Grace Abounding

Join us for a special baptism service this Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm. We’ll meet at Franconia Baptist Church, 5912 Franconia Road, Alexandria 22310, for songs, Scripture readings, testimonies, and a baptism.

So, looking for a place to go after our morning service, while you wait for the baptism service? Come to either of these restaurants where Grace Church attenders will be having lunch:

• East Moon Asian Bistro in Kingstowne
• Fuddruckers on Duke Street

Enjoy these photos of our last baptism service, which was outdoor in a hot tub.

Join us this Sunday, October 23, as we observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Our Sunday service at Grace Church of Alexandria will feature Scripture, prayers, a video, resources, and a sermon from Hebrews 13:3 to highlight the needs of oppressed Christians throughout the world and how we can serve them.

You may notice we’re observing this important day on October 23 instead of November 13, as the poster suggests. Since a special speaker is already lined up for that Sunday in November at Grace Church, this coming Sunday we’re taking the whole service to draw attention to the persecuted church.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church from Christian Freedom International on Vimeo.

Also, here’s a recent blog post I wrote on how to pray for the persecuted church.

Sermon Title: God’s Heart For the Fatherless
Speaker: Jonathan Matias, Pastor
Text: Deuteronomy 10:12-19; 14:28-29; 24:17-21
Theme: Orphan Sunday

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Our friends at Alexandria Presybterian Church have invited our congregation and the community to a free sacred concert with Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace, musicians who put old forgotten hymns to new music.

• Who: Matthew Smith & Indelible Grace
• When: Tuesday, October 18, 7:30 pm
• Where: Alexandria Presybterian Church
  2405 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA
• Cost: free

Many of the hymns sung at Grace Church of Alexandria are written by Indelible Grace. The concert includes a full band, and the musicians invite the congregation to sing along. This concert is a great chance to lift up our voices in praise to God, singing hymns often sung at Grace Church.

In lieu of Wednesday Community Group on 10/19, all Grace Church attenders are invited to attend the concert instead. I hope to see you there. Invite friends with this Facebook event!

Worldwide, over 143 million children are orphans. That is more than twice the total population of the country of Mexico!

So, as a church, what can we do about the global plight of orphans? This Sunday, October 16, if you come to Grace Church of Alexandria, you’ll hear about God’s heart for the fatherless and what we can do about it. Our worship gathering will be focused on Orphan Sunday. Join us for:

• testimonies from orphan care and adoption advocates;
• Scripture readings and prayers about God’s love for the fatherless;
• a video about the global orphan crisis;
• a handout with resources on orphan care;
• and a practical sermon with steps you can take to minister mercy.

Churches traditionally observe Orphan Sunday on November 6. Since a guest speaker was already scheduled at our church for that day, we’re dedicating this Sunday to consider how the gospel motivates us to care for those who have no voice to speak up for them. Join us, 10:30 am, Sunday, October 16.

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Don’t miss “Live From Kansas City,” a live webcast on November 6 of guided prayer and global worship for the fatherless. You can also learn more about Orphan Sunday at the web site of its sponsor, the Christian Alliance for Orphans.

In addition, here are three resources about orphan care:

• 2010 Orphan Sunday sermon – “Adoption and The Glory of God;
• past blog post with adoption and foster care resources.

10/19/11 UPDATE: I should also recommend Safe Families, an emergency foster care organization that operates nationwide. They pair families up with at-risk children from homes in crisis who need a temporary place to stay for days or weeks while their family stabilizes. A worthy organization to get involved with.

Sermon Title: A Biblical Perspective on Work
Speaker: Jonathan Matias, Pastor
Text: Colossians 3:22-4:1
Series: Kingdom Come: Studies in Colossians

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Sermon Title: Kingdom Imperatives
Speaker: Garrett Lee, Pastor
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
Series: Kingdom Come: Studies in Colossians

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What kind of preaching will you hear at Grace Church of Alexandria on a Sunday morning? Our aim is to open the Bible and deliver God’s Words to God’s people. Not our ideas. Not our agenda. Not our take on the latest trends or news. But to tell you what God has said through the Bible.

In particular at Grace Church, our intent is for preaching to be gospel-centered, that is, to emphasize the good news of what God is doing through his Son Jesus Christ. From the text, we do our best to relate the gospel to every area of life and to show its relevance not only for becoming a Christian but also for living as a Christian. As 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, ‘The gospel is the power of God to salvation for those who are being saved.”

Last night I read the following two statements which capture why gospel-centered preaching is essential:

“Every sermon should be evangelistic, for every sermon should make the gospel clear.”

Philip Jensen, page 162

“Today there is not very much gospel about; the church has given it up; a great many preachers preach everything but the living truth. . .I have often thought to myself–Other men may teach socialism, deliver lectures, or collect a band of fiddlers, that they may gather a congregation; but I will preach the gospel. I will preach more gospel than ever if I can; I will stick more to the one cardinal point. The other brethren can attend to the odds and ends, but I will keep to Christ crucified. . .Keep to the gospel. Don’t you be afraid; it has life in it, and it will grow: only you bring it out, and let it grow.”

Charles Spurgeon, quoted on p. 205

These quotes are found in Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching in Honor of R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007).

If you’re curious what you’ll hear at Grace Church on a Sunday, the latest sermons can be found here.

Continuing our series on gospel centered church plants like ours, Redeemer Bible Church in Brighton, Colorado is the fourth church plant we’d like to bring to your attention.

Started in 2009, Redeemer is one of the newest church planted by Heritage Bible Church, the same ministry that helped our local church get its start. Our friends Todd and Carissa Davis, accompanied by a team of believers, established Redeemer in the greater Denver area to offer hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and bring glory to him. In July Redeemer celebrated their charter service and affirmed three believers as their elders.

ordination of Redeemer Bible Church’s elders, July 2011

Learn more about Redeemer and how to pray for their local church:

• Twitter: @RedeemerCO
• Web site: www.redeemercolorado.com
• Church Planting Blog: brightonchurchplant.wordpress.com