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Grace Church

FRIENDS for the Journey  #11 - Jesus and Friendship

FRIENDS for the Journey #11 - Jesus and Friendship

Locations & Times

Grace Community Church

8950 M-79, Nashville, MI 49073, USA

Sunday 10:00 AM

Our Spring series is wrapping up this morning.
We've been looking at the lives of Bible characters who teach and model for us some great qualities that we should possess and seek in those who would be friends on our life journey.
An overriding principle we've learned is the importance of choosing wisely those who would be closest to us.
Today we close out the series by looking at the life of our Lord Jesus. He spoke about His friends, used the concept of friends and friendship in His teachings and modeled friendship in so many ways.
Luke 11:5-8
John 11:1, 4-5, 11-13, 32-35
Would you describe your father/dad in positive terms?
If someone asked you to describe Jesus Christ, which words would you choose?
Would anyone use the word "friend" to describe their dad? What about to describe Jesus?
Jesus had friends and was a friend while He lived on earth. A key passage about Jesus and friendship is found in John 15:12-17.
The setting is in the Upper Room just after washing the feet of His disciples and before the betrayal in the Garden.
Like a sandwich, we see the two commands as the bread in verses 12 and 17. But much like a sandwich, the best part is found in the middle where we find some key truths about who Jesus called His friends.
As we think on this, we can determine whether the Lord would call us one of His friends, if we are a good friend to others, and some qualities we should look at in our friendships.
First - Friends are chosen.
John 15:16a

Question: Have you made a decision to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, what is keeping you from doing so? Who can you introduce to Jesus?
Second - Friends don't just talk the game, they play it.
John 15:13

Question: What are some recent practical examples of grateful sacrifice for your Savior and friends?
Third - Friends live like the other person really matters.
John 15:14
Matthew 28:18

Question: What area of your life have you been disobedient to God? Confess this as a sin and tell the Lord you will obey Him because you truly love Him.
Fourth - Friends speak plainly, truthfully, and wholeheartedly.
John 15:15

Question: Who are the people you trust the most to speak to...and to speak to you?
Fifth - Friends encourage others to reach their fullest potential.
John 15:16b

Question: What spiritual fruit are you leaving behind that will last?

Grace Church Website

https://gc3.org/

CJ's Coffee Shop Pre-Order Link

https://cjs-gracegc3.square.site/

Mentoring at Grace

There are several men and women at Grace Church who have completed the mentoring program here at Grace and are looking to invest in and share what they've learned with someone else. Have you thought about growing in your faith through the Grace Church mentoring program?
Contact the church office with any questions or to get the process started (grace@gc3.org) or you can talk with any of the staff and elders.

Bible Reading Plan

We hope you are taking part in the 2023 Bible Reading Plan. This also includes devotionals from Pastor Josh each week. Visit the website at the link below or find paper copies in CJ's. Let us know if you have any questions!
https://gc3.org/bible/

Lisa's Blog - Worship Moments

https://gc3.org/worship-moments/

The Greenhouse Project

Visit The Greenhouse Project at our church website to find out what classes are being offered. Contact Lisa Sterkenburg if you have questions (lisa@gc3.org).
https://gc3.org/tgp/

#togethergc3

#togethergc3
Here's the deal, we want to encourage you to spend time with your Grace family over the next few months as we talk about having FRIENDS FOR THE JOURNEY.
How to participate:
Get together with people from Grace (outside of church on Sunday morning)
Take a picture of yourselves
Post the picture on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. (whatever social media platform you use)
Use the hashtag #togethergc3 in the post
It will be fun to see the church in action and building relationships with one another outside of the church building! Note: if you type the hashtag into the search bar, all the posts that have been done so far using that hashtag will come up.
Need help? Just ask Lisa or Leslie.

S.H.A.P.E. Class

S.H.A.P.E. - learning how God has uniquely created you to minister. This is a great class for anyone who hasn't taken it before. Completion of S.H.A.P.E. is a requirement for membership at Grace Church.
https://gc3.org/grace-university/

Meet and Greet

Once a month, Grace Church provides an opportunity for those who are newer to the church to meet the leadership and get to know more about Grace. The next Meet & Greet will be today right after the service in CJ's coffee shop. We'd love to have you join us and we look forward to getting to know you better. If you have any questions, contact Leslie Booher (leslie@gc3.org).

American Red Cross Blood Drive

Grace Church will host the American Red Cross for a Blood Drive on Thursday, July 6th from 12:00-5:45 pm. Use this link to make an appointment.
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=Graceful
Birthdays and Anniversaries We're Celebrating This Week!

Tuesday, June 27th - Kevin & Kim Stewart
Wednesday, June 28th - Alivia Mater
Thursday, June 29th - Caroline Burt, Chris & Tonia Webster
Friday, June 30th - Heather Webb, Jeff & Mary Burpee