GBC Community Update: God always treats us with mercy

Good morning. I hope you’re making this a great week despite yesterday’s snow storm. Looks like winter is back!  It definitely threw a curve ball as we had to reschedule Oasis@Midweek to next Wednesday.  God allows things like this to happen, are you ready to adjust, roll with it, and stand strong in your faith when they do?
 
 Commissioning of Pastor Dan this Sunday!
This Sunday we will be formally commissioning Pastor Dan into his new role serving here as a pastor at GBC as part of our 10:30am service. While he formally begins on Wednesday he has already been starting to connect with people and settle in.
Please come out and join us as we celebrate this great new chapter in the life of our church.
 
 Our next pot luck and evening communion service is Sunday night
On Sunday we will be having another evening meal and communion service. As has been shared, it’ll be a potluck format beginning at 6:00pm with communion to follow at 7:00. There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer so we know how many are coming.
The theme for this service will be 2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
May we come together and remember the Lord.
 
 Join us on Sunday in-person or on our livestream as continue our winter series, “Firm Foundations”-a study of the book of Romans
The foundation of a building is critically important for the stability of the structure that sits on it. In many ways our faith and relationship with God needs the same thing.  How is your foundation? This winter we’ll be looking at this idea as we study the book of Romans, perhaps the best book of the New Testament for this kind of thing. 
This Sunday I will look at what doesn’t give us right standing with God, and what does.
Want to prepare? Read the text for Sunday ahead of time: Romans 3:1-22
If you can’t make it you can connect through our website:  
www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE.
 
 Thought for the day:  God always treats us with mercy.
Tuesday I shared some thoughts on how God seeks a relationship with us and I hope that was an encouragement.  During it I shared a verse from Peter’s first letter to the early church. In that letter Peter goes on to write: “All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family”. In his mercy….did you catch that?  The more I understand grace the more it amazes me. It’s completely undeserved and unmerited, yes, and it’s based on the spirit of mercy that is part of God’s character.
This truth should give us hope even when we blow it (and you will at some point in 2023 if you haven’t already; I know I have!), when we fail, God doesn’t get mad at us. He always acts with mercy toward us. Why? As a follower of Jesus, you’re covered in his blood and salvation. That’s the truth and hope we have in the cross- that his mercy extends to us even though we deserve his wrath.  No matter what’s in store for you, you can rest completely in that truth.  May that give you hope on a cold, snowy Thursday!
 
In His grip,
Chris