GBC Community Update: Give thanks for hard things

​Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week!  Lest we forget….Saturday is Remembrance Day and I would encourage you to pause at 11am and take a moment to reflect on those who gave their lives to secure the freedom of others. With war in so many places in the world it becomes so much more important to not lose the lessons from our past. Observing Remembrance Day is one of them.
 
 
There’s still time to join the Christmas Choir! 
The Christmas Choir had their first practice on Sunday and it was amazing to see so many of you being part of it.  There’s still time to join though!. Here are the details you need from Jamie to be part of this:
My thinking is that the choir would sing December 17th and essentially lead worship that Sunday morning with band members accompanying. There would be 5 songs: 3 would be sung with the congregation (essentially leading worship Dec. 17th) and 2 would be performance type pieces. The hope is that some would be 2-part harmony, some would be 4-part harmony.
Rehearsals would be Sunday afternoons from 12:15 - 1:45 in the main auditorium. Pack a lunch to eat in the side auditorium following the Sunday morning service. Rehearsal dates are Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26, Dec 10, 15 (Fri night). Please fill out the form below as to whether you plan on being involved in choir this Christmas!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScX8WazdxXAHntvhsUlnOWIh1lJEC9IIssK7GvwkctMWjQYMg/viewform
 
 
‘The Dawn of Redemption’ A series on the book of Luke. Join us Sunday
We continue our fall series on the book of Luke. We are looking carefully at this key book in the months to come as we examine Doctor Luke’s gospel so we may have certainty in what we believe.  In this particular series of passages we look at God’s plan to bring salvation to the world.
This Sunday Pastor Dan will be looking at the ministry of John the Baptist and what it meant to God’s plan of redemption.
What happened and what does this mean for us? Join us Sunday and find out.
If you want to prepare, please read Luke 3:1-20.
If you can’t make it, you can connect through our website:  
www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Thought of the Day: How To Be Truly Thankful – Give Thanks for the Hard Things
On Tuesday I shared about being humble before God in order to build a spirit of thankfulness.  As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been looking at this in perhaps a different way.  Today I’m going to take it up a notch- give thanks when things get hard!
James wrote this in the first chapter of his very practical look at living out the Christian faith: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” Really? Do you? Do I????  Honestly, this is a struggle for me and not a default position when troubles come. Rather, I try to figure out how to correct or get through the situation. Rarely do I say, “Gee, thanks God for troubles!”
So, lets work on this together.
Joy isn’t the opposite of trouble, it’s a choice you have despite your trouble.
You can choose joy in the middle of a broken family, memories of a painful childhood, or even your own failing health.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, troubles might actually be your bridge to true thankfulness or a spiritual breakthrough that couldn’t come any other way.  I know this has been the case in my own experience.  Often times we don’t see that until after something is done. This is kind of a ‘theology of hindsight’.  What happens here is it gives something to consider the NEXT time trouble comes. So yes, this is a process, much like our spiritual journey. But when we can have this kind of mindset we can then be thankful no matter what.  In the meantime, as you go through troubles, the key is to remember whose hands you are in.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris