GBC Community Update: Live a life of character

Good morning!  It was great to see so many of you out on Sunday for our first in-person service in a while. It was also nice to be able to return to singing. I enjoyed listening to those of you who joined in!
I’m wrapping up my thoughts today on having Christian character. Thanks for all those who shared with me that this was impactful to them, I appreciate that.  I’ll be starting a new series of thoughts on Thursday.
 
 
Meet our Summer Staff!
As in past years, GBC has applied for funding under the Canada Summer Jobs program to hire staff who are between the ages of 15 and 30 for a variety of tasks. I’m pleased to share that so far we have hired two.
The first is Hunter Hamilton.  Hunter will be known to the GBC family as one who has been involved in our music ministry, Oasis ministry and in the past youth ministry. Hunter is going into his last year of studies in broadcasting and will be serving in two roles: maintenance and youth/children’s ministry until the fall.
The other is Matthew Cline. Matthew is newer to the GBC family and you might remember he was baptized in November. Matthew will be working with me on a leadership development internship as he explores God’s call on his life in terms of ministry.
Please welcome Hunter and Matthew to staff. I’d encourage you to pray for them from now and throughout the summer.
 
 
Invitation to David and Caroline’s Wedding
David and Caroline would like to invite anyone interested to watch the broadcast of their wedding this Saturday afternoon at 4pm on Zoom (broadcast starts at 3:50pm)
 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87320840102?pwd=UkdaNVp5ZmtXZFFXN1l4cTNaRWhIdz09
 
Meeting ID: 873 2084 0102
Passcode: Wedding!
 
Dial by your location
        +1 647 558 0588 Canada
        +1 778 907 2071 Canada
 
 
Join in Prayer                                                               
The GBC Prayer Group meets in the side auditorium on TUESDAY AFTERNOONS at 3:30pm. We continue to pray as prompted by God’s Word, intercede for our church family and city, and enjoy the encouragement of God’s presence. Please join us!
 
 
Thought for the Day:  Growing in Christian Character means….
We’ve been looking at the traits of Christian character and how to develop them in the day-to-day of our lives.  So, let me summarize this a bit and share one more thought.  We develop Christian character by controlling our thoughts, practicing Christian virtues, guarding our hearts, and keeping good company.  Men and women of character will set a good example for others to follow, and their godly reputation will be evident to all.
As we examine this short list is there anything they have in common?
I believe there is!
They all require us to:
Live!!
We all live life in context and some form of community. So, to be a person of character we need to live.  But with that in mind, be different in the way that you live life. Be mature and conduct yourself maturely.  This doesn't mean that you have to look totally different but it does mean that you should be mindful of how you dress and thoughtful in your interactions with social media.  As well, listen to good music with a positive message (based on your taste of course!) and avoid any inappropriate videos. Use your best judgment.
The only way to truly live in a Christ-honoring fashion is to know Jesus. You will never know him completely, on earth, but throughout life, by praying, reading your Bible, getting involved with study, being a disciple, being in community in a small group, you can know him more.  Act the way Jesus did, and that's a life worth living.  Once you know Jesus more than you did at first then you can understand how to live.
Remember those WWJD bracelets that were popular a few years ago?  May that be a reminder: what would Jesus do? It’s hard though to do what Jesus did if we don’t BE what Jesus was. And that was a person of character. Strive to live the best character you can and watch your life change and the life of those around you.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris