Grace Church Elk Grove

We’re not sure exactly why Miriam is singled out for discipline by God in Numbers , and not her husband (10). But we can guess. Numbers 12 begins with Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses. The fact that Miriam is mentioned first (1) could be a subtle indicator that she was instigating it. At least on the surface, her stated reason was that Moses had married outside the family - a Cushite woman - a slimy, but easy charge to make. ... https://www.gracechurcheg.org///grace-peace-numbers-12-13/

Merry Christmas! What a great evening worshipping together as a church family.

Grace Church Weekly Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/7642d64af828/weeklynewsletter-6087125

Join us tonight. Invite your friends and neighbors.

"Advent" is the season in which we "prepare" ourselves afresh for the coming of Christ to earth. As Isaiah prophesied that John the Baptist would do: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ (Mark 1:3) Advent is the season when we walk afresh in the steps of John's message. In those days, when a king would visit one of his lands, the locals would, in anticipation of his arrival, literally clear out and straighten and smooth out the roads - they would prepare the way of the Lord - they would make the king's arrival smooth and welcoming.... https://www.gracechurcheg.org/2020/12/resources-for-advent/

Games of Thrones The narrative of 2 Kings 9-10 is unmatched in our mob and palace intrigue movies. The writers of The Godfather and Game of Thrones needed only to read the succession stories of the kings of Israel for good material (and they probably did). So if it’s been a while since you’ve read about Jehu’s exploits, go read it now, and then come back to what I have to say. [ 777 more words ] https://www.gracechurcheg.org//two-out-of-three-is-half-b/

October 31st is "Reformation Day" - the anniversary of the day when, over 500 years ago, God used Martin Luther to spark what historians now call the "Protestant Reformation". Or, better put, when Christians rediscovered the glorious news of the free gift of salvation by faith alone, in Christ alone, revealed in Scripture alone. There is a new documentary explaining these events, linked to below (free to watch for a limited time). I invite you to watch! -Pastor Jed https://youtu.be/6VK0p-tuuao

Any time we hear a sermon like the one I delivered last week, we (me included) are bound to hear one thing and, because we are struck by it, don't hear the next thing. Nothing wrong with that - it's human nature. So I thought I would reiterate a few comments from Sunday: We are all bound by Scripture to harbor no resentment or grumbling in our hearts, about each other's medical decisions, past, present or future.... https://www.gracechurcheg.org//fighting-foosball-fellowsh/

We're excited to welcome Michelle Murray as our new office assistant! Michelle has been a teacher for 27 years, with the last 18 years in a Christian school. During her time teaching, she became an author and publisher. Now, in a new adventure, she joins the Grace Church staff. Her hours will be Tuesday through Thursday, 9 am - 3 pm. Michelle will be supporting our labors in the Lord with various administrative tasks. You might send her a note at her new email address, [email protected].

Christians know that the wheels of justice should not move slowly (Eccl. 8:11), and yet so often it does. Sometimes the injustices of this cursed world are not made right until the end. Yet God has appointed means for justice now - police, and judges. The court cases that the COVID lockdown orders have spawned have taken a long time to wind their way through our court systems.... https://www.gracechurcheg.org//lifting-our-hands-for-just/

In any successful attack on freedom the state can only be an accomplice. The chief culprit is the citizen who forgets his duty, wastes away his strength in the sleep of sin and sensual pleasure, and so loses the power of his own initiative. --Abraham Kuyper

Hey Grace! This morning I ran into the JP of JP BQUE, and they're putting on this event in our parking lot, on Sunday, Dec. 20th, at 3 pm. Knowing all of you, I went ahead and said "Just tell us what you need." I would invite you to check out their event and consider how you might get involved. JP said they'll probably have need for volunteers to help receive, serve and deliver items that day. You can also contact me with questions. -Pastor Jed 801-867-0388, [email protected]

"The kind of obedience that glorifies God is free and joyful, not constrained and cowering." (John Piper, What Jesus Demands From the World (All Authority in Heaven and on Earth Has Been Given to Me.)

Grace Church Weekly Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/12d07ee03e54/weeklynewsletter-6082949

"The freedom to choose a mate is a gift from God, who created us in His image. And the desire for earthly bliss is not something we steal from behind God’s back, but is something He has desired that we should desire. We mustn’t separate that part of life and marriage from God, either by trying to hide it from Him as belonging to us alone or by trying to destroy it altogether through a false piety that denies its existence. Earthly bliss and humanity belong to God, not in any cramped religious sense, but in the fully human sense. Bonhoeffer was a champion of God’s idea of humanity, a humanity that He invented and, by participating in it through the incarnation, that He redeemed." (Eric Metaxas and Timothy J. Keller, Bonhoeffer)

"It is only when I live in a celebratory and restful worship of God that I am able not to take myself too seriously and I am free to serve and celebrate another." (Paul David Tripp, What Did You Expect?)

Grace Church Weekly Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/ba9f7cf1b167/weeklynewsletter-6079897