Glory of Christ Fellowship

What Does it Mean to “Have Faith” in Prayer? By Pastor Charlie In Matthew 22:18-22 we’re told a story about Jesus and his disciples that teaches us something important about receiving answers to prayer, namely, that we must have faith to do so. Matthew writes, In the morning, as he [Jesus] was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither at once?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.’ At first glance, this story seems odd. It presents Jesus as one who i...

The Word of God Will Stand Forever Isaiah 40:6-8 December 31, 2016 Sermon Notes What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Isaiah 40:6-8? 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—December 31, 2016 Reminder: NO SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP Service on January 1, 2017. Sunday School Schedule into 2017: All Sunday school classes will not meet again until January 15. Agape Meal Next Sunday, January 8 : After the communion service next week, we will share a meal together. See the back of the announcements for details about the Agape Meal. All-Church Quarterly Prayer Meeting Wednesday, January 11: Join us for our quarterly prayer meeting at the Handke Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We will pray for all Glory of Christ ministries to bear fruit in 2017 and the upcoming trip to Romania for Pastor Charlie and Ethan Larson. Child care will be provided. GCF Annual Business Meeting Sunday, January 15 at 6 p.m.: We will meet at the Fergus' home. Members are asked to attend while all attendees are welcome. Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting : Anyone who would like to join in corporate prayer may do so. The prayer time is 6:00 a.m. to 7:0...

Ask and It Will be Given to You By Pastor Charlie Over the last several weeks we’ve been meditating on the question, why must we ask of Jesus in prayer? I have suggested eight answers to this question which you can find on my blog at bornoftheword.blogspot.com. For now, I’d like to turn our attention to the promises Jesus makes to those who will in fact ask of him by faith. We begin this six-week journey with the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:7-11. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” The promise Jesus makes in these verses is ext...

The Root and Descendant of David Matthew 1:1-17 December 24, 2016 Sermon Notes  1. What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Matthew 1:1-17, Psalms 2, 16, 22, 110, and Revelation 22:16? 2. How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and others? 3. What’s the most important thing Jesus would have you do in light of this sermon? 4. 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 - December 24, 2016 Reminder: NO SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP Services on December 25, 2016 and January 1, 2017. Sunday School Schedule into 2017: All Sunday school classes will not meet again until January 15. Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting : Anyone who would like to join in corporate prayer may do so. The prayer time is 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. at the church office. Next Week’s Fighter Verse You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:5-6

Why Must We Ask of Jesus in Prayer? Part III By Pastor Charlie In John 15:7-8, Jesus promised, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you . By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (emphasis mine). Over the last two weeks we have seen that this promise assumes something very basic but extremely important, namely, that we must ask of Christ in prayer or our prayers cannot be answered. I see at least eight reasons why Jesus commands us to ask of him, five of which I have shared over the last two weeks. Specifically, I have said that we must ask of Jesus in prayer (1) because he commanded us to do so, (2) because we’re in a relationship with him and communication is key to the health of any relationship, (3) because it teaches us childlike dependence upon him, (4) because it teaches us to think, feel, and ask like Jesus, and (5) because it teaches us how to counsel and bles...