GCCWS Weekend Messages

Do  you want peace?  Then it is up to you.  Someone once said, “To dwell  above with the saints I love, that would be glory, to live below with  the saints I know, brother, that’s another story.”

James  teaches us peace is possible.  Peace is possible on earth as it is in  heaven.  In James 4, we will learn about the source and solution to the  conflict.  So, join us for worship this weekend as we explore James  4:1-12 and discover the cause and cure for conflict.

Who is wise and understanding among you?  That’s a question we ask ourselves more often than we may think.  When we are making a significant decision, or we want an objective opinion or helpful counsel about a matter, we seek out wise people.  Wise people are people with life experience and they know how to use their experiences to counsel others.  Wise people are knowledgeable people, but they are also people who know how to take what they know and apply it to everyday life.  So then, who is wise and understanding among us?

Someone once said, “Words are containers for power.  You choose what  kind of power they carry.”  For this reason, God is interested in our  words and how we choose to use our words.  In HIS Word – the Bible – God  addresses the way we use our words.  Both Old and New Testaments are  filled with truth about the power of our words, our speech, our tongues.   This weekend, we turn our attention to James 3:1-12 to learn about the  power of the tongue and how to use it both wisely and well!  I look  forward to sharing this message with you.Like, comment, & subscribe  to stay updated with the latest content!  CONNECT WITH US: ► Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gccws_gram ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gccws  ► Website: http://www.gccws.net OUR RESOURCES: ►Recharge Devotional: http://www.gccws.net/recharge  ►Online Church: http://live.gccws.net  ►Online Bulletin: http://www.gccws.net/bulletin  ►Discipleship Classes: http://www.gccws.net/adults  ►Events Coming Up: http://www.gccws.net/events #gccanywhere #gracecommunitychurchofwillowstreet #YouTube #ChurchMinistry #LancasterCounty  Like, comment, & subscribe to stay updated with the latest content!   CONNECT WITH US: ► Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gccws_gram ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gccws  ► Website: http://www.gccws.net  OUR RESOURCES: ►Recharge Devotional: http://www.gccws.net/recharge  ►Online Church: http://live.gccws.net  ►Online Bulletin: http://www.gccws.net/bulletin  ►Discipleship Classes: http://www.gccws.net/adults  ►Events Coming Up: http://www.gccws.net/events    #gccanywhere #gracecommunitychurchofwillowstreet #YouTube #ChurchMinistry #LancasterCounty

You have heard me say over and over again that we can’t do a thing to earn salvation in Christ. Works do not save us; they are not the way to Heaven. Jesus Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. But this doesn’t mean that good works have no place in our Christian life. Good works don’t save us, but they are the evidence that we are saved. James states this truth in his no-nonsense style in James 2:18 when he writes: But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” True saving faith is complete trust and surrender to Jesus Christ and such faith will always show itself by works. Join me and your GCC family this weekend as we discover how faith works in the lives of Christians. We’ll continue our study in James by turning to James 2:14-26. Every service will conclude with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

God does not show favoritism.  This is a truth that dates to the very creation of mankind.  It is foundational to our faith and central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it even finds prominence in the founding of our own nation.  So, it should be no surprise that, as we turn the pages of the book of James to chapter 2, we are confronted with this bold truth presented in James’ no nonsense style:  “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”  Join me and your GCC family this weekend as we unpack the convicting truths of James 2:1-13 and learn what it means to live free from prejudice and full of love.

This weekend we continue in our series MAKING FAITH WORK. A faith that works is a faith that works through trials. It is natural for us to get angry when we face a problem. Yet, as we will learn in James 1:19-27, anger can blur our vision and pollute our mission. So, don’t be deceived; join us this weekend and learn to transform your anger before your anger transforms you.

“We can’t go over them.  We can’t go under them.  We’ve got to go through them.”  When it comes to trials that is ALMOST ALWAYS true – ALMOST.  There is one category of life’s trials that can and should be avoided.  In fact, we not only don’t want to go through them, we want to run from them.  It is the category of temptations – temptations to sin.  The temptation to sin is an inward trial of life that we all face and quite often in our daily lives.  In fact, the outward trials of life over which we have no control often bring temptations with them.  To drive that point home, James carefully and skillfully teaches in James 1:13-18 how temptation works and where it leads, and why we don’t need to go there.  I look forward to exploring this truth with you this weekend at GCC!

“We can’t go over it.  We can’t go under it.  We’ve got to go through it.”  So it is with the trials of life.  Much as we may want to “go over them” or “under them” to get away from them, we’ve got to “go through them” because, quite simply, that’s the way life works.   This weekend, we begin a new series of sermon from the New Testament book of James called Making Faith Work.  The first subject James tackles is the subject of trials – the trials of life.  You may recall that we explored that very subject three weeks ago as we grappled with suffering in light of eternity.  James 1:1-12 is an excellent sequel to that sermon and extremely practical, too.  God inspired James to tell us how trials work when you are a follower of Jesus Christ.  We’ll learn what role attitude, wisdom and money play in navigating life’s trials.  I look forward to exploring God’s truth with you!

First observed on May 30, 1868, Memorial Day commemorated the sacrifices of those who lost their lives during the Civil War.  For nearly a century, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day and expanded beyond its original audience to include those who had fallen in other US conflicts.  Then In 1971, Memorial Day became a nationally recognized holiday.  This weekend, in all services, GCC will honor the men and women who died while in military service for the United States of America.

“What happens after I die?”  This has been the driving question in our five-part sermon series on eternity.  Yet, Heaven isn’t just for you!  For the Christian, the question is not, “What happens after I die.” Instead, “What happens after they die” - My neighbor, banker, barber, friend, etc.?  Join us this weekend as we learn from Acts 1:4-8 how to fill heaven by being a witness for Jesus.