Pray for One Another

During 2020 my uncle John in Nebraska had gone through shoulder surgery, and the doctors accidentally touched a nerve during the process which paralyzed one of his lungs. A very odd and terrible thing to happen! John is a pharmacist and has always been in good health, but this left him unable to take deep breaths. Any mild activity like going up stairs was a problem, and he was at a significantly higher risk of any regular sicknesses. Obviously this was a scary thing for him, his family, and the rest of us in the family.

As John and Debbie (his wife) shared what had happened to John’s lung, they asked for prayer, and pray we did!

Fast forward several months while John was sitting his living room, he experienced an unexpected full breath. His lung finally started working again. PTL! John and Debbie fully attribute this as God’s blessing and grace, and they give God the glory. What a wonderful way to seek God and His healing.

During this last year, I know of a lot of people going through all kinds of physical/mental issues, sickness, and emergency room visits. Even in the past few weeks, our church community has seen all sorts of unexpected health problems. Some turn out well, not so well, or simply linger leaving us to struggle physically and emotionally.

Our Sunday morning message this week out of Luke 7 was to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK in a way that is a full motion of our head, heart, and hands in respect to God.

Luke 11:9-10
[9] And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

In our effort here at Grace to love God and love others, we have a constant need and opportunity to pray for each other, especially for healing.

God wants us to ask Him for these small and large blessings over the brokenness we have to deal with in this world. His timing and ways, we don’t get to fully understand, but what a blessing it is when one of us is able to receive healing from our Great Physician.

James 5:16
[16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

-Denver Sweazy

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

For seven Sundays in a row this summer, I visited different churches. It was part of my goals.  As a pastor, visiting other churches can get the creative juices flowing.  I was inspired at some of the churches, and I’m working on some little things to make our worship services more meaningful and impactful.  But most of all, I was missing my church family, as were my wife and kids.  Some Sundays we were out of town so we couldn’t have attended Grace, while other Sundays we were around Newton and visited other churches in the area.  On the Sundays that we were at home, the kids would let out a big sigh when I told them we were not going to Grace.  And no, it wasn’t a sigh of relief, but a sigh of discontent.  “Why would we go anywhere else? We love our church. How about you go somewhere else, and we will go to Grace?”  Many of those times I was able to get some of my family to go with me (sometimes it took a bribe in the way of a slushie or dessert).  Through all of those Sundays a longing to be at our home church was growing.  As they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” 

You see, we love our church family!  We love the preaching that is committed to upholding biblical integrity.  (While we were visiting other churches, we experienced some good teaching, but also some fluff.) We love the fellowship we experience as we pursue authentic community together. (There’s a difference worshipping with people you don’t know and worshipping with people that you’ve rejoiced and cried with.) We love how our church is growing in owning the mission and being a sent people. (God continues to grow my love for Newton and the surrounding communities and my passion to see a revival start here.) We love the quality youth and kid’s ministry that is reaching the next generations.

Absence from our church only made my heart grow fonder.  I love our church, I love the team I serve with, and most of all, I love our God!  I can hardly wait for Sunday!  I hope to see you then.

Pastor Kyle

Hooked on a Psalm

(Yes, that’s a tip of the hat to Blue Swede)

The spontaneous and liturgical work together.

There is a Psalm I have been hooked on for a month or two. I have been looking for encouraging Psalms to share with people. You might be surprised to know that not all Psalms are encouraging, some are downright aggressive (imprecatory Psalms specifically ie. Ps. 69 & 109), and in an effort not to read the ones that are too dark and graphic at a person's bedside I thought it best to do some research when I started here at Grace. That was the orderly part of how I found this Psalm. The spontaneous part happened when I looked at the list I had compiled through quick reading. I knew and had read the Psalms with lower numbers more often, so I decided to go for one with a higher number. That is how I came across Psalm 145. 

Here is the perfect time to take a break from what I am writing and read the Psalm for yourself, that’s where the real fruit is. 

What I loved most about really reading Psalm 145 and taking it in most were the repeated calls to share God’s work with future generations (vs. 4), and to declare all the good stuff God is doing (vs. 6,7). These calls are repeated in various language, multiple times, throughout the Psalm. Overall, the idea is to declare to those around us all God’s work in our lives and in the world; past, present, and future. At that moment really diving into this Psalm I got a burst of joy, hope, and happy memories. I can remember countless times God has come through for me, been good to me, taught me kindly, disciplined me harder than I wanted but I cherish it long after the sting, and times he has done the same for my friends and family. I have younger kids so this was especially applicable to me. Since then we have put a greater emphasis on talking about answered prayer with our kids rather than just what needs to be prayed about. It has been so good to see how it has encouraged them to pray more earnestly, knowing that it’s not just a chore but has real results.

Those spontaneous encouragements we find in our walk with God are great, often we refer to them as “mountain top experiences.” Long ago I stopped trying to avoid these, I had been doing that to avoid the spiritual crash that often followed. Rather, I tried to savor them like the memory of a great meal. Great meals cannot always be replicated, cooks change, recipes change, we change, but memories of good meals (whether the food or the friends were what made it great) can be held onto. We can celebrate those memories many times and enjoy the fruit of joy they bring. 

And that brings me to repetition (or what some call liturgy). In our evangelical circles we often look down upon repetitive things. We avoid them not because they are bad but because we build up ideas of bad things that can come from repetitive things. Liturgical prayers can create a dry prayer life, repetitive songs can create a shallow worship experience. Those risks are real, but Psalm 145 has encouraged me, through coming to me spontaneously, that continually remembering God’s good deeds are like the memory of a great meal. Coming to this Psalm over and over again for months, not moving on until its works has ripened in me, and through that continually remembering the good things God has done and is doing, has been a good practice. Since then God has taken me to Psalm 66, it is different but I am excited to see what work it can do on me. 

My latest thing to celebrate is this. That God’s use of His Word and His people in spontaneous and repetitive ways are all worth declaring and celebrating!

Pastor Will

Proof

Good morning Grace Family!

I have been hosting a class for 1st through 6th graders this summer entitled “Proof”.  I have really enjoyed spending time with these kids and a few parents looking at newer Biblical archaeological discoveries.  In preparing for this class, I look for videos that show and explain artifacts and dig sites that give evidence for what is written in the Bible.  There are hundreds of discoveries lately, so some of these videos are done in the form of top ten videos.  Recently I watched a video on the top ten discoveries related to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ-The Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries: Digging for Truth Episode 140.  Amazing, huh?!  I really want to share this list with you in case you haven’t heard of these discoveries.  I haven’t shared this list with the kids yet, but I hope to before our summer is over.

Now since this is a top ten list, it will be listed backwards, starting with number 10 and leading to the most significant find being number 1.  

#10.  A fishing boat from Galilee.  Most of you have probably seen photos of this by now.  It was discovered earlier and was put in a chemical bath for 10 years so it could be displayed recently without being damaged.  This find is significant because it has been dated to the time of Christ and would have been the type of boat Jesus would have been in in many situations written about in the Gospels.  

#9.  Synagogues. “And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”  Matthew 4:23.  Skeptics of the Bible have disputed that there were actually synagogues at this time. They believe they were built after 70 AD when the temple was destroyed so Jesus couldn’t have taught in the synagogues or they argue that the timing of the Bible is fallible.  There have been ten first century synagogues discovered so far.  Archaeologists have proven that the Bible is accurate here.

#8.  Pool of Siloam.  “Having said these things, He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” John 9:6-7. The Pool of Siloam was discovered exactly where the Gospel of John described it would be.  It is also dated to the first century.

#7.  Jacob’s Well.  The site of Jacob's Well is agreed upon by all religions.  It was actually discovered long enough ago that there is a church built on top of it.  This well was used for centuries before Christ, but is also  mentioned in John 4 when Jesus meets the woman at the well and offers her Living Water.

#6. The Second Temple in Jerusalem.  The temple was destroyed by Romans as Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:2 “But He answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  There have since been many buildings erected upon this site on top of the temple.  Recently, certain parts of the Second Temple have been unearthed.  Archaeologists have found the Southern Steps and a sign warning Gentiles, foreigners, and ritually unclean people to not enter upon pain of death.  A Herodian street around the Temple has also been discovered.  This is significant to Jesus as He spent a considerable amount of time here.

#5.  Caiaphas Ossuary.  Caiaphus was the high priest who presided over Jesus’ trial before His crucifixion. The Jews in ancient times would typically bury their loved ones in a niche in a cave until there are only bones left.  They would then place the bones in a bone box, or ossuary.  This ossuary was found with many other bone boxes, but was quite ornate and included the name of Joseph Son of Caiaphas on it.  Inside there were bones from various family members, but one was of a 60yr old man.  Scholars agree that this is the same Caiaphas mentioned in the Gospels.

#4. Pilate Stone.  In the Bible, it is written that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death. Pontius Pilate has always been noted as a historical figure, but there has been a stone unearthed that gives evidence for Pilate to be the Prefect of Judea (or governor).  It also has been dated to the first century.  A ring has also been discovered recently with Pilates' name engraved on it.

#3. Heel bone of a crucified man.  In a discovered ossuary, there has been found a heel bone of a man with a nail through it (crucifixion).  This not only proves that it was a practice of the time, but it also proves that one who was crucified could also be buried by their family.  This was a point of contention by scholars surrounding the death of Christ.

#2. Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Traditionally, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been believed to be the location of the tomb of Jesus.  Scholars believe this to be dated to the first century as a Jewish cemetery.  It was also near a limestone quarry and there were gardens in the area as described in the Bible. During the second century, there was a shrine to Aphrodite built over the tomb, which was the practice at the time of conquering kingdoms.  This gives credence to the fact that this was an important tomb.  During recent excavations, the platform over the burial bed within the tomb was removed and samples affirmed written history.  

#1. (drumroll please) The Nazareth Inscription.  This stone showed an Imperial edict from Caesar.  It imposes the death penalty to anyone in Israel caught removing bodies from family tombs, specifically sepulchre sealing tombs.  This is dated to within a decade after Jesus was buried.  This is an amazing find because why would this be an edict given by such high authority?  Tomb raiders stole goods from tombs, not bodies.  Why in the world would there be a death penalty for stealing bodies at this time?  This has to be due to Jesus’ death and the threat that Christianity was to Roman rule. Wow!

I love sharing this information with you and with the kids. We are taught wonderful strong scripture to help lead others to Christ, but some nonbelievers we speak to will point out that just because it is in the Bible doesn’t mean it is true. They believe the Bible is just a book.  The Bible isn’t all of a sudden true just because there is tangible evidence.  The Bible is the written Word of God and we use it as Truth to gauge other things, but these findings do give us factual evidence to share with unbelievers to understand that God’s Word is true and trustworthy.   I feel God has allowed us to unearth Biblical findings recently to help us squash the doubts that have been arising in our world today.  I want to keep displaying evidence for proof of the Bible for our kiddos.  Besides the Biblical foundation they are given by their parents, Sunday School teachers, and you mentors, I want to help arm them as much as possible for who and what they will be met with in society.  Thank you for remembering to pray for these kiddos, their Biblical foundation, their growing relationship with God, and for strength when they need it.  

Thank you,

Amy

How Big Is Your Hope?

There is a video by Louie Giglio where he talks about God’s size and our size.  I have always been taught that God was big and I was small but Louie put it in perspective.  He was talking about the universe (the known universe).

We have a God who not only created our earth but he also created the entire heavens (our galaxy and universe).

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. -Hebrews 11:3 

The heavens are so vast that we can barely begin to comprehend it.  Here is a little sampling to give you a scope by which to gauge what I want to convey.  Our planet is in a solar system that sits in the Milky Way Galaxy, which is 100,000 light years across (that means traveling at 186,000 miles per second every second of the year for 100,000 years is how long it would take to make it across).  If we were to scale that down and make the Milky Way Galaxy the size of North America then our solar system would be the size of a Quarter.  Wow!  Now let's expand our comprehension even farther, let's travel out to the edge of the known universe.  If we did that then we would be 31 million light years away from earth.  As you traveled to the edge of the universe you would pass by billions of stars and thousands of other galaxies, all of which seem so vast to us yet they are minuscule to our God.

As I was listening to Louie I started thinking about how big God is and the fact that we are small and how incredible it is that the God of all creation who can hold the entire universe in his hand could become small enough to live inside of my heart.  WOW!!  Why would God even want to live in my heart?  Why would He want to humble himself and come to earth in human form, giving up all the grandeur of heaven and the splendor of the heavens proclaiming His majesty just for me?  The answer is simple really: He loves me and has a perfect plan for my life.  The same is true for you.  He loves you and has a perfect plan for your life.  God desires to fill not only the entire universe with His glory (Ephesians 4:10) but He also desires to fill us with joy, belief and the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can abound in hope.

Did you hear that, he wants us to abide in hope. The hope of a new nature, the hope of a new and better life, the hope of forgiveness, the hope of being reunited with Him in glory.  Hope that comes from us making one little decision.  Really it is a big decision, but it is still one decision that we have to make.  It is probably the most important decision we will ever make in our lives!  It is the decision to give our will and life to Jesus in order that He can live inside our heart and forgive us of all our sins and give us the hope He has promised. 

So my question for you today is this:  Have you made the decision to ask Jesus, the creator of the entire Universe, to come into your heart and fill you with joy, belief, and the power of The Holy Spirit, so that you may have the hope he has promised?

He is waiting for you to make that decision and to really start living like you have a hope.  When he created the universe he had a plan and that plan included you.  He has a special plan for just you.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare [Or peace] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

What are you waiting on? 

It's time to make your HOPE BIG!

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

Known By Our Love

Has someone ever asked you to describe yourself? Perhaps they asked you to choose just a few words to introduce yourself, and you began thinking, Oh goodness, what are my hobbies? What are my interests? What is my attitude usually like? What are my qualities? Maybe someone has even asked someone else to describe you. That’s a little more nerve wracking! We can choose to share all of our good characteristics, but someone else may be a little more honest! 

If we could go back to live among Jesus and interview His disciples, those in the synagogues, and even the Pharisees- I wonder what they would say about our Savior? What words would they use to describe Him?

Patient. Humble. Caring. Gentle. Loving.

Days before Jesus’ crucifixion we find Jesus with His disciples breaking bread and washing their feet. He tells the disciples that soon He will leave them, and then He says these words:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:34-35

Jesus tells us plain and simple how we are supposed to be known: by our love. Our love for one another will be how the world knows we are His disciples. Jesus, the Son of God, was the perfect example of love. For we know that God IS love, and in obedience to Jesus’ commands and the Word of Lord, we too, are to love. 

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. -1 John 4:16b

While I don’t think we should worry ourselves away with how others see us, or what they think of us, I do find it helpful to occasionally ask ourselves- What am I known for right now? Is it my career? My political opinions? My hobbies? My busy schedule? My family? These things may not even be “bad,” but if they’re speaking louder than love, our lives are not fulfilling Jesus’ commands. 

I recently finished reading Everybody Always by Bob Goff. His writing is both entertaining, yet so convicting. His bestselling book, Love Does, tells of how to best love your neighbor instead of checking all of the “right boxes.” Everybody Always follows up by explaining how we don’t just love the people that are easy to love- we love everybody always. Bob does such a wonderful job of laying out the example of Jesus as a model of how to love everyone in our life. He begins by telling of a friend of his that loves well and he writes:

“They decided to spend more time loving people than trying to game the system by just agreeing with Jesus. You see, they wanted to follow Jesus’ example; instead of telling people what Jesus meant, they just loved people the way He did.”  

It’s easy to get caught up in the routines of Christianity, following the “rights and wrongs” of religion. However, Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Then, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). It takes building relationships over rule-following and religion. 

What’s getting in the way of love being the loudest thing in your life? Perhaps there are convictions or opinions that are overwhelming your life. Let love cover them. Maybe there’s addictions or sin that seem to control you. Let love cover them. Your career or interests may be dominating all of your time. Let love cover them. 

Jesus was known for His love. My prayer is that we would be too. 

-Jillian Jantz | Ministry Coordinator

Son of Man

There are many names in the Bible for Jesus, but only three where he is called the Son of someone.  

Seventeen times in the New Testament He is described as the “Son of David”. This is more than just a reference to His physical genealogy. It is also a reference to His Messiahship.  He is the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

He is also called the “Son of God”. To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. It is to be God in human form. Heb. 1:3 expresses it this way, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.” At Jesus’ trial the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God; Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.  Yes, it is as you say, Jesus replied.” Matt. 26: 63-66. The Jewish leaders claimed blasphemy and demanded Jesus’ death in keeping with the law of Lev. 24:15.  

Jesus is also referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament alone. More than the other two names combined. And of the three names, this is the one Jesus preferred to use of Himself. Was this His way of expressing His love for us – showing He was like us in every way human? Maybe. But there is a significant historical context which we must not overlook from Dan. 7:13-14; “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”  

With this in mind, consider these statements of Jesus concerning Himself.  

John 5:27, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.”

Matt. 24:30, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”

Mark 13:26-27, “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send his angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

It seems when Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man, He had Daniel 7 in mind.

• Is He expressing his love for us – showing He is like us in every way human? YES, I shout.

• Is He reminding us that He will come in all His glory and power at the end of earths’ history and gather us to Himself, when He restores all things? YES, I loudly shout.

• Does He use this name so much because He too is LOOKING FORWARD to that time, when He will spend eternity with us? YES, I even more loudly shout.

Hallelujah! Let us encourage each other with these words.

Allen Graber

Recovering from Anything Except Denial

What Celebrate Recovery is…

Celebrate Recovery is a small group ministry focused on helping people overcome past hurts, any hang-ups they might be experiencing in life, or any habits they might want to overcome. Please consider volunteering or learning more about Celebrate Recovery to see if it might be for you. You can reach out to Pastor Will with any questions. We meet Monday nights at 6:30pm.

Celebrate Recovery operates on a strict confidentiality that protects anything said in the group. It operates both as a men’s group and women’s group as they split up on Monday evenings. There is also a study group that works through 12 steps of healing if a participant is interested in taking part in that.

Just like you would never do surgery on yourself - the wounds we experience in life, or the coping we learn to do as a result of those wounds, cannot be healed on our own. We need good Christian support and community to overcome anything significant in our lives. We all, each one of us, has brokenness in our lives and Celebrate Recovery, as a Christ centered scripture filled ministry, can be a great tool to heal from any hurt, habit, or hangup. 

What it isn’t…

It is not a scary place where you have to divulge all your darkest secrets. It is a judgement free zone for people who want to help each other. True Christian brotherhood or sisterhood under Biblical principles with lots of joy is closer to the truth. Shame is a great tool that the enemy uses to keep us isolated in bad cycles. CR can help break those cycles.

Why is denial the worst…

Denial, or denying that you have anything to work on, is the one thing CR cannot help with. But if you love good Christian community where people go deep with one another almost instantly, then this is the place for you. If you think you might like that but aren’t sure, then CR is still the place for you. Nobody is coerced to share anything. You can just come and listen to what God is doing in other people’s lives.

How to be a part of CR…

Just come Monday night at 6:30 pm to the Activity Center. We are working with First Presbyterian, First Missionary, First Baptist, and Newton Christian Church but it meets at the Grace building. We also always have needs for childcare, or bringing snacks, if a support role would be something you would want to volunteer for. Reach out to me and I would be happy to get you connected.

Pastor Will

will@gccnewton.com

Camp Prayers Answered

This week I have the privilege of being at church camp with some of our third through fifth graders. I have had a wonderful time with some of your kiddos. I want to tell you about something these kids noticed that stood out to me. 

In the evening, we have been learning what the Bible says about Jesus in Colossians 1. Then, in the morning we’ve been learning about Jesus’ life on earth; how He grew up, the parables He taught, and His miracles. On the morning that we talked about miracles, we pulled our cabins aside and read Matthew 9 together. The kids were supposed to write down every miracle that was listed in Matthew 9. Of course they wrote things like Jesus healing a paralytic man, raising a girl from the dead, and healing the blind and mute. Something else that a couple of my girls pointed out was that it was also a miracle that Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, and he did! I was so amazed that my girls noticed this. How true! Of course a tax collector was regarded as a traitor, working for the Romans. It had to be a complete miracle that a tax collector at that time would give up his job of great importance and great wealth immediately to follow Jesus. 

It made me think about all of us. We have been trying to go out into our neighborhoods to help those who are in need. Our neighbors have been welcoming and receptive to the gospel. They have many needs and are open to listening to someone who can help or save them. Sometimes I wonder how we can serve those that are not in physical need? How can we share the gospel with them? They may feel they don’t need anything. This will keep me thinking for the next few weeks or more. What can I do to help those who do not have a monetary or physical need?

OK, back to my girls. One more thing they noticed as a miracle in Matthew 9, was that Jesus could forgive sins. This was something no human could do before. Of course this is the best miracle of all! I love that they noticed this! This week at camp they have gained more reverence and awe for our Savior, Christ the Messiah.

Last night we discussed Colossians 1:20, where it speaks of Jesus reconciling all things to Himself, and many tears were shed. There were decisions made, and many prayers of forgiveness and repentance were spoken.  

Thank you to any and all that have been praying for these kids. Looking ahead to the middle of summer, there will be a group of middle and high schoolers who will be going to work at camp. Please be in prayer for their relationships with Christ.

Colossians 1:15-20

“He is the image of the invisible God, the first born overall creation. For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him, to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

-Amy Thompson

Children’s Ministry Director

Great Expectations

When I have to go on a trip there are a few things that I can always count on and look forward to with great anticipation. First, my wife usually greets me with a hug, a kiss, a loving welcoming smile and sparkling eyes. (One of my favorite things in life). Second, my daughters swarm to the door with smiles and big hugs. (Another one of my favorite things). Third, my dogs want a pat on the head and a game of fetch.  I like to travel for many reasons but these are probably the best parts of traveling.  The anticipation of what awaits me at home always draws me from the time I leave the house no matter what the reason for my trip is. 

Now when I start thinking of that, a scripture comes to mind. 

Romans 8:18-21 That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. 

(The Message Bible)

We seem to get excited about many things and wait with great expectation.  But so often we forget to wait expectantly for God and what he is doing.  We are instructed to wait in eager expectation for Jesus to be revealed.  We are to long for that day when he returns and we are face to face with Him. 

I find myself waiting in expectation for all kinds of things, from the newest movie to come out or the trip that is planned for a month from now.  But, I often forget to live in expectation of God.  This is dangerous as our expectation of Jesus and the fulfillment of that expectation is what helps build our faith.  Waiting expectantly for God is so very important, Psalm 5:3 says “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

To close I would like to quote a few lines from Steven Curtis Chapman’s song “Great expectations”:

            And I’ve been invited as a son

            Oh I, I’ve been invited to come and …..

             Believe the unbelievable

             Receive the inconceivable

             And see beyond my wildest imagination

            Lord, I come with great expectations

Try coming before the Lord with great expectations and see what happens.  God loves to provide for us especially when it exceeds our greatest expectations.

Here are a few verses to look up, that will hopefully help you come before God with great expectation:

Ephesians 3:2-21, Matthew 7:7-11, Ephesians 1:18-19

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

Last Sunday for a While

This is it; my last Sunday to be with my church family until July 31st! I will be on Sabbatical June 6th through July 24th.  Thank you for expressing your appreciation for me! I love our church!  I’ve been pastoring at Grace Community Church for almost 8 years, and I hope to serve here for many years to come!

Many of you have been asking questions about my Sabbatical.  Here are some of the questions I’ve been getting.

Will you be traveling?

Yes. I have 3 different trips scheduled with my whole family.  

1.     In the middle of June, we are going to make a big loop, visiting Branson, my best man in Alabama, and Florida.

2.     Around July 4th we will be taking a short trip to Nebraska to visit my family and my mother-in-law.

3.     Towards the end of July, we will be taking a trip to Wyoming and Colorado, including the FEC conference in Denver (our Denomination’s conference).

 Will you be attending Grace?

No. We are going to take the opportunity to visit other churches to see how they do things.  This should help me think creatively about what our Sunday gatherings look like.

What will you be doing?        

1.     Working on a few sermons

2.     Reading some books

3.     Spending some time songwriting for our church.

4.     Resting and enjoying Jesus

5.     Spending quality time with my family

6.     Working on a few projects around the house.

I’m so thankful that our church encourages our Pastors to take Sabbaticals every 7 years to stay healthy!  I feel like I’m healthy headed into this Sabbatical, and I’m sure I’ll be even healthier when I return! Thank you for your prayers.  I’m specifically asking God to use me to write a song or songs for our church family.  I love you church, and I’ll see you this Sunday! I’m looking forward to Summer Fest where we’ll celebrate what God has done this week at Summer Quest!

Pastor Kyle

Responding to Evil

I had never heard of Uvalde, Texas before the horrific tragedy this week. The town has a population of about 16,000, not much smaller than Newton. The national headline news sent a chilling shock through the spine of our country, even though this act of evil is nothing new.

So how are we to respond? How are Christians supposed to react to evil that brings death and loss?

Well, our first reaction is likely grief. I have 5 young children, and I can’t even begin to imagine what those families are going through. The mourning for these precious children are surely felt throughout our nation. As those who have been comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3–4), we are reminded by the Apostle Paul to “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). Let us be a compassionate people that mourns the senseless loss of nearly two dozen lives.

Another response should be prayer (Ephesians 6:18). We are commanded by God to pray against the evil schemes of the devil, and the immoral behavior that follows in his steps. We should pray for God’s peace and comfort for those who are grieving, asking God to intervene and draw people to Himself. We should also pray for wisdom on how a society must face these evils.

And we must remember Jesus’ mission for the Church. Murder and evil have been around since the very beginning. This is nothing new to the human experience. Jesus told us it would get worse, and His response was the Church. We are called to be the light and the salt of the earth. We are called to make followers of Jesus.

I know that many of you are brokenhearted at this heinous act. I am. But I rest in Jesus’ promise for a better future for those that trust in Him:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, CSB)

I love you all and look forward to praying and worshiping together on Sunday.

- Pastor Jack

Do Not Be Anxious About Your Life

I woke up early this morning and opened the Bible App and the “Verse of the Day” was Matthew 6:25.  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on: is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”.  While this verse primarily deals with worrying about providing for our basic daily necessities, in light of my recent diagnosis and treatments for lymphoma, the phrase “Do not be anxious about your life…” caught my eye as I am embarking on a journey in a “fight for my life”.  

The following is a collection of thoughts about what I am feeling, what I’ve learned about myself and even what I hope for that have continued to bubble up as I talk with people about where I am so far.

1. I’ve found that I like to talk about myself.  Whether for good or bad I sometimes leave a “brief” conversation wondering if I should have said all that I did.

2. Acts of encouragement that are shown ARE meaningful to me and my family. These can be a quick “so how are you doing?”, “I’m praying for you”, meals, notes, etc.  Most of my life I have been on the other side of this and even wondered how much it meant, but now I know.  Just a quick warning that refers back to #1, if you ask me how I’m doing, I may actually tell you.

3. There is a certain amount of “self-talk” that I engage in to put this all in perspective and even to put a positive spin on things.  This includes thoughts such as: we are all terminal and are not going to make it out alive in the end anyways; none of us, even the apparently healthiest, are guaranteed another day; I know where I’m going when this life is over, etc

4. I don’t want sympathy.  Many others that we are unaware of are walking down difficult paths that may be even worse than mine. Also, while I have been aware for awhile that “something is not right with me”, the last 3 years of my life have been my best years so far in most ways.

5. Denial may not be all bad, especially on good days.

6. God has given me the grace that I need for today to live with a measure of peace and joy that I can’t really explain. I don’t even feel more spiritual now than I did prior to all this so I know it is from Him and not me. 

7. I fear pain most of all.  A famous quote (that I believe I made up) says, “I wouldn’t mind pain so much if it didn’t hurt so bad”

There is a quote from Shakespeare that says, “A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but once.” We are all guaranteed that one death so my prayer for myself and all of us is to spend the rest of our time on earth, living to make the most of what God is giving us today and in the end take that hero’s death with the Grace he will provide for that day.

Paul Friesen

Back Again

This summer I am thrilled to be rejoining the GCC team! You may recognize my name, as this will be my third summer serving with the Grace staff. However, each year I have held a different title and this year will follow that trend! My first summer on staff I served as the Youth Ministry Intern. That summer has many sweet memories and I also remember several challenges we faced as we all navigated through Covid-19. Last summer I served as the Communications Director and spent time preparing the program, editing the website, and well… communicating with the church staff and body! 

That brings us to this summer! I am excited to work this summer as our Ministry Coordinator! If you’re wondering, “What is a Ministry Coordinator?” Well, in a way it’s a little bit of a “Whatever you need me to do” job! This title includes combining some of what I’ve done the past two summers, as well as adding a few more things to the plate. I will be handling some communications responsibilities. I will also be assisting the youth program a bit. As Pastor Kyle heads off on his sabbatical I will be taking over some of his weekly office duties, too! 

The summer season brings a different pace to life, as I teach full time during the year. From August to May you can find me teaching the sweetest third graders at Berean Academy. God has placed a deep calling in my life to teach and it is the most fulfilling job! Working at Berean also allows me to co-direct the student worship band. Some of these students attend our Igniter program at church, which I serve in on Sunday evenings. 

It is a blessing to have a season of about two months where I’ve been able to work at the church I’ve been attending for the past nineteen years! I’m excited to serve our church body and work alongside such a wonderful staff again! 

-Jillian Jantz 

Ministry Coordinator

Never Say No

There is a small event I remember in my life that has helped to shape my way of thinking. When I was in maybe 4th grade, a missionary spoke at my church camp.  I remember him being an older gentleman.  Why was there someone from an older generation at a church camp full of heat, mosquitos, and rambunctious 4th graders?  It had to be insanity or compassion.  

We were in the woods one early evening in an outdoor makeshift chapel.  The leaders had us all sitting on long wooden planks held up by tree stumps.  There were two rows of benches facing a small elevated stage. This gentleman was front and center on the stage laying his heart out for us.  Besides his words, all you could hear was the occasional soft chirping of insects.  

He told us about how he and his wife were young missionaries together.  They had traveled to a place not visited by many outsiders.  While they were there trying to share the Gospel, they had been captured.  He and his wife were separated from each other.  He was led into a small room where he was tied to a chair.   For a long time, his captors tried to get him to denounce his faith in God.  They tortured him for hours.  When they couldn’t get him to say no to Christ, they then opened a curtain with a window to another room.  There they had his young wife tied to a chair like him.  

The next part is hard for me to relay, but as the young missionary sat there, they made him watch as they tortured his wife.  They tried to get him to give up on Christ, and every time he said no, they would remove part of his wife.  He said she kept looking at him and shaking her head to not do what they were telling him to do.  She kept pleading with her eyes to remain faithful as he horribly had to stay strong, until they took her eyes and eventually her life.  

Somehow his captors gave up and he survived.

Wow!  His story has never left me.  I think from the day I heard that older gentleman’s story as a young camper, my faith in my Redeemer and my God has been strong.  How could I ever think what Christ has done for me is not the most important thing in life?  How could I not believe in our God and Creator?  Hearing that story helped me to realize that if my God could send His Son to this world to die for me, and if Christ would be tortured and killed for me… if necessary, how could I not do the same for them?  Could I be as strong as this gentleman and Jesus’ disciples when tortured for their faith?  I have breathed the same prayer many times in life, that I would never, ever say no to God no matter what.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  Philippians 1:21  

-Amy

More GOD

I was going through the drive-thru the other day at a local fast food restaurant and as I ordered I started thinking. I ordered a value meal and then asked to up size it. You know it seems that in America we can’t be satisfied with things the way they are. We always need to super size, upgrade, bigger or better almost everything. Just take a look at any fast food menu, go large for only 50 cents more. Even in Nice restaurants it seems that you can order a larger portion but very rarely do you see an offer to order a smaller portion. Food is not the only thing that we want bigger and better. There are TV’s, computers, game systems, and of course cell phones. But we can’t leave out the bigger cars and houses or especially the more, more, and more channels on your dish or cable that we “need”.

This all started me on the tract of thinking why do we want more and bigger of all these things that just consume and waste our time and are unhealthy for us in so many ways. You know we are always looking for that better and newer thing. This thought of more and bigger and better falls into the category of materialism or mammon. The Bible tells us that we can only serve one master because if we try to serve two then we will end up hating one or the other. (Luke 16:23)

Well, unfortunately we all do it at one time or another (I’m right in the middle of that group). We try to love and serve the Lord and love and serve our desires to keep up with the world, and not all of the time, but some of it (come on you know you do it every once in a while.) God gets put to the side or back burner or forgotten altogether when we are seeking bigger, better and more. I have one simple challenge for us, well OK it may not be simple. When we get that “more and more” bug, try to think in the lines of MORE GOD! When I say more God I mean more of God and more for God.

The Bible says that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness then all these things will be added unto us. (Matthew 6:33) I don’t think that this necessarily means we will get all these things but I do know that if we are seeking MORE GOD then these things won’t be so important to us. Who knows maybe God will surprise us with a little treat once in a while.

What do you have to lose by seeking God first? A more complete satisfying life? A better relationship with the one who created you and loves you more than you could ever know or deserve? The possibility of changing your life in such a way that you in-advertently or purposely can be used by God to influence someone else to make a decision that may change their life and eternity?

Think about it. MORE OF GOD!

MORE FOR GOD!

MORE GOD!!

-Pastor Sean

We Fight!

Sometimes in life we feel overwhelmed and we feel too weak to live the life God calls us to live. Sometimes our faith is stretched and we find ourselves facing a battle that feels impossible to win. Sometimes the darkness seems too strong around us and we are consumed with fear and feeling powerless. For some of us it’s alcohol, for some of us it’s pornography, for some of us it’s anxiety, for some of us it’s lacking the courage to be bold with our faith in a culture that is growing more hostile to the truth of God’s word, and for some of us it’s simply the battle to be conformed to the image of God rather than the patterns of the world.

Sunday morning, we will be introducing a new song called Battle Belongs.

This song can help many of us articulate our need for God’s power, and our trust that He will fight for us in the midst of our battles. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” We fight with prayer! We fight with the Word of God! Even our singing is a weapon of warfare against the enemy.

This song reminds us of scripture, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) It reminds us that, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). It reminds us, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). It reminds us that in some cases, “the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15). The song reminds us that the Lord is “my fortress” as many Psalms articulate.

May this song be an anthem for all of us that feel overwhelmed by a battle we are facing. May it remind us to fight with prayer, with scripture, and with song! I can’t wait to sing it with you!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Kyle

What’s So Maundy about Thursday?

Maundy Thursday…what does that mean? I conducted a short informal survey to figure out how many people knew why the Thursday before Easter was called “Maundy Thursday.” Not surprising, most didn’t have a clue. One even thought for a long time it was called “Monday-Thursday” to represent the first four days of Holy Week. And his name is Jack. (lol)

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Maundy Thursday got its name from an anthem sung in Roman Catholic churches on that day: "Mandatum novum do vobis.” The words translate as “a new commandment I give [to] you,” and are from words spoken by Jesus to his disciples after he washed their feet at the Last Supper:”

John 13:34–35 (ESV) 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So, Maundy is a from the Latin word for “command,” and where we get our word mandate from. The Thursday before Easter reminds us of the new command to love others “just as” Jesus has loved us.

What a command…

How would you describe the way Jesus has loved you?

My heart is flooded with emotion and my mind filled with past memories when I think of the way that Jesus has loved me. He died for me, and He pursued me. He came to seek and to save the lost—of which I was so lost. It cost Him everything.

We’ll be commemorating His sacrifice tomorrow evening at 6:30pm in our Good Friday service. I hope you will come and join us as we ponder that first Good Friday.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Old Things and New Things

Any of you who know me well know that new trucks don’t get me too excited. Give me a good square body Chevy from the 80s, an original Ford Bronco, or even a Dodge with a 12 valve Cummins would make me smile. My wife makes fun of me every time I almost drive into the ditch looking at a workhorse from days gone by. I also really like real workhorses, Percherons, Shire, or an obscure Dutch breed are all favorites. The point is that I like old things, they have memory for me, they spark my creativity as I think about how they might have been used, and they remind me that everything new is not always better.

I recently bought something I have been looking for, an old hymnal in German. Why did I want such a thing? Because I wanted to catch a window into the songs my Grandpa sang. Not for any great nostalgia, or as a rabbit trail from genealogical research. Rather I truly believe that God had given vibrant faith to all of his people throughout all the ages of His people. He loves his people and He wants us to know Him. Recently I read Psalm 145. If you want to hear David gush over God, His love for those before us and those after us look no further than this song of praise.

I love languages and though I am not that good at learning new ones I dabble from time to time. My daughter Izzy loves it too so it's fun for us. So after I bought my, new to me, but very old hymnal I sat down to do some translating. Here is where our technology shines, what would have taken me hours, like when I was laboring over Hebrew to English translations in college, literally took second with Google translate. I want to share a verse of one of these songs by Chr. F. Gellert 1715-1769:

Who prepared me wonderfully? The God who doesn’t need me.

Who is long-suffering in guiding me? He whom I often rejected.

Who strengthens peace in the conscience?

Who gives strength in the Spirit?

Who lets me enjoy so much goodness?

Is it not the Lord who created everything!

There is so much more to the song, but that one verse lifted my soul. It reminded me so much of Psalm 145. Another song has been special to me today and I got to watch my little daughter dance and sing to it. It is “Wait on you” by Elevation Worship and Maverick City. It talks about waiting on God, and that His time and way are good, even as we struggle. I am slow to adopt new things but this song I adopted immediately. I think this is why I love old things and seeing young people love them. Our God is ancient, He has no beginning and will have no end. The reason I love thinking about God’s generational faithfulness is that as a dad I want desperately to pass things on to my kids. Seeing the worship my daughter enacted, thinking about my grandfather singing that old but beautiful song tied it all together for me. Old things are not better because they are comfortable, ask me how I feel in my bones after riding a plow horse, or an old pickup, old things can remind us that God though unchanging is not static. He is moving in His people's hearts, He is neither afraid of tradition nor afraid to let it go. God is at work, if you are young look for a way He worked in the past, if you are older look for a way He is moving in those young in the faith. He is the same God, loves you all the same, and isn’t afraid to keep loving all of us crazy kids no matter how grown up we think we are!

Blessings,

Will

Priceless

It is 7:27 am and I am sitting on the porch of a cabin at Buffalo Ridge Retreat Center. I just got back from an hour and a half walk through the woods and meadows on the property. Man is it beautiful here! I don’t want to leave but we (my family and I) will this afternoon. As I was walking I started thinking and man, God hit me square on the head with a 2x4 (figuratively not literally ) , how can anyone take for granted the beauty of this world and all that is from God.

While I contemplated this thought my mind went to the charge card commercials, you know the ones that start off with a pretty young girl at the store. Then it says, “Prom dress $300.00. New shoes $75.00. Flowers $23.00. Wonderful high school memory PRICELESS.” I stopped and asked the question: what do I consider PRICELESS? I consider my family PRICELESS. There is no way anyone could make me put a price on my family. There just isn’t enough money in the world to buy even one member of my family. Next to my family there is only one thing that is more PRICELESS and that is my relationship with Christ.

We live in a materialistic pagan world and it is easy to forget what true value is. True value is in relationships. I talked about my PRICELESS as being my family. Well anyone can say that even those who embrace the materialistic pagan lifestyle. So, what am I getting at? Keep reading and I will tell you.

There should be a commercial that starts with a person living a lavish life and then it says, “One human Life $BREATH OF THE CREATOR. Redemption of one human soul $SACRIFICE OF THE CREATORS ONLY SON. Relationship with Jesus Christ PRICELESS.

1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us that we are not our own but that we were bought at a price (that price was the death of the Son of God.). We spend all kinds of time and money on frivolous things in our lives and in the church. We invest in homes, furniture and the latest TV’s and such but sometimes we forget what is important at home. Family! I am a busy bee, I always have to be doing and as a result I often forget or neglect the PRICELESS things in my life namely my wife and kids. (Shame on me.) I think that we are all like that to an extent. I even forget and neglect the MOST PRICELESS thing in my life, my relationship with Jesus. (Stupid me.)

I am doing stuff for the “Cause of Christ” but I forget what the cause is. The cause is growing in the Lord and sharing Him with others.

We tend to do the same thing in churches as we do in our lives. We want a nice building and great programs and money in the bank for emergencies. We want to have full pews but we tend to forget the PRICELESS. The relationships in the church are not always thought to be PRICELESS. We should strive to make our relationship with Jesus Christ the most PRICELESS thing in our lives and then can focus on the other PRICELESS things God has given us, our relationships with our family, friends, other believers, and non-believers. Everything that we do and spend in the church should be directed towards reaching the lost and growing the believers in the most PRICELESS thing ever, Personal relationships with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

You know if we tended to focus on the PRICELESS and not the pricey then our lives, churches, relationships and witness would be so much richer. If you don’t believe me just read the book of Proverbs and see how PRICELESS relationships are. Read Psalms to see how PRICELESS our relationship with God is. Read Paul’s letters to the believers in the New Testament to see how PRICELESS our relationship with Jesus and our witness for Christ are.

What do you consider PRICELESS?

Pastor Sean