Pastor_David's blog

I recently read Frederick Douglass’s memoirs, My Bondage, My Freedom. It is an outstanding book. Written in 1855, it is one of at least three autobiographies written by Douglass, an escaped slave who became famous as a writer and orator in the abolitionist movement. Here are a few ideas that stand out to me from the book: (Read more)

In his book Marks of the Messenger – Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel, J. Mack Stiles talks about the way that churches gradually lose their grip on the gospel and slide toward spiritual death. This process, he contends, generally takes four generations to occur. Here’s how it happens. (Read more)

The difference between the gospel and religion like the difference between night and day. To watch a young man reciting a poem about this click here, to watch Tim Keller explaining this click here.

At the end of Mark 12 we read of a poor widow who went to the Temple in Jerusalem and gave two small coins as her offering to the Lord. The combined value of those coins was less than one penny. It wasn’t much, but Jesus said that this widow had given more than anyone else. Why? Because it was all she had. She gave God everything. By giving this way, she was entrusting her entire life to the Lord.

All Christians are expected to do the same thing. (Read more)

I loved this article by Russell D. Moore. (Read more)

My wife’s maiden name is Valle (Spanish for “valley”). I tease her that her favorite line in Handel’s Messiah is “Every valley shall be exalted” because she thinks it’s about her family. (She doesn’t find this humorous.) But if you asked me what my favorite line is in The Messiah, I would have to say that it is the last nine words of the third piece – (Read more)

Please come worship Christ with us on Christmas morning. We will have only one worship service that day -- 10:30AM. Hope you can come!

A ruling by a New York State Court is upholding the NYC Department of Education's policy of refusing to rent to groups for the purpose of worship (even though school buildings are regularly rented to community groups for other purposes.) Leglislation has been introduced that would keep school districts in the state of New York from discriminating against churches like this. If this is an issue of concern to you, please let your NYC Council member and your New York State senator or assembly member know what you think. To learn how to do this, click here to read some instructions written by Pastor Jon Storck.

This morning the US Supreme Court announced its decision not to review a court ruling that upheld the NYC Department of Education’s policy of refusing to rent public school facilities to religious groups for the purpose of conducting worship services. This means that around sixty congregations in New York City will have to find new places to worship by Sunday, February 19, 2012. Among these churches is our sister QPC congregation, Grace Fellowship Church, that has been meeting at PS 150 in Sunnyside, and at least four other churches in our denominational network. Let’s be in prayer for these congregations to be able to find places to worship. To read a newspaper article about the court’s decision click here. To read an essay by a pastor whose church meets in a school click here.

There will be a congregational meeting for all members of Queens Presbyterian Church on Sunday, December 4 at 5:00PM at the Astoria Center of Israel Synagogue, 27-35 Crescent Street, Astoria. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on new elders for QPC. To view short videos of the elder candidates click here.