SUNDAY MORNING CLASSES - Starting 10:15 AM
+ The Open Door Class - Room 501 - A long standing and welcoming group for study
and Christian growth. Currently the class is studying a book by James Moore, “Have
You Ever Seen a Hearse Pulling a Trailer”. This study asks us to recognize the
difference between the material and permanent things in life and how we build on
those more lasting values. Contact: Linda Mead
+ The Out to Lunch Bunch - Room 502 - Welcomes adults of any age to study current
topics. “Everything Must Change: When the World’s Biggest Problems and Jesus’
Good News Collide” This DVD and discussion study by Brian McLaren will help us
understand how the life and teachings of Jesus address the most critical global
problems today. Contact: Linda Hurlbert
EVENING STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
+ Thursday Evening Bible Study - 6:30pm in Room 501 invites group participants to
develop daily patterns of Spiritual Practice to grow and be transformed in relationship
with God.
In September 2010 the group will begin Christian Believer, a 30 week study focusing on
the classical theological teaching of the Christian faith including readings, hymns,
symbols and video presentations by leading theological scholars. Contact: Hilde Frazee
______________________________________________________________________
+ The Open Door Class - Room 501 - A long standing and welcoming group for study
and Christian growth. Currently the class is studying a book by James Moore, “Have
You Ever Seen a Hearse Pulling a Trailer”. This study asks us to recognize the
difference between the material and permanent things in life and how we build on
those more lasting values. Contact: Linda Mead
+ The Out to Lunch Bunch - Room 502 - Welcomes adults of any age to study current
topics. “Everything Must Change: When the World’s Biggest Problems and Jesus’
Good News Collide” This DVD and discussion study by Brian McLaren will help us
understand how the life and teachings of Jesus address the most critical global
problems today. Contact: Linda Hurlbert
EVENING STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
+ Thursday Evening Bible Study - 6:30pm in Room 501 invites group participants to
develop daily patterns of Spiritual Practice to grow and be transformed in relationship
with God.
In September 2010 the group will begin Christian Believer, a 30 week study focusing on
the classical theological teaching of the Christian faith including readings, hymns,
symbols and video presentations by leading theological scholars. Contact: Hilde Frazee
______________________________________________________________________
In the 15th Chapter of Luke's Gospel Jesus tells three
stories of lost and found. A sheep, a coin and two
sons are lost.
The point of all three is that none of us finds our self.
The sheep did not find itself.
The point of all three is that none of us finds our self.
The sheep did not find itself.
The coin did not find itself.
The
younger son... even though he heads for home...is preparing a speech
about working hard to repay his father for what he has squandered and
thereby justifying himself. He is still lost.
His father runs to embrace the boy, will hear nothing of his speech, justifies and restores the boy because he is "son," and throws a party. The younger son allows himself to be found and enters the house of the father, no doubt changed by the experience of his father's love.
Have you ever been changed by being loved?
The final character of the text is the older brother who refuses to be found by his father. He doesn't think he is lost, doesn't need to be found, doesn't value his father's squanderous love.
His father runs to embrace the boy, will hear nothing of his speech, justifies and restores the boy because he is "son," and throws a party. The younger son allows himself to be found and enters the house of the father, no doubt changed by the experience of his father's love.
Have you ever been changed by being loved?
The final character of the text is the older brother who refuses to be found by his father. He doesn't think he is lost, doesn't need to be found, doesn't value his father's squanderous love.
ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION ... LOVING GOD:
The more aware we become of God's work in our life the more we wonder "Why?" Why does God create and sustain and work through broken and dishonest and calculating people?
At the same time we become aware that our failure to sustain the relationship has not caused God to abandon us. Quite the opposite happens; as our failing increases, so does God's grace.
In this way, God changes us. We begin to realize with wonder that if nothing we do can separate us from God's grasp, then God's love and forgiveness must be more powerful than anything we know, than anything we do.
We call this Justifying Grace.
Just as we come into knowing our own brokenness from the God who created us, sustains us, comes after us in love; we find ourselves forgiven by this same one.
We are justified, made right by what God has done.
We believe people follow Jesus out of a longing to live a different kind of life. In him we see clearly a life reflecting the awesome love of God.
At Grace, we expect each of us will commit ourselves to working out what loving God means in our lives.
