Yesterday, Grace Community Church began a 21 day fast. As a church, and as the individuals that make up the church, we want to seek God whole-heartedly to start off 2011. It has been so encouraging to see so many people in our church making that commitment to spend 21 days praying and fasting. There are some who are doing the Daniel Fast, others are fasting from Technology, and even others are fasting from the things in their life that divide their heart from God. Even those who are not participating in the fast are examining their lives and making changes to seek God. This is a HUGE deal!
God we ask that You would move in our lives, our church, our community in big and mighty ways. God we seek You first and ask that Your glory would shine all around us. Bless us with Your presence…
Join us at Grace Community to begin the year seeking God and His vision for 2011. Click the link for our 21 Day Fast Facebook event to join the conversation and follow us on our journey.
Next Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. I am particularly excited about Advent this year because at Grace we will be observing advent through the lens of Advent Conspiracy.
Christmas is a time when we celebrate when Jesus came into the world. God sent Jesus to earth…and everything changed. At Grace we are partnering with Advent Conspiracy because we believe that Christmas can still change the world. Taking part in Advent Conspiracy is making choices to celebrate Christmas by spending less, giving more, worshipping fully and loving all.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I look forward to it (and am already enjoying Christmas music and those cheesy movies on the Hallmark channel) all year long. Despite my love for this season, the last several years it has become more and more about giving/receiving and less and less about celebrating God’s Son who was sent to this earth as a baby to give us hope and abundant life. My goal this year is to make small changes that will make a big impact. I want to live like Jesus and love like Jesus this holiday season. The key word that I am using is, “Intentional.” Gift giving will be intentional. Less about presents and more about presence. How can I give my time/talent/resources? How can God use me in the life of a neighbor/friend/co-worker? It has been an eye-opening experience to begin paying attention to the needs of those around me. Maybe the biggest gift in someone’s life is not that hat they will never wear, but a cup of coffee and conversation? I am sure that I will buy a couple of gifts for people this year, but when I do…I want to be intentional.
Advent Conspiracy is bigger than just saving money! Our lives have been forever changed by a baby in a manger. During this Holiday season, we should be living in a way that reflects that change.
What does God want to show us this Christmas? What if this Christmas our family traditions helped change the world?
Tuesday: Fasting Day Fasting Topic: Make a difference by giving.
Give: In remote corners of the globe, in villages where very few people know Christ, in regions where gathering to worship God can put your life at risk… One Prayer has been spreading the Gospel, helping new churches take root, and seeing countless lives change. When we’re fasting today, let’s focus on this year’s Giving initiative—catching up on what’s been happening, learning about this year’s plan, and preparing for what God wants to do through us.
Prayer focus: People who are in need of food, clothing, and shelter
Prayer Verses: Psalm 40:17James 2:14-17
Wednesday: People who are in need of healing
Prayer Verses: Psalm 30:2James 5:16
Thursday:Guidance and strength for parents and caregivers around the world
As most of you may know on Sunday, Grace Community, like many other churches around the world, began the One Prayer series. In John 17:20-24, Jesus prayed that we, the church, would be one. During One Prayer, thousands of believers are coming together as the church to share, to serve, and to give.
As we are uniting as the Unstoppable Church made up of Unstoppable People, it is important that we unite together and pray. Below you will find daily prayer topics. On top of a daily prayer guide, every Tuesday of the week there is a fasting guide. I wanted to pass this along to all of you because I will be following this daily prayer guide and every Tuesday of One Prayer I will be fasting. You should join me…not just me, but hundreds and thousands of other believers around the world who have one prayer for their lives, churches, communities and the world we live in. Because when the Church unites, it’s UNSTOPPABLE!
This week’s daily prayer focus: Wednesday: Peace Among Nations prayer verses: Isaiah 2:4 & Luke 2:14
Write these down. Put them somewhere that you can see them. Visit http://2010.oneprayer.com/calendar for more information about joining together for Four Weeks with One Prayer.
This week we begin the FAQ (frequently asked questions) series. Have you ever wondered what God thinks about…(insert your “thing” here)? I am beyond excited about this series, for a couple of reasons. 1.) I have a million questions (poor Jerris, Mary & Aaron, I am always asking questions). 2.) When I am talking to my friends who are not believers, most of the time, the reason that they do not want to have anything to do with God or the church is due to questions that they have. Do you know people like that? I think that we, at one time or another, have all had friends or co-workers or even family members that are caught/stuck on the questions. This is the perfect series for them…or maybe even the perfect series for you.
So, who are you going to invite? Phone a friend or even use Facebook. Most of us probably have a Facebook account. Create an event, or put an invitation out on your status or even send an email. Go to Lifechurch.tv to watch a preview for Sunday and get some inspiration!
1. to move one’s hand or an implement continuously or repeatedly through (a liquid or other substance) in order to cool, mix, agitate, dissolve, etc., any or all of the component parts: to stir one’s coffee with a spoon.
2. to set in tremulous, fluttering motion: A soft breeze stirred the leaves.
3. to affect strongly; excite; to stir one’s heart.
4. to incite, instigate, or prompt
5. to move briskly; bestir: to stir oneself.
6. to move,
7. to rouse from inactivity, quiet, contentment, indifference, etc.
8.to bring up for notice or discussion.
9.to disturb;
This morning i looked up the definition to the word stir, because I just needed a word to describe the little somethings here and there that I have observed. It fit perfectly. I am reading a book called Forgotten God, by Francis Chan. In the book he talks about the tragedy of living your life with out ever discovering the power of the Holy Spirit inside of you. He asks a really interesting question, one that I would like to ask to you, “When was the last time I undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around me?”
When was the last time that you undeniably saw the Spirit at work (stirring) in or around you? Go back up and read the definition of stir. Can you see the Holy Spirit doing some of those things in your life? Are you affected? Have you felt set into motion? Felt discontent (disturbed)? Are you feeling “roused” from inactivity, indifference, contentment?
I have talked to several of you and the Holy Spirit is stirring. Let’s seek it out. Find out more about who the Holy Spirit even is. Find out why or why not you are feeling the Holy Spirit. Let’s be proactive about our faith…about our lives…about our purpose. Are you being stirred? If so, what are you doing about it?
(p.s I really would love love love to hear about how you have seen the Spirit at work in or around you!)
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” Psalm 63:1-5
A week from today marks Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. Lent has always been an interesting thing to me. I have definitely misunderstood the point many times in an attempt to rid myself of a caffeine addiction or to give up fast food, but I am learning to appreciate the meaning behind Lent. Lent is a journey; a time of remembrance and preparation for the celebration of Easter when Jesus took our place on the cross and then rose again. Lent falls at the same time every year, but this year I feel like Lent is coming at a very interesting time for me personally. I have been seeking for something…Longing for something…Craving more and becoming annoyingly dissatisfied with my relationship with God. So maybe I need to take advantage of this season of Lent. Maybe I need to allow this journey to the cross to be an opportunity for soul searching and devoting myself to seeking the face of God. I want my life to be changed forever so that when I read Psalm 63:1-5, it is more than just words on a page. I have been contemplating lately, what my life would look like if the verses above were an honest portrayal of the way that I lived. What am I willing to do to make that happen? God give us the discipline to seek Your face and to let that wholly and completely change us.
-Brittany Black
As most of you who may know, Grace Community is hosting a Church Online experience through Lifechurch.tv on Wednesday nights at 10:00pm. We just finished up tonight’s experience and let me just tell you…tonight was Amazing! I am beyond thrilled that our church and our amazing online volunteers get to see how God is moving and working ONLINE! Every week, I just get more and more excited about our involvement with Church Online. Over the course of the night there were people from thirty-seven different countries joining us, worshipping with us, hearing truth. On top of that, there were really great conversations going on in the chat room, one of our live prayer volunteers was able to pray with someone seeking prayer, and five people raised their hands to say that they wanted to make changes in their lives. Our God is life changing! Tonight, three people became Christ followers! GRACE COMMUNITY, that is three more “one mores”. Our God is so great.
Earlier today, I was putting the lesson together for the preschoolers in Grace Place and part of the lesson is to learn the song, “Our God is so Big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.” And I would like to add there is no place too insignificant for God to move. Online or Offline God is moving and working…how awesome that we get to see it!
So you should know that I am a person that always struggles with extremes. For example, when I was 17, I had a pretty impressive music collection. My mom had never really let us listen to “secular” music growing up, so when I got my own car…I got my music on! Well, one day, my youth pastor asked a question about if people would know that you are Christian by your CDs. What? Anyways, this is what my mom always said and I thought that was a grand sign that I should give up all music that didn’t mention Jesus. So in a rage of passion I was driving down the road one day and threw all of my CDs out the window (I still shudder when I think about it). I felt so FREE…for about 2 hours. Once my emotional high was over, I realized that what I did was dumb. I “messed with Texas”, or for those who don’t speak Texan…I littered, threw hundreds of dollars out the window, and just reacted in an extreme way. God didn’t tell me to throw my CDs out the window, I just chose the craziest option. Maybe if I were smarter I would have prayed and investigated why it was that I felt the need to throw my CDs out the window, but I was 17 and apparently not logical. Two hours later I couldn’t even remember why I had done it in the first place. Annoying.
So anyways, the reason I told that ridiculous story was to say that I have the same problems when it comes to reading scripture. I feel like I am always struggling to balance between taking things literally and then taking them as “up for interpretation.” I was reading James 1:22-25, and I am really having another balance issue. I would hate to be called a legalistic person (gasp), but at the same time why would God tell us to “Not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says,” if it wasn’t important? But why is that so hard to do? Honestly, if I really did a thorough examination of my life, about 89% is about me and maintaining a life that goes at the pace and on the cue of the world. So that leaves about 11% of my whole being to God. Why do I think that I have that option? Or even as you keep reading James 1:23-24, “Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” Am I forgetting who I am? The extreme side to me says to just get rid of all of the things in my life that are causing me to not be able to “do what the Bible says.” But the other extreme says, “well compared to so and so, you are doing pretty good.” Why am I willing to be so extreme as to throw my music out the stinkin’ window; but not extreme when it comes to not merely listening to what the Bible says…but doing it? If this is real, if my relationship with God is important, if loving God is so transformational, then why is it not my priority to get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word in me…the Word that can save me? (James 1:21)
I am struggling with this scripture right now because I know that there is a possibility that it won’t stick. The possibility that I will have this moment of passion and then forget again “who I am”. (James 1:23-24) I will tell myself, that we live on earth so I must keep up with all the earth demands of me. I might try to get away with, “I have no choice but to go shopping and watch tv in my spare time instead of seeking the face of God, because I have to have ‘me’ time and it’s important to stay relevant to culture!” or maybe, “My relationships with people are important, but it is not important to mention God because I have to see them everyday and what if it is awkward?” I don’t know yet what it looks like, but maybe we are supposed to be extreme? The vast love of God doesn’t make sense. The way He changes lives doesn’t make sense. Maybe we are not supposed to make sense to the world around us. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says.” It excites me to think about what our relationships, families, homes and churches would look like if each of us lived to the extreme. I think that the world would have no choice but to notice. *please note that I am not suggesting you throw your iPod out the window of your car.
Tonight is the launch of Grace Community’s church online experience through Lifechurch.tv! I am so excited. So excited in fact that all day yesterday I was singing an adaptation of little orphan Annie’s song, “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, our online church launch is tomorrow!”
I am amazed at the many ways that it is possible for us to take hope, peace, truth…salvation to people around the world. Everyday individuals meet up at church online and get to see glimpses of who our God is. God told us in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” It excites me that this avenue is reaching the people who maybe wouldn’t set foot into a church or maybe those people who just accidentally stumble onto the website. Church Online is connecting people and bringing community in such unique way. Last week we had a run through of an online experience and even during the run through, which wasn’t publicized, there were 44 people from 7 different countries. One of those 44 people became a Christ follower!!! I hope that we keep creating and exploring new ways to bring “the Good News” to the world that God created.
If you can, join us tonight (or any Wednesday night) at 10:00pm for Church Online!
