Good morning to the Family at Grace,

A prayer from Pastor Dennis –
Our Father. As we continue through these days of uncertainty for many, we know that as Your children, we can be certain of what really matters, that You are God and You are in control of all things. Though we may have not experienced a pandemic of this magnitude in our own lifetime, we are thankful for the reminder earlier this week that it really is not unprecedented. And as such, we have many examples of Your faithfulness in times of tribulation and sorrow, knowing that You do not forget the cries of the afflicted. We rest also in knowing that if You cause grief then You will have compassion according to Your abundant lovingkindness.

As the king’s heart is like channels of water in Your hand, and You turn it wherever You wish, so turn the hearts of those in our government toward Your wisdom as they lead this fight. And give each of us wisdom as we strive to do what is right for our families and for the family of God which is this local assembly. We need a strength that is not our own as we live each day with possibilities that we would rather not consider. May we not be those who accept only good from God and not accept adversity. Keep us near the cross as we meet these daily challenges, knowing that You are working all of it for our good and Your glory.

Teach us what You would have us to learn and instill in us what You have already taught us in Your word, that we would, with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than ourselves. Though we cannot assemble together as we would like, through your gracious providence, we can still gather around Your word by way of a technology that also comes from Your kind hand. Thank You for this.

Help us to constantly remember that this is Your world and everything in it is for Your glory and You will make all things right in the end. Go with us Lord and keep us steadfast, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Resources Available for Your Strength and Growth

• Ligonier Ministries has made their entire library of hundreds of teaching series free to stream. Download the free Ligonier app today and stream thousands of messages from R.C. Sproul, the Ligonier Teaching Fellows, and other gifted pastors and teachers. Or browse more than 2,500 messages here on Ligonier.org. “This represents 1,000+ hours of time-proven, trusted teaching covering topics in biblical studies, theology, church history, Christian living, and worldview. Our entire video and audio teaching series library will remain open until at least June 30.”
• Our music for last Sunday (dismissed) was to have included “My Worth Is Not In What I Own” – with these lyrics: “Two wonders here that I confess: My worth and my unworthiness … my value fixed, my ransom paid – at the cross”. One might read that a couple of times to let it sink in. We are unworthy – made worthy at the cross. Our value is fixed by the price He paid. With that in mind, read this article from the “For the Church” blog: “Worth A Lot of Sparrows”. It strikes well the balance between worth and worthlessness.
• Something to think about from Jared Wilson – how the pandemic exposes a poor ecclesiology: “Our Pandemically Poor Ecclesiology”. He writes … “What I have found fascinating is the state of evangelical ecclesiology being revealed through the responses to this emergency, some good and some bad. In times like this, what we believe about church rises to the surface.” You can read the rest HERE.

Prayers Shared to Encourage One Another

We’d like to continue to share prayers to encourage one another. Each of your pastors will be sharing, and we’d like you to do the same. Include your children perhaps, their simple thoughts are often profound and always an encouragement. So, take a few minutes, write down your prayers and send them over for us to pass along. You’ll be glad you did – we’ll be glad you did.

Practical Matters

• The local grocers are doing a wonderful job keeping us supplied with the essentials we need during this time. But it seems that toilet tissue remains elusive. We have 4 cases here at Grace, procured through Q’s supplier, and if you have that need, we have the provision to meet it. Just call or email the office for pricing and pickup.
• Thanks for remembering the importance of your continued giving – you can give online, mail, or drop by Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to Noon.
• There will be no assembly for worship this weekend. Watch for the installment of The Next Verse Podcast (upload scheduled for today).

Grace and Peace,
Steve Wilson
Pastor-Teacher