Hebrews 12:1-2

These have been some of the most difficult days for the church in recent memory. The government has told us that only fifteen percent of us can meet at one time for worship. Businesses have been closed or severely reduced. People are uncertain about the future. A pastor in Ontario was charged for keeping their church open during the pandemic. He faces a $10 000 to $100 000 fine and up to a year in prison. Grace Bible Fellowship has similarly committed to keeping our doors open. We could face similar fines or penalties from the governing authorities. What should our response be? The Hebrew believers were facing a similar situation. The author of Hebrews exhorted them to run the race of faith with endurance.

Selected Scriptures

In light of the recent restrictions on our gatherings and the closure of the arena by the governing authorities, we are going to examine what Scripture says about governing authorities, submission, obedience, and tyranny. This is an important question for us right now, one that we cannot afford to ignore any longer.

Selected Scriptures

Many people enter into marriage thinking that being married will improve their lives or make them happy. Marriage is a wonderful blessing from God but that does not make it easy. Many people have found marriage to be quite difficult, even many genuine believers. This week we will look at some of the chief difficulties in marriage and how they can be overcome. We will look at eight encouragements for a thriving marriage.

Love is an action that is not always necessarily associated with feelings. Love is seeking the benefit of others, whether they deserve it or not. In this way Christ loved His bride, by sacrificing Himself for her and sanctifying her unto God. Husbands are called to emulate Christ in loving their wives as Christ loved His bride, the church, and in this way, our marriage's display our union with Christ and the glorious work of the gospel.

Ephesians 5:22–24

What would you say is the key ingredient in a God glorifying marriage? Many would say something like, “the ability to laugh,” “forgiving one another,” or “good communication.” Those are all good things but they are not the answer that Scripture gives. The Bible teaches that marriage is two people becoming one flesh. When those two people live as one in every area of their lives—that is when God is most glorified in the marriage. Because that is when the picture of Christ and the church is most accurately displayed. But how do two live together as one? This week, we will look at the wife’s role in a message entitled, “The Spirit Filled Wife.”

1 Peter 2:4-8

This week as we continue our study of 1 Peter, our passage describes the basis for our belonging to the community of believers - the church, and the privileged identity we as Christians have in being united with Jesus Christ and belonging to the kingdom of God. We look at what it means that Jesus is a living stone and why Peter calls believers living stones as well.

Selected Scriptures

Last week we began our study on marriage. God designed marriage. In marriage he joins a man and a woman together and makes them ‘one flesh’ (Gen 2:24). This union was designed to be a picture of our redemption. This week we will dig deeper into what marriage is intended to illustrate. Marriage is a divinely intended picture of Christ and the church. That illustration is the ultimate meaning of marriage. Nothing helps our marriages more than the realization that our marriages point to something greater than the marriage itself.