Grace-Snellville - Teachings | gfc.tv

“Why did this happen?” “Why did it happen now?” “Why did it happen to me?” What if we viewed even our adverse circumstances though the eyes of faith? What if the God we love loved us so much that He could work out every event for our good and His glory? What would that life look like? Downloads

How does Paul write a letter like Philippians that is drenched in joy even while he is locked in prison? Part of the key, we learn, is that he has arrived at a "mature consideration" (Phil. 1:12) of his situation. Unlike what we often do, Paul looks first to the Lord, then to his situation, and finally to his own reaction. How can we learn from Paul to look at our Savior first, then our situation, and then ourselves last? Downloads

Does shallow living haunt you? Do you ever contemplate your relationship with God, knowing there is more? Do you ever look at the kind of friend you are and the kind of friends you have and it seems like these relationships are about as deep and clear as a mud-puddle? If you want to move past the famine of faking it and into the abundance of authenticity there is a letter you need to read and digest; it’s called Philippians. This is a letter about lasting relationships, meaningful ministry, and knowing God deeply. If that strikes a hunger deep within you, join us as we explore “A LIFE OF MORE!” Downloads

As we listen to Paul's words in his letter to the Philippians, we may be surprised by his warm and intimate conversation. This is surely correspondence between close friends in true community. What has drawn them into such authentic relationship? And how might we connect with others in the same way? Paul's greeting and prayer in Philippians 1:1-11 begin to show us the way. Downloads

Welcome to Philippians! This is a compressed letter, filled with phrases that jump out and grab you like, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It is tempting to do a “drive by” or “bumper sticker” survey of its four chapters, underlining our favorite phrases and then moving on. That is better than nothing, but a grab bag of slogans ripped from their context can never sustain the soul, especially in seasons of suffering. Slogans may inspire us for the moment but suffering craves substance–spiritual food that sustains. If you hunger to experience God, deep intimacy will not be birthed without meditating on and marinating in the Scripture, then trusting the Holy Spirit to transform your heart and mind. One of the frequent observations made of Philippians–a letter Paul penned from prison–is that its most repeated theme is joy. Joy and happiness are not synonyms. God never promises happiness; happiness is dependent on happenings. If we pursue happiness we will miss God’s best. But if we pursue God regardless of circumstances, we will find ourselves captured by joy. Happiness feeds from rivers that run dry. Joy is the outcome of living immersed in Holy Spirit reality. It's rivers of Life, dripping wet with the kind of assurance that can look defeat, abandonment, pain, disappointment, and even death, in the face with the unshakeable confidence that the “Kingdom Plans of God” will overwhelm our broken dreams and bodies. And God grants even more than joy; He gives rejoicing. Rejoicing is when joy gets on a roll and it feeds off itself. Joy that comes from God is irrepressible and impossible to exterminate. It’s like kudzu with no cure, but it's good. Downloads

Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds the church there of the history they shared during its first days. That story can be found in Acts 16, and it's essential background as we read Philippians. Tonight, join us as we see the founding of the church in Philippi and learn how to be led by the Spirit, stay on mission, and rejoice. Downloads

Introduction from Buddy - For a little over 10 years I had the privilege of serving as an Adjunct Professor at Carver Bible College, one of America's historically Black colleges. The primary course I taught was “Church Planting.” Over a dozen churches were planted during that time and many of those churches planted other churches. This was not a personal undertaking; Grace partnered with Carver in this Kingdom enterprise. A game changer was when Dr. Robert Crummie was brought in from Dallas Theological Seminary to lead as the President of Carver 17 years ago. Dr. Crummie’s vision transformed the college. Dr. Crummie is colleague and friend. He is also a great teacher of Scripture. Wel have the distinct pleasure of hosting Dr. Crummie at Grace. Dr. Crummie not only is a great academic leader, he hails from a great National heritage–his father was of of the famed “Tuskegee Airmen” which broke the race barrier in WWII. He learned leadership from the best America had to offer. Downloads

We are people who open our Bibles and we evaluate experience though the lens of Scripture. I have been asked to share the experience God has taken us though, but as foundation of that sharing I want to open the Word as He opens our eyes. During a dangerous event Elisha cried out in a panic as he saw they were surrounded by the enemy, “What shall we do?” Elijah prayed, “God, open his eyes.” Elisha responded with new vision, “There are more on our side than on theirs!” God has taken me to a battlefront for which I did not request assignment, but I can report back with absolute confidence, “There is nothing to fear! There are more with us and it’s not even a contest!” I have no intention of sensationalizing this experience. My intention is to build our collective confidence in the promise God makes: “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” - Psalm 34:7 I do believe angels are among us but Jesus is with us and over us. This is God’s sovereign, protective promise. So, Sunday we will open our Bibles and hearts to God’s promises. It is with great pleasure I report back that God’s has heard our prayers. I intensely request your continued prayers that what is said will glorify God, magnify Jesus and be faithful to His Word. Downloads

When my kids were in high school they ran track. If you are unfamiliar with how track meets work, they can be awfully confusing to watch. Several events take place simultaneously. My favorite–and the only one I somewhat understood–was the relay race. I loved watching the handing off of the baton. In 1996 Atlanta had the privilege of hosting the Summer Olympics. Donovan Bailey, a runner from Canada, won the 100-meter race and took home the gold with a blazing time of 9.84 seconds. But, ironically, his was not the fastest 100 meters run that year; it was not even close. There were actually several runners who each ran 100 meters much quicker than Bailey. They were the runners who ran their 100 meters in the 4x100 relays. (4 runners each running 100 meters.) These runners ran faster because they were handed their batons while they were in full sprint. One of the prayers of Grace is to hand off the spiritual baton to the next generation with a spiritual lead. I’m excited to open the Word with you this week, the first week our schools are back in session. We will be praying for our schools and our students. We will see how to hand off this race to the next generation in the lead. Downloads

I do not have adequate words for the support, prayers and countless acts of kindness our family has received over the last few weeks from the family of Grace. In the coming weeks we will tell you some of the miracles God has shown forth. This is a note I was not sure I would write; this Sunday(God willing) I will be returning to do some teaching. Those of you who know me know that this is one of my favorite things to do. I love to teach and as God would have it, it is also the Sunday we focus on praying for the teachers in our community. So if you are ready, they (Doctors/ Family/ Elders and a host of others who have deeply held opinions on this issue) have decided this is the Sunday. If you would like to prepare your heart for Sunday’s message spend some time in Matthew 18:1-10. It says more in 10 verses than I could say in 10 lifetimes. Jesus was the Master Teacher. Downloads

Reaching the Neighborhoods, Nations and the Next Generation is the DNA of Grace, and in the next few weeks we will reconnect with what scripture has to say about these core areas. As a new school year begins, our focus turns to teachers and the next generation, so grab a Bible and open it to Matthew 18 and let's learn from Jesus, the Master Teacher. Downloads

This Sunday we welcome guest speaker Tim Hein. Tim is a minister and speaker from South Australia who is deeply passionate about people encountering Jesus Christ and helping to grow a movement of young, Biblical, missional leaders within our culture. Tim will be picking up from where we left off last week with JOY from John 15:11, then he will launch us into Acts 16:6-10. The mission-field around us seems vast, even overwhelming. And our default posture can be reduced to just cruising with the culture, attending to our own needs, and losing vision for what God is doing around us. We're going to explore how God can get our attention and shift us into a clearer and more effective missional lifestyle. Tim is currently on faculty at Uniting College for Leadership and Theology in Adelaide, Australia and for several years served alongside our own Chris Moerman on Pastoral staff at Hope Valley Uniting. He speaks widely on the gospel, culture, discipleship & mission. He loves films, and he and his wife Priscilla have two young daughters, Claudia & Zoe. Downloads

John 15 is John’s record of a long last walk with Jesus just before He was arrested. On this walk, Jesus kept repeating Himself, saying the most important things to His closest friends: -Remain in Me -Ask in My Name -Bear Much Fruit -Love Each Other -Remember Me/My Words -Be Full of Joy Jesus wanted His FAMILY of followers to be marked by FULLNESS of JOY! What is JOY and how do we get it. One of the older definitions of Joy gives us an idea of how to get it. Joy = The anticipation of receiving or possessing what we love or desire the most. C.S. Lewis stated it this way, “Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” How full of JOY are you right now? What if unlimited JOY really was available to you? Are you expecting to receive what you love the most? Jesus delights in giving HIMSELF to us. Let’s come together Sunday ready to receive him. Downloads

In the Gospels, Jesus makes some pretty shocking statements. We know this because usually right after he finishes saying them, the people around him are shocked! Some of these statements are challenging, others are surprising, while others simply seem too good to be true. This week’s passage falls into that final category. Jesus says, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you...” Really? Whatever we wish? And it will be done? Some of us even have trouble believing this because it feels like we have asked, and he hasn’t come through on his side! But Jesus is so serious about this promise that he repeats it twice in John 14-15. This Sunday, we will learn more about what it means to really be at home in this promise from the Lord. Downloads

To me, nothing feels more like summer than finding a patch of shade at the park after running around and eating a nice, fresh bunch of grapes. But I imagine if we asked our kids, “Where do grapes come from?” they would probably answer, “From the grocery store, of course!” Few of us see vineyards on a daily basis, and fewer of us have ever walked among the vines, tending to their growth and fruitfulness. But according to Jesus, the work of a vinedresser is exactly like the work of God in our lives as we abide in Christ and his words abide in us. This week, we will read the famous words of John 15 together and, hopefully, grasp in an even deeper way what it means to abide, be pruned, and bear fruit. So if you eat any grapes before Sunday, take a moment to think about where they came from and how Jesus would have you learn about being at home with God from them. Downloads