Garden Grove Church of the Nazarene
Our people - Our church
Angels…they are a natural a part of our thinking as believers.
Pastor Jim decided to take us into the “classroom” for a little while this week and perhaps answer some of those questions.
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This Sunday, May 20th, this internationally known and acclaimed men’s chorus will join us in worship as they present a program of classic Christian hymns and selected contemporary sacred music. Bring your friends to this outstanding event!
Learn more about them at their website, www.christianedition.com, where they tell of their mission: “to provide each listener with an opportunity for a closer walk with the Lord, through songs, the Word, and our prayer ministry. Our members believe that the Lord’s love and the Spirit combine to make Christian Edition His ministry.”
Our topic this for this sermon may seem a bit out of theme, but it really isn’t. Why? Because it seems that much of our struggle with faith comes directly from not having an adequate perspective about the “other side” of eternal life. As Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13:12:
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us! (1 Corinthians 13:12 TM)
Most of us have been mad at God at one point or another. Something went wrong. Prayers seemed to go unanswered. You became convinced that God didn’t really care, or even notice that His children were hurting, badly. We’re trying to see God’s side, but we just can’t. We want to believe that God loves us. We want to believe that God cares. But it’s hard to see. And it’s so easy to turn on our faith and assume that God has failed us.
Here’s the question… Would it help just a little if God would choose to give us just a little glimpse… just a little peak on the other side of the curtain?
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Heal our land… let us pray!
The National Day of Prayer is a little known day of observance on our calendars. It’s a national observance involving humility and prayer that asks all Americans to pray for the betterment of themselves and our country. The National Day of Prayer 2012 is an opportunity for everyone to look at themselves and reflect.
Our Social Committee invites you to join them at the church for a Spaghetti Dinner and a time to pray and reflect in the sanctuary.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
5:00 pm – The Sanctuary will be open for prayer
6:30 pm – Dinner will be served in the Fellowship Hall
The Kerr family, our 2009 L.I.N.K.S. Missionaries, will be visiting and sharing with us at our Sunday morning worship service on Sunday, April 29 at 10:00 am. During this all-church service, David and Rosie will be sharing about their life as missionaries in Papua New Guinea.
David was a public school teacher of history and biology. Now he is a professor at the Melanesian Nazarene Bible College. Rosie is a Family Practice doctor at the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital. She has also been a Sunday School teacher, ladies’ Bible study leader and an invaluable partner with Dave in his ministry. The Kerrs have two daughters, Grace and Anna.
Following morning worship, we’ll have an all-church potluck with our missionary guests!
Plan on a fun time of fellowship!
>> Get more information about GGNaz and missions
>>Get more information about the Kerr family
Scars tell stories don’t they? I would guess that most everyone here has one or more scars they could point to that would tell us a story about you. And down through history, the center focus – the powerful symbol of the forgiveness and the healing of our hearts that God offers through His Son – has been the nail scarred hands and feet and the wound in his side.
Heaven Is For Real! is a simple, yet profound, story written by Todd Burpo, a pastor in the Wesleyan Church, about his son, Colton, who, at the age of three, experienced a near death trauma (that I will let you read about for yourself).
The story that began to emerge for Colton’s parents in the months following that experience is the beautiful and extraordinary story of this little boy’s trip to heaven and back.
Off and on through the next several weeks I will be using little pieces of Colton’s story to focus our attention on the Christ who we love and serve, and on heaven, the place that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him.
19That Sunday evening, the disciples were together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad to see the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
22After he had said this, he breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23Whenever you forgive sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you don’t forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, who was called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord.” Thomas told them, “I refuse to believe this unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my fingers into them, and put my hand into his side.”
26A week later Jesus’ disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, and believe.”
28Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to Thomas, “You believe because you’ve seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me but believe.” (John 20:19-29 GW)
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One of the most intriguing and enlightening passages of the gospels is found only in the Gospel of Luke. It is a brief interaction between Jesus and a condemned criminal.
As we reflect on the setting there on that execution hill, we see an amazing picture, a symbol – so to speak – that represents all of mankind and our response to the passionate love that Christ has for all of us.
Two men, both condemned to die, knowing for certain now that they were out of options in this life. There would be no reprieve. There would be no one to help them, or save their lives. They both seemed to know who Jesus was, and they both came to that critical moment of departure from this life with an attitude about him that would secure their eternal future!
At the end of the sermon, enjoy this video with a beautiful meditation on the words of the Thief:
Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
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A special thank you to everyone who helped with our fantastic Easter Sunday Celebration: choir, tech, children, teens, and everyone behind the scenes. It takes team work to make it all come together. Although we want to have a great service for our congregation, ultimately we perform for an audience of ONE! May all we do be pleasing to HIM!
- Michelle Ruth, choir director for “The Song Of The Lamb.”
Click to view our Easter 2012 photo album on Picasa!
Garden Grove Nazarene Easter Choir 2012 – We Will Dance
Garden Grove Nazarene Easter Choir 2012 – “The Song of the Lamb” Finale
On Easter Sunday at GGNaz, we had a special celebration service with music from our choir, our kids and our worship team. Pastor Jim spent a few minutes in this brief sermon proclaiming the truth and power of the resurrection.
Down through the centuries, some have claimed that Jesus’ death on the cross was nothing more than a criminal’s execution… mistaken perhaps… but then innocent people have been executed before. For some, this is nothing more than a tiny blip on the screen of history to be ignored or perhaps to be studied along with other ancient stories that may or may not be true.
Our purpose on Easter Sunday morning is not to examine the pros and cons of these arguments and claims, or to defend the claims of the Christian faith by logical argument. Rather, we’re reminded that no one has ever been able to effectively discount in any way the truth and validity of these two essential truths of the Christian faith.
1. Jesus died for the sins of the world!
2. Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive forever more!
Where is the proof?
The proof is to be found, very simply, in the transformed lives of millions of people down through the centuries… people who have not argued or debated the pros and cons of the Christian faith, but people who have simply testified in their own personal way to the saving grace and redemptive love of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for their sins and who conquered death on that first Easter morning so they could experience eternal life… life that begins at the point of belief.
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On Palm Sunday morning we continued our contemplation of the Stations of the Cross. Station number four is entitled simply, “Jesus Speaks to the Women.” The record of these words of Jesus as he journeyed the Way of Sorrow to Golgotha are found in Luke 23 beginning with verse 27. Pastor Jim takes this passage a verse or two at a time to help provide understanding and context to these verses that seem rather strange coming from the mouth of God’s Son.
Jesus’ words may sound sarcastic or even mean, but it was nothing of the sort. He was rather redirecting their attention to a more serious issue. When we give ourselves to things that mean little while ignoring matters of eternal significance, we grieve God, just as Jesus grieved earlier in the Passion narrative on Palm Sunday.
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See more of the beautiful hand-cut, marble mosaics like the Stations of the Cross mosaics at:
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