Grace Community Church Listen Again

Sometimes God’s call for his people is to stay put. Preceding the ​“famous” verse in Jeremiah 29 (v11), there is an account of the plight of the people who were exiled. In their difficult circumstances they had two choices: put up a fight and resist or build houses and plant gardens. They knew God was telling them to stay where they are for some time. His promises might not be fulfilled for generations to come. The message in Jeremiah is for a people, not an individual. In the same way, the idea of personal faith can ignore the fact that God’s promises are for communities and generations. The passage in verses 4 to 7 summarises what we do when we’re in a place for the long haul: Seek the wellbeing of the town or the village; Plead on its behalf to Yahweh; Because in its wellbeing, there will be wellbeing for you.

In our world of plenty, it’s easy to take all the good things we have for granted. 1 Thessalonians 5 reminds us to be grateful in all circumstances. Science proves time and time again that gratefulness can improve our lives in many ways. It is said that our minds are like Velcro when it comes to negative information, but more like Teflon when we encounter positive information. Even in difficult circumstances, we can find reasons to be cheerful. Reasons such as family, church and community.

Could our lives look any different if we were more grateful? Numerous studies have shown there is a marked difference in the health of an individual who practices thankfulness. It could be argued that the first sin in Genesis was a failure in gratitude. God had given mankind all of creation to steward, yet instead of thankfully accepting this awesome gift, he wanted the one thing he couldn’t have. We look at different aspects of gratitude: how we can be thankful in our circumstances, no matter how challenging they may seem; how gratitude has a role in positions of power. How grateful are we for how we are invited to share in God’s Kingdom?

It's inspiring to hear the stories of people we know. Quite often it turns out there's a lot we didn't know. It's easier to see God's hand on your life when you go take time to rewind. This week, David tells us how his desire to experience God in his life has led to some of the most unlikely events. From his younger years of drinking, partying and rebelling against the idea of being a pastor's son, to now: 14 years married, with 4 kids and each step of the way relying totally on God's provision and guidance.

When we pose the darkest questions it can become the most profound acts of faith. Is it possible that in the moment of Peter’s denial, he truly was in a place of questioning who Jesus was? After fighting on Jesus’ behalf in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter’s trust in who Jesus was took a dip. Interestingly, when Jesus had the chance to confront him in John 21, he didn’t. He simply asked Peter a question, ​“Do you love me?”. Jesus’ questions to us often cause us to squirm, because they’re not simply looking for an answer, they’re demanding a response. What would our response be to that ​“simple” question?

Every four weeks we will be checking in with some of our church family, and asking what God has taught them over the last month. This week, it’s one of our 7 resident Floridians, Jaci Cauvel. She reflects on the topics of fear and courage that we've explored over the last few weeks.

Doing what you believe is truly right without knowing what the outcome truly is. We take quick glimpses into five stories of courage. A young Daniel and his friends had nothing between them and the king’s power except God Almighty. David had to recall the times he faced challenges when he took on the giant Goliath. Joshua needed courage when it was his turn to take the mantle from Moses. It took courage for Elijah to face the wilderness with just the promises from God ringing in his ears. As the disciples gathered behind closed doors in the wake of Jesus’ death they needed courage that the Lord was going to fulfil what he had promised. What is your story of courage?

Adam and Eve failed and when they did, they wanted to close their eyes, stick their fingers in their ears and go into hiding. Why were they so afraid? In the storm in Matthew 8, Jesus asked the disciples ​“why are you so afraid?” What was Jesus pressing at here?

Every four weeks we will be checking in with some of our church family, and asking what God has taught them over the last month. This week, it’s Queen of the Castle, Carolyn Dawson. She shares her experiences of healthy spiritual rhythms, contemplation and curiosity.

Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. It all seems so simple yet so hard to consistently live out in practice. Today we looked at the importance of asking for help, asking the right questions and asking others about their journey. It’s all held together by living a life of wisdom, chasing after it through our relationship with the Lord and those around us.

What changes do I need to make so I can finish well? We're going to look at three areas: 1. Contemplation: the need to pay close attention. 2. Compassion: when the only judgement we make is every person is made in the image of God and they’re worth Jesus giving his life for. 3. Curiosity: a childlike wonder causing us to ask “why?”  The overarching attribute is humility. Humility is the ability to say I was wrong, or I need help. It allows us to love others well.

As any long-distance runner will tell you, the most challenging moment in a race is the wall. Everything is telling you to stop, but to finish, you must press on. The people who make a difference to those around them are those who press through difficult times. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that not only is the race worth winning, but there are people who are cheering us on.

Have we lost our surprise, wonder and awe? Without these, we lose that childlike amazement in God’s kingdom. God wants us to see the world how he sees it. So how do we discover enchantment?

Every four weeks we will be checking in with some of our church family, and asking what God has taught them over the last month. This week, it’s Lord of the Rings fan, Andrew! He discusses the themes explored in the Walk This Way series with Neil, including resilience and humanity.

Matt 6:12 is the one part of the Lord’s Prayer that seems to require something of us: ​“as we forgive”. Jesus wanted his hearers to hear that Forgiveness is the kingdom way of living. Luke 23:34 one of the most shocking and one of the most beautiful prayers Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing. We are to have the same attitude as Jesus. If we are to love and forgive our enemies, there is nobody excluded from who we offer love and forgiveness.

Glen Mitchell is Director of Tearfund Northern Ireland, an international aid and development organisation that works in more than 50 countries around the world. Tearfund works with churches to help them bring change and transformation to their communities. They only work in places of extreme poverty helping churches in those places to bring about holistic life transformation. Here, Glen shares his heart to reach the oppressed and challenges us not to over-spiritualise the sentiments in Luke 4 where Jesus explains his mission. The challenge is to seek to bring real help to real needs.

The story of Hannah is the story of a woman who is resilient. As we read her story we can learn from how she walked through pain, sadness and a season of an unfulfilled dream. Developing resilience requires us to shift our focus from the end goal to the process we are in to get there. What if God is more interested in our journey and than he is in the destination? Can we be people like Hannah who are resilient in our identities and resilient in our faith?

David and Cheryl Bailie along with their family of three boys are currently working in Belfast. Originally from Dromore, David and Cheryl have worked all over. From ​“Youth for Christ” to OM ships. From Australia to the south of Ireland. And, now, in Belfast, their lives have been a story of obedience to God’s leading. Here they let us into their story and help us as we ask God to show us what he’s doing in our community. How do we weave ourselves into the fabric of our village?

“Let’s find a home for every child who needs one.“ Home For Good’s Judith Dawson makes Foster Care Fortnight with a few reflections. She shares her experiences and helps us to consider which steps to take as we support kids and parents in the care system.

Very quickly in Jesus ministry, his message attracted a multitude of intrigued people. Jesus’ time on earth introduced the world to the kingdom way. The way of restoration, rescue and healing. We look briefly at three stories of the kingdom encounters with Jesus. The paralytic man The woman with the issue of blood. The demon-possessed man.