Hello GRC! I miss so many of you. I miss the richness of our extended spiritual family. Laughing, masklessly, together. Enjoying a cup of coffee or jostling for position at the donut feeding trough. I miss placing a freshly broken-off piece of communion bread into your hands, looking you in the eyes, and calling you by name. I miss preaching to a full sanctuary, …
In late summer, I responded to Karen and Rachel’s, our children’s ministry staff, query about teaching Grace Kids Sunday School this Fall. This question is asked every year but with the pandemic, everything about Sunday School was uncertain. So I checked the box in their survey and hoped for the best. Now, I am one of several teachers and assistants …
I think all Christ-followers long to better connect our faith with our daily lives. We know and deeply believe that our relationship with God in Christ through the Spirit is the foundation of our lives. We know we are created to glorify God and enjoy him forever. But we sometimes struggle to connect these ideals with the moment-by-moment unfolding of …
Released in 2010, The King’s Speech won a slew of Academy Awards – including Best Picture – and introduced much of the ignorant public to the isolation, frustration and even terror that plague those with the defect of stuttering. Front and center is Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, a shy British prince (played by Colin Firth) who grew up bullied by his …
We first addressed GRC’s role for the food insecure through “Handfuls of Purpose” in July (VOG 7/16/20). It is Boaz’s description of gleaning that gave Ruth hope in a very dark season (Ruth 2:15-16). Let’s see how God, the Great Shepherd, has been recently leading GRC to deepen (Luke 5:1-11) its involvement and to serve the ‘food insecure’ through His gentle …
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15) Mark began his description of Jesus’ public ministry with a summary of His message. Jesus preached “the good new (literally, ‘gospel’) of God.” …
Recently I marked another birthday, and as I always do on my birthday, I listened to Frank Sinatra’s album September of My Years(interesting historical tidbit: my favorite Sinatra album and my favorite Beatles album—Rubber Soul—were released in the same year, 1965; but I digress). It’s an album of reflective songs as the singer looks back over his life; Sinatra recorded it as …
A friend recently asked me if there was anywhere in the Bible that explicitly commands us to memorize. I told her “yes” and “no”. “No”, if you’re looking for a verse that uses the word “memorize”, but “Yes,” if you are looking for synonyms and implications of God’s commands. Saints are to memorize Scripture as: God commands it in calling …
Hello GRC! It’s a Fall like never before, after a Spring and Summer… This has been a constant season of extraordinary adjustments and How and When God’s people gather here at GRC is no exception. In light of the changes coming, our staff thought it wise to lay out for you the details of what’s coming. So no devotional today, just an “orientation” …
Pastor Peter mentioned The Lord’s 20/20 vision on Sunday in his sermon, and we discuss God’s 20/20 vision in CR on a weekly basis. We all know that 20/20 vision means perfect vision, but this year has been far from perfect! But would you agree that God’s 20/20 vision is perfect? As I began my third month in my new …