Glory of Christ Fellowship

The Gospel of John The Testimony of John J ohn 1:19-34 February 26, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation 1.   Why did the Jewish leaders send emissaries to question John about his identity? 2.   Who did the Jews think John might be? What was his answer to each inquiry? Why does the Apostle John emphasize that John denied being the Christ? 3.   Who did John finally say he was? Why did he say, then, that he was baptizing? How did he use this opportunity to point to Christ and testify about him? 4.   When John first saw Jesus (verse 29), what did he then say about Jesus? What did he say about his previous relationship to Jesus? Why is this important? 5.   What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 1:19-34? 6.   How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and others? 7.   What’s the most important thing Jesus would have you do in light of this sermon? 8.   Take some time to worship Jesus. Thank him, prais

Announcements - February 26, 2017 Agape Meal Next Sunday: Next week is Communion Sunday and we will share a meal together after the service. See the back of the announcements for full details about this monthly, all-church meal. Silent Auction for Haiti Mission Trip Next Sunday: There will be a silent auction during the Agape Meal to raise money for the Haiti mission trip. Bids will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and again right after the worship service, close to 11:45 am. If you have like new items or gift cards you would like to donate to the auction, please contact Julie Springfield (763-607-1253). Fellowship Directory: We are assembling a new pictorial directory. We will take pictures in the gym each Sunday during the month of February. Gather your family for a quick photo and to update your contact information. If you would prefer to use a digital picture (jpeg format) that you have, send it to Melissa Johnson (mmjohnson512@gmail.com) by February 28. Wo

A Brief Report on Our Trip to Romania By Pastor Charlie From February 3-13, Ethan Larson and I had the privilege of traveling to northern Romania with Training Leaders International (TLI), the ministry with which Ethan serves. Over the last year, Ethan has worked with the staff of TLI and local Romanian leaders to set up this training opportunity. The vision of TLI is to bring college and seminary level training to parts of the world that have little or no access to it. They only go at the request of local leaders, and they require those leaders to play a substantial role in the process. Once a site has been chosen and local leadership set up, they travel to the host country three times per year for three years, for a total of nine courses. The first course is “The Attributes of God,” followed by “Biblical Theology” and “Hermeneutics” (the science and art of interpretation). After these three “core courses,” they lead students through various books of the Bible depending on l

The Word Became Flesh John 1:14-18 February 19, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Returning to the theme of “the Word” from verses 1-5, what does John now teach us about him? Be as specific as you can. How do the things John teaches us here connect with greater biblical themes? Why does John write, “we have seen his glory”? Who are “we”? How does their eyewitness to the manifest glory of the Word relate to John’s purpose in writing? Why does John refer again to John the Baptist in the middle of this description about the Word? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 1:14-18? How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and others? What’s the most important thing Jesus would have you do in light of this sermon? Take some time to worship Jesus. Thank him, praise him, and ask for his help as you seek to strive with other believers for the faith of the gospel.

Announcements - February 19, 2017 Fellowship Directory: We are assembling a new pictorial directory. We will take pictures in the gym each Sunday during the month of February. Gather your family for a quick photo and to update your contact information. If you would prefer to use a digital picture (jpeg format) that you have, send it to Melissa Johnson (mmjohnson512@gmail.com) by February 28. GCF Date Night for Married Couples: All married couples are invited to attend a fun event on Saturday, February 25 . Wet will go bowling in St. Michael. Tickets are on sale for $5 per couple at our worship services on February 5, 12, and 19. Time of the event is 7:00 p.m. Night of Prayer Friday, February 24—Sponsored by SALT/Arrive Ministries: Will you join us for a night of prayer? We’ll start at 6 p.m. on Friday night . We believe NOW is the time in history for the Good News of the Kingdom of Jesus to break through into the nation of Somalia. Come and pray for 2 hours, or the who

Our Confidence in Prayer By Pastor Charlie If anyone ever knew the power of a praying life, it was the Apostle John. When he was old and eager to lead the precious people of God in the way they should go, he wrote 1 John which, among other things, makes this promise about prayer. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). John’s words echo those of Jesus and reiterate his great and precious promises regarding prayer. But as with Jesus’ words, John’s promise comes with this caveat: to have our prayers affirmatively answered by God, we must ask according to his will. How, then, can we know that we are praying according to his will? First, we know that we are praying according to God’s will when we pray! That is to say, our Father invites and commands us to pray—to make our cares

Godly Character: Contentment Philippians 4:9-13 “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content . I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Contentment is about satisfaction, peace, and rest of soul: The person who is content in Scripture is like a weaned child or a sheep who is resting (Psalm 131). The opposite of contentment is striving, needing more, wanting more, and inwardly noisy. While contentment leads to peace, joy, trust, confidence, hard work, discontentment leads us to complaining, threatening, despair, contempt, manipulation, anger, and anxiety.  Contentment is about Surrender:  Growing in

Announcements - February 12, 2017 New Members Class: Today a New Members Class is starting. We will meet during the Sunday school hour. All those who would like to learn more about Glory of Christ Fellowship and what we believe are welcome to attend. This class is a requirement for those who decide to become members. Fellowship Directory: We are assembling a new pictorial directory. We will take pictures in the gym each Sunday during the month of February. Gather your family for a quick photo and to update your contact information. If you would prefer to use a digital picture (jpeg format) that you have, send it to Melissa Johnson (mmjohnson512@gmail.com) by February 28. Winter Carnival Saturday, February 18 : The youth group will be hosting a Winter Carnival at the Handke Center from 5:30-8:00 p.m. The goal is to have some fun and raise some money for the upcoming missions trip to Haiti (June 2017). Grab some postcards on the info table to share with those you would like

Bearing Lasting Fruit in Prayer By Pastor Charlie Over the last two months I’ve been writing about the importance of asking the Lord for specific things in prayer, and about the powerful promises he makes to those who will do so. Although the extent and repetition of his promises raise legitimate questions, it is undeniable that Jesus’ desire for his people is that we would grow in him until we receive whatever we ask of the Father in prayer. This call to effective prayer is high and holy, and Jesus helps us to better understand it in John 15:16 where he says this: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” Let’s take note of several things in Jesus’ words. First, notice that Jesus chose us and that we did not choose him. Of course, at some point in our lives, we decided to embrace the being and claims of Jesus and to follo

This blog post is added mainly for parents of teens who are sending their son or daughter to our Student ministries on Wednesday nights at Handke. It is a value of GCF to partner with parents and we see the church's role in your son or daughters life as supplementary. Thus, by reading this blog you can have a better understanding of what they are being taught from Scripture and the ways you might be able to discuss the lesson with them. Of course, since these studies are richly rooted in biblical content it will be helpful for anyone desiring to study the Bible. Marks of Pride and Humility: Pursuing Humility Philippians 2:1-11 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of y