Crisis Pregnancy Center Opportunity

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For years now, Sovereign Grace Church Chesapeake and the Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) of Tidewater have enjoyed their partnership spreading the Gospel and in serving women and families in the Hampton Roads community.  The Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater is a Christ-centered organization with a calling to reach out to women and families involved in crisis-related pregnancies by offering real help for the present, hope for the future, and healing from the past.
Our Church has helped the CPC by hosting last December’s Silent Art Auction, promoting and participating in the recent CPC Walk for Life, and through regular monetary and baby item donations throughout the year.  We are pleased to support the CPC in these ways and remain committed to our partnership.
Another specific way we support the CPC is through their annual baby shower.  This baby shower is planned for women who have recently completed the eight week Great Expectations parenting class.  Scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, the baby shower will be an opportunity to bless these 15 women who need everything from baby strollers to car seats, and from baby clothes to bottles and toys.  Beginning this week and immediately following the Sunday service, there will be a lobby display promoting the shower and Nancy Snader and Kelly Robinson will be at the table and can provide information about how you can help with the baby shower.
Please pray about how you can support this event and please stop by the lobby display to learn more.  And thank you, in advance for your support.

Apply: But Now I See!

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On Sunday we came to the continental divide in the book of Mark.  In Mark 1:1 he began his gospel saying, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  Mark has been portraying Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) for 8 chapters.  And for the first time on truly human lips, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ!  Of course this climax and profound confession comes in the context of spiritual blindness.  The Pharisees were blind, the disciples still couldn’t see, and now there is a man that was actually physically blind.  All of this led us to the truth that only Jesus can heal us of our blindness so that we can see Him for who He is.  The story of the healing of the blind man was an illustration of how Jesus heals and saves us all.  You can listen to or download the message here.  I hope these questions help you apply God’s word to your life.

1.  We began with the kindness of our Savior toward this man.  What are your thoughts about how Jesus healed this man?  What does this show you about the heart of Jesus?

2.  How does this healing point to something greater?   What is the spiritual significance of this healing?

3.  What were the circumstances surrounding the moment Jesus opened your eyes to see Him and believe the gospel?

4.  What is the significance of the progressive (two-stage) healing?  After the first touch, this man was no longer blind, but he still couldn’t see clearly.  How does this relate to our spiritual life?  In what areas of your life are you still not seeing everything clearly?  When will this change?  How does this reality inform how you relate to other Christians?

5.  How would you describe your faith for Jesus to continue to heal people?  Do you pray for healing?  What would change or growth look like?

6.  How would you describe the personal love and care of Jesus toward you?  Do you believe He is near, attentive, and personally caring for you?  Or do you feel He is distant, cold or uncaring?  Why or why not?

One day we will see everything clearly!  We will see our Savior face to face!  Faith will no longer be needed, but instead we will dwell in the light of the glory of God forever!  And Christ has made this possible for us through His death and resurrection.

I pray you will have a grace-filled week,

Eric

 

Apply: Was Blind….

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Spiritual blindness is the theme of Mark 8:11-20.  First, we saw the blindness of the Pharisees that led to a final hardening.  Then we saw the blindness of the disciples as they were still confused about Jesus and all He had done.  All of the signs in the previous 8 chapters were all meant to point to Jesus as the Messiah.  The Pharisees, who knew the Scriptures should have seen and understood them.  And the disciples who were with Him everyday should have seen and understood them.  But they didn’t.  There is a power and danger to spiritual blindness and only Jesus can lead us out of the dark into the light.  You can listen to or download the sermon here.  I hope these questions serve you as you apply this to your life.

1)  What is spiritual blindness?  Who does it affect?  How do we see that on display in this text?

2)  Why is spiritual blindness so dangerous?  The things that God does around us and in us are meant to lead us to faith.  How does seeing and faith go together?

3) Do you remember the moment God saved you and gave you sight?  Describe what you could then see vs. what you never saw before.

4)  As Christians we believe that God has opened our eyes to see our need for a Savior and to see Jesus as our only Savior.  But, we can still be blind to what God is doing all around us or in us.  Why is that so?  Are there ways that you are currently blind to things God is doing all around you?  What do you believe the danger is, even for Christians, in not seeing His activity?

5)  How do you think the Lord wants to help you to grow to be more aware, to see more clearly, and to respond in faith?

Grace to you this week,

Eric

God of All Grace

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Here’s the quote from Octavius Winslow.  I read it in his book called Our God.

“Oh you of little faith!  Is not our God the ‘God of all grace’?  Why, then, do you reason, doubt and fear this way?  Bring your perplexities to God and He will guide them.  Bring your needs to God and He will supply them.  Bring your mountains to God and He will level them.  Bring your sins to God and He will forgive them.  Bring your sorrows, trials and temptations to Him, and He will sustain you under them and bring you through them, to the praise and glory of His great Name.  Your supplies may be exhausted, but not His fullness.  Your need may press, but there is no pressure in His sufficiency.  Your power may be limited, but His is illimitable.  Your grace may be shallow, but His is fathomless.  And you may ask, ‘Where will my next supply come from?’ while, at the very moment that the anxious question is trembling on your lip, the supply that is to silence it is laid up in the inexhaustible treasures of His grace and will be sent at just the moment that will awaken in you the sweetest song and yield to Him the richest glory.”  Octavius Winslow

Apply: Jesus Compassionate Provider

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This past Sunday we studied Mark 8:1-10 and the story of the feeding of the 4000 in the region of the Decapolis.  Instead of this being a double (similar to the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6), we found it was the crowd that made all the difference.  This was a feeding of a predominantly Gentile crowd.  Instead of avoiding or being repulsed by unclean and wicked people, we found that out of the abundance of His grace, Jesus provides for wicked people.  You can listen to or download the sermon here.  I hope these questions help you apply God’s word to your life.

1.  Why is the make up of the crowd such an important piece of this miracle story?

2.  Do you tend to have hard thoughts about God?  What are they?  The compassion of Jesus was stirred by the most simple need – hunger.  How does this text help you to deal with hard thoughts about God (does He care, will He provide)?  How does the compassion and care of Jesus revealed to us here confront your hard thoughts about God?

3.  We can often feel our sin disqualifies us from the care, blessing and grace of God.  How does the grace of Christ on display in this text confront those thoughts?

4.  Why is it so difficult for us to understand and receive the grace of God?  Why is it so difficult to believe that if He provided such a great salvation for us that how can He not also provide all that we need?  Why do we often live like beggars or slaves instead of sons and daughters?

5.  How do you believe the Lord wants you to fight when you are tempted with hard thoughts toward God?  What truths will you use to battle the lies?  What Scriptures will you use to fight the lies?

How good it is to see the love, compassion, care, provision and grace of God on full display in His Son!  I pray that we will all believe and live in the good of the grace He has freely provided to sinners like us.  Oh the patience, mercy, kindness and grace of our God!

Have a great week

Eric

Church Picnic this Sunday!

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Join us for the annual Church Picnic held right here on our church grounds this Sunday after church. Bring your own lunch & lawn chairs. The SGC Grill Masters will be available to expertly grill at your request. Ice Cream Sundaes, Watermelon & Snow Cones for all as well as a Moonbounce, Obstacle Course, Face Painting for the kids! There will be Care Group Olympics and Basketball, Horseshoe, & Volleyball tournaments!

Everyone is welcome and we hope you can come!

Eric

 

 

A Spring of Life for All

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Last Sunday, this word was given to our church.  How kind of the Lord to speak to us in such a powerful and loving way.

A man was wandering in the desert, his clothes were full of dirt and sand, his mouth was parched and he was in desperate need of water. Right as he reached the point of not being able to continue, he came upon an oasis and drank and bathed. His thirst was quenched and he was made clean. He then went and gathered his friends and family and brought them to the spring. They also bathed and drank to satisfy their thirst. Soon word began to spread and people from all around came to drink and enjoy this source of water in the desert. This man welcomed those who came and invited them to drink and bath for he was constantly aware of his own need and the ability of the spring to fulfill it.
Now another man, who came to the spring regularly, began to look around with disdain at some of the others who came. He gathered up his friends and said “we need to build barriers and control access to this spring. We need to establish rules to ensure order and prevent chaos. We must do something so that those of us who are clean are not soiled by those who are filthy entering the spring.”  Soon after, they constructed barriers, but a storm came and the flood waters destroyed them. They rebuilt the barriers, and then additional springs appeared outside the barriers. The man gathered some of his friends and began to chase off those who were at the springs outside their barriers. As he lifted one man away from a spring and prepared to run him off, he froze and his face became pale.  There hunched before him was his own son. He was dirty and parched like so many around him and in desperate need of water. The man lifted his son again, but this time he carried him into the spring and gently lowered him into the water. He scooped water into his own hands and lifted them to the mouth of his son so he could drink. He then ordered all those he had persuasion over to tear down the barriers and invite the dirty and parched to partake of the water. I noticed an interesting thing, the water flowing away from the man and his son was as crystal clear as the water bubbling up from the spring.

I believe the Lord would say to us today that the spring represents His gospel. It will not be contained! It is available for both the weary and the strong. It is living water that does not soil with those that enter it to be cleaned. It never runs dry and will quench the unquenchable thirsts. God so loved us that he sent his son, Christ, to come to earth and die in our place that our sins would be forgiven and his righteousness would be
ours. God would ask us today – who do you most identify with? Are you acutely aware of God’s saving grace and mercy in your life? Do you pursue others and share your
experience with them and welcome them to know Jesus themselves? Are you afraid that the lost will negatively influence you or your family? Do you long for a fresh experience of God’s love and mercy in your life? Have you never known the love of God? Do you think you are too dirty to come to God?  Regardless of whom it is, the Lord invites you to jump into the spring of his gospel today. Experience anew its cleansing power, its ability to refresh and renew, and then cup your hands and fill them and put them up to the mouth of others here at church today and invite them to drink. Put your hands to the mouth of your
neighbors, fellow workers, others in this community, this nation, and the world and invite them to drink of the only water that will satisfy. Seek out those who are dirty and stumbling, crawling for lack of strength and pick them up and carry them to this water. Invite them to enter the spring, bath, drink and be satisfied.