Eggs with a Side of Truth

Breakfast food is my favorite food. I like eggs but I love bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and hashbrowns. I can eat breakfast food at any meal and be very happy. With my beard, any meal can turn that beard into an unintentional food storage device. Many of you have probably heard the expression “egg on your face”, as much as I like breakfast food I also like to look up the origins of phrases like that. This one doesn’t have a clear origin but having egg on my face has clear ties to a childhood insecurity I have often felt and sometimes relive today. I have never felt like I can trust people who will literally or figuratively let me walk around with egg on my face. If there is something obvious I can do to make people’s experience of me more pleasant then I would want to do that and those people who have shown to be my friends in life have been the ones who love me enough to tell me I have something I need to wipe away, I have something I am blind to that I need to correct. When I read Ephesians 4:25 it makes me think of what a true friend or good community should be like. 

Ephesians 4:25 (ESV) says “ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” This verse highlights that we are connected with each other and that one of the best ways to live that out is to speak truthfully with one another. I am sure not many of us would think about lying directly or intentionally to one another. However, on the other side of every sin of doing something to someone, there is the other side where we do not do what we should do for someone. The verse doesn’t just say not to lie but to “speak truth” to one another. 

When I was working at Miracle Camp, my previous ministry before GCC, I was exposed to a list of communication rules that made me feel as free as I ever had and squashed the insecurity in me that people were letting me walk around with egg on my face. I want to highlight the key to this free and unifying communication. As much as it hurts at times, hearing the truth from a friend is so freeing because you know you have somebody watching your back (and your face) for things you can’t see about yourself. Trust starts to happen at a deep and ever-deepening level. 

Here they are with short explanations:

Candid and Authentic Communication- Say what you want to say and say it in your own words. Talk about things when they are small and can be candid before they need a meeting.

No Triangulation- Talk with someone directly, don’t talk to someone else hoping that things will get back to the person you should talk to. They will get back to them but it will foster bitterness and not trust. 

Speak for Yourself- The theoretical “they” that don’t like something should never be referenced. “They” may have something to say but “they” don’t matter. 

Bring a Solution with Your Issue- This is very akin to “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.” When trying to bring a solution (and “do better” doesn’t count) you have to consider the resources and circumstances a person is working under. Maybe they haven’t thought of a solution on their own because their situation is a hard one. This exercise shows love and compassion. It builds that membership in one another's lives Ephesians talks about.

Confront Issues within 48hrs- Deal with things fresh, this helps guard against triangulation, judgement of others and keeps things small. The tagline is “no hands from the grave” and that means that if you don’t make it a point to talk about something with someone quickly then you give up your right to talk to them. 

A family of people who tell the truth to each other in these ways will be unbreakable and will have so much joy and security in each other. These are all framed in the negative about issues but following this same model for praise, encouragement, and thanks is even more powerful. 

Will Regier

PHOENIX

I was watching a show sometime back called “Flight of The Phoenix”. It was a pretty good movie and it got me thinking about life. In this movie there is a group of oil rig workers who are being flown out of a job site they were on in the middle of the desert and their plane crashes. They spend part of the movie waiting for their company to send out a search and rescue party but finally they realize that it is not coming and they build a plane out of the remaining parts of their crashed plane. It is a really far-fetched story but there is a definite correlation between that story and our lives.

As a result of our nature that we are born into, we are destined to wreck and then have to figure out what we are going to do.  There are a few options we have as a result of the wreck. The first is to do nothing but just go along with the flow and hope for the best. Second, we can make a plan and then try to create something with which to save ourselves.  

The Third is really the only choice that will work and that is dependent on someone else to rescue us.  We are all living a life that has been wrecked, whether we know it or not and desperately need someone to help us rise out of the ashes. (The meaning of the word Phoenix in case you didn’t know)  This is literally what Jesus does for us.  We are all destined to go to hell after we finish our journey here on earth and there is nothing that “We” can do about it, but Jesus can raise us out of those flames and ashes.  In fact He desires to do that.  Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  This tells us that we cannot depend on ourselves or others to bring us out of the ashes but only Jesus Christ.  We are reminded of this in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

I have a few questions for you whether you have or have not made a decision to follow Jesus.  Are you willing to let Jesus pull you out of the ashes?  Do you truly desire to be a Phoenix or are you content with where you are, whether it is trying to rescue yourself or just acting like you are allowing Jesus to raise you?  

It’s time to trust Jesus completely, and let Him make you a Phoenix. 

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

Count Your Many Blessings...

Reflecting on last year’s blessings is always a worthwhile practice. It produces gratitude in the heart and perspective in the mind. This is one of the many benefits to journaling. Writing about priorities (mine include my spiritual and physical health) and concerns reminds me of how God graciously carries me through life.

Doing this at Grace is also rewarding. I am reminded of the many brothers and sisters I have that continue to sacrificially give and serve here in our church.

To you, I joyfully say “thank you!” Thank you for your commitment to building God’s Kingdom, sharing in God’s generosity, and investing in Grace Community Church.

The year 2023 had a number of highlights that reflect your sacrifice and ministry:

• 13 people were baptized.

• 302 people signed up to serve during our Big Serve event at 26 locations.

• 110 individuals volunteer on Sunday morning to serve our 6th grade and under (SS and Nursery).

• 53 adults serve the younger generations in AWANA.

• 56 students serve our church through Route 56.

• 76 people volunteered for Summer Quest.

• We gave $111,439.11 to local and global missions!

• We now have $51,394.80 set aside for church planting.

• We also gave away $18,944.88 through benevolence.

By the way, our benevolence fund continues to serve people in our community through financial assistance and caring for individual families. YOU are making this possible through your generosity, and how cool is it that we are able to do this together?

We have so much to be grateful for. Brother or sister, I love you and am honored to be one of your pastors at Grace. May you rest in knowing that our heavenly Father will continue to supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Tools

What did you do during your Christmas break?  Celebrate Jesus? Relax? Spend time with family? Eat a lot of food? All of the above? Well of course we did the same. However, my wife Jillian and I just so happened to buy a house a week before Christmas break so we might have done a liiiittle more working than relaxing. On account of the current real estate market, my wife being a private christian school teacher and me being in ministry, we bought a good ole HGTV Fixer upper. Then proceeded to put on our best Chip and Joanna Gaines britches and make that thing look good as new *wink* *Sparkle.* 

In the process we ended up fully refinishing the original hardwood floors throughout the house, pulled off all the baseboards, redid some sheetrock, replaced two sinks, fixed(and are still fixing) garage doors, painted every single wall, repaired and painted the base boards and then put them back on, updated light fixtures, replaced locks and doorknobs and I think that's it. But as many of you know, that was just to get us in the house. Now we can continue to do many more house projects as we live in it along the way. 

Admittedly, as we were working on some of the bigger projects I thought to myself “is this even worth it?” “This is really hard work.” Several times I thought “I’m making this problem worse, I should just stop and let someone else do this.” But as we moved in we looked around and were extremely proud of the transforming results that were all around us. A sigh of relief and joy in accomplishment. 

Not to Jesus juke you but recently I have found myself -more often than I would like to admit-   in the same “is this even worth it” category but more so pertaining to my spiritual life. I get tired and worn out. I get distracted by the grass being greener on the other side. I get too focused on the immediate results of seeing life transformation happen before my eyes; and accidentally make results my god instead of truly dwelling with the only one that can cause life transformation in the first place. I think to myself  “I’m making my sin problem worse, I should just stop and let someone else do this.” 

Though fixing up our spiritual lives and fixing up our homes are two completely different things, the Lord has given me some practical parallels or realizations recently. For one, I need to use the right tools. There were several times in the fixing process of our home I either didn't want to make the burdensome trek ALL THE WAY to the garage to grab the right tool or I didn't have the right tool entirely. Then I ended up wasting my time on something that would have been resolved by just taking, what in reality is, a quick trip to the garage or going and buying the right tool at Ace. I sometimes have the same problem in my spiritual life where instead of just getting up and looking for the solutions to my sin in the greatest spiritual tool, the bible, I sit right where I am at struggling with the same issue while trying to muscle it myself. Why would I not take a trip into God’s word? Why would I not pick up the tool that God has designed specifically for this job of life? My flesh fails me. During this process there was a moment when redoing the floors that I truly believed I was making matters worse and ruining them more than I was fixing them and I wanted to just let someone else take over. I have the same moments in my spiritual life where I realize I truly am making things worse in my own life and I want to let someone else take over. Then DING, Holy Spirit light bulb. Every joy, every success, every life transformation, every greener pasture I have ever seen or experienced is because of our God! In those moments I do need to let someone else take over and it is our Savior.

I know the benefits of surrendering to our savior and spending time in the word. But my flesh fails me, and I stray away. I pray that you are in a season of strength and close devotion to the Lord. But if you are not, don’t worry, I hope you know you are not alone. The Lord has given us the right tools and has paid the righteous price so that we can live in devotion to him and community with him. 

The Tools

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

• 1 Peter 5:6-10  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,  casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.  Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.  Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever Amen.

Peace and blessings Grace

Bryant Hart 

Acts 2 and You

We are working hard to pass our faith on to our kids as I know any of you parents are. Some of you have adult kids and they have made their decisions either for our joy or for our heartache. In my reading lately, I read Acts 2, specifically Acts 2:14-28, and I was struck by a few phrases that made me think about how my kids think about Jesus now and how I want them to think about Him. Give that section or better yet the whole chapter a quick read.

My kids are young so things are very straightforward for them and I hope in some ways they never lose that. In Acts 2:24 (ESV) it says “God raised him (Jesus) up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” My son gets this statement as clear as day. Jesus is bigger and stronger than anything and He was too powerful for even death to hold him. My son gets that concept all day long. He understands the full gospel that Jesus died for his sins, and rose from the dead, and that he has to believe in that to live with Jesus forever. But in his kid mind one of the most important things is that Jesus would protect him from “bad guys” or that Jesus in general is out there in His strength stopping “bad guys” right and left like a holy superhero. We remind our son that we are all bad guys sometimes and that’s why Jesus came, to change bad guys into Jesus followers so that we can be covered over by Jesus’ goodness in God’s sight. Though I don’t think that 100% computes for my son I think he gets it in the basics. 

But as I look at Acts 2:28 (ESV) where it says “ You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.” I see that my kids still have a ways to go in the growth of their faith. This verse is a quote of Psalm 16 which is also well worth a read. This whole section in Acts is a record of a sermon the apostle Peter preached. I know that my kids still often get their “gladness” from toys or fun or praise from a job well done. They are still very early on in learning to find their full joy in Jesus their Lord. But in every judgment of another person we always need to turn the lens on ourselves, yes even when we correct or teach our kids…. Ugh… It is zero fun sometimes to make sure everything I am teaching my kids that I am also living out! 

When I start to then look at myself this is what comes out. Am I letting good or bad work circumstances change my gladness over God’s presence, am I even taking the time to pursue God Himself, am I being quiet enough to hear Him, and am I taking time to savor His presence? These are the questions that start rolling around in my heart. I both pass and fail regularly. As I consider a new year I do not make resolutions but I do try to set or reset my mindset. Is the simple but real presence of God enough to make me “full of gladness?” Not for it to just be something that I hope gets better this year but to exclaim that it is true? My hope is that for every day God’s presence is not enough to fill me with gladness that there are two days that it does. Aside from hope I am setting my mind in this new year not just to “try” but to commit to it being true that I am full of gladness with God’s presence. I want to daily remember that He is with me and that there is not a single thing better than that! We all hope that “things” go better for us in the new year but I am committing my mind to be set not on fixing any of those “things” but on the presence of God with me. I will work on “things” and then be fully aware that my savior is there with me when I do. God bless each of you first and foremost with His presence and your commitment to be glad in it this new year!

- Will Regier

Our Saviors Birth

As I get ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior, I am reminded of the lowly manger where Jesus lay. Do you ever think it would be amazing to go visit Israel and walk where Jesus walked and visit where Jesus was born? This fall our staff retreat included a trip to a Biblical antiquities museum.  They had many articles on display that they claimed to be first century and from the Israel area.  They even have a stone manger that they heard might have come from the Migdal Eder or the Tower of the Flock near Bethlehem where the shepherds would have prepared the lambs without blemish for the Temple sacrifices.  So to the curator, he would like to believe that baby Jesus might have even been laid in the actual manger that he has on display there at his museum.  These items were neat to see and to hear what their possible history might have been.  But why do we get so excited about seeing and touching things that Christ might have seen and touched?  Do these things and places change us somehow?  Is there some kind of blessing bestowed upon us?  What is the draw?  Over the centuries, we humans have even erected churches over the places where we believe Jesus events took place. Don’t get me wrong. I do often think it would be super exciting to visit Israel to see what Jesus would have seen while here on earth and to see the places I have studied in God’s Word.  And I do believe it is important to have these special places to remember the life of our Savior here on earth. But am I too much of a fan of these items? By placing so much worth on these items, am I worshiping them?  They are just items right?  They are not Jesus himself.  And while Jesus created these things, didn’t he also create the things in my backyard?  Isn’t all of nature created and sustained by our God? “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3

All of creation praises the Creator.  These things that are spoken of in the Bible should be discovered, studied, and displayed so that we can keep proving the Word of God is true and in so doing, prove to skeptics that Jesus lived and is the Son of God.  But maybe I should keep my “fangirling” under control. I need to always remember that in seeing and studying these things from Jesus’ time, it is to always bring me closer to my God, not things.  In comparison, it is pretty exciting isn’t it then that this Creator of the universe, our King of kings and Lord or lords desires to be near us? 

He even made a way for us sinful broken people to be redeemed so that we can have eternal life with Him. I imagine that someday, when we are face to face with God, we will look back and think that our infatuation with the things Jesus touched was nothing compared to what we are experiencing. 

I will keep enjoying and studying Biblical artifacts, but only in worship of the One who made it all. I want to praise the one who was laid in the manger.  I want to get closer to the one the angels sang of.  This Christmas let’s praise HIM with all our might!

I want to wish all of our Grace family a Merry Christmas!  

Let all the earth rejoice!

Blessings,

Amy

Temporary Halt in Communication

I’m standing at my desk and my phone rings; it’s Courtney. I can hear her breathing a little heavier than usual as she quickly begins with what sounds like an exciting story. 

Turns out, a fellow resident in our neighborhood accidentally knocked over our mailbox. We happen to know this guy (great neighbor in our area), and we know this could happen to any of us. So, all is well.

The downside is that we won’t get our mail until we have a mailbox; one that isn’t lying on the ground. And, per the usual when the unexpected happens, this made me think of my relationship with God.

Sometimes it may feel like we aren’t “getting our mail” from God. It’s like He’s not responding or sending us anything. However, it may just be that our metaphorical mailbox is down. The problem isn’t with the carrier. The problem is on our end. 

We aren’t receiving anything because we’re not positioned to.

I know that if I don’t set aside time to listen to God, I won’t hear Him. I think this is why Jesus had to get away from the disciples to a private place (see Mark 1:35). Even God in the flesh had to position Himself to spend time with the Father.

This is the season of Immanuel—God with us. But that doesn’t mean we will automatically sense His presence if we are too distracted with the noises and people around us. 

My prayer for my family and yours is that you will get in the right position to hear from Him. It’s always worth the effort.

I’m looking forward to the Christmas Program on Sunday. This is one story that never gets old!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

JOY!?!?

This time of year they say starts one of the most depressing times for a lot of people.  I have never understood that, until last year with it being the first holiday season since my dad passed.  This year the season is starting out in about the same way as last year so this word God is giving me is so very relevant to me. Maybe it will be what someone else needs to hear also.

When we look at it, we start with Thanksgiving, a time when we stop to think about all the good things in our lives.  In some cases it may be just a few things that are good, but none-the-less good things.  Then we move on to Christmas when we should focus on others and giving.   Christmas is also the time when we should be thinking about the gift of Life and forgiveness that God gave us in His Son Jesus Christ.  

I know that things in life can get hectic around this time of year and there are alot of things that can get us down, swamped and occupied.  But that doesn’t have to take away the joy.  Yes, I said joy.

Let me expand upon that. First let's look at what joy means as a word.

Joy–noun

 1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally

     good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: 

 2.a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly

    valued or appreciated: 

 3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety

 4. a state of happiness or felicity.

As I think about this a few lyrics from songs come to mind.  Well actually they were floating around in my head and being voiced in the shower the other day.

• You give me joy that's unspeakable and I like it, and I like it, yeah Your love for me is irresistible I can't fight it, I can't fight it

• I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

•  Joy to the world the Lord has come.

It was quite a concert, let me tell you. Glad you all couldn’t hear it. 

But, back on track, ever since I got out of the shower I have been thinking about Joy.  Man it is so easy for me to get bogged down with the details of life.But why do I do that when I could be living in the Joy that comes from God.  Now I don’t know what your situation is in life but I can tell you one thing for sure.  That is, our God is not a God of worry, depression, resentment, regret or remorse.  Our God is a God of love, peace and joy.  If you let all the other stuff become the focus in your life you will miss everything good that God has for you.  I want to encourage you with a few scriptures before I sign off.

David knew all about hardships but he also knew about joy and where it came from:

• Psalm 49:19  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

• Psalm 50:1  Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

One last thought and reminder for me as well as my prayer for you as you start this holiday season.

 I pray that you will put your trust the God of peace, harmony, wholeness, and joy so that he can completely pour into you until you cannot help but overflow, with the hope that comes from The Holy Spirit, I pray that He will also protect you heart and mind in the power of Jesus Christ and that He will give you peace that goes so much farther than anything you can know or comprehend. May you experience a holiday season that is saturated in the powerful all encompassing love of our Heavenly father through His Son Jesus Christ 

AMEN

Romans 15:13  (Tree of Life Version)

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and shalom (peace, harmony, wholeness) in trusting, so you may overflow with hope in the power of the Ruach ha-Kodesh.(The Holy Spirit)

Philippians 4:6-7 (Tree of Life Version)

6 Do not be anxious about anything—but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.[a]

I hope that you can sing for joy in the shower and not care who hears it!

Pastor Sean

Guts, Glory and God's Design

I have been listening to the Bible on my way to and from work. This gives me a good 40 minutes with God’s precious Word during the day. Listening to it versus reading it tends to make the Bible more virtual and visual for me. I really experience the drama. So as I am hearing about battles, and demises I start to feel emotional. There are many instances in 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Samuel where people were killed and parts of their body were taken to be displayed. Hands were cut off, heads were delivered… sometimes by the time I get to work, I feel nauseous. During battle scenes, I want to close my eyes, but I can’t because I’m driving. I figured I felt this way because I am a mom. I am weak. I know that God made male and female different in characteristics as well as physically, so I was curious how men in general feel about these events in the Old Testament. Recently, when I got to work, I asked the guys. 

If you are a female, this might shock you. They collectively said they really enjoy reading the fighting scenes in the Bible! What!?! Are you kidding?!! How can this be? (God made men so tough) It’s kind of embarrassing confessing that parts of the Old Testament make me queasy to read.  But then I wondered if there might be a few of you out there that have the same reaction?  Then one of the men added that he and his wife have talked about this before because it is not easy for her as well.  Well, I am glad I’m not alone, but I still would like to learn from the hard parts of the Old Testament. So what do I do? I need a plan.

         I am going to try to focus on a few things while listening to history unfold.  Obviously, the first thing that I need to do is to ask the Lord to help me read through those parts and then glean from the events what He wants me to learn.  But then I think I can also focus on how God is our protector.  God’s chosen people went through more struggles than any other people group that I am aware of. God remained faithful to them.  Even when the Israelites went their own way, it was not long before they cried out to God again knowing that they needed Him. God will protect us, He is with us always.  I can also focus on how God is powerful and sovereign. God’s power is also beyond my comprehension. This fills me with awe that we can even approach our Father.   

Then I probably should be thankful that the Lord made my stomach weak.  This is hopefully part of how He made me a nurturer for the children He has given me. I pray that He will use me and my difficulties to hear about battles to teach my children peace.

God, you are worthy to be praised. Please help me to take my eyes off the violence and keep them on the One who can save…You. Lord thank you for making men so tough. Thank you for examples in history of your great deliverances! Amen.

Amy

He's Been with Jesus

   The other week I was out to eat with some brothers and a man stopped by our table to tell us about Jesus.  This guy wasn’t dressed up like a preacher, or a white-collar businessman.  Nothing about his presence said that he was a distinguished person or well-educated man that everyone should listen to, but immediately you could tell that this guy had been with Jesus.  He was bold, and his presence was full of joy and gentleness and love.  He radiated Jesus with every word spoken, and we were greatly encouraged by his boldness to share Jesus with us!

            I love what the Scripture says about Peter and John in Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”  No matter how impressive or unimpressive we may think we are, when we spend time with Jesus through prayer and the Scriptures, people can see it.  When we spend time enjoying Jesus, it comes out in the way we interact with the world.

            Can people recognize that we are spending time with Jesus?  Would someone say that about you?  Of course, if we are not spending regular time with Him, that won’t be said of us.  When we spend more time with Him, our boldness to share Him with others will increase, we will find ourselves loving the people around us in a more powerful way.  It doesn’t matter how ordinary we might be, if we spend time with Jesus, really enjoying him, then people will know that there is something different about us.

            I’m praying that we will spend time daily enjoying Jesus, and it will be said of us that we have “been with Jesus”!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Kyle

Kyle’s Rightnow Media pick of the month: click Faith Foundations with David Platt

Things that the God-breathed nature and Lack of Errors of the Bible Don’t Mean

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV ‘84)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Simply put this verse teaches us that God’s word as contained in the Bible are His Words! His words are useful to us to make us more like Jesus. Through this process, which cannot be done alone, we are made more complete and ready to do the good work God has for us. But scripture being rock solid, perfect, and life changing can get misunderstood or misused. I am going to highlight a few of the ways that I have seen this happen.

There are some dangers that some of these ideas can lead us into. Inerrancy, Inspiration, and authority of Scripture are so good when we remember who did the inspiring what is inspired, and why God did it. It is a good exercise to look at what it doesn’t mean and it isn’t useful for. Scripture, reading, studying, and having others bring it into your life is not for proving to yourself that you are complete. Scripture is part of the process of that happening and the work is never done. If we cannot see the next thing that God has to teach us or the next point of connection with God that we haven’t explored yet then we need more people ti live in authentic community with. The Bible is not a pass or fail report card on our lives, everyone of us has failed, and if you aren’t sure how you are failing then it’s pride. I don’t say that to accuse you or make you feel bad. Knowing where we start and where we are before God is a joyful thing. When we agree with Him about where we are then He lights a raging fire of connection and change. We should always be holding our lives up to the standard of Jesus, seeing we fall short, and running to Him. For you perfectionists out there you have special dangers in this. This is not a checklist and perfectionism does not help you be godly it actually uses shame and self punishment as a fuel to move you in your own mind closer to your standard you have for yourself. God want to walk alongside you as you become more like Jesus and He cares a whole lot more about being in a relationship with you than you thinking you know what you should be like or you trying to do it with your own effort. The rock-solid nature of scripture cannot lull us into a sense of security, it is solid we are not and until we see Jesus face to face we aren’t supposed to be. (Psalm 1, 1 John 3:2)

Knowing Scripture or living in a community of people with a high level of Biblical literacy or theological understanding is great. The danger comes in when we think we can settle on theological preferences and unverified explanations of certain verses. All Scripture is inspired by God but all of our interpretations of that are not. Do you know when a theological principle was first written about? Do you know who promoted it to the church? Do you know what the church taught before or after this theological stance became prevelant. If you can answer those questions you are a giant leap towards taking something you were taught or maybe something that is convenient to believe back to the Bible, and back to the community of believers you connect with on a soul level. Then you can really decide if what you believe comes from lots of verses in the Bible and not just one or two. You can learn about the interpretation that people did to come to that theological conclusion and decide if you trust their work and their conclusion. What the Bible says is never in question, what people have said about it should always be. It is definitely ok to have long held beliefs and it is ok to be passionate about them. It is ok to have confidence in what you believe the Bible teaches that far outweighs your doubt. But if you have never searched out how accurate something is that you hold passionately to or put it to a historical test you can never be confident that you have weeded out as many human errors from that theological principle as possible. (Acts 17:10-15)

Scripture is not for you to weaponize against others. Our first temptation can be to see how awesome scripture is and then decide we will teach, rebuke, correct, and train others. Before we can ever do that we have to let it first be done to us. We have to be taught and be rebuked before we can offer that to those around us. It is a commonly held principle that you cannot give to anyone else what you do not have. If you don’t have $5 you can’t give someone $5. The same holds true with change in someones life from Biblical teaching or correction. If you have never experienced correction yourself or rebuke then you cannot hope to change someones life with a word from Scripture or a principle learned from it’s pages. At best you will say the right thing in the wrong way. When the Biblical king David talked about Scripture he first said it was a “lamp to my feet and light to my path” Psalm 119:105. This means real life change only happens for us in community. We need others to see our blindspots not only to help us but so that we can learn how to see blindspots in others. Then we have to learn how to infuse our relationships with Scripture and it’s principles but first it needs to be infused into us. Like the tea has to touch the water and steep this process requires both time and closeness. If we get excited about what the Bible says because we see how wrong it makes other people look we are in danger of weaponizing it. If we keep those thoughts to ourself then we are at least quitely judgmental and we have only infected our own hearts with bitterness. But if we open our mouths we run the risk of giving people a bad tast for God or His Word when He has the sweetest flavor (Psalm 34). Jesus had a lot to say to the Pharisees who made a profession out of weaponizing Scripture and it isn’t flattering. (Matthew 23:1-4 read it in the ESV and the NLT)

Every one of us is susceptible to using Scripture and our interpretations incorrectly. Rest assured though. We have a great foundation to our faith and we can rely on the direction we are headed because many people throughout history have resisted these dangers. The challenge is to be one of them yourself and to be an entire family that takes the Bible for what it really is. It is better than we can imagine to make us complete and ready to do God’s work but we only shine a candle to it in the amount that we light a beacon piercing the darkness out our collective humanity, always holding ourselves up to to its great light.

Will Regier

Your Move

Deeply tragic are the events that transpired in Israel about a week ago. If you are unaware of what I am referencing, a terrorist group known as Hamas invaded parts of israel and began murdering hundreds of individuals as well as taking women, children and elderly as hostages. I am not a direct witness, nor do I really have any ties directly to Israel but when I heard this had happened my heart was immediately burdened for the people and families involved. I’m not an expert on history, war, or international relations so I can’t offer any explanation of the years of disarray and conflict in this region like others might be able to. However, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit I believe we have a direct line to God’s desire for the outcome of this situation: As well as the response we are to have as individuals a part of His big C, Church. 

I’m not saying that God is calling us all to do the exact same thing, some might be moved to more action than others. However, there are some responses I believe we should all experience or lean into if we are followers of Christ. But, no matter the circumstances we need to move closer to our creator.

When an event like what is going on in Israel happens, we should be moved to sorrow, empathy, and compassion. God loves his creation, he loves us, so even the loss of the most detestable person's life is the life lost of an image bearer of God. This should trouble us to a certain degree. Then this Sorrow, empathy, and compassion we’re experiencing should move us to cry out to the Lord in prayer. Praying for him to mend the broken, bring peace in the fighting, establish joy where there is only sorrow and that in everything he would intervene. For man alone is not able to stop evil, but only God is. 

Then after prayers of petition should come prayers of thanksgiving. Yesterday the staff had gathered for a time of prayer and after praying for Israel we began to discuss the tragedy of some of the events that took place. In this, Kyle said something that was simple but profound to me. “We should be grateful that this land, in our lifetime, has never known war.” He’s right; things like the events in Israel are not a normal occurrence in our country nor have they been, and I pray they never will be. But in that statement, I realized the gratefulness, and the thanksgiving I need to be giving to the Lord everyday for the safety that he has provided for me, my loved ones, and everyone in our community. I take that for granted and I definitely shouldn’t. I recognized my need to move closer to my creator.

Every event, every happening, every difficulty, every blessing we should be moved to interact with God more in one way or another. Sometimes it's in sorrow that we have to cry out to him. Sometimes it’s in pure joy that we need to praise him. No matter the circumstances God’s desire is that we would be brought closer to him. Then respond, by choosing to move in a direction that is closer to God. Where do you need to move to be closer to your creator? 

Bryant Hart

I Was A Child of the Devil, A Child of Darkness, A Child of Wrath!

Not that long ago Pastor Jack reminded us of a truth that sometimes gets confused.  Not everyone is a child of God.  To be clear, God is everyone’s creator and all of humanity is created in God’s image and therefore has value. But the Bible is very clear about who we were and who we are in Christ.

Ephesians 2:3 reminds us that at one time all of us were children of wrath, living according to the desires of the flesh, and deserving of God’s wrath against our sin.  John 8:44 shows us that for anyone who is not in Christ, as religious as he or she may be, they are a child of the devil.  1 Thessalonians 5:4-10 makes it clear that we are either children of light or children of darkness.

Even while I was growing up in the church, until I turned to Jesus in faith, I was a child of the devil, a child of darkness, and a child of wrath.  Had God not intervened, I never would have become his child.

One of my newest memory verses is John 1:12, “But to all who did receive him (Jesus), who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.  1 John 3:1 says “See what kind of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we might be called children of God”.  Ephesians 1:5 and Romans 8:15-17 remind me that I have been adopted and am now a child of God.

I’m so thankful that at the core of who I am, I am a child of God saved by grace through faith in Jesus!  My core identity isn’t as a husband, or a father, or a pastor, but as a child of God. I want to live out of that identity everyday, and I want to share with others that they too, can be God’s child.

Pastor Kyle

Runners in a Stadium

Last week Courtney and I checked off a bucket list item and attended our first NFL game, and it was a doozy! Most notable were the mascots for the teams: Aslan from Chronicles of Narnia (Lions) and Charles Entertainment Cheese, the mouse of Chuck E. Cheese (Chiefs).

Hours before the game we participated in the largest Tailgate party...in the world.

That’s what I was told, anyway. But just between us friends, if you’ve ever been to a small outdoor concert...

It got better when the players were warming up before the game. I got my hat signed by Chad Henne and Mike Danna!

Right before the game, they brought out 3 enormous Lombardi trophy replicas to excite the fans.

This was meant to be a centerpiece of their accomplishment as a team, and it got me thinking.

This team is spending hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of hours, suffering a huge toll on their bodies, and giving their very best for this one award every year.

And even though I respect their efforts, and I’m genuinely happy for their achievements, it’s only temporary.

It is what the Apostle Paul calls a “perishable crown.”

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (CSB) 24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

If they are willing to put it all on the line for a temporary trophy, we have even more reason to give it all for an eternal reward. Enjoying this football season has encouraged me all the more to exercise self-control in everything, and to “run” as if the prize I’m fighting for is worth my life.

I look forward to this Sunday with you.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Pickleball Peace?

Professional pickleball is in absolute disarray. From the PPA offering out massive short term contracts to the MLP offering long term stable health care benefits! Each individual pro is being maliciously ripped from one side to the other. Okay, let me backup just a little bit. I understand some of you do not even know what pickleball is; let alone the fact that there are multiple professional organizations for it. Which is a total shame, because it is only the fastest growing sport in america! It’s enjoyable for anyone to play; 5 years old, 85 years old, retired professional football player, or recreational nap taker. It doesn't matter who you are, it is fun for everyone! I can also make a pretty strong argument for why it’s one of the most enjoyable to watch as well. But I won’t bore you with those details. 

If you’re still lost let me first explain what the sport actually is. Pickleball is a racket sport that is played using a wiffle ball and a pickleball paddle that is somewhat of a mix between a ping pong paddle and a tennis racket. Pickleball is similar to both those sports -Ping Pong and Tennis- in that the objective of the game is to hit a ball across the court, over a net, towards your opponent and hit it so well that they can't hit it back.  Though you might just now be hearing about this sport it has been around for approximately fifty to sixty years; and yes there are multiple professional organizations vying for the top spot right now.

In recent years there have been two organizations that have risen to the top of the pickleball sphere gaining many notable brand deals and millions of dollars in investment funds. The PPA (Pro Pickleball Association) and the MLP (Major League Pickleball). Both have different visions of how to move the sport forward and make it mainstream like Basketball or football. For a fan like myself it has been fun to watch these two pickleball juggernauts dual it out by introducing the next “brand new never before seen” thing over and over again. But last week while all the top Professional athletes in the world were in Kansas City for a PPA tournament, the Major League Pickleball executives dropped an atomic bomb of an announcement on the pickleball world. 

They were signing as many Pros in the space as possible to exclusive contracts that were higher paying than ever before and promised great benefits that also had never been offered in pickleball. On top of this they were poaching players that were previously PPA contracted players, stealing away many of the best athletes right under the PPA’s noses. They had completely blind sided the PPA. Now in a frenzy, it was time for the PPA to respond, and they did. They immediately started offering absurd cash contracts -funded by their billionaire owner- that were double what the MLP was offering. 

Now here’s the whole point of this. The players were now faced with a massive decision that might change the course of their life. I’ve listened to several podcasts from pros that were present while all these decisions were being made and all of them describe it as complete chaos. Everyone was non-discreetly in a corner on the phone talking to both organizations, their managers, and other pros. Trying to make a wise decision on which organization to go with definitely was no easy task. The players were faced with questions like, what if one organization doesn't get as much traction as the other and goes belly up? What if signing with one organization completely ruins relationships with everyone in the other. Then a multitude of other unknowns that no one can predict. All while trying to focus on playing in a tournament, that depending on the outcome, could directly affect their current livelihood. 

Though none of us are professional pickleball players we can all relate to the feeling of being torn in a thousand different directions. Activities, sports, homework, investments, entertainment. Trying to make wise decisions for our family. Serving at church in multiple capacities. Maintaining a good devotion time. Trying to take care of our mental health. Sabbath, what even is a sabbath??? Life can be overwhelming at times. Honestly it can feel overwhelming a majority of the time. But I want to give you the subtle reminder, though those things can cause chaos at times, God is always willing and ready to give you peace in abundance. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Though it might be a simple reminder and one you have heard many times before, maybe it’s exactly what you needed today to get through to tomorrow. Take courage brothers and sisters because he has overcome this world and all of the stressful overwhelming situations we are in! 

Love you Grace, thank you for accepting me as one of your own. Oh and here’s a link to some sweet pickleball points if you want to indulge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRRy0kpiP0s

Bryant Hart

Jeff Quandt: Elder candidate

This weeks staff journal is highlighted by Jeff Quandt’s Bio. Jeff has been Suggested as a potential Elder candidate and we will hold a vote on April 30th as a church, to decide whether or not to place him as an elder. This bio will be followed by a meet and greet on the 23rd of April after both services, where you will have the opportunity to meet Jeff in person.

Jeff Quandt Bio

I’m a Midwest native by birth, born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, but didn’t establish roots there because my father was an Air Force officer. Moving from place to place was our way of life until I was twelve years old, and we settled down in Sacramento, California in 1961. Between my hometown and Cow Town (a derisive nickname born in the NBA thanks to Sacramento Kings’ fans’ favorite noise maker - cow bells) we lived in Alaska, Louisiana, Italy, and New York.

Two years after college I had a dramatic encounter with Jesus that set the course of my life in the direction of leadership. God’s plan of making me a leader didn’t necessarily include defined leadership positions such as church or Christian organization rolls, but He repeatedly gave me favor among believers as trustworthy person of influence. As a young Christian I learned the necessity of daily surrender to God and avoiding any ambition that would conflict with a holy lifestyle. I said I learned “the necessity,” but as everyone whose heart desires deep intimacy with God knows, daily surrender requires daily crucifixion of every impulse to grasp for the passing pleasures of sin. So, while the necessity is present, I’m far from a Masters Degree from Selfless Love University.

I have served three congregations as youth pastor, and one congregation as administrator and staff pastor. Somewhere in that mix is a brief venture in church planting. Suffice it to say that I had much to learn about the demands of singlehandedly starting a congregation from scratch while working full time as a framing carpenter. Here, however, I have seen how church planting is supposed to be done: “Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.”

I’m delighted to say that Cheryl’s and my experience at Grace Community is pure joy as we live in community with people who share a living faith in Jesus and recognize the primacy of the Holy Spirt in every dimension of life. We had no idea when we moved to Kansas in 2020 that God was guiding us to a community that would immediately feel like home.

 If you aren’t interested in personal details, you can stop here. Otherwise, you’ll find out that Cheryl and I just celebrated our 46th anniversary April second. We have two children, three grandchildren, three granddogs, two grandcats, one granddonkey, and several grandchickens. Our son, Chris, and his family live in California, and our daughter lives here in Newton with her husband Aaron and five-year-old daughter, Sophia. We also just welcomed Emily, our Compassion child, into our family.

 My activities at GCC include a leadership role in Celebrate Recovery, volunteering at New Hope Shelter, participation in Denver and Sarah Sweazy’s wonderful Community Life group, and teaching kindergarten Sunday School. Outside of GCC I lead a Christian seminary program called The Urban Ministry Institute at Hutchison Correctional Facility. Prior to moving to Kansas, I taught the program for seven years in Folsom Prison in California.

 Thank you, Grace Community Church, for warmly welcoming us into your home.

- Jeff Quandt

Behold

Behold: verb – to see or observe (a thing or person, especially a remarkable or impressive one).

This Sunday some youth and kids will be sharing special music with us.  The song is called “Behold Him” and we will be adding it to our repertoire at Grace.

  The first verse of the song takes its cues from John chapter 1 and Philippians chapter 2.  Jesus is eternal, all things were created through Him, and he left His throne in heaven to become a man.  The second verse reminds us of the 4 gospels.  Jesus ate with sinners, he gave sight to the blind, healed the lame, and pursued the lost.  He was willing to go to the cross, taking the death of a criminal, so that he could pay for our sin with His blood.  He rose to life, conquering death in the process.  

  What is our response to Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, the sacrificial lamb, the beginning and the end, our risen Savior?  Our response is to behold Him, for He is remarkable and impressive! We desire to see Him, and to wonder at His glory and holiness!  I’ve been using this song in my private worship for a few months and I’m excited for it to be part of our song repertoire at Grace.   May this song be a beautiful addition to your private worship and to our corporate worship on Sunday mornings.  May this song remind us who Jesus is, what he has done, and may it help us to be still and behold Him.

You can preview the song here.

 See you Sunday!

-       Pastor Kyle 

Slaves to Success

Focus Verse: Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do we measure success? Oftentimes I measure success based on how many things I can accomplish. If I finish all of my projects around the house on a Saturday then: “That was a successful day.” I manage to find all the groceries on my grocery list in one trip: “That was a successful trip to the store.” I try making a new chicken parmesan recipe that I saw online, but after a taste test I just end up taking a Taco Bell run: “ Well, that was extremely unsuccessful.” (Even though taking a trip to Taco Bell is always a five star experience!) For many of us the minute details of what success looks like may vary- such as, if we get that promotion at work. Or, if we can manage to get the kids bathed, clothed, in bed and sleeping by eight o’clock. Some might consider this a miracle and not just a success and to that I might have to agree. But even in the details I believe our culture as a whole has made us slaves to assosiating “success” with “achievement.” The world tries to tell us if you are not achieving enough, you are not successful enough. “So go out and try harder.” “Achieve greater things.”

Oftentimes my day to day interactions with the Lord are greatly affected by this world view. Whether or not the Lord looks down on me with favor -in my eyes- is often dependent on how successful I can be for His kingdom. So I ask myself more often than I should; “Have I completed my devotion today and did I successfully pull a valuable lesson from His Word?” “Did I successfully have a gospel conversation with someone today and did they come to know Christ?” These are not bad questions to be asking ourselves as Christians. But in the same exact way that the world equates “success” with “achievement” I often equate God’s love for me with my ability to achieve for His kingdom's sake. But this just isn’t right. God is not conditional and does not offer His love more freely to the highest achiever.

In scripture we see time and time again that the Lord offers His love to every walk of life and every tribe and tongue. But what He seems to value above all else is not individual achievements, but individual obedience. In 1 Samuel 13:13-15 we see Samuel referencing David as a “man after the Lord’s own heart.” This is the moment where God speaks through Samuel, showing the eventual transferal of kingship from Saul to David. In this moment the Lord is lifting David up not because of his success, but because of his obedience. David had not led Israel to many victories as Saul had. David had not been king over an entire nation for a number of years. But David was seeking the Lord and being obedient in a time where Saul was not.

God’s measure of success is not like the worlds. It’s not based on achievement. Heavenly success as defined by God is to seek His face wholeheartedly in OBEDIENCE. Which brings me back to Romans 12:1-2. “1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Though I often misplace God's desires for my life, recently He has been teaching me that His favor is in my obedience. My ability to put aside my desires, and present myself as a living sacrifice for His name sake in obedience is all God wants from me. He does not need my achievements or accolades. He needs my obedience. So as I conclude, my challenge to you is to present yourself as a living sacrifice in obedience to our Father. By doing so you will step far beyond the success of this world and step into the fullness of life that only He has to offer.

You are Loved.

Bryant Hart