GBC Community Update: Answering the 'why' question

Good morning!  I’m back. Oasis was another incredible experience and it was a joy to be part of it.  Please pray for the kids we ministered to that the idea of celebrating God’s goodness would be more than a camp slogan but something that helps them move forward.
 
 
Wonderful Wednesdays in Prayer @ 7:30 PM
Come join your fellow believers in praying biblical prayers for one another, for our neighbors, and for the City of Guelph.  Patrick Thornton is hosting prayer at GBC every Wednesday at 7:30 PM and using Paul’s prayers as a guide for prayer. 
Don’t miss out on the privilege of calling upon our Heavenly Father together! 
 
 
Oasis Recap
I could say a lot about Oasis Camp. It was, as always, an amazing time and for me it was, well, an oasis.   Particularly sweet was the number of GBC kids at the camp, our most in many years.  I liked this because it gave me an opportunity to get to know them better and deepen our relationship.  Praise God for all he is doing!
If you missed ‘Oasis Sunday’ I’d encourage you to watch in on demand on our YouTube channel. It was a pretty special service.
If you’d like to see what happened, watch the recap of the week you can find here on our YouTube channel as well:
(74) Oasis 2022 - Monumental - YouTube
 
 
Summer thoughts to keep you on the journey: Answering the ‘why?’ question
You’ve likely heard this all before, you may even be tired of it by now. So please take this as a gentle reminder for those who may still be asking the ‘why?” question these days.  This is not just about the war in Ukraine, inflation or our government’s choices.  There is much uncertainty these days and its natural to ask ‘why’?  That’s a healthy thing to do in changing times like these but when this leads to more questions there are a couple of things we can remember as we go through tough times: 
First off, remember WHOSE you are. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. So, God isn’t surprised by what’s going on, He’s still in charge and He’s working things out for His glory.  As much as it’s nice to know we have purpose, our main purpose is not what we do but who we are in Jesus.  Times of testing show this to ourselves and the world around us, it’s part of our witness.
As we deal with the inevitable and very real ‘why?’ questions it’s good to remember that a disappointment can be God’s appointment based on what you do with it. He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4), He’s working things out.  Those classic words of Proverbs 3:5-6 come to mind: trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in everything you do remember He is the King of Kings and He’ll make your path straight.  Not easy, but straight, and it’ll lead you to a finish line where once crossed there are no more ‘why’ questions. Hope that helps!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris