Glory of Christ Fellowship

In his book Preaching in an Age of Distraction (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014), J. Ellsworth Kalas addresses the issue of cultural distraction as it relates to the increasing biblical illiteracy of American culture. Although he by no means sees a singular solution to this problem, he argues that excellence in preaching in teaching offer one significant antidote. For, he asserts, something in the human soul is attracted to excellence no matter what its source or even its content. People can sense when something has been constructed thoughtfully, thoroughly, and honestly, and thus, he writes, “In a time of increasing biblical illiteracy, the pastor must lay new claim on the Scriptures and preach them with more depth, conviction, and excellence than ever before…[The] Christian preacher and teacher has an obligation to both God and culture to be counterintuitive and to push the cause of excellence in the morass of cultural deterioration” (90-91). Although I have much to say in resp...

Easter Services:  Please note that we will celebrate Palm Sunday on March 29 from 9:00-10:30 a.m., Good Friday on April 3 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. @ The Handke Center, and Easter on April 5 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.  Mother-Son Event:  Save the date for our first Mother Son Event on Saturday, April 25. There will be an event activity and a nice sit down dinner. More details coming soon. Julie Springfield and Jenny Arant will be heading up this event.  Spring Outreach:   After much prayer and discussion, the Elders have decided to focus on Abba Pregnancy Resource Center's Spring Banquet for our spring outreach effort. On the one hand, this event helps us to maintain our focus on the lost and "least of these," and on the other hand, five of the members of GCF already have leading roles on the Banquet Committee. So please save the date (May 14, 2015), look out for more information in the coming weeks, and join us in praying that God will pour his ble...

In Hebrews 1:2-4, the author makes seven claims about Jesus that when taken together greatly exalt his glory. The sixth claim the author makes about the Son is that he made purification for sins. The Son is the heir of all things, he is the one through whom the Father created all things, he is the radiance of the glory of God, he is the exact imprint of the nature of God, he upholds all things by the word of his power, and oh by the way, he also made purification for sins. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, and the destructive entrance of sin into the human heart and race, one of the main questions hanging over history, and the Bible itself, is this: how can our sins be washed away so that our consciences are cleansed before God, and we are able to enter into deep communion with God? The author’s answer is “nothing but the blood of Jesus.” He’ll go into a lot more detail later in his sermon, but for now he wants us to hear and be blown away by the truth that after several millenni...

Here's an hour-long discussion between two of the great Christian apologists of our time. The conversation begins around 6:30, we would recommend skipping to that point. 

The book of Psalms, let us not forget, was the “hymnal” of the nation of Israel. We read them; they sung them. Generally speaking, I try to build my theology and practice of worship from the Psalms, not only from the theological content thereof but by their form, structure, and use of language. For example, should we as evangelicals sing short, repetitive songs or long, theologically-rich songs? As I look at the Psalms, I answer “both.” On the one hand, Psalms like 1, 23 and 117 are very short and can be sung in a matter of seconds. So I assume that the people of Israel sung them over and again, much like we do with “worship choruses.” The content of our choruses matters, but it seems to me that from the Psalms we get all the permission we need to sing them. Sometimes it’s good to let a song focus our hearts and minds on one truth, and to repeat it until we connect with that truth. On the other hand, Psalms like 18, 119, and 136 are long and would have taken longer to sing....

Easter Services: Please note that we will celebrate Palm Sunday on March 29 from 9:00-10:30 a.m., Good Friday on April 3 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. @ The Handke Center, and Easter on April 5 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.  Children on Palm Sunday: Parents if you want your children to participate in Palm Sunday this year, we will be having a practice the first 10 minutes of Sunday school this Sunday, March 22. Then please come 10 minutes early on Palm Sunday March 29 to get ready. If possible please wear a white shirt. If you have any questions please contact Jenny Arant at 763-245-4938. Mother-Son Event: Save the date for our first Mother Son Event on Saturday, April 25. There will be an event activity and a nice sit down dinner. More details coming soon. Julie Springfield and Jenny Arant will be heading up this event.  Spring Outreach: After much prayer and discussion, the Elders have decided to focus on Abba Pregnancy Resource Center's Spring Banquet for our spring outrea...

In Hebrews 1:2-4, the author makes seven claims about Jesus that when taken together greatly exalt his glory. The fifth claim the author makes about the Son is that he upholds all things by the word of his power. The word “upholds” literally means “to bear up or to carry,” and so the idea here is not just that Jesus is bearing the physical weight of creation but that he is continually exercising his sovereign power over all things at all times, as only God can do, and that he is bearing all things toward their appointed end. Jesus is in ultimate control of the existence and purpose of all things, and he exercises this control by nothing more than the words of his mouth! Now, the ESV translates this phrase, “and he upholds the universe by the word of his power,” but if you have another translation—really, any other major translation—you’ll see that they translate this phrase “and he upholds all things by the word of his power,” or something along those lines. The translators of ...