One of the most important things for a Christian to know is about identity. Who is Jesus? And who am I in Jesus?
For most of my life I referred to myself as a sinner in need of a savior. I would often focus on my challenges, my shortcomings, my sins, and I always knew I fell short of the man I believed God wanted me to be. I spent hours and hours praying, days fasting, constantly studying, continually trying to prove myself to God—trying to prove my worth to God. It was never enough. There were times I wondered if trying to be a Christian was worth all the effort. But fear of failure kept me going. Knowing God wasn’t pleased with me kept me trying. I just wanted to be forgiven, be included, be loved.
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Listen in as host, Anthony Mullins and theologian, professor, and author, Cherith Fee Nordling, unpack these lectionary passages:
May 2 - 5th Sunday in Easter
John 15:1-8 (NRSV) “The True Vine”
(12:16)
May 9 - 6th Sunday in Easter
John 15:9-17 (NRSV) “No Greater Love”
(37:16)
May 16 - 7th Sunday in Easter
John 17:6-19 (NRSV) “Protect Them”
(01:07:30)
May 23 - Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21 (NRSV) “What a Rush!”
(01:27:04)
May 30 - Trinity Sunday
John 3:1-17 (NRSV) “Born From Above”
(01:52:35)
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In this episode, host Anthony Mullins interviews Dishon Mills. Dishon is the newly appointed Gen Min Coordinator. He is also a GCI Pastor, who along with his wife Afrika, is embarking on planting a church in Charlotte, NC later this year. Together Anthony and Dishon discuss discipleship through mentoring, specifically through the Orchard Program.
“I believe the Holy Spirit is wild. I believe the Holy Spirit is described as a wind that blows wherever he will blow. And I believe that he has given each person gifts that he has cultivated, and they take the church in a new direction. Every person is key and important, because they have the ability to do something, and present Christ in a way that is going to reach people that we could not... Read the article
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Psalm 29:1-11 · Isaiah 6:1-8 · Romans 8:12-17 · John 3:1-17
The theme for this week is freed from shame, and our scriptures this week discuss how being freed from shame and sin enables us to love and serve others. The call to worship Psalm reminds us to ascribe glory to God who blesses us with peace. Peace is an attribute of living under God’s grace. Isaiah 6 recounts Isaiah’s vision of God and how he was cleansed of his shame and set free for service. In Romans 8, Paul encourages us to break free of shame’s hold and embrace our adoption as beloved children of God. Lastly, John 3 is our sermon text that uses Nicodemus’ story to illustrate how we move from darkness to light. This is a good illustration to help move us... Read the article
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Psalm 104:24-34, 35b · Acts 2:1-21 · Romans 8:22-27 · John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
The theme for this week is transformed by the Holy Spirit. The call to worship Psalm is a celebration of creation, which was created by sending the Spirit. Acts 2 speaks about the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, which launched the church and announced its mission to the world. Romans 8 explains that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and teaches us how to pray. Jesus taught in John that the Holy Spirit is our advocate and leads us into all truth.
The Fire Starter
Acts 2:1-21
Today is Pentecost, a day when we celebrate the birth of the church by the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is also a day that launched the church’s... Read the article
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Psalm 1:1-6 · Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 · 1 John 5:9-13 · John 17:6-19
The theme for this week is the Lord who guides us from the right hand of the Father. The call to worship Psalm discusses the blessings on those who follow the Lord’s ways—to love God and to love each other. In Acts 1, shortly after Jesus’ ascension, we find the apostles moving forward and seeking God’s guidance regarding a new apostle to “become a witness” of the resurrection. In 1 John 5, we learn that whoever has the Son has eternal life. Finally, in John 17 we read a poignant prayer of Jesus speaking about his ascension and our relationship with him and the Father.
The Ascension
John 17:6-19 NRSV
What led up to you following Jesus? Some of us had... Read the article
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Psalm 98:1-9 · Acts 10:44-48 · 1 John 5:1-6 · John 15:9-17
The theme for this week is the loving authority of Jesus. The call to worship Psalm describes the cosmic authority of the Lord over every creature and all the earth. Acts 10 shows us the universal authority of Jesus, bringing Jews and Gentiles together as the movement started. 1 John 5 tells us about how Jesus “conquered the world” through love, demolishing the old structures of power and authority. In John 15, which we use for the message, Jesus makes the radical choice to graft himself into the human story forever, using his authority to take on a position of helplessness in death.
The Radical Choice of Jesus
John 15:9-17 ESV
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Psalm 22:25-31 · Acts 8:26-40 · 1 John 4:7-21 · John 15:1-8
The theme for this week is Connected to God, which emphasizes how we are already connected without doing anything based on our inclusion in Jesus Christ. The call to worship Psalm talks about our dependence on God and offers praise for God’s faithful presence. Acts 8 tells the story of Philip baptizing the eunuch, affirming his connection with God. John’s letter expands on the interrelated ideas of love and abiding connection. We draw our sermon from the Gospel of John, which helps us understand that the idea of abiding doesn’t require us to do something, but it does require us to live the abundant truth of who God says we are in Christ.
Abbondanza
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Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life, by Jeff Vanderstelt
Reviewed by Daphne Sydney, Superintendent Australia
A Christian man once asked his pastor to please teach him how to evangelize. The wise pastor replied—tell me about the time you first met your wife to be. The man told his story with amazing detail of his first date, quite animated and joyful, and 20 minutes later… the point had been made. He was able to share fluently about the love of his life. He knew her so well, he did not have to stop and think about the words. His whole-hearted love for her flowed generously. This is the starting point for sharing the gospel—that we talk about what we love, or perhaps better put, we talk... Read the article
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Grace Communion Seminary, in partnership with Grace Communion International, is happy to announce new diploma options designed for GCI members who lead the ministry avenues of faith (discipleship), hope (worship), and love (witness). We plan to develop new courses for each of the three avenues.
The GCS Diploma of Christian Ministry involves seven classes. For this new diploma, six of the requirements are the same no matter which ministry a person is involved in; one class will be different based on the avenue of focus. The courses may be taken in any order, and at any pace, as fast as one course each semester, or only one course per year. Students are welcome to take one course without a commitment to take any others.
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