Glory of Christ Fellowship

The Word and Prayer God’s Piercing Word Ephesians 5:1-5 December 31, 2017 1. How does Paul make the connection for believers to being thankful? 2. What is the connection between idolatry (v. 5) and sexual immorality that he addresses in verses 3-4? 3. What is the relationship between Ephesians 5:1-5 and Pastor Kevin’s appeal to the centrality of God’s Word in our lives? 4. Do you believe in Scripture memory? Do you regularly discipline yourself to memorize Scripture? Yes or No? 5. If you committed to memorizing the Fighter Verses in 2018 what do you think the benefits will be to you? Make a list: 6. What do you think the benefits are to a church-wide Scripture memory program such as the Fighter Verses? Make a list: 7. If you decide that you will not commit to Scripture memory, what are your reasons for doing so? Make a list:

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.  Annual Business Meeting Sunday January 14:  Join us for the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 14 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the home of Dave and Susan Fergus. We will be voting on the annual budget, hearing about the newly formed building team, and hearing about the vision for 2018. Members are asked to attend but all are welcome.  Sunday School Schedule: There will be no Sunday school classes today or next Sunday, January 7, due to the Agape Meal. Classes will resume on January 14.   All-Church Prayer Meeting:   Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the All-Church Prayer Meeting on Wednesday, January 31 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Handke Center. We will be lifting up the corporate and personal needs of GCF as well as our ministry teams and our local and...

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9, 11      Here are three observations from these verses:      Purity is a priority: Notice the question on the mind of the Psalmist is purity. This seems to mean without sinning. How can a young man keep from sinning? This typically isn’t the desire of young men. In addition, if the answer given is suitable to keep a young man from sinning, and young men have loads of pitfalls, it is suitable to keep anyone from sinning!      Purity is personal: The goal of purity is to preserve a relationship with God. He guards his way according to “your” word. He stores up “your” word. Why? He does so in order that he might not sin against “you.”  The Psalmist seems to understand that the consequence of sin is severing the relationship with God. This is the h...

Glory of Christ Fellowship Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Services at the Handke Center: Christmas Eve service this evening from 5:00-6:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service on Sunday, December 31 from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Sunday School Schedule During the Christmas Season: There will be no Sunday school classes today or next Sunday, December 31. Classes will resume in the New Year on January 14. Next Week's Fighter Verse ..."Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth  and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea,  and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" Revelation 5:12-13 

     Advent is a season of waiting. While in the Bible, this season was marked by the waiting of a Savior, today we live in a world where the Savior has come. Now, we remember. We remember the way God loved His people then by sending them a King that first Christmas, and we remember the way God loves us now by sacri­ficing His Son so that we might have a full and free life in Him.       At Advent, we ultimately remember God’s love.      Because that’s what this season is truly about. Christmas is really about love, and primarily, the love God has for us. That love is so deep and profound that He sent His Son to Earth that first Christ­mas all those years ago. He sent Him knowing that He would eventually grow up to make a way for the rest of mankind to come close to God once again. That is real love, and it all started with Christmas.      As you’re in the holiday season this year, ask God to keep this picture of love on ...

Sing: Joy To The World Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had gi...

Sing: Hark The Herald Angels Sing Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until...

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. Hark The Herald Angels Sing Go Tell It On The Mountain O Come All Ye Faithful Joy To The World The First Noel What Child Is This Noel Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground) -- Sermon Text: Matthew 2:13-23 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).

Share your testimony. While some people are turned off by direct evangelism, it’s hard to deny the power of a story! Start with apologies. If relationships have been damaged with family members or friends, take time to repair them. Show others that you’ve been given grace in Christ and that you live by grace.  Meet tangible needs. Offer to help with a tangible need as a way to demonstrate the gospel in action: help with a project, babysit kids, provide financial help, or pray for a need. Ask, listen, and share. Ask someone what Christmas means to them and listen no matter what they say. If the Lord opens an opportunity for you to share, too, then do so.  Invite someone over for dinner. Invite some family, friends, or neighbors over for a Christmas dinner and take a few minutes to talk about the true meaning of Christmas.  Share a Christmas-themed gospel tract. Include a gospel tract in someone’s present, especially if you’re mailing one or more to a fam...

Glory of Christ Fellowship Christmas and New Year’s Eve Services at the Handke Center Christmas service on Sunday, December 24 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Christmas Eve service on Sunday, December 24 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve service on Sunday, December 31 from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Sunday School Schedule During the Christmas Season: There will be no Sunday school classes on December 24 and 31. Classes will resume in the New Year on January 14.  Youth Group: The final youth group meeting of the year will take place on Wednesday, December 20 at the Handke Center. Regular meetings will resume on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. Questions? Contact Pastor Kevin ( kevin@gcfmn.org ).  8 Ways to Share Christ this Christmas: See the bulletin insert for ideas to share the Good News with those around you. Take time during this Advent season to pray, asking the Lord to open doors for the Gospel. Next Week's Fighter Verse And I, when I came to you, brothers, did ...

     One of the best things about the Christmas season is the way anticipation builds for the big day. From the moment Thanks­giving ends, the countdown to Christmas officially begins. And the closer and closer it gets to the actual day, the more and more we anticipate with excitement what Christmas morning will actually bring. In other words, our expectations for joy are high. And as the anticipation builds, so does the joy we look forward to feeling.      The people of God looked forward to that first Christmas with a similar anticipation, but what they were anticipating was much greater than any present we might be hoping to find awaiting us this year. They’d long been waiting for a Savior to come, and as news spread that He might have finally arrived, their anticipation grew to new heights. And when they knew that Jesus, the One whose arrival they’d anticipated for hundreds of years, was born that Christmas morning, their joy was endless.   ...

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. O Come All Ye Faithful Angels We Have Heard On High God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground) O Holy Night What Child Is This -- Sermon Text: Matthew 2:1-12 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).

Sing: Go Tell It On The Mountain Reading: Matthew 1:18-21 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Summary:  This another section that can get tricky with kids. Again, we can use general terms and help them to see that Mary and Joseph were placed in a very difficult situation. The people of the town would have likely perceived Mary to be an adulteress, which could be punishable by death (see Deuterono...

As the Father Has Told Me John 12:44-50 December 10, 2017 Questions for Study and Meditation Read John 12:44-47. Considering the flow of John 12, to whom is Jesus speaking? Who does a believer truly believe in? What does this teach us about the nature of God and the mission of Jesus? What reason did Jesus give for why he came into the world? Read John 12:48-50. What did Jesus mean when he said that he does not judge the one who disobeys his words? Why did Jesus say he came into the world? Who or what is the judge of the one who rejects Jesus and his words? When will this judgment occur? Where did Jesus’ words come from? Where does the inescapable authority of Jesus’ word come from? What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From John 12:44-50? 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, ...

Last Sunday for Operation Christmas Child - Samaritan’s Purse : We will be collecting shoeboxes for children through TODAY. There is a table with supplies for the boxes, including the red and green shoeboxes. See Samaritan’s Purse suggested gifts for each age group on their website. If you have any questions, contact Julie Springfield, julie.springfield@comcast.net .  GOLD Meeting Saturday December 16: If you're a team leader or deacon, join the pastors at the church office for the quarterly "Glory of Christ On-going Leadership Development" meeting from 8:00-10:00 a.m. This is the most important GOLD team meeting of the year as we'll be preparing for the annual meeting scheduled for Sunday, January 14, 2018. If you have any questions or suggestions for the meeting, please contact Pastor Charlie, charlie@gcfmn.org . Christmas and New Year’s Eve Services: Join us for our Christmas service on Sunday, December 24 from 9:00-11:00 a.m., our Christmas Eve service...

     Is there anything crazier than the Christmas season? The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, family gatherings, church services, work parties, Christmas performances, and the general busyness that comes with the season. There’s just something about the Christmas season that seems to raise the collective blood pressure of the population, huh?      What’s interesting is that this frantic feeling of frenzy is the exact opposite of what this season is meant to be. While the rest of the world is pulling us toward presents, parties, and planning, Jesus is simply leading us toward peace.      In a world marked by tragedy, division, and corruption (sound familiar?), Jesus came to bring His long-promised peace to the people. His birth permanently turned the page from pandemo­nium to peace, letting all of us know that even when everything around us feels crazy, we can still have peace. Lasting, eternal, deep rooted peace.     ...

Sing: Go Tell It On The Mountain Reading: Matthew 1:2-6a And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah , and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father o...

One of the books I am reading right now is called Get Outta My Face: How To Reach Angry, Unmotivated Teens With Biblical Counsel The book is written by Rick Horne and it is a very helpful parenting resource. Your teen may not fall under the category of angry or unmotivated. Still, you may have a hard time connecting with your teenager. This counsel would work in a number of situations for children, teens, or adults.  The section that I found particularly helpful had to do with connecting with teens on the basis of their wants. This sounds controversial and un-reformed like. Those of us who love sound theology are quick to point out that our wants are deceptive and that, if anything, parents should steer their teen away  from being overly concerned with their desires.  It is true that Scripture speaks to desire being a key driving factor in quarrels and strife. Consider James 4:1-2 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that y...

Sing: O Come Let us Adore Him Reading: Matthew 1:2-6a Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. Summary:  This portion of the genealogy records Abraham to David. You will notice that in Hebrew thought, only the heads of the house were recorded to trace lineage. However, if you take a close look, three women were mentioned even though it wasn't customary to do so (Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth). What is even more interesting was the fact that these women were controversial. Since you are talking to your children you may not want to point out that this ...

Sing: Joy To The World Reading: Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Summary: This verse is the very first verse in the New Testament. This means that, even though it doesn't appear to be all that important, it is. We know that Jesus isn't a made up person in a fairy tale, he is a real person who was born in  this world. We are thankful that people cared enough to record his family line for us to see. Most importantly, this verse bridges the New Testament with the Old Testament so that we can see that God had not given up on his promise to bring a Savior into the world. This is still true, even if God has been silent now for 400 years! Questions/Responses: Do you know when the last time it was that God had spoken to his people?   400 Years!  How old are you? How old is your dad or your mom? How old is the oldest person you know? Is anyone you know close to 400 years ol...

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. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Light Of The World Jesus Messiah I Stand Amazed What A Beautiful Name Hope Of The Nations Take My Life And Let It Be -- Sermon Text: John 12:44-50 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).

Hope changes everything. Imagine there are two prisoners of war who are held up in solitary confinement. Both are locked in a 50 square foot cell and only able to see the light of day but a few times a day. Thy have very little human interaction. They are all alone in darkness.  There is a key difference between the two men, however. One of them is given the promise that they will be rescued and reunited to his family. The other has no such promise. The difference between the two prisoners makes all the difference. One will do better than the other. One will probably make it through while the other may go insane.  In other words, one of the prisoners will do better than the other because one of them has hope and the other one does not.  Hope is a crucially important part of God's revelation to us. We see in the almost 190 times throughout Scripture that the word hope is used that it is central to the good news that God reveals in Jesus Christ. Make no mistake...