Sunday morning at Grace Church Pastor Rick will cast vision for the next 5 years.
Here’s a sneak peek at what happened this past year.
Thanks to all the volunteers who partnered with the Holy Spirit to make this happen.
Last week, several of you shared how I could fast and pray for you.
Well, Thursday (my fasting day) is here again, so comment below and I will lift up you and your needs.
I love food.
I mean I really do.
I never used to, until I got married.
Kelly makes wonderful meals.
Over a year ago, I started a one year fast. Actually, several of you joined me in this. It changed many of our lives.
Since November 1, 2010 I haven’t fasted much. Like I said, I like food…a lot.
A couple friend of mine needs prayer. They’ve been praying about something for years. It’s staring them straight in the face. God hasn’t seemed to answer them and so together we are pounding the doors of Heaven. We believe God wants to give an answer because He is good.
Starting tomorrow, I am going to begin a weekly fast. This means every Thursday, no food for 24 hours.
I’m not looking forward to the no food part. But in these hours of stomach grumblings, I am much more in tune to my need for God. Likewise, while I am fasting, I’d love to pray for you specifically.
So…how can I pray for you?
Please comment below and I will lift up your needs.
“Even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.Joel 2:12-13
Title = The Good Shepherd
Text = John 10:1-30
6 Common Misconceptions about salvation
Come with your questions. Be prepared to get answers.
Listen at 9 am and 10:30 at Grace Church or to the Podcast here (this sermon available Sunday at 1 PM EST)
(Any other questions I should have added? Feel free to comment below)
More about the message later this week.
But for now…the text:
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication[b] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Over a year ago I wrote a tribute to Dave Plaster, my mentor and friend.
On March 6th, 2010 the Lord took him home. (read his story here)
In memory of Dr. David Plaster’s life, GBIM is naming the library of the James Gribble Leadership Training Center in Dave’s honor.
Currently, less than 50% of the 2,400 registered churches are led by trained pastors. In order to effectively train new leaders, plans have been made to construct the James Gribble Leadership Training Center on ten acres of land approximately ten miles from the center of Bangui, Central African
Republic.
Money raised will be used for site development, security, student and faculty housing, and classroom building. Click here to learn about the current building under construction: the Learning Center.
The James Gribble Training Center will provide training and discipleship for the next generation of African leaders. A fully equipped library is a must for this facility and you can help make it possible.
Just two Octobers ago, Dave was in CAR teaching Africans about God’s Word. He went to CAR often and had a deep love for training these future leaders.
If your life was touched by Dave Plaster directly or indirectly, or if his story has impacted you, please consider giving to this project. More info.
Have Questions? Contact Dave at dlewis@gbim.org
I’ve always loved this passage.
It cuts deep.
It isolates apathy.
It confronts coasting.
John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic [1] called Bethesda, [2] which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. [3] 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
So what if Jesus asked you this question?
Would you answer?
Or would you make excuses?
John 5:7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no
one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’”
12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Sunday night while some of you are watching the NFL games, a bunch of us will be honoring our faithful Grace Group leaders.
The wonderful Grace Group Ministry Team went all out in order to provide an Encouragement Dinner. The theme, SWEETER THAN HONEY, comes from Psalm 119:104, 104a:
How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth. From thy precepts I get understanding…
We’ll be consuming food with a honey theme (Honey Baked Ham, etc.). I’m so thankful for the team that helped put the dinner together and the Grace Group leaders who serve so faithfully.
A few Grace Group attendees wrote some encouraging lines about their leaders:
I am so grateful for their walk and obedience to God. They are very humble and vulnerable and have been very open and non-judgemental, no matter what weakness a member is sharing. It is this level of fellowship and grace that makes a Grace Group a valuable element of the Christian walk.
My Grace Group leader is more than a teacher, and fellow sister…she is the most authentic follower of Jesus I have ever known. She loves, serves, and follows Jesus in the most tangible and contagious ways I have ever witnessed. She is the most beautiful lady from the inside out…radiant!
Here’s part of the invitation that went out:
JUDAS.
The guy who gets a bunch of blame…and rightfully so. Right?
Maybe not completely.
I’d argue that Judas never wanted to condemn Jesus.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. Matthew 27:3
I’d argue that Judas trying to force Jesus into a spot where He would have to use His power and establish His Kingdom now. I’d argue that Judas did something we often try to do…he used God and controled God to fit his own agenda.
He tried to enter God’s Presence inaccurately.
He ended up worshipping his perception of God rather that God.
He ended up creating an idol of the mind.
A.W. Tozer said:
An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.
How do you approach God? How do you come into His Presence? On His terms or your terms. In Truth or Inaccurately?
This Sunday, at Grace Church, we will explore the type of Messiah the first century audience wanted. We will examine how we allow our own circumstances in life to affect the way we interpret Scripture the Presence of Jesus.
I’m looking forward to digging deep with you.
