Personalized by the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, pp. 267-269 “Christian sanctification takes place in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Those who have been encountered by the love of God and confronted by the Grace of Jesus Christ are given to live their lives according to a...
Over the last several weeks we have focused our attention on the letter of James, the brother of Jesus and the elder at the church in Jerusalem. Try to imagine what it must have been like to be one of Jesus younger brothers… One of several siblings who...
James 3 & 4 The theme this week is living in God’s world by God’s wisdom. Our call to worship Psalm tells of the growing, bountiful life of the wise person. Proverbs 31 tells the story of the exemplary wife who lives in wisdom, giving joy to her family and...
by Pastor Steve Schantz Hello church family! In this message we will focus our attention on the last of the Minor Prophets, Malachi, the messenger of God. Malachi is called upon to energetically engage Israel with God’s admonition. This prophetic exchange between YHVH and Israel through the mouth of her last...
John 3:1-17 NRSV It seems you can test for almost anything online. I recently came across a Shame Test enabling you to self-diagnose whether or not you struggle with shame. Here are some of the questions, and if you answer “Yes” or “Sometimes,” then evidently you have had an encounter with shame:...
Welcome to worship with us this weekend at GCM and GCO! Our Gospel text today finds the disciples being confronted with the reality of the risen Lord. It is here that they move from doubt, to belief, and then to becoming witnesses to all nations. We live in a world...
Dear Church family, Some of you may remember the summer of 1998 when wildfires were raging across numerous counties on the East coast of Florida. Remember not being able to walk outside for several weeks without the acrid smell of smoke? It came to be known as the Florida...
Stepping Into the Light” – January 3rd, 2021 Steve Schantz Good morning Church family and Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a safe and happy start to 2021. A new year can bring a sense of hope, can’t it? 2020 with its disrupted work, travel, education, and worship...
Philippians 2:1-13 Today’s text presents us with three notable insights into one of the earliest expressions of a healthy and mature church—the church in Philippi. First, we get a picture of what was being experienced. Second, we read the content of a hymn used in its worship. And third, we...
The theme for this week is living grace fully which encourages us to move through the world with more thoughtfulness and kindness. The message below is again taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. Ex. 14:19-31 and Ps. 114 tell the story of the parting of the Red Sea, and we can see how recognizing...