Blessed Be The LORD
Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. (Psalm 106: 44,45)
Within the past couple of days, if you’re following through the Bible Reading Plan you and I encountered Psalm 106. Forty-eight verses that tell the story of the Exodus and kept going to moments in the story when the people turned against God and failed to trust God. In fact, in verses 13-15 the song describes a time that the people tested God with some of their cravings. Why would any of us think that testing God is a good idea? Nevertheless, these people didn’t care to sort out if it was a good idea or not; they tested God anyway. God submitted to the test but not without consequences. God sent a wasting disease among them. (All of this is in the song, mind you.)
I’ve thumbed through many of our songbooks for one reason or another and in my browsing I’ve never found a song like Psalm 106. We sing songs celebrating the awesome presence of God and the many gifts received from him. There are songs describing our lost condition and the abundance of his grace. I’ve not ever seen a song that goes into detail about the myriad ways we have turned our backs on the Everlasting One. I’ve got to hand it to the Hebrews who effectively communicated the extent of their own brokenness and rebellion to so aptly throw themselves under the bus.
Verse 44 and 45 capture the beauty of God’s grace. He heard them; he listened to their cry and remembered his covenant and relented in his judgment because of his steadfast love. The heart of the worshiper is confronted with the cycles of human rebellion but not to give permission to that rebellion. Instead, we contrast that cycle with the grace of a God who doesn’t need to respond with favor but because of his love he opens his heart to them always and again.
Hey, that’s the way he has been with me. He keeps reaching for me, seeking after me, chasing after me. He offers me mercy instead of judgment. He offers me kindness instead of destruction. I worship God with the singer and can’t help but sing verse 48, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say ‘Amen!’ Praise the Lord!”
Prayer for today:
Father, I’m learning from the Scripture. You are so full of mercy. I need your mercy. Whenever I’m tempted to rely on my own strength please remind me of my own brokenness, so I will turn my dependence away from my own power and learn to lean on your strength instead. Amen.
Pastor Wes
Newsletter – May 2026
SFNAZ UPCOMING EVENTS
HIRE A TEEN!
Help them earn their way to NYC 2026. Call the church office to get their help today! 509-467-8986.
THE INTRODUCTION TO EVERYTHING
Pastor Wes is teaching his class on the Book of Genesis, “The Introduction to Everything.” This class is on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm. If you are not currently involved in a class, this would be a great place to start. We would love to see you there!
MOTHER’S DAY TREAT
Sunday, May 10th – 9:30a
Join us for a special morning featuring a Pancake Truck as we celebrate all the amazing moms and ladies in our lives. Ladies will receive a free treat from Tiny Taste Pancake Truck.
WALL OF HEROES
Memorial Day Celebration
This Memorial Day, we will have a Wall of Heroes with photos of passed family members who have served. If you have a military service photo of a family member that you would like posted on the Wall of Heroes, please email it to the church office (office@sfnaz.org). The deadline for photo submission is May 19th.
RUMMAGE SALE DONATION DROPOFF
Monday, May 11th – Thursday, May 14th – 9a-4p
Come drop off your gently used items for the youth group to sell in our annual rummage sale. Please drop off your items during these times only. Please do not leave items outside of the church building. Thank you for helping us out in this way.
RUMMAGE SALE
Friday, May 15th & Saturday, May 16th
Come for some great finds at great prices. Proceeds go to Youth Scholarships.
MEAL PREP WITH JORDAN & JANET
Saturday, May 16th – 9a (session #1)
Tuesday, May 19th – 12p (session #2)
Join us in the kitchen to prepare some meals for your family. Limit of 6 ladies per session. Visit Church Center for details and to register.
LADIES PRAYER & TEA
Tuesday, May 19th – 6-7p
This is a special time for us to come together and pray for our families and one another. We’ll gather in Holy Grounds, share prayers, and enjoy tea and cookies. A sweet time to connect, encourage each other, and seek the Lord together. We would love for you to join us.
ALL CHURCH WORKDAY
Friday, May 29th & Saturday, May 30th – 9a-12p
Bring your work gloves, shovels and rakes. Come help us clean up and get ready for this summer. We will provide coffee and donuts!
BAPTISM SUNDAY
Sunday, May 31st
Baptism Sunday is open to those who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior and would like to be baptized. Register on Church Center or at the Info Counter and one of the SFNAZ Pastors will contact you.
COMMUNITY HYMN SING
Sunday, June 7th – 6-7:30p
Come and sing some of your favorite hymns. All are welcome!
TRUE NORTH VBS 2026
June 22nd – June 25th – 9a-12p
At True North, kids discover what it means to trust Jesus in a wild world! True North VBS is for kids Pre-K to 6th grade. Register on Church Center or visit: www.sfnaz.org/vbs
TRUE NORTH VBS 2026 VOLUNTEERS
Monday, June 22nd – Thursday, June 25th
PLEASE MARK THESE DATES! Many volunteers are needed for this important community event. Sign up on Church Center.
FAMILY CAMP
Friday, August 28th – Monday, August 31st
SAVE THE DATES! More info to come.
MONTHLY EVENTS
SENIOR LUNCHEON | Wednesday, May 13th – 12p
Join us at Old European. Call Roberta to RSVP 509-325-0711.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS | 5:30 – 6:20p
Join us in the Holy Grounds to enjoy a meal before midweek activities. Dinner will be prepared by NYC teens and their parents. The cost is $5 per person or $25 for families of 6 or more.
Weekly Schedule:
SUNDAYS
- 9:30a
- Nursery for children 3 and under
- Learning and Growth – Nursery – 6th grade
- 10:45a
- Nursery for children 3 and under
- Children’s Church for Pre-K and K
- Grades 1st-6th will join parents in church for worship, then be dismissed before the sermon for Children’s Church
WEDNESDAYS
- 6:30p
- Nursery | 3 and under
- Pre-K – 6th grade | Small group lessons, games, and music
Needs in Children’s Department:
- Kids’ check in desk help needed 1-2 times a month on Sundays from 9:15 – 10:30.
- VBS – Planning for VBS has started. We could use help in many different areas. Contact Pastor Jordan for more info or signup on Church Center.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- May 20th – Mom’s Meet-up at Little Garden Café at 9:30a. There is a place for the kids to play too! 9918 N Waikiki.
- June 5th – S’more Fun with Friends! Join us at the Roth household for hot dogs and s’mores at 5:30p.
- June 22nd – 25th – True North VBS for kids age 4 to 6th Register on church center or visit sfnaz.org/vbs
SAVE THE DATE:
- July 20th – 23rd – Kids Camp 3rd – 5th grade
- July 23rd – 26th – Middle School Camp 6th – 8th grade
Text “kidscamp” or “mscamp” to 509-467-8986 for the registration links.
*We will need counselors for both
We look forward to having you join us. If you have any questions, please email me jordanr@sfnaz.org
NEEDS IN YOUTH DEPARTMENT:
- Prayer warriors for our teens and youth leaders. You can grab a prayer bookmark with a specific teens name on it from the small kiosk by the sanctuary or ask Pastor Justine and she can get a bookmark to you.
- Blanket makers – Every year we gift a blanket to our graduating seniors. We have 8 seniors this year so that is a lot of blankets to make. Pastor Justine could use help making the blankets, they are super easy to make so people of any skill level can help. Talk to Pastor Justine if you are interested in helping.
- Social Media Manager – social media is a great tool, but Pastor Justine always forgets to post! If you are social media savvy, you could work with Pastor Justine on a weekly basis to create and schedule 3-5 posts on Facebook and Instagram. Must be 16+. Talk to Pastor Justine if you are interested.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Sunday – 9:30a
- Sunday School – Deeper, more intentional conversations.
Sunday – 10:45a
- Worship Service
Wednesday – 6:30p
- Youth Group 7-12th grade – Games, Snacks, and Fun!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Rummage Sale – Friday-Saturday, 5/15-16 – Our annual rummage sale is coming up! We will start taking donations Monday, May 11th (but you can start the spring cleaning earlier😉) and will sell all day on Friday and Saturday!
- Meetup Monday – 6/18 Meet at Dutch Bros (8701 N Division St, by the church) to hangout for an hour. Justine will buy drinks.
- Bob Ross Night – Wednesday 6/20 Dress in your best Bob Ross outfit and come paint some “happy little trees.”
- Riverside Hike – Sunday, 6/24 After church we will head to Riverside State Park for a hike and lunch! Sign up on Church Center.
NYC UPDATES:
Please be praying for the 17 teens and adults that will be heading to Salt Lake City in June for Nazarene Youth Conference. Ask God to be at work preparing each of our hearts for what God has to say to each of us at this incredible event.
Questions, comments, concerns? Email justinew@sfnaz.org
YOUNG ADULT HANGOUT | Tuesdays – 6p
Calling all young adults (18-30) to come meet with Pastor Lake in the library for a weekly time to hang out and connect with other young adults.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY | Sundays – 9:30a
- A Study of Romans – Rev. Doug Jones
- Distinct: Living Above the Norm by Michael Kelley– Don & Lorraine Chambers
REFUGE MEN’S GROUP | Tuesdays 6:15p – 8:00p
ADULT BIBLE STUDY | Wednesdays – 6:30p
- The Book of Ezekiel – Ed Richardson
- The Introduction to Everything – Pastor Wes
Are you looking for a way to connect with SFNaz? Life groups are the perfect way to build community that matters. We would love to have you be part of our life group family. Check out Church Center or contact the office. We’ll do our best to find a group that will work for you. Would you like to lead a Life Group? Please let us know by contacting the office. We’ll host a training session as soon as possible.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY | Thursdays 6p – led by Richard Flatt Are you curious about Celebrate Recovery? We’d love to have you there. Whether you are interested in how we address hurts, habits and hangups for you or someone you know, or want to help support the program. We hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please contact Richard Flatt 509-499-6118.
TITHES & OFFERING
Thank you so much for your faithful support of our church! Here are a few options available to continue with giving of tithes & offerings.
- Online giving is available. Visit https://sfnaz.org/giving
You may mail your check directly to the church
Spokane First Church of the Nazarene
9004 N Country Homes Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99218
Faithfulness in Giving
Income Expense +/-
- General $ 57,367.86 $ 55,768.97 +$ 1,598.89
- Missions $ 5,944.76 $ 7,886.94 -$ 1,942.18
(Giving March 1st, 2025, through February 28th, 2026)
Thank you for giving generously to your church general fund. Your faithfulness in giving help to meet our budgeted expenses.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAYER
Prayer Chain by Email
- Contact the church office to receive prayer requests by email (office@sfnaz.org).
Prayer for District Churches
- May 3 Cheney and Cle Elum
- May 10 Coeur d’Alene and District Women’s Retreat
- May 17 Colfax and Great Northwest Field Conference
- May 24 Colville and Connell
Missions Prayer Request
- May 3 Swaziland & Sweden
- May 10 Dominica & Dominican Republic
- May 17 Ecuador & Egypt
- May 24 Switzerland & Syria
PRAYER REQUESTS
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May Missions Focus
Missionary Medical Plan Giving
Missionaries often serve in regions with higher health risks than their home countries. Accessing adequate healthcare in global settings can be challenging, and even when care is available, costs may be significant. In some areas, missionaries must also incur substantial travel expenses to receive necessary medical treatment.
The Missionary Medical Plan helps support active and retired Nazarene missionaries and their families during medical needs and emergencies.
Funding is provided through:
Memorial Roll Certificates (honoring deceased loved ones)
Distinguished Service Awards (honoring active church members)
Free Will Offerings
Gifts from the Heart
Faith Promise giving and local church NMI budgets
Northwest District Project 2026
Mission Trip to Maui
Dates: June 19–29
Cost: $2,300
If you are interested, please contact Pastor Dan Lewis as soon as possible.
Email: dan@richlandnaz.org
Pastor Victor’s Kenya Mission Trip
Dates: July 23 – August 6
Cost: $3,500
Ministry Focus:
Kenya Mission Trip
Dinner Church Ministry
Contact:
Victor Morrison
Email: victor.morrisonx5@gmail.com
Phone: (509) 999-9206
Please remember to pray for both teams and their ministries.
Missions Prayer Focus
Please lift up the following missionaries and ministries in prayer:
Tim & Michelle Eby — South Africa
Yoan & Astrid Camacaro — Italy
Bruce & Cinda McKellips — Portugal
Monica Boseff & The Open Door Foundation — Romania
Stay Connected
Stay up to date on Nazarene Missions news:
news@nazarene.org
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
— Matthew 10:8 (NKJV)
Blessings,
Your Missions Team
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