Glory of Christ Fellowship

Announcements – May 31, 2015 Sabbatical Prayer For Pastor Charlie: Pastor Kevin is organizing a church-wide prayer agenda for Pastor Charlie and GCF while he is away on his sabbatical. Contact Pastor Kevin if you would like to participate. Nursery Volunteer Appreciation: We are honoring the faithful nursery volunteers who served in 2014-2015 this morning. Please enjoy coffee or juice from Panera and be sure to thank the volunteers personally (listed on the back side of this sheet) for their faithfulness to our children. Summer Sign Up: Please be sure to sign up for some of the upcoming summer activities such as the Father/Son Quest (July 23-26) and the Student Ministries Camping Trip (August 9-12). Contact Pastor Kevin to reserve your spot on these trips. More information on family related summer activities can be found in the Family Ministries monthly newsletter (available on the table and on the GCF website). Sermon Discussion Questions: The sermon discussion questions ...

Several years ago, Josh Reeves, Pastor of Redeemer Church in Round Rock, Texas, developed a resource entitled, “100 Practical Ways to Engage your Neighborhood.” The idea behind this resource is to help Christians add gospel intentionality to everyday life, to help lovers of Christ live as missionaries in their own neighborhoods. Several weeks ago I began the process of posting these ideas 10 at a time. Not every idea will work for everyone, but please pray over each list and ask the Lord to help you identify one thing you can do each week. And if none of the ideas on a given section of the list works for you, then let it inspire you to think of something else. Whatever the case may be, ask Jesus to enable and empower you to join him in the joy-producing, God-exalting quest of seeking and saving the lost in our neighborhoods. Here’s the fifth part of the list: Neighbors – Your Immediate Neighborhood (continued) 51. Frequent a local gym or recreation center 52. Find a...

Please take a moment to pray along with our friends at Operation World for Congo. And after watching the video, you can learn more about the country  here . 

Several years ago, Josh Reeves, Pastor of Redeemer Church in Round Rock, Texas, developed a resource entitled, “100 Practical Ways to Engage your Neighborhood.” The idea behind this resource is to help Christians add gospel intentionality to everyday life, to help lovers of Christ live as missionaries in their own neighborhoods. Several weeks ago I began the process of posting these ideas 10 at a time. Not every idea will work for everyone, but please pray over each list and ask the Lord to help you identify one thing you can do each week. And if none of the ideas on a given section of the list works for you, then let it inspire you to think of something else. Whatever the case may be, ask Jesus to enable and empower you to join him in the joy-producing, God-exalting quest of seeking and saving the lost in our neighborhoods. Here’s the fifth part of the list: Neighbors – Your Immediate Neighborhood (continued) 41. Start a sewing group 42. Go Christmas carol...

Please take a moment to pray along with our friends at Operation World for China. And after watching the video, you can learn more about the country  here .

Last week the Abba Pregnancy Resource Center held its annual banquet, and it was a smashing success! The attendance was very high, and though the final figures are yet to come in, we know that the giving was very strong. For those of you who participated in making this happen, thank you so very much! Your time, effort, and investments have not gone to waste, and surely the Lord will make much of our various offerings in the weeks and months to come.  Most of all, we want to give our thanks and praise to God, the God of life, who raised Jesus from the dead, who is transforming our hearts, and who has put in us a passion for life. May the Lord save many lives as we continue to advocate for the unborn.  Thanks be to you all, and praise be to God! 

Several years ago, Josh Reeves, Pastor of Redeemer Church in Round Rock, Texas, developed a resource entitled, “100 Practical Ways to Engage your Neighborhood.” The idea behind this resource is to help Christians add gospel intentionality to everyday life, to help lovers of Christ live as missionaries in their own neighborhoods. Several weeks ago I began the process of posting these ideas 10 at a time. Not every idea will work for everyone, but please pray over each list and ask the Lord to help you identify one thing you can do each week. And if none of the ideas on a given section of the list works for you, then let it inspire you to think of something else. Whatever the case may be, ask Jesus to enable and empower you to join him in the joy-producing, God-exalting quest of seeking and saving the lost in our neighborhoods.  Here’s the fourth part of the list: Neighbors – Your Immediate Neighborhood (continued) 31. Organize and host a ladies craft night 32. Org...

Are you looking for great resources that combine entertainment, art, and the opportunity for great discussion and character building? I know that I always am. I just got done listening to an audio drama called  Under Drakes Flag  by G.A. Henty. You can find the resource at http://www.underdrakesflag.com The story features two young and aspiring boys who are captivated by Sir Francis Drake, a heroic British sea captain. Through the adventures, Ned and Gerald find themselves in the cross fires of the Spanish Inquisition, and through their courage and resolve they play a part in dismantling the evil trials. Much of the vocabulary and dialogue was difficult and challenging, yet my children, ages 6, 8 and 10 always looked forward to the next time we got to listen together. You will want to stop along the way and be sure the children understand what is happening. Again,  Under Drakes Flag  is a wonderful lesson in history and a great testimony to the faithful ...

Please take a moment to pray along with our friends at Operation World for Cambodia. And after watching the video, you can learn more about the country  here .

Last Saturday morning, Kim and I had the privilege of attending a fund-raising breakfast for Bless Minnesota, a ministry that is seeking to inspire Christians to pray for their neighborhoods and places of work by "adopting" their street(s). When a person adopts a street, the vision is simple - they should pray and bless in Jesus' name in any way they can, they should seek to build relationships with people in the area, they should seek to find tangible ways to love in the name of Christ, and they should seek to share the love of Christ, that is, the gospel. You can check out their website here , and I strongly encourage you to do so and consider adopting your street.  The main speaker at the breakfast was a Pastor named Poncho Murguia. His story is far too lengthy to share here, but as soon as the video of the event is available I'll share it with you. For now, though, here are two brief stories Kim and I heard him tell last Saturday. I pray that they bless you ...

Here are some thoughts on Matthew 6 Giving To The Needy (Matthew 6:1-4) This could be an example of what seems to be a contradiction. Jesus begins with a warning about not practicing your righteousness before other people.  In chapter 5, Jesus says: "let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works." Is this a contradiction? It is not. The endings of both statements are needed and they get to the heart motive. There is a way to do God's work that is self-centered and a way that is God-centered.  "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people  in order to be seen by them , for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 6:1). "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works  and give glory to your Father who is in heaven " (Matthew 5:16).  In both cases the issue of focus is practicing godliness for others to see, yet one is accepted and on...

I wrote this to honor my own lovely mom and the moms of my beloved church. They are just some musings on the importance of a mom from the perspective of a 36 year old pastor. Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there. What is so significant about moms? Only everything. It dawned on me recently why moms and their children share such a special relationship. When I was being formed in your womb, God was there, present with me and present with you. Imagine, the hand of the creator, the one who hung the stars and gives them names, reached down into your tummy and put me together, there, inside of you.  We can say this together : “such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”  ...

Spring Outreach:   The Abba Pregnancy Resource Center's Spring Banquet will take place on May 14, 2015 and GCF is set to have a significant role in it. Five of our members are serving on the Banquet Committee, and more than ten others are committed to helping in one way or other. Please see your bulletins for more information and ways you can be involved. Most of all, please join us in praying that God will pour out his blessings upon the ministry of Abba and upon the pro-life movement at large. Sabbatical: Pastor Charlie will be leaving for Sabbatical on May 18 and returning August 18. Please join us next Sunday, May 17, for his sabbatical sermon and time of prayer over his family. Safe Families for Children: A ministry which helps families in crisis . Services include temporary housing for children whose parents have lost jobs, homes or are going through rehabilitation. Safe Families’ main focus is family reunification by preventing children from entering the state’s so...

Several years ago, Josh Reeves, Pastor of Redeemer Church in Round Rock, Texas, developed a resource entitled, “100 Practical Ways to Engage your Neighborhood.” The idea behind this resource is to help Christians add gospel intentionality to everyday life, to help lovers of Christ live as missionaries in their own neighborhoods. Two weeks ago I began the process of posting these ideas 10 at a time. Not every idea will work for everyone, but please pray over each list and ask the Lord to help you identify one thing you can do each week. And if none of the ideas on a given section of the list works for you, then let it inspire you to think of something else. Whatever the case may be, ask Jesus to enable and empower you to join him in the joy-producing, God-exalting quest of seeking and saving the lost in our neighborhoods. Here’s the third part of the list: Neighbors – Your Immediate Neighborhood (continued) 21. Invite your neighbors to serve along with you for a local ...

Here are some insights from Matthew chapter 5.   Today we begin the Sermon on the Mount. Beginning with the Beatitudes it is difficult to imagine what Jesus is promising. In fact, just yesterday I had someone tell me that I was meek. Today I read Jesus’ words: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). So I have the earth coming to me…which is nice;) In all seriousness, it dawned on me that Jesus is promising some very incredible things. None is more incredible than Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This is amazing. It is also the very most defining purpose for human existence, to have intimate fellowship with the living and creating God.   From here, Jesus goes on to claim that believers are like salt, a city on a hill, and a light/lamp. Salt preserves culture from decay. A city on a hill stands out and is noticeable. A lamp gives light in the midst of darkness. More specifically, Jesus is referring to ...

Please take a moment to pray along with our friends at Operation World for Brazil. And after watching the video, you can learn more about the country  here .

For those who are following along in the Gospels reading plan, here are some insights on Matthew chapter 4: The Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) Matthew 4:11 "For it is written: 'you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Just as Jesus was our substitute in death (he died on the cross in the place of sinners) he is also our substitute in obedience (Jesus acts in obedience where we were disobedient). The episode in the wilderness demonstrates the contrast between the way Jesus acted towards God the father in the wilderness and the way the Israelites acted in the wilderness towards God. If you recall, the Israelites went on a massive grumbling campaign in the wilderness on their way to the promised land (Exodus 20-Joshua 2). They put the Lord to the test by complaining and doubting God every step of the way. At one point, they accused God by saying that God brought them out of slavery simply so that they could die in the wilderness and that they would ...

For those of you following along in the Bible reading plan this summer through the four Gospels, here are my thoughts on Matthew Chapter 3: John the Baptist come preaching in the wilderness of Judea and his message was essentially "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (verse 3). His preaching fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3. People seemed to be drawn to John the baptist and those who heard his message and repented of their sins were baptized by him. The main confrontation, however, was with the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were religious people and religious leaders. You would think that a man like John the Baptist with all of his zeal would find allies in the zeal of the religious leaders. Not so. The standoff between the two was based on the presumption that the religious leaders were children of the living God because they were descended from Abraham, their father (see Matthew 3:9). John's teaching makes it clear that entry into God's kingdom,...

Here are some insights from Matthew Chapter 2: The contrast between the way Herod responds to Jesus and the wise men are opposite. Matthew 2:3 tells us "Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." On the other hand, the wise men see Jesus and they "rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" and "they fell down and worshiped him" (verse 9-11). Interestingly, both Herod and the wise men saw Jesus for who he was and it led to two very different responses. Herod, who wanted to preserve his power and rule, saw Jesus as a threat and therefore wanted him dead. The wise men saw his glory and gladly surrendered to him. There is no neutrality in Jesus, he is either offensive to your own kingdom and rule or he is the Son of God who is worthy to be worshiped in humble adoration. Herod gets tricked and we see his rage unfold into uncontrollable anger. He tried to extinguish Jesus quietly but the fact that he goes through town and kills each male two years and younge...

Last Sunday we had the privilege of praying over Ethan Larson and his family as he prepares to depart this Friday, May 8 for Africa Renewal Christian College (ARCC) in Uganda. Here's a brief description of the trip from the Training Leaders International website (the ministry with which Ethan works):  "The Holiday Term at Africa Renewal Christian College is part of a 2-year Certificate Program for pastors, church leaders, and lay-members of the church that desire to be equipped for ministry. The training attracts mature adults that are already serving in ministry and are unable to attend Bible college full-time due to family, ministry, and work commitments. This mature group of students provides a tremendous atmosphere for dialogue and debate as students learn how to apply God's word to their lives."  The trip is set to last for about two weeks, so please join us in lifting up this precious family in prayer along with the students of ARCC. You can follow the...