GBC Community Update: Be strong and of good courage!

​Good afternoon!  I hope you’re making this a great week. Despite the dreary weather today, the fall colors are amazing. I had the chance to do some walking lately and it brings such joy to see the brilliance of fall. I’m thankful for the beauty of God’s creation. It’s important to look around and actively seek to find where God is working, because He is!
 
 
Join us on Sunday!
Thanks again to Richard Fangrad for his excellent message on Jesus being God.  This Sunday we return to our series on the 7 churches of Revelation and what lessons for today we can learn. This week I’ll be looking at the church of Ephesus and seeing how God assessed it.  I hope you’ll join me either here or on our livestream.
Speaking of our livestream, for those on Facebook, why not share out LIVE link with your friends?  I think all of us need encouragement in these days so why not share the encouraging message of the gospel with those you know through our Sunday service or Facebook page!
 
 
Baptism Opportunity!
Those who would like to take the step of obedience through immersion baptism, you have an opportunity to do this the end of November. We already have one person who has signed up so you won’t be alone!  If you’d like to participate, or have questions about baptism, I’d love to talk to you about it.
 
 
Thought for the day: Be strong and of good courage
After Joshua took over when Moses died, he needed encouragement. The people were afraid and they also needed assurance from God. In Joshua 1, we see the command, “Be strong and of good courage” repeated three times.  Verse 9 says:
“Have I not commanded you? BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”
It’s worth noting that God actually commanded Joshua to be STRONG and of GOOD COURAGE. It isn’t a request of God or some mere suggestions but it’s a command.
We can learn from this. 
Instead of fearing, God encourages us to be strong and be courageous. But what does this mean?  It means that we should not stay weak. We must be strong in the Lord. That means we need to obtain strength from the Supreme Eternal God.
Being strong isn’t enough but we must also be courageous. Being courageous means that we should have the confidence to do what God wants us to do. Though things may not seem to go your way, being courageous means that you are able to move forward as you trust God.
God wants us to have a different kind of courage, the kind Joshua showed, to have the courage to do what is right and proper in God’s eyes.
So, be strong and courageous, you can definitely overcome fear through the Lord!
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris