Grace Church

Send us a text

Send us a textDecember 1, 2024 Sunday MorningEndeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  (Ephesians 4:3)God built everything for unity. Unity is God’s will because God is one. He is the perfect plurality in unity. Within the essence of the one God there are three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Man was made to live in unity with God and with each other, another plurality in unity: Adam and Eve, “one flesh.”Unity is heaven. When Lucifer rebelled against God he was cast out of heaven. When Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” He was telling us to pray for unity. Lucifer landed on earth and the first thing he did was bring disunity between God and man, and the husband and wife. Adam and Eve accused each other for their sin, and so began the first domestic dispute. Sin destroys unity. They’ve been going on ever since. One of their two kids killed the other one: Cain killed Abel. It was a religious hate crime which has spawned religious hatred ever since. Behold the Crusades, the Middle East, and church fights!Unity in the church is heaven on earth. It’s the way God designed us. He gave it to us by Jesus’ death on the cross and by giving us His Spirit. Now it is our job to endeavor to keep it.God loves diversity, but He hates disunity in that diversity. He can’t even make two snowflakes or two fingerprints alike. We are all different in so many ways: color, height, tastes. The list goes on. We are not all going to agree on everything – even in church. That’s why our text says endeavoring to keep the unity. Look at the unity in Eph. 4:1-6, then the diversity that follows that passage. This is the genius of Christ’s unified church – we can be different without being divided. We can even have different beliefs and still have the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Differences don’t divide, the flesh divides (Gal.5:19-21).One of the mantras of our church is: In Essentials we have Unity, in Non-Essentials we have Liberty, in All Things we have Love. It doesn’t really matter what you believe the Bible teaches about healing or prosperity or the millennial kingdom, or many things, which are helpful for your Christian life, but not essential to have fellowship in order to carry out the Mission Christ has given us as individuals and a church.

Send us a text“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1Thessalonians 5:18)Attitude determines altitude. A good attitude will take you higher in life and keep you there longer than anything else. A positive, thankful attitude will bless your life like nothing else. God knows this and it’s why He commands us to do it.I. Characteristics of the Attitude of Gratitude1. It is Cheap! It costs you nothing. You don’t have to buy alcohol or weed, go to Disney World, buy a boat, or buy anything.2. It is a Choice. I read this book when I was just starting out in life and it changed my life from that moment on: Happiness is a Choice. The attitude of gratitude will make you happier than anything else. You choose to be happy and you choose to have a good attitude. It doesn’t come from what happens to you, it comes from how you respond to what happens to you. “Two men looked through prison bars: one saw mud, the other saw stars.” It doesn’t depend so much on what you look at but how you look at it.3. It Proves Itself in a Crisis. The Chinese word for crisis combines two words: dangerous opportunity. Every crisis is an opportunity for advancement in character and/or situation. If you see yourself on your back, try looking up. There’s nowhere to go from where you are but up! Your attitude can change your position in life for the better or for the worse. If life has been handing you lemons, make some lemonade.II. What to do to Crash Your Life. I know you’re not reading this to find out how to ruin your life, but this can be very instructive and helpful.1. Contemplate Bad Thoughts. If you want to ruin your day, your life, your marriage, your relationship with your kids, your boss, just meditate on bad thoughts. You can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep him from building a nest in your hair, and in your house. Negative thoughts lead to you feeling bad which anchors a bad attitude in you.2. Become Conflicted. Worry means to be conflicted in your thinking and actions. Martha was conflicted by Mary’s choice of listening to Jesus while she was serving. Worry is the word Jesus used to describe Martha. Worry is the only acceptable sin these days among Christians. “Ya’ll pray for me; you know I’m just a worry wart. I worry about everything.” Well, stop it! Worrying is a sin! Repent! In Matthew six Jesus says three times, “Do not worry…” You will either worry or pray, you can’t do both.“Rejoice in the Lord always (at all times). Again I say, rejoice! The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue and anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” (Phil.4:4, 6-8)3. Cripple Your Gratitude. Fear will cripple a good attitude. How many times does God command us to “Fear not”? Many times. A critical spirit will give you a bad attitude. Stop criticizing others, your boss, your wife (man be the same person ) your kids.Trust Him now and He will be with you in the darkest hours of your life. Psalm 23 will be yours to live, not just something for people to read at your funeral.

Send us a text

Send us a textWednesday, 11/13/24 - Rick Griffith: Psalm 103

Send us a text

Send us a text If you will research it you will find the number three plays a very significant role in the Bible: the word occurs 485 times, God is known as the God of the three patriarchs, Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane, was dead for three days, had three really close disciples who saw three prominent people on the Mount of Transfiguration, Paul went to the third heaven where God lives, and there are still many other references. It signifies the number of completion, though not to the degree the number seven does.As a memory aid I want to show you three sets of threes in Mark 1:9-12 as we continue our study verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark. There is the Trinity, three baptisms, and three visitors in the wilderness.TAKEAWAYS:1.     Learn the definition of the Trinity and who the three persons of the Trinity are.2.     It is imperative that you be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It was for Jesus and it is no less for you. Make sure you have this important baptism, because this is what gives you power to live the Christian life.3.     Concerning your relationship with God, do not depend on what others say. Get assurance from God.

Send us a textTruly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 30:30-31) Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is the Prophet who is to come into the world.’  (John 6:14)Signs get some bad press in many minds. But if you think of it, signs are good. Every time you write your name you give your sign in your signature. Signs are put on the highway to protect and inform us. Every business has a sign. The sign of a good business is a business with a good sign. There are weather signs and signs on every house that are called addresses. The Bible is full of signs from Genesis to Revelation: the rainbow, circumcision, and hundreds of others. The book of Revelation is full of signs. Jesus acknowledged people will seek for signs before they believe, and then He gave them signs to help them believe.Yet some people think that asking for signs from God is a bad thing. If they are, then why did God willingly give so many of them in the Bible? God continually gave signs to prove His word. In fact, John tells us why he wrote his gospel the way he did – to tell about seven signs that Jesus did so that those who read about them would believe that Jesus is the Christ and that believing they might be saved. And that’s exactly what happened in our present passage that has Jesus performing a mighty miraculous sign.Before we even get to this, signs were given by God all the way through the Old Testament. In Judges 6:17-24, 36-40 Gideon asks for more than one sign from God to prove He was really speaking to him and telling him what to do. God says, “Okay!” Then He gave Gideon three signs! He thought God would be angry with him (Most people think that) but He wasn’t! God can handle our request for a sign. In fact He loves it.As stated, John gives seven signs that will cause people to believe in Jesus.1. Turning water into wine, 2:1-11,  (This was Jesus’ first sign and it produced faith in those who saw it.)2. Healing the Nobleman’s son, 4:46-54, 3. Healing a paralyzed man, 5:1-15, 4. Feeding 5,000 men, 6:1-14, 5. Stilling a storm while walking on the sea, 6:15-21, 6. Healing a blind man, 9:1-41, 7. Raising Lazarus, 11:1-57. TAKEAWAYS:1.     Signs follow believers and signs confirm the word preached. Therefore, we should desire, pray for, and expect signs, wonders and miracles in our lives and when we share the gospel.2.     When you are not sure whether God is speaking to you about a certain thing, you could do one or two things: ask for godly counsel and/or ask for a sign. God is happy to confirm His leading with a sign.3.     Then again, if you don’t need a sign, that is good. Just believe.4.     The purpose of a sign is to confirm what you believe.5.     Much is at stake here, and what is at stake is whether sinners will believe and be saved.I’ve done a study of the churches in the world today who are reaching the most people for Christ and it is overwhelmingly shown that those churches are the ones who have regular signs, wonders, and miracles that accompany the preaching of the gospel. This is in keeping with the Biblical way. So, individuals and churches should seriously consider asking God for signs to accompany their lives and ministry of the word.I don’t know how you can get more Biblical than seeing signs that confirm the word in your life. God used signs all the way through the Bible. If He did it then, He can and wants to do it today.

Send us a text

Send us a textI. John Compared Himself to Jesus.    Jesus was the Word; John called himself only a voice in the wilderness. John said he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ shoes. Next to Jesus, he said he was a slave.Now, John was important. He was sent by God as the forerunner to introduce the Messiah and Savior to the world (Jn.1:6). Jesus said that he was the greatest man ever born of women (Mt.11:11). It’s not that he wasn’t important, it’s how he saw himself in comparison to Christ. It’s called humility. Jesus identified the greatest as the one who humbled himself (Mt.18:1-4).But compared to Jesus? You can’t compare angels to Jesus, much less a mere man of dust. Philosophers were sitting around talking about who they’d like to see walk through the door to be with them. One said Washington, another said Lincoln, another said Plato, and everyone had someone famous in mind. Then one said, “If any of those men walked in we would all stand and greet them. But there is one who if He walked in they would all bow and worship.” No man can compare himself to Jesus. He is king of kings, Lord of heaven and earth, and the Lamb of God before whom all of creation will bow the knee and worship (Rev.5).But compared to Jesus, our daily or lifelong earthbound and temporary agenda, they are but dust on the scales compared to His plan for your life and how He can use you to accomplish His agenda. He calls you to do more than live a mundane life on this earth. We all need to admit we are nothing and can do nothing without Christ, but with Him we can do all things (Phil.4:13).II. John Compared Water Baptism to Spirit Baptism.Water baptism is important because Jesus was baptized and He commanded us to be baptized. Weighty issues are at stake in water baptism or else Jesus would not have allowed Himself to be baptized by John. Enough said. But Jesus was not only baptized in water, He was baptized with the Holy Spirit.What is this baptism with the Spirit John spoke of? Same as happened to Jesus! This baptism gave Him power to defeat the devil and do His work of helping people, which is what the rest of Mark is about, including giving the wisdom of God in words of power. Acts 10:38 said, “How God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”To know what this baptism is all about Jesus explains it in Acts 1:4-5, 8. Then this happened in Acts 2 and the future of the church. This is a baptism with power. To accomplish God’s will we all need this baptism with the Spirit.You might say, “I’m quite satisfied with where I am right now.” Jesus could have said that before He went to be baptized with the Spirit, but then all those people that He helped, healed, delivered, and has saved after that, where would they be? Beware of being satisfied. Beware of being stagnant in your life with God. Beware of being in a rut. “But I just want enough of God and what He can do for me and my family, and we’re doing alright.” You selfish pig! There are billions of people perishing and on their way to hell, and all you want of God is enough for you and your family? You ever heard of John 3:16? There’s more! Much more!TAKEAWAYS:1. As important as water baptism is, have you been baptized in water? Some will not be saved because they will not be baptized in water because they reject the will of God in this important matter (Lk.7:30).2. Baptism with the Spirit is much more important that water baptism. Have you been baptized with the Spirit?

Send us a textWho did God put in charge on earth? God is spirit and as such invisible. So who is going to visibly and audibly represent Him on earth? Man! Man is the representative of God on the earth. It must be someone like God, and it must be a man because of what it says in Genesis 1:26-27, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion on the earth.” God’s highest creature was created last. What was said about man was said of no other creature God ever made. Adam represented God on the earth. Not an angel because they too are invisible and not the highest order of living beings. God never put angels in charge of anything on earth.Adam was the original man who represented God. After God made man He rested. He has stopped creating. Then in Genesis chapter three, when man sinned, God again put on His work clothes and began His work of redemption, His new creation.  Fallen man was the closest thing to God on earth to represent Him, but he was now sinful. A sinful man, a sinner, cannot adequately represent a holy God.Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-9 describes the One in charge down here – it is Jesus Christ, the man who is the exact image of God on the earth. God the Father sent His only born Son to earth, born of a woman, fully man. Jesus Christ was God’s representative on earth, made as a man in His exact image. Who else could it be? Not the Pope! Not Mohammed! Not the Dalai Lama! Not Buddha! Jesus Christ is God’s man who truly and fully represents God on the earth. Jesus said this, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (Jn.14:9). Everything God is, Christ is. When you see Jesus Christ you have seen God. He represents God fully. “God was manifest in the flesh.” (1Tim.3:16) When you see what Jesus did, you see what God would do. When you hear Jesus speak, you are listening to God speak. Others spoke about Jesus; Jesus spoke for the Father.A major theme in the Bible given to us in the book of John is stated by Jesus over and over as He claimed to be the one whom God sent. He is the only unique Son of God. Jesus said so in Jn.3:16. Note just some of the times in John that He declares to be the one whom God sent: 1:18,14; 3:16-17; 4:34; 5:37-38; 6:39,44,57; 10:36; 10:36; 12:49. And that’s just some of the verses where Jesus declares this. He was sent to fully represent God on the earth. Approaching our text Jesus is going to anticipate our saying, “You say you were sent from God and that you represent God on the earth. Prove it!” That’s where Mt.18:16 comes in, the principle that runs all the way through the Bible: “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”Now read Jn.5:31-47 and you will see that:I. The Six Witnesses that Jesus Represents God on the Earth:1. Jesus Himself, v.31-322. John the Baptist, v.33-353. The Works of Jesus, v.364. The Father Himself, v.37-385. The Scriptures, v.39 6. Moses, v.45-47II. Man is God’s representative on the earth; God gave him the charge of ruling the earth in His place.III. Adam lost his job as God’s representative on earth, except for redeemed men like justified Abraham. God’s image in him was marred by sin. To represent God man would have to be like God, without sin, holy.IV. Satan, though he is the ruler of this world, is not God’s representative on the earth. He’s a rebel ruler.V. This is why the second person of the Trinity had to become a man. Jesus represented God on the earth, while He was here. He proved it by His dominion over everything and the fact that He was a man without sin.VI. Jesus left Christians to represent God on the earth, to rule with His authority and power and purpose. Gifted with the righteousness of Christ we are the ones in charge. We present God on the earth. Jesus said, “As

Send us a textThe Messenger, Message and Motive“Behold I send My messenger; John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Mark 1:1-6)Before an important people take the stage, someone introduces him. Before Jesus steps onto the stage of human history, someone comes on to introduce Him. That someone is John the Baptist.1. God has messengers to announce the good news of God. Messengers are God’s method of communicating with people. “Faith comes by hearing…” (Rm.10:13), hearing the messenger of God. Jesus was the Word; John was the voice. The whole Bible was communicated to us by messengers like Moses, David, Isaiah, Mark, Paul, etc. Then God calls other messengers to preach that written word, to move the logos and scripture to the rhema. God does everything through speaking, and since Genesis chapter one He uses other people to speak to us. They were called prophets or preachers. These are the most important people on earth, those who speak the word of God. John was the premiere prophet, sent to introduce Christ, the Savior. To reject God’s messengers is to reject God. Jesus said, “He who hears you, hears Me; he who rejects you rejects Me.”  (Lk.10:16). Spiritually speaking, the one God has called to speak to you (Eph.4:11-16) is the most important person in your life. When that person gives you the word of God he is God’s messenger. These messengers are important because of who sent them and the message they bring. How many times do we read, “Thus says the Lord…”2. God has a message to speak to you and it is unexpectantly good news. As sinful as man was you’d think it would be news about judgment. The gospel begins with the message of repentance, which is not normally thought of as good news, but it is the best news from God. We are all sinners, but you can be forgiven if you repent. The message is “repentance for the remission (removal) of sins.” (v.4) Repentance is proclaimed!Baptism in water is the picture of the proclamation: the old life is dead (through the death of Christ), buried (with Him), and raised (with Him). This is pictured powerfully and graphically for us in the waters of baptism. The way we “prepare the way of the Lord” for Him to come into our lives is to repent of our sins, and confess them by our words and our baptism. To repent is to change and everything John preached pictured change: make His paths straight, etc. (Lk.3:4-6). Basically, change your mind about God. He comes to forgive our sins. Not to condemn us for our sins or judge us, but to forgive and save us!3. The Motivation for Repentance is the good news of God. In the Old Testament it was the fear of punishment. “Turn or burn,” was the message and the motivation. In the New Testament the message is, “Turn and live.” The motivation for us to repent is the good news. Consider how good God is. The Prodigal Son remembered how good his father was that even the servants in his house had “enough (to eat) and more.” Romans 2:4 says it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Christians may need to repent. Jesus rebuked the church at Ephesus for losing their first love and told them to “Think about from where you have fallen and return to your first love.” (Rev.2:4-5) Remember His love for you and your love for Him. That is our motive to repent.

Send us a textOctober 23, 2024. Continued Wednesday night series through the book of John verse-by-verse.

Send us a text“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  (Mark 1:1)1. Mark was the first to write an inspired gospel and two other writers copied much of his. Mark pictures Jesus as the supreme Servant of the Lord. He went about doing good. Mark’s is an action gospel. We see that very clearly in the first ten chapters. A servant does things immediately. The word immediately appears over 50 times in the 16 chapters of Mark and it deals with the activity of Jesus, how He does things, usually with someone being healed. Watch for this word and realize it doesn’t have to take a long time for Jesus to do something in your life. 2. The Good News begins in the first verse of this Gospel, not the first verse of chapter eleven, where Mark begins to narrow his inspired narrative down to the sacrifice of Jesus, which is the heart of the gospel. This is HUGE! The gospel includes not only the sacrifice of Jesus found in chapters 11-16, but the service of Jesus found in chapters 1-10.  There is not much good news these days. If you watch the evening news you are watching bad news. If it’s not bad news it’s not news on TV. People today, as they did 2,000 years ago, need good news. Mark has it. The coming of Jesus into the world was good news.  The coming of Jesus into your world will be good news. He did not come to judge, condemn, or hurt anyone. There is no bad news in the good news. Now if you don’t receive Jesus there is plenty of bad news for you, but even that comes later at the end of time. The key verse in Mark’s gospel is 10:45, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus came to do two things: to serve and to sacrifice. That service is included in what we call the Good News of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means good news. What Jesus did during His life is good news just like what He did during His death and resurrection. It is “the beginning of the gospel.” While His sacrifice is the heart of the gospel, His service is the hand. 3. There are 21 amazing miracles in the first ten chapters of Mark, ranging from casting out demons (1:21-28; 3:11; 5:1-20; 7:24-30; 9:14-27), stilling storms on the sea (4:35-41), walking on water (6:45-51), feeding multitudes – twice! (6:30-44; 8:1-9), transfiguring Himself (9:2-7), and many healings (1:29-34, 40-42; 2:1-12; 3:1-6,10; 5:21-42; 6:56; 7:31-35; 8:22-26; 10:46-52).  When Jesus casts the devil out of your life, that’s good news; when Jesus stills the storms that threaten your life, that’s good news; when Jesus feeds your hungry family, that’s good news; when Jesus heals your body or the body of your loved ones, that’s good news! Everything that Jesus did on the earth was good news: “He went about doing good…” (Acts 10:38). 4. Also in the first ten chapters of Mark’s gospel Jesus teaches us how to live in this world and in the kingdom of God (4:1-34; 7:6-23; 9:38-50; chapters 10 & 11), and that’s good news! We need to learn from the infinite wisdom of Jesus. After coming to Him, there is nothing more important (Mt.11:28-30). We have much to learn. 5. Jesus calls people to Himself to train and use them for His eternal purpose of saving the world (1:16-20; 3:13-19; 6:7-13; 10:35-45). He trains us to serve His eternal purpose in this life, and that is good news! He wants to and will use you to serve His purpose in the earth. 6. Jesus blesses the little children (10:13-16). When Jesus blesses your children, that’s good news! Your children need to hear and receive the blessings of Jesus. They will do that as we study “the beginning of Mark’s gospel.” 7. Jesus teaches and counsels us about salvation (9:36-37; 10:17-34). When Jesus teaches us what we need to know about what it takes to be saved from our sins, that is the best of news!

Send us a textJohn 5:16-30 - "16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, [a]and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 30 I can of Myself do nothing."TAKEAWAYS1. Always check the context to understand the text. The answer to the title question is in the context of the story. 2. This is the answer to the title question. In exercising the gift of healing, Jesus was led by the Father to this one man (v.17, 19-20, 30). As Jesus was led by the Father (not that Jesus was not filled and led by the Spirit), we must be led by the Holy Spirit to minister to the ones He leads us to. 3. This is the second part of the answer to the title question. Sometimes He doesn’t heal everyone at any given time because they have no faith or because He has other plans for those not healed. For example, this pool was not far from the very gate called Beautiful where Peter and John healed the lame man in Acts 3:1-10. And what about all the people in and around Jerusalem who were healed by the early church (Acts 5:14-16). 4. If all the impotent folks at the pool had faith they could have all been healed (Mt.8:13; 9:22, 29; 15:28; Mk.5:34; 10:52; Lk.7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 8:42). We don’t read of any of the other impotent folks at that pool crawling to or calling out to Jesus. You’d think at least one would raise his hand and say, “Me next!” But no!  Faith by anyone in this crowd would have put the pull on the Lord. Anyone who believes can be healed of anything at any time. But the man healed here had no faith. That’s where the gift of healing comes in. 5. Jesus exercised the gift of healing. He had previously given a word of knowledge with the woman at the well. With the Gifts of Healings, only the healer needs faith, not the one being healed. That faith comes by revelation, as it did with the Father showing Jesus what He was doing. 6. Why doesn’t every Christian operate with the gifts of the Spirit to heal everyone? Because God distributes these gifts according to His will. (1Cor.12:11)  I often wondered why the Gifts of Knowledge and Healings are given at any particular time concerning certain people or certain illnesses. I still don’t know, except that this is the way of the Spirit. 7. Even though Jesus only healed this one lame man at the hospital pool, never doubt the will of God to heal everyone (Mt.4:23-24; 8:16-17; 12:15; 14:14; 15:30; 19:2; 21:14; Lk.4:40; 6:19; Acts 10:38).

Send us a textWhen and How to Leave a Church“Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit…”  (Acts 13:1-4)Because of so much church hopping (so many churches you can go to), shallow commitments, and people being so easily offended these days, it is necessary to address this very important issue.First, every Christian should be a member of a local church. “And the Lord added to the church (in Jerusalem) daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)  In these modern days some think being part of a local church is optional, but a Christian not being in church is unheard of in the Bible. And I’m not talking about being a member of some so-called universal church. There is a universal church, but it is made up of local churches. In the Bible there are local churches: Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesians, the seven local churches in Revelation 2-3, and the list goes on. Every Christian should be a part of a local church. You should be a member of the church you attend. And only born again, baptized believers in Christ are real members. Membership is important; it speaks of commitment and commitment speaks of usefulness. How can you be useful in Christ’s church and mission if you are not a committed member? No one can give a good reason why everyone should not be a member where they attend.You should never leave THE church (Heb.10:25). Jesus’ commitment to the church is: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The worst church in the Bible has Jesus standing at the door knocking to get in (Revelation 3:14-20). You think the church is so bad that you can’t be a part of it, but Jesus is knocking to get into the worst church in the Bible, the one that makes Him sick. He is not forsaking it. He’s trying to get in and stay in! He wants to come in and dine with them. Don’t ever think that the church is so bad that you can’t be a part of it. The Corinthian Church had multitudes of problems (prolonged immaturity, divisions, sexual immorality, members suing each other, getting drunk at Communion, abuse of the gifts, and false doctrine) but in his letter to that church Paul never told anyone to leave! Not one verse in the 16 chapters that he wrote to that church did he ever even hint that anyone should leave that church. Instead, that’s where you find his greatest message on love in the Bible: “love suffers long and is kind, is not arrogant, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.” And we are to love one another as Christ loved the church. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, you also love one another.” (Jn.13:34)

Send us a text

Send us a text

Send us a textSunday morning 10/6/2024 "Church Membership"We proudly had 18 people join as members this morning!

Send us a textWednesday, October 3 2024