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January 18, 2025 | ||
Dear Church Family, We’ve started listening to the Bible this year as a family. While we were on our trip, we finished listening through the book of Genesis. Throughout the book, two constants were reinforced in my mind: 1) God’s unshakable faithfulness, 2) the inherent deficiency and sinfulness of each person. We get an in-depth look at each of the patriarchs, and each have times of faith, but none are perfect. In fact, they are very far from it. It reminds me that each of us fall so short of God’s glory. We are all in desperate need of God’s grace. We are all works in progress. Jacob is a great example of God’s incredible patience. He came out of the womb grasping at his brother’s heel, which lead to his name, meaning “one who grabs the heel” or “one who trips up.” God wanted to use this family to be a blessing, but Jacob was intent on getting a blessing, often through deceit and trickery. But God was faithfully working in his life. In fact, after finally returning to the Promised Land in Genesis 32, God had taught Jacob a lot. I loved listening to his prayer in this chapter. As he gets set to reenter the land, he hears that Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob is afraid and knows that he needs God’s help, so he cries out to God.
In this terrifying moment, Jacob receives clarity. He knows that it was God all along that had faithfully provided for him. He grasps God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. He also knows that he is unworthy of God’s constant care. Even so, he pleads for God, once again, to provide for him. Those are three important qualities for each of us to voice to God. How has He been faithful in your life? How have you fallen short? How can you cry out to Him once again for help? Would you spend some time right now voicing those things to God? –Pastor Dave What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Youth Group: Join us this Sunday, January 19th, from 5-7 pm at the Bronleewes’ house. We’ll have dinner, games, worship, and continue our new study, “Treasure Hunt.” Communion: We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper as part of our Sunday morning service on Sunday, January 26th. Through the ordinance of communion, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made to save us from our sins. Donation Reports for 2024: We are so incredibly grateful for how God has provided for the needs of the church this past year. We will soon be sending out donation reports over email. If you have any questions or need a physical copy, please contact Neil Ault. You can also find your donation history on the church center app or website: https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/giving Opportunities to Serve: If you are looking for a way to use your gifts in the body, please contact Pastor Dave. There are opportunities to serve on the welcome team, worship ministry, setup team, children’s ministry, or in a life group. Life Groups: If you’re interested in joining a life group, we have several to choose from. You can check them out here: https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/small-groups Request Prayer: It’s important for us to be praying for each other as a church! If you ever need prayer, we would love to come alongside you. You can always turn in a prayer request on Sundays using the Connection Card, but you can also submit a prayer request online at any time: This Coming Sunday: Know Purpose – This Sunday Jeremy Hayek will be bringing the message. The focus will be on understanding God’s big purpose for our lives. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | ||
How has He been faithful in your life?
