Glory of Christ Fellowship

“Intercession and the Body of Christ” Hebrews 7:23-28 September 20, 2015 1. Read Hebrews 7:23-28. Last week we saw that God’s house must be a house of prayer. Based on these verses, and Romans 8:26-39, why do you suppose God insists that this be so?  2. What specifically do we learn about Jesus in Hebrews 7:23-28 and what does this have to do with the prayer life of the church? 3. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 that those who believe in Jesus are a “royal priesthood.” How does this relate to what we learn about Jesus in Hebrews 1 and 7?  4. What is the main function of priests? How does this relate to the calling of Christ upon our lives?  5. How would you define prayer? Intercession? What small steps can you take today to join Jesus and the church in the ministry of intercession?  6. Take some time for prayer. Praise God for who he is, confess to him the weights and sins in your life, thank him for his grace...

In his book Teach Me to Pray (Bethany House, 2002; ISBN: 0-7642-2596-0), Andrew Murray writes, “Prayer is what we need to be taught. Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that even a small child can pray, it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which anyone can rise. It is fellowship with the unseen and most holy One” (12). Indeed, in John 17:3 Jesus defined eternal life as knowing God. Eternal life is not merely life, and it's not merely life that goes on and on, rather eternal life is living in intimate connection to him who is life. Prayer is one of the primary means by which we make this connection, by which we fellowship with and draw from the living God. This is why the Bible makes such outlandish statements as, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Human beings breathe; Christians pray. For Christians, prayer is not as much an activity for which we set aside time each day as a way of being that characterizes our entire day. We...

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

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:24-25 Wayne Mack has some helpful insights. Taken from the book titled Strengthening Your Marriage  by Wayne Mack. "Leaving" means 1. You establish an adult relationship with your parents and your spouses parents. 2. You must be more concerned about your spouse's ideas, opinions, and practices than those of your parents. 3. You must not be slavishly dependent on your parents for affections, approval, assistance, and counsel.  4. You must eliminate any bad attitudes toward your parents/your spouses parents, or you will be tied emotionally to them regardless of how far you move from them.  5. You must stop trying to change your mate simply because your parents do not like him the way he is.  6. You make the husband and wife relationship your priority...

Here is a marriage exercise taken from a workbook titled "Building Marriages God's Way" designed by Faith Lafayette Church in Indiana. The Exercise: Evaluate the way you you express love to your wife. Circle the ways you are neglecting. Ask your wife to go over the list and put a check mark in front of the ways she would like you to express love. Ask her to add other things to the list. You may express love to your wife by: 31. Fulfilling your responsibilities. 32. Being sober but not somber, about life. Having a realistic, biblical, positive attitude toward life. 33. Discussing plans with your wife before you make decisions, and when the plans are made sharing them fully with her, giving reasons for making the decisions you did. 34. Thanking her in creative ways for her attempts to please you. 35. Asking forgiveness often and saying, "I was wrong and will try to change." 36. Actually changing where and when you should. 37. Sharing your insights, r...

Here is a marriage exercise taken from a workbook titled "Building Marriages God's Way" designed by Faith Lafayette Church in Indiana. The Exercise: Evaluate the way you you express love to your husband. Circle the ways you are neglecting. Ask your husband to go over the list and put a check mark in front of the ways he would like you to express love. Ask him to add other things to the list. 16. Your discipline of the children ought to be consistent with his, as he is responsible to God for them (Ephesians 6:4). 17. Be excited about his achievements and successes - even if you were not involved in them. Compliment him. 18. Be sensitive to his pressures and pray for him (Romans 12:15) 19. Be grateful to your husband by: (1 Corinthians 4:7)      1) How you care for his home (1 Corinthians 14:40)      2) How you care about your personal appearance for him      3) Genuinely thanking him for everything he does for you 20. Be home w...

By Moriah Prange Dear Glory of Christ family, I wanted to thank those of you who were praying for the mission trip that my dad, my sister Faith, and I went on last month! I also wanted to share with you how God worked through it. Our mission trip was with Joni and Friends, a Christian organization dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus and providing resources for people with disabilities. This August, Joni and Friends hosted a retreat on the beautiful campus of Castaway Club on Pelican Lake. The retreat gave families with disabled children or individuals with disabilities a chance to play, worship, and relax. Caring for a child with a disability is daunting. Many of the children that came to camp require 24/7 care, leaving their parents little time to recharge and connect with each other. At Camp, the parents had a chance to spend time together and be fed spiritually through sermons and small groups. During this time, their children were being cared for by short-term miss...

Announcements – September 13, 2015 Towels and Sheets Needed for New Refugees: With Arrive Ministries welcoming and resettling 60 refugees before the end of September we desperately need single sheet sets and towels (bath and hand) for welcome kits for every newly arriving family. Used items (in clean, good condition) are always welcomed. Please direct your donations to David Gunderson. Student Ministries Parent Kickoff : Parents and students grades 6-12 are encouraged to mark their calendars and attend the annual kickoff for student ministries on Wednesday, September 16 at Otsego Park (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.). Please RSVP to Pastor Kevin. Hot dogs will be provided, bring a side dish to share. Prayer Meeting On September 30: There will be an all-church prayer meeting on Wednesday, September 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Handke. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Sunday School Update: We will not be able to begin Sunday School by September 20. We still need at least one m...

“God’s House is a House of Prayer” Matthew 21:1-17 September 13, 2015 1. What is the heart of the Christian way of life? What part does prayer play in this way of life? 2. Read Matthew 21:1-17. What was the first thing Jesus did upon entering Jerusalem? Why? How does the nature of his actions reveal the depth of his passion? 3. What is the source of Jesus quote in verse 14? What do we learn from Isaiah 56:1-8 about Jesus’ teaching and passion? 4. What transpired immediately after Jesus cleansed the temple? What does this teach us about his passion for his house? 5. What is the house of God? What is supposed to characterize the daily functions of the house of God? 6. How does this vision relate to the daily lives of Christians? To Glory of Christ Fellowship? To the churches of Elk River and beyond? 7. Take some time for prayer. Praise God for who he is, confess to him the weights and sins in your life, thank him for his grace and patience and po...

“Running our Race by Faith” Hebrews 12:1-3 September 6, 2015 What is the heart of the Christian way of life? Why is this so? Do you agree that Hebrews 11 is mainly about the faithfulness of God? Why or why not? What issue is the author addressing in Hebrews 12:1-3? (See 2:1-4; 5:11-6:12) What does the author want the people to do about this problem? Do you think his counsel will work? Why or why not? What weights and sins would the Lord address in your life at this time? What specific steps would he have you take to lay them aside? Are you looking to the cloud of witnesses through the Word and letting them strengthen your faith? How would the Lord have you strengthen your time in the Word right now? Are you leaning on your brothers and sisters in Christ and doing life in Christ together with them? How would the Lord have you strengthen these relationships right now? Are you fixating upon Jesus and pondering his way of life? How would the Lord have you strengthen this...

Announcements – September 6, 2015 Towels and Sheets Needed for New Refugees: With Arrive Ministries welcoming and resettling 60 refugees before the end of September we desperately need single sheet sets and towels (bath and hand) for welcome kits for every newly arriving family. Used items (in clean, good condition) are always welcomed. Student Ministries Parent Kickoff : Parents and students grades 6-12 are encouraged to mark their calendars and attend the annual kickoff for student ministries on Wednesday, September 16 at Otsego Park. Sunday School Meeting After Worship Service: Parents of children age 2-5 are asked to attend a brief Sunday School vision meeting after service in room 112. Sunday School:  The tentative start date for 2015-2016 Sunday School is Sunday, September 20. This depends on recruiting all of our volunteers by Wednesday, September 9. Please prayerfully consider volunteering in the Nursery, Preschool class, K-2 grade class, 3-5 grade class...

It was a joy to preach through the book of 1 Peter this summer. Your grace and your patience to me was a tremendous blessing, thank you. Here are some takeaways that we don’t want us to miss. Stand Firm In The True Grace Of God:  Peter calls us to stand firm but we do not ultimately stand upon our own two feet. Rather, we stand upon the grace of God that is dispensed to us in a number of ways.  Hope:  The hope of the believer is not a probability but a certainty that is grounded in the appearance and work of Jesus. Peter grounds the believer’s hope ultimately in the certainty that Jesus appeared once and he is going to appear again. Ultimately, those who hope in Christ will not be disappointed and the eternal rule of Jesus will prove to trump the temporary Roman Empire.  Suffering On Purpose:  Believers are grounded in the reality that their suffering isn’t in vain. In chapter one, for instance, we learn that the believer’s faith is being purified ...

Many are rejoicing in our day about the advances of same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court ruling by a margin of 5-4 now makes it illegal for any state to ban same-sex marriage. Depending on where you land on the spectrum of "tolerance" or rejection of same-sex marriage there are some myths to dis-spell regarding this issue. Before I get to the myths, it is crucial for me to point out that the Bible treats homosexuality as a voluntary act of rebellion against God (Romans 1:26-27). Scripture calls believers to respond to homosexual individuals with kindness, gentleness, and sympathy for their struggle (2 Timothy 2:24-26). However, there is nothing in Scripture that suggests homosexual behavior is natural or a part of God's design nor a part of human flourishing and fulfillment. Therefore, Scripture teaches that the correct response to homosexual inclinations is to repent and trust Jesus for forgiveness and strength (Luke 3:3). Myth #4 I Am  Not  Against Marriage Equa...

Many are rejoicing in our day about the advances of same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court ruling by a margin of 5-4 now makes it illegal for any state to ban same-sex marriage. Depending on where you land on the spectrum of "tolerance" or rejection of same-sex marriage there are some myths to dis-spell regarding this issue. Before I get to the myths, it is crucial for me to point out that the Bible treats homosexuality as a voluntary act of rebellion against God (Romans 1:26-27). Scripture calls believers to respond to homosexual individuals with kindness, gentleness, and sympathy for their struggle (2 Timothy 2:24-26). However, there is nothing in Scripture that suggests homosexual behavior is natural or a part of God's design nor a part of human flourishing and fulfillment. Therefore, Scripture teaches that the correct response to homosexual inclinations is to repent and trust Jesus for forgiveness and strength (Luke 3:3). Myth #3  -  Tolerance of same-sex marria...