Grace Life Church

Woodstock, GA

A Walk Through Colossians with the Church @ Grace Life

Hello Everyone,

We continue our "walk" through Colossians tomorrow.  I've tried to avoid things in my life that I thought would be difficult, things in which I experienced the fear of failure or that unsettled feeling produced by doubt.  It never worked.  So, how about we just walk into doubt and fear?  We will do that tomorrow morning as we move further into Colossians.  So, take a seat, grab a cup of coffee and have a great conversation with the Church @ Grace Life.  I think the fruit of this sacred conversation will be confidence.  

We will continue to look at this wonderful scripture:

21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Breakfast Club @ 9am... Coffee, Donuts and Conversation @ 10:30am... Worship and Message @ 11am

Bring a friend!

Love,
Herb

Baptism Sunday...this Sunday @ Grace Life (weather permitting)

What is Baptism?

It is a declaration of Good News, the Gospel.  It’s a response, it’s a glorious demonstration of the miracle, and is to be motivated by nothing less than that…THE MIRACLE of your faith/dependence/reliance found in Jesus Christ. 

But what does it display, what does it reveal?  

The way we answer that question reveals how we experience/understand His life. The problem is that through the centuries Baptism has taken on a life of its own, separate from His Life.  It has been presented as the doorway through which we enter the institutional church or in some circles, the doorway though which we enter eternal life.  The method we use to baptize has become one of the central points of separation and division in the denominations.  Along the way, the practice of it has been taught to be an agent of grace, a method of regeneration and/or a pathway to rededication.  What has the wisdom of religion done with baptism?  Religion has made it our part to make up for what it thinks is lacking in the sufficiency of Christ, a privately held entry way into salvation, a door way into an exclusive club and finally… an agent of division.  

So, what did God have in mind? 

God used baptism to gloriously display and communicate His seal of satisfaction and pleasure found in His Son to this world.  It is a “coming out party” that announces the presence of another Kingdom.  It announces that Love is present and on the move.  It is a statement that you are no longer of this world. 

Is it how Jesus gained His Father’s approval?  Of course not… Your baptism displays His approval. It displays the movement of His love in a picture of His death, burial and resurrection and it also displays how the old you died and the truth that the new you was raised to New Life with in Christ.  In essence, it is a display of God’s complete work found in Christ.  In Christ you are a new creation.

So, baptism is between you and God, an act of worship, a declaration of a miracle, a celebration of His pleasure found in His new creation, you.  It is a wonderful recognition of intimacy with your Savior in the midst of community. Have you come to see Jesus as your Savior this year?   Do you want to share this picture of Grace with the world, your friends and your family?  Does your heart come alive at the thought of it?

All these words are an expression of my desire that the source and motivation for an individual to enter the waters of baptism is found in and from nothing other than the Spirit within. Through the picture of baptism you declare that Life is found in Jesus and in that Truth, He is well pleased. 

Love,

Herb

Book Signing by Grace Life's very own Jenny Evans

Hello Grace Life,

What the Locusts Had Eaten is a great read.  It is a poignant biography of a local lady with an amazing life. Jenny wrote this as a "first person" narrative. Here are the details of Jenny's book signing this weekend:

Book: What the Locusts Had Eaten, The Nikki O’Baire Story  

Author: Jennifer Evans  

Where: Book Browsers Bookstore, 295 Molly Lane, Suite 130, Woodstock, 30189

When: April 21 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.


Below is a previous press release to give you a little more info if you are interested.  

Jennifer Evans awarded 2008 Georgia Author of the Year for What the Locusts Had Eaten, The Nikki O’Baire Story

Jennifer Evans, author of What the Locusts Had Eaten, The Nikki O’Baire Story, received a coveted 2008 Georgia Author of the Year Award at the May 7th celebration banquet sponsored by the Georgia Writers Association and Kennesaw State University. What the Locusts Had Eaten, The Nikki O’Baire Story, won in the Creative Non-fiction Biography category.

Since its beginning in 1964, the Awards have gained prestige and enjoyed greater participation. Originally sponsored by the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists, the GAYA came to the Georgia Writers Association in 1990. In 2006, Georgia Writers formally affiliated with Kennesaw State University. Today, the GAYA not only recognizes the traditional Poetry and Fiction categories, but also celebrates the growing Creative Non-fiction genre. The changing literary marketplace demands guideline revisions annually.

What the Locusts Had Eaten, The Nikki O’Baire Story is the gripping life story of a woman, Nikki O’Baire, who spent years running into the arms of uncommitted lovers and unfaithful husbands, into the trap of drug abuse and alcoholism, away from the mob, and toward a dream of stardom. Being devoured a little at a time by every person she dared to trust, she finally ran into the arms of the One who could restore her life. Jennifer Evans’ What the Locusts Had Eaten, The Nikki O’Baire Story (paperback, ISBN 978-1-60266-530-9) is an inspirational biography that will help wounded parents not pass on their own hurts to their children. The book will touch people who have looked for love in all the wrong places, and motivate readers living on the edge to discover the fullness of life.  

“Too often, there is a wide disconnect between what people say they believe and how they live that faith,” says Evans. “This book will examine an individual life and ask hard questions, hopefully bridging the gap.”

As Evans and her friend Nikki explored her history over lunch, Nikki’s life grew into a story Evans believes people need to hear. “I always want to look for God’s hand moving in my life and in those of others,” explains the author, “to feel His touch in ‘coincidences,’ to see His creativity in nature. My soul is always thirsty for more of whatever it is God has in mind.”

Jennifer Evans lives with her husband, Gary, in Canton, Georgia. In addition to her most current book, Evans has also published a children’s book, a women’s Bible study, and various short stories and articles. She also works part-time for The Seed Company, a Wycliffe Bible Translators affiliate, as a staff writer. She enjoys speaking to women’s groups, Bible studies, small groups and book clubs. See her website at http://joyfullyjenny.wordpress.com.

 

 

Stop Staring :) Some Easter Thoughts

Have you ever found yourself staring?

People with disfigurements would probably rather not have strangers staring relentlessly at them. And many starers surely wish they could stop. But experts believe it’s a Herculean effort to control such gaping, because it’s triggered not by insensitivity but by instinct.

People become transfixed due to the work of the amygdala, a primitive part of the brain evolved to sort faces into “safe” or “potentially unsafe” categories. When the amygdala cannot process a face that doesn’t fit any it has previously encountered, it simply freezes like a computer unable to process a command. Scientists say that regaining composure requires serious conscious effort.

DeAnne Musolf, “How to Stop Yourself from Staring”, www.wired.com (June 17, 2009)

That’s what happens with sin in our lives.  But in Christ our instincts have changed.  The truth of the cross is what sets us free from “The Stare”.  The stare at our sins or the world’s sins.                                                                                                                                                  

Every believer knows that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, but not every believer knows that they died too.                                                                                                        

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:8-11                                                                                                                                                                                    

His death included you and it changed you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15    

And, it is really Good News for the whole world!  They “hear” this good news as you desire Life for them instead of the avoidance of sin.                                                                                   

Recently someone (not at Grace Life) confronted me with their belief that Jesus did not die for the sins of the world but for Christians only.  But this is not the message of reconciliation that Paul preached.                                                                                                             

16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:16-19                                                                            

Because of one man the entire world had a sin problem, really a "Life" problem. But on the cross the whole world was delivered from that sin problem.  Now we can look to living things instead of being continually focused what is no longer a problem but instead the evidence of death.             

In our relationships sin loses its ability to draw our eyes, to grab our focus.  Instead, Life becomes the single-minded end, His Life…Resurrection Life. 

Happy Easter!

He is Risen, He is Risen, Indeed!

Love,

Herb

Easter Schedule with the Church @ Grace Life

Easter Sunday 2012

With the Church @ Grace Life

He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. 

Matthew 28:6

Join with us as we look for:

 “Signs of Life”

And, invite a friend!   We are having two services... 

8am Easter Service:  Somewhat abbreviated, no Children's Ministry, no nursery. 

9:15am...  Breakfast Club 

10:30am.... Coffee, Donuts and Conversation 

11am...  Easter Service with Children's ministry and Easter Egg Hunt 

It’s gonna be a great morning!

www.gracelifeonline.org

Prep for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday with the Church @ Grace Life

Bella and I will be setting up the tables beginning at 10:30am tomorrow (Sat) and organizing for our Sunday Lunch.  Anyone want to help me and Bella?  Others will be cleaning.  

On another note...  We will be able to get in and see our potential new facility between 3:30 and 5pm.  Another church is meeting there till 3 and again at 5:30.  You can keep the conversation going at Grace Life or taste the samples at B.J.'s or buy something at Kohls or take a ride down to lake Allatoona but I really hope you are able to come and see the building. It will be fun.  Here is the email I sent yesterday for a review of the next two weeks: 

Palm Sunday (this Sunday)

Round Table Sunday is THIS Sunday (Palm Sunday).  Grace Life is providing baked chicken breast and ham, you bring a side dish.  It's gonna be great.  Hopefully we will also be taking the 5 minute ride on our bus or you can drive to our potential new location.  Some things have to fall into place for this to happen, I'll keep you posted.  Here is the line up:

Breakfast Club @ 9am....
Coffee Donuts and Conversation @ 10:30am...
Worship and Message @ 11am...
Round Table Lunch... (in honor of Laurie and Retha, our returning missionaries) will happen immediately following Message.
Trip to view our potiential new location will happen around 3:30pm-5pm.  

Easter!!!!
He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Matthew 28:6

Easter:  Invite a friend!  We are planning to have two services...  here are my thoughts,

8am...  Easter Service:  Somewhat abbreviated, No Children's Sunday School, (Nursery yet to be determined).
I'm hoping many in Breakfast Club will come to this early service and then after Breakfast Club stay and help with hospitality for the main morning Easter Service.

9:15am... Breakfast Club
10:30am.... Coffee, Donuts and Conversation
11am...   Easter Service with Children's ministry

Love,
Herb

Chasing Tails and Picking Up Checks with the Church @ Grace Life 1 John notes

Don’t be tricked by the antichrists of this world into this conditional relating with God… AS IF you could choose to walk in darkness or light.  That is NOT up to you, it was up to Jesus.  It is what the cross was all about.  He is light and your fellowship is with Him because you have been placed into Him.

If you say the same thing as God, [then the following is truth… then you know…] that He is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

So, you no longer need to try to clean yourself up… as if you could.  Because, if you could you would not need His faithfulness, nor His justice, nor His justification.  By the way, you can also stop trying to clean everyone else up too.  These antichrists have convinced you that you can live separate from sin if you just follow their way (the lie is you don’t need Christ, you just need to be good at application).  It is BS, count all of the self-effort as BS in your life. You need the reality of Christ, in fact that is where you live.  The world’s substitute principles and best advice are a lie.  In fact, anything (principle, vow, decision, commitment, choice) that presents itself as having you as the source is part of the lie.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 1 John 2:1

So, how does saying that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (Ch1,vs.8) work together with John’s view that we don’t HAVE to sin in 2:1?

This lie that, “If we are just committed enough to Jesus we can stop sinning” is what KEEPS you sinning.  The truth that He has cleansed you from all unrighteousness is what lets you know that you are no longer a slave to sin.  The fruit of the lie is that you are living as if you are a slave trying to gain your freedom when in fact (in Christ) you are already free.  So, live free.  Paul said it this way:


What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1-2

So, these antichrists have people chasing their sins trying to get a handle on their self-righteousness, like a dog chasing its tail.  What if I told you that sin was off the table?

And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1b-2

There has been a “satisfactory payment” made for the debt created by sin.  Christ picked up your check (and everyone else’s), you don’t have to worry that you left your wallet at home, because really, I mean REALLY… you knew there was no money in it even if you remembered to bring it.  So, even while we chase our tails looking in every pocket for our wallet, the QUALIFIED ONE, has covered the check.  By the way, the shame for having forgotten your wallet is what has you so ticked that He picked up the check for everyone else.  If you only knew, HE MADE RESERVATIONS FOR THIS TABLE AND PAID THE BILL BEFORE THE FOUNDAITONS OF THE WORLD.  You were invited to a party not a job interview.

1 John Ramblings from yesterday with the Church @ Grace Life

Ramblings from yesterday with the Church @ Grace Life... 1 John 1:1-10- 1 John 2:1  These are ramblings (reflections) from this morning.  They are not meant to be a paraphrase, translation, footnotes or to be compared verse by verse.  Just a few notes from me and the Holy Spirit in the shower.  Thoughts?

Don’t listen to these “other” voices among us.  These voices measure you with graceful sounding words, wanting to minister their successful way of living. They leave you tired or feeling like a failure, like you have to hide, or at least hide your “sin”.  You “wanna know” what is real? Then listen, our fellowship is found in Christ, where we have been delivered from darkness into light by His grace.  When you say you have no sin by your own “special knowledge” (e.g. way, wisdom, efforts, initiation, technique, method, sacrifice, discipline, choice) you are repeating the words of the liar.  If you say you have no sin by your own efforts while holding yourself separate from living from the grace, mercy and love of Jesus, you lie.  While claiming ownership of “your part” you also hold yourself apart from truly being with each other in the God given reality of being in Christ.  It is the only place (home) we can be truly with each other, where the appearance of our mess doesn’t offend the lie of “successful Christian living”.  Being “In Christ” is a reality where you would never hear the words “Try harder” or “If you will just follow my principles, you will avoid sin, hurt, pain, or failure” or “I’m going to rededicate myself”.  In other words, if you follow the world’s wisdom of self-effort to the logical end, it results in self-righteousness, self- sinlessness or for us, shame.  In this reality of measurement you also hold yourself separate from messy people because they are an indictment to self-effort.  Through the advice of the “lie” you are led to seek your righteousness not His righteousness.  It is the opposite of the grace of Jesus which was meant for the messy, weak, hurt, broken people of this world. In the midst of our failures we find out what we have in common, a right standing before God based on the spilled blood and broken body of Christ.  This is fellowship.  A right standing found only IN HIM.  If you say you have practiced your spiritual disciplines enough to stop sinning, to live a good Christian life, you make God out to be a liar.  Because He said there is only one Way to Life and that is to be in Jesus. 

So, instead of saying, “I know a way to not sin” say the same thing that God does.  This “saying the same thing” can only come from that deepest place where the Spirit of God witnesses to your spirit.  It is a springing forth of the living truth that I am free from sin because I died to sin in Christ.  It is a lie that it is up to me to maintain this freedom.  I don’t have to shrink back in shame from my Father in heaven because I can trust HIS faithfulness.  It is the realization of His love that draws our attention away from sin management and to Life.   We know this truth from the conviction of the Holy Spirit, “God’s faithfulness though the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all unrighteousness.”  It is not my faithfulness from my self-effort, from my self-righteousness. 

Why do I say this?  I say this because I want you not to be trapped in your own personal “law” promoted by the false teachers, by the wisdom of this world.  I don’t want you to be trapped in the lie that keeps you in sin.  The only way you find yourself trapped (sinning) is because of deception. Your struggle is the result of the lie of separation and self-effort.  As if there is still a “self” to provide effort.  That “self” was crucified with Christ.  

Love,

Herb

1 John 1:5 - 1 John 2:1

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  

 

 


Church @ Grace Life

Hello Everyone!

What do a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and our communion in Christ have in common borrowed this from a friend)?  Find out tomorrow as  the Church @ Grace to walk into some 1 John scriptures whose interpretation has caused problems but in actuality point to the solution of the problem.  It’s better than you think so, bring a friend.  They will leave asking you some questions.  

Breakfast Club @ 9am…. Coffee, Donuts and Conversation @ 10:30am… Worship and Message @ 11am

Please continue to remember Mitchell Massaconi, Jill Bernhardt, Shauna Sims, Abby FitzPatrick, and Cheryl Wagner with our Lord as we ask for a realization of peace, comfort and healing.

By the way, attending the Prom is not a good excuse for missing Sunday morning (just kidding...maybe).  We DO want to talk about you while you are listening J!

Love,

Herb