Saint John Community Church

Pastor Tom Grieb concludes our Partnership series. This morning we will celebrate our “partnership” together and, in particular, our “Partnership in Giving.” We will be studying Philippians 4:14-20 where we hear Paul commending the Philippians for their financial support. Paul is quick to recognize that their generosity did more for them than it did for him. Giving frees us to put our focus on God, extends our reach, and nurtures a generous spirit, which after all is where God wants us to be. 

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series "Partnership." Paul lets us in on a little secret. No, it really is a big secret. It’s the sort of secret that has everything to do with the way we live our lives. In Philippians 4:12, Paul talks about “the secret of being content in any and every circumstance.” He references the ability to be content whether in plenty or want. In an age where enough is never enough and having to do without is a major challenge, Paul challenges us to center ourselves in Christ. In fact, Paul asserts that in Christ who strengthens us, we are able to endure any circumstance. Paul was living proof of that. He knew what it meant to have a lot and to have nothing. He would not be swayed one way or another by that because his trust was in the sufficiency of Christ to provide just what he needed. We’d do well to put that into practice. That was Paul’s “secret” to living life; it should be ours as well.

Pastor Tom Grieb begins our series "Partnership," based on Philippians. The Apostle Paul had a deep love affair with the church in Philippi. He was deeply appreciative of the support they directed his way. That support heartened him to no end. Paul expressed his appreciation not only to the church, but to God. Paul offered prayers of thanksgiving to God thanking him for the church there. He wrote in Philippians 1:3-5, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” We are talking about that partnership and how it played out for Paul and those who made up the Philippian Church. It was a partnership that was founded in Christ and resulted in a great deal of effective ministry. To a large degree that partnership was expressed in a generosity borne out of a deep desire to be faithful to Christ.

Pastor Ashlee Adkins finishes up our "Storyline" series by digging into the storyline of Lydia. There’s not much written about her in Scripture, but we know the ripple effects of her willingness to serve God went on for many years and had great impact on spreading the Gospel. God prepared her heart, she accepted the truth of the Good News when she heard it, and she allowed God to move through her in all she did from that moment on.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series, "Storyline." Those in the armed forces are used to taking orders. It just comes with the territory. For many, taking orders is not the easiest thing to do. For a fellow like Cornelius of Acts chapter 10, taking orders was second nature. Cornelius was a Centurion after all, an important part of the Roman legion. Cornelius’ willingness to follow orders cut much deeper. Not only was Cornelius a Centurion, but one whose desire it was to follow God. Cornelius dedicated himself regularly to prayer. He willingly gave to the poor. In a word, Cornelius was open to God’s direction. Cornelius’ obedience to God’s call upon his life made all the difference in his life and, quite frankly, to the overall ministry of the early New Testament Church. Cornelius’s conversion to Christianity freed the church to then go into all the world offering the good news about Jesus not only to Jews, but Gentiles as well.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series, "Storyline." This week we move from the Old Testament to the New Testament with the story of the tax collector Zacchaeus. He was so short that he climbed a tree to see Jesus, from which Jesus immediately called him to come down. As Zacchaeus came down, something dramatic happened. Upon meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus’s life was forever changed. Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was primed to hear his call. He was not only primed to hear his call, but also to respond to it. Jesus has an innate ability to seek us out, just like he did Zacchaeus. That has everything to do with his grace.

Pastor Ashlee Adkins continues our series "Storyline" along with guest speaker Julie Love of the Kentucky United Methodist Children's Home. Everyone loves a good story. Especially stories that have unlikely heroes. And this week we get to dive into a story that has one of my favorite characters, Esther. Esther was a Jewish queen in a Gentile country – everything about that fact makes her story even more inspiring and one that points to the great things God can do to take care of his people. I can’t wait to dig into this story and how Esther answered God’s call and in doing so, risked everything.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our "Storyline" series and Don Dugan shares his testimony about missions. God is all about leading us beyond where we are to the very place, he wants us to be. New opportunities abound when it comes to ministry. It comes to us to respond. In Isaiah 6:1-8, God issues such a call to Isaiah. He does so by asking a couple of questions, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” It should be noted that God asked those questions in the context of worship. Worship, if anything, should send us forth. Isaiah was quick to respond to those two questions by saying, “Here I am. Send me!” He didn’t ask where. He didn’t consider how he would get there. He didn’t consult his calendar to see if what the Lord was calling him to do would fit in his otherwise busy schedule. Isaiah was simply ready to respond. That sort of readiness should be ours as well.

Pastor Tom Grieb begins our new series, "Storyline."

Everyone has a story. Our stories are impacted by how God may be forming and fashioning our lives. Over the next few weeks we will be talking about how God calls us and how we in turn respond to that call. This week we will look at the call of God on Samuel’s life, and how Samuel responded: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (I Samuel 3:10)

Pastor Ashlee Adkins concludes our discipleship series, "unhurried." We are exploring the final portion of our discipleship vision (to be a disciple is to a.c.t.) with “Take Action for Christ.” Bob Goff, in his amazing book, “Love Does”, says “…it seems to me that what God does most of the time when He has something to say is this…He doesn’t pass us messages, instead he passes us each other.” To ‘do’ for Christ isn’t easy. He tells us clearly throughout Scripture that this journey of discipleship will be hard. He also makes it very clear we aren’t meant to do it alone. We need encouragement, support, accountability, people to lean on, to share with, grow with, and to pray with.