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Ephesians 3:1 – 13 | Confidence In Suffering Part I

January 1, 2018 / joemarino

How do you look into the face of suffering with confidence? How do you not give into the temptation to throw in the towel? How do you encourage others to stay strong in these circumstances? When your parent is dying. When your friend’s marriage falls apart. When your sibling loses their job. When a child dies. When a friend suffers abuse. When your finances are in ruins. When your friend stabs you in the back. When your child rebels. When you give into that sinful pattern again. When your physical health fails again. Where does your confidence come from?

GC Study Guide | Confidence In Suffering Part I

December 31, 2017 / joemarino

Where does your confidence come from? When your parent is dying. When your friend’s marriage falls apart. When your sibling loses their job. When a child dies. When a friend suffers abuse. When your finances are in ruins. When your friend stabs you in the back. When your child rebels. When you give into that sinful pattern again. When your physical health fails again. Where does your confidence come from?

Windows To The Soul

December 27, 2017 / joemarino

The eyes are the windows to the soul. Seeing is believing. Every time we watch a movie or see a commercial on TV or look at an advertisement on a billboard someone is trying to sell us something. Someone is trying to make us believe something. Advertisements are attempting to convince you that your current financial or material position is less than acceptable.

Seek My Face

December 26, 2017 / joemarino

This week’s prayer passage is a core passage that informs our prayer lives. We are Christians. As Christ’s possessions we come to him humbly in prayer. We seek the presence of Christ. We turn in repentance from our sin. As we do this, God hears our prayers from the throne of Heaven, forgives us and heals us. This is such a great privilege and promise!

Spend some time praying according to the points below:

:: Spend some time recounting how God saved you and express your gratitude for his work in growing you in the gospel.

:: Confess any known areas of pride and sin in your life and in the life of your church family.

:: Ask for forgiveness and renewal in Christ’s presence and ask the Lord to provide true sorrowful repentance in the lives of his people.

:: Pray for the 26,000 people in our community. 17,000 do not know Christ. Divorce rates are high, addictions are devastating and broken families are systemic. Ask the Lord for healing throughout our community.

John 1:14 – 18 | The Presence Of Christ

December 25, 2017 / joemarino

It’s Christmas!! The trees are decorated. The lights are up. Christmas songs are in full effect. The presents are wrapped. Christmas meals are planned. It really is one of the most beautiful and exciting times of the year. And one of the most exciting things about this time of year is the great opportunity we have to exalt Christ.

GC Study Guide | The Presence Of Christ

December 24, 2017 / joemarino

When you feel alone or unimportant or when you are struggling to experience the grace and truth your heart needs, please remember that you are not alone, you are not unimportant and you can experience grace and truth in the presence of Christ who is the life-giving, life-sustaining presence we need.

Visible Things

December 20, 2017 / joemarino

Visible things point to invisible things. The visible behaviors of your life point to the invisible desires of your heart. The visible actions of your lifestyle point to the invisible affections of your heart. The way you spend your money, the way you manage your wealth and the way you care for your physical possessions are all like visible plants that point to invisible desires. Visible things point to invisible things.

Holy Hands

December 18, 2017 / joemarino

1 Timothy is written by a pastor and church planter named Paul. He wrote this letter to his young son in the faith named Timothy. Timothy is an elder or pastor at the church in Ephesus.

Paul’s encouragement to young pastor Timothy is to get the men praying everywhere. He’s encouraging them to lift up hands of praise and holiness instead of lifting up hands of anger, conflict and sin.

Spend some time praying according to the points below:

:: What has disrupted your practice of prayer this week? Spend some time confessing your struggle with sin, anger and conflict and ask the Lord to help you live in a peaceful, righteous posture of prayer.

:: Ask the Lord to move on the hearts of our church members and leaders to become people of prayer and the Word. When God’s Word is open he speaks and then in prayer we speak back to him.

:: Ask the Lord to help people in our GC’s, our Sunday gatherings, our leadership teams and our discipleship meetings to make prayer the priority of being together.

GC Study Guide | The Word, The Light and The Right

December 17, 2017 / joemarino

I have a habit of making the things I want into things I need which in turn make the things I need into things I don’t want.

John 1:1 – 13 | The Word, The Light and The Right