Good Words from God’s Word
 
Maybe you’ve seen this bumper sticker, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go."

​For a vast portion of the workforce, that's the best reason they can muster for going to the job each day. According to one poll, only 46 percent of American office workers are satisfied with their jobs. In Japan, the figure dips to 17 percent.
 
In the first century, Christian slaves had even less reason to be enthusiastic about their work. Paul gave them a way to grasp a glimpse of glory amid the grind. He wanted them to witness to their faith in Christ by the way they did their work, “Urge bond slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect” (Titus 2:9-10).
 
Your work place and your work ethic can become the best witness for Christ you possess. Do not leave Christ at home when you go to work.
 
Martin Luther understood this when he wrote, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays -- not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."
 
The laziest man in the village was actually running. His hat was off, and his coat was flying in the wind. On and on he sped, till, crash, he collided with the Baptist preacher, who had to pick himself up out of the roadway. "Why, what on earth has made you run— and so fast, Sam?" asked the preacher.
 
"Can't wait," gasped Sam, "I heard of some work."
 
The preacher caught him by the arm, "And did you get the job?" he asked.
 
"I don't know," replied the man, struggling. "I only just heard of it. I'm going to find out."
 
"Well, good success to you, Sam," said the preacher, releasing his grasp. "What kind of work is it?"
 
"Some washing for my wife."—Gospel Herald.
 
The Bible says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23).
 
Be thankful today for your job. Thank God for good work and the privilege you have to demonstrate Christ’s love in the workplace. If your job is not the best or even very difficult to appreciate, ask God to give you His perspective about it. God may see your difficulties as the best means to give a winning testimony to His goodness and grace. So, seek the mind of Christ about your work.
 
Finally, appreciate who your real boss is. The boss or supervisor you have now may not be someone the one you would like to have, but your real boss is God who loves you and cares about you, “…know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” So, do your work every day like you are working for Jesus. 

Good Words from God’s Word
 
Today is another wonderful day in the life of the Grace Church family. Today, we celebrate the salvation of our newest members through the ordinance of Baptism. Baptism is a spiritual blessing not only for the one who is baptized, but also for all of us. 
 
Max Lucado said, “Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart.”
 
Watchman Nee called Baptism, “…an outward expression of an inward faith.”
 
Yes, Baptism is all that, but it is more. Baptism is a command of Jesus, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
 
That’s why we call baptism an ordinance of the church. It is a vital practice here at Grace because we are faithful to obey what Jesus has told us to do.
 
A father was talking to his oldest son about the meaning and importance of the boy’s upcoming baptism. While talking, the boy’s younger brother left the room visibly upset. So, the father went to see what was wrong. Tearfully, the lad confessed, “I want to be ALPHABETIZED with my brother.”
 
Joyfully, today we are going to be obedient to the command of Christ and baptize those who have been saved. As they have presented themselves as candidates for baptism, we joyfully recognized they also have been ALPHABETIZED into the Lamb’s Book of Life.
 
Also, it is a great privilege today to ORDAIN Weldon Rogers as a Deacon of the Grace Baptist Church family.
 
Literally, the word ordain means “to set apart” for special service. Deacons are set apart by the church. The serve to build, protect and oversee the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Our church family has observed the special qualities of character and service Weldon presents every time we gather. Our church has by its show of support and the leadership of the Holy Spirit set Weldon apart to serve in the biblical calling as Deacon. Our Deacon body has examined him and declared him to be everything the Bible expects him to be. So today, we as a church family recognize and celebrate his placement among us as Deacon.
 
 Little Johnny was standing outside in the church foyer looking up with great interest at the plaque on the wall high above his head. He didn’t notice the preacher approach behind him. The preacher said, “Good morning, Son.” 
 

• Little Johnny was standing outside in the church foyer looking up with great interest at the plaque on the wall high above his head. He didn’t notice the preacher approach behind him. The preacher said, “Good morning, Son.”

 

• The young man said, “Good morning, Brother Jones.”

 

• The pastor asked, “What are you looking at so intently.”

 

• The boy responded, “That plaque, sir. What is it?”

 

• The pastor said, “That plague memorializes all of our church men who have died in the service.”

 

• The boy asked, “Which one pastor, the service on Sunday morning or the one on Wednesday night?”

 
Deacons serve God’s people giving of themselves for the health and well-being of the church. Today, as we ordain our newest deacon, we pledge to pray for him, love him, trust him and support him in the Deacon Ministry which God has ordained in the life of our church. We thank God for our deacons and all that they do to encourage and bless our church family.

Good Words from God’s Word
 
This morning I will be preaching from Psalm 103:1-5 a sermon entitled, “Reaching Inward to God.” There is an important word in this passage that we all need to think about before we enter into worship today.
 
In verse 4, King David describes God as one, “…who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion” (Psalm 103:4).
 
The word CROWN is defined as a special headgear used to symbolize a person’s high status and authority. Donald Trump was crowned this past Tuesday by the people of the United States to be the next President of our country. There is no higher crown in this world’s community of nations than the crown of the Presidency. Certainly, Mr. Trump has made it to the top.
 
The crown that God bestows upon those who belong to Him is different than the one our President wears. David calls God’s crown a crown of “lovingkindness and compassion.” These two descriptive attributes of God’s crown reflect the character of God himself. God is loving and kind, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-6). God’s crown portrays Himself. God puts Himself on our heads as the crown which defines our salvation.
 
The Bible says, “For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117:2). Which crown is better, the one that comes by way of man’s approval or the one that carries with it the blessing and character of God? I believe the one David talked about is the one I want to wear.
 
The Book of Revelation portrays Christ Jesus with many crowns on His head, signifying His status as king, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat no it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself” (Revelation 19:11-12).
 
These many crowns upon the head of Jesus Christ portray His ultimate victory and place as king in the heavenly kingdom. No one will be higher than Jesus. In heaven, His crown will become our crown by virtue of our faith in, and our obedience to, Him.
 
“Know that you who run in the race compete to receive the prize? So run, that you may win. Every man that competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath; but we an incorruptible crown” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). While the crowns of this world are temporary, the one that Christ gives us is eternal. 
 
Think about it, the crown of life for those who trust Jesus is a crown that reflects the character of God. It is a crown that lasts forever. I like the old spiritual:
 
                          I’ve Got a Crown, You’ve Got a Crown,
                               All God’s Children Got a Crown;
                 When I Get to Heaven, Goin’ to Put On My Crown,
                           Goin’ to Shout All Over God’s Heaven.
 
God’s crown is truly something to shout about. Praise God for your crown this morning. 

Good Words from God’s Word
 
The word for today is READY. It has been over 9 years since the Grace Church family has owned its own property and ministry space. The question for our church this morning is about God’s timing and about our readiness to accept what God has called us to do. In other words: Is the time NOW? Also, are we READY to accomplish whatever it will take to possess what God has provided?
 
Remember when Israel was not READY to enter the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb believed the people were well capable to enter, but the rest of the spies sent in to scout out the land disagreed. The Bible says, “So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size’” (Numbers 13:32).
 
Rather than listen to Joshua and Caleb who believed the people were ready, the people listened to the bad report and declared they were not READY to do what God had led them so far to accomplish. We all know that the result of their reluctance resulted in 40 more years of wandering aimlessly in the wilderness.
 
Paul challenged the church at Corinth, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).
 
We are to be a church that is READY to stand. We are to be people who are READY to stand strong in the strength of the Lord. We are to be READY to love one another just like Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. Our church, like the one at Corinth is to stand READY to accomplish that which God has equipped us to do.
 
Ronald Reagan said, “We will always remember, we will always be proud. We will always be prepared, we will always be free.”
 
Grace Baptist Church is today all of these things which President Reagan marked as attributes of people who are READY. I am READY to complete what God has started. If it takes two years, or five years—I am READY. If our church must move to the new location before it is finished—I am READY.  If our church family gives less than what we have been challenged to give, or if we give above the challenge—I am READY. Today, we say together through our attendance, our prayers and the agreement of our hearts in one accord--WE ARE READY.