TAKING A CHANCE OR A SURE THING?

A while back a friend and I were talking about a dice game called “Farkle”.  It is kind of like “Yatzee” but moves a little faster and you can lose all your points if you are not careful.  I pulled out a Farkle game and was rolling the dice in my office and started thinking.  Every time I roll these dice I take a chance of either getting more points or losing everything that I had accumulated up to that point, yet something makes me want to keep rolling for more. Life is a lot like that, there are things all over that people take chances on. Some are good and some are bad.  Some people take chances by playing the lottery, black jack or the slots, yet others take chances like jumping out of a plane with a parachute (I have done that and it was awesome) others take chances by doing drugs, drinking and  partying.  We all take chances everyday by driving, going on a plane or train, ridding a roller coaster or even walking down the street.  It seems that we are all willing to take a chance on a lot of things, a lot of things that is except maybe Christ and His cause. 

You are saying, ”Wait a minute, I love the Lord and have given my life to Him, So, what are you talking about?”  Well let me put it this way.  Asking Jesus into your heart and life to be your Lord and Savior is not a chance or a gamble, it is a Sure Thing.  So then, what am I talking about?

I’m talking about being Sold Out for Christ in everything you do.  Does Jesus invade every part of your life?  Is He the reason for everything you do?  If He isn’t then you are taking a huge chance. What do I mean by having him as your reason for everything?  I mean do you weigh the cost and make every decision on the standards that Christ laid out and stands for. When you go to work do you just go to work or do you ask yourself, “How can I make a difference for Christ at work today?”  How about when you are hanging out with friends do you ask, “How can we have fun and glorify Christ at the same time?”  

Even at church we need to ask some critical questions.  Like, "How can I serve my church in a way that will bring glory to God and lead others to a relationship with Christ?"  Maybe we should ask ourselves, "Is our church serving in such a way that it brings glory to Christ.?" Depending on the answers to those questions we then may have to ask, "What can I / we do to bring new Christians into a deeper relationship with Christ?”, or maybe even, "How do I bring myself into an even deeper relationship with Christ? "That is what discipleship is.  When a church makes disciples and has faith then all other things fall into place.  But when a church or individuals places emphasis on other things, then, it is taking a chance on itself and not taking hold of the sure thing in Christ.  The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness of Christ and then all this will be added unto us.  If we are trying to problem solve rather than seeking then we are taking a chance.

We also need to ask, “Am I/are we doing enough or all that I/we can to further the cause of Christ?”  Is there “No I’ve done enough” or “it’s someone else’s turn” when it comes to the kingdom of God. So stop taking chances and just serve God and seek Christ.  I would like to close with a little blurb from the poem “I Am A Disciple”.  (Not the denomination creed but the creed of a true disciple of the Lord of Lords.)

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

If you are going to take a chance why not make it a sure thing!?! Go all in!!!

Pastor Sean

This is Our God

We recently introduced a new song to our repertoire.  “This is our God” is a declaration that we proclaim together about our God. He loves us and He saves us through the death and resurrection of Jesus our King!  Jesus paid for our sin, He rescued us, and He deserves the glory and praise!

I think this song captures what 1 John 4:9-10 says, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

In this song we remember that death and the grave used to be our enemies, but Jesus destroyed them.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, fear and the other giants and prisons we face have lost their power.

I look forward to singing this song together and giving Jesus the glory and praise that only He deserves!

Here’s a link for you to learn the song and praise the Lord in your homes.  This is our God

For His glory,

Kyle Schanbacher

Only one thing missing…

I am writing this article in a Best Western in Buda, TX. There are 13 of us who are now (02/26) on our way to the Children’s Haven International home in Reynosa, Mexico, where we are participating in GCC’s 23rd Annual Amigo Trip in support of the ministry.

The following are some reflections about why I keep going on this trip and to an extent, why YOU should consider participating soon as well.

1. We are aiding a very productive, Christ-centered ministry that is (by God’s grace) rescuing many Mexican children from horrible living conditions, and teaching them to be productive citizens of Mexico. This is accomplished by providing a safe living environment, educational opportunities, and more importantly, leading many of them to faith in Jesus and modeling what a Christian home looks like.

2. This trip becomes a wonderful opportunity to spend time with old friends, become better friends, and make new friends with other like minded believers from Grace Community Church and our sister Churches in Kansas.

3. This is a very family friendly trip and for many of us has become an effective way of introducing our kids to missions in another culture. We have traveled with children as young as six months old and are known here as “the church that brings their kids.” A common quote from our children who return from their first trip is, “I never knew I had it so good.”

4. Yes, we do accomplish many needed tasks ranging from construction to sorting clothes. But the longer I do this (and the older I get) I believe more and more that what is more important are the relationships we develop and the encouragement we bring, not only to the children, but also to the leaders and staff members who are constantly in challenging situations. Sometimes people are hesitant to go because they aren’t sure how much they would be able to contribute to the “projects,” and I tell them that this is not even the most important part of the trip, and you CAN build relationships.

5. There are obviously many other reasons why Grace keeps organizing this trip, but my last thought is one that we all know, but often forget—when we give of ourselves to bless others, the one who receives the most blessing is usually us.

When I get home people will ask me, “How was your trip?” And I will tell them, “This was the best trip ever, and the only thing missing was you.”

- Paul Friesen (2/26/23)

Honest Friends

Proverbs 28:23 (NLT) 23 In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.

I’m not sure if this verse reflects our community (see Proverbs 28:5), but it does reflect the culture of our church staff.

One of our staff values is Gracious Candor. We define it as providing honest feedback in a gracious way. We are committed to sharing our ideas and opinions, even if it turns out to be a “tough conversation.”

We also cite multiple Bible verses that serve as the foundation for each value. Reading through these never gets old! (We actually review one of our values each week)

One of my favorites is: Proverbs 27:5–6 (ESV) 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

For months I, Jack, interpreted “profuse” as disgusting…which gave a good laugh for our team when I finally realized that profuse just meant plentiful. It was an embarrassing moment that provided an opportunity to reflect a different staff value, Humble Growth.

In the end, I am grateful for our staff team. I get to work with exceptional people whose strengths and perspectives make up for my weaknesses and blindspots. They make me a better pastor and teammate, and I love them very much.

I don’t know who God uses in your life to provide gracious and honest feedback, but I hope you don’t forget to appreciate them. They are truly your friends.

- Jack Napier

Mothers

I know it is not Mother’s Day, but this topic is heavy on my heart today, and for those who know why, I hope this will be a balm for you. Mothers and Fathers are both equal parts of God’s plan for the family. For those of you whose parents did not stay together, either through tragedy or divorce, this is not to say that you got a raw deal from God. The world is broken and it was not your fault. God is in the business of healing any hurt that any of us let him heal. I say all of this for qualification because I will be writing this from the framework of a loving mother in the context of a biblical family.  I don’t want any of you who did not have this experience to think I am leaving you out. Quite the contrary and I hope that for the sake of this short essay, you can simply picture the godly mother you wish you had or are striving to be yourself. I too am writing this from a guy’s perspective, so I am sure I will miss so many nuances mothers or daughters would not. This is not exhaustive but hopefully edifying.

I grew up in the ’90s, a little in the ’80s, but my memory begins in the year 1989… Before that, I remember very little. So I, and rightfully so I think, consider myself a child of the ’90s. That decade has many things I love about it; the Chicago Bulls, pump shoes, and objectively the best music of any decade. Sorry for any of you that think I am biased… it’s not biased if I am right… One thing that is true, past any sarcasm I just wrote, is that in the 90s loving our mothers was the norm. TV commercials about soup with famous people and their moms, pop songs about men who loved their mothers, and even “your mom” jokes, which were negative but telling about our thought processes, all pointed to the fact that our culture was mom-centric. In the 90’s we loved our moms. It was socially acceptable to hate your dad or make fun of him but “don’t you be talkin’ ‘bout my momma” was used as no vain threat in schoolyards everywhere. 

For many of us raised in loving Christian homes, we never did the dad bashing and those same dads would have never allowed us to disrespect our moms in any way. I remember distinctly the day in 5th or 6th grade when I looked over at my mom, eye to eye, and cracked a joke because I was now taller than her (she is a towering 5’3”)... With zero hesitation I heard my dad, using his deep “dad” voice, say “you may be bigger than her but I still enforce everything she says…” My dad is not 5’3”, in fact at that time he would have been 6’4” and about 250lbs of farm muscle and facial hair. My dad was kind and loving. So loving that when he set a boundary, a real one, I knew it was set in concrete, inside of bedrock, on a tectonic plate that all the other tectonic plates got out of the way of… 

All that to say that I never remember disrespecting my mother. We had weaknesses though in the culture I grew up in and in the ‘90s too. As perfect as both of those things were, a weakness I had was being able to talk about my feelings with my dad or men in general. My dad was better than most, at drawing it out of me and not squirming too much when my emotions came out of me involuntarily, but it was a weakness I grew up with. That weakness isn’t worse or better than any other, it was just weakness. That means that my mother was an island of comfort, a safe haven of sweetness, and a refuge when my hormonally charged emotions raged. 

I set this all up as color for this simple but stark truth. Mothers are like nobody else in our lives. They are specially designed by God to give us life itself. They are the first people to disciple us, before we are even conscious, in the womb. They love us and share their very life with us in that womb. We know their name (Mommy) before we ever know the name they have been called their whole lives (Debbie in my mom’s case). There is the imagery of God being like a mother to us in the Bible that does not contradict in the least a biblical, complementarian worldview that I hope we all share. For further reading check out Isaiah 49:15 and 66:13. My favorite, because chickens are also one of my favorite animals to raise, is Matthew 23:37. God is compared to a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wing. There are many reasons chicks go under their mother’s wings; to escape danger or perceived danger, to get shade from the sun or warmth from the cold, to hide from predators who are too small to attack the hen, and last but not least to simply snuggle with momma and build that familial flock bond. Our own mothers are no different and God’s design for them was the same. To be all of that and more for us. So show some love to your mom today (if that is appropriate and safe for you) but more importantly thank God for her (even if she is far away, even so far as heaven). This is for you, adult son of a wonderful mother: You are not just a son anymore but a godly man and by that a default leader in the world… Be the godly son that your momma needs, be a son and let her love you but also be a man… Love her well and lead her at times if she needs a helping hand... How you love your wife someday will be reflected by how you have loved your mother well in the here and now… Don’t shirk the hard stuff and don’t run from the sweet/mushy stuff… As much as God made her to be your mother, He called you to be her son. 

- Will Regier

I want to be a sheep

This is short, sweet, and to the point.  I want to be a sheep.  

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” John 10:11

I am HIS sheep.  The Lord is my shepherd.  Not because I wander mindless in a herd. But because He, the good shepherd, knows my needs and takes care of me.  When He calls out to me, I hear His voice and I follow. Without Him, I am lost like a sheep, but lost to sin. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10  He laid down His life here on earth, so that we could have life everlasting.  It is a beautiful metaphor for our relationship with Christ.   The Shepherd knows what we need. 

I choose God. I need Him as my shepherd.  Daily I need Christ to restore my soul.  I want to always humbly follow, serve, and praise my God. 

God is amazing.  All glory to God.

This is an inspiring video, I hope it is uplifting to you. (https://youtu.be/STAda5RFrxM)

Many blessings,

Amy

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

One time my oldest daughter (she was probably 5 or 6 at the time) and I were out pillaging large rocks by the side of the road to build a small wall in the front yard. We came across this one rock that was just the perfect size, or so I thought, until I went to put it in the trailer. It turned out to be thick enough that it was a little heavier than I had anticipated. I told Synclair that it was too big and I couldn’t put it in the trailer. She said, “ God will help you Daddy.”

Well, I couldn’t let my daughter down, not with faith like that in me.  So, here goes about a 250+ pound very flat and awkward rock, UUUUPPPP and OOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRRR the side of the trailer. “Whew!”  Big smile from my daughter and a proud smirk from me, then back into the truck and off we go. Synclair blurts out, ”I Knew you could do it with God’s help.”  Then there was another smile from Synclair and an even bigger smile from me and a silent “Thank you God, she really understands who you are.”  She didn’t know the verse in Isaiah 40:29-31 yet, but she knew the promise that God gives us strength and endurance to do what needs to be done. I know that that verse probably isn’t  talking about putting rocks into a trailer but for her to have recognized that God is the source of our strength was huge. 

One of our families favorite shows is “Facing the Giants”, if you haven’t seen it then you need to.  The main theme of the movie is “Nothing is Impossible with God” Which comes from Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27.  So, we were  big on saying, “What is impossible with God?”  Then one of us would answer, “NOTHING.” my girls loved to shout that part out. (We still say it but the answer is not as boisterous these days.)

You know there are times in our life when a task or request seems too big for us to handle or to complete and we often quit or don’t even attempt it.  These are the times when we forget how big and strong and never tiring our GOD is.

This doesn't only apply to tasks we are given by others, it also applies to a task that God has given us, the biggest task we could ever be given, "Go and make disciples."(Matthew 28.19-20). Sometimes that seems daunting, especially when we look around at the world today and all the opposition people have to endure when they stand up and share their faith. But, remember that the last part of that passage says "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Not only Can we do all things through Christ but He is with us all the way through what we are called to do.

So, the next time you come across a task or request that seems too big, remember these three promises from God's word.

   Matthew 19:26

                  Jesus looked at them and said, “ With man this is 

impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

            Isaiah 40:28-31

                  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the 

everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will

not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can 

fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the

power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and

even young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in 

The Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like

eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not

faint.

        Matthew 28:20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them 

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have  commanded you and

behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Plant these promises in your heart and mind so that you will never forget that our GOD IS GREATER than this world and he will never fail or leave us alone.

What is impossible with God?

NOTHING!!!

Pastor Sean

Send Us Out

Some of you may recognize this title and some of you may not.  On Sunday December 25th I introduced the song I wrote for our church to sing.  I wrote most of it while on sabbatical this past summer.  I’ve had a desire to write a song that is basically a corporate prayer that God would send us out to the world around us to be His witnesses and we could be a part of his plan to reconcile people to Himself.  It has a similar feel to our “sending” that we say together sometimes at the end of our worship services.  I will have a recording available eventually so you can learn it and sing it in your homes.  Until then, here’s the lyrics and the scripture references where they came from.  Much of the song comes from my reading and deep studying of 2 Corinthians 2:14 through 2 Corinthians 6:12 over and over.  I’m excited to sing it with you in the months to come.

Send Us Out

Verse 1

Go before us, open doors (2 Cor 2:14, Col 4:3)

Soften hearts remove the veil (John 12:40, 2 Cor 3:13-18)

Holy Spirit, we need your power (2 Cor 3:4-6, 1 Cor 2:1-5)

Without you our efforts fail (2 Cor 2:4-6)

Turn Your eyes, and hear our prayer

Let our lives and words declare (Col 4:5-6)

Your gospel clear may truth prevail (Col 4:5-6)

Prechorus 1

Because we believe, so we will speak (2 Cor 4:13)

Because of your love, the lost we will seek (2 Cor 5:14)

Chorus

Send us out to the world we will go (Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)

We’ll proclaim everywhere so they know (1 Cor 1:23, 2 Cor 4:5)

Jesus died that we could be

Reconciled to the Lord, set free (2 Cor 5:20, 2 Cor 3:17)

Send us out

Verse 2

God please lead us to be the fragrance

of Jesus Christ among the lost (2 Cor 2:14)

In affliction, and persecution (2 Cor 4:8-9, 2 Cor 6:4-5)

we’ll press on no matter the cost

Our only aim to run this race

and testify of Your grace (Acts 20:24)

Unashamed, we’ll carry the cross. (Romans 1:16, Matthew 16:24)

Prechorus 2

Because of our hope, we will be bold (2 Cor 3:12)

Because of your mercy our hearts won’t grow cold (2 Cor 4:1)

Pastor Kyle

Having Dominion and Gentleness

Ever since I was a little kid I loved dogs. The whole world could be against you, your siblings could not be speaking to you, and your parents could be upset with you. But your dog would still be wagging its tail, jumping up and down just waiting for you to walk through the door.

Beasts of burden help us in our labor, and smaller pets bring a unique joy and dare I say “friendship” to our lives.

But the gaiety of animal affection is more than just a Hallmark sentiment. God intends for us to have a sense of respect and responsibility for animals that He created: Proverbs 12:10 (CSB) 10 The righteous cares about his animal’s health, but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.

You can tell a lot about a person who shows no mercy or tenderness, even when it comes to animals.

Of course this doesn’t mean that we elevate animals to the same status or value as mankind. Genesis 1–2 clears up that distinction for us. God has given us permission to enjoy feasting on juicy, tender meat (see Peter’s animal quilt, Acts 10:9–16).

However, it is part of God’s design and desire that we demonstrate “care” for animals. They are one of His gifts to us.

So, be an omnivore and keep rodents out of your home. You have dominion. But don’t be wicked or cruel. God set humans over the earth to oversee and care for His creation, not abuse or neglect it.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

P.S. I am not in the market to get a dog...I already have a “handful” of God’s creation to take care of, and that’s all I can manage at the moment. ;-)

Church Planting is Still Awesome!

I first came to Grace in 2014. My wife and I had moved to Newton and I had heard about this guy named Dave Reimer. We decided to check his preaching out one Sunday as we were tired of driving to the church we had been going to in Wichita. The church we were driving to is now closed so I guess that means we made the right call!

We were welcomed by people right away, I won’t name names but they know who they are, and we later saw Pastor Kyle at Applebees. He and Mary were on a date night and I could tell he was cool (and he didn’t even bribe me to say this). I am a Moody Bible Institute grad though, so it’s tough to impress me with a church. Friendly people, pastors who are good husbands, and even good preaching would not have been enough to make me decide that Grace would be our church home. Don’t get me wrong all of those things were present at Grace and they all tipped the scales toward our decision to go here, but one of the biggest factors was that church planting was part of Grace’s history (recent history at that point) and it was still part of the DNA here. That’s something that will get a Moody Bible guy fired up! 

At Moody, I learned to deeply and forever love the local church. It is without a doubt God’s most chosen vessel to use in the lives of His children throughout the world. Regardless of language, income, race, education level, or any other factor you can name God is at work in those people and in that place through His local church. Even in places with no Gospel presence, there are local churches in other parts of the world praying and working to get the Gospel there. While at Moody I did not know if I wanted to be a pastor or a missionary but either way I knew I wanted to be part of the local church or sent by the church to make churches where there weren’t any.

So when we came to Grace in 2014 and I heard about the church plants in Hillsboro (Grace Fellowship) and Moundridge (Grace Crossing) that were a few years old by then and the brand new one (New Anthem) that was just launched by a basketball player I knew from the area who graduated from high school the same year I did… To say the least I was elated! I knew that God was at work at Grace Newton if He was mobilizing this place to be a sending church for new church plants. We had found our church home, done deal!

Fast forward and long story short my wife and I felt called back to Grace after years of Christian camp ministry in Michigan. We are so glad to be back! One of the sweetest full-circle moments we have experienced is getting to attend the 10 yr anniversaries of both the Moundridge and Hillsboro churches this past year. We were here when those church plants were new in the 2012-2014 years. God brought us back in 2021 and then in 2022, their 10 yr anniversaries started! What a gift to see the good work still going! Most church plants don’t last long, I don’t know the exact stats but it's probably 1-2 yrs… To have two that have lasted 10 yrs and a third (in Park City) that will hit that milestone next January is an obvious affirmation of God’s direction and provision. God will grow, God will reproduce, and God will protect His local church! 

Another fun connection for me was when the Admin Director from the camp I worked at in Michigan started dating this guy from Ohio. Boy meets girl, they get married, he is a pastor… and they were the planters of our most recent church in Lyons KS (Kings Cross) in 2020. Her husband had spoken at camp many times while I was there too so both of us couples, one in 2020 and the other in 2021 left the mild summers and snowy winters of Kalamazoo to come to these great plains to work at churches. 

In between those first three plants and this most recent one Grace also helped plant a church in Bolivia and in the near future, and for the first time in my pastoral ministry, I will get to see us help plant a church in our neighboring burb of Eldorado. This is so much more goodness than I deserve to even be witness to… let alone get to be a part of in our Synergy Kansas church planting meetings. 

This is a long story and you have been patient to read it but I would ask that you ditch patience… get impatient! Get impatient to see more churches planted! If all the people even in our small town came to know Jesus we would not have enough seats in all the churches combined to give them a place to sit on a Sunday morning! That doesn’t factor in that Newton is probably going to grow and if we don’t surrounding towns will. With 8 billion people in the world, we are plenty of seats short and the gap is broadened if we are hoping for people to have a healthy, Gospel-centered, Bible-preaching church to attend. We have to get busy planting because God is already busy drawing people to Himself. Jesus’ kingdom is what we are supposed to seek first (Matt. 6:33) and if we convince other people to follow Jesus we have to be planting churches so that they can grow themselves and do the same for others. God loves His local church and He will plant more of them whether we join Him or not but I am definitely hitched up and ready for the ride! I hope you are too!

Will Regier

Zelma & Gertrude

Prepare yourselves for something very judgy.  When I was growing up, I always felt so bad for my grandmas.  Why?  Because their names were Zelma and Gertrude.  I’m sure they were considered  nice names, but I thought they were quite unusual.  My Grandma Gertrude even kept her name long, not using anything easier like Trudy.  And let’s face it, my Grandma Zelma was probably always the child at the end of the line.  

I have been thinking of this because I read Revelation 2:17 recently where it says, “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”  This is a letter written to the church in Pergamum, but many have seen it to be symbolic of different churches or the church at different eras. New names are mentioned again in Revelation 3:12, “ I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.”  MY NEW NAME… EVEN BETTER!   I know that this is also a letter to a church, but I can’t help but be hopeful that my grandmas have been gifted with a new Heavenly name.  

Honestly, I’ve always thought my name here was rather plain.  I thought it would be great to have an exciting different name.  “Amy” means “beloved” and I am thankful to my parents for probably taking the time to think through that, but I still can’t wait to get to Heaven to possibly get a new name from “Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands”.  I’m not certain if these verses about a new name mean we all get an actual new and different name, or if maybe it means we get a new character that links us to Jesus for eternity? Whatever it may be, It is exciting.  

What do you suppose Jesus will call us when we go home?   I’m glad we will be called His!  We are already known as “Christ”ians here on earth, but can you imagine hearing Christ calling us His?  My Grandma Zelma and my Grandma Gertrude are already victorious.  After thinking this through, I will not feel sorry for them at all anymore.  

Glory to God!

Amy Thompson

Longing For Their Return

Well Christmas has come and gone this year once again but this year it has created a whole new view and meaning in my heart and mind.  This year, waiting for Christmas brought a new expectation for me.  This year I became a grandfather. Our (Susan and I) first granddaughter (Elisabeth Amelia, I call her “Ame”) was born in October and we got to see Ame when she was a week old. Since then it has only been in pictures of short video calls that we have been able to see her.  Those pics and video calls are a sweet taste or reminder of Ame.  They made me long for her to come at Christmas.  The day she got to our house with her parents was a sweet and longed for day.  I have held her quite a bit since she has gotten here.  Every time I hold her I find my thoughts drifting to how much I love this little girl and how sweet a gift she is from God.  My thoughts don’t stop there however.  My mind drifts to thoughts of my daughters. I begin to reflect on how sheet a gifts from God they are as well.  

Not only was this the first year that I waited for Christmas to see Ame but it was also the first Christmas that I waited for two of my three daughters to come home for Christmas.  As I look at and hold Ame, I realize how much I long for that connection and time with her and each of my three daughters.  Whenever I am separated from them there is a longing, a pain, a void and an anticipation that never goes away until they are back in my presence.  This is true whether they are gone for a short time a short distance away or a long distance for a long time.  I long and wait for that sweet reunion. 

This last week that realization of what I have been given and what I miss during the separation has made my mind wander to a deeper, stronger void and longing that I don’t think I have ever been able to comprehend until I have experienced just a taste of it.  That void is the one that is between God and His fallen creation.  I cannot ever fathom how great the longing or desire is for Him as He patiently waits for the day that each and every one of His creations return and be called children of God.  That’s right He longs for each and every one of His creations to return to be with Him. 

(1 Timothy 2.4; 2 Peter 3.9)

The separation from those who are dearest to us creates something that nothing can fill except the reunion with those loved ones.  The reconnection is so precious and the time no matter how short is sweet and life giving.

I don’t think I can even begin to imagine the pain and longing that God experiences while waiting for the return of His creation or the sweetness that is there when they return to Him. Whether it is a return from the separation created by sin or just from those times when those who have been reunited just don’t make time for Him in their lives.  Any separation from His creation creates a longing in His heart because His love is so great for each and every one. That Longing was so Great that he Sent the one dearest to Him to become the sacrifice, the bridge that would bring His creation back to Him.  

Can you imagine loving and missing someone so great that you would give what was most precious to you that you had with you just to make a way for that which you were missing to be able to return to you.  I can’t, but am so thankful that God did.  My heart now breaks as I think about God and the longing He experiences as he awaits our return and our time spent with Him.

As we enter the new year let’s not give God reason to long for His time with us and let’s work to share His longing with those who are still separated from Him. We are God’s children, we are His church, let's go be His children, His church!

Pastor Sean

GREAT

I know that not everyone is a sports person, but there are a few events that come around every once in a while that I feel like are completely unmissable because of their importance on the World Stage. One of those is the Olympics of course but the other is the World Cup. Now if you’re telling me that you haven’t heard of the World Cup and you didn’t know it just ended recently…. Then no offense but I might have to attach a “Do you live under a rock” quiz below. If you seriously don’t know what the World Cup is let me fill you in a little and say it’s basically just the Olympics but for soccer. And yes it did just come to a conclusion with Argentina -who was lead by one of the greatest soccer players of all time Lionel Messi- beating France in a thrilling world final.

Lionel Messi is known world wide as a magician when it comes to soccer. He has racked up multiple championships at the highest level of soccer, scoring more goals than anyone else over multiple seasons, and has been awarded the Ballon d’Or (best soccer player in the world) more than anyone else in history. (A record seven times!) His Skills are unmatched, his fame is immeasurable, and he is adored by millions across the globe. This can be shown by his recent instagram post -about the world cup win- receiving more likes than any other social media post on any platform.. ever… with over 70 Million likes!! The man is an absolute legend, and the Argentinian President just named a national holiday after him. But, despite all of the accolades, fame, and holidays made in his name he will never be as great as the one that came to save us from our sins.

This Christmas season has been different for me. Growing up I never really had many Christmas traditions and it always seemed to fall short of the expectation that I had for it. So Christmas was one of those days that just came and passed for me. I’ve grown up a christian all my life and celebrating Jesus’ birth was a regular thing. But for some reason, this year, it’s more special to me. This could partially be because of the recent life change of getting engaged and life in general being a little more exciting. Or it could be that I’ve been reading through the Old Testament the last month or so and have been refreshed on all of the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming. But in reality I think it is because I’ve spent way more time this year meditating on the reality that God came to humanity in the form of a baby with the intentions of being a servant and a sacrifice. I think I am just in awe of how great our Jesus is. He died for me, He rose for me, and He wants a relationship with me. There is no greater reason to celebrate or have a holiday than that and you can’t change my mind.

Lionel Messi is great. Christmas cookies are great. Spending time with family is great. But nothing is greater than our Savior being born, so that He could save us. Remember His Glory this Christmas season. Meditate on what he has done for you and let that flow out of you.

Merry Christmas Grace Family We love you, eat some good food for me! Bryant Hart

Orchestrating My Life

As a kid, I never understood how orchestras worked. All I saw was some dude with Albert Einstein’s hair in a butler’s tuxedo waving a magic wand around, forcing a bunch of musicians to play the soundtrack of a movie or play. (I almost always envisioned Star Wars or The Nutcracker)

But one question nagged at me the most: “How come they present that ‘dude’ as the leader, when he doesn’t even have an instrument?” What I soon figured out became an illustration of God’s gracious leadership in my life.

That one guy (or gal) at the helm is called the conductor. He doesn’t need an instrument to play, because all the other musicians are “his instruments” in a sense. The conductor knows the music inside and out, knowing when certain instruments are playing and when they are not, and even understanding when he will need to slow them down or lower their volume.

He guides the orchestra through his hand gestures, which is where we get our verb “to orchestrate.”

God is not very different in our own lives. He sits on the throne of the universe, ready to lead us to make a beautiful sound together.

On Wednesday, Courtney and I celebrated our 16-year dating anniversary. When I asked her if she would be willing to be my girlfriend, I could have never anticipated, let alone “orchestrated” these past 16 years. Which is why I am so grateful for God’s guidance in our lives. When we obey Him as our “conductor,” He makes sweet melodies with our lives. 

I’ll admit, His time signature doesn’t always match mine, and sometimes He directs me to stop playing when I think I should play louder. But He always knows best. I’ve realized that I never do well when I ignore His direction.

Which leads me to my prayer for you. May you see Him as THE loving and wise conductor in your life this week. You are at your best when you follow His lead. See y’all on Sunday morning!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Goodie Bags and What’s Really Good

I grew up in a medium-sized country church with 300-plus people on a Sunday. There was so much I loved about growing up there but one thing stood out when I was under 10 yrs old. Every year the kids would do a Christmas program. For all my years that meant listening to my mom sing Away In A Manger while trying to get the 2 yr old kids to sing and do the motions with her. But what really got me excited in the weeks and even months leading up to the Christmas program was the goodie bags we would get afterward. It was like the sweet payoff from going to church every Wednesday night and Sunday morning. You might be thinking that it was really easy to buy me out. A few cookies and maybe some peppermints... wow Will it’s easy to bribe you. Those are the kinds of bags I have seen at other churches but not my church. As great as those bags were to my friends I had truly experienced something that was at another level. What I was used to were the common simple brown lunch bags but they were absolutely packed full! There was always a piece of fruit and some unshelled peanuts for bulk but there was also at least one if not multiple full-sized candy bars along with a generous handful of other candy. Adding to my joy was the fact that unlike getting candy at other times of the year my parents placed no limit on how much of it we could eat. Maybe they were feeling generous because of the Christmas Season, maybe they were happy that I was excited about church, or maybe they thought the fruit and peanuts balanced out the massive sugar load! I don’t know but it was awesome!

I look back on those years with fond memories but I realized in thinking about those goodie bags that I would think about them very differently now. I am a pastor, dad, and adult. Like most parents I want my kids to experience some of the good stuff that I did as a kid and hopefully, I minimize some of the other stuff. We take our kids to see Christmas lights, enjoy meals with extended family together and we try to travel around the holiday to have that good road trip time together. But, I realized if I were trying to recreate those bags (I don’t know if the church I grew up in even still does them) I would think through an entirely different lens than I did as a kid.

In that post-childhood lens I think about all the emails and texts I would have to send to mobilize volunteers to pack the bags. I would have to make sure the expenses came from the right budget line or that I got volunteers on board to pay for the items. I would have to organize a time and place to pack the bags, get them stored before the event, and make sure they got passed out. It would be so expensive to supply all that food for all the kids (we probably had 120 kids in our Christmas program growing up) and I don’t know where you even buy 50 lb bags of peanuts because I am sure it took two of those.

I am walking through all of this with the bags to make a point about Christmas itself. I was taught from a young age not to make Christmas about material things like getting gifts for myself and that lesson of focusing more on Jesus than the consumer trappings in this season has stuck. But as an adult, I can still get trapped by them in a different way and that’s what thinking about the Christmas bags of my childhood made me realize. All the logistics of this season. Sure I can avoid making Christmas all about the money and though I like getting gifts I honestly think I could go without and be just fine. Steph and I often forgo getting each other gifts because we would rather travel to see family or get our family bigger presents. We make a gift budget when we do get gifts. What I realized I can still get trapped by are all the logistics.

Planning family gatherings and events is my jam. Thinking about 100 activities to do with my kids so they have fun is also something I love to do. Steph and I love road trips so all that goes into those is exciting. Even as a pastor this season is a high point for the church so we wanna get everything right that we can. I have found that what crowds out Jesus from my Christmas season is not wishing and hoping for gifts or material things but just the busy scramble of trying to make it good... Did you feel the pain in your heart reading that sentence that I did typing it...

Even though I focus on what Christians would call the good things of the Christmas season like family, giving to others, and celebrating Jesus I can still get lost trying to make it good and not spend time with Jesus who is the one who made it possible for things to even be good. I consistently make Jesus coming to earth and the great gift He gave us by being Emmanuel, God with Us the most important thing I think about this time of year. However, I have seen that it is very easy to not spend time celebrating that with Jesus Himself.

That is my goal then for this Christmas to lavishly spend time celebrating Jesus with Jesus himself. I am still going to plan fun things for the kids and spend time with family, I am not necessarily cutting things out but maybe I will be less worried about getting them planned and keeping my focus on Jesus, not just this season that is about Him. The best gift He gave us, after all, is coming to be with us and that’s a present I hope I look for every day!

- Pastor Will

A great big thank you!

Yay!  I get to write the staff journal right after Thanksgiving!  I am so glad because I have wanted to tell all of you how much I thank God for you!  I have only been here at Grace Community Church for about four years.  In my time here, I have received so much kindness, encouragement, and prayers.  I love coming to Grace and spending time with my church family.  Thank you!

What made my family join Grace was that the people here are genuine.  They truly love the Lord and look to Him for guidance.  When people are going through struggles or times of grieving, they do not go through it alone.  I see so many of you walking beside those that are hurting. You don’t just say you are going to pray for each other, you actively do it.  I see our church family holding each other up in physical ways as well.  You are a great example for our next generation in this. Thank you.

Sometimes we struggle through times of sin as well.  We all need help.  We help each other rely on God and keep each other accountable.  On Monday evening also, I have come by a couple of times and witnessed the people coming to our building for Celebrate Recovery with hope.  I was amazed at how many of the volunteers there were from our church family!  They have been selflessly giving of their time to help others in the community.  Thank you.

Speaking of community…This church family has been rolling up its sleeves to help serve the community during Big Serve.  That is so great!  Also, the amount of volunteers that are spending time with kids in the community during Summer Quest is amazing.  Thank you for caring for the salvation of not only our kids in our church, but for so many of the kids in areas around town. Thank you.

I believe there are around 150 volunteers that are dedicating time with our kids on a weekly basis.  There are so many volunteers in the Sunday school classrooms, Awana groups, helping with Route 56,  Transform, and camps.  On Sundays and Wednesdays, I notice many kids run to class, some give their helpers hugs, and most of them light up when they see the volunteer they are going to be spending the next hour with. You are great mentors for our children.  Thank you.

I just see so many examples of our church family being the hands and feet of Jesus.  Thank you for living out how Christ was showing us to love and serve each other.  I am grateful.  Thank you.

In His Service,

Amy

Faithful or Full of it?

I was thinking a while back. Well okay, I was talking to someone about faith in a certain situation (which I better not disclose) and this thought hit me. Am I faithful or just full of it?

Faith, almost everyone talks about it and says they have it, but I think a larger number of them are more full of it, then they are faithful. Being faithful has to be more than just talking about it. It takes action, stepping out, trusting when all else seems hopeless or impossible, not letting doubt invade, and most importantly God has to be present in our mind and heart.

Let me tell you a story. There was a pastor that at one time had some major bills due and for some reason (I don’t know why) was not going to be able to meet them. He was stressed but that stress led to faith, which led to prayer, which led to God providing in a miraculous way. It wasn’t flashy or movie worthy but it was miraculous. He hadn’t publicized it or made a big deal about it. It was just between him, his family and God. A few days later they received an anonymous envelope with the money that was needed. COOL!! This pastor had faith, his faith in God never wavered nor did he doubt; he just remained faithful.

Wait, I have another story I would like to share. There was a man who was sick and in the hospital and the outlook was that he might not see the end of the month, as the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. Everything they did helped a little then things would turn and seem worse. There was a wife who knew that there was only one person that could help her husband and she went to that person several times every day. She even asked her friends and family to go to that person every day and they did. Guess what, that person came through, He touched and He treated her husband and her husband got well and was even better than he was before he got sick. AWESOME!! By the way, that person she went to was Jesus. Her faith in Jesus never wavered nor did she doubt; she just remained faithful.

Okay one final story, I promise it is the last one. There was this man who seemed to have everything and then through a series of tragic events he lost all of his children and all of his grandchildren. He even lost his job and his wealth. The only thing he had left it seemed was his wife and his faith.  But things got worse. His wife and his best friends all told him that he was stupid and that he should give up his faith that he had and curse God because God didn’t care, or these things wouldn’t have happened. He continued to have faith and believe that God did care and he prayed and cried out to God. God heard him and saw his faith and returned all of what he had lost and  more than what he had before. (This man was Job in case you hadn't picked up on that.)  This man had faith, his faith in God never wavered nor did he doubt; Job just remained faithful.

We all have times in our lives, our jobs, our businesses, our health, our finances, and our families in which we need to be faithful.  At those times we can choose to talk a lot about faith (Being full of it.) or we can truly be faithful by depending on God in an unquestioning and undoubting way.  There are even times in our church where we need to be faithful that God will make up for a lack of funds, the need for more people to help with ministry or programs, work out the different points of view, resolve conflict, or turn the hearts of the lost toward Him. It is in those times that we can choose to talk a lot about faith (Being full of it.) or we can truly be faithful by depending on God in an unquestioning and undoubting way.

• Do you have faith? 

• Will your faith in God ever waiver? 

• Will you doubt, or will you just remain faithful?

At the end of Job’s story he has a conversion with God and this is what Job realizes:

• I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted.

• You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?”Surely I spoke about things I did not understand,things too wondrous for me to know.

• You said, “Listen now, and I will speak.

• When I question you, you will inform me.”

• I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you.

Job 42:2-5 (CSB)

So I leave you with one question. Are you FAITHFUL or just Full Of It? Let me reiterate:

“Being faithful has to be more than just talking about it. It takes action, stepping out, trusting when all else seems hopeless or impossible, not letting doubt invade, and most importantly God has to be present in our mind and hearts.”

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1(CSB

- Pastor Sean            

Don't Fight Alone

We just finished up a sermon series about hard things like sexuality and gender.  For some of us we are figuring out how to love and interact with our child or grandchild without endorsing the sin of a homosexual lifestyle.  Some of us are wrestling with whether to use the name of a loved one who changed their name to reflect their desired change of gender.  Some of us are personally fighting the temptations of sexual immorality.  Some of us are giving in to the temptations of sexual immorality.  And the sad thing is, some of us are doing it alone.  For some of us the sin or temptation is secret and we are doing everything we can to manage perceptions and protect ourselves from being found out.  This is exhausting; I know that from experience.

          We were not meant to be alone in our struggles and temptations.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”  When my sin was still in secret, I was alone.  I had no brother to help pull me up when I fell.  I had no brother that could reach out to me or ask me hard questions, because no one knew I was struggling.

          If you are trying to fight a temptation alone, then I beg of you to find someone to confess to.  Find someone who is close to you and ask them to help you.  If you can’t think of the right person to talk to, then reach out to one of the pastors or try coming to Celebrate Recovery on Monday nights.  Fighting a secret temptation or struggle is exhausting, defeating, and lonely.  Don’t try to fight alone.  Let’s “Bear one another’s burdens” as Galatians 6 says.  Let’s “pray for one another, that we may be healed” as James 5 says.  Let’s “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” as Hebrews 3 says.  Let’s pursue authentic community together because “a man might prevail against one who is alone, but two will withstand him” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

 See you Sunday!

My Rightnow Media Pick of the month is “Sexuality” which includes several sessions from Christopher Yuan an author that Pastor Jack referred to several times.

-  Pastor Kyle

The Mercy of God

Did you ever consider what the Garden of Eden was like? In the original creation everything was perfect and made to last forever. All the animals, the plants, the earth itself, along with man was vibrant and alive, growing, blossoming, and most beautiful, full of color. Everything was originally stable, lasting, permanent, full of life that never slowed down or aged or even waned a little. Sin took all of that away.

Gen. 3:17; Cursed is the ground because of sin.

Gen. 3:19; Cursed is man because of sin.

Everything is now groaning under the effects of sin. In Romans 8:21, Paul says we are in “bondage to decay”.  Everything will age, die, and decay.  Science calls it the second law of thermodynamics;  “entropy always increases”.  Entropy is randomness.  Anything left to itself will become more random in its nature.  A building, for example, left to itself will become more random in its structure, eventually falling apart and decaying.  Everything this side of heaven falls apart, including man.

This law was not part of our original created state.  It is part of our sin state. It is not natural.  It is a result of sin.  We only call it natural because we have lived with it so long.  We know nothing else.

But God, in His mercy, kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden so they would not eat of the tree of life and live in this fallen state forever, according to Gen. 3:22  As a result man dies. But did you ever consider that death is actually a merciful gift from God.  We now do not have to live like this, in our fallen, decaying state, forever.  Christ came to restore all of creation back to a new state where the curse will be no more.

My paraphrase of I Peter 2:11;  Friends, this world is not your home.  In this state, it was never intended to be this way.  Don’t allow yourselves to get too cozy in it.  Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.

I don’t know about you, but I am looking with anxious anticipation to our new state of existence.

Allen Graber

Elder

Struggling in Secret

“Wow...I’ve never heard that before.” This has been a common thought uttered in the recesses of my mind as I read popular resources on sexuality and gender. Hearing from “both sides” of the issue has stretched and deepened my understanding of our current sexual revolution. Studying Scripture at the same time has deepened my understanding of the truth.

  One of my favorite resources has been Christopher Yuan’s Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story. (Other great resources are listed on our Resource page)

  However, something he shared bothered me, and it hasn’t stopped bothering me. While working on his doctorate, Yuan interviewed 80 Christians who were struggling with same-sex attraction. In each interview he asked about their experiences in the Christian community. This was what he had to say about their answers, which he later commented were the norm:

One answered, “I was terrified that I would be judged and ostracized for something I didn’t want and something that wasn’t in my control.” Another said, “I didn’t feel like I would be understood...I thought that I would at least be rejected by peers and maybe even made fun of.” Yet another gave this reason for his silence: “I was terrified to tell close friends for this reason: I couldn’t bear to lose some of the most meaningful friendships in my life.” (pp. 163-164)

  It seems evident that Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction are more likely to look for help outside of the Church for avoidable reasons.

  In the same section referenced above, Yuan writes, “We evangelicals feel free to open up about a multitude of difficulties—pornography addictions, eating disorders, alcoholism, sex abuse, and so on. But many feel that same-sex attraction is the one thing they cannot share with another Christian.”

  This should not be. My hope is that with a clear understanding of the Scripture, we can follow Jesus in the way He interacted with and pursued sinners, and we can edify and encourage other believers in their walk with Christ.

I’m looking forward to Sunday’s Q&A time. I hope the manner in which we share opens the door for meaningful discussion and deeper relationships.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack