Good morning! As I mentioned on Sunday, we’re going to start looking at ‘Passion Week’ in our Mark series. This marks the start of Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem from Palm Sunday to the cross and the empty tomb. It is the critical part of our faith. So, in my ‘thought for the day’ from now until after Easter, I’ll be looking at elements of what happened and why. I hope it helps you to prepare for our Easter celebration.
Oasis Camp is Coming! As Dan announced Sunday, Oasis Camp is coming up! This is a major undertaking for our church and a key week in terms of our outreach and kid’s ministry. God uses it every year catalytically to launch so much of what happens in the months to come and we’ve seen much fruit come from it. How can you be involved? You can pray and also give of your time or treasure. Please see the attached letter for more specifics. This year’s theme is ‘Monumental’ and that’s the experience we’re going to have! English Conversation Group and Oasis@Midweek Tomorrow! Our final installment of the month for our popular mid-week kid’s ministry Oasis@Midweek happens tomorrow. Youth@GBC is leading this time so look for the next episode of our monthly drama, some great games and a topical message around the theme of “treasured”. This ministry for children JK to Gr.6 is not only for those who attended Oasis Camp or are part of GBC Kids Ministry but any in that age group that would like an encouraging evening event. In addition, our English Conversation Group will be starting as well and will be held at each Oasis@Midweek. If you, or someone you know, would like to practice their English language skills in a supportive and encouraging environment please plan to join Karen and Helen for this practical group opportunity. Thought for the Day: Why the Cross? The cross is a crucial symbol of the Christian faith. We see it pop up everywhere: perched atop our church, carved into a graveyard headstone or engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is our universal symbol. Yet it’s an odd choice, don’t you think? Why Chris? It’s strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution? Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman’s noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? I hope not! Yet we do so with the cross. So why then is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards. The cross is our symbol of hope. How could he do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on his Son and punished it there. Paul wrote this in 2Corinthians 5:21- “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I really like the way The Message says it: “God put on him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God”. Get the point? So, why the cross? That’s why! In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week.
Join us on Sunday in-person or on our livestream as we continue our series “Servant in motion” Sunday at 11am I will be sharing from Mark in our winter series: “Servant in Motion”. A key theme is Jesus as servant so that will direct our study as we look to see what it means for us. This week I’ll be looking at chapter 10 and the idea of the paradox of servanthood. Not sure what that means? Join me on Sunday to find out. We will also be having communion so I would encourage you to prepare your hearts for this special time of connection with God. You may want to ‘read ahead’ and get prepared for Sunday by looking at the passage for the day- Mark 10. We cover a lot of ground so it might help to read before Sunday! Remember, you can join us as we gather in-person or you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE Thought for the Day: Final thoughts on developing character like Jesus I don’t know about you, but I’ve been challenged personally by what I’ve been sharing about developing positive character traits using Jesus as our guide. The last one I want to share is one that Jesus showed so often: Humility Jesus had every opportunity and right to demand praise and honour for His miracles and teachings, but He never did. Even when the crowds sought to make Him king, He rushed away from them. He didn’t want to become a sideshow performance that people could enjoy. Rather, He wanted to seek and save the lost and offer forgiveness for sinful people. Yes, He could have traveled around in order to show off His powers in other towns, but He chose not to. As we read in Philippians 2, he humbled himself, became nothing, acting like a servant. Wow! What an example. So, that’s it. That’s what I’d like to share. As for some final thoughts I’d say this: The world doesn’t need more role models, it needs more of Jesus—the ultimate role model. People will not find a better person to emulate positive character traits from than Jesus Christ himself. With that in mind though, its important to remember that Jesus was God and so was perfect. While we can learn from him and his example we have to be careful how we measure ourselves against him too. We’ll never be perfect this side of heaven like he was so the key then becomes using him as a guide and being the best possible versions of ourselves we’re capable of being. It’s a tough challenge but a worthy endeavor. Strive! In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week! I hope you’re also enjoying our spring-like weather today. Don’t forget our annual meeting on Sunday. Details were sent out in the Tuesday update.
Mask Mandate Update As we have sought to follow public health mandates throughout the pandemic, as of Monday, the wearing of masks will not be required at GBC for any activities or services. I know there will be some who will not feel comfortable with this and so you are encouraged to continue to wear masks as long as you feel led. May we, as God’s church, show grace to one another as we navigate this new phase of the pandemic no matter what our view is. Prayer Chain Correction On Tuesday I gave an update on the prayer chain but I shared some incorrect information. If you have a prayer request, please send it here: [email protected]. Don’t send it to Jacob Ginter’s personal email. My apologies for any confusion! Join us on Sunday in-person or on our livestream as we continue our series “Servant in motion” Sunday at 11am Patrick will be sharing from Mark in our winter series: “Servant in Motion”. A key theme is Jesus as servant so that will direct our study as we look to see what it means for us. This week he’ll be looking at the remainder of chapter 8 and chapter 9. We will also be having another special mission’s update as we seek to connect with those we support through our finances and prayers. You can also ‘read ahead’ and get prepared by looking at the passage for the day- Mark 8:26-9:50. We cover a lot of ground so it might help to read before Sunday! Remember, you can join us as we gather in-person or you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE. Thought for the day: Be prayerful and practice gentleness to show true strength As I read the Bible, I am reminded often that Jesus was a man of prayer. With this in mind, as we look at character and how to live it out, we should seek to be prayerful in our own lives. No matter how busy His ministry got, Jesus found time to be alone and pray. Whether it was in the garden of Gethsemane, across a river, or on a mountaintop, Jesus disappeared for a while in order to pray to God, the Father. People always tried to find Him, and He never turned them away, but He also made sure to make time spent with His heavenly Father a priority. May this be something our lives are noted by. Okay, that was probably an obvious one. But how about this? Jesus was seen to have a spirit of gentleness. There were certainly times where Jesus used stern words, but He knew when gentleness was appropriate. Children seemed to love coming to him, and He made sure the disciples knew not to deter them when they did so. When speaking with His disciples, mother, or other people, He could be very kind-hearted and gentle. But, when He was giving someone a rebuke or making a point in an argument, He knew when turning up the heat was necessary and only did so strategically. He could be characterized as meek. Meekness, or gentleness, is not weakness, but strength under control. In these emotionally-charged days this is a critical trait for we who would like to follow Jesus to practice. In an era where we are seeing varying expressions of power, the one who is prayerful and shows gentleness is the true practitioner of strength. In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning! I apologize for not sending out an update on Thursday. I thought it had gone out but didn’t for some reason. Sorry about that!
As you’re all likely aware, the mask mandate in Ontario ends on Monday. Some will greet this with excitement, others with concern. Regardless of your take on this, I would encourage you to be kind and loving to those who hold an alternate view to you. May we, as followers of Jesus, be known for the love that we display. Remember, in all things grace, let your light shine! GBC Annual General Meeting coming Sunday The annual business meeting of our church is scheduled for this Sunday. Beginning 10 minutes after the service concludes and lasting less than an hour, members and those who are not, but are part of the GBC family, are encouraged to attend. We’ll be approving the budget for the year, receiving an update from our pastoral search team and also having a conversation about the structure and format of our Sunday morning service as we start to come out of covid. If you’d like to learn more about membership at GBC please ask me or any of the other elders. For those who are still part of our virtual congregation, you can watch Sunday live online here: https://youtu.be/K8LwiQ07Nq4 Prayer Chain Update Anne Coughey has recently stepped down as the coordinator of our prayer chain. Thanks Anne for your faithful service over the years, we appreciate it a lot! Our prayer chain is an opportunity for members of the GBC family to share items of prayer to share with the rest that pertain to them or their immediate family. Going forward, if you have something we can pray for you about, or would like to be added to the list to join with us in praying for our church family, please contact Jacob Ginter at: [email protected] or (519) 803-4453 Thought for the day: Building Character Takes Commitment I’ve been looking at how to develop character and been using Jesus as a guide. While there are certain elements of character inherited there’s much we can do to develop it as well. It’s not easy and does take work but is so worth it. This thought brings us to our next character trait: commitment. Jesus had no lack of commitment. Wherever He was, or whoever He was with, He was fully in the moment and fully committed to His goals. Despite praying fervently in the garden of Gethsemane to avoid having to bear the cross and all that physical torture, He knew it was the only way to pay for everyone’s sins, so He stayed completely committed to His goal. There were certainly many obstacles during His ministry, but He stayed on track and finished strong. It also takes commitment to live out the next key character trait of Jesus: Forgiveness. One of the most startling things said in the Bible is found in Luke 23:34, when Jesus is on the cross and says: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even while bleeding and experiencing pain, Jesus had His heart set on forgiveness—even forgiving those who put Him there in the first place! This is definitely contrary to the everyday mantra of looking out for number one and obtaining personal justice. Jesus was by no means concerned for His own life; all He wanted was to provide a way for forgiveness. What an incredible challenge for all of us. Who can we forgive today? That’s how you show character! In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning! I hope you’re making this a great week! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been enjoying the recent more spring-like weather. While I’m sure winter is not quite done it’s a good reminder of what is ahead. There’s a spiritual application to this as well. We all go through times of ‘winter’ but ‘spring’ always follows. Trust in the Lord!
Time of Prayer for Ukraine and for GBC This Sunday after the service in the Main Auditorium, we will be having a time of prayer for the war in Ukraine and also for our pastoral transition. All are welcome to attend and raise their prayers to the Lord for these important items. Join us on Sunday in-person or on our livestream as we continue our series “Servant in motion” Sunday at 11am Jacob will be sharing from Mark in our winter series: “Servant in Motion”. A key theme is Jesus as servant so that will direct our study as we look to see what it means for us. This week he’ll be looking at chapter 7 and part of chapter 8. You can also ‘read ahead’ and get prepared by looking at the passage for the day- Mark 7-8:26. We cover a lot of ground so it might help to read before Sunday! Remember, you can join us as we gather in-person or you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE. Thought for the day: Building Character Takes Commitment I’ve been looking at how to develop character and been using Jesus as a guide. While there are certain elements of character inherited there’s much we can do to develop it as well. It’s not easy and does take work but is so worth it. This thought brings us to our next character trait: commitment. Jesus had no lack of commitment. Wherever He was, or whoever He was with, He was fully in the moment and fully committed to His goals. Despite praying fervently in the garden of Gethsemane to avoid having to bear the cross and all that physical torture, He knew it was the only way to pay for everyone’s sins, so He stayed completely committed to His goal. There were certainly many obstacles during His ministry, but He stayed on track and finished strong. It also takes commitment to live out the next key character trait of Jesus: Forgiveness. One of the most startling things said in the Bible is found in Luke 23:34, when Jesus is on the cross and says: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even while bleeding and experiencing pain, Jesus had His heart set on forgiveness—even forgiving those who put Him there in the first place! This is definitely contrary to the everyday mantra of looking out for number one and obtaining personal justice. Jesus was by no means concerned for His own life; all He wanted was to provide a way for forgiveness. What an incredible challenge for all of us. Who can we forgive today? That’s how you show character! In His grip, Pastor Chris Good morning. It was nice to be back after my time away. The war in Ukraine continues to grip the worlds attention. It is a reminder of the problem of sin and how the devil works. May we continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and for those in our GBC family who have family and friends there. This is also a reminder to put on the full armor of God of Ephesians 6 since our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spirit world.
Oasis@Midweek on Wednesday! The first installment of the month for our popular mid-week kid’s ministry Oasis@Midweek happens tomorrow. Youth@GBC is leading this time so look for the next episode of our monthly drama, some great games and a topical message around the theme of “treasured”. This ministry for children JK to Gr.6 is not only for those who attended Oasis Camp or are part of GBC Kids Ministry but any in that age group that would like an encouraging evening event. In addition, our English Conversation Group will be starting as well and will be held at each Oasis@Midweek. If you, or someone you know, would like to practice their English language skills in a supportive and encouraging environment please plan to join Karen and Helen for this practical group opportunity. GBC Annual General Meeting coming March 20 The annual business meeting of our church is scheduled for Sunday March 20. Beginning 10 minutes after the service concludes and lasting less than an hour, members and those who are not, but are part of the GBC family, are encouraged to attend. We’ll be approving the budget for the year, receiving an update from our pastoral search team and also having a conversation about the structure and format of our Sunday morning service as we start to come out of covid. If you’d like to learn more about membership at GBC please ask me or any of the other elders. Thought for the Day: Be a loving servant We’re continuing to look at the character traits of Jesus. Character is what distinguishes, us, its who we are. May we look to be like Jesus in this way. What do I mean? Well, he was a servant Without a doubt, Jesus was the ultimate servant. We’ve been studying this in our series on the Gospel of Mark. Although He was praised as a great teacher and even had a decent following, He made sure to teach them to be servants by actually doing it himself. In Mark 10:45, our series key verse, Jesus even tells everyone: “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” Despite having the authority to get anything He wanted, have people praise and pamper him, He did the exact opposite by lowering himself and serving others. What a great example, and challenge for us as we go about our day. As well, he was loving Obviously, Jesus had a love for others. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be compassionate nor a servant. Jesus claimed that there is no greater love than to die for one of your friends—and He did just that. If anyone doubts His love, all they have to do is look upon the cross and see the agony that He bore for our sakes. He experienced that horrible death so that all can be saved. That, very clearly, is true love at its finest. The question I ask myself, then, is who can I love sacrificially? I’d encourage you to do the same thing. And that is what character looks like! In His grip, Pastor Chris |
Pastor Chris"At GBC we're serious about the Bible, serious about the truths that are found in it and living in Him but also like to laugh, cry and experience life together." Archives
January 2024
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