Dear Congregation, For twenty-seven years it has been my hope that Grace Community Church would be a praying congregation. I believe prayer is at the heart of what it means for us to be Christians and a local church. Prayer is only possible because Jesus made the way...
A snap-shot scene from the ministry of Jesus among his disciples is instructive for us as his followers today. It’s a scene that points to the transformation Jesus works in us and therefore among us as his church. In Mark 9:33 we read that Jesus and...
“… that we may be encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:12 This morning’s phone call was supposed to be a pastoral care situation. That’s where someone asks me a question and then I give an answer. This is the way the world...
I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 We are always moving forward. There is always something before us. I live by my calendar. I get a sense of security from knowing what’s next....
This blog was originally posted on January 25, 2019. In our trials, we must remember that though God will do it, we must go through it. This is the message of the first chapter of the book of James. James is writing to Christians who are experiencing...
Once again this morning I awoke early, made coffee, and opened the Bible. Today, two things met together and moved me to pray. First, my daily reading was Psalm 27. Here I read, “Teach me your ways, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because...
Dr. Bill Maynard is a Nashville physician, and a long-time member and elder here at Grace Community Church. Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. -Hebrews 12:28 By mid- March we had three confirmed cases of COVID-19 among my patients. One has died....
One of the striking messages of the Psalms is that God’s faithful people, real believers in him, experience deep longings that seem to be unmet. Take, for instance, Psalm 119:81-82, “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise;...
When I was a child, my family spent a few summers camping at a lake in East Tennessee. A floating platform was situated off the shore of the lake, just far enough to be reached with an easy swim by an average swimmer. But, I was...
Believe it or not, I am not normally a confident decision-maker. Being faced with a challenging decision that has no clear, certain path can put my already anxious mind in the red zone. And yet, decisions are a part of my everyday life and my...
