In this morning’s worship service, we included a prayer of thanksgiving to prepare our hearts for the week ahead. The prayer is based on Psalm 95. Our Father, we begin this week of Thanksgiving by offering to You hearts of gratitude. In a week where many will give thanks for temporal and even ungodly things […]
Read More A Prayer of ThanksgivingExcel Still More: Ministry Labors1 Corinthians 15:48October 30, 2022 Tomorrow is an important day. You know it well. October 31. No, it’s not important because of the opportunity to accumulate large quantities of chocolate in a short time. It’s important because it is Reformation Day. It is the day that we remember Martin Luther nailing […]
Read More Sermon: Excel Still More in Ministry LaborsGod’s Provision for His Church1 Timothy 4:11-16June 12, 2022 In April of 2001, I received this email — Greetings from California! This is Keith Palmer… I heard through my in-laws that there may be an intern position opening up at your church this summer and thought I would write you to get some more information. […]
Read More Sermon: God’s Provision for His ChurchThe New Testament both exhorts its readers to give thanks and exemplifies the giving of thanks. Gratitude is a common attribute of the sanctified believer (in part because it is so unlike the natural man). Of all the things that might be said about giving thanks, I want to draw attention to two characteristics of […]
Read More With every memory, giving thanksLiving in Our Changing Unchanging World2 Timothy 3:1-17January 16, 2022 In December Canada passed bill C-4 that outlawed what is called “Conversion Therapy” or “Reparative Therapy” for counselors. The bill became Canadian law eight days ago, on January 8. Conversion Therapy is a practice where people with homosexual desires and actions are re-oriented and “converted” […]
Read More Sermon: Living in Our Changing Unchanging WorldJesus said that the way for the world to know that we are followers of Him is to love one another (Jn. 13:34-35). A dominant theme of the “one anothers” in the New Testament was that the individual believers have a mutual love and care for one another (Rom. 12:10; 13:8; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:2; […]
Read More How To “Excel Still More”Every month, our church promotes a book of the month — a resource we believe will help our church body grow in Christ. Here is the list of books we recommended in 2020 (this morning we recommended Ken Sande’s book, Peacemaking for Families): December 2021 – Heart and Habits, by Greg Gifford October – November […]
Read More Books we recommended last yearExcel Still More1 Thessalonians 4:9-12January 2, 2022 I have been asked many times (most often by visitors), “What is your vision for the church?” I haven’t always known how to answer that question. Sometimes that question implies other things like, “How big do you see the church being in five years? Ten years?” “What […]
Read More Sermon: Excel Still MoreIn the past two months I have heard several allegations (some public and some private) about pastors who have plagiarized sermons. The allegations also appear to be much more than allegations; some of the video evidence I’ve seen seems indisputable and indefensible. I don’t know what motivates a pastor to take sermons that do not […]
Read More Ecclesiology matters“It’s been a year…” How often did you hear that lament last year? And how much more often have you heard it this year? It’s not only been a remarkably unusual year — it’s been a remarkably unusual pair of years — politically, medically, socially, religiously, and for many of us — personally. But when […]
Read More It’s been a yearJohn Ruskin, a philosopher, naturalist, and artist wrote in the 19th century, “One can’t be angry when one looks at a penguin.” I spontaneously smiled as soon as I read that sentence this week. In a day when there are many opinionated and angry people, perhaps we need to look at more penguin pictures. Or […]
Read More Of penguins, pandemics, politics, and parking lotsRelationships are essential. Relationships are a non-negotiable component of corporate church life and individual spiritual life. Relationships are not an added blessing like a favorite dessert after a satisfying meal. Just as fruit, vegetables, and protein are foundational to a good meal, relationships are foundational to life. We might survive without relationship, be cannot thrive […]
Read More Men, Relationships, and Ministry in 2021Grace Bible Church’s men’s conference next year will be held February 19-20 at Solid Rock Camp. Our speaker this year is Pastor Rick Holland. Rick is senior pastor of Mission Road Bible Church in Kansas. He is also the author of Uneclipsing the Son, which will be the topic of the conference. All registrants will […]
Read More GBC Men’s RetreatOne of the blessings of COVID is that it has forced some changes into our lives that are ending up being good and helpful additions. That is true in ministry as well. For a couple of years, the leadership at Grace Bible Church has been contemplating how to communicate more effectively with the church body […]
Read More Ministry update and encouragementHere is the news for which our church has been waiting: we are planning to regather for corporate worship on Sunday, June 14 at 11:00 a.m., Lord willing. We have been thinking about, desiring, and planning for regathering for corporate worship for three months (since about 30 seconds after we made the decision to stop […]
Read More Some principles for regathering Christ’s church for worship
Words of Grace 