Shared this good reminder for husbands and dads with a few of my brothers yesterday and got some good feedback. Ladies, you might consider sharing with men in your life if you feel led. One of things I’ve found so interesting is that many women can’t even fathom the man’s response in the post, but most of us men, including myself, relate to this man’s initial response at some level. In 2011 I lost my mentor and a best friend to a heart attack. It made me reevaluate a lot, and one thing I did was get a sizable life insurance policy. I’m healthy so it was inexpensive. It felt/feels so good to think about my wife and kids being ok if/when something happens to me. But reading this post reminded me that they actually need me, more than my providing. (Still keeping my policy tho 😅😎) Check it out:

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/your-family-needs-more-than-money

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. – Romans 15:7

This verse gives a METHOD and MOTIVATION for extending life-giving welcoming hospitality to others.

Method: “as Christ has welcomed you”. Jesus meets us right where we are, with grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness. He doesn’t welcome us based on our stellar performance, but rather he receives us in spite of our many shortcomings. He welcomes us, warts and all. Jesus isn’t insecure about associating with broken people. In his time on earth he extended love to everyone, but especially to the down and outers that many wouldn’t want to be seen with. I’m still in awe that, as perfect as he is, and as messed up as I am, Jesus is not embarrassed of me. And He’s not embarrassed of you either! He doesn’t have those hang ups and insecurities. And God’s calling us to find our identity and acceptance in the fact that we are accepted by Him, lose our insecurities and fears of what people might think, and welcome others and Christ has welcomed us.

Motivation: “for the glory of God”. When we welcome one another we get to “glorify” or image forth God to others. As God’s image bearers we have a great capacity to not only know God, but also to make Him known. The word glory has the idea of weight. To glorify someone is to have the weight of emphasis placed on them. Welcoming others is a way for us to put the weight of emphasis in our actions, on God, to show what God means to us. For a person saved by grace through faith in Christ in a relationship with God, there’s no greater privilege than glorifying God!!!

The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. Psalm 121:7

“All the water in all the oceans cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside. Nor can all the trouble in the world harm us unless it gets within us.” -Eugene Peterson

#called #loved #kept

Imagine droves of repentant prodigals coming home to a rejoicing family with open arms that represent the Father’s love and forgiveness, rather than angry bitter older brothers who stop them at the door and keep them at a distance.

**NEW SERIES**
Everything in our life is deeply impacted by what we believe about God. We often ask the very important question “What does God want me to do?” But it may be better to first ask “What is God like, and what is He doing?” For the next several Sundays at Grace Bible, we are going to be taking a look at some central biblical teachings on the character and ways of God himself. Please join us!

A great song for reflection during Holy Week!

Grace Bible elders met this morning for a time of fellowship, prayer, and to discuss the life and health of our church. Our current team of elders consist of Brent Wilkens, Jerry Shuler, Theron Whitley, and Roy Layman.

If you are unfamiliar with the role of elder in the life of a church, here is a helpful definition, followed by a brief explanation of how they function in our context:

Elders — “are the doctrinal guardians of the flock and the overseers of the life of the church responsible to God for the feeding and care and ministry of the people” -John Piper

In short elders serve as shepherds (1Peter5:2-3) who lead, feed, and protect the local church.

At Grace Bible, elders hold the highest level of leadership in our church, and thus, play a vital role in the life of our church. They oversee the church’s general direction, progression, and finances. They protect the church from doctrinal error. Finally they serve as a form of accountability and support for the Senior Pastor.

The qualifications for elder can be found in 1Tim 3:1-7

I wanted to pass along a very important and timely sermon from Matt Chandler on a subject that you might not expect, singing. If you have been to a Christian worship service at all you know that singing is nearly always a part of our time together. But why? Why do we sing? Better question, why have we as Christians made gathering together and singing a priority for 2000+ years?

I’ve heard varying opinions about singing in church. Some love it and wish we’d do more of it. Some don’t like it and could do without it. Some leave a worship service and say they did or did not like that church’s particular singing style or they say that they loved the songs because they remind them of their grandparents or of when they were a kid. There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a personal preference of singing style or experiencing a bit of nostalgia when we sing, but there’s more to our singing than those things. What is the goal of singing together? Why do we do it? What does God desire from us and for us in our singing?

I strongly encourage you to listen to this sermon. I believe it will change the way you view singing with your church family and help you grow in your relationship with God. The message is very appropriately titled, The Power of Song. Check it out at the link below:

The Power of Song