Grace Community Church Listen Again

Eugene Smith hosted a seminar on Cessationism. This is part 2.

Eugene Smith hosted a seminar on Cessationism. This is part 1/3

We return to the word Ekklesia, which is the called out people for the welfare of a community. As we start at the end of SIMPLE, E (representing "Everyone, Everyday, Everywhere") how do meet the welfare of our workplaces, schools and social gatherings? We remind ourselves of the need for a five-fold ministry – especially the need for the areas forgotten by many, apostleship and prophecy.

Five years ago we set out our church values. At the start of 2020, it feels appropriate to revisit them. This time we will be approaching it in reverse order. In three weeks, we will be looking at P (Presence and Prayer), and to prepare we are suggesting we fast as a church. We want to hear from God, but to do so we need to posture ourselves to listen.

As we look to a new year and a new decade, we are suggesting eternal life isn't something that happens later but starts now. We ask the questions, "What is God asking us, and how do we respond?"

God's upside-down Kingdom was established in humility rather than earthly majesty. Christmas has become a difficult time of the year for those on the margins of society, counter to what Jesus came to do. He came to set free the poor and oppressed.

Between God making a promise and fulfilling the promise, there can be long periods of silence.

Saul never pursued the presence of God. And for a whole generation no one encountered Him. When David became king he led by example: he became vulnerable so the glory of God could shine through.

What is it that breaks your heart? What risk are you going to take? Simply going to church and attending meetings is not going to change the neighbourhood around us. What are we willing to sacrifice?

Our vocation is what we bring to the world we’re in. What if our vocation was a vehicle for bringing the kingdom to our workplaces? Here’s the challenge: what do we do with our gifts and talents?

What would it look like if we lived questionable lives? That people would take notice and ask questions. We still need all five gifts because the church is not yet united. We are designed to flourish at home and in our workplaces until his e we irk is complete in us.

Jenna and Andrew share their thoughts on being a Christian in the workplace. Neil introduces the morning by suggesting separating work and worship is a mistake, in fact both share the same Hebrew word: 'avoda'

Neville tells his story of how he got to where he is now and what he's looking forward to in his life as a church leader.

Christ died so that you would know freedom from the rules and traditions. When we focus on the 'don't's we deny the joy in freedom.

Standing in front of a cave in Caeserea Philippi, Jesus promised to build his church and the gates of hell, represented by the gate, would not overcome it. The church is not Sunday morning meetings, programmes or even the kingdom. It’s you and me — the people.

When we say the word holiness, the way we act, where we go and, even, what we wear comes to mind. As we look into Scripture and what it says on the subject, it becomes more apparent that it’s about what we’re devoted to. As we become more and more like Christ in how we love others, our lives are now shaped by him and directed towards him.

The table is a gift, a tool and a weapon. How often we take communion and where we take it is not important. It is our posture that matters. The bread and the wine carry a lot of meaning, but the key to the bread is thankfulness, and the wine is proclamation.

In a world of increasing judgement the church needs to communicate grace. Every person you meet, Jesus has said “yes” to. As we read Galatians we see that Paul was hurt to see that shortly after he preached a gospel of grace, the church fell foul to the religious ideologies that infiltrated the church shortly after.

There have been 100 million songs written about love and 700 films have been released this year that have love as a theme. There are hundreds of online dating apps. Love seems to be everywhere, but this is clearly a broken world. The essence of God is love – so what does this mean to a world that has often misunderstood the real meaning of love?

As we continue to look at the Bride of Christ, we need to challenge the "church shopping" culture that is slowly weakening the core focus of why the church exists. Church shopping means we focus on the performance, the preaching and the professionalism and we miss the goal of worship Abba Father.