Glory of Christ Fellowship

Announcements—April 2, 2017 Agape Meal Today: Join us after the service for a meal together. All are welcome! Counselors Training:   On Saturday, April 8 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Bethlehem Baptist Church is hosting a counselor training for pastors and their spouses, and for counselors and their spouses. This training will be led by David Powlison of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation. If you’re interested in attending, please contact Pastor Charlie at  charlie@gcfmn.org . Good Friday and Easter Services—Save the Dates: This year our Good Friday service will take place on Friday, April 14 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the Handke Center, and the Easter Service will take place on Sunday, April 16 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the Handke Center. Foundation Builders 3 (Parenting Class) on Saturday, April 22:  This class will meet at the church office from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m....

Faith Begets Faith By Pastor Charlie George Müller is well known for his great faith, but have you ever wondered how he came to possess it? Of course, the primary answer is that he prayed according to the Word of God and watched the Lord keep his promises again and again. But a secondary answer is that he observed the faith and generosity of others and emulated what he saw in them. Early in his ministry, Müller was in need of some money, and thus wrote to a wealthy woman to ask for a loan. When her reply did not arrive by the time he expected, he went into a bit of a tailspin and even began to doubt the Lord and wonder if he should ever have become a Christian. In his melancholy state, he went out to a local establishment and spent money he didn’t have on things he didn’t need, after which he felt all the worse. But the Lord was gracious to him, showed him his sin, and helped him to turn his face up again. At 2:00 p.m. that day, he received a parcel containing the exact am...

You Must Be Born Again John 3:1-15 March 26, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Who was Nicodemus? How does this shape our perception of the Pharisees and the leaders of the Jews? Why did he come to Jesus by night? Why did Jesus respond as he did to Nicodemus’ initial statement (see verse 3)? Was Nicodemus’ follow up question in verse 4 a reasonable one? What is the heart of Jesus second statement in verses 5-8? Given who Nicodemus was, why did Jesus make this statement? What is the heart of Jesus third statement in verses 10-15? Why did Jesus point to the sign of Moses and the serpent in Numbers 21:4-9? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 3:1-15? 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 believer...

Announcements - March 26, 2017 Pastor Kevin on Vacation:   Pastor Kevin and family will be on vacation from March 16-30. Please hold them up in prayer as they rejuvenate together. 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. GOLD Meeting:   The quarterly meeting for GCF’s leaders will take place on Saturday, April 1 from 8:00-10:00 a.m.  at the church office. All team leaders are required to be at these meetings, and all church members are welcome to attend. Counselors Training:   On Saturday, April 8 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Bethlehem Baptist Church is hosting a counselor training for pastors and their spouses, and for counselors and their spouses. This training will be led by David Powlison of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation. If you’re intere...

Prayer, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit By Pastor Charlie By his grace, the Lord gave George Müller a heart to seek him in big things and little things from the beginning of his life with God. He also sought to benefit others in practical ways and in spiritual ways, especially seeking to share the gospel with those who weren’t walking with Jesus. Over the years, the Lord taught him how profound and simple a connection there is between prayer, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. To ascertain the Lord’s will we ought to use scriptural means. Prayer, the Word of God, and His Spirit should be united together. We should go the Lord repeatedly in prayer, and ask him to teach us by His Spirit through His Word. I say, by His Spirit through His Word. For if we should think that his Spirit led us to do so and so, because certain facts are so and so, and yet his Word is opposed to the step which we are going to take, we should be deceiving ourselves. ( Autobiography of Georg...

A Consuming Zeal John 2:13-25 March 19, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation What was “the Passover of the Jews”? How often was it celebrated and why did Jesus go to the celebration? What did Jesus find in the temple, and what does this tell us about the spiritual climate of Israel at the time? How did he respond and why? How did his disciples understand what Jesus did? How did the Jews respond to what Jesus did? How did Jesus respond to them and why? What was the effect of Jesus’ answer on his disciples? How did the people respond to what Jesus did? How did Jesus think about their response and why? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 2:13-25? 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 fo...

Prayer and Evangelism By Pastor Charlie      In November of 1825, George Müller heard the gospel preached and, by the grace of God, he came to faith in Jesus Christ. Sometime later, he read several missionary stories and met with a couple missionaries, and this aroused in him a desire to be a missionary himself. His mentors, however, encouraged him to wait, wisdom which he was willing to receive but which discouraged him a bit. But at that very time, Müller had an opportunity to visit for a couple of days with an older pastor who greatly “refreshed” his spirit and helped him to fix his eyes on Jesus (Autobiography of George Müller, Westminster Literature, page 12).       When he returned to his hometown, he spent some time with two of his old friends. The three of them used to carouse together, but now that Müller was a Christian he no longer partnered with them in sin. He did, however, seek to share the love of Christ, and on this particular occasion...