Occasionally someone says to us or we say to someone else, “Get a grip!” The truth isthat we do at times lose our grip. Those moments arise when life overwhelms us. Thescriptures tell us that a new heaven and earth is coming and the last days of the oldcreation will be tumultuous. In light of this, the Apostle Paul tells us how we canstrengthen our grip so that we are not blown away. The greatest preparation and whatenables us to strengthen our grip is to know the One who has called us and will not letus go. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul provides us with a number of exercises that will helpus to strengthen our grip.

Many of us believe that Advent is that season when we as Christians buck the trend tohold off celebrating Christmas. The World around us has already begun to sing―Holiday‖ music. You can go into any store and be bombarded with the Madison Ave.message of Christmas…Spend….Spend….SPEND. Not the church though, we spendthis time waiting. What are we waiting for though? Are we observing Advent to keepChristmas ―Holy?‖ The true message of Advent is that we are waiting for the Heavensto be torn apart, for the powers in heaven to be shaken! We wait for that day when theone born in a stable in Bethlehem comes in a manifestation of God’s power to changethe world once and for all.

We teach children to say, ―Thank you.‖ when they receive a gift or someone does something nice for them. Sometimes this response is simply a display of good man-ners and not a heartfelt expression of gratitude. The Apostle Paul challenges us to go beyond giving that is only a token response and give from the heart as an expression of heartfelt gratitude for the grace and generosity of God who delights to bless us. When we give generously others are blessed and they give thanks from the heart to God for us. Our gratitude to God and our generous giving can produce a rich harvest of thanksgiving.

There are many holidays that we simply forget to celebrate. In fact, there are many holidays that we simply did not know existed. October 31st is just such a holiday. While most of the people around us talk of Halloween and trick or treating, there is another significant holiday that takes place on October 31st. On October 31st, 1517 a young monk and professor of Old Testament walked to his church and nailed onto the door an invitation for an academic debate. Come next Sunday and discover (or maybe rediscover) a truly important Holiday in the life of Christ’s universal Church.

All of us are recipients of God’s grace freely given in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by this grace through faith. As we live in the flow of God’s grace our lives are transformed and we become more and more like Jesus. Next Sunday some of our members will share their experiences of God’s grace and how God’s grace has impacted their lives.

Just before he died on the cross, Jesus prayed for his followers to be brought to complete unity so that the world would know that God the Father sent him and that the Father loves the world even as he loved Jesus. As we commune at the Lord’s Table we celebrate Jesus’ sacrificial love for us and our oneness in Him. We grasp again how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and we share that love with one another. Through our unity, our worship and our witness we proclaim to the world that God is able to break down the racial and political divides that have separated us. We present to the world the hope we have in Christ who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. We invite the world to come to Christ who is able to bring unity and peace to our world. 

Most of us grew up hearing, ―Life is not fair.‖ I can still remember those moments as a child crying to my mother or father that their actions were ―NOT FAIR.‖ My dad loved telling me that ―Life is not fair, so get used to it.‖ As adults we have sort of come to terms with the fact that life is not fair: Sometimes we don’t get that promotion that we deserve, or maybe we didn’t get the raise we should have. While we know that life is not fair, most of us are firmly convinced that God is fair, but the stories we will read next week remind us that God is, in fact, not fair! God is more than fair, God is GRACIOUS.

King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes asks a provoking question, “What do we gain from all our labor at which we toil under the sun?” Later he writes: “I hated my life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. . . He will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.” Do you ever have those feelings? Do you ask the same questions about your work?The Apostle Paul has a different perspective. He calls us to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is not in vain. He also encourages us to do what we do, whether in word or deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Our perspective on work can make a world of difference on how we pursue it and what meaning it has for us.

God is a God of Love, right?  How can a God of Love judge the world as harshly as Revelation depicts God's judgment?  The same New Testament author that said that "God is Love"(1 John 4:8) is the same writer that in Rev. 6 and 18 writes about awe-full judgment of God.  We know that indeed God is love, but what does the reality of God's judgment tell us about God.  John wants to communicate an important reality to the believers in Asia Minor, and to us today.  What is that message?  John reminds those early Christians that because God judges the rebellious world, we can have hope.  Not a hope that celebrates the catastrophic punishment of the world, but a hope that one day all things will be set right, one day God will get what God wants. Thanks be to God!

Eugene Peterson writes: “In Worship, God gathers his people to himself as center. Worship is a meeting at the center so that our lives are centered in God and not lived eccentrically. We worship so that we live in response to and from this center . . . Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, ever seduction, every siren.”

At the heart of our worship is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is the Lamb that was slain. He is the One who redeems us and who is worthy to be praised! This coming Sunday we are invited to join the worship of heaven and be “lost in wonder, love and praise.

America on Line is famous for the saying, ―You’ve Got Mail.‖ In general, we all like to get mail, except when it’s only junk mail or bills. When we receive a card or a letter we are grateful that someone cared enough to remember us and reach out to us. In Revelation we learn that Jesus cared enough to send letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. In his letters he commended some of the churches for their faith and faithfulness and expressed concern about the compromises some churches were making. Both expressions of commendation and concern are expressions of caring. Jesus cares about Grace Church. What would Jesus commend and what concerns would He express to us?a

Due to technical difficulties there is no recording of this service.  We are working to provide a text version of this sermon.

The churches at Ephesus, Pergamum and Thyatira were commended for their works—their love, faith, service, and patient endurance. But they had abandoned the love they had at first, they allowed pagan rituals to become stumbling blocks for believers, and they tolerated the presence of false teachers in their midst. We face the same temptations and struggles today. It is a constant battle to maintain sound teaching and moral and doctrinal purity. The danger is that in the struggle we lose a charitable spirit. Prolonged exposure to the immorality on television, movies and society in general can weaken or destroy our love for Christ. Every church should be working hard, persevering, resisting sin, critically examining the claims of false apostles, and enduring hardships without becoming weary. But these good efforts should spring from our love for Jesus Christ. We will be examining how we can guard ourselves, our families and church against anything that weakens our love for Christ and one another. Our love is an authentic proof that we are true to the Gospel.

Years ago a pastor said, “If you have a little god you need big faith. If you have a great God you need only a little faith.” Revelation paints an awesome picture of the Risen Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Seeing Jesus as He is gives us a proper perspective on life with all its challenges and energizes our sense of mission and ministry. Next week we will zoom in on John’s description of Jesus, the Son of man and Son of God, to make sure our faith is properly focused.

On Memorial Day we remember those who answered the call to serve our country and gave their lives. As Christians we are called to answer the call of Christ and to give our lives for the sake of the gospel. We are equipped for our service by the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth so that we will always be ready to make our defense to anyone who demands from us an accounting for the hope that we have in us. As we honor those who gave their lives in service to their country we honor Christ Jesus by rededicating ourselves to his service and committing ourselves to be his witnesses.

Sunday several of our teenagers will be addressing us about how they live outJesus' instruction to his parents. Jesus informs his parents that he must be in his Father'shouse. We have some special teenagers in our church that will be telling usabout their place here in God's house.

Most of us have built sand castles on the beach and seen the tide sweep them away.  Recently, we have seen the force of a tsunami hit the coast of Japan and sweep away almost everything in its path.  The truth is that life is full of storms that threaten to undo us and sweep all we’ve worked for away.   In moments like these we look for something to hold onto.  We seek a solid foundation upon which to rebuild.  At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautions us not to foolishly build our lives on shifting sand but to build our life on the solid rock of obedience to his teachings.  It’s only as we develop our relationship with him, daily drawing near to him and integrating his teaching into our lives that we will be strong enough to stand in the storms of life.  Join us for the conclusion of our series: Choosing the Road Less Traveled.

Life is full of choices.  Some of them are minor and seem to hardly matter, but others like choosing a career or getting married or having children can be life changing.  What we believe about Jesus and what priority we give to following him has the greatest potential to change our lives because to know him and to follow him actually gives direction and meaning to all the rest of life.  Next Sunday is Refreshing Grace Sunday and we will explore various paths of life and the path of discipleship that leads to life.

Assessing other’s behavior is a necessary part of life.  All of us are routinely evaluated on our performance.  Good evaluations can actually help us to grow in our skills and improve our performance.  Judging is making a negative evaluation of others solely for the purpose of improving our reputation or sense of worth.  Jesus warns us against judging others because it is primarily destructive and dishonest if we are blind to our own faults.  However, he does say that if we first recognize our own shortcomings we can help each other to grow in our righteousness.  Next Sunday we will discover how we can grow in our relationships and righteousness.

We all know what anger is, and we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage.  Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. Jesus calls us to recognize the destructiveness of our anger and to pursue right relationships with a God honoring passion.  Next week we will learn how we can overcome destructive anger.

Jesus says, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” On the surface that sounds rather intimidating. After all, the Pharisees were scrupulous in keeping a long list of laws. But the Pharisees focused more on outer actions (hand washing, Sabbath rules) and not on the inner condition of their hearts. The righteousness Jesus calls for is rooted in humility, purity of heart and a desire to work on those aspects of our soul that are most important, such as integrity, gentleness, respect and mercy. Jesus says, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” On the surface that sounds rather intimidating. After all, the Pharisees were scrupulous in keeping a long list of laws. But the Pharisees focused more on outer actions (hand washing, Sabbath rules) and not on the inner condition of their hearts. The righteousness Jesus calls for is rooted in humility, purity of heart and a desire to work on those aspects of our soul that are most important, such as integrity, gentleness, respect and mercy.

8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Scripture: Philippians 1: 12-30

Series: The Fruit of the Spirit: God's Recipe for a Full Life

Message: Down in My Heart? NO!!

Pastor Mark DerbyI got the Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart.  Where?  Down in my heart!”  I can remember singing that song in Sunday school, on the church bus, well really all the time.  I really liked the shouting part.  I still really like the shouting part.  The only problem is that in the song, joy is equated with happiness.   We often times are concerned with happiness.  Are you happy? Are you content?  Joy, especially the joy of Christ, is a gift from God, in often times the unhappy circumstances.