Scott Wilson

THIS SUNDAY is Palm Sunday and we’ll wrap up our series, The Gospel According to Jacob. We’ll look at Genesis 38, which is all about Jacob’s son, Judah, through whom passes the messianic line, leading all the way to Jesus. Like his dad, Judah is a mess in many ways. Because he’s a mess, he’s someone to whom all of us can relate!

One thing we’ll see is he has a tremendous blind spot. Blind spots are nothing new. We all have them.

Francis Spufford writes about the problem of blind spots: A study by a couple of researchers at the University of Toronto and at James Madison University in Virginia proved something that we may already know. The study, provocatively called “Cognitive Sophistication Does Not Attenuate the Bias Blind Spot,” concluded that we cut ourselves more slack than we give to others. No surprise there, right. But writing about this study in the New Yorker, Jonah Lehrer explains why we do this. He claims that we all have “bias blind spots” because there’s a mismatch between how we evaluate others and how we evaluate ourselves.  

Lehrer writes: When considering the irrational choices of a stranger, for instance, we are forced to rely on [how they behave]; we see their biases from the outside, which allows us to glimpse their [errors]. However, when assessing our own bad choices, we tend to engage in elaborate introspection. We [study] our motivations and search for relevant reasons; we lament our mistakes to therapists and ruminate on the beliefs that led us astray. 

As an example, if we drive crazy through traffic it’s because we have an important meeting or we don’t do it that often, and so forth. But if someone else cuts us off in traffic there’s one simple, observable explanation: he’s a jerk. Lehrer concludes “[our bias blind spots] are largely unconscious, which means they remain invisible to self-analysis and [resistant] to intelligence.” In other words, being smarter won’t help you see your own junk. As a matter of fact, more intelligence may add to the problem.

Sunday’s going to be a great day to be together for worship, learning, growing in our faith and love for Jesus and others. I look forward to seeing you! 

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE, APRIL 19, 7:00 PM: This hour-long service will focus on the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Invite others with our digital postcard. To do so, just click on the following link: goldcoastchurch.org/goodfridayinvite. Text it, with a personal note, to those in your contacts as well as post it on your social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 9:15 & 10:45 AM: We’re going to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the difference He makes in our lives! Text our digital postcard to family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors in your contacts to attend as well as post it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat: goldcoastchurch.org/easterinvite. (You may want to attend the 9:15 am service as the 10:45 am service is usually fuller.) Coffee and donuts will be available between the two services.

THIS SUNDAY we continue The Gospel According to Jacobseries by looking at Genesis 32. The message is entitled “Going to the Mat with God.” God goes toe-to-toe in an all-night wrestling match with Jacob and we’ll see 4 “moves” the Lord uses on Jacob and discover how he works in our lives today in those same ways. Invite a friend to join you!

RESCUE MISSION OUTREACH, SATURDAY, APRIL 6: Oxnard outreach is from 4:15-6:15 pm. To sign up, write “Rescue Mission” on your Connection Card this Sunday or go online to our website under the Get Connected tab. Contact Stuart Baker at 805.427.5528 or stuartbaker45@aol.com, if you have any questions.

PRAYER FOR MISSIONS, SUNDAY, APRIL 7: We gather in the Worship Center the first Sunday of each month after the 2nd service to pray for the missions and missionaries that Gold Coast supports. For more information, contact Mike or Lynne Yeaman at yeaman7@hotmail.com or 805.331.3899.

HIGHER GROUND HIKE, SATURDAY, APRIL 27: Higher Ground is hosting our first Spring hike at the Mt. McCoy trail in Simi Valley. Spring is here and the hills are alive again! This trail offers panoramic views in all directions, including the views of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the Channel Islands, Wood Ranch, and Old Boney Mountain. On the trail you’ll see multiple plant life, wildflowers, animal life and birds. A must see for nature lovers and kids! Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Distance: 5 miles | Dogs allowed on leashes Meet at Starbucks in Camarillo at the Las Posas Shopping Center at 8:30 am and will leave as a group by 8:45 am. Good hiking shoes, sunscreen, water, and a camera for pictures are recommended. Invite a friend or bring family members to share the experience. A complimentary continental breakfast will be served after the hike. Contact Margie Cantu at 805.660.1187 or mcantu830@verizon.net with any questions.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 6 TO 7 PM: We will gather with other local churches to pray for our nation at the Oxnard Beach Park.

THIS SUNDAY we continue the series, The Gospel According to Jacob. We’ll be looking at Genesis 29 and seeing how it shows, in the words of The Boss, that everybody’s got a hungry heart. We’ll see how the hunger manifests itself as well as the way God satisfies it. It’s an interesting passage, one in which Jacob meets his match in his uncle Laban. This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend!

UNSINKABLE, 2019 LADIES LUNCHEON: DEADLINE IS THIS SUNDAY TO REGISTER AND PAY. It takes place Saturday, March 30th, 10 am to 2 pm, Sterling Hills Country Club: Life is filled with all kinds of adventures. Rough waters, glassy seas, dark skies and dazzling sunrises. But even in the darkest moments– when it feels like we are drowning and might not survive–we can still find the HOPE that is an anchor for our souls. This is a hope that goes beyond circumstance, feeling, behavior, or strength; and one that carries us through any storm, making us truly unsinkable.

Cost: $39 per person. Register at church lobby or at www.goldcoastchurch.orgunder Give for Womens Luncheon. Questions, contact Lynn Knuth at alynknuth@aol.com or 805-443-4471.

About the luncheon’s speaker, Melissa Maimone: Melissa teaches women that an authentic life in Christ can be messy and magnificent at the exact same time. Melissa provides down-to-earth lessons, practical applications, and life-changing perspectives to real women who are living real lives in the midst of real problems. With her unique blend of theology, humor, and lessons from her own battle with depression, Melissa provides down-to-earth lessons, practical application, and life-changing perspectives.

PRAYER TIME EVERY SUNDAY MORNING: You’re invited to Sunday morning Prayer Time from 8:30-9:00 am in the Youth Room every Sunday! Come for a couple of minutes or stay longer. This is open to everyone! Prayer cards with suggested topics will be available – you can pray aloud or silently. You can contact Anne Romero if you have any questions at anne2grace@gmail.

TIME CHANGE IS THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 10: Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 AM Sunday, March 10th. Mark your calendar to turn your clocks AHEAD one hour before going to bed on TOMORROW NIGHT, Saturday, March 9.

THIS SUNDAY we continue the series we began last Sunday, The Gospel According to Jacob. We’ll be looking at Genesis 28, in which Jacob has a dream and sees a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven. We’ll see, among a number of things that, contrary to Led Zeppelin’s song, it can’t be bought. God speaks and Jacob responds. There’s a lot in the passage. I encourage you to read it before we come together on Sunday.

UNSINKABLE, 2019 LADIES LUNCHEON, STERLING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, SATURDAY, MARCH 30TH, 10 AM TO 2 PM: Life is filled with all kinds of adventures. Rough waters, glassy seas, dark skies and dazzling sunrises. But even in the darkest moments– when it feels like we are drowning and might not survive–we can still find the HOPE that is an anchor for our souls. This is a hope that goes beyond circumstance, feeling, behavior, or strength; and one that carries us through any storm, making us truly unsinkable.

Cost: $39 per person. Register at church lobby or at www.goldcoastchurch.org. Questions, contact Lynn Knuth at alynknuth@aol.com or 805-443-4471.

About the luncheon’s speaker, Melissa Maimone: Melissa teaches women that an authentic life in Christ can be messy and magnificent at the exact same time. Melissa provides down-to-earth lessons, practical applications, and life-changing perspectives to real women who are living real lives in the midst of real problems. With her unique blend of theology, humor, and lessons from her own battle with depression, Melissa provides down-to-earth lessons, practical application, and life-changing perspectives.

THIS SUNDAY we begin a new series of messages we’re calling The Gospel According to Jacob. Just like in the last series with Abraham, we’ll get glimpses of Jesus and the Father’s redemptive work that points to him in Jacob’s life and experience.  This Sunday we begin the series by looking at Genesis 25:19-34 as well as chapter 27, seeing how Jacob both bought the birthright from his older brother Esau and stole the blessing from Isaac, his dad. Many Christians live in spiritual poverty. They are entitled to the blessings of God, but they are not aware of their birthright. It reminds me of the following story that Dr. Bill Bright told of a famous oil field called Yates Pool:

“During the depression this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates wasn’t able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on government subsidy.

Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills. Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.

At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large. In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.

And Mr. Yates owned it all. The day he purchased the land he had received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he’d been living on relief. A multimillionaire living in poverty. The problem? He didn’t know the oil was there even though he owned it.”

I’m looking forward to unpacking the passage with you, discovering what’s so blessed about the blessing of our birthright that we have in Jesus. This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend to join you at Gold Coast!

PRAYER FOR MISSIONS THIS SUNDAY: On the first Sunday of each month, please gather in the Worship Center after the 2nd service to pray for the missions and missionaries that Gold Coast supports. Contact Mike or Lynne Yeaman at yeaman7@hotmail.com or 805.331.3899 for more information.

EASTER WORSHIP CHOIR BEGINS THIS THURSDAY, MARCH 7: Every Thursday night from 6:30-7:30 pm during the months of March and April, the Worship Choir will be meeting in the Youth Room. We’ll be exploring worship through the use of our voices and challenging ourselves to bring worship into the lives we live every day while preparing to sing for our Easter services. All are welcome. NO TRY OUTS! Sign up in the lobby this Sunday. Contact Rachel Sutherland at 805.218.2809 (text or call) for more information.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY COVE UPDATE:

We are excited about something new taking place here at Gold Coast Church that we have prayed about for quite some time.

DAY OF MOURNING, TOMORROW, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 11 AM TO NOON: A number of pastors and others from area churches are gathering to pray for and mourn on behalf of the unborn and those who have been affected by abortion. I invite you to join us that hour to pray. I am wearing black and refraining from commerce that day. It will take place at Oxnard State Beach Park, 1601 S. Harbor Blvd., Oxnard. We’ll meet on the grass near the entrance to the beach.

OFFRAMP AT DEL NORTE CLOSED THIS SUNDAY: The NORTHBOUND 101 offramp at Del Norte will be closed from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm this Sunday, February 24th. If you’re driving to Gold Coast on the 101 from Camarillo, get off at the Rice Avenue exit and double back on the 101. (The southbound offramp for Del Norte will be open.

THIS SUNDAY we wrap up our The Gospel According to Abraham series by looking at Genesis 22, unpacking the greatest test of Abraham’s faith in God. It’s been quite a journey through Abraham’s life and this Sunday will be no exception. Invite a friend to join you at Gold Coast this Sunday morning!

REMINDER- DISCOVERING SPIRITUAL MATURITY TAKES PLACE THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24 in the Youth Room, from 4 to 7 PM. If you signed up for it, this is your reminder! Contact Darrell Foote at dfoote07@verizon.net or 805.660.3061, if you have any questions.

EASTER WORSHIP CHOIR BEGINS THURSDAY, MARCH 7: Every Thursday night from 6:30-7:30 pm during the months of March and April, the Worship Choir will be meeting in the Youth Room. We’ll be exploring worship through the use of our voices and challenging ourselves to bring worship into the lives we live every day while preparing to sing for our Easter services. All are welcome. NO TRY OUTS! Sign up in the lobby this Sunday. Contact Rachel Sutherland at 805.218.2809 (text or call) for more information.

BOOK OF MARK STUDY STARTS THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28: What makes Christianity good news? Who is Jesus? What is his mission? How are we to respond to him and that mission? An 8-week study on the book of Mark begins on Thursday, February 28. Do you have a friend you want to introduce to Jesus? This study gives us a fresh look at the answers to these questions. This mixed (men and women) LIFE Group will be meeting from 10:00-11:30 am at Lillian Ruan’s home- 901 Paseo Brisas Lindas, Oxnard. Call Lillian at 805.988.1282 for the gate code. Contact Donna Beeson at rebeesonbob@gmail.com, if you have any questions.

UNSINKABLE, 2019 LADIES LUNCHEON, Sterling Hills Country Club, Saturday, March 30th: 10 a.m to 2 p.m: Life is filled with all kinds of adventures. Rough waters, glassy seas, dark skies and dazzling sunrises. But even in the darkest moments– when it feels like we are drowning and might not survive–we can still find the HOPE that is an anchor for our souls. This is a hope that goes beyond circumstance, feeling, behavior, or strength; and one that carries us through any storm, making us truly unsinkable.

THIS SUNDAY we continue our series, “The Gospel According to Abraham.” We’ll walk through Genesis 20. I encourage you to read it before Sunday. It’s encouraging to me that all of our heroes of the faith in the Bible are imperfect, with clay of feet, who desperately need God and his grace:

Moses and David were both murderers.

Elijah was suicidal.

Jacob was a cheater.

Peter denied Jesus three times, was a hypocrite and a racist.

Jesus’ disciples fell asleep on him when he could have used them the most.

Paul persecuted and killed Christians.

On Sunday, we’ll see how Abraham fails yet again. It’s so good to know Jesus doesn’t call the equipped- he equips the called; that he loves us just the way we are, “warts” and all, but he loves us too much to allow us to stay that way.  This will be a great Sunday to invite others to join you at Gold Coast!

DAY OF MOURNING, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 11 AM TO NOON: A number of pastors and others from area churches are gathering to pray for and mourn on behalf of the unborn, their parents and families.I invite you and others to join us that hour to pray. I am wearing black and refraining from commerce that day. It will take place at Oxnard State Beach Park, 1601 S. Harbor Blvd., Oxnard. Meet on the grass near the entrance to the beach.

DISCOVERING SPIRITUAL MATURITY, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24: Because spiritual growth is not automatic, the 201 Class helps believers establish habits that promote spiritual growth, such as prayer, time in God’s word, spending time with other believers, and stewardship. Meet in the Youth Room from 4:00-7:30 pm. Dinner will be available. Be sure to sign up by writing “201 Class” on your Connection Card this Sunday or go online. Contact Darrell Foote at dfoote07@verizon.net or 805.660.3061, if you have any questions.

BOOK OF MARK STUDY STARTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28: What makes Christianity good news? Who is Jesus? What is his mission? How are we to respond to him and that mission? An 8-week study on the book of Mark begins on Thursday, February 28. Do you have a friend you want to introduce to Jesus? This study gives us a fresh look at the answers to these questions. This mixed (men and women) LIFE Group will be meeting from 10:00-11:30 am at Lillian Ruan’s home- 901 Paseo Brisas Lindas, Oxnard. Call Lillian at 805.988.1282 for the gate code. Contact Donna Beeson at rebeesonbob@gmail.com, if you have any questions.

TODAY some of our youth and their leaders head up to Angeles Crest Christian Camp for the weekend. It is the annual winter camp. Please pray for safety as they travel up and down the mountain as well as for the time they’re there. Pray also that God uses this time in a powerful way to draw them closer to him, to each other as well as to the work of Jesus in and through their lives.

THIS SUNDAY, in our series, “The Gospel According to Abraham,” we find ourselves in Genesis 19. We’ll be looking at Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As we’ll see, Genesis 19 is not a biblical passage primarily about homosexuality. No question the people of Sodom had a problem with it, but, as we’ll see, they were tripped up by a lot of other things as well. We’re actually going to “go to school” on Lot and his spiritual lukewarmth. Lot teaches us a lot about the difference between living an uncompromised life and a compromised one. This would be a great Sunday to invite friends and neighbors to join you at Gold Coast!

SAVE THE DATE- SATURDAY, MARCH 30: Ladies, please mark your calendars for this year’s Ladies Luncheon at Sterling Hills Golf Course with guest speaker Melissa Mamoine. Signups start at the end of this month.

DISCOVERING SPIRITUAL MATURITY, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24: Because spiritual growth is not automatic, the 201 Class helps believers establish habits that promote spiritual growth, such as prayer, time in God’s word, spending time with other believers, and stewardship. Meet in the Youth Room from 4:00-7:30 pm. Dinner will be available. Be sure to sign up by writing “201 Class” on your Connection Card this Sunday or go online. Contact Darrell Foote at dfoote07@verizon.net or 805.660.3061, if you have any questions.

ABORTION UP TO BIRTH NOW LEGAL: The following article is from John Ensor, president of PassionLife. PassionLife trains missionaries and indigenous Christian leaders in biblical bioethics and pregnancy crisis intervention in countries suffering the highest rates of abortion worldwide.

New York has legalized abortion up to birth, and beyond. It is now legal to neglect, choke, or smother a baby that somehow survived the lethal injection and knife cuts designed to kill during the abortion procedure. 

To put a fine point on it, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) on January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. This law legalizes abortion in New York throughout all nine months of pregnancy, even up to dilation. It repeals the safeguard requiring all abortions be performed by a licensed physician. It decriminalizes all state abortion laws, and it removes all rights and protections from the unborn by defining a “person” as “a human being who has been born and is alive.” Even this definition, however, is revoked for the child who is accidentally born alive. 

THIS SUNDAY we’re looking at Genesis chapter 18 in our message series The Gospel According to Abraham. We’ll look at how Abraham pleads to God to spare the city of Sodom from destruction. There’s much to learn from both Abraham’s attitude and actions, as well as the deeper thing that God was communicating to Abraham about His own character.  This would be a great Sunday to invite someone to join you at Gold Coast!

BUDDY TRAINING, TOMORROW, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2: Play games and have some fun by being a Buddy or Buddy Helper to a special needs child (our VIPs) at Buddy Break, a free respite program for parents of children with special needs. Buddy Training is from 9-11 am. No previous experience is necessary, just a willing heart to go through the training and have a background check run at no cost to you. Buddy Break is the 2nd Saturday of most months. Sign up online at our website.

RESCUE MISSION OUTREACH, TOMORROW, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2: Oxnard outreach is from 4:15-6:15 pm. To sign up, go online to our website under the Get Connected tab. Contact Stuart Baker at 805.427.5528 or stuartbaker45@aol.com, if you have any questions.

PRAYER FOR MISSIONS, THISSUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3: On the first Sunday of each month, please gather in the Worship Center after the 2nd service to pray for the missions and missionaries that Gold Coast supports. Contact Mike or Lynne Yeaman at yeaman7@hotmail.com or 805.331.3899 for more information.

OPENING ON THE COMMUNION PREPARATION TEAM: Do you attend the 9:15 AM worship service on Sundays? There’s an opening on the Communion Preparation team for the fourth week each month.  You’ll prepare communion trays and light candles in the worship center, which take about 30 minutes. We have couples, singles, and families serving. To find out more, please contact Lynn Knuth, 805.443.4471 or Darrell Foote, 805.660.3061.

SAVE THE DATE- SATURDAY, MARCH 30: Ladies, please mark your calendars for this year’s Ladies Luncheon at Sterling Hills Golf Course with guest speaker Melissa Mamoine. Signups start at the end of this month.

TOMORROW morning we’re looking at Genesis chapter 16 in our message series The Gospel According to Abraham. We’ll learn some important things about how God listens, sees and knows about us and the difference that makes.

BUDDY TRAINING, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2: Play games and have some fun by being a Buddy or Buddy Helper to a special needs child (our VIPs) at Buddy Break, a free respite program for parents of children with special needs. Buddy Training is from 9-11 am. No previous experience is necessary, just a willing heart to go through the training and have a background check run at no cost to you. Buddy Break is the 2nd Saturday of most months. Sign up by writing “Buddy” on your Connection Card tomorrow or go online to our website. Contact Tana Seufert at tana@goldcoastchurch.org or 805.485.5433 with any questions.

RESCUE MISSION OUTREACH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2: Oxnard outreach is from 4:15-6:15 pm. To sign up, write “Rescue Mission” _on your Connection Card or go online to our website under the Get Connected tab. Contact Stuart Baker at 805.427.5528 or stuartbaker45@aol.com, if you have any questions.

PRAYER FOR MISSIONS, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3: On the first Sunday of each month, please gather in the Worship Center after the 2nd service to pray for the missions and missionaries that Gold Coast supports. Contact Mike or Lynne Yeaman at yeaman7@hotmail.com or 805.331.3899 for more information.