This Week in Grace – Oct. 15-21, 2012
This Week in Grace …
The First Word
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)
In response to their difficulty with prayer, most Christians probably first point to a problem with their self-discipline. However when we examine the life and teachings of Jesus, we see that it is a Gospel issue – a heart issue. Prayerlessness comes from not believing what the Gospel says about you or what it says about God. Prayer is the natural result of humility (knowing you need God’s help) and faith (knowing that God is willing to help). The Gospel alone produces humility and faith in us. When the Gospel has cultivated humility and faith in us, we will “pray continuously” – instinctively. The problem with our pray lives is not more self-discipline needed but a greater grasp of and faith in the Gospel.
Please pray for Cheryl and I in our time away, that we will be refreshed in the Gospel of our great Savior and enjoy one another, strengthening our relationship through this extended time away together. Lord willing, we will see everyone again on Sunday the 28th. We love you all.
Upcoming Events
• Lighthouse Bible study Our next Bible study at the Lighthouse will be this Tuesday, Oct. 23rd. Information can be found HERE.
• Prayer – Sunday mornings at 9:30 am. Join a number of us who gather at the Galaxy Theatre to pray for God’s purposes and fame each Sunday from 9:30 am until around 10:00 am.
- Porterbrook Residential – Sat. Oct. 27th at the Sutherland Hall at 10:00 am – 3:30 pm.
- Bowling Join with Murray’s Community Group for a time of fun bowling at Fairhaven Bowl on Sunday, Oct. 28th at 3:30 pm. Details can be found HERE.
- Ethnic Potluck Supper – Sunday, Nov. 25th at 5:00 pm. at Faith River’s church building – 2526 Preston Ave.
The Gospel Project for Grace Kids
- We still could use another couple of volunteers to round out the schedule, but we are thankful to have enough volunteers to have a great start. A big thank you to all our volunteers who set aside their own agenda to love others in this way. You are a picture of the Gospel.
- Week five – Parents’ take home letter can be found HERE. A Unit review for families can be found HERE.
Get Connected
- Have you been connecting with us, and believe God is calling you to be a part of Grace Fellowship. Consider making it “official” and partnering with us. You can find out more about partnering with us HERE.
Gospel Community Group Life
This week’s message, The Importance of Prayer, from Mark 1:35-39 is online. You can get the community group discussion questions in pdf there as well.
Not in a Community Group? We have groups that meet in various places in the city. To get plugged-in connect with us here.
The City Helps
(If you’re not on The City yet click here to get an invitation. You must enter “kiosk” as the user name and “jesussaves” as the password)
From the Blog
Social Stuff
The Last Word
[[18:1] And he [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
(Luke 18:1 ESV)
