Grace Church Blogs

Welcome to Grace! I’m glad you’re here as we launch a new series today, “REACTIVATED!” This summer series will be a huge encouragement to anyone who feels like they haven't had the greatest start spiritually or maybe started floundering somewhere along the way. We’ll see that it's not so much where you are now that matters…the important thing is where you go from here.

We’ll be digging into a part of the Bible that might be unfamiliar territory, the last 12 books of the Old Testament. But, the message God gives to his people is surprisingly relevant, speaking directly to many of the issues in our day. I’m glad you’re here to begin the journey!

A few other updates…

A ton of you signed up for the 40-day Bible reading challenge. If you missed that, and want to get started, pick up a Bible Reading Planner at the Literature Display. And if you need a Bible, we have some available for free in the Hospitality Suite.

Adult Classes are just beginning their second week of the new quarter, so it’s not too late to pick a class to attend today. See the list on the back of your bulletin; for a fuller description of each class, check out the brochure at the Welcome Center of Hospitality Suite.

Last Sunday, we heard a compelling message on how the Alliance, our association of 2,000+ churches in the USA is partnering with international workers to show the compassion of Christ and make a difference in over 80 countries. To read some of the latest happenings and be inspired about the larger movement of which we’re a part, check cmalliance.org.

Locally, you can make an impact through Help Build Hope. A house will be built in our front parking lot on Saturday, June 26, by volunteers from Grace, and then provided to a family in the area. For more info, stop by their table in the Lobby.

Check out the rest of this bulletin for other happenings around here. You can sign up for stuff on the Connection Card (like our Baptism Service on Sunday, July 11), or give us a call if we can be of assistance in some way. Have a super week!

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Recently, a mother sent this to me. I thought you might enjoy it! Where is the safest place you can be? Statistics don’t lie! :-)

1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

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Financial Peace University is an excellent 13-week class on financial management that has helped hundreds of people here at Grace. I’ve read some really cool testimonies of people who have made huge strides in this area—and enjoy life more as a result. There’s a sense of freedom and peace when our money is managed in a God-honoring way!

Participants receive occasional emails with tips on financial management. One of the recent letters was so helpful, I am sharing excerpts below (with thanks to Laurie McClosky!).

Dear Friends—

I trust you are still persevering in the baby steps!

1. Do you have your $1,000 emergency fund in the bank?

2. Do you have all your debt paid off except the house? If not, this is the step you should complete before you: a. save money for retirement b. make major purchases of “wants” c. buy a home

3.Once you’re done with step two, be sure you get 3-6 months of expenses saved for emergencies. Remember, this is for emergencies (unexpected events). Your savings for major purchases are in addition to this 3-6 month amount. I recommend keeping this emergency fund in a separate account from your other savings so that you do not “forget” that this money is only for dire emergencies! Too many people get tempted by that lump sum amount and often do forget that it is not for a car, furniture, vacation or electronics!

4.Once you have completed steps 1-3, it is time to start saving for retirement. Start by saving the amount you were saving monthly in step 3…and work your way up to 15%.

5.Maybe you are done with steps 1-4 and are working on paying extra on your mortgage or saving $ to purchase a home. If you currently have a variable rate loan, I would highly encourage you to convert it to a fixed rate 15-year mortgage. Interest rates have no where to go but up, and many are predicting double-digit interest rates in the near future, so your interest payments could possibly double. If you already have a fixed rate mortgage, now is a fantastic time to pay extra on your mortgage, as you never know when a change may require you to move, which means you would lose that low rate you are locked into now! So the more equity you have in your home, the less of a loan you will have to get at higher interest rates.

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I enjoy reading a variety of authors, and certain statements stick with me and shape my thinking. Here are a few recent quotes that I’ve highlighted and pondered. Which one is most meaningful to you at this stage in your journey?

"Make people wish the gospel were true ... and then show them that it is." Blaise Pascal, scientist & philosopher (1623-1662)

"A little science estranges man from God, but much science leads them back to Him." Louis Pasteur, chemist & bacteriologist (1822-1895)

A person is fully human “when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labor by which all things live.” G.K. Chesterton, journalist & novelist (1874-1936)

"The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because he made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own." C. S. Lewis, novelist & Christian apologist (1898-1963)

"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others." Richard J. Foster, theologian & author (1948-)

"The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on the Lord." Joni Eareckson Tada, author & radio host (1949-)

"Behind every self defeating behavior in your life is a lie that you are believing." Rick Warren, pastor & author (1954-)

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Do you sometimes wonder—in conversations with others—when it’s okay to share information about another person, and when it’s not? It’s a question that needs to be asked by any genuine follower of Christ, since authentic love for him translates into a high value on every person we meet.

I came across a helpful piece by Kevin Miller, titled, Is This Gossip? 9 questions to help you decide. He lists some great questions to ask yourself before you share information with others:

1. Am I telling this to someone who can do something about the problem by helping the person or offering discipline or correction?

2. If not, am I telling this to someone who is wise enough to help me sort out my feelings and courageous enough to make me do the right thing: to confront the person or to confess where I was at fault?

3. Is this news approved for sharing?

4. Am I breaking a confidence? If so, is it only because the person is endangering someone's life, including his or her own?

5. Am I willing to say from whom I got this information so the information can be checked for accuracy?

6. When I say this, does it break my heart?

7. Have I taken the time to examine my life and confess to God how I also sin like that?

8. Am I praying for the person?

9. Would I feel comfortable if someone were saying this about me?

It’s not always clear-cut, but these questions can give us a starting point and help us to pause before saying more than we should. We do well to keep in mind the goal we’re given in Scripture: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

That’s a great reminder for us to choose our words wisely!

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