Glory of Christ Fellowship

1.      The most common prayer request of the Haitian people was that their faith would grow stronger, especially in the face of opposition and persecution. Wow! As Americans, we would have guessed it would have been for better jobs and better living conditions. 2.      Meditating on John 6 for personal devotions and seeing the relevance of Jesus’ ministry for our ministry. Jesus is both sufficient and satisfying as we serve God’s kingdom. 3.      Meditating on John 7 for personal devotions and making the connection of Jesus’ secret to ministry success to our lives: looking to his father, seeking the glory of his Father and only doing the will of his Father. 4.      Realizing that amidst the incredible needs of Haiti and beyond that Jesus gives us a clear job description in John 6:29 “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 5.   ...

The mission of GCF is to make disciples for the glory of Jesus. Of course, this comes from the great commission given by Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead and just prior to his ascension into heaven where he went to continue his reign at the right hand of God the father. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 Recently, our student ministries took a mission trip to Haiti where we spent six days doing ministry. Since it is a tall task to begin summarizing a tremendous experience that took us to a different country that happened to be considered third world, let me simply say that the money spent on it the trip was well worth it! Maybe this is my lack of f...

They Will Be Taught By God John 6:41-59 June 25, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Read 6:41-51. Why were the Jews grumbling against Jesus? If we were there, would we have grumbled, too? What was Jesus primary reason for telling the Jews not to grumble? How does the quote in verse 45 support his claim? How does the repetition of the “bread of life” language advance his claim? Read 6:52-59. Why were the Jews arguing among themselves? If we were there, would we also have struggled with Jesus’ teaching? Did Jesus know how offensive his words would be to the Jews? Why was he willing to offend them anyway? What is the relationship between the life flowing between the Father and Son, and the life flowing between Jesus and those who believe? Practically speaking, how does one eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 6:41-59? How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and o...

Announcements - June 25, 2017 Baptism Service and Picnic Today: Everyone is invited to attend the church picnic and baptism service at Mark and Jill Larson's home in Zimmerman. Bring meat to grill and a side dish to share. You may also want to bring a lawn chair. Boating and swimming (possibly water tubing) will also be available. Church Directory Update: It is almost time to go to print with the directory. A copy of the directory is on the information table. Check your information to ensure that it is correct. There are a few people we still need pictures from and some that we don't have all contact information. Women's Fellowship/Fun Day Tuesday, June 27: Join us at Claire Belknap's house—3811 Hayward Court South in Monticello— at 9:30 a.m . All ladies and children welcome! Haiti Mission Team Debrief Wednesday, June 28 at 7 p.m.: Join us at the Handke cafeteria to hear from the team about their recent trip. Pictures and stories will be shared. Par...

George Müller and Faith in Prayer By Pastor Charlie Some time ago, as Kim and I were preparing to take our rest for the night, she received and read to me the following devotional from Streams in the Desert, August 17th . It touched both of us pretty deeply, and so I wanted to share it with you as well. May we learn to pray with childlike faith, knowing that our Father hears and answers prayer when we pray according to his will (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14). I went to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, “The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Müller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Müller came to me, and said, ‘Captain I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon.’ ‘It is impossible,’ I said. ‘Very well, if you...

I Am the Bread of Life John 6:16-40 June 18, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Read 6:16-21. Why did the disciples set out for Capernaum? Why did Jesus delay coming? Why did they leave without him? Read 6:22-24. Why was the crowd looking for Jesus? What actions did they take to find him? Read 6:25-40. What did Jesus say about the crowd’s motives? What work did he tell them to do? How does performing this work forever satisfy the soul? How secure are those who put their faith and hope in Jesus alone? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 6:16-40? 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 - June 18, 2017 The Haiti Team Returns! Please join us in giving thanks to God for Haiti team who returned late last night after a week of fruitful ministry. In the coming weeks the team will share some of their experiences with us, but for now we glorify God for his grace in sending us and the missionaries’ kindness in receiving us. Honoring our Fathers, June 18: This morning we honor our fathers with a brief devotional, a time of prayer, and our traditional offering of beef jerky! Dads, we love you, we give thanks to God for you, and we covenant to pray for you as you seek to serve the Lord and your families. Gospel of John Outreach Meeting, June 24: Join us at the church office on June 24 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. as we prayerfully discuss the ways that the Lord would have us give out the Gospel of John in our community. We will also consider taking up the challenge to mobilize other churches to distribute 10,000 copies of the Gospel of John per year. Ligh...

Fathers, Feed Your Families Well By Pastor Charlie It has long been our tradition to give the mothers flowers on Mother’s Day and the fathers beef jerky on Father’s Day. Now, truth be told, this may be because Pastor Kevin and I really love beef jerky, but it’s also a nod to the fact that, by and large, men love to eat meat.      Fathers, today I want to honor you by challenging you to love the meat of God’s Word more than you love ribeye, venison, or pheasant. I want to encourage you to value the food that is truly food, and then also to feed that to your families. I call you to hear the Word of the Lord: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (Deuteronomy6:4-6)      Fathers, the most significant thing you can do for your family is to love the words of God be...

Twelve Baskets Full John 6:1-15 June 11, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Read 6:1-4. Where did Jesus and the disciples go? What did they do when they arrived and why? Who followed them and why? Why does it matter that the Passover was near? Read 6:5-11. What do you suppose Jesus thought when he saw the crowd? Why did he ask his initial question of Philip? Whose idea do you think it was to offer the loaves and fish, Andrew’s or the little boy’s? As you picture the feeding in your mind, how do you think this actually happened? Read 6:12-13. Why did Jesus instruct his disciples to gather the leftovers? Exactly how much did they gather? Why is this significant? Read 6:14-15. What did the people think of Jesus? What did they want to do and why? How did Jesus respond and why? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 6:1-15? How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and others? What’s the most important ...

Announcements - June 11, 2017 Haiti Missions Trip, June 10-18: Please join us in praying for our Haiti team of ten people who left yesterday and plans to return late Saturday. Pray that they will bear much fruit for the glory of Christ and the good of the nations. Honoring our Fathers, June 18: Plan to join us on June 18 as we honor our fathers with a brief devotional, a time of prayer, and our traditional offering of beef jerky! We encourage you to pray in advance and find creative ways to honor your fathers on this special day. Gospel of John Outreach Meeting, June 24: Join us at the church office on June 24 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. as we prayerfully discuss the ways that the Lord would have us give out the Gospel of John in our community. We will also consider taking up the challenge to mobilize other churches to distribute 10,000 copies of the Gospel of John per year. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Contact Pastor Charlie for more information. Baptism Servic...

Missed Opportunities and the Grace of God By Pastor Charlie      I love George Müller. Sure, I’ve never met him (since he lived from 1805-1898), but I’ve carefully read many things he’s written and through his pen we can see his heart. One thing I love most about him is that he was quick to notice his failures, admit them, and learn from them. Once such failure took place when he was twenty-two years old and traveling from Halle to Berlin, Germany. Although the following quote is long, I want to let Müller speak for himself.      Two ladies of title traveled with me to Berlin in a hired carriage. As I knew that we should be for two days together, I thought, in my fleshly wisdom, that though I might speak to them about the things of God, I should first show them kindness and attention, and that, after thus opening a way to their hearts, I might fully set before them their state by nature, and point them to the Lamb of God.   ...

The Testimony of the Father John 5:31-47 June 4, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Read 5:31-32. What does Jesus think about self-witness? To whom is Jesus referring in verse 32? Read 5:33-36. To what truth did John testify? In what ways did the Jews rejoice in John’s light? In what way does Jesus say his testimony is greater than John’s? Is this self-witness? Read 5:37-40. In what ways did/does the Father testify about Jesus? What was the reaction of the Jews to this testimony? Why did they respond this way? Read 5:41-44. What is the effect of seeking glory from others? Read 5:45-47. Who will accuse the Jews to the Father? How will he do it? What does this imply about the Jews relationship to Jesus and his words? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 5:31-47? 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? ...