GBC Community Update: Remember, only God can save someone

Good afternoon.  I hope you’re making this a great week.  I almost found myself complaining about the humidity recently. How soon I forget winter!  I will say I’m enjoying their sunny, clear day as I count my blessings!
Today I wrap up my thoughts on outreach. I’m glad for the positive feedback I’ve received from a number of you and hope it stimulates some reflection leading to action.
 
 
Outreach Survey
As most of you will hopefully remember, one of our key focus areas as a church is outreach. It’s our desire as a church to seek to reach the community around us with the Good News of the gospel.  One way we can do that is through church-wide initiatives.  So, I want you input! 
Attached is a link to a survey that you can fill in with several ideas our outreach team is excited about for you to rank plus also an opportunity to share with us other ideas you may have. So please take a few minutes to complete the survey and let us know what you think.
https://form.jotform.com/211436504821044
 
 
Join us on Sunday for Faith that Works!
This Sunday I’ll be continuing our series: “Faith that Works”, a look at the book of James.
This week I’ll be looking at the second part of ch.2 and looking at the most controversial part of the letter, where James says “show me your faith and I’ll show you my works.” What did he mean by that and why is it so controversial?  Find out on Sunday as we build together a ‘faith that works’.
Remember, you can connect through our website www.guelphbiblechapel.ca  our YouTube channel as well as Facebook LIVE
 
 
Thought for the Day: Remember that only God can save someone
I’ve been looking at the opportunity we have to share our faith and the Good News of the gospel with the world around us.  I hope it has stimulated some thought and reflection. The last thing I want to share is a critically important thing to remember when you start sharing your faith: only God can save someone.
I don’t know about you, but for many, me included, there can often be a lot of fear surrounding sharing our faith, especially in a post-Christian culture.  There can also be a lot of guilt around not doing it or doing it wrong. It’s at times like this that God, as a sovereign King, chooses who he saves and when.
I remember a well-meaning youth leader who told a group of teens about sharing their faith that if they ‘got this wrong it’ll mess up kid’s eternity’.  Honestly, I was pretty steamed by that and it had a negative effect amongst this group of youth. I later reminded them that its up to God who he chooses and when.  We’re tools in his hands so relax, and go with the spirit. 
In my own experience some of my most articulate, well laid out and passionate gospel appeals have fallen on deaf ears while some of the worst, poorly thought out, inarticulate times I’ve shared my faith have led to someone surrendering their life to Jesus. The key is to be open to be used by God as he sees fit in the way he wants.
So, here’s the parting lesson: God is the only one who can save someone. All I am responsible to do is bravely share what He gives me to share, in the opportunities He provides. The rest is up to Him, and He wants people to know Him far more than I ever could. So, I can trust Him. That takes away my fear.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Chris