Examples of God’s Grace

Weekly Update – October 6th, 2022

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.— 1 Corinthians 1:4–9

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he begins by observing examples of God’s grace (1:4).  Now that should be amazing to us because if you read the rest of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, what you see is a church full of impurity and immaturity.  You see a church that was divided, full of disorder, and accepting of sin. It would likely be difficult for any of us to get past Corinth’s glaring sins to commend the grace of God in their midst.  And yet, in Paul’s opening comments, he looks below the surface and praises God for the grace he sees in the Corinthians.

In many ways, one of the natural tendencies we have is to fail to see the blessings of God’s grace, even when it is right in front of us. This is where looking for what the apostle Paul demonstrates as examples of grace is helpful.  We are all sinful and self-serving at times.  Even as a church, we often fall far short of where we should be in relation to God’s standards.  But if we have been redeemed by Christ, His Spirit is at work in us.  And if the word of God is central among us, then we trust that “He (God) who began a good work in you (us) will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6)

Recently God has clearly been at work in our church with many examples of this grace on display. Let me share with you a few of these examples of grace that I see presently around First Baptist Church:

1. Visitors.  We have had more visitors in the last 6 months than in the previous 8 years that I have been here.  We will have our second new members’ class in just a matter of a few months. Many are coming and they simply want to hear the word of God preached and grow in Christ with other believers. Not only that, those who are joining are plugging in and serving.
2. Home Groups.  Both of our home groups that meet on Sunday evenings are full.  Even more than simply being full, they are overflowing, meaning that we will need to soon add additional home groups to keep up with the number of people joining. It is a good problem to have when many in the church long to be sharpened by the word of God in the community of others.
3. Wednesday Nights.  Awana is back up in full force. With that being said, we have many new volunteers, along with many new children. Connections are being formed with parents and the gospel is being proclaimed.
4. Conversations.  It is not unusual for me to hear others talking about Scripture or about their lives with others.  In fact, it is fairly normal now to hear of families having dinner together as well as others getting together on a one on one basis. All of these connections are based upon our commonality in the gospel as those in the church desire to encourage and build each other up.

God is at work among us and as we seek to be faithful to Him, he will continue to be at work among us.  As CJ Mahaney says in his book titled Humility, “We . . . motivate others by grace when we perceive where and how [Christ] is at work in their lives.”  Therefore, let’s seek to encourage one another with these examples of grace as we trust that He is at work in and through us as a church for our good and for His glory. 

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Announcements:

Missouri Missions Offering: Every year, along with nearly 1,800 other churches, our church partners to pray and give concerning the Lord’s work in our state. The statewide goal is $740,000 this year. Our church goal is $4000. Through your generous giving, we have collected $4092 for the Missouri Missions Offering. Check out more information about this effort HERE.

Clothes Closet: On Saturday, October 8th, from 8:00am-11:00am, First Baptist Church will open the clothes closet for the community. For this event, masks are required and children are not allowed. If you would like to help, come that Saturday at 8:00am.

Membership Matters Class: On Sunday, October 9th and 23rd there will be a Membership Matters class for those interested in joining FBC. This 2 week class will be held in the library from 5:30 – 7:30pm. Sign up in the hall if you plan to attend. You can find out more about our membership process HERE. 

Men’s Night: On October 10th at 6:00pm, a group of men will be getting together to cookout and watch the Chiefs game. Look for a sign up sheet and more information in the hall.

Game Night: There will be a potluck and game night held in the Faith Center Gym on October 23rd from 4:00-6:00pm. Bring your favorite game and snack.

Trunk or Treat:  On Monday, October 31st from 5:30-7pm, we will host a trunk or treat outside in our front parking lot. We need people who are willing to hand out candy from the back of their cars, others who can help with set up and/or break down, and some who can simply be present to help with anything else that might be needed for the night. There will be a barrel out in the Welcome Center to collect candy. Look for a sign up sheet this Sunday.

Awana

Join us for Awana Bible Clubs on Wednesday nights. Dinner is at 6:00pm and Awana Clubs are from 6:30-8:00pm. If you are interested in volunteering, talk with Amy Blankenship.

Bible Study

Join us for Bible Study at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. Click HERE for more information.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Home Groups

Home Groups began on Sunday, September 18th. If you are interested in joining on, you can find more information HERE.

Ladies’ Bible Study

Ladies, join us for a Bible study through the book of Exodus on Tuesday nights at 6:30pm. The study is a video based study led by Sheryl Nelson. There is a sign up sheet in the hallway, or sign up by contacting the church office. You can learn more about this 10 week Bible Study HERE.

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE. 

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE.