Glory of Christ Fellowship

The last entry focused not the introduction to 1 Corinthians. You will remember the people of Corinth were ironically claiming their maturity, which proved to be the cause of their true immaturity as Paul saw it. The Corinthian believers were slipping off the slope of what is and is not true spirituality. There are at least two instances in the early chapters where Paul defends the validity of his ministry. I 1:17 he says Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. The Corinthians seemed to be boasting about who baptized them rather than the Christ into whom  they were baptized. This led to quarreling (v. 11) and their quarreling to divisions in their church. Again Paul writes: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and  my message were not in...

I am going to be offering some thoughts on the book of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians is an interesting book, perhaps it is the most relevant New Testament book to the church in America that is struggling to find itself amidst the ever increasing pluralism of our day. If nothing else, it provides encouragement to Christians to know that their situation isn't foreign to human experience, especially if they find their church at the crossroads of syncretizing with the culture around them. Perhaps this is another takeaway from looking at the background of 1 Corinthians. We know that Corinth was a harbor city based on trade and commerce. Thus, the city became a melting pot for religion, culture, lifestyles, and philosophies. Life in Corinth was marked with religious pluralism mixed with crime, sexual promiscuity and a variety of entertainment options. There was a 2 to 1 ratio of slaves to owners in Corinth, highlighting the new wealth that was created in the Roman colony. The tem...

The Witness of Truth Matthew 28:18-20 November 27, 2016 What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Matthew 28:18-20? 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—November 27,  2016   Advent 2016—New Year’s 2017 Worship Schedule: Extra copies of the schedule are available on the information table. Feel free to hand out to those you invite this holiday season to our services. 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. Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Collection: We will be collecting OCC shoeboxes today and next Sunday, December 4. If you have any questions about packing a shoebox, please contact Brett or Julie Springfield. Ladies’ Retreat Fund Raiser: Handmade items will be available for sale on  Sunday, December 11th . Proceeds will help with expenses for  the retreat. If you have items to donate for the sale, talk with Susan Fergus. Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting :  Anyone who would like to join in corporate prayer may do so. Th...

Abiding, Praying, and Bearing Fruit in Christ By Pastor Charlie One of our primary aims at Glory of Christ Fellowship in 2017 is to become a more fully developed house of prayer for all peoples. To help stoke the fires of this vision and this way of life, we will be providing weekly devotionals on prayer and faith based on, or written by, some of the great prayer warriors of the last couple of centuries. For this week, though, let’s sit at the feet of the Master Intercessor and listen carefully to his teaching in John 15:7-8. Jesus said to his disciples: 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. I see several important aspects of Jesus’ words. First, he promises– Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you . This comes with two conditions: §   If you abide (or remain) in me. §   If my words abide in you. S...

The Witness of Children: Building the Church of Generation Z and Generation Alpha Ephesians 4:11-16 November 20, 2016 1.   What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Psalm 78:1-8? 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. Next Week’s Sermon Text: The Witness of Truth , Matthew 28:18-20

Announcements - November 20, 2016 Advent 2016—New Year’s 2017 Worship Schedule: You’ll find a copy of the worship schedule for the upcoming Advent season in the bulletin today. Extra copies of the schedule are available on the information table. Feel free to hand out to those you invite this holiday season to our services.  Ladies’ Retreat Fund Raiser: Handmade items will be available for sale today and Sunday, December 11th. Proceeds will help with expenses for the retreat. If you have items to donate for the sale, talk with Susan Fergus.  Service Project — Samaritan's Purse, Wednesday, November 23 from 3-7:00 p.m. Students and adults age 12 and up are invited to a service project on Wednesday, November 23. We will be going to the warehouse in New Hope to pack shoeboxes for shipment. This work is a part of the Operation Christmas Child initiative through Franklin Graham. If you are interested, please notify Pastor Kevin today.  Operation Christmas Child ...

God’s House is a House of Prayer for All Peoples By Pastor Charlie In Isaiah 56:7 the Lord said that he would bring the Gentiles into his house of prayer and make them joyful there, for his house is a house of prayer for all peoples. And as we learned last year when we meditated together on the place of prayer in the life of the church, the primary reason God’s house is a house of prayer is because God himself is in a constant state of prayer. The Holy Spirit is ever-interceding for us (Romans 8:26), the Son is ever-interceding for us (Romans 8:34b; Hebrews 7:25), and the Father is ever-receiving their intercession. Although the details of this inter-Trinitarian conversation changed after creation, and after sin entered creation, this mode of communication is eternal. God has always been and will always be in a constant state of prayer, and to come near to him in Christ is to enter into that eternal conversation; that eternal joy; that eternal way of life. The privilege of ...

The Witness of Marriage and Singleness: How the Church is Greater than Both Revelation 21:9-11 November 13, 2016 1.        What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Revelation 21:9-11? 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—November 13, 2016 Women’s Prayer Night this Week: We will meet at Carmen Gunderson’s home for prayer at 6:30 p.m. on Monday evening. Ladies of all ages are welcome! Ladies’ Retreat Fund Raiser: Handmade items will be available for sale on Sundays November 20th and December 11th . Proceeds will help with expenses for the retreat. If you have items to donate for the sale, talk with Susan Fergus. Service Project — Samaritan's Purse, Wednesday, November 23-7:00 p.m. Students and adults age 12 and up are invited to a service project on, Wednesday, November 23. We will be going to the warehouse in New Hope to pack shoeboxes for shipment. This work is a part of the Operation Christmas Child initiative through Franklin Graham. If you are interested, please notify Pastor Kevin by Sunday, November 20. 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 off...

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord By George Muller “It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. “I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God—not prayer, but the Word of God. And here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God so that it only passes through my mind just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what I read, pondering over it, and applying it to my heart. To meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed. And that thus,...

Our Citizenship is in Heaven Philippians 3:12-4:1 November 6, 2016 Sermon Questions What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Philippians 3:12-4:1? 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—November 6, 2016 Agape Meal Today: Join us for a time of fellow and food after the service. There is no Sunday school today. Father Daughter Dinner on Saturday, November 12: Fathers and daughters (age 6 & up) mark your calendars for a special night at Rockwoods,, November 12. Tickets will be on sale on30 and November 6 for $10 a couple or household. This will be a great night you won't want to miss! 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. Praying for Muslims 2017—A Guide for Effective Intercession : There are a few guides available on the missions table. Please take one if you would be willing to commit to praying in 2017. Next Week’s Fighter Verse I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, ...

ON BEING CHRISTIAN IN THE WORLD A GCF Mini-Series By Pastor Charlie Last week we completed a thirteen-month series in 1-2 Samuel that I pray helped you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And, Lord willing, on January 15 we will begin a several-year series through the Apostle John’s writings, namely, the Gospel of John, 1-3 John, and Revelation. My prayer for this series is that we would be more profoundly rooted in the gospel of grace, and that as a result we would learn to love one another and be on mission in the world. Tucked in between these two series, the elders have decided to bring seven messages on hot topics that are facing Christians today that together we’re calling, On Being Christian in the World . Our plan is to bring the following messages in the coming weeks: q   “Our Citizenship is in Heaven” – Philippians 3:12-4:1 q   “The Witness of Singleness and Marriage: How the Church is Greater than Both” – Revelation 21:9-11 q   “Th...