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Growing in Grace by Fasting, by Pastor Charlie Handren

Growing in Grace by Fasting By Pastor Charlie The Apostle Peter drew his second letter to a close with these wise and pastoral words: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). The word “grow” is an exhortation and a command, and it implies that if we’re to progress in Christ we must play an active role, by the grace of Christ, in building habits that nurture our progress. Therefore, I am offering a series of devotionals this summer on eight essential habits that help us to grow in grace. For today, let’s consider the place of fasting in the Christian life. Midway through the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said to his disciples, “And when you fast...” Later he added, “The days will come when the bridegroom [Jesus] is taken away from them [Jesus’ disciples], and then they will fast” (Matthew 6:16; 9:15). The Lord said “when” not “if,” and “they will” not “they might.” Jesus ...

Worship Songs, August 6

We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. All Creatures of our God and King Famous One Greater Is He He Will Come and Save You Behold The Lamb (Communion) Oh the Deep Deep Love Bless The Lord Grace and peace, Pastor Kevin

Announcements - July 30, 2017

Announcements - July 30, 2017 Change in Location for Sunday Worship Services from July 16-August 20: We will be worshiping at Elk River High School July 16 through August 20. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us there! Pastor Charlie on Vacation July 17-August 7: Pastor Charlie is  on vacation until August 7. If you need assistance with anything, please contact Pastor Kevin at kevin@gcfmn.org. Please pray for the Handrens as they draw away with Jesus and seek to refresh their souls in Him together. Youth Camping Trip August 6-9: The youth camping trip is targeted to high school students but junior high students who enjoy hiking and camping are also welcome to attend. This is an adventurous trip designed to use exploration in God's creation as a way to make disciples for the glory of Christ. If you would like to sign up you can do so by submitting $10 payment to Pastor Kevin. Please direct any questions to Pastor Kevin (kevin@gcfmn.org). Quarterly Busine...

Growing in Grace by Praying to God, by Pastor Charlie Handren

Growing in Grace by Praying to God By Pastor Charlie The Apostle Peter drew his second letter to a close with these wise and pastoral words: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). The word “grow” is an exhortation and a command, and it implies that if we’re to progress in Christ we must play an active role, by the grace of Christ, in building habits that nurture our progress. Therefore, I am offering a series of devotionals this summer on eight essential habits that help us to grow in grace. For today, let’s consider the place of prayer in the Christian life. Paul writes in Colossians 4:2, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” The words “continue steadfastly,” like Peter’s word “grow,” implies that we who love Jesus must put forth effort by the grace of Jesus and learn to talk to him about everything. And this is, of course, the...

Announcements - July 23, 2017

Announcements - July 23, 2017 Change in Location for Sunday Worship Services from July 16-August 20: We will be worshiping at Elk River High School July 16 through August 20. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us there! Pastor Charlie on Vacation July 17-August 7: Pastor Charlie is  on vacation until August 7. If you need assistance with anything, please contact Pastor Kevin at kevin@gcfmn.org. Please pray for the Handrens as they draw away with Jesus and seek to refresh their souls in Him together. Kenny Stokes Preaching Today: It is our privilege to have Pastor Kenny Stokes bring the sermon today. Pastor Kenny is the Pastor for Church Planting at Bethlehem Baptist Church, and has been Pastor Charlie’s mentor for the last fourteen years. Youth Camping Trip August 6-9: The youth camping trip is targeted to high school students but junior high students who enjoy hiking and camping are also welcome to attend. This is an adventurous trip designed to use ex...

Growing in Grace by Praising God, by Pastor Charlie Handren

Growing in Grace by Praising God By Pastor Charlie The Apostle Peter drew his second letter to a close with these wise and pastoral words: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). The word “grow” is an exhortation and a command, and it implies that if we’re to progress in Christ we must play an active role, by the grace of Christ, in building habits that nurture our progress. Therefore, I am offering a series of devotionals this summer on eight essential habits that help us to grow in grace. For today, let’s consider the place of praise in the Christian life. Paul writes in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The three clauses in this verse are often quoted in isolation from one another, but they are i...

A Christian Perspective on Boredom

Is it possible that one of the problems facing our culture today, and particularly our kids and teens, is the lack of boredom? You might be thinking, “this cannot be an issue that we need to give attention to.” In fact, you might be thinking, “I thought getting rid of boredom was a good thing!” Let me explain. Our culture today is on a frantic pace to embrace new and exciting things. On top of this is parents filling up their schedules with loads of extra curricular activities. If you throw in smart phones, tablets, Netflix, Youtube and video games, kids today literally have very little time to be bored with access to screens which demand their attention and provides endless content that promises something new and exciting. However, maybe boredom isn’t inherently bad or a thing to be avoided. As philosopher Blaise Pascal put it, “ I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” Already we should clar...