply doesn’t work for them to make the trip west. It’s been 29 straight years of having our whole family together. Now we will have to make it happen through Skype. This is when you realize the true joys and meaning of Christmas are all about relationships. Our relationship with Jesus is a miraculous blessing and then the love He gives us for others is a deep well of meaning.

I’m looking forward to Sunday as we focus our attention on the New Beginnings made possible through the gift of Jesus coming to earth. He makes all things new!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.

Pastor Rick

Merry Christmas!

We had a great time with our family Sunday night celebrating my Dad's 75th birthday. He is such an inspiration to us with his zest for life and passion to help others connect with God. We are a blessed family because of him.

Great times to look forward to this week: Our Christmas Eve candlelight and communion service begins at 6pm on Wednesday night. It is always a heart-warming evening as we reflect on the birth of our Savior. Then, Sunday we welcome the Annie Moses Band as our guests for our morning services and a full concert next Wednesday for New Year's Eve. It will be a wonderful way to end the year and celebrate the greatness of our God!

I pray God's best for you and those you love. If you were unable to be with us this past Sunday, I would encourage you to watch the message online and be encouraged by all the gifts that are yours through relationship with Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

Together . . . Continuing the Dream,

Pastor Rick