We would love to have you join us Friday, June 5th, at 244 Berding Street in Ferndale for an evening of community, friendship, challenging Biblical teaching and discussion, prayer for one another, and some amazing coffee. Dinner/coffee time begins at 6:00.

For our teaching/discussion time (starting around 7:00 pm), we will tune in once again to the Trial: 8 Witnesses from 1&2 Peter series from Mars Hill Church in Seattle. This week we’ll be looking at 2 Peter 1:1-4 . In this video sermon, entitled “Faith In Your New Birth,” Pastor Mark Driscoll asks the very simple but very important question “How do I know that I am a Christian?” and looks at the topic of what is know as the new birth, or regeneration.

We will probably have childcare available during the sermon and prayer time, but there is a chance that we won’t. Either way, feel free to bring your kids!

Back in 2007, I (Nate Downey, acoustic guitar, vocals), along with Aaron Souza (drums/background vocals), Lane Kennard (electric guitar), and Joe Montgomery (bass) , put together a band for the purpose of singing congregational worship songs at our church in Fortuna, CA (the now-closed This Side of the Rock Fellowship). Our goal was to be a group of musicians who were as passionate about the subject of the songs we were singing as we were about how well we played the songs. This often led us to mine the deep Christian music traditions looking for doctrinally rich songs that had much more to say than most of the current Christian “worship scene.” We began to work on arrangements of traditional hymns that preserved the lyrical content of the songs but brought the music into more of a modern context

During the year of 2007, we played alot of music together (along with Quentin Salmon of Antarctica fame), hung out with our wives and kids, read the Bible and prayed together, and worshiped Jesus together with the people of This Side of the Rock. It ranks among the top musical collaborations of my (admittedly short and amateur) musical life. At the end of 2007, This Side of the Rock closed it doors and while we kept spending lots of time together, we stopped playing music.

In spring 2008, our  friend/bassist Joe Montgomery was nearing graduation from Humboldt State and making plans to move back to his hometown of Seattle. Before he left we spent one wonderful day recording some of the songs that we played together. We were rusty and out of musical shape, but we had a blast. Over the months and with persistent reminders from Joe, Aaron, Lane, and I continued working on the songs.

The first song that has been completed is our arrangement of what is arguably the greatest hymn of all time, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. This song was written by Isaac Watts in 1707, with the music written by Lowell Mason in 1824. You can learn more about the song here.

Download When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Wecome to 2009 everyone! After a 2 week holiday break, we are back on at Friday Nights in Ferndale. Tonight we will be watching the first session from Mars Hill Church’s seminar called A Day With Dr. Don. If you’re wondering, Dr. Don is D.A. Carson. D. A. Carson is a prolific author (over 40 books) and research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois and he recently spent some time at Mars Hill Church talking about about Jesus. I’m excited to listen to this message from Dr. Carson and for us to hear him talk about “The Center of the Whole Bible.”

So come join us tonight, Friday, January 2nd, at 244 Berding Street in Ferndale for the talk “The Center of the Whole Bible.” Dinner begins at 6:00, teaching begins around 7:00. Childcare will be available.

Hope to see you guys tonight!

Here’s one helpful definition from Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City:

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

For lots of great Tim Keller resources (articles, audio sermons, etc), visit Steve McCoy’s Tim Keller Resources page.

Hope you all had a marvelous Christmas celebrating Jesus, God with us. As a reminder, we aren’t meeting tomorrow night (12//26), but we’ll be back in the groove next Friday, January 2nd. Have a great week, hope to see you soon!

After a week off for Thanksgiving time, we are back on at Friday Nights in Ferndale. I missed you guys last week and look forward to hanging out tomorrow night.

Love is not something that can be taken, only given. In his sermon on Song of Songs 8:1-7, Pastor Mark Driscoll expounds on the marriage of two servant lovers who reflect on the love they’ve cultivated. The sermon also includes some good practical advice for unmarried folks.

Come join us Friday, December 5th, at 244 Berding Street in Ferndale for the ninth message in Mars Hill Church’s The Peasant Princess series, “Do Not Awaken Love.” Dinner begins at 6:00, teaching begins around 7:00. Childcare will be available.

After watching the sermon “His Garden” from the Peasant Princess series at Mars Hill Church, I was reminded of a story I read many years ago. After some sleuthing on The Google, I was able to find it. I hope you enjoy it!

“The Garden” by Douglas Wilson, excerpted from his book Her Hand in Marriage.

During the sermon The Little Foxes last week, Pastor Mark Driscoll made a few book recommendations. Here are links to those books and a few others that I would also recommend.

God, Marriage, and Family- Andreas J. Kostenberger

Sacred Marriage- Gary Thomas

Love That Lasts- Gary & Betsy Ricucci

When Sinners Say “I Do”- Dave Harvey (You can also get this one as an audio book)

Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God- CJ Mahaney

Feminine Appeal- Carolyn Mahaney

Happy reading!

Join us on May 30th at 244 Berding Street in Ferndale for the stand alone message What Makes Jesus Superior To Other Saviors? from Mars Hill Church’s Vintage Jesus series.

Dinner begins at 6:00, teaching begins around 7:00. Childcare will be available.