1 Samuel 23-26
I. An Overview of David's Continuing Flight from Saul
II. A Word to God's People in Their Times of Testing
Hearing & Obeying Scripture
in Christian community is central to who we are and what we do. We value expository preaching, sound doctrine, and rich, relevant theology. Historically, the label Reformed Baptist probably fits us best.
The Core of Our Obedience
to God's inerrant, authoritative Word is expressed as love of God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, love of neighbor as ourselves, and a passionate desire to introduce our two loves to one another.
Our Corporate Worship
is designed to be God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-enabled, and cross-centered. And our weekly gathering on Sunday mornings is the central experience of our life together.
The Range of Our Ministries
extends from the beginning to the end of our life on earth, with a keen eye toward preparing for eternity addressing many types of personal and family needs.
However, that very truth puts professing Christians in a quite vulnerable place. It is all too easy to weave US history together with our Christian faith in such a way that almost any threat (real or perceived) to our personal liberty can feel like an attack on our faith! And any moral legislation we disagree with can generate rather significant confusion regarding whether we should view the issue in question more as a citizen of the US or as a citizen of heaven!
June was a refreshing, exhilarating month at Grace Church! Global Outreach (GO) Month was so clearly assembled by the Lord that not even our GO Team would express it differently! Now, make no mistake, the attention the Team gave to planning was as enhancing as it was appreciated. But the actual assembling of the participants was worked out by our Heavenly Father without our involvement! Let me explain.
This summer the women of Grace will be discussing a book that I hope will lead us to know the love of Christ through an understanding of the triune God. Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves was written--as he wrote in his introduction--to help us grow in our enjoyment of God and see how God’s triune being makes all his ways beautiful.
You’re hearing more and more about PROJECT REFRESH these days. At least I hope you are! As Elders, we’re excited to see how our Lord is leading in the development of this capital campaign, and how He is continuing to clarify the needs as we progress.
I love watching them sing and play because they are so free, so bold, and so enthusiastic. They live out what they feel with very few filters. Granted, filters are learned and important in life, but how great to see them singing God’s praises at the top of their lungs, uninhibited by fear or self consciousness! Again, conviction. Anyone else want to be a Cubbie?
On the other hand, a healthy Father-child relationship is marked by trust and confidence in the Father. As we pray, and as we see (even seemingly superfluous) prayers answered again and again, our trust and confidence in God’s fatherly care for us matures. By regularly turning to him at all times in all our need, by regularly and knowingly receiving from him all our needs, we live more deeply into our filial relationship to him.
Today, when I read the news or hear about a movie promoting teenage suicide or engage in a discussion with an atheist or even contemplate my own temptations, I am often reminded what a dark world it is in which we live. Unfortunately, I am not always as shocked as I was waking from my summer dreams years ago.
It is even stranger I think, that the Creator of the universe commands a relationship of friendship with his sinful, fallen creatures who would be utterly lost but for his own death and resurrection. The friendship spoken of by Jesus will drive us to our knees and raise up our heads at the same time…
The Christian life is marked by a life of discipleship, both in being a disciple of Jesus and in discipling others. On this retreat weekend with special guest Ryan Griffith, we looked at what exactly discipleship means, the cost and joy of our own discipleship and discipling others, the practical example that Paul gives us to follow, and the power we have in Jesus' name to disciple.
This letter to our Grace Church (GCD) Body will do double-duty: it is my contribution to our January Graceful Living and also our 2017 Annual Report. In Graceful Living it will introduce a new format you’ll see in our printed Annual Report, and in that document it will introduce similar letters from other ministry leaders that give praise to God for all He accomplished here in 2016.
If you want to experience the power of God at work in you, and watch the power of God move through you, and witness the power of God rescuing dead and dying people because of you, boldly tell the world that Jesus is your Lord, Savior, and greatest Treasure. Bear the name of Christ in what you do and what you say. There is nothing the Holy Spirit is happier to do through you than to make much of Jesus.
Baptism: What is an appropriate age for children to be baptized? How can we determine that the child is truly in Christ? How do we guard against giving someone a false sense of security by confirming their profession of faith through baptism when it’s possible that their “faith” merely reflects the cultural conditioning gained from being in our family and among our church?
The Lord's Supper: Similar questions are raised with regard to determining when it is appropriate for our children to participate in the Lord’s Supper.
We invite you to join us!
The central experience of our life together is on Sunday mornings at 10:30am as we gather to worship, commune with, and hear from our Lord.
Sundays
9:00 am Sunday School
10:30 am Worship Service
6:00 pm Evening Service
Wednesdays
6:30 pm Youth Group
7:00 pm AWANA (3's-5th)
7:30 pm Corporate Prayer