GBC Community Update: As faith grows fear goes!

​Good afternoon!  I hope you’re making this a great week.  Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. A lot has gone on here and much has changed since our own Thanksgiving last month. Still, I find myself reflective and thinking about the things that I have to be thankful about, and there are a LOT. So, even if this is not our day of thanksgiving, I’d encourage you to spend some time remembering what you have to be thankful for and thanking the one who made it possible!
 
 
Outreach Workshop
This Sunday,  the 29th, we’ll be having our first outreach workshop starting at 12:15(ish!). For 30 minutes we’ll be looking at practical ways that you can strengthen and gain confidence in your ability to share your faith. There’ll be opportunity to practice as well as useful teaching to help you grow in comfort in this important part of discipleship.  I’m excited to see what comes from this as well look to let the light of the gospel shine more strongly through our lives.
 
 
Join us on Sunday
As a reminder, we’ll be having communion on Sunday. So whether you’re here live or joining on the livestream, be ready to remember Jesus and what he did on the cross. As well, I’ll  be finishing our series on the 7 churches. This week we look at Laodicea,  a church very different from Philadelphia. Find out the problem they faced and Jesus’  encouragement to them to get their act together.  You can join us here at 11am or by tuning in on our livestream.
 
 
Thought for the day: As faith grows, fear goes!
Our trust in God is based on His promises and His faithfulness. The Faith Chapter, Hebrews 11, is full of stories of men and women who grew to believe that God would do exactly what He promised. Their trust in the faithful God helped them face their fears and act in faith. It helped them wait patiently and courageously endure terrible and terrifying trials.
 
The greatest example is Jesus Christ Himself. Hebrews 12 reminds us: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”.  That’s powerful!
 
Like the faithful people of old, we should focus beyond this fearful world on the positive future God has in store. We can also meditate on and appreciate the comfort and peace God gives now. Even more, we can go to God and ask him for more faith. We should then act on that faith in obedience to God, since the Bible tells us “faith without works is dead”. If our focus is on God’s Word and His eternal promises more than the temporary physical circumstances, we will increase our faith and decrease our fear.  Give it a try!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris