grace•ology

If you gave Your Heart to Jesus on Sunday...

Perhaps you're reading this, and you're someone who recently made a decision to follow Jesus, to give him your old heart in exchange for a new one. Maybe you've been walking away from him for a while and decided to shift back and return to Him. If so, you're wondering what to do this first. How do I go about living my week differently? Here are some first steps you can take:

1. Get a Bible. If you do not have a personal Bible to call your own, Grace would like to give you a Bible. You can pick it up at the information cafe this Sunday, just tell them you were one of the people who made a decision to follow Jesus recently and you need a Bible. 

 

2. Start reading it, and make it a daily habit. The Bible is God's primary way of communicating with us, it is there that we learn about him, and begin to understand how to go about living life in relationship with Him. The first book you should read is the gospel of Mark, the second book of the New Testament. It is the story of the life and work of Jesus, and is simple and straightforward to read. As you read, have a notebook and jot down questions you have, and thoughts that impact you. Remember to write chapter and verse (for example, Mark 6:5) so you can refer back.

3. Tell someone in your life about the decision you have made. If you have another person who you know is a Christian, tell them you made a decision to give your life to Jesus.

4. Invite a friend to church. If you enjoyed your experience at Grace, and it had a serious impact on your life, then pay it forward by inviting one or more of your friends so that they too can have the opportunity to hear the message you heard that made such an impact on your life. 

 5. Sign up for one of the small groups starting in less than a week. This will be a great way for you to meet a bunch of people from the church, and begin some new relationships, because you'll need to have some good people around you to support you as you strive to take steps toward Jesus.

 6. Commit to attending Grace every week for the next few weeks, so that you can continue to hear more from God's Word, respond to him in worship, and meet more people at Grace who have experienced the same life change that you are experiencing.

Playlists for One Life & Making Love Last

(Guest blog from Hilary Wyatt)

One Life Pre-Service Playlist
MuteMath - The Nerve
Jimmy Needham - Come Around
Owl City - Fireflies
Starfield - The Loveliest Sound
Homer Hiccolm & The Rocketboys - Do I Wake or Sleep?
Leeland - Carry Me On Your Back
Paper Route - Wish
Fellowship Church - Send Love
The Charlatans - Missing Beats (Of A Generation)
Deas Vail - White Lights

Making Love Last Pre-Service Playlist
Parachute Band - Come to the River
MuteMath - Odds
La Roux - Bulletproof
The Early Hours - Come Take My Hand
Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat - Lucky
Shane & Shane - Beg
Florence + The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Snow Patrol - Hands Open
Eisley - Taking Control
Delirious - Love Will Find a Way
Leigh Nash - More of It

The Closing of the Destiny Foundation

By now, I'm sure that many of you have heard about the sudden closing of the Destiny Foundation. As Grace has partnered with the Foundation in extensive ways (including making them the recipients of 25% of our Generous Life building campaign receipts), I wanted to post a letter that Mike emailed to our Generous Life donors on Wednesday, the day the closing was announced. It will let everyone know where we are in relation to this sad news, and hopefully it will encourage you to pray. God and Grace are not done serving the poor in Central Florida — be certain of that!

A year ago this November, you made a decision in faith to support the Generous Life project at Grace. We can’t thank you enough for that sacrifice, and we are closer than we’ve ever been to moving forward on a facility for Grace. Please continue to give toward your pledge, and to pray that we will be where He wants us. He is at work!

 

Since you are a member of that group of givers, I wanted to update you first before telling the entire church about a circumstance that’s impacted the project. As you know, The Destiny Foundation has been a recipient of 25 percent of all the donations we’ve brought in so far for Generous Life. But today, the decision was made to close the doors of the Destiny Foundation effective immediately.

This difficult decision is a result of a growing financial crisis that has snowballed in the last month. The Board of Directors, which I have been a part of for a few months, made the decision to close the doors and to begin to develop a more sustainable model to try to open again in the future. 

The bottom line?  The economic crisis has led Destiny to the place where it is simply out of money. The primary reasons for this are that

• In its current structure, the Destiny Foundation depended on the sale of donated food — even at the greatly reduced prices it offered — for most of its revenue, and

• The recession has made donated food increasingly impossible to get.

There has been less free food to sell and therefore no revenue to support the ministry, even after severe payroll and ministry cuts. Add to that a greatly increased clientele coming to the ministry because of the downturn, and it was a two-sided crisis — more demand and less supply.

There are some things I want you to know in this transition and its impact on Grace:

1) All the money we have given so far to Destiny has already gone to help the working poor. It has been spent to serve many people. The economy has simply impacted the Destiny Foundation so much that there are simply no funds left to continue assisting the community at this time.

2) Destiny is currently re-organizing and developing a sustainable model to open again in the future. I am praying about what role God would have me take in that, if any.

3) The elders and staff at Grace are going to be praying and evaluating whether we will continue to support Destiny in its new form, or whether we will pursue another local poverty project. 

4) In the meantime, every cent that you have given and will give for the local poor in the Generous Life campaign will be set aside until we make that decision. The 25 percent of the money you've pledged to Generous Life for the local poor will be used for that purpose only — and for nothing else.

Please be in prayer for Scott George and the team at Destiny, including our own Grace attenders who work and volunteer there. They are experiencing great loss over a vision unfulfilled. Pray for those who have sought out help from the Destiny Foundation as well, that they will find other places of help and rest. And pray for Grace as we move forward to give and to serve in the way God has called us. 

We won’t stop.

 

In His grace,

Pastor Mike

New Chek-IN procedure for students!!!

If you are a teenager or a parent of a teenager, you need to read this. We are going to a new checkin system starting this Sunday (Sept 13)! We need ALL students to checkin at the Kiosk that will be located on the 1st floor. 

Students who checkin will be given a wristband that will get them into the room upstairs. No wristband. No entrance! Make sure you get there a little early so we can assist you with the new process. Just so you remember, Middle School meets @ 10:30 and Highschool meets @ 11:45! Thanks!

Fall Check-IN from Norman Tumlinson on Vimeo.