Advent marks the start of a season of preparation that looks forward to the celebration of Christmas and the second coming of Christ. It is a time of reflection in preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ—we remember how our Savior humbled Himself to be born as a baby and live among those He would save. We remember the perfect life He lived doing the will of His Father, His sacrificial death on the cross, and how He was raised from the dead three days later, having paid the penalty in order to save all who would believe. Christians remember Jesus' promise to return again one day and restore everything fully. This season invokes feelings of expectation and hope!

The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming” from the word advenire (ad- “to” venire “come”). Advent is a reminder of how the Jewish people waited for the Messiah and how Christians wait for the second coming of Christ, today.
 
The prophet Isaiah foresaw the coming of the Messiah, “A voice is crying out, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough places become plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; then the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
 
For hundreds of years, faithful Christians have observed the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day as a special time to prepare their hearts, but these practices have changed over time.  The first mention of Advent is found in ancient writings dating back to the sixth century, with some anecdotal mentions as early as AD 380 at the Spanish Council of Saragossa! So not only is it an old Christian practice, but it’s also a very personal one, as churches have adapted the practice to suit their local congregations.  This year at Grace the four weeks leading up to Christmas will be:

1. Week 1:  The Hope Candle – Today, November 28
2. Week 2:  The Preparation Candle (Prophets) – Sunday, December 5
3. Week 3:  The Joy Candle – Sunday, December 12
4. Week 4:  The Love Candle – Sunday, December 19
5. Christmas Eve – The Christ Candle, December 24

 
We will honor our widows within our fellowship this year by hearing them read the scriptures related to each candle’s lighting. Our deacons will join them by leading in prayer. We will join the shepherds who first came to see the Christ child, “Come, let us go straightway to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15)
 
Come and See Jesus!

 
Robbie and I are so thankful today to be celebrating Thanksgiving with our church family. We will enjoy the blessing of worship this morning as the people of God who are grateful for all of God’s rich blessings. 
 
J.I. Packer said, “We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal.”
 
Worship springs forth from a heart filled with gratitude. After a long year of stress and difficulty, it is God who brings us together today to lift up His name in praise for bringing us through and keeping healthy together.
 
The psalmist proclaimed, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness endures to all generations.” (Psalm 11:4-5)
 
As I worship the Lord today, I am thankful for His goodness. So much of what we face today is not good. There is much that is unholy and corrupt. God is pure, kind, and holy. Praise God this morning because He is perfectly good.
 
I am thankful this morning for God’s lovingkindness. I have told you many times what I think about that word. It is one of the most important words in the Bible. It is the Old Testament’s way of telling us what God’s mercy is. The apostle Paul said, “…in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). The lovingkindness of God has been given to us in Christ Jesus. We are saved because God is loving and kind. Praise the Lord today because the lovingkindness of God never fails.
 
When you know that God is good, and when you believe that Jesus is the lovingkindness of God, “…made flesh and dwelling among us” (John 1:14), how can you help but be thankful. A thankful heart is one that is filled with the goodness of God and overflows with His mercy and grace. That is why we will gather around the table this morning to share a good meal together.
 
Happy Thanksgiving Grace Church Family! You are truly the people filled with His goodness of God and His lovingkindness.
 
May God bless you all.
 
Pastor Mike

​CHURCH-WIDE THANKSGIVING LUNCH

After Worship, Sunday November 21st

No Sunday School
Worship at 10:30 am
Lunch at 11:45 am

Church will provide the Turkey and Drinks
Ladies provide Sides and Deserts

 
The Grace Church family is coming back together. It’s been a long and difficult season as we have come through the uncertainty of the pandemic. We are now ready to give thanks and praise to God for His bringing us through this painful time. We are seeing attendance grow each week and enthusiasm build. God is working to show us His will and direction for the future. Invite your family and bring your friends.
 

DON’T MISS A SINGLE EVENT!
 

Let’s raise our voices together in thanksgiving on Sunday the 21st for the amazing grace of God that has been with us all along and now leads us to renew our vows to Him and each other for the future.

Mark your Calendar

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT GRACE

Sunday, December 5th
2:30 to 4:30 pm

Around the Table

Celebrating Christ’s Birth
​
100+ Rejoicing and Sharing Together
Children’s Christmas Party and Fun

No Sunday School
Breakfast at 9:00 am
Worship at 10:45 am

December 24th, 5:00 pm
 
​
COMING BACK TOGETHER

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

​Last night during Wednesday Night Prayer service and Bible study we finished our survey of Paul’s letter of Ephesians. At the end of his letter, he said goodbye to the believers there, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (Ephesians 6:23-24).
 
Have you thought much about the way you say “Goodbye” to people?
 
Frankly, it seems that our goodbyes are trite and offered without much forethought. We say, “Bye, see you next Sunday.” My grandchildren never say goodbye without a hug, even the guys join in. Their hugs sometimes seem to be a kind of rote habit. That’s OK with me. Keep them coming.
 
When Paul said goodbye to his friends and fellow believers in Ephesus, he covered the four points of the gospel of Jesus. Listen to these truths again:
 
Peace – He was talking about the peace that comes only from God. It conveys a sense of spiritual welfare and blessing--“Shalom.” It was used by folks at that time both as a greeting and a benediction. People who know the Peace of God are both spiritually and physically complete. They own a share in the character of God. Because God is peace, His peace is given to you. That is a great truth to convey to someone, especially when you may never see them again. In an uncertain world when persecution may take your life from you or the unbelieving environment may claim another victim, conveying God’s peace on somebody may be the last thing you get to say to them. Jesus used the word peace, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). If Jesus used this word to say goodbye to His disciples, it would be a good word for us to use as well.
 
Love – This is the self-sacrificing word adopted by the church to inspire the self-giving, “lay-down-your-life” kind of love that Jesus showed us on the cross. Again, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). In today’s “dog-eat-dog,” “take care of number one” world, sacrificial love is in short supply. If there’s any place where God’s love should prevail, it’s at church. Why is it so hard to say, “I love you,” when we say goodbye to our friends at church.
 
Faith – Believing faith is the glue that holds us together with Christ and with each other. We share the same faith that Jesus is the Son of God. We are bound together by “…one faith, one Lord, one baptism and one God and Father of us all” (Ephesians 4:5-6). It is our faith that saves us, sustains us and maintains us. Like the hymn writer wrote, “Faith is the Victory that Overcomes the World.” When we say goodbye to each other on Sundays, we may be separated physically, but our faith binds us together with cords that cannot be broken.
 
Grace – God’s amazing grace is what saves us. Grace is about living under the umbrella of God’s unmerited favor. It is a gift from God. You don’t deserve it. You can’t earn it. The Bible says, “…for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). We are totally dependent on the grace of God. We are people who are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). You cannot do anything better for somebody than pass God’s amazing grace along to someone.
 
You might say, “Pastor, I don’t have time to say all that when I tell somebody goodbye.” I agree that we’re too busy and too preoccupied to tell each other truth things that really matter. This world is opposed to us. Society is working hard to defeat us. The devil is going everywhere trying to devoir God’s people. Let’s take the time. Let’s change the circumstances. Say goodbye this morning in a way that a person will remember. After all, you may never see them again.

​Today, we share in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. This time will commemorate the death of our Savior on the cross. It is not a sacrament by which we receive a measure of God’s grace and an installment toward our salvation. This is a church ordinance by which we basically act out our faith concerning the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. We receive these elements and eat and drink them because of our faith in Jesus. The Lord’s Supper in an expression of our faith. We share them because we are saved not to become saved.
 
The apostle Paul said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (I Corinthians 11:26). The Lord’s Supper expresses what we believe about the crucifixion and how our salvation is bought with the prices of our Lord’s broken body and shed blood.
 
N. T. Wright said, “When He wanted to explain to His disciples what the Lord’s His death was all about, He didn’t give them a theory, He gave them a meal.”
 
He sat down with them as He had done so many times. He even served them the bread and filled their cups. Jesus even after the meal was finish wrapped a towel around His waist and washed their feet as an example of how they should serve others. It was a humbling experience. It was a close and intimate moment in which He showed them how much He loved them.
 
As we receive the elements of the Lord’s Supper this morning, think about how much Jesus loves you. He loves you enough to give you a remembrance of His broken body which He willing gave for your eternal salvation. He loves you so much that His blood, every drop is sufficient to atone for every one of your sins. His blood is the price paid for your righteous standing before God. We truly are washing clean through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. So, praise God! The Lord’s Supper is a reminder that Jesus Christ and His cross is all we need to confirm that we are gloriously saved through His amazing sacrifice.

​Truth is like following a road map. There may be several ways to get to a particular destination, but the destination is always constant. It never moves, it never changes. The way to get there may be optional, but the place you are traveling to always stays in the same place. Truth is our destination. The Bible says, “…you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). It is the truth that sets you free, not some version of the truth or some opinion about the truth. People who do not know the truth cannot be free. They are endlessly bound in the world of opinions, versions, and options.
 
Watchman Nee said, “To secure one’s freedom the Christian must experience God’s light which is God’s truth.”
 
God’s truth is available. It is practical. God’s truth never changes.
 
The best way to discover God’s truth is through His word. The Bible is our roadmap that leads us to God’s truth. In that same chapter in John, Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, then you are truly my disciples” (John 8:32). Truth, freedom, and discipleship all find their place within the word of God. People who do not read and respect the word of God are far away from the truth. They are like people who travel here and there but never find their way home. They are always someplace else rather than where they should be.
 
I used to preach in different places all over the state of Georgia. I’ve spent the night many times in hotels and other people’s homes after preaching. When I preached a revival service or some other occasion like a home-coming or dedication service, I always preferred to travel even in the middle of the night to sleep in my own bed, in my own home. A hotel room is not like home. Somebody else’s place, no matter how courteous and friendly the host may be, is not like sleeping in your own bed. There is always a restlessness about somewhere other than home.
 
Judy Garland was right, “There is no place like home.”
 
I found it better to sleep 4 hours in my home than 8 hours in somebody else’s. There is a great difference between some place and home.
 
Truth is our home. Anything other than the truth is just a place.
 
Max Lucado said, “The purpose of the Bible? Salvation. God’s highest passion is to get His children home.”
 
When we put our trust in Jesus and spend time in His word, we are on our way home. Jesus is the truth, “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). I will not settle for anything less than God’s truth. I will not preach anything other than Jesus Christ who is God’s truth. I will not spend my nights in other people’s notions or ideas when I can lay my head on God’s pillow of truth. I do not like to wander around when I can be at home with God’s truth. I am thankful to be at home together this morning with a fellowship of believers who, “…know the truth and through it’s power are made free to serve our Lord Jesus Christ who is the truth.” It’s good to be home. 

Thank you for completing the Prayer Questionnaires this past Sunday. Through this simple survey of 4 questions, I learned that most of you are praying as often as you were before the sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer began. Some are praying more, but most continue to pray about the same. One person said, “I pray as often as I can.” From these responses, we can be grateful that our membership believes in the practice of prayer by praying as often as possible.
 
Most of our church family prays because they want to. There is within us a compelling desire to pray because God speaks to us and calls us to spend time with Him. The answer to this question was almost unanimous from all those of completed the questionnaire. People at Grace want to pray.  I praise the Lord for that.
 
There were 2 responses to the most important things in prayer that help us pray. “Calling God Father” was at the top of the list along with “Forgiveness of My sins.” Next in line came, “Looking forward to God’s kingdom coming here and in heaven,” together with “My forgiving others who have sinned against me,” and “God’s power at work in me.” When we pray, we use words like Father, Forgiven, Kingdom and Power. Some used the word Holy Spirit when talking about God’s power. You have helped me better understand not only WHY you pray, but also HOW you pray. I am humbled and grateful to learn more fully the prayer language this church family uses when it prays.
 
There was an open question which asked you to express your greatest prayer need. Responses like"

• “Reach Lost People,"
  
• “Remove self and allow the Holy Spirit to control,”
  
• “Moving of the Holy Spirit in me, Getting closer to Jesus, Strengthen my faith, doing better, God’s leading my prayers, and More of God and less of me”
  

were all stated.

I share all those pleas from the heart with you. We all can do better and be more in touch with God when we pray. It is a rich blessing to know that we share the same desire to have God more in control of our praying. Over and over, I heard you say, “More of God and less of me.” Maybe that is what happens when we pray. The more we pray, the more of God and less of me we get. That makes prayer worth everything we put into it.
 
Monday night this past week, our deacons met at the church to pray together. There was no business discussion. No planning and no reporting. Only praying and kneeling before God was done.

• We prayed for people within our church family.
• We prayed for healing and strengthening of those who are sick.
• We prayed that God would show us His truth.
• We asked God to establish His word within us all.
• We asked God to end dissensions, unite our church family, cause love to abound, forgive our sins, and send great revival to Grace.

 
This prayer meeting of deacons was a sweet fellowship, powerful outpouring and uniting of our hearts for the good of this church family. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do and how He chooses to answer the prayers of these wonderful men.
 
Listen once again to what the apostle John said about the power of prayer, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 4:14-15). Our church has prayed. We can be confident that God has heard. Knowing that God hears us, gives us great strength and expectation that God is ready to do amazing things in and through us. I look forward with joy to all that He chooses to do in coming days.

We praise God that COVID infections have dropped significantly in Georgia since September. Since September 12, reported cases per day throughout the state have decreased by 1,000. The number of people testing positive have declined as well. Hospitalizations have gone down by 20%. Unfortunately, reported deaths have remained the same not yet being impacted by the decline in infections and hospitalizations. Hall County currently reports 186 positive cases with 5 deaths over the past two weeks. Current trends are dropping both locally and across the state. We praise God for this good news.
 
Our deacon body discussed the positive outlook that currently exists due to the increase in vaccinations across the country. During the surge over the summer with the delta variant, you were asked to kindly and voluntarily wear a mask during services and Bible study to help keep yourself and others well. Thank you for stepping up and masking up even though it was inconvenient and bothersome to some.
 
Our Associational missionary, Jo Jo Thomas recently visited our church on Sunday Morning. When he entered, he noticed the sign encouraging mask wearing. He did not have a mask on, so he went back to his truck and got one to wear. I told him that our church has voluntarily worn masks for the most part because of our respect for our elder members and our love for one another. We can give thanks to the Lord for His great love for us demonstrated through the patient loving care we all have for each other, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1Corinthians 13:4,7). We have come through these trying times due to COVID because of our love for God and each other. Truly, the Lord’s command to “…love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34) has been true here at Grace.
 
In light of God’s love and in recognition of the unity of the Spirit and the love of Jesus, our Deacons unanimously recommend to our church family that the wearing of masks continue to be voluntary, but that those who have had COVID, been vaccinated, or are restricted from vaccines and other physical needs be free to not wear a mask during worship and Bible study if they so choose. Some will continue to mask-up due to personal and medical reasons. They should be encouraged to be true to their convictions. There should be no discrimination, “…there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11). Let’s all keep on loving and encouraging one another whether maskless, or not. We are the Body of Christ who have persevered these trying times because the love of Jesus never fails.

​What does real glory look like to you?
 
Robbie sees glory in the crimson reflection of the sun on the horizon at sunset. She’ll say, “Look at that! It’s beautiful. Isn’t that glorious.”
 
The mighty Red Coat band lights up Sanford Stadium with “Glory, Glory to Old Georgia” every time the Bulldogs take the field on a cool Autumn afternoon.
 
Many say that glory is rooting the home team on to victory and championship.

Others see glory in a new-born baby’s face resting peacefully in its mother’s arms.

Some see glory in a 14-point buck passing under their deer stand.

Stadiums rock in the glory of a game winning home run.
​
I know people who relish seeing the glory of a 12-pound bass mounted on the wall, or a well-groomed front yard, or a classic car spit-polished to perfection.
 
What does glory look like to you?
 
Let me tell you what glory looks like to Jesus, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as WE are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as you have loved Me. Father I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:22-24). Glory to Jesus looks like you and me.
 
Can you believe that?
 
Jesus is the glory of God before the foundation of the world. He not only knows what glory looks like; He is God’s glory. He puts His glory in us, His children. Every time we come together to worship. Every time we bow our heads and pray, “Thine is the glory…” Every time we love our neighbor, give a cup of cold water, join in singing with other believers— “To God Be the Glory, great things He has done,” Jesus says, “Look at that. Listen to them. Now, that’s what glory looks like.”
 
When Israel was making its way through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, God showed up in the camp every night in a Pillar of Fire. Here’s how Moses described it, “The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, form before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22).
 
This is the same glory which descended on Mt. Sinai when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It’s the same glory which the prophet Elisha saw descending from heaven to swish Elijah away in a “…whirlwind to heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). I believe it is the same glory which the disciples saw cover the face of Jesus, his clothes and everything before them on the Mount of Transfiguration. These hard, weather-worn, outdoor rugged men were so awe-struck they fell on their faces at the site of such glory.
 
Think about this - we do not just see and feel God’s glory, WE HAVE BECOME GOD’S GLORY. That’s what today’s sermon is about. Glory is not something you admire and get all goose-bumpy about. Glory is not something to feel nostalgic over or look forward to when you get old and gray-headed. Glory is now. Glory has been given over, transferred, passed on to you and me through the prayer which Jesus prayed in John, chapter 17. Glory is not what we will become someday. It is who we are right now. So, my word for you today is –

This past Sunday morning, I talked to our children in my time with them about their wants instead of their needs. I gave them a choice between a slice of loaf bread and a piece of chocolate candy. Only one of the children chose the slice of bread. They all wanted candy except one. Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread…” He did not promise us candy. Bread is a necessity. Candy is a desire, a want. Jesus taught us how to pray because we need to pray. Prayer is a basic necessity for a believer in Jesus. Here are some tips on how to fulfill your need to pray:
 

1. God is Sovereign – We need to pray because God is perfect and greater than we are. God has never said, “Oops.” He has never confessed, “I messed up today.” We are flawed and full of mistakes. We need to pray in order to confess our sins. We need to admit our mistakes and tell God we are sorry for what we have done wrong. Our problems show us that God is able to answer and provide what we need, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)
2. God has the answer – Prayer should not be our last resort. It should not be something we do after we’ve tried everything else. Prayer should be our first response, our first “go-to” place when we need an answer. God promises to answer when we pray, “Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
3. Finding God’s Will – The will of God is not a mystery that God keeps for Himself. God’s plan and purpose is clearly revealed in the pages of scripture. You will never know what God wants if you do not read His word. Pray with your Bible open and ask God to show you in His word what He wants you to do, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
4. Living with Confidence – Once you’ve determined that God’s word is true and that it provides the answers and directions you need, you can live with confident assurance. People may disagree with you. They may even mock your choices, but God’s presence of power through the Holy Spirit supersedes the opinions of others, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
5. Serving with Gratitude – Giving thanks for answered prayer is the highest mark a praying believer can reach. Praise is the language praying people use to tell God thank you. God is not stingy. He is not a promise breaker. He is like a father who supplies good things to His children, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”(Philippians 4:6)

 
With all these good promises to inspire and guide our praying, why do we find it so difficult to pray?
Why are there so many hindrances keeping us from praying, and so many excuses we use to cover our not praying?
 
We simply need to pray. Ask God to give you the desire to pray. Then pray. He’ll do all the rest.