Church guide

Sitting In Silence Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 Meditation is becoming a lost art. With every new electronic gadget our world is filled with more noise. Imagine a world without such distractions. There was a time when meditation was much easier. The farmer plowed his field and thought. The shepherd looked after his flock and thought. Now contrast that with our world: the 21st century saint has his play list running in his ears while a phone is in his left hand texting and his right hand is on a mouse surfing the web at the same time! We are suffering spiritually because of this! Meditation is nearly impossible with so much noise. Even if spiritual songs and sermons are on our iPod and only spiritual websites are bookmarked on our computers and we're staying connected with Christian friends on facebook, there still needs to be quiet in our day. We need time to process. Some suggestions: Commute to work in silence. Just drive in your car with absolutely nothing on. Go on an electronics fast. You may not be able to do this at work, but sacrifice your free time when you'd normally be plugged in to something. Take a walk. Find a park bench. Stretch out a blanket in a shady place. Make some quiet space and just sit there and think. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

GPYG takes on Rainbow Falls.

Surviving In a Dry Land Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 Albuquerque, New Mexico is one of the driest places I've ever been to. It receives less than 10 inches of rainfall each year! Thus, most of the landscape is made up of plants that can survive under such dry conditions (like cactuses). However, if you go down to the Rio Grande you find a very different landscape. There are trees... lots of trees, in fact. While the rest of the land suffers from dry sandy soil, the Rio Grande provides a steady flow of water to all of the tress that surround its banks. Isn't that the way it is with us and God? As long as we're trusting in Him, we're okay. Our branches remain fruitful and our leaves flourish. We are like the trees planted next to the gently flowing waters of the Rio Grande. Allow your roots to be nourished today by spending some time with the LORD by listening to his Word and communicating to him in prayer! Father, when we go through the dry seasons of life give us the water of life to strengthen and sustain us.

Godly Leaders Are Sensitive to Problems "Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers." Nehemiah 5:1 Godly leaders must be sensitive to problems within the camp. Nehemiah dealt with enemies outside the walls in chapter four. Turn the page to chapter five and we see him have to deal with problems on the inside. Unfortunately, the greatest issues we have to face as leaders are family problems. When wolves infiltrate the flock and hurt the sheep you've got a problem on your hands, but when the sheep turn on themselves you've sometimes got an even bigger concern. Some of the most hurtful and destructive problems you will have to deal with as a leader are those that originate from within. What can we learn from Nehemiah's response? 1. He got angry (v 6). We must be careful about anger (Prov 14:29; 15:18; 16:32; etc.), however there is a time and a place for it (Mk 3:5). It's good to see our leaders get angry because it shows that they care. 2. He acted carefully (v 7). While anger is sometimes necessary, we must always be careful to control it and not act hastily when filled with anger (Prov 14:29; 18:17). 3. He was impartial (v 7). His anger was against the nobles and the officials. That was a big risk on his part seeing that their help was vital to finish the wall (see chapter 3). It didn't matter to Nehemiah. Doing what was right was more important than doing what was expedient. A leader never shows favoritism toward those of influence and power, no matter how much he needs their help (Deut 16:19). 4. He leveraged his own example (v 10). Because Nehemiah had already shown mercy to the poor, he had the moral authority to challenge the rich to do the same. Leaders lead by example or they don't lead at all (Mt 23:2-3). Father, help us to care enough to get angry at injustice. Give us wisdom to know how to act against injustice. Grant us courage to speak out against injustice.

Making a joyful noise to the Lord. You are welcome to visit with our church family any time.

Greet night at the Calling and Caring Workshop. Join us today at 9 at Gracepoint:)

What If a Christian Won the Lottery? REMINDER: Calling & Caring Workshop Is Tonight (Friday, 6/7) at HC Board of Ed Bldg at 6 pm and Saturday morning at 9 am, at Gracepoint (6/8). “”Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5 Every time one of those lottery jackpots reaches $400 million, I start to play “What if?” I wonder, “What if I won? How would I spend the money?” The first $40 million is easy. It’s right about then that my wife Trudy pops my bubble and reminds me, “I think if you’re going to win the lottery, first you have to buy a ticket.” I always forget that part. Many of us spend considerable time dreaming about "what if?" Many of these "what ifs" have to deal with money and what we could do if we had it. “What if we had an unknown, but very rich relative die and leave us a fortune?” “What if an unknown stranger came up to us on the street, gave us a paper bag filled with 100-dollar bills and said, ‘Here this is for you.’” Most of the time being rich is just wishful thinking. This is why I was shocked to hear about Dr. Manuel Padaroyal. He is the Columbian scientist who developed the first vaccine against malaria, an illness that strikes 300 million people a year and kills 3 million. Dr. Padaroyal says is he giving the vaccine to the world for free! There are two ways of evaluating the good doctor. Some think he has lost his marbles, others believe he is an earthly saint. I think it's the latter. He is an earthly reflection of the Christ who gave Himself so we might be forgiven and eternally rich. As Christians, there are a million ways we can help others, and you don't have to be a millionaire to do it. All you need to be is a person who cares.

Staying Close to God “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:6 When I was growing up, it wasn't politically incorrect for parents to spank their children for major infractions of household rules. And although it wasn't often that I was disciplined this way, I have had extensive experience. Usually, a small long thin wooden switch from the yard was the instrument for delivering what I felt was cruel and inhumane punishment. It is only now, as an adult, that I have come to the realization that I always did the wrong thing during those sessions. My normal reaction was to get as far away as possible from the stinging switch. What I should have done was gotten closer. Shortening up the distance wouldn't have allowed my mother to take a full swing. In baseball lingo, she would have had to choke up her hold on the bat. Now the purpose of that little piece of information is not to give advice to children on how to avoid punishment or to their parents on how to give it. However, I would like us to understand that God, like our parents, does discipline us. It is a typical, human reaction for us to get angry, or afraid, and try to move as far away from Him as possible. But I think it would be better if we would move closer to Him. That is what He wants, you know. When you get closer to the heavenly Father, the chastising doesn't hurt as much. It's something to think about, isn't it?

Even the Strongest Can Struggle REMINDER: Calling & Caring Workshop begins Friday evening at 6 pm at the Hardin County Board of Education conference room on Guinn Street. BBQ provided. "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!" Job 23:3 One reason people are drawn to the book of Job is that we see a righteous man who is openly struggling with his faith. When tragedy strikes, and you start to question God, or you feel your faith in God become a little weak, it's discouraging. You naturally think there's something wrong with you. You think that a strong Christian wouldn't have those kinds of doubts. You feel a strong Christian would just trust in God and gracefully endure the pain. Job demonstrates that it is possible for a strong believer in God to have serious doubts and questions about God. He never forsook God. He maintained his integrity. But he struggled. There's no question that Job's faith was shaken by his trials. Father, be patient with us as we go through the storms of life with doubts and questions about you.

Christians Standing Firm Regardless of the Consequences REMINDER: Calling and Caring Workshop is this Friday and Saturday. For details, see the event on our Facebook page. “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20 Today, we need to decide where we stand in regard to persecution. Currently, for most of us, the level of hostility is minimal, but it seems to be growing. Christians suffer persecution in many countries all over the world, and such treatment could easily reach our shores. Will you allow verbal persecution to silence you? Will you be willing to suffer physical harm? If and when trouble comes, will you view it as negative; or as the apostles, will you consider it an honor to suffer for the sake of the gospel? Each of us must count the cost. It is one thing to experience verbal threats for sharing your faith, it is quite another to endure physical punishment. In Acts 14, Peter and John were released from custody after being commanded not to speak anymore in the name of Christ. Their response to the religious leaders who verbally threatened them was, to the two kept right on preaching. God honored their faithfulness by adding many people to the church. This led to heightened jealousy on the part of the religious leaders who once again put the apostles in jail. During the night, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison and told the men to go and speak the message of truth to the people in the temple. They obeyed and at daybreak began to teach. Later that morning the apostles were re-arrested and taken before the Council, which intended to kill them. A Pharisee, however, was the voice of reason and persuaded the Council not to kill the apostles. He said if the apostles’ message was from God, nothing could stop it; but if it was not from God, the movement would die out soon enough. Reluctantly, the rest of the Council listened to him and decided to send the apostles away after flogging them and warning them once again not to speak about Jesus. How did the apostles respond to this heightened persecution? Acts 5:41 states, “ So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. ” …… “ And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. ”

REMINDER: CALLING & CARING WORKSHOP with Steve Cummings is this Friday evening (6-8 pm) and Saturday morning (9 am-noon). Everyone Is Welcome!!! Email [email protected] or text 731-412-9301 for details. The Limits of Our Knowledge "Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said..." Job 25:1 Chapter 25 brings the speeches from Job's friends to a close. Beginning with Eliphaz in chapter 4, his friends have each taken three rounds with Job where the friends try to explain his suffering and then Job responds. What is interesting is the friends have less to say with each round. The first round of speeches has 90 verses combined. The second round has 85 verses. The last round has 36 verses. The first two rounds all three of the friends have something to say to Job. The last round only Eliphaz and Bildad speak. Zophar has nothing else to say. And the last speech by Bildad here in chapter 25 only has 6 verses! Apparently, the friends ran out of things to say. There is a not so subtle hint here: human wisdom about suffering is limited. Let's be careful not to speak concerning matters we know nothing about. Like Job's friends, our ignorance will be quickly exposed. Father, to you alone belong

Doing What Is Right “As they (Peter and John) were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.” Acts 4:1-3 It seems unfair that people are persecuted for doing the right thing, but that is often what happens in a fallen world. The question becomes, “Will people neglect doing what is right just because they fear they will suffer for it?” When Peter and John healed the lame man and subsequently led thousands to Christ, they were probably ecstatic. God had used them in an amazing way! Perhaps the last thing on their minds was getting into trouble, but that is what happened. The next day they were faced with a challenge. Would they waffle in their faith when confronted by the religious leaders or would they face persecution head-on? Thankfully, they chose the latter. When asked to explain their actions from the previous day, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, clearly shared the gospel with his accusers. Acts 8:13 even states, “ Now as they (the religious leaders) observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” Although there are places in the world where physical persecution is a reality, the United States, for the most part, is not one of them. It is, however, a place where many Christians are reluctant to share their faith. Why? Because they fear rejection, being looked down on or getting the label religious fanatic. Even though the disciples in the New Testament faced physical persecution they did not shy away from witnessing. They viewed sharing the gospel as a higher priority than avoiding persecution.

God Knows and Cares About Our Issues "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." Job 1:1 Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do evil people prosper while the righteous suffer? There are a lot of unanswered questions in the book of Job. But one thing we know for sure is that Job was a blameless and upright man. He feared God and turned away from evil. (This description of Job is repeated by God not once but twice - 1:8; 2:3) Even if the book of Job doesn't tell us everything we want to know about suffering, it does send a clear and powerful message that offers the righteous sufferer comfort in the midst of pain and sorrow. God sees and knows everything that you're going through. He has not abandoned you or forgotten you. He loves you and may even be saying to the old deceiver, "Have you considered my servant..." Father, thank you for preserving Job's story for us. Please be with all those who are suffering unjustly. Assure them of your love and presence.

Finding Common Ground With Non-Christians “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.” Acts 2:29-31 When two people have something in common, it often creates an immediate bond in their relationship. When the person sharing his or her faith has common ground with the hearer, there is often a measure of instant credibility. It doesn’t mean the person hearing the gospel will rush to accept it, but it does mean he may be more willing to listen with an open mind. On the day of Pentecost, when Peter got up to share with his fellow Jews, he established common ground between them. Before sharing the gospel, he first shared prophecy that was familiar to his audience. Peter talked some about Jesus, and then bounced back to common ground by quoting David. He finished by sharing more of David’s words relating them directly to Christ. Undoubtedly the Holy Spirit used this common ground to reach the hearers’ hearts. Acts 2:37 states, “ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do? ’” They wanted to know how to get saved! It's important for us to remember how important common ground can be as we build relationships and share the Word. The common ground may come from a mutual interest in sports, having children who are the same age, working in a similar job, growing up in the same area of the country, having a common life experience or a thousand other things. Your friendship may make it quite natural to invite your friend to a special church event where he or she can hear the gospel.

The 'Good Ol' Days' Were Good; Today Is Even Better! "And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away." Ezra 3:11-13 Do you long for the "good ol' days"? Do you look at young people who play video games, text instead of call, spend too much time on social media, and worry over the future of the church? Do you look at declining baptisms and weak gospel meetings and overextended young families who don't have time for spiritual things and just throw up your hands? You're not alone. But the future is indeed bright. First of all, we must remember that our memories of yesteryear can be faulty. Not everything was wonderful back in the day. We tend to forget the bad stuff. The state of the church is not as bad as it may seem. Yes, there is cause for concern over our young people, but there are also a lot of extraordinary young Christians and young families out there. And what is their reaction when all they hear is how bad everything is today and how much better it used to be? What kind of a message are we sending them? Even if we are right (in some respects) about our assessment, how does our grumbling and complaining help them? Let's do all we can to celebrate the good that our young people are doing today for the Lord and "reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" those who need it. Father, we thank you our godly young people in our churches who shine as bright lights in a dark world. Thank you for Jacob and the Gracepoint Youth group.

Trust Me, You Need Prayer “ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14 In Acts 1:4 Jesus told His disciples to remain at Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high. They needed God’s power to be effective witnesses. Acts 1:14 states that as they waited, “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer...” Shortly thereafter on the day of Pentecost, the disciples’ prayers were answered in a big way when thousands came to Christ! Prayer is central to evangelism. We need to pray for God to open doors of opportunity. We need to ask for wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. We need to ask for sensitivity and boldness. Paul affirmed the need for prayer, “ Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.” Col 4:2-4 Notice Paul wanted specific prayer for God to open a door for the gospel, and for boldness for him and his companions to share. Even Jesus, prior to Pentecost, stressed the importance of evangelistic prayer. In essence, He was telling the disciples there were myriads of people who needed salvation, yet few people willing to tell them. The disciples needed to ask God to send people into the harvest. They prayed and, a few verses later, became the answer to their own prayers, Jesus sent them out! Many believers sincerely want to share their faith but forget the need for prayer. Without prayer they will only minister in the power of the flesh with minimal results. With prayer, they will move in the awesome power of the Spirit and see greater impact! If you are a Christian, God has called you to share the good news with a dying world.

What Do People See In You? “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” Acts 1:8-9 I believe often we equate evangelism with witnessing. Sometimes in our desire to share the Gospel, we forget that Christ also called us to be witnesses. Being a witness refers to who a person is. Witnessing refers to what a person does. Being a witness should come before witnessing. There are some Christians who are zealous to share their faith, but fail to submit their lives to Christ’s Lordship. As a result, their actions, dress, and language send the wrong message and undermine their witnessing efforts. Chris has a great desire to lead his neighbors to Christ. He even has a Christian bumper sticker on his car. The problem is, Chris’ yard is a mess. His neighbors on the other hand, keep their yards relatively neat. Chris thinks he is making headway in witnessing, but his neighbors view him as a religious fanatic who ought to spend less time at church and more time behind a lawnmower. Linda is a fireball. She looks for every opportunity to witness at work, but sometimes gossips about co-workers. When things are slow, she pulls out her Bible and reads. A few times her boss has told her to put it away. She thinks she is making witnessing inroads at work, but her co-workers see her as someone who cannot be trusted. Part of being a good witness involves removing as many witnessing roadblocks as possible. Obviously none of us will be perfect messengers, but there may be areas we can change so others see past us and hear what we’re saying. We need to take a long look to see if there is anything in our lives that might trip up others. If we remove these stumbling blocks ahead of time, we will add to our credibility.

Spiritual Priorities And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had prepared the people, for the thing came about suddenly. 2 Chronicles 29:36 The first hundred days of a President's tenure in many ways are considered the most important. The rhetoric from the campaign trail is over. You set the tone for your administration and show with action what your top priorities are. Hezekiah showed what was most important to him. It wasn't fixing the economy or making changes in foreign policy. It was restoring the house of God! "In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of God and repaired them. He brought in the priests... and said to them, 'Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God." 2 Chronicles 29:3-6 Unfortunately, few of us make spiritual problems our top priority. When we're faced with various problems in life (finances, relationships, education, career, etc.), we try to fix them without God. It's not that we don't recognize spiritual deficiencies in our life. We just think that after we get all our problems solved, then we'll get around to repairing our relationship with God. Hezekiah would tell us to take care of the temple of God first, and then everything else will take care of itself. Father, inspire us with the same sense of urgency Hezekiah had in working on our spiritual lives!

Sunday Morning Service 5-19-19

Shawn Frazier from North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN leads a full house at Gracepoint Church in praise and worship.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone. What comes to mind when you think of the word, Mother? A few of our Gracepoint family members answer the question.

Senior Sunday at GracePoint

Easter Service

Another Great Day at GracePoint

Sunday Morning Service 4-14-19

Sunday Morning Service

Sunday Morning Service 3-31-19