The Church at Grace Point

Secret Church

2011-11-22T11:20:00.001-08:00

If you missed Secret Church with David Platt you can catch the video teaching here.

http://www.disciplemakingintl.org/media/schurch/series_list/?id=293

Healing the Sick

2011-09-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

We know that Jesus in his short ministry did many works of healing, John 21: 25 says "Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written".

Today we got word from our team in Honduras who are faithfully sharing the Gospel and running a clinic where hundreds are receiving medical and dental help along with the good news. Yesterday the clinic saw a young baby with a cleft lip and palate who is dyer need of surgery. The team desires to help this young baby receive the surgery and follow up necessary. There is an organization in Honduras that will do the surgery our part would be simply in helping the family with travel expenses.

We will give more details as they are available and more information on how you can help in the process of healing this child as we work as Jesus did in healing and preaching the good news.

"How beautiful upon mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,..." Isaiah 52:7

Marks of a Healthy Church

2011-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

How do you know if a church is healthy or not? Is it the number of people who show up on Sunday morning, the size of the budget, is it by counting the number of outreach projects it is doing in the community, the number of mission trips, or how well you enjoyed the worship music and the sermon during the service?

The last post on this blog introduced two books, the first being Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever and the second The Master's Plan for the Church by John MacArthur. In this post we will look specifically at the first three marks in what Mark Dever sees in scripture as being nine marks of a healthy church. Which in turn will help us determine the measuring stick for a congregation of believers.

Mark One: Expositional Preaching

In Dever's words "Expositional Preaching is preaching in service to the Word. It presumes a belief in the authority of Scripture - that the Bible is actually God's Word; but it is something much more than that. A commitment to expositional preaching is a commitment to hear God's Word - not just to affirm that it is God's Word but to actually submit yourself to it." "A healthy church is a church that hears the Word of God and continues to hear the Word of God. And such a church is composed of individual Christians who hear the word of God and continue to hear the Word of God, always being refashioned and reshaped by it, constantly being washed in the Word and sanctified by God's truth."

2 Timothy 2:4
Acts 6:4
Romans 10:17
Ezekiel 37:1-14 "life comes by the Word of God"
The phrase "the word of the Lord came" occurs 3,800 times in the old testament
John 17:17
Ephesians 5:25-26
1 Corinthians 1:21

Dever says "What does all this mean for our churches? Simply that the preaching of the Word must be absolutely central. It shouldn't surprise you to hear that sound, expositional preaching is often the fountainhead of growth in a church. Let a good expositional ministry be established and watch what happens."

Mark Two: Biblical Theology

This mark deals specifically with where a church stands on who God is, not what a church might think God is, or who they think God should be, but where a church stands on what the Bible tells us about the nature of God. Dever tells us "One of the chief marks of a healthy church is a biblical understanding of God in His character and His way with us." and "If we are to learn the sound doctrine of the Bible, we must come to terms even with the doctrines that may be difficult or even potentially divisive but that are foundational for our understanding of God." He then breaks down this mark into five areas that the Bible teaches about God: He is creating; that He is holy; that He is faithful; that He is loving; and that He is sovereign. These foundational truths about God are vital to the heartbeat of the church in that we are able to truly worship and reflect God's glory when we know him through the revelation of who He is as seen in His word.

Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"
John 1:32 "...for we shall see Him as He is"

Mark Three: The Gospel

In this third mark of a healthy church we see that it is paramount that a church stand on the fact that the "Good News" is: "Not Simply That We Are Okay"; "Not Simply That God Is Love"; "Not Simply That Jesus Wants to Be Our Friend" and lastly "Not Simply That We Should Live Right" but is about "Repentance" and "Belief". The "Good News" is communicated from Genesis to Revelation, it is the central theme of God sharing Himself with us, why would we not make it a mark of the church? Dever quotes J.C. Ryle "There is a common worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice - which cost nothing, and is worth nothing." Jesus Christ born of a virgin, being fully God and fully man, living a sinless life, dying a brutal death on the cross for our transgressions, buried, and risen on the third day, not because he had to but because he loved us first, and this is certainly a sacrifice worthy of our sacrificial worship.

Isaiah 53:1-12"wounded for our transgressions"
Ephesians 2 "by grace you have been saved"
Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death"
Mark 10:45 "the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve"

These are three of nine marks which measure a healthy church.

Discovering a Healthy Church

2011-06-20T08:35:00.001-07:00

My desire for The Church at Grace Point is to be a church that seeks Biblical wisdom in order that we can be the body of believers that God has called us to be. So, in that vein I will be writing a series of post reviewing two outstanding books that take an in-depth look at what the Bible says a God loving, God fearing, God worshiping, God serving church looks like.

As part of the introduction to this series I have included a few comments from notable Christian leaders regarding the importance of these two works.

The first book is Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever and is described by a few heros of the faith as follows.

“Books that affirm the priority of the church are rare. Books that define the practice of a the local church from the pages of Scripture rather than from cultural trends are even more rare. Mark Dever has given us just such a book.Written by a pastor and theologian who has built a strong local church in Washington D.C. , this is the best book I have read on the topic of critical importance.”

-C.J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“In a day when a church is most likely evaluated on her cosmetics, it’s vital to know how to assess her true health. They put cosmetics on corpses! Mark Dever gives the biblical criteria for discerning the spiritual well-being of a church, not what it looks like on the outside before the world, but what is is on the inside before God. This is a foundational work which I highly recommend.”

-John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher

“Postmodern Amercica is awash with spirituality-but not with authentic Christianity. Clear evidence of this fact is seen in the loss of a biblical ecclesiology in so many sectors. Reformation is always directed to the church-and we must pray to see the church reformed in our age. Mark Dever points toward a truly biblical recovery of the New Testament church in his manifesto, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Every page is loaded with thoughtful analysis and careful consideration. It belongs in the hands of every faithful pastor and all those who pray for reformation in this age.”

-R. Albert Mohler President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

It is astonishing that the apostle Paul describes the local gathering of Christians as ‘the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood’ (Acts 20:28,ESV). That raises the stakes of church life and health and mission about as high as it can be. We are dealing with a blood-bought body of people. I do not want human ideas. I want God’s word about the church. I turn with hope and confidence to Mark Dever’s radically biblical commitment. Few people have thought more or better about what makes a church biblical and healthy. I thank God for the book and Nine Marks Ministries.”

-John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

“Books on the church are a dime a dozen. This one is different. Only rarely does a book on the church come along that marries responsible biblical and theological reflection to godly, experienced, good judgment and practical applications. This book is one of them. If you are a Christian leader, be careful of the work you are now holding in your hand: it may change your life and ministry.”

-D.A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

The second Book is a work by John MacAthur, The Master’s Plan for the Church, and is best described as it is written on its back cover.

“It is absolutely essential for a church to perceive itself as an institution for the glory of God, and to do that, claims John MacArthur, the local church must adhere unfaltering to biblical leadership principles. Christ never intended church leadership to be earned by seniority, purchased with money, or inherited through family ties. He never compared church leaders to governing monarchs, but rather to humble shepherds; not to slick celebrities, but to laboring servants, this updated edition guides the church with crucial, effective lessons in leadership.”

“This book is pertinent not only for pastors and elders, but for anyone who wants the church to be what God intended it to be.”

My heart hurts for the church, as we are the bride of Christ living often not in obedience but in oblivion to his will . We have no excuse, we have the word of God which clearly shows us how to best imitate his glory for his renown. I look forward to learning with you as we take this in-depth look at God’s plan for his people.

-Matt

Free To Do As I Choose?

2011-05-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

Doesn't freedom mean that I can choose to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do to it? Which reminds me of time under the strict rule of my 8th grade math teacher, who happened to share the same last name(no relation), that I was was reprimanded for talking in class. The consequence for getting in trouble in this class was writing out the following sentence 100 times, "I will do what I am told to do when I am told to do it in Mr. Davies classroom from now on." The consequence for not completing the said punishment was to multiply the 100 sentences by 5 and if the 500 hundreds sentences where not completed you where to meet with the headmaster for a final judgement. So I received an in-school suspension where I was bored out of my mind and stared at the walls for the entire day. In this instance I was clearly in the wrong, I did not do what I should of done even though I felt like the punishment did not fit the crime. What gets a little more difficult in life as a follower of Christ is dealing with decisions in regard to Christian freedom.

Christian freedom can be described by looking at 1 Corinthians 10:23-31 where we learn "All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful", "let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor" and "whatever you do , do all to the glory of God". Within Christian Freedom we are no longer slaves to the law, it is not through what we do or don't do by which we are saved. It is through the Spirit and the work of Jesus Christ and his death, burial and resurrection in which we have been bought with a price and freed from our due consequence. Romans 6:4, 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 2 Corinthians 3:17

Now being bought with a price we no longer belong to ourselves, we are now sons and daughters of a Holy, Righteous, Just, Gracious and Loving God who is to be the foundation for every decision we make. Paul teaches the church in Corinth using the example of what believers should do in regard to eating food that had been offered to idols, most of us don't deal with that issue on a daily basis but we deal with choices in regard to other items we eat, what we drink, what we wear, what we pierce, what we tattoo, what part of our body we alter, how we spend our time, how we spend our money.....

As Paul guided the church in Corinth the Lord guides us to take the following into consideration as we make choices on what some may consider the more gray areas of Christian living. When faced with these choices it is best to reflect on Paul's teaching and ask yourself the following.

Am I bringing glory to God in this? (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Does this seek my own good or that of others? (1 Corinthians 10:24)
Am I endangering myself to a harmful addiction? (1 Corinthians 6:12)
What does my good conscience, inward integrity of the heart, say? (1 Timothy 1:5)

Freedom seeks not itself but the will of the Father who graciously gives it.

-Matt

"Visit Orphans and Widows in their Affliction"

2011-05-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

Haiti is a beautiful country filled with strong Haitian men, women and children, estimated at 10 million. The country is also the poorest in the Americas battling political corruption, malaria, cholera, child trafficking, and the daunting task of rebuilding after the the January 2010 earthquake that still has over 500,000 people living in tent cities.

I had the privilege of joining a team of 11 other men traveling to Haiti with the mission of finding out how we can best "visit orphans". What was evident throughout the trip is that the Lord is gracious in leading us as we seek Him for direction. We saw many doors closed, at one point we were stopped by a band of rioters after a 3 hour bus ride to visit with a group of 25 orphans, we were used as road block for protest and then turned around to head back to the mission house, in addition supplies we needed to do the work we had initially planned on were not present and some that we initially trusted were now appearing questionable. But as we committed our path to the Lord it was clear to see that God had others in place that we were to visit. God used a young lady named Sarah, who has committed to working at God's Planet Mission House and serving the orphans and street kids of Haiti, He used a young Haitian gentleman, Eve, who guided us through Port Au Prince, and a Haitian Pastor and his wife who care for 35 children at Agape Children's Home.

Our visit with Agape Children's Home was pure evidence of God's plan for us being in Haiti. The children were delightful, well cared for, sang worship songs for us, were appreciative when we presented them with gifts but lived in conditions worse than what the incarcerated are treated to here in the states. Our project for the time there was to love on the orphans and the care givers and to provide running water to the two bathrooms in the home, as the current water situation included the kids running the water in buckets for bathing, washing clothes, cooking and filling toilets. Through a team effort we were able to devise a plan, bring together the monetary resources for a pump and materials, obtain the necessary parts, water line, 300 gallon basin and connectors and then see the project to completion-water flow and smiles stretched across happy faces.

The Lord works in amazing ways and it certainly is blessing to be a apart of what he has ordained. There is still much that is to be done in visiting with the orphans of Haiti and I know that our work is not done.

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:17-18

Matt

Our Town, Tornado!

2011-05-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

When the devastation is seen in the news it is not quite as real as it is when experienced first hand. The watch, the warning, the urgent call from a family member or friend, the afternoon-evening-night in the basement, closet or hall, the hail, the winds, the power outage, the tears, the prayers the freight train... And now we see 100 year old trees ripped from the ground, trailers turned into shards, roofs pried open, houses picked up off there foundations and lives lost. All this the evidence of what we cannot completely understand.

What we do know about God, Tornadoes and Life is this:

God is Gracious no matter what the circumstance.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Tornadoes are a reminder that life here and now is short and we all need a Savior.

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one

Romans 3:10-12

God is Sovereign over the Earth, the Wind, You and I

When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Jeremiah 10:13

We must repent and worship the one and only true God

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

God has called all who have faith to be the Gospel voice

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19

The Mark of a True Christian Steps Up in a Time of Need

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12:9-13

Grace Orphanage Haiti

2011-03-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend it was our pleasure to have Donna Davidson with us for a visit. Donna graciously shared with us what the Lord has been doing in Haiti, in particular to the orphanage she has worked hard to support and grow. The needs in Haiti cannot be forgotten and Donna has worked tirelessly to ensure the children of Grace Orphanage receive adequate food, shelter, health care and schooling.

Presently the children of Grace Orphanage live in a simple shelter with dirt floors, roll out mats to sleep on, no running water and an out house. Recently the orphanage has been able to secure a house in Port au Prince to call home. The house will provide sufficient space and facilities to care for the orphans. The house presently needs plumbing work, electrical work, painting and a few other fixes in order for it to be ready to move into.

Pray for seven men from Grace Point and three other from our local churches who will spend time in Haiti during the end of April helping Grace Orphanage get the house in Port au Prince ready for move in. Along with the house fixes we will be assisting Pastor Robenson, the man behind the mission, with any spiritual mentoring that we can offer.

Thank you for your prayers, Matt

Sufficient for all Efficient for Some

2011-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Atonement is what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross, cancelling the debt of our sin, bearing the wrath that we deserve and ensuring for the believer all the benefits of salvation. We live in a wonderful country filled with great people with sincere hearts to help others. We are surrounded by great organizations like Habitat For Humanity, YMCA, United Way, LiveStrong, Feed The Children, Salvations Army.... which show a love and desire to help others in a way that extends care and mercy. The question that needs to be answered in today's context is how does the atonement fit into a society that sees itself as doing so much good in the world.

So, doing good for good sake is not good enough, loving other for the sake of loving others is not enough. What is enough is Christ and the Cross, that is where all that is good and loving starts and ends. We must go to the cross as sinners in need of a savior, we must put our faith not in our abilities to do good or to love, but in God who sent his son to be the substitution for our unrighteousness. The good news is that even in our depravity through God's grace we can enjoy all that is pure, holy, just and loving, forever. The bad news is that those who do not put their faith in God will suffer the wrath of God. He is a Holy God and in order for Justice to be served and in order for there to be everlasting peace He must deal with sin.

I urge you to seek first the one and only God who enables salvation through the sacrifice of His son. If you are not presently pursuing God as the Lord of your life, I plead with you to cry out to Christ, seek forgiveness for the faith that you have in yourself and your own works and ask Him to give you a new heart that puts complete faith in Him and through Christ alone.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinctions: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26, ESV

May the Atonement be Effective in your life.

Matt

Heaven, Hell and Bell

2011-03-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

There is quite a stir brewing regarding Rob Bell's new book "Love Win's" and I feel it appropriate to deal with the matter here in light of the fact many at Grace Point have seen or used "Nooma" material in a small group. "Nooma" is Rob Bell's trademark video study series consisting of titles such as Dust, Bullhorn, Noise, Flame, Rhythm, Rich... where Bell asks thought provoking questions, tells intriguing stories and leaves the audience to look to scripture for the answers. Inherently the study material itself may not be wrong as it very obscure in its teaching and at face value does not touch on the gospel, the participant is left to fill in that part. The issue with Rob Bells teaching heats up with "Love Wins", even before it's release it has communicated more about Rob Bell's stance on the gospel, Heaven, Hell and the God of the Bible. Through this book, previous books, interviews and his teaching at Mars Hill he has opened up a theology that is deep with questions but shallow at best in Biblical doctrine.

This leads me to the point where Rob Bell has been cleared from the shelves of Grace Point small group material, some may have even noticed the Nooma studies were not listed in our suggested material and this out of concern for his teaching over the past couple years . Not simply because of a three minute promotional video of his new books, but because his teachings do not line up with sound Biblical doctrine have I decided that I will not recommend Rob Bell as someone to look to for truth.

The following is taken from an interview with Christianity Today where Bell summarizes the gospel.

CT: You're essentially reframing the gospel—at least the gospel you inherited, the gospel we have known as the gospel in North America for the last couple hundred years.

Bell: I am leery of people who have very clear ideas of what they're doing from outside of themselves: "You have to understand that I'm doing this and doing this." I would say that for 10 years, I have tried to invite people to trust Jesus. You can trust this Jesus. You can trust him past, present, future; sins, mistakes, money, sexuality. I think this Jesus can be trusted.

I often put it this way: If there is a God, some sort of Divine Being, Mind, Spirit, and all of this is not just some random chance thing, and history has some sort of movement to it, and you have a connection with Whatever—that is awesome. Hard and awesome and creative and challenging and provoking.

And there is this group of people who say that whoever that being is came up among us and took on flesh and blood—Andrew Sullivan talks about this immense occasion the world could not bear. So a church would be this odd blend of swagger—an open tomb, come on—and humility and mystery. The Resurrection accounts are jumbled and don't really line up with each other—I really relate to that. Yet something momentous has burst forth in the middle of history. You just have to have faith, and you get caught up in something.

I like to say that I practice militant mysticism. I'm really absolutely sure of some things that I don't quite know.

CT: How would you present this gospel on Twitter?

Bell: I would say that history is headed somewhere. The thousands of little ways in which you are tempted to believe that hope might actually be a legitimate response to the insanity of the world actually can be trusted. And the Christian story is that a tomb is empty, and a movement has actually begun that has been present in a sense all along in creation. And all those times when your cynicism was at odds with an impulse within you that said that this little thing might be about something bigger—those tiny little slivers may in fact be connected to something really, really big.

And the following is taken from an advance copy of "Love Wins", read and written about by Tim Chailles and Aaron Armstrong.

A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better…. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear. (ibid)

As soon as the door is opened to Muslims. Hindus, Buddhists, and Baptists from Cleveland, many Christians become very uneasy, saying that then Jesus doesn’t matter anymore, the cross is irrelevant, it doesn't matter what you believe, and so forth.

Not true.
Absolutely, unequivocally, unalterably not true.

What Jesus does is declare that he,
and he alone,
is saving everybody.

And then he leaves the door way, way open. Creating all sorts of possibilities. He is as narrow as himself and as wide as the universe.

…

People come to Jesus in all sorts of ways.

…

Sometimes people use his name;
other times they don’t.

…

Some people have so much baggage with regard to the name “Jesus” that when they encounter the mystery present in all of creation—grace, peace, love, acceptance, healing, forgiveness—the last thing they are inclined to name it is “Jesus.”

…

What we see Jesus doing again and again—in the midst of constant reminders about the seriousness of following him living like him, and trusting him—is widening the scope and expanse of his saving work.

These are simply samples of where Rob Bell is heading with his teaching, which is very dangerous to the gospel of the Bible. God is a just God, a righteous God, a Holy God and a perfect God and one who reveals himself through his word not through our own understanding. My prayer is that the body of Christ will reflect His glory and His gospel, as it is communicated by the one who created it all. (2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 4:3-5)

Grace, The Power To Change

2011-01-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

I love watching the Lord change people from the inside out. It is such a great joy to humbly watch as the Lord works in the lives of those who love Him and respond to a work that can only be completed by a perfect, holy and sovereign God. Looking a little deeper we might wonder how do people change, how do we as believers in Jesus Christ become more like Him. Is it by doing good things, is it by giving a certain amount of money, is it by how involved I am at church? Well, I could be the king at each one the fore mentioned and not be more like Christ. (Galatians 3:3) What I see transforming the lives in those around me is the grace of God, it truly is his love, sacrifice and sovereignty that regenerates and continues changing the lives of those who believe.

"But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:20-21

May we look to the power of the cross to see His truly amazing grace and be humbled to the point where we commit ourselves to share in his everlasting love.

Does Your Brain Control Your Heart or Your Heart Control Your Brain?

2010-12-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

The question above could be one debated from many different angles, with many different perspectives both physiologically and spiritually. I will let you hash it out while I concentrate on the fact that a healthy mind creates a healthy heart and a healthy heart helps create a healthy mind.

Finally, brothers, whatever if true, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

The following is a link to a free web protection tool that can help protect yourself and your family from unhealthy material that is so easily obtainable on the internet.
http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

I encourage you as I have done myself to make the smart choice in helping your family keep a heart, mind and soul that is committed to what is honorable, just, pure, lovely, excellent, and worthy of praise by taking the necessary steps in protecting our families from unnecessary temptations.

In Christ, Matt

Discipling South Africa

2010-11-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

South Africa 2010
Pray for the Burke family as they faithfully return to South Africa and continue a discipling process that strengthens friends in Christ by enriching them with encouragement, Bible teaching and love.

Tuesday, November 9th
Leave for Chattanooga @ 2:45pm
DELTA Flight 7397
Leave Atlanta at @ 6:45pm
Delta Flight 200
Wednesday, November 10th
Arrive in Johannesburg at 5:05pm
Stay the night in Hammanskraal
November 10th - 15th
Bethesda Children’s Village
November 16th- 21st –
Cosmo City
>Monday, November 22nd
Leave South Africa
Delta Flight 201 @ 8:20pm
Tuesday, November 23rd
Arrive in Atlanta @ 6:25am
DELTA Flight 6455
Arrive in Chattanooga @ 9:25am
www.genesis121.org

The Bible is God Speaking

2010-10-18T06:26:00.001-07:00

In a time of many uncertainties we have exactly what we need to guide us, direct us, teach us and save us from ourselves. The Bible is the spoken word of God, God spoke it and man wrote it down. "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (1 Timothy 3:16-17)

I believe it is helpful to take a look at the present trends in the lives of Christians in order that we can gauge the temperature of our hearts, our minds and our souls. The Pew Forum on Religions and Public Life states in an article titled "Religion Among The Millennials" that young adults are "less religiously active than older Americans, but fairly traditional in other ways." In looking at this article and research what stuck out with me was the lack of belief in the Bible as the literal word of God. Literal word of God meaning as we interpret that here at The Church at Grace Point as; " The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy." From the pew research there is a trend forming in our country in which the Bible is not being seen as the truly inspired and literal word of God.

It is as important as ever that we stop and look at our own life and how our beliefs on scripture are effecting the way we live. We must realize that we can not look to our own logic, our own understanding or what we think todays standards dictate. We must hold fast to what is unchanging, what is 100% true and accurate. When we start veering from the truth we jeopardize sharing in the glory of the Lord as he continues to do a good work in us. We have a choice, we can take the whole scripture as God breathed, without error, and the final authority on every issue or we can try to figure it out for ourselves based on our own understanding. The latter which will certainly lead us in error. We must ask ourselves tough questions. Are we looking to God's word for guidance? Are we applying the full teaching of God's word, not simply picking and choosing what we want to tackle? I prayerfully submit authority to my Lord and Saviour who is perfect and sovereign in every way and choose to prayerfully study and apply the whole spoken word of God to my life, because that is His will.

A Family Serving

2010-09-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to send out a letter of thanks to all those who made the trip I took to Central Asia possible. I could not of asked for a better time visiting with, encouraging and delivering heart warming gifts to family serving in what other missionaries have called the end of the Earth. The Lord certainly answered prayer in providing the means for getting there, for purchasing items for the Vaughn's and for leaving them with some funds to be used at their discretion. Thank you for your gifts and your prayers.

With the money that was given we were able to fill two trunks with items that they just can't get where they are, some necessary items and some just to lift their spirits. For the kids especially it was like Christmas; K'Nex(lego like toys), Whale Wars the series, Bible study materials - Crazy Love, Beth Moore..., Man vs Wild the series, chocolate chip cookie dough mix, Bible word puzzles, tow ropes for pulling vehicle out of ditches, beef jerky, candy, board games, various cooking items, a lot of vitamins, Mario Brothers Wi game for the boys and a Safari Wi games for the girls, and many other miscellaneous items. The money left over from purchasing these items which totaled just over $1,000 was given for which they plan to use to help with the expenses for a vacation for the family. They have currently been working hard and living in tough conditions for over a year without a break and the funds will certainly help in getting their family of seven to a place where they can get a break and get refreshed a bit.

There are many highlights to the trip and if I had to categorize them I would do so in three separate areas: 1) Being a part of sharing the gospel in a place where 90% of the population is Muslim, 9% are non-religious and 1% are Christian. The people of this country I would best describe as hospitable, friendly and conversational but also unethical and immoral in many ways. They will often invite you into their home where they will serve you the best of what they have. One gentleman even invited us to stay with him and said that if we came he would kill a cow for us. The people of this country have many great qualities that I myself have learned from bu they need to hear and respond to the gospel in a major way. It was a true delight to be a part of three different conversations we had with nationals where my brother in-law through friendly talk opened up the gospel first to a taxi driver, on another occasion to an Imam (Mulsim priest) who we picked up on road as he was looking for a ride to the next village, and also to a barber and those in the shop listening in on the interesting conversation at hand. Of course my part in these conversations was extremely limited as I do not speak the language but was able to pick up on various words and was able to be a part through praying and delighting in the name of our Lord and Savior being proclaimed. In each situation it was a big honor to be a part of worshiping our Lord by sharing our need for his saving grace. 2) My second highlight of the trip would have to be spending quality time with the family encouraging each other. We were able to spend hours in conversation as we traveled by car and foot through a good part of the country, whether it was to and from the capital city, in and around the capital picking up various needed items, to and from villages where their "company" has water and bridge building projects going or simply back at the house during the evenings. It was certainly a joy to talk about and listen to their lives on the mission field, the things they enjoy and the things that are difficult. We talked of course about family, about church, about missions philosophies, the people they serve and are working to reach, about theology and more. I also enjoyed time talking with my sister in-law, who I am mentioned to one of the workers at the soup kitchen where they serve that Trichelle is the sister that I didn't have growing up. I being the middle of three sons. My conversation with my Sister in-law is usually what Yaunette relays to me, so it was so nice to get to hear her heart and about her life first hand. And of course my nephews and nieces who I have had the privilege of being at their births, changes their diapers, sharing in countless hours of their lives as we lived just four doors down in previous years. On the trip it was a pure joy playing games, seeing them laugh, talking about what they want to do with the rest of their lives, seeing them enjoy the company of each other and the respect they have for their parents, the nationals, their teammates and myself. 3) The third highlight would have to be the refreshing of my spirit and the encouragement I received through watching the Lord work in subtle but amazing ways. I feel somewhat guilty about this due to the fact that while I was away Yaunette was diligently taking care of our kids, but my prayers is that as I was refreshed she would be also. Through seeing prayer answered in the preparation for the trip, through studying the Word as I had the privilege to be the guest speaker at their Sunday church service, through morning devotions as my internal clock would not let me sleep past 5:00 AM, through experiencing the lives of my family on the field and God working through them I was encouraged.

To close things out as I could go on for much longer, we got a call yesterday from my sister in-law, and Yaunette was able to spend the good part of an hour talking with her sister. I won't go into detail about the conversation but she wanted us to know that the Lord has really been speaking to them over the past few weeks. In many different ways, including the trip that you made possible and prayed for, God has made his will evident to them as they have searched and prayed for clear direction on some very important decisions they have been weighing heavy here recently. So I want to thank you again for letting the Lord use you, for praying, for giving, for encouraging, for worshiping our Lord and Savior and helping the name of Jesus Christ be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

In Christ, Matt

Pakistan In Need

2010-08-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Pray for the 8 million people in Pakistan who's lives have been turned upside down by the devastating floods. Relief efforts are being made but conditions are ripe for disease, malnutrition and serious sanitations issues. The number affected and in need is approximetly the population of New York City and more people than live in all of Tennessee.

Pray most importantly, as the physical needs are being met, that the saving grace of Jesus Christ will be presented to the people of Pakistan.

Here is further information on how you can help and pray.

TOGETHER

2010-08-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

• Hope- Psalm 42:5
• Learn- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• Grow- Ephesians 4:14
• Love- Matthew 22:37-40
• Serve- Mark 10:45
• Celebrate- 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
• Pray- John 16:24
• Support- Hebrews 10:24-25
• Encourage-Hebrews 10:24-25
• Worship- 1 Corinthians 10:31
• Build- Matthew 16:18
• Laugh- Romans 11:14-18
• Cry- Romans 11:14-18
• Reach- Acts 1:8
• Thrive- Isaiah 54:2-3

Life Points at Grace Point are places to enjoy God and his plan for our lives. As John Piper says "God is most Glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him".

Be sure to scroll over the verses above in order to explore further what living out life TOGETHER is all about.

Alive and Well

2010-05-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

We all have a desire to be healthy, strong, vibrant and full of life and here most recently I had an experience that brought a fresh perspective my way that I see parallels the way Holy Spirit works through us and brings us alive.

Just last week I took part for the third time in a run with a long name and an even longer course, the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100. The MMT100 is known as the hardest 100 mile trail race East of the Rockies and for reasons that include; the elevation gain which is somewhere around 17,000 ft and is enough uphill to get you from the base of Mount Mckinley to the summit, the second factor that makes this course so tough is the nature of the trails which is consist jagged rocks next to jagged rocks and best described as ankle breaking, foot pounding, knee bending, bone breaking and flesh eating.

My biggest fear before one of these races is not that I might have a poor showing, it's not that I might break something, nor is it a fear for all the suffering an exhaustion that I am about to subject myself to, it's that I might miss my alarm clock, oversleep and not be at the start. So I woke up at 3:50 AM at the sound of the door closing across the hall from my hotel room ten minutes prior to my alarm going off. I was able to get a descent night of sleep, about 5 hours, and it was nice that my internal alarm clock was working as back to the two alarms that I had set. Not sure it was a breakfast of champions but a banana and a Snickers provide a little bit of energy for the tank to get me going. I then added a hot cup of pre-race coffee provided at the start which rounded out my last ounce of preperation for the race at hand. At this point you would think the pressure would be mounting to get out and push the limit and finish well but really I felt a lot of relief and satisfaction that I made it to the start especially after months of preparing, 100's of miles of training, no injuries, after just having built and moved into a new house, after doing my best to help raise 5 young children, with my wife (who deserves much more credit for her endurance and perseverance than me) holding healthy and strong at 38 weeks pregnant.

I wont' bore you with all the minute details of the run, to be honest I usually forget most of them anyway, but know that there was sweeting, falling, one minor blister, black and blue toe nails, beautiful views, friendly runners (Todd, Mark, Aaron, Phil, Kieth, Neil) and aid station volunteers, people puking, running in the heat, running in the dark, whippoorwills singing, smooth running and some rough going. There was one moment that I do want go into detail about and was quite memorable for me and it happened around 39 miles into the race. Now 39 miles in a 100 mile race is only a little over a third of the way to finish miles wise and a quarter of the way time wise so it is certainly no time to be celebrating a good finish. Well celebrating I was, not a finish but some sort of high that can hardly be explained. I am not sure what spurred this moment of glory on, was it the fact that I was running smooth and my legs were still feeling fairly fresh, was it a little praise and worship time that I was having with me my ipod and God's creation, was it the 2x caffeine Espresso Love GU that I downed earlier or was it what runners refer to as "runners high". Whatever it was at that point I knew I had it in me to accomplish what I had set out to do which was to finish another 100 mile race, to redeem myself from last years DNF, to go out and have fun and to push the limits of my endurance abilities.

I was Alive and Well and this new found energy was so much like what the Holy Spirit does and can do in anybodies life no matter what they are doing or where they are at. I like John Piper's four effects of the Holy Spirit 1) The Holy Spirit Gives New Live 2)The Holy Spirit makes us not just life-getters but life-givers 3) The Holy Spirit witnesses to Jesus 4)The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus.

As I look back at what gave me a vibrant strength that brought me to the finish line on Sunday morning at 3:30 AM, 22 hour and 30 minutes after we started and 5th place OA, I realize that it is not just the training, the support, what you eat, what you drink but it is also includes somethings that are completely necessary that you just can't put your hands on or totally understand.

Zac Smith

2010-03-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Zac Smith's powerful life story teaches, challenges, hurts, encourages, confuses, motivates but most importantly shows Christ.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Relief Work In Haiti

2010-03-15T07:07:00.001-07:00

Lawrence Cotton arrived yesterday in Haiti and will be working to set up further relief efforts to some of the hardest hit areas. The work continues and will go on for a good while with opportunity to reach out with love, action and the gospel.

Check out a partners blog where Lawrence will be working.

The Peanut Butter Story

2010-02-04T06:15:00.000-08:00

There’s a story going around about an orphanage in Central America where nine young boys got full one Saturday afternoon. People are saying it was a miracle because it hardly ever happens. Orphans being full? Doesn’t even sound natural. They are saying that God did it. When I heard that I knew I had to set the record straight. God nudged me and told me to. You see I have three friends named David, Lorrie and Brittany and they were eye witnesses to this miracle. They came from Canadato serve at orphanage Emmanuel and asked these young men if they wanted to go on a picnic. They had never been on one and boy were they excited. They knew one thing happened on a picnic. Food would be involved. David asked them if they could have any kind of sandwiches, what would they want? Immediately they said peanut butter and jelly. Sounds like a simple request. Only problem is, there’s hardly any peanut butter in Guaimaca, Hondurasand there was none now. But on this Saturday there was peanut butter at the orphanage. People were saying that God had sent it, but I knew better because I received it! Oh God certainly wanted these boys to go on a picnic and have peanut and butter jelly sandwiches, but He couldn’t send them himself. He tells us in James 1:27 that WE are to look after the orphans in their distress. Psalms 115:16 says “The highest heaven s belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man." You see, God chose us to do his miracles through. Now it wouldn’t be like God to go back on His Word. God spoke to David about a picnic; David nudged me about some peanut butter. Story has it, some believers at the church at GracePointgot nudged to give and boy did they ever give! These nine young boys had their peanut butter, and not just any peanut butter, but peter pan crunchy. They gave their best! 33 sandwiches from one jar. The way I see it there are 66 more to be made. You see I was an eye witness to this miracle, but I had already experienced a miracle from these same people and some other friends of mine. That’s how I got here! I’ve learned that God doesn’t respond to our needs; He responds to our faith. "Mark 5: 21-34, Mark 10: 48-52 and Matthew 15:27, 28. These young men asked for a miracle and never doubted! They didn’t give a second choice. David said while at the river they started to talk about Jesus as they so often do. All had been saved by our Lord but two had not been baptised. I wasn’t at the river, but my friends tell me they were sure the two boys weighted more when their leader John (of course his name would be John) raised them from the water. You see, God dearly loves us and always will. He can’t love us anymore nor any less. But we don’t always please Him. “Hebrews 11:6.” Like when he nudges us and we don’t respond. Is he nudging you to do something? Maybe you just need to buy a jar of peanut butter. Like the gospel, you never know how far it will spread. I know, I was a witness to it. By the way the boys got full 29 sandwiches and 4 left over. The boys said no mas. To God be the glory!

Link to Orphanage Emmanuel

Michael D.

Sunday Services

2010-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

As of 8:00 PM Saturday night we are still planning to have services Sunday morning. Please use your best judgement in the morning based on the road conditions were you live. Be safe and if we don't see you in the morning we hope to see you soon.

Matt

HAITI UPDATE, Medical Personnel Needed

2010-01-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

BBA Haiti Earthquake Update & Needs (please share this with your church this Sunday)

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief assessments teams have returned from earthquake-damaged Haiti and are making plans for the long-term relief effort. Initial efforts will be focused on specialized medical teams, but volunteers will eventually be used in food distribution, clean-up and re-build efforts. Plans are also being made for the collection of food staples buckets that are being called Buckets of Hope for distribution for displaced families. We will be involved with our Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief (TBDR) in all of these efforts at various levels as needed. David Acres, state coordinator for Disaster Relief, has called for any medical personnel who are willing to go to Haiti to contact the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief office at (615) 371-7926 to sign up for a possible assignment. Baptist Global Response will make assignments and North American Mission Board based on specific needs criteria. Priority will be given to Creole speakers and healthcare professionals in the areas of Trauma Care.
TBDR will also be gearing up to facilitate the collection of the food staples buckets. These will be similar to the AIDS care buckets collected the last two years for Africa. The buckets should be standard five-gallon buckets with lids that can be purchased at Wal-Mart. A specific contents list will be forthcoming, but will include such things as rice, flour, beans, lentils, noodles and peanut butter. It is very important that only the five-gallon buckets be used in order to facilitate the shipping process. Once the contents of the buckets have been depleted, families will be able to use the buckets for a variety of daily needs. We will email you with more information and as welling as listing this on our bradleybaptist.org website as we receive the details. Also, Buckets of Hope for Haiti Information will soon be available on TBC's website at tnbaptist.org. The Bradley Baptist Association will serve as the collection point for our churches related to the Buckets of Hope for Haiti.
Please pray for following specific requests:
The many victims still living in makeshift squatter camps
Families both here in the U.S. and in Haiti that still have not accounted for loved ones.
Leadership of Baptist Global Response and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief as they continue to plan and work out necessary logistics for our recovery effort.
Here are a few things that our BBA Churches can do right away:

1) Please pray for the people of Haiti and those who are responding.

2) You may also help financially by contributing through the International Mission Board and Baptist Global response by going to the following imb.org link and click on the give icon: http://www.imb.org/main//default.asp

3) Or if you would like to help send BBA Disaster Relief volunteers to Haiti in the near future, you can give to the Bradley Baptist Association and designate your donation for "Haiti Earthquake Relief". Your donation will be used exclusively to help send BBA relief teams to Haiti when we are given that assignment by the appropriate entities.

We will keep you updated on Haiti relief news as we receive more info.

Highlighting Bethesda Outreach

2010-01-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

The need for prayer, supplies and future trips to rebuild Haiti go without saying. Please continue to be a part of rebuilding Haiti. We here at Grace Point will continue to let you know of ways you can assist.

I would like to take a moment to highlight another part of the world with a high percentage of orphans and those in need. Bethesda is an outreach for orphans in South Africa who's mission is to encourage and assist the local church in meeting the needs of orphan children that may become disciples of Christ. That mission is accomplished through Bethesda's Children's Village, Orphan Care Resource Centre and Hands of Mercy Ministry.

Jr and Kristi Burke members here at Grace Point have fallen in love with the children, the families and the people of South Africa, in particular those at the Bethesda Outreach . Their love for and desire to see these children grow in the name of Christ goes without saying.

A trip led by the Burke's will happen this November, please consider being a part of nurturing others in Christ. If you would like to join in for this opportunity please let Jr. Burke, Kristi Burke or Matt Davies (mdavies@grace-point.com) know.

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
James 1:27

Recent news on Bethesda, including an intern opportunity

Haiti

2010-01-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

Many have given and responded to the needs of Haiti and I know that our prayers and support will go a long way.

Here are a couple updates:

Video Update

IMB Report

Pray For Haiti

2010-01-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

Please pray for Haiti and be a part of the healing process after the mass destruction and loss of thousands of lives.

The following two links contain information on the earthquake in Haiti and how we can get involved.

Pictures of the destruction.

How you can help.

Why Have a Fall Festival?

2009-10-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful celebration this past Sunday at our annual Fall Festival which takes place each year at the YMCA here in town. Two highlights that stuck out for me during the the evening were certainly the the baptisms that took place in the pool and the unity of a church that loves that Lord . It was a true joy to see young and old, families and individuals publicly committing their lives to Christ. Evidence of a church loving, disciplining and walking with those who are giving there lives to something greater than themselves. A close second to the baptisms was the unity involved in collectively pulling together to provide a fall celebration, a harvest festival or what was called in biblical times the Feast of the Tabernacle or The Feast of Ingathering. Unity in the body of Christ is something that we so often take for granite, something we don't often recognize until it is gone. What a pleasure to see a group of people gathering together in worship.

So why have a Fall Festival? We come together this time of year to celebrate the harvest of both the physical needs that God has provided for us and for the harvest of those who have committed their lives to Christ. God has given both physically and spiritually much more than we ever deserve here at Grace Point and I am so thankful to see a church come together in such unity to thank our Lord and Savior for all he has done.

Deuteronomy 16:13-15 gives instructions for this celebration: You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress, and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter...and all who are within your gates. Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all of your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

May we continue to find our joy in the Lord and all He has done and continues to do for us.

Matt

Falling Deeper

2009-09-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

Recently I have thoroughly enjoyed falling deeper in love with the one and only God who is joy unspeakable and full of glory. I want to be a part of an unspeakable joy and I want to be full of God's glory, I want to delight in the things that delight the Lord, I want to celebrate when God celebrates and I want to feel what God feels. I think about Enoch a person who "walked with God", who found his joy not in the things of this world but in the Creator of everything. His relationship with the Lord was in tune with God just as King David's heart and songs were for the Lord and therefore Enoch now walks with God in eternity. My hope is in the Lord I want it to be living as the apostle Peter writes "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him, and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

J.I. Packer writes in Knowing God "What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the 'eternal life' that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. 'This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who you have sent' (John 17:3)."

I have found that what I read, that meditating on the Lord, that where I place my affections and that those who I let influence my life have a profound effect on falling deeper in love with the one and only God.

. What has d

MONEY

2009-09-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Money has been on my mind lately for various reasons, not the love of money, but how how it fits into the life of someone who wants to put God first. Earlier today I heard Alistair Begg, speak out of the book of James regarding the dangers of riches and the love of money. A couple quotes that stuck out to me in Alistair's talk where from J.C. Ryle.

"A man may greatly love money without having any at all. Beware of the love of self, it may be found in a poor man's home as well as in a mansion. And beware of thinking that poverty alone will save you. If you would sit down with Lazarus in glory, you must not only have fellowship with him in suffering, but also in grace.

“Money, in truth, is one of the most unsatisfying of possessions. It takes away some cares, no doubt; but it brings with it quite as many cares as it takes away.

“There is trouble in the getting of it. There is the anxiety in the keeping it. There are the temptations in the use of it. There is the guilt in the abuse of it. There is the sorrow in the losing of it. There is the perplexity in the disposing of it.

“Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world, arise from one simple cause – money!”

Just yesterday we received a sizable(for us) check in the mail and I was almost disappointed. The reason being is that usually when we receive a check like this it is an unexpected gift that is desperately needed. This time there were no bills or depts in desperate need of being paid and therefore there was no jumping up and down over God's immediate provision. So... I am left with seeking God's plan for that which he gives and in doing so desire that I honor Him and find great joy in using His provisions for His glory. And what I have learned from this simple experience is that the Joy of Lord does not come in having, or not having, but comes in seeking the One who does have.

My prayer is that I continually and desperately love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength no matter the circumstance.

What We Are Studying, Have Studied and Recommendations

2009-09-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Love and Respect by Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs

Desiring God by John Piper

r12 by Chip Ingrim

Life Rules and Breakaway by Andy Stanley

Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Mere Christianity by CS Lewis

Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey

The Epistles of John, the Bible

Proverbs chapter by chapter, the Bible

John chapter by chapter, the Bible

Community, Your Pathway To Progress by North Point Resources

Seeking Him by Nancey Lee Demoss

Lies Women Believe by Nancy Demoss

Share Jesus Without Fear

What Every Christian Ought To Know by Adrian Rodgers

The Truth Project

Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus

Holy Ambition by Chip Ingram

Fireproof Your Marriage

Beth Moore Bible Studies

and more to be posted.

Treasuring the Holy Word of God

2009-08-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 3:10-17

Paul inspired once again wrote these words in a cold dungeon, chained like a common criminal. During a time when Christians where being burned, dipped in hot wax and parading around on spears Paul wrote this letter to Timothy. He was concerned about the young church, how it was holding up and reacting to the persuasion under Nero. Paul instructions to Timothy where words of encouragement and perseverance in a difficult time where Christians where faced with trials that could kill the strong movement of faith in Jesus Christ or it could strengthen the resolve of the believers. We are told in these verses that to be a follower of Christ will provoke affliction and persecution but we are not to be dismayed we are to remain, we are to continue in the Word, we are by no means to lose faith for to do so would be to go from "bad to worse". The God-Breathed Bible is our source for wisdom, knowledge, for strength, resolve and righteousness.

Paul insisted that the God-Breathed Bible be:

Guarded- It is the responsibility of those who follow Christ to treasure the Word of God, to hold it close and dear in order to preserve and pass it on.

Be Taught- As Timothy was taught as young boy by his mother and Grandmother(2 Timothy 1:5)we are to teach the word.

"Continued In" Abide in the Word, stay in the Word, remain in the Word for it is here that we find direction, answers to life difficult questions and it is here that we find the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Gospel.

John Piper who many would consider a modern day apostle gives "Ten Reasons Why I Am Thankful for The God-Breathed Bible"

In verse 16 Paul closes his inspired thoughts and states these powerful words; "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Here at Grace Point we want to be a church that remains in the word, that teaches, that studies, that discusses the word. We are commit the Word to our children, to our teenagers, to our adults, in our worship service, during prayer meetings and in our small groups. As we saturate ourselves with the Holy Word of God and as we treasure the God-Breathed Word we can be equipped with and for eternity.

Marriage Finds Hope In The Gospel of Grace

2009-07-16T07:55:00.001-07:00

I so enjoyed the wedding I had the privileged of preaching at this past weekend. My prayer was that the Lord spoke through me and into to the live of those there to celebrate, and into the lives of Matt Nelson and Catie Kilgore who are now Matt and Catie Nelson united in Holy Matrimony.

The following are some excerpts from the ceremony:

I John 4:7-16
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[b] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling... Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last; but feelings come and go... But, of course, ceasing to be "in love" need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense — love as distinct from "being in love" — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriage) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God... "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it. CS Lewis in Mere Christianity states

There will be times when you can’t do without each other and there may be brief times when you struggle to do with each other. Knowing that, I desire for you and every person in this room to find your strength in the Hope of the Gospel of Grace.

-It is only by the Grace of our Lord and Savior that we can have hope.

-Only by His Grace can love one another.

-Only by His Grace can we love God.

-And only by His Grace can we be united with Him for eternity.

1 John 4:7-16 ...so graciously read for us speaks loudly of the Hope of the Gospel of Grace and how we are to love one another, of how Christ showed his love for us by sacrificing and suffering for us, and it shows that the love in us and through us testifies of Jesus- Savior of the world.

In closing Matt and Catie as you enter into and continue in the covenant of marriage I pray, because “you are the salt, you are the light, because you are a city on a hill, practice love for each other as exemplified by Christ and find your Hope in the Gospel of His Grace

A Hundredfold

2009-07-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

"Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brother or sister or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last."

Is a hundredfold not a good return on your investment, who would not like to invest a dollar and receive a hundred or $10 and receive $1,000 or $100 and receive $10,000...? God's has commissioned us, charged us, directed us, authorized all those who believe, all who have the Holy Spirit living with in them to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" Matthew 28:18. Spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth is not an option, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Said Jesus in Act 1:8.

These words have been speaking loudly to me in the wake of the death of Chris Leggett in Mauritania, who's murder was claimed by Al Qaeda for sharing the Gospel and in a time where my Brother and Sister in-law will board a plane in three week in route to central Asia to spread the gospel in a Muslim land. As He speaks to me, I for the sake of His commission, for His saving grace, for His sacrifice, for His love want to experience the glory of God, a hundredfold!

Matt

....to the ends of the earth.

2009-06-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Without the the leading and guiding of our Lord and Savior and your prayers and support we would not have been able to accomplish the amazing work that was done in San Augustin Honduras last week. Numbers certainly do not tell the whole story but they help draw a picture for what was done and what might possibly come of the hard work and sacrifices that went into this trip to the mountains of Honduras.

San Agustin, Copan, Honduras Population is 9,700.

Over 1,700 people went through the mission where the gospel was presented everyone, medical and dental needs where administered and sincere love for Christ was demonstrated.

Over 600 children were presented the gospel in Children's Church.

Over 350 adult decisions for Christ where made.

Pray for discipleship, spiritual growth for the new believers, continued health, pray that God's saving grace is spread throughout the region and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

music by Jon Foreman

Matt

Honduras Here We Go

2009-06-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

Last minutes preparations are being made for our Medical and Dental Mission to Honduras. We leave out of Chattanooga on a Bus heading to the Atlanta at 4:30 AM on Saturday morning, pray no one oversleeps and that no one forgets their passport.

After arriving and a brief stay in San Pedro Sula we will travel five hours on bus over bumpy roads to a small town in the mountains called San Augustin (not too much info out there). While in town we will set up medical and dental services for all those in and an around to take full advantage of. People will hike in from miles to receive much needed medical and dental attention. We look not only to help improve the quality of life but to communicate the opportunity for everlasting life. While being Christ to those we are serving we will share the gospel through the Jesus Film, through children's activities, through gatherings and through the love of Christ working through us.

You can assist us as we gladly sacrifice time away by praying for all the team members and those we will be sharing with:

Bethany Beene
Aimee Dietz
Sonya Ownbey
Alison Griffith
Michael Varner
Rusty Lewis
David Ownby
Ronald Beene
Phil Griffin
Lawrence Cotton
Iris Clement
Matt Davies

Thank you for joining us in prayer for the people of Honduras.

At The End of The Road - San Augustin, Honduras

2009-06-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

At the end of the Road in West Central Honduras lies a little mountain town called San Augustin. As of now this is our planned destination for our medical and dental mission from June 13th-20th. The recent 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Honduras has caused significant structural damage to many of the roads and bridges around San Pedro Sula, the city where we will fly into, and therefore we may be rerouted to set up our mission in another town. As of now we may not know for sure our destination but we do know one who does and we put our faith and hope in Him.

We would love for you to help us by praying for the Mission staff who live in Honduras, the Hondurans we are going to serve, the mission team who will be sharing Christ, pray for our families as we are away and pray that God the author and commander of missions goes before and with us as we proclaim His eternal love to all ends.

Matt

A Runners High?

2009-05-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to push my physical, mental and psychological limits in a long competitive run through rocky trails in the mountains of northern Virginia where the finish line would be 100 miles after the start. The conditions were far from ideal; 100% humidity at the start, 85 degree temperatures through out the day and then the hail, thunderstorms, bolts of lightning and persistent rain. Sadly to say this time my limits came before the 100 mile finish line and after an exciting 65 miles and 12 hours on the mountainous trails, due to some it-band (knee) pain. More importantly than experiencing the finish line I was able to experience God; His awesomeness, His power, His beauty, His creation, His amazing strength that brought pure elation that could not be confused with any runner's high. As the lightning split the air and the mountains shook beneath my feet my response was nothing but shouting-joy for a God that is glorious in every way and who I have an even deeper desire to worship.

As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. -Luke 17:24

Thanks for letting me share our God with you, Matt

Food Drive for the Caring Place

2009-04-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Caring Place is an outstanding resource that we have in our community. We want to take the month of May and fill the warehouse full of food for the widows, for the elderly, for the children, for all that are in need.

Bring in nonperishable food items during the month of May to Grace Point and we will take them over by the truck load.

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" -Matthew 6:19-21

-Matt

New Hope Pregnancy Center

2009-04-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

We here at Grace Point partner with New Hope because we know that it is an amazingly effective outreach into the lives of pregnant moms, dads, students at every middle school and high school in our area and to those who may be dealing with tough issues from earlier pregnancies. The New Hope Banquet is a chance to hear more about how this incredible group reaches into our community, a chance to hear life changing stories and a chance for you to partner with them.
-Matt

Since the birth of New Hope, hundreds of women have been strengthened and given hope on their personal journeys. There are numerous stories of lives that have been totally transformed as a result of the counsel, training, and support that they received from this center. We are so grateful for the opportunities given for us to continue helping women and men here in the greater Cleveland area. We are extremely grateful to the community of Cleveland, because they believe in the "Sanctity of Life", therefore they stand with us as we are a non-profit organization. Due to the generosity of others, we are able to offer all of our services free of charge, and fulfill the mission of New Hope which is to give "Help and Hope to those in Need"
-Yaunna

SIGN UP AT ON THE BULLETIN BOARD AT GRACE POINT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL NEW HOPE FUND RAISING BANQUET.

OR

GO TO THEIR WEBSITE TO MAKE AND ONLINE DONATION.

NEW HOPE PREGNANCY CENTER

Something Out of Nothing

2009-04-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

God is so incredibly amazing and wonderful in so many ways and I am humbled by the fact that I have the privledge to spend forever with Him. For instance seeing God tranform and regenerate one individual who then goes on to share that new found love or refound love with others is one example of the power of our God that brings me to my knees. Jim Tallent and his life story "Something Out of Nothing" spoke to the hearts of so many and none more potently than Jim's own father inlaw. Just this past weekend right after Jim's wife Kathy showed her Dad the video he made a decision to give his life to Lord for eternity, incredible!

What the video does not tell is that Jim after recommitting his life to the Lord brought Kathy to the church the next day where she ask the Lord to be her savior. Thank you Jim for loveing the Lord so much in word and life and for being a part of a chain reaction that will continue forever.

Something Out Of Nothing from Lee Lannom on Vimeo.

Being a Christ Follower Cost Something

2009-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

"We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and our sincere love."
-2 Corinthians 6:3-6

We had a great discussion last night in our small group at our house that revolved around the parable that Jesus told regarding the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46). No, it is not that flattering to be referred to as either of those two animals but there is a great message in this story of judgment and justice. After a good bit of discussion regarding all the characters in the parable we came to the realization that sincere love and eternity is experienced and shared when we put our faith not in ourselves but in Christ alone. And then from our faith we prove ourselves by our sacrifices, our patients, how we take care of others, our purity, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and our sincere love.

Matt

ps Thank you very much to the two Life Point Groups that came out last Saturday for some Spring Cleaning here at Grace Point.

Calling Out

2009-03-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Christ has called us to serve those outside of our inner circles, we are to love and serve those who we are not so comfortable doing life with. In looking at the life of Christ and where he spent his time and efforts we see that he invested in the twelve who walked with him and at the same time he served, healed, fed and loved others.

The second most important commandment that Jesus gives us is to "love your neighbor as yourself." We often think of our neighbor as the person living next to us or those near to us when actually our neighbor according to Jesus is the person who has been attacked, beaten up and left for dead.(Luke 10:25-37)

Jesus Said

- "Love your neighbor as yourself"
- "Do this and you will live"
- "If you love the least of these, you have loved me."
- "Go and do likewise"

Matt

Dave Gibbons expands on the 2nd greatest commandment in his book "The Monkey and the Fish"

Celebrating Five Years, So That All...Might Know

2009-02-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

God has done so much through The Church at Grace Point and we are so thankful. It is only by God's power, grace and mercy that he has brought us to where we are today; a church family of nearly 600 people who desire to worship one God.

We desire now for Grace Point to celebrate all that He has done for us; for providing for us, for using us to save lives, for using us to strengthen families, for using us to spread the gospel around the world, for teaching us more about who He is, and helping us learn more about His infinite powers.

Secondly we desire to move forward in worshiping our Lord and Savior by reaching out to those who aren't here yet. We want to reach our neighbors, our coworkers, our acquaintances, the less fortunate, those here in Cleveland , those in our region, those in the United States and those around the world. Yes, that is a broad range of people, but we serve a mighty God who has commissioned us and commanded us to do this very task. We hope you will gather with us and join together in accomplishing what God has laid out for us, so that all...might know. (Joshua 4:24)

LIFE POINTS

2009-02-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Twelve Men from Lee Lannom on Vimeo.

We model our Life Point Groups, our community groups, after Jesus Christ and his twelve disciples. Jesus and the disciples gathered together as a group who desired to grow in their relationship with the Lord, to support each other through the good times and the tough times and to reach out to others who needed to learn about the love of God and salvation that is obtained through Christ.

A challenge for you and your LIFE POINT:

1) Commit to praying for each other, that each person in your group will develop a deeper walk with the Lord. It is through a sincere and powerful love of our Lord that we are able to be used by God.

2) Be a Missional group, look outside the walls of your group, Jesus and his disciples were constantly being sent out to share the message and the love of Christ. Find a way for you and your community group to relate with unbelievers.

3) Devote yourself to the study in which your Group is in and Apply the material to your lives. We study that we may have a better understanding of how God desires us to live.

Amazing things will happen when we follow the life of Christ. We will find fulfillment in Him as will others who do not know Him yet.

So Close Yet So Far Away

2009-02-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

Our Haitian neighbors are so close in proximity yet so far from where they need to be physically and spritually. David and Sonya Ownbey will be traveling to Haiti at the end of this month to reach out in love, in care and to share the message of Jesus. We would love for you to help them help the people of Haiti by providing over the counter medical supplies that will assist in aiding the people of Haiti.

Please bring in the over the counter medical supplies (Tylenol, Advil, Band-Aids, anti-fungal creams, anti-infection creams....) to the Church info desk no later than Sunday, Feb. 22nd.

The Edge

2009-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

We can gain so much power and confidence in knowing we have the edge. Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote "There is nothing so cutting as the Word of God. Keep to that. I believe also that one of the best ways of convincing men of error is not so much to denounce the error as to proclaim the truth more clearly. If a stick is very crooked, and you wish to prove that is is so, get a straight one, and quietly lay it down by its side, and when men look they will surely see the difference. The Word of God has a very keen edge about it."

Our confidence and hope lies in one God who presents Himself as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is clear, it is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow and enables us in our everyday lives to have the confidence needed to stand like Christ.

Let The Edge speak truth in your life:

1) Study the Word
2) Apply the Word by living a pure life that is like Christ (The Word)
3) Share the word with power and love

Matt

Indonesia Update

2008-12-11T12:43:00.001-08:00

Follow this link for an Update by Brandon Headrick on the Indonesia Mission Trip.

Arrival

2008-12-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

Indonesia Hurry up and Wait

2008-12-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

We received a call Sunday around Lunch time from Alicia, one of the five on the Indonesia Missions team and she was pretty disappointed. I don't think she will mind me sharing but she was crying tears of compassion, her heart was with the people of Indonesia who need to feel the love of Jesus. These tears were initiated by their flight which was cancelled due to safety reason with the plane.

The back up plan ended up being to stay with Alicia's parents who live an hour from the Washington DC airport and return bright and early in the morning for their rescheduled flight. The team would then be back on their way to share with the those in Medan and Banda Aceh.

Thank you for your prayers so far as the team has safely arrived in Singapore and praise the Lord that problems with the plane in which they were to board were realized before take off.

Pray for continued safety for remainder flights and travel on the road as they reach their destinations. Pray that the hearts of those they come in contact with while traveling and while working with the people of Indonesia will be softened and receptive to the Gospel.

And praise the Lord for those with a heart to share the love of our Lord and who are willing to sacrifice.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Community of Sharing

2008-11-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

What a joy it is to be a part of a church that believes in sharing in word and action. Putting legs and feet to the Word is a lot harder than simply being present and claiming Christ as the Savior. That being said let me share with you ways in which those here at Grace Point are claiming the Lord as their Savior with their words and actions during this Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child
Thank you to everyone who put together Christmas gift boxes that will be sent all over the world. So far we have taken over a 100 boxes to Life Care to be delivered as gifts of love to children who probably will not receive anything else this Christmas.

Project Helping Hands
Thank you to the Life Point groups and BSD&T group for committing to helping families this Thanksgiving and Christmas. The food and gifts will go a long way in showing those who are going through tough financial times the love and provision of our Lord and Saviour.

Indonesia Missions Trip
Thank you to the Grace Point Riders and all those who helped contribute to the missions trip to Indonesia, over $5,000 has been raised toward the trip. Thank you to the group of five from Grace Point who are sacrificing their time, finances and efforts to international missions. This trip which will take place Dec. 9 -18 will be beneficial in sharing the love and knowledge of Christ to university students by teaching English using the Bible.

Other great things are happening here at Grace Point, from individuals and small groups, that go without mentioning and we thank you. We mention the item above not out of pride but out of encouragement and thanks to a bunch of people who want to give back, who want to put action to the Word and who want Jesus Christ to work in and through them.

On behalf of The Church at Grace Point thanks,
Matt

Biblical Parenting

2008-10-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

The following talk from Tedd Tripp, author and pastor, gives foundational teaching on raising your children in the image of Christ, based on scripture. This talk is incredibly valuable for parents forming the lives of children.

Key Points

- Instruction is key in influencing your children.
- We must teach our children to interpret life.
- Your life breathes life into your children.
- Failure in the home is the demise of a pure Christian witness.
- The home is the primary place for biblical teaching and instruction.
- Falling deeper in love with the Lord will provide you the strength and power needed to be the parent God has called you to be.

"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord"

Matt

Prayer Schedule for South Africa

2008-10-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

Please cover our South Africa missionaries by praying each day for the following activities.

Thurs. 10/09 Arrive in Jo'Berg and find the Nazarene Center
Fri. 10/10 Shop for materials, Meet with John Ndlovu, visit Cosmo City/Prayer
Sat. 10/11 Game Drive, Prayer walk/Canvas Cosmo City
Sun. 10/12 Worship at Cosmo City, First Bible School Session, Worship at Honey
Ridge Church
Mon. 10/13 Purchase Groceries for Bible School, Bible School
Tues. 10/14 Bethesda Children's Home, Purchase Groceries for Bible School, Bible
School
Wed. 10/15 Morning Time, Purchase Groceries for Bible School, Bible School
Thurs. 10/16 Door of Hope, Fellowship Time with John & Church Family
Fri. 10/17 Depart from Nazarene Center, Friday night accommodations are open
Sat. 10/18 Arrive at Jo'Berg Airport, Depart Jo'Berg
Sun. 10/19 Arrive in Chattanooga, TN

As a church family we can assist, in great ways, the efforts in South Africa by praying.

In Christ, Matt

South Africa Missions Trip 2008

2008-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

South Africa here we come! Departure Date Wednesday, October 8th. Please pray that the Lord goes before the South Africa team as they reach out with love, with the gospel, with Bible teaching and with food for the hungry. Your prayers are needed and appreciated!

* Thank God for what he has done for you!
* Pray for our physical safety during our travels.
* Pray that each team member will be obedient to the
calling of the Holy Spirit.
* Pray that Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the spiritual
blind in Cosmo City. The Bible School will be Mon-Thurs.
* Pray that the food will be multiplied each day. We plan
to provide a small meal to everyone after Bible School.
* Pray that each team member will be healthy during our
travel and stay in South Africa.
* Pray for John & Rosinah Ndlovu as they "work the soil"
in Cosmo City in preparation of our arrival.
* Pray for Jr's Dad & Kristi's Mom that they will be OK
while we are gone.
* Pray for Heather & Dwayne as they take care of our
animals and home while we are gone.
* Pray that God will give Jr wisdom & spiritual guidance as
he shares the Word of God on Sunday.
* Pray for God's material provision. We are still $2,800
short of our money to be raised.

Team Members: Ema, Zeke, Erica, Roxanne, Jackie,
Kristi, Steve and Jr.

There's More!

2008-09-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

As we dive deeper into the plan that God has for a man and woman under the guise of marriage we realize that God has more for us. There is not one of us that can say "I have arrived in my marriage" or "I have arrived in Christ".

I started falling for my wife Yaunette early one summer before my junior year, her sophomore year of High School, while at a birthday party for a mutual friend. I followed her around the whole evening, please note though she did not mind it one bit, and from there I could not get her off my mind. I spent the remaining part of the summer thinking about her, infatuated even to the point where I recorded myself on a handheld tape recorder asking her out (I think I still may have the tape). Now there were a couple of hurdles in getting together for a date, to hang out or even a phone call and that being she was a PK (preachers kid), that and the fact she was not allowed to date until she was sixteen. I got over some of my anxieties involved with getting to better know a PK with the help and prompting of some of Yaunette's girl friends. After the help, the sit down meeting with her dad in his study and after she had turned sixteen we began a dating relationship where we fell madly in love. The chase that began at the birthday party during the summer of 1990 continued from our High School town in the Midwest all the way to the far northwest, Alaska where she moved with her family and we began our long distance relationship. The chase then got a little closer our freshman year of college, Yaunette finished high school a year early to get out of Alaska and started at Lee University and I at Penn State. Although the amount of travel was a bit closer, the distance had taken a toll and we started growing a part. The freshman year in college for me was monumental in my life in that for the first time I really began laying my wants and desires aside and started focusing on what he had for me. In that seeking and searching I saw that the Lord was leading me to Bryan College where I could play college soccer, pursue a Christian Education degree and where only a ferry ride across the Tennessee river separated Yaunette from myself. The chase continued and led to a closer friendship, a deeper love, more devotion to each other, engagement and then marriage.

I encourage you as I encourage myself to continue to pursue the one you love and while doing so pursue the Lord and Savior with an even greater intensity and you will fall deeper in love and in doing so revel in the joy that follows.

Matt

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

2008-09-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

"Love your neighbor as yourself..." Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14 and James 2:8. I did not realize until I started this post that the Lord asks us at least 5 times to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is vital that we as believers share the love of Jesus Christ to those who live around us.

Good neighbors are here at Grace Point for example the person who felt compelled to help their single mom neighbor who did not have a washer machine to wash her daughters clothes for school, to the person who felt led to help a coworker fix their roof, to the person who saw a need for a handicap ramp for a person just a stones throw from our church building.

I want to encourage you, as Christ asks us, to Love your neighbor as yourself and do it in big ways and in small ways.

Grace to you, Matt

Fireproof

2008-08-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Beginning on Sunday, September 14th we will introduce a three week sermon series entitled "Fireproof." In conjunction with the soon to be released movie by the same title, we will take the time to explore the practical steps we can all take to make our marriages "Fireproof." In a world that routinely places unbelievable pressures on our homes it is vitally important for us to remain alert and proactive in our efforts to protect our marriages and family. As a Celebration to close our emphasis, we have reserved an entire theater for a private showing of the movie "Fireproof" on Wednesday, October 1st. Let me encourage you to make two very important commitments;

1) Make the commitment to be present for each of the sermons in this series.
2) Invite your friends to come along on this journey with you.

Together we can ensure for the future that our marriages will stand strong regardless of the flames the world sends our way.

Phil

Marriage

2008-08-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

Is there anyone out there that can say I don't need be a better husband or wife? Some might say I need a better husband or wife but the only ones that can honestly say that are those that aren't married. Fireproof the movie comes out the end of September and we as a church with your help are going to buy out a showing at our local theater. This movie has a strong message that will speak into the lives of husbands, wives, children and even those who are single. Stay tuned for how you can be a part of this important time.

2008-08-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Grace Point Women's Ministry will kick off A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place by Beth Moore Monday, Aug. 18th. There will be a morning study along with and evening study with Childcare available in the morning. Please call the church or sign up on the bulletin board at Grace Point.

True Honor

2008-08-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

May we honor God with all he has entrusted to us.

I wish I spent more time working!

2008-07-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

No one ever said on their deathbed, "I wish I had spent more time at work". The cliche was then followed by "they always wish they had spent more time with their family." I came across this recently reading a book where it was a determining factor in a young dad turning his focus from himself and his desires toward what he was called to do. How easy it is for us to get caught up in one thing and neglect another. What about your family, the unit that speaks louder than words. Here are five helpful ways that I want to invest in my family and I hope you will too.

1. Spend quality time together (dinner) without distractions i.e phones, tvs, computers....
2. Build each other up with words of affirmation.
3. Husbands love your wives, wives respect your husbands.
4. Parents lead, teach, instruct and hold your children accountable in word and action
5. Children honor your father and mother.

May your family be richly blessed and speak loud and clear.

Matt

Missy's House

2008-07-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Lord went before us, was with us and we know he will continue to build Missy's house. It was overwhelming to see the hand of the Lord on our Trip to Gulfport and Pass Christian. I am not one who is brought tears very easily and I am sure that is by my own fault but during our trip to Gulfport I was humbled by God's provision for a team of fourteen who simply wanted to do something outside our backyard for the kindgdom of God. Our project was to step in and help Missy rebuild a house that was destroyed by Katrina. Missy has been and will continue to live in a small trailer next to the house she once inhabited until the house that the Lord will build for her is completed. Thank you for your prayers as they were answered.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain....."

Psaslm 127:1

In Christ, Matt

Off To Gulfport

2008-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Just as Phil and the crew return from missions in Honduras we will head off to help rebuild in Gulfport, MS. This picture was taken near Bay Saint Louis and Waveland, MS where the initiatal tidal wave of some 40 ft began the destruction that would take years to rebuild. Please pray for our group from Grace Point to be servants of Christ in our words and our works. We pray that we will not only impact the area in the rebuilding of structures but also in the rebuilding of lives based on our Savior Jesus Christ.

In Him, Matt Davies

Grace Point Blog

2008-06-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

This past thursday I met with a group of Men where we have started in a study on the book of Romans, a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. We concentrated on the first 17 verses where Paul is greeting the church in Rome with mutual encouragement and enthusiasm for the gospel and for the righteousness that is received thru Jesus Christ. Paul converted from his legalistic ways and from his persecution of the Church had an overwhelming desire to a build the body of Christ thru his missionary journeys and his letters to church. I see this blogs as being letters to you encouraging you, informing you on what is going on here at Grace Point and to impart on you gifts in order to enable us the opportunity to spread the Gospel and the righteousness that is received thru Christ. Be sure to check back as we will keep you up to date and informed.

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ".
Matt Davies