Skip to main content

Category: Uncategorized

Family Discipleship: The Suffering of Job

Dear Parents,

Our KidLife Preschool and Elementary Class are currently studying through the entire Bible while focusing on the Gospel. As they learn the incredible stories of Scripture, they’ll be taught how Christ is connected to all of it.

We have a deep desire to come along side you, the parent, and help you disciple your children. We want to help you teach them about God’s Word. Every week, we will send home information about the lesson your child learned. We also plan to include the lesson in our church program and post a weekly summary here, on the Grace Life Blog.

Take the time each day to go over what they learn, memorize the Scripture verse with them, and continue to show them Jesus. The greatest responsibility we have as parents is to disciple are kids and to show them how to follow Jesus. For more information on the importance of Family Discipleship, here’s a quick Facebook Live video from Pastor Matt.

Want the weekly Kidlife lesson recap and other blog post delivered right to your inbox? Be sure to signup to receive post from the Grace Life Blog.

Here is this week’s summary:

THE SUFFERING OF JOB

Story Point: Job learned that God is good, even in suffering.

Big Picture Question: Who is God? God is our Creator and King.

Christ Connection: Job learned that God is all-powerful, sovereign, and good. When we face suffering, we can hope in God. God sent Jesus, the only truly innocent One, to suffer and die so that everyone who trusts in Him can have forgiveness and eternal life.

Why would we hear the story of Job while studying stories from Genesis? Most biblical authorities believe, based on subject matter and language, that Job was a contemporary to the patriarchs. Job fits chronologically into this period in history.

Job was a wealthy man who loved God. At the beginning of the book, God allows Satan to test Job’s faithfulness. Job lost everything, and he asked God why these things were happening. God answered Job, and His response reveals that God alone is all-powerful, sovereign, and good.

“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place?” (Job 38:12). God has. He is all-powerful. “Does the eagle soar at your command?” (Job 39:27). It does at God’s. He is sovereign. “Who provides the raven’s food when its young cry out to God?” (Job 38:41). God provides. He is good.

Everyone suffers—those who follow God and those who don’t. While the Book of Job speaks volumes to the problem of human suffering, it is also an important picture of how a suffering person should relate to God. Job didn’t understand his suffering and he even doubted God, but Job’s suffering ultimately brought him closer to God. God is always in control, even when His people can’t see the reason behind the suffering God allows.

As you share with your kids this week, help them see that following Jesus is worth it. God is good, present, and in control. We can trust Him even when we don’t understand the pain we have to endure. At the cross, God used the ultimate pain to bring about the ultimate good: our future and final salvation from sin.

Job learned that God is all-powerful, sovereign, and good. When we face suffering, we can hope in God. God sent Jesus, the only truly innocent One, to suffer and die so that everyone who trusts in Him can have forgiveness and eternal life.

FAMILY STARTING POINTS

    • Babies and Toddlers
      • God made everything.
      • Sad things happened to Job, but he loved God.
      • God is in charge of everything He made.
      • God sent Jesus because He loves us.
    • Preschool
      • Who is God? God is our Creator and King.
      • Job learned that God is always good.
    • Elementary
      • Who is God? God is our Creator and King.
      • Job learned that God is good, even in suffering.

UNIT KEY PASSAGE

    • Colossians 1:16b-17 (Colossians 1:16b for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers)

NEXT WEEK

    • “God’s Covenant with Abraham” (Genesis 12; 15; 17)

Family Discipleship: The Tower of Babel

Our KidLife Preschool and Elementary Class are currently studying through the entire Bible while focusing on the Gospel. As they learn the incredible stories of Scripture, they’ll be taught how Christ is connected to all of it.

We have a deep desire to come along side you, the parent, and help you disciple your children. We want to help you teach them about God’s Word. Every week, we will send home information about the lesson your child learned. We also plan to include the lesson in our church program and post a weekly summary here, on the Grace Life Blog.

Take the time each day to go over what they learn, memorize the Scripture verse with them, and continue to show them Jesus. The greatest responsibility we have as parents is to disciple are kids and to show them how to follow Jesus. For more information on the importance of Family Discipleship, here’s a quick Facebook Live video from Pastor Matt.

Here is this week’s summary.

THE TOWER OF BABEL

Genesis 11

MAIN POINT: People tried to build a tower to glorify themselves instead of God.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Who is God? God is our Creator and King.

CHRIST CONNECTION: People chose to give glory to themselves instead of God. They ignored God’s plan, so God confused their language and scattered the people all over the earth. One day, Jesus will gather together all of God’s people—people from every tribe and people who speak all kinds of languages— and they will worship Him together. (Revelation 7:9-10)

KEY PASSAGE: Colossians 1:16b-17

 

NEXT WEEK: The Suffering of Job (The Book of Job)

Family Discipleship: Noah and the Ark

Our KidLife Preschool and Elementary Class are currently studying through the entire Bible while focusing on the Gospel. As they learn the incredible stories of Scripture, they’ll be taught how Christ is connected to all of it.

We have a deep desire to come along side you, the parent, and help you disciple your children. We want to help you teach them about God’s Word. Every week, we will send home information about the lesson your child learned. We also plan to include the lesson in our church program and post a weekly summary here, on the Grace Life Blog.

Take the time each day to go over what they learn, memorize the Scripture verse with them, and continue to show them Jesus. The greatest responsibility we have as parents is to disciple are kids and to show them how to follow Jesus. For more information on the importance of Family Discipleship, here’s a quick Facebook Live video from Pastor Matt.

Here is this week’s summary.

NOAH AND THE ARK

Genesis 6-9

MAIN POINT: God punished sin but chose to rescue Noah and his family.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Who is God? God is our Creator and King.

CHRIST CONNECTION: God rescued Noah and his family from the flood. The story of Noah points ahead to a greater rescue. God’s Son, Jesus—the only perfectly righteous One—came to take the punishment for our sin. By trusting in Him, we are saved from the punishment our sin deserves.

KEY PASSAGE: Colossians 1:16b-17

 

NEXT WEEK: Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)

Family Discipleship: Sin Entered the World

Our KidLife Preschool and Elementary Class are currently studying through the entire Bible while focusing on the Gospel. As they learn the incredible stories of Scripture, they’ll be taught how Christ is connected to all of it.

We have a deep desire to come along side you, the parent, and help you disciple your children. We want to help you teach them about God’s Word. Every week, we will send home information about the lesson your child learned. We also plan to include the lesson in our church program and post a weekly summary here, on the Grace Life Blog.

Take the time each day to go over what they learn, memorize the Scripture verse with them, and continue to show them Jesus. The greatest responsibility we have as parents is to disciple are kids and to show them how to follow Jesus. For more information on the importance of Family Discipleship, here’s a quick Facebook Live video from Pastor Matt.

Here is this week’s summary.

SIN ENTERED THE WORLD

Genesis 3

MAIN POINT: Adam and Eve broke God’s law, and their sin separated them from God.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Who is God? God is our Creator and King.

CHRIST CONNECTION: Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, all people have been sinners. Our sin separates us from God, but God still loves us. God promised a Rescuer would come from Eve’s family. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue people from sin and bring them back to God.

KEY PASSAGE: Colossians 1:16b-17

 

NEXT WEEK: Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6-9)

 

Family Discipleship: God Created People

Our KidLife Preschool and Elementary Class are currently studying through the entire Bible while focusing on the Gospel. As they learn the incredible stories of Scripture, they’ll be taught how Christ is connected to all of it.

We have a deep desire to come along side you, the parent, and help you disciple your children. We want to help you teach them about God’s Word. Every week, we will send home information about the lesson your child learned. We also plan to include the lesson in our church program and post a weekly summary here, on the Grace Life Blog.

Take the time each day to go over what they learn, memorize the Scripture verse with them, and continue to show them Jesus. The greatest responsibility we have as parents is to disciple are kids and to show them how to follow Jesus. For more information on the importance of Family Discipleship, here’s a quick Facebook Live video from Pastor Matt.

Here is this week’s summary.

GOD CREATED PEOPLE

Genesis 1-2

MAIN POINT: God created people in His own image, and He loves us.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Who is God? God is our Creator and King.

CHRIST CONNECTION: God created people in His own image and provides for everything He made. People are special because God made people to live forever in a relationship with Him. Through His Son, Jesus, we can have eternal life with God just as He planned.

KEY PASSAGE: Colossians 1:16b-17

 

NEXT WEEK: Sin Entered the World (Genesis 3)

 

Family Discipleship: “God Created the World”

This past Sunday, our KidLife Preschool and Elementary Class began a new curriculum cycle. This cycle will walk your child through the entire Bible while focusing on the Gospel. As they learn the incredible stories of Scripture, they’ll be taught how Christ is connected to all of it.

We have a deep desire to come along side you, the parent, and help you disciple your children. We want to help you teach them about God’s Word. Every week, we will send home information about the lesson your child learned. We also plan to include the lesson in our church program and post a weekly summary here, on the Grace Life Blog.

Take the time each day to go over what they learn, memorize the Scripture verse with them, and continue to show them Jesus. The greatest responsibility we have as parents is to disciple are kids and to show them how to follow Jesus. For more information on the importance of Family Discipleship, here’s a quick Facebook Live video from Pastor Matt.

Here is this week’s summary.

GOD CREATED THE WORLD

Genesis 1

MAIN POINT: God created everything, and everything He created was good.

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Who is God? God is our Creator and King.

CHRIST CONNECTION:  Jesus is Lord over all of creation. The Son has always existed. The Bible says everything was created by Him and for Him, and He holds everything together. All of creation exists to bring God glory.

KEY PASSAGE: Colossians 1:16b-17

MEMMORY VERSE: Genesis 1:1

 

NEXT WEEK: God Created People (Genesis 1-2)

 

 

Four Reasons Why You Need To Be In A LifeGroup

I’m busy with work, kids, and other obligations. I’m constantly stressed, constantly tired, and constantly feeling defeated! Why do I really need to go to Life Groups? I’m already going to church on Sundays. Isn’t that enough? If you’ve ever felt this way (I know I have), allow me to share four thoughts about the power of Life Groups.

 

1. Life Groups provide something that you can’t get on Sunday.

It’s been ten weeks since our last Life Group met. It has been good to get some rest and spend time with family over the summer, but I think this break has solidified the importance of Life Groups in my mind. It’s great to come to Sunday worship services, but smaller groups are where true connections can be formed. The focus of Sunday services is to worship God through song and the preaching of His word. We gather to hear truth from God and respond to that truth. While connections with other believers may happen on Sundays, the primary purpose for Sunday gathering is not to foster community. Life Groups are specifically designed to help you make deep, meaningful connections with other believers.

 

2. Life Groups encourage and empower us to live for Christ.

We need meaningful relationships with other believers in order to grow in Christ. To be effective servants of God, we need to gather together frequently and encourage each other in our daily relationships with Jesus. We can share our struggles with each other and encourage each other through those struggles. In Ephesians 4:29 Paul tells us to use our words to build each other up and he describes how our words actually minister grace to other believers. In community with others we are encouraged and strengthened to live a life that is pleasing to God.

 

3. Life Groups prevent us from isolating ourselves, which will weaken us in our fight against sin.

God created humans to live in community with Him and with each other. God said in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation.” We must avoid isolation if we are to be effective in the battle against sin.

 

4. We need the support of others in order to thrive.

I recently learned some interesting facts about the California Redwood tree. These trees are known to grow to heights of over 350 feet! Typically we would expect such a tall tree to have a deep root system, but the Redwood trees only have a root system only ten to thirteen feet! In fact, Redwood trees are highly susceptible to being uprooted by wind. So how do these trees thrive in such high numbers? Because of their close proximity with the other trees around them, their roots interlock and provide support and stability for each other. In a similar way, we need to lock arms with other believers as we seek to accomplish God’s mission on earth!

Don’t miss out on being in a LifeGroup. You can find more information on our LifeGroups here.

I hope to see you in a LifeGroup this week!

Lawrence Wilson

Director of LifeGroups

Why We Have Family Dinner

In Acts 2, we see an early glimpse of the christian community.

[42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV) Acts 2:42–47

These followers of Jesus were committed to the teaching of God’s Word, prayer, they had an awe for God, a generous spirit, and a love for each other. This section is often appropriately titled “The Fellowship of the Believers”. They devoted themselves to God’s Word and to each other.

The word “fellowship” refers to friendly association over common interests. In this case, the common interest they had is what Jesus had done in their lives. The gospel brought them together, just like it brings us together on Sunday morning to open God’s Word and worship God together.

This coming Sunday evening, we’re coming together as a family so we can continue to get to know one another and develop deeper relationships outside of our normal Sunday morning gathering. We’re going to enjoy eating together, getting to know one another, having fun together, and hopefully meet people outside of our family who need to hear the love of Jesus. It’s just a small part of what a Christian community looks like. And Christian community is vital to the life of the Christian.Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says,

“It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren”.

We need each other as we all grow in our relationship with Jesus. We want to provide opportunities for you to get to know other people within our church. Often, there is not enough time to build meaningful relationships with people on a typical Sunday morning. The Acts 2 church understood Christian Fellowship to be more than a Sunday morning gathering. We want to see relationships that exists outside of Sunday morning. Because of the Gospel, we can connect with other people in our community.

So here is why we have Family Dinners:

It’s an opportunity to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.

Family Dinner is designed to be a casual atmosphere that allows for easy conversation. If you see someone eating that you don’t know, sit down and eat with them. If you see someone off to themselves, strike up a conversation with them. Introduce yourself. Don’t wait for them to come to you; take the initiative. It may be the start of a new friendship.

It’s an opportunity to bring someone with you.

Many people won’t come to church, but they will come to the park with a friend. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend. Not only will you get to spend time with them, but they’ll also get to meet people from our church. Reach out to a few friends over the next few days and invite them out to Family Dinner. (Don’t forget to mention the free dinner!)

It’s an opportunity to encourage someone to join your LifeGroup.

Community isn’t a one time event; it’s an ongoing relationship. Our LifeGroups are designed so you can connect to other people while you grow in God’s Word. Not everyone attends a LifeGroup, so if you know someone that doesn’t attend your group, invite to join you! The Fall semester of LifeGroups begins on August 22nd. Maybe what someone needs is to be personally invited to a LifeGroup; to know they are welcome to attend.

It’s an opportunity to meet someone that isn’t a part of our church.

While we are at the park, there will be many people enjoying an evening at the park with their family. You’ll cross their path, but don’t ignore them. Say hi, invite them over for free hotdogs and drinks, ask how you can pray for them, invite them to church, and more importantly, share the good news of the Gospel with them. We may have the opportunity to welcome people into our family. A family made up of broken people redeemed by Jesus Christ.

So come Sunday at 10am and then come out this Sunday night at 5pm to Ronnie Van Zant Park and enjoy free dinner and a time with other families from Grace Life. I hope to see you there!

Click Here for the Family Dinner Facebook Invite.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

God of All Nations

I had the pleasure of spending this past weekend in Oshawa, Ontario as a side trip while I was visiting my family in Michigan.  This was my third time hanging out in Canada with our brothers and sisters of Fellowship Oshawa. It amazes me how God is able to open our hearts to make connections in such a short span.  It was good to catch up with some of the families that I haven’t seen since last summer, and also good to worship in a space where the gospel is preached unabashedly.

Even though Canada doesn’t necessarily feel quite as “foreign” as some other places, a drive down the road proves otherwise.  Between units of measure (kilometers instead of miles, Celsius rather than Fahrenheit) and different stores (the Husky gas stations always stick out to me), it’s easy to see a physical representation of a different nation.  However, what I was reminded of is that we still worship the same God.  We face the same problem of sin.  We need Jesus everyday, wherever we may be.  Every single person has the same need for the gospel.
In Matthew 28:19, the extent of the Great Commission is very clear- the good news about Jesus is to be brought to ALL nations.  But, some of us may never see outside the borders of the US, perhaps not even of Florida.  This means we have to ask ourselves some questions:
Are we reaching out to our neighbors and families with the gospel?
If we do travel, do we bring the light of the gospel in our speech and our actions?
Are we praying for those who we know have taken the call to live away from family and comfort in order to bring the gospel to people who have never even heard of Jesus?
These are the questions I’m asking myself after this weekend.  The mission given to us by Jesus includes all nations, both those far away from us as well as the one we live in.  So we must consider: do we recognize our part in participating in sharing the gospel with a fallen world?
Who can you tell Jesus about this week?  Who can you invite to come to Grace Life this Sunday?
In Him,
Ben Beck
b5beck1.blogspot.com

The Amish and Portable Church

Last month, my family and I headed to Ohio for a two week vacation. While we were up there, we decided to take the kids to tour an Amish Farm. If you don’t know about the Amish community, they strictly adhere to a form of worldly separation that that strongly encourages a simple life. They wear simple clothing, avoid electricity, use horse and carriage, and for the most part, they are self sufficient.

On this tour, we looked inside an Amish home, filled with furniture made with their own hands. We walked through a barn that had goats, horses, and plenty of cats. We peaked inside an Amish classroom and even went on an Amish buggy ride. Even more intriguing then what I just mentioned, was this wagon:

IMG_5432.JPG

This wagon doesn’t look like much, but it is an important aspect within the Amish community. This wagon holds their church equipment. Amish communities are committed to keeping things simple, so they don’t build church buildings. Rather, they travel every other week to a different home and set up their equipment in the front porch. This begs the question: were the Amish the first to see the benefits of portable church?

When I saw this wagon, I couldn’t help but think about the men and women who come every week and help set up our equipment at Grace Life. They take time out of their busy schedules to make sure the chairs, drapes, lights, and everything else are ready to go for Sunday morning. It’s not simple; it’s hard work.

This weekend is our first full weekend of set up and tear down. After two months of rest, these incredible volunteers will continue serving Jesus while mostly going unrecognized. I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate them. I want to give you three ways how you can honor these men and women.

1. Pray for them

Pray for their rest and encouragement. You may not know them by name or know who is on the setup/tear down team, but pray for them. Pray that they will stay rested as they come from work on Fridays and stay late on Sundays. Pray for them to stay encouraged in who Jesus is. Pray that they remember why they are doing what they do.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. – Galatians 6:18

2. Thank them

There is no greater encouragement then to simply thank someone for serving. It shows that they are recognized and appreciated. The next time you see someone tearing down, stop and thank them for serving Jesus and our church in this capacity.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3–5

3. Join them

Finally, join them. If you asked any one of our setup/tear down team members, they’ll tell you about how much they enjoy it. Ultimately, the joy comes in knowing that we serve a King and we are bringing all glory to him. We serve to bring glory to God. So consider joining the setup team (Friday nights from 6:30 to 8:00) or the tear down team (right after Sunday morning gathering). It’s an incredible team to be a part of. Click here to take your Next Step and select “join a serve team”.

…whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:11

Thank you to the Grace Life Setup and Tear Down team. You guys are awesome!

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt