The record monsoon rain has brought us an abundance of weeds. I drive past houses that are overgrown like I’ve never seen before. I just happened to be reading the parable of the weeds that Jesus told in Matthew 13:24-30 last week. He explained the parable in verses 36-43. Take the time to click the links to read the parable and explanation. What was Jesus’ message through this story?
Those of us who sincerely (not perfectly) seek to follow Jesus live in both the kingdom of God and a world of weeds at the same time. Jesus explains that “the weeds are people of the evil one” (vs. 38). The weeds Jesus was referring to have poisonous seeds. The struggle and pain we experience in this world is the work of the devil. Weeds can do a lot of damage. They damage good crops that provide nutrition and income. And the weeds themselves are poisonous.
The workers in the parable ask Jesus if they should get rid of the weeds. That’s logical! But Jesus gives a surprising answer. Speaking for the farmer in the story, Jesus says that they are not to pull the weeds but wait until the harvest. They are to wait! It’s at the harvest that the weeds and good crops will be separated.
In Jesus’ explanation, he teaches us that the kingdom of God has this reality – weeds and good crops exist side by side. His exact words are: “Let both grow together until the harvest” (vs. 30). There are those who seek to be and do good following Jesus, and there are those who follow the spirit of the world. We live together. We are not to fret over that. That’s the reality of this life. Our purpose in this life is to continue to be good seeds, sow good seeds, and stay faithful to the end. We wait, for there will be a harvest day. For Jesus, the harvest means a day of judgment.
Jesus’ description of judgment (vv. 39-43) is so clear. At the harvest or judgment, the angels “weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil” (vs. 41). All that’s evil will be destroyed in the fire, which is a reference to hell. Those who seek what is right as kingdom people will shine like the sun (“you are the light of the world” – Matthew 5:14).
It’s so tempting for Christians to want to take on the role of harvesters and rid the world of evil. That’s not our job. It is Jesus and his angels who will do that in the end. We will exist side by side in this life with the weeds. We must resist the temptation to abandon seeking Jesus and his righteousness. We must be the good seed that gives life to this world by being Jesus in a very evil and perverse world. We leave the purifying and judging to God and his holy army.
But we get impatient. We want to take things into our own hands and get rid of the weeds now. But we won’t see the uprooting or elimination of evil until the very end of the age. We have hope. Hope is confidence that evil will be defeated, even if we can’t see it now. There will be a day when sin and evil are uprooted and eliminated. But until then, we embrace the words of Paul – Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9).
Glen Elliott
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Our Sunday classes are designed to incite wonder, provoke discovery and help your child develop a passionate love for Jesus! Our curriculum is built around simple, but powerful truths, simple crafts and age-appropriate activities that meet little ones where they are at spiritually, cognitively and socially.
All Bible lessons focus around 3 basic truths:
Worship music, crafts, prizes and games
Our Sunday classes are all about digging into the Bible! Kids will be challenged in their spiritual growth through Bible lessons taught personally and through creative teaching techniques. We also incorporate upbeat worship music, as well as crafts, prizes and games that help kids remember the lesson and keep them engaged and excited to come back to church!
We want the church to be a fun and safe place to grow, develop friendships and learn about our amazing God!
All teachers and helpers must be regular attendees of Pantano Christian Church, (having attended regularly for at least 3-6 months or past church attendance is verified if new to the area), and must have a Confidential Application and Background Check on file.
For Benevolence info, please call the church office at 520.298.5395.
Take control of your money with Financial Peace University! This nine-lesson class uses Biblical wisdom and common sense to help you tackle budgeting, pay off debt, and make your money work for you!
FreedUp is a six-week program that’s focused on your financial habits and freedom from debt! You will need a cell phone (android or Iphone) or a tablet to participate in this new Biblically-based financial class.
Personal financial coaching in available upon request at no charge. A coach will work along side of you in preparing personalized financial statements, establishing a budget, a debt-reduction plan, or whatever else in necessary to get your financial life in order. The goal is to assist you in becoming more effective stewards of the resources God has provided.
Request A CoachMyPantano Portal is our church database website. You'll need a user account to access the Compass. If you already login to MyPantano Portal (CCB) then you can ignore this step.
Sign-upThe Compass will help in your journey along the Pathway to following Jesus well. Experience spiritual transformation and growth with a spiritual assessment that will recommend personalized next steps.
Login to the compassWe're excited to work with you on your upcoming wedding, and look forward to making your day special. Our goal is to equip you for a lifetime marriage and to partner with you to have a marriage that reflects Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we have designed a pre-marriage process for couples desiring to be married by one of our pastors.
Premarital ApplicationPeer counseling is first and foremost a relationship between you and the counselor. It is a free short-term, solution-focused care in a safe and confidential environment, designed to help you move forward on your personal or family journey.
Peer Counseling Request4th- 5th
Times: 6:30 - 8 PM
Dates: January 15 - Apr 29 (No class on Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 8)
Location: Zone 45
When our eyes are set on God, we act right, think right, and live right. God created us to love Him and love others well! This Spring, our preteens will be studying practical lessons from the Bible in order to put God at the center of their lives and guard their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus. Through games, activities, and small group discussion we will check our heart condition and discover ways to get our spiritual hearts in the best shape possible!
Kinder - 3rd Grades
Times: 6:30 - 8 PM
Dates: January 15 - Apr 29 (No class on Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 8)
Location: Rooms KZ 11-13
The sea contains many wondrous sights created by God. When we go under the sea and take a closer look, we see that the sea has much to teach us about God. Join us as we DIVE deeper into what the Bible says about who God is and how he made us!
Times: 6:30 - 8 PM
Dates: January 15 - Apr 29 (No class on Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 8)
Location: Rooms KZ 4, 5, 6
God created the Heaven and the Earth; and God created you!! He designed us to be creative and use our imagination! This Spring, our preschoolers will have fun making Feathery Friends, Mini Maracas, Crazy Creatures and much more as we learn some amazing stories from the Bible. Come join us as we color, paint, glue and draw our way through God’s amazing world!
We've complied a listing of resources from support groups to hotlines to websites to books for anyone in need of assistance/help with a particular life issue.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Tucson Area Intergroup Inc.
Main: 520.624.4183
TDD: 520.882.7422
aatucson.org
Narcotics Anonymous
Local Help Line – Available 24/7
phone: 520.881.8381
trustedservant@natucson.org
Sex Addicts Anonymous
ISO office
800.477.8191
saarecovery.org
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Our vision is to be a catalytic force to bless Southern Arizona and the world and all of our ministries are dedicated in accomplishing this vision. It is the passion and calling of our staff to carry out our vision and core values each and every day.
We are part of a group of churches often referred to as the “Independent Christian Church.” We have no formal connection to a denomination – hence the word “independent.” There are about 5,600 churches like us around the US, with more than 150 averaging over 1000 in attendance.
Mission: Loving people to Jesus, launching passionate people to make a difference.
Our vision is to be a catalytic force to bring God’s influence to Southern Arizona and strategic places in the world.
This is our dream – the dream that God has given us. It currently does NOT exist. It is something we are reaching for in the next 10 to 20 years. It is what we are seeking to become, a long-term view. This vision describes our preferred future. It is bigger than any of us and dependent on God. Our vision is that Pantano would become a catalytic force to bless Southern Arizona and the world.
“This is my dream… to see really authentic healthy communities of Jesus followers or churches throughout our city and Southern Arizona. I see these churches as primarily existing to bring God’s influence and God’s blessing to their immediate neighborhood. I see these churches as giving so much back to their “hood” that they are an indispensable part of the community. These churches disciple people to follow Jesus well. These churches help start and support the social agencies that serve people. These churches engage to make their schools better. These churches make their immediate community a good and desirable place to live. These churches will populate heaven for eternity.”
There is an ancient saying, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love.” This reflects our heart and belief at Pantano Christian Church. We are a non-denominational church that seeks unity in Christ, based on the essential truths of Scripture while allowing for diversity, differences, and even disagreements over non-essential doctrines. Below are six statements that reflect our corporate essentials and upon which we base our unity in Christ. We all believe much more than these statements and we encourage those who are part of Pantano Christian Church to vigorously search the scriptures and discuss “non-essential” although important doctrines, while not making those views a test of fellowship. Therefore, we believe in and are committed with our whole being to…
The above statements do not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind and is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For the purpose of Pantano Christian Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, discipline, and policy our Elders are the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
The following are core beliefs that shape who we are as a church community and define how we do ministry.