Pray, invite, bring

On By MarkIn Pray, ResurrectionLeave a comment

I remember in college I entered a “preaching” challenge. I’m guessing most of you didn’t have that opportunity at your college. I did. I was a senior preparing for ministry and one of the courses in my theology and ministry training was for ‘homiletics’ or preaching.

This sermon was to be preached in front of my peers and visiting pastors.  The reason the message stands out is because I got it from my older brother.  My brother Jim was probably voted most likely to be a good preacher when he was in grade school!  I can’t remember if I heard him preach this message or I just asked and he gave me the reference and an outline.  As in most sermons, it’s not always about the originality, because God already gets the credit for that one in the actual text!  But it’s about being true to the text and relevant in application to your audience.

This is a long way to get to what I want to say.  The text was Mark 2:1-12.  The main idea is that a man is healed because his friends brought him to Jesus.  Literally.  But before the physical healing in vs 11-12, Jesus gave him forgiveness in v5. That was the bigger deal. Still is.

People may think they’re biggest need is to be ‘made whole’ or experience a healing or a positive turn in the events of their life, some pain to be removed. But the truth is, and we all know it, we need true genuine, unconditional forgiveness.  And that’s exactly what Jesus offers. That’s the gospel. And that’s exactly what we celebrate when we get excited about Resurrection Sunday.

The problem is most people don’t yet know about it. That’s where you and I come in.  God has forgiven us so we can demonstrate his love and grace and kindness and mercy towards others.

Let’s be the friends.  Let’s be the ones who will do anything to get someone in the presence of Christ.  Read the text; these guys literally tore the roof apart to let the man down through the new opening.

Pray for your friends. Then invite them. Then offer a ride, or lunch afterwards.  Bring them, introduce them to someone and sit with them.  And when you pray, pray believing!

Two Hundred and Ten

On By MarkIn Gospel, GRACE, Jesus!, ResurrectionLeave a comment

That’s how many people at Grace came to the One Answer event, ready now to lead someone to Jesus as God brings them.  Because Jesus came and died and rose again, we have a message to pass on to others.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  John 3:17

This coming Sunday our church family will celebrate Palm Sunday, remembering the Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, hailed as the Son of David, but soon to be treated as a criminal. Not because of His crime, but because of my sin.

The sin that separated me from God.  Then Jesus died.  His blood covered my sin, satisfying the wrath of God.

Odd isn’t it?

I sinned, He didn’t

He died, so I could live.

As Palm Sunday ushers in the events of “holy week”, we remember the death and burial of Jesus.  But then we get to Resurrection Sunday!  Jesus is no longer dead, but He’s alive.  Join the 210 people of Grace that are asking God for the opportunity to invite someone.  This is by far the most significant time of the year for the message of the Gospel to go unhindered.  Let’s be clear: every single Sunday we celebrate the Resurrected Jesus, but this one coming up is special.  I believe God is calling people to Himself.  And He’s put me and you in their path to show them and speak of His great love and grace.  Go ahead, ask someone. Simply invite them to church with you.  Let’s see what God does.

Absent from the body and present with the Lord!

On By MarkIn Jesus!, Pray1 Comment

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”  2 Cor 5:8

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15

Mary Olson passed away peacefully this evening.  She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed. But all who knew her know of her love for Jesus, and tonight, she is with Him!  Sorrow and grief are real and difficult, but the peace and the hope we have is a beautiful act of God’s grace for us. She is with Him!

One Answer

On By MarkIn Gospel, GRACE, Jesus!, SalvationLeave a comment

This past Sunday we announced an event coming March 3rd and 10th.  This will be a single event that we repeat so you can either come to both or come to one and serve at the other. We are providing childcare for all kids so that everyone can come. Those available to help with childcare for one of the nights will do a great service to our church!

The event will be from 6 – 7:15.  We’re working hard to keep it real close to just over an hour.

You know we love the gospel at Grace Community. It is often that I bring the clear gospel message into sermons.  In the past I have taught a four week series on evangelism where we covered how to talk to someone about the need for salvation and then how to take the Bible and lead someone to faith in Christ!

That’s not what this event is about.

This is NOT about how to get someone interested, or ready, or get them to understand their need for what Jesus has done for them. This event is about YOU and I knowing what to say when the person is ALREADY READY!

There is a great place for evangelism training and how to answer a lot of questions. We’ve done some of that, and we’ll probably do more in the future.

This is only about how you and I can help a person who is ready.

I want us all to know and be ready with what to say and what verses to go to!

I KNOW you can do this. I think it would be awesome to have a couple hundred people of Grace clearly ready to share the beautiful grace of Jesus when asked!

Stepping Out

On By MarkIn Community, GraceGives, LoveLeave a comment

h-armstrong-roberts-newsboy-with-stack-of-papers-under-arms-helping-elderly-woman-with-cane-cross-street
Each Sunday this year @ Grace we are putting out a challenge, a ‘stepping out’ if you will, kind of challenge.  Often sermons leave us thinking about our relationship to God and sometimes an action point that relates to those with whom we are closest.  These challenges are about ‘stepping out’ of our routines and comforts and stepping alongside those we see and don’t yet know. Here are the first three:

  • Think of a way to show appreciation to someone who blessed you in 2012
  • Meet a neighbor
  • Serve someone anonymously

I know, seems simple. Lots of room to be creative, or not.

Here’s the point:  We want to take initial steps in knowing and serving one another and those who are all around us.  Some of the challenges will be pointed towards others in our fellowship, some towards neighbors we know, and those we’ve never met. Some will be pointed towards missionaries we support and the smiling face that gives us our receipt at the local store.  The reason is not to say that we have finally fulfilled the Great Commandment to “love one another”, but to move in that direction.

My hope is that as we take these weekly challenges we will see a change in our perspective of where we live and how we can serve those around us.

Come and join us.  The weekly challenges are put on our website each Monday for that week.  What could it look like to have 500+ people in our community acting on these challenges to love and to serve?

Drawing Near

On By MarkIn church, Jesus!, PrayLeave a comment

This past Sunday to finish the 2012 year at Grace, I spoke on Praise and Prayer.  The key idea came from 1 Peter 1:3-9, and especially 6-7:

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

We also spent some time looking at James 1:2-8, then we finished with James 4, especially vs 8:

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The main idea was that our praise to God comes from a closeness to Him and His purposes in our life. Praise doesn’t come only through “blessings” that we enjoy and give thanks for.  Praise is knowing God. Praise is the result of being near Him and growing in our understanding of Him.

The challenge was put out to find some time this week to “draw near to God”.  Because the result is what we long for, as a church family, but just as much as individual members, “and He will draw near to you!”

Perhaps 2012 will be remembered for some serious pain or disappointments, or maybe it was a banner year. Regardless, we praise Him because of HIM.  I want to be in that process of drawing near Him because I want to know His presence in my life, His nearness, His ‘praise-worthiness’ regardless of the situation.  I want to know God and His ever-present, always comforting, power-infusing nearness.

The Humility of Jesus

On By MarkIn Christmas, Jesus!Leave a comment

This past Sunday Brian Ketter spoke on humility.  As happens, when you sit under the teaching of God’s Word you are putting yourself in a good position to both hear about God and hear from Him. And I, like you, need both.

This week I’ve done a lot of thinking about the humility that God calls us to as well as the example Jesus sets for us.  This is so obvious, it may seem simplistic to write the words. But, if you are getting wound up pretty tight on all the Christmas season expectations and busyness, or even if you’re not… perhaps this simple message will remind you of the One who loves you so much He humbled himself.

Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  Phil 2:6-7

Jesus. Fully God, became fully man.  That’s humility.

He humbled Himself. He wasn’t humbled by another. He stepped out of eternity and entered our time, our space, to be with us, to be one of us.

Ready for this?

So that we could become one of His.

8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Phil 2:8-11

Let’s meet up @ God’s house

On By MarkIn church, WorshipLeave a comment

This has been a difficult week at best.  There is so much to process.

Today, go to church. Go where God’s people are going to gather under His banner of love and truth, grace and mercy.  We don’t just worship and submit to Him in the best of times, we follow and trust and obey and worship, even in the worst of times.

Going to where God has called us to gather, is what God has invited and initiated among us. His church is His idea. It’s where we gather to worship Him, to grow in knowledge and understanding of Him, and to encourage one another because of Him.  Today, as much as ever, we need to worship Him, to grow in our knowledge and understanding, and we need to encourage one another. Don’t sit this one out.

It’s going to be a beautiful day here in Flagstaff. Cold, but beautiful. The 20″ of snow is sitting heavy on the branches and today promises clear skies.

Being with the church is where I want to be.  I’m getting ready to go.  Join me.

Thanks, LORD.

On By MarkIn Thanks2 Comments

Thanksgiving.  There’s no new way to say what’s already been said, but it still must be said. Let us give thanks.

If our thanks starts with the Lord, the rest will fall into place. He is the reason we can give thanks, and He is the One to Whom we will give thanks.

10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Verse 2

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Verse 3

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

Hurricane Sandy

On By MarkIn GraceGives, Pray, ServingLeave a comment

I just went online and gave a gift to help the victims from hurricane Sandy through Samaritan’s Purse. Our church has chosen to use this ministry as the best way to help in disasters like this.

You can go to the website and watch the video, or just read about all they are doing right now.  http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/franklin_graham_support_for_sandy_victims/

Then click the GIVE button and enter your debit card info. I’ve done this before. It is safe and it is a good thing to do.  As you give, pray that God will use your gift to bless someone. Whether it’s a victim still awaiting help, or a volunteer who is there giving of themselves to help, pray for people.  People need the Lord, and many will see the “good works” of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers and witness the light of the World.  Matt 5:14-16