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Walking with Jesus - #3 Jesus COMMISSIONED by the Father

Walking with Jesus - #3 Jesus COMMISSIONED by the Father

The focus of this series is to look at the life of Jesus as presented in the Gospels. We'll slowly and simply examine the life of the Lord, from His first movements to His last and it will be as though we were walking alongside Him.

Locations & Times

Grace Community Church

8950 M-79, Nashville, MI 49073, USA

Sunday 10:00 AM

The focus of this series, Walking with Jesus, is to look at the life of Jesus as presented in the Gospels. We'll slowly and simply examine the life of the Lord, from His first movements to His last and it will be as though we were walking alongside Him.
We have spent the last two weeks learning about the incarnation and the early life of Jesus. Today we move into his adult life and talk about a pivotal moment...Jesus being COMMISSIONED by the Father.
His commission begins with his baptism, which we read about in Matthew, Mark and Luke and sets the stage for how he would establish His ministry and accomplish the work His Father had sent Him to do.
The word commissioned in this context means to confer rank, authority, or power. When we think about this definition and the life of Jesus, we get a clearer picture of why Jesus' baptism was such a pivotal moment. He was no longer the baby, child, teenager or young adult with earthly responsibilities, He was now a full adult with godly responsibilities.
Jesus had not just been waiting for His time but instead He was being prepared through His normal everyday activities because of His relationship with the Father.
Think about a time in your life when you were being prepared for the next big thing or the next responsibility in your life.
Upon His baptism, Jesus was COMMISSIONED as the long-awaited Messiah. In this, Jesus identified with the power of God, the people whom He would minister, and the pleasure of His Father.
Immediately following His baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days. This set the foundation for His upcoming ministry. Here are five key components we see in Jesus setting up His ministry. We can follow this same model today!
1. Have a Servant Attitude
Matthew 3:13a
Mark 1:9a

Jesus demonstrated through His baptism that He came to serve His Father. It was never about being a king or ruler but instead to serve God and do His will.
2. Submit to Authority
Matthew 3:13b-15
Mark 1:9b
Luke 3:21a

Just because He was the Son of God, Jesus wasn't exempt from God's rules. He was willing to submit Himself and be publicly baptized in front of those who were at the Jordan River that day.
3. The Spirit's Anointing
Matthew 3:16
Mark 1:10
Luke 3:21b-22a

When we look at all that Jesus was able to accomplish in His short time here and how much He was able to endure, we see the power of the Holy Spirit upon Him. Jesus is our example of the power the Spirit can bring when we allow Him to work in our lives.
4. Believe you have Security in the Father
Matthew 3:17
Mark 1:11
Luke 3:22b

God had now claimed Jesus as His own. Jesus had been chosen and we too have been chosen. We can have the security of the Father if we accept Him and His will for our lives.
5. The Significance of His Assignment
Luke 3:23

From the moment that mankind sinned, God has promised to redeem us and defeat sin. The incarnation of Jesus was His plan. The plan to redeem His people included sending His Son to die an obedient death on the cross.
Application:
As we look at the baptism of Jesus and the start of His ministry, there are some takeaways that we must implement in our own lives. We must always examine Scripture and ask ourselves...
What did God say?
What did He say to me?
What should I say to others?
1. How is your relationship with Jesus?

He wants to know us and be part of our lives. We have to ask ourselves if we want to be part of His life? We have to think about how we spend our time and how much it includes time with Jesus. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will find Him present in our lives.


2. Where are you serving Him?

This year you may want to ask yourselves, is there an area in my life that I could make some changes and find extra time to spend serving God? If you aren't sure where to serve, you can contact an elder or staff and Grace Church and they can help you get started.
3. How are you trusting Him?
Matthew 19:26

God can do some pretty incredible things in your life if you let Him. Don't let the fear of failure keep you from doing what He has called you to do. God sent Jesus to earth to complete the ultimate mission. We too have been given important work by God and He will provide as long as we are faithfully serving Him.
This week:

1. Read and pray over Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23 until you can answer three questions:
a) What did God say? (The meaning of the passage in your own words)
b) What is God saying to you? (What is God telling you to do?)
c) What will you say about this passage to someone? (Think of one person)




Grace Church Website


https://gc3.org/

Breeze Church Management

At Grace we use a secure directory/giving service called Breeze Church Management.  Creating your personal account allows you to contact others in the church family, keep your contact information updated, and keep track of your giving if that is important to you, and/or create an online giving account. Use the link below to get started or to login if you already have an account.
https://gc3.org/login/

CJ's Coffee Shop Pre-Order Link

https://gc3.org/cjs/

Meet and Greet

Grace Church holds a Meet & Greet for those who are newer to Grace Church on the 4th Sunday of each month. Our next Meet & Greet will be held on January 26th following the service in CJ's coffee shop. It is a great opportunity to meet the staff and leadership of Grace Church and learn a little more about the church. It also gives us an opportunity to learn a little about you! Contact Leslie Booher if you have any questions (leslie@gc3.org).

H.O.M.E. Groups

H.O.M.E. Groups have started back up again after a holiday break. Now is a great time to jump in and be part of a group! Joining a group will help you grow in your walk with Jesus and give you a group of people that will walk alongside you through the journey.  You can learn more about groups, which ones are available, and/or sign-up for a group at the link below. Please contact the church office if you have any questions about what group would be a good fit for you. (grace@gc3.org)
https://gc3.org/home-groups/

Read the Bible this year

Pastor Don is encouraging us to "THRIVE in 25." Part of Thriving in your faith in 2025 will include time spent in God's Word. We encourage you to read through the Bible this year by using the Bible Project plan "One Story that leads to Jesus" on the YouVersion Bible app. You can find this plan at the link below.  Contact Lisa Sterkenburg (lisa@gc3.org) if you have questions.
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/22273

Marriage Conference

Jeff and Mary Burpee would like to invite all couples of the church to prayerfully consider attending the Never Alone Marriage Conference on February 7th and 8th at Peace Church in Middleville, MI. This conference is designed to encourage and equip married couples in their journey with Christ. The keynote speakers are Jimmy and Kelly Needham. Registration is $99 per couple through January 26th. After that it is $125 per couple. To learn more and to register, visit the link below. If you'd like to talk with Jeff and Mary more about this, you can email them (jburp24@gmail.com).
https://www.peacechurch.cc/marriagecon

Wednesdays in the Winter

We invite you to Grace Church every Wednesday night for some mid-week fun and fellowship. CJ's coffee shop will be open and we'll have a featured game available from 6:00-7:30 pm each week. Bring a snack to share if you wish. This is a great opportunity to bring someone you want to spend time with, get to know better, or introduce to other Christians. Contact Lisa Sterkenburg if you have questions (lisa@gc3.org).

Here's the schedule for January:
January 22nd: Sequence
January 29th: Blank Slate

Time to Walk!

Are you trying to get more steps in but don't want to walk in the cold? Come on in where it's warm and walk inside the church! We'll make sure the building is open and ready for you...
Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 12:00-3:00 pm
Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Annual Helping People Rummage Sale

Once again we'll have two shopping opportunities: Friday, February 21st 5:00-7:30 pm and Saturday, February 22nd 9:00 am to 11:30 pm. This is an annual event for Grace Church where you can clean out your closets and storage areas and give what you don't need or use to a good cause. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Samaritan Fund that helps our community and those in need. If you'd like to participate, there is a form to fill out (see link below). Here are a few things to keep in mind: - You will need to mark all of your items and set them up on your designated table(s) before the sale begins (anytime during the week of February 17th) - You will need to return at the end of the sale to collect any unsold items you wish to keep. Anything not picked up at Noon on Saturday will be donated to local charities. - If you don't have items to donate but still want to help out with this event, we will need a few people to work the payment table during both days of the sale as well as clean up on Saturday. You can also help us out by advertising!  What we need to know from you: Would you like a table or two? Want to help with this event? Let us know by filling out this FORM. Have questions? Contact Leslie Booher (leslie@gc3.org)
https://gc3.breezechms.com/form/rummage

Birthdays and Anniversaries We're Celebrating This Week!

Monday, January 20th - Linda Cheadle
Wednesday, January 22nd - Cheryl Pierce
Thursday, January 23rd - Owen Bolinger
Saturday, January 25th - Ariana Dykhouse