Grace Community Church Listen Again

A gemologist (an expert in diamonds), looks at the clarity, cut, caret and colour of a precious stone in order to work out its value. Here, we look at four aspects of prayer that can help us consider how valuable it is: Presence As you pray there is often a greater awareness of his presence. Perspective Prayer causes us to humble ourselves, which means to take the right view of who we are in the eyes of our maker. It also helps us see others as God has made them. Plans God wants to share his plans with us. And he wants us to partner with him in those plans. People When a community prays they share in the desires of God. This is church.

When we think of the church, it might be easy to mistake it for the building we use for worship. However, we are taught in scripture that the church is the people that make up the Kingdom of God. We are the temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Love is the identifying mark of the church, and as such, our lives should speak of that love – for God and one another.

When we approach the Bible, we might view it through the lens of our own experiences, upbringing and cultural background. Often it can seem like different accounts of the same event can contradict one another, which can lead to confusion in the mind of the reader. In this sermon, Neil explores some of these contradictions and encourages us to see the scriptures as God meeting with his people where they were. We do not need to strive to merge and harmonise all parts of scripture so they say the same thing. In many ways, the differences in accounts between the authors of the bible, is representative of the human nature of God’s people. Ultimately, all scripture and all teaching points to Jesus.

We explore our identity ​“in Him”, with examples from the life of David as recorded in 1 Samuel 30. We discover that David ​“strengthened himself in the Lord”. As we endeavour to receive strength, what practical steps can we make so we can find ourselves ​“in Him”? Five suggestions: Slow down to reflect and pray Stop comparing ourselves to others Read the stories of Jesus Be about God’s business Be with like-minded people

We’ve cut so many stories short. Like Adam and Eve’s immaturity caused their story with God to end too early. Our story is our process of maturity. Like Cain and Abel, the choices we make in our story can have long lasting consequences. When we get to know someone, we learn their story. This enables us to understand why they think and behave the way they do.

We started summer looking at rest and retreat. Now that term time is round the corner and many of us our finishing off our holidays, how do we approach the new (busier) season? One way is to understand the importance of ​“peace”. When Paul talked about fitting ​“readiness” to your feet ​“that comes with the gospel of peace”, the shoes he was referring too were not dissimilar to football boots. These shoes had studs, which gave the soldier grip. They were also tailored for the person wearing them. Peace is found in steadfastness. That preparedness that helps us get ready for trials and endure them when they come.

The prophetic is not just words from a person with a microphone, but it’s something that radiates from someone who’s living in harmony with the heart of God. Prophesy is a reminder of our covenant with God.

If we agree that retreat is good, what does that mean? What does it look like? Animals take time to rest over long periods. We are living creatures. So it is natural that we should change our rhythms for a season. It could be that we set some things down, or that we pick up something new. How we retreat is up to us individually. Everyone’s different. What is important is that we retreat. To do so is vital to our maturity as Christians

Paul reminds us that the battle is not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and powers. The upside of this is we are not against flesh and blood, but for it! The end of Ephesians recognises that the ruler of the world is the adversary. God’s kingdom is breaking into a world dominated by the powers of darkness. What, though, is our response? Do we panic? Do we protest? Or is there a third way? The strength of God’s Kingdom, and the counter to the spirit of the world, is to recognise our unique identity as brothers and sisters under the lordship of Jesus Christ. We finish this series remembering that what we’ve learnt is to be lived out, complete with the armour of God and a prayerful devotion to Christ.

With guest speaker, Rick Hill (Discipleship & Leadership Development Officer at Presbyterian Church in Ireland) At the start of Acts, the disciples were tasked with bringing the news of the gospel to their own city (Jerusalem), then to all of Judea and Samaria. And, finally, to the ends of the earth. The book of Acts tells the story of their progress as God’s kingdom was preached. As their influence expanded, though, their lives were continually disrupted. They constantly hit what seemed like brick walls, but they were never alone and their faith saw them through. How might God want to expand your vision? How could God use this disruption to strengthen your faith?

We often base our model of relationship on what our culture says, rather than Jesus’ example. The verses in Ephesians 5 are often used to elevate husbands and demote wives. But, if this were the case, the relationship between Jesus and the Father would be one of subordination and superiority. Instead, Paul challenges the cultural norm and effectively shocks a society into seeing women as equals. In our cultivating relationships, we also look at one of the most forgotten staples of Christianity: confession.

The first twenty verses in Ephesians 5 centres around love. A harmful ​“love” that takes the form of sexual immorality, idolatry and selfishness. This is a distorted version of love without the relationship. Then, there’s the love that’s lived. A love that bridges life and society. A love that sings with joy. Worship is foundational to the practice of love. It may look messy but often the Holy Spirit works through the complications. Live as children of light. Love as Christ loved us.

Often overlooked and often misunderstood. The Ascension of Christ is probably more significant than we realise. We may look at this moment as an evacuation. Rather, we want to propose that it’s the opposite. It’s the beginning of his pervasive presence everywhere.

On a daily basis we have many moral decisions to make, in most areas of life we have rules or guidelines to help us make the right decision or enforce it in our lives. But, what if God’s plan is for a people who don’t need rules or laws to guide their moral decision making? What if their lives were dictated by love and specifically putting the other first? The world would be a different place. As we read Ephesians 4:17 – 32, we look at the topic of moral development and decision-making according to the ways of Jesus. The seven levels of morality: Rewards and punishment Marketplace exchange Social conformity Law and order Love for others Principle-based living Understanding friend of God

In Ephesians 4, Paul talks clearly about unity being the driving factor in building a healthy church. We often hear about speaking truth in love. But firstly, what do we mean by truth? Facts can be truth. Meaning can be truth. Wisdom can be truth. Secondly, when we speak truth in love, does that person feel loved? As we grow together, we learn together. It’s not just about our opinions.

The death of Jesus stirred up many emotions among the people looking on: sadness, anger… even vindication. But as we look at how the events of Easter affected those around him, we ponder three responses that can help us make sense of the cross and the the empty tomb:  Courage (Joseph of Arimathea) Compassion (the women at the tomb) Curiosity (Peter)

As Alexander the Great marched through Persia, Zechariah painted a picture of a very different king. The conquest of many lands by Alexander the Great was marked by the cry of war and, of course, Alexander’s trusty warhorse, Bucephalus. But years later there was to be an altogether different king. Riding through streets once trode by the aforementioned Alexander, but this time on a colt. One king was met with swords; the other, palms. One: the king of war. The other: prince of peace.

The Church, as Christ intended it, is both unified and diverse. Everyone has been given a different gift (or grace). There are arguments that the gifts Paul talks about in Ephesians 4 are not for today. We believe they are. We believe gifts are intended to equip the church so the universe can be filled with his presence. The five gifts (or five-fold graces) are: Apostle (the Architect) Prophet (the Analyst) Evangelist (the Broker) Shepherd (the Carer) Teacher (the Guide) Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. From Ephesians 4 (MSG)

As we enter into the second half of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, our focus moves to how we live out who God is in our church families. How we model church can be defined in one of three ways: Kerygmatic This is a style of church we’ve more-or-less come to adopt in Western-style Christianity. The preacher at the front and the congregation listening on. Didactic This is often referred to as the small-group method. A teacher and a group of Christians who discuss what’s being taught. Paracletic This appears to be the model that Paul is talking about in Ephesians when he talks about church. At its heart is discernment and conversation. No one’s in charge and everyone has an equal voice. The Holy Spirit is often described as ​“Paraclete”. An advocate who positions himself alongside you. This side-by-side nature is something that Paul talks about in his letter.

We look at the ​“who”, ​“what”, ​“where”, ​“when” and ​“why” of Ephesians 4:2. Paul was a cruel man. Before his encounter with Jesus, he did unspeakable things to believers. That gives a verse like this a bit more weight when you realise it’s come from the heart of someone who spent a good portion of his life displaying the complete opposite of those things. Paul understood how devastating the alternative was. Here, we learn a little about who Paul was and then explore how we can put his instruction into practice. Humility, gentleness and patience aren’t just good virtues, they are live-giving.