Dear Church Family, Most sports are team sports. With March Madness starting, we think of the five players on the basketball court for each team. Each of them have an important role to play. There are also others that start on the bench, many of which play a vital role in each game. These sports require a group committed to the same goal and willing to sacrifice self for the sake of the team. Sometimes we unfairly give all the credit to one person or all the blame to another. The truth is, it takes the whole team to win. I was reading Romans 16 this morning and Paul started listing off all the people to greet and thank for their service in the Gospel. In fact, in the first 16 verses of the chapter, he mentions 28 specific names. Each played a vital role in the church. Just read a few of these verses: Romans 16:3-7 (ESV)
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.
When we think of the early New Testament church, a few big names come to mind: Paul, Peter, James, John, Apollos, etc. The truth is, there are countless others, whose names we don’t know, who were part of the team and played vital roles in the spread of the Gospel and building up of the church. Each was important and each had a part to play. In light of this, a few things comes to my mind. First, never discount the importance of others in the church. Don’t ever think you’re better or more important than them. You need them just as much as they need you. The church is a family, a team. We all need one another. Spend a few minutes thanking God for those others. Pray for them, that God would continue to use them in your life, and in the lives of others. Second, never discount your importance in the church. Just like you need others, others need you. Each of us are like parts of the human body. For the body to function well, each part needs to contribute. Instead of sitting on the bench, ask God how He wants to use you in the lives of others. Finally, there is only one who gets all the glory and praise. God wants to use each one of us, but He alone gets the credit. So, remember to direct all the credit to Him alone. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (ESV)
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
–Paster Dave
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What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Outreach Prayer & Planning Meeting: Please pray for God to give us open doors of outreach into our community. We’ll come together on March 23rd at 6 pm at the Bronleewes’ house to seek God, as we plan and pray. No Youth Group: We won’t have youth group this Sunday because of the Outreach Prayer & Planning Meeting. We’ll be back at the Bronleewes’ house on Sunday, March 30th. Aspire Ladies Event: Ladies, check your calendars and reserve the evening of Friday, April 4th, for an Aspire Ladies event in Emmett from 6-9 pm. We are planning to carpool and take a group, so let us know soon if you are up for it. Tickets are $25 per person. Questions? More info at the Welcome Table on Sunday, or email us at GLBCwomensministries@gmail.com. Elder Training: Our next Elder Training is Tuesday, April 8th at 7 pm at the Bronleewes’ house. We’ll continue our study in 1 Timothy 6. Please contact Pastor Dave if you have any questions or need a copy of the homework. Men’s Breakfast: Our next Men’s Breakfast date is set for April 12th, from 8-10 am at Warehouse Cafe (8600 Birch Ln, Nampa, ID 83687). Please bring a pastry or simple breakfast item to share. Since we will be at a cafe, we won’t have the resources to cook or warm things up. Let’s just keep it simple this time and focus on our relationship with Jesus and our prayer and accountability team which we set up at the previous breakfast. Coffee’s and beverages will be available for purchase at this establishment. Bring your Bibles, a friend, and an open heart. Baptism: Are you interested in getting baptized? Baptism is an important step in our Christian life. It’s a special picture of death to life and symbolizes the new life we have in Jesus. We are declaring publicly the decision we have personally made to follow Jesus. We are planning an upcoming baptism, so please let Pastor Dave know if you’d like to be part of it or if you have any questions about baptism. 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:
https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/368653 This Coming Sunday:
A Day in the Life of a Pastor – This Sunday we’ll continue our series through the book of 1 Timothy, titled “Foundations for the Household of God.” In 1 Timothy 4:11-16, Paul gives Timothy specific instructions on what he needs to be doing with his time. What are those important tasks for a pastor? Join us on Sunday to find out. Previous Worship Services:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | 
