Grace Church
Christmas Preparations #1-Finding Hope in our Frustration and Fatigue
Each week we'll explore one of the four themes of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
Locations & Times
Grace Community Church
8950 M-79, Nashville, MI 49073, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
It's Christmas Time Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-d6tHDFxsThere is no definitive date for when we start preparing for Christmas in North America.
A good question to ask ourselves is whether or not we are prepared to "cheerfully" celebrate?
Do you find yourself dealing with frustration or fatigue during the lead-up to the holiday, the actual events, and the aftermath?
A good question to ask ourselves is whether or not we are prepared to "cheerfully" celebrate?
Do you find yourself dealing with frustration or fatigue during the lead-up to the holiday, the actual events, and the aftermath?
If so, there is good news for you today. There is HOPE...something we can refocus our mind and heart and allow us to enjoy the holiday for what it was intended, and not on what it has become.
Christmas was established to honor the Advent or 1st Coming and the life of Jesus Christ. It was to honor Him as our Lord, Savior, and Role Model. Our secular culture rejects this. The frustrations and fatigue that we're talking about are the result of trying to embrace our culture's values, priorities, attitudes, and behaviors.
Christmas was established to honor the Advent or 1st Coming and the life of Jesus Christ. It was to honor Him as our Lord, Savior, and Role Model. Our secular culture rejects this. The frustrations and fatigue that we're talking about are the result of trying to embrace our culture's values, priorities, attitudes, and behaviors.
This morning we're looking at Luke 2:8-12, 15-16.
The main characters are Shepherds - ordinary working class people doing their ordinary job on what seemed like just another ordinary night.
God meets us in our ordinary struggles. He comes to us right where we are in the ordinary moments of life, as we juggle our schedules and battle with our frustration and fatigue.
The main characters are Shepherds - ordinary working class people doing their ordinary job on what seemed like just another ordinary night.
God meets us in our ordinary struggles. He comes to us right where we are in the ordinary moments of life, as we juggle our schedules and battle with our frustration and fatigue.
These Shepherds were not the cute little figures we often imagine from our Christmas cards.
- They were often the youngest son in a family of servants who worked for rich landowners and sheep barons.
- They were considered to be among the lowest social class, uneducated, ceremonially unclean according to religious law, and viewed as untrustworthy by the legal system.
- They were undesirables whose life could be summed up as dangerous, desolate, and despised.
- They were working the graveyard shift and among other things, were likely hopeless in their thoughts of the future - spiritually or secularly.
- They were often the youngest son in a family of servants who worked for rich landowners and sheep barons.
- They were considered to be among the lowest social class, uneducated, ceremonially unclean according to religious law, and viewed as untrustworthy by the legal system.
- They were undesirables whose life could be summed up as dangerous, desolate, and despised.
- They were working the graveyard shift and among other things, were likely hopeless in their thoughts of the future - spiritually or secularly.
And yet, this is exactly where God chose to make His announcement. To the regular people who were dealing with the frustrations and fatigue of life. God chose an ordinary field and ordinary people...and here they found HOPE! Here's a nugget for us from the Shepherd's story: God sees our ordinary struggles.
The very ordinariness of the Shepherd's situation is what makes the story so extraordinary. God could have chosen any setting or group of characters for the announcement of His Son's birth, but He chose the most ordinary setting and people possible. But why? Because that's where most of us live most of the time...in the valley of everyday responsibilities and struggles.
God was aware of their lives and chose to meet them right where they were and to use their situation for His Glory and their Good. The place where you are feeling frustrated and fatigued isn't a place God avoids...it's exactly where He wants to meet us. Our Christmas stress, family tensions, grief, and financial worries aren't barriers to God's love or forgiveness or provision. They are the very places HOPE shines brightest.
In verse 9 we see that God's message came to these Shepherds, they didn't seek this encounter.
God showed up. He cared enough to bring HOPE. This HOPE that God presented them with was a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.
They were left with a choice. Were they going to continue living life on their own terms, trying to manage each and every situation and have no end in sight for their frustrations and fatigue or would they respond to God as we see the Shepherds doing in verses 15 and 16.
God showed up. He cared enough to bring HOPE. This HOPE that God presented them with was a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.
They were left with a choice. Were they going to continue living life on their own terms, trying to manage each and every situation and have no end in sight for their frustrations and fatigue or would they respond to God as we see the Shepherds doing in verses 15 and 16.
Will you choose to respond to God's offer of Jesus as your Lord and Savior and surrender your frustrations and fatigue to Him?
Matthew 11:28
Matthew 11:28
God's HOPE for your life has a name...Jesus.
If you don't have a relationship with Jesus and want to have assurance of God's love and forgiveness, see Pastor Don in the lobby to pick up a special booklet.
If you are a person who may be struggling with frustrations and fatigue, open your hands and tell Jesus you are coming to Him and laying them before Him.
If you don't have a relationship with Jesus and want to have assurance of God's love and forgiveness, see Pastor Don in the lobby to pick up a special booklet.
If you are a person who may be struggling with frustrations and fatigue, open your hands and tell Jesus you are coming to Him and laying them before Him.
Grace Church Website
https://gc3.org/Giving at Grace
https://gc3.org/pages/giveFind us on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@GraceChurchMIBreeze Directory
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.breezechms.com/r/dashboardCJ's Coffee Shop Pre-Order
Skip the line and order your latte ahead of time!
https://gc3.org/pages/cjs-orderGrace Church has an App!
Access messages, prayer posts, news & events, Breeze login, and more! Use the link below to download the Grace Church app through Tithely. This is an easy way to access all of the most important things found on our website or even get to the website itself. Once you download the app it will ask what topics you would like notifications for so that you won't miss out on any information that is shared. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Lisa Sterkenburg (lisa@gc3.org) or Leslie Booher (leslie@gc3.org).
https://tithely.app.link/gc3Join a H.O.M.E. Group
Life is better lived in community with one another. As Christ followers, we know that being in community helps us tremendously as we learn and grow in our faith. Grace Church offers H.O.M.E. Groups that help us do just that! These groups meet from September to May in homes throughout our 4 county region. H.O.M.E. Groups guide us in four key areas: Hospitality, Obedience, Ministry, and Evangelism. It is our hope that everyone be able to experience life lived in community through a H.O.M.E. Group! If you have questions or want help finding a group that is right for you, contact the church office (grace@gc3.org). You can learn more and sign-up using the link below.
https://gc3.org/pages/h-o-m-e-groupsMeet and Greet
Grace Church holds a Meet & Greet for those who are newer to Grace Church on the 4th Sunday of each month 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).
Grace Wear 2025
You Can Order from Courtside Today!
We have a whole new line of shirts available to order from Courtside Screen-Printing and Embroidery. You can see all of the t-shirts, long sleeve tee's, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats, and more when you visit the online store at the link below. All questions should be directed to Courtside; their contact information can be found at the bottom of their page.
https://gracechurch-2025.itemorder.com/shop/home/Bible Reading Plan 2026
Pick up a Harmony Study booklet on Sunday after church!
Our Bible Reading Plan for 2026 is a study of the life and ministry of Christ using the harmony of the gospels. The printed booklet, ready for pick up on Sunday, lists all the passages to be studied for the week along with 4 questions you can answer in your personal study or with your H.O.M.E. Group.
Because this is a harmony of the gospels plan, you may want to use a harmony book (for example: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry) but this is not essential to participate in the study.
We are very excited to dig deeply into the Word, to take our time to apply it to our lives and share the life-changing lessons and insights God has revealed to us during our time with Him. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Sterkenburg (lisa@gc3.org).
Our Bible Reading Plan for 2026 is a study of the life and ministry of Christ using the harmony of the gospels. The printed booklet, ready for pick up on Sunday, lists all the passages to be studied for the week along with 4 questions you can answer in your personal study or with your H.O.M.E. Group.
Because this is a harmony of the gospels plan, you may want to use a harmony book (for example: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry) but this is not essential to participate in the study.
We are very excited to dig deeply into the Word, to take our time to apply it to our lives and share the life-changing lessons and insights God has revealed to us during our time with Him. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Sterkenburg (lisa@gc3.org).
Sign-Up for a Grace U Class
Living by the Book will meet on Monday evenings at 6:00 pm beginning January 5th Four Seasons of Marriage will meet on Sunday mornings at 8:45 am beginning January 11th *Child care is available for this class if you sign up by December 31st. 7 Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible will meet on Sunday mornings at 8:45 am beginning January 11th *Child care is available for this class if you sign up by December 31st. Here's Grace will meet either Sunday or Monday evenings at 6:30 pm.
https://gc3.breezechms.com/form/grace_uChristmas Card Exchange
If you have interest in sharing Christmas Card greetings with your Grace Church family, you can drop your cards at the Welcome Kiosk now through December 21st. The Welcome Team will be sorting the cards and distributing them to families on Sunday mornings. Contact Leslie Booher (leslie@gc3.org) if you have any questions.
The Mindful Marriage Conference
A BIBLICALLY-BASED MARRIAGE EVENT FOR COUPLES
Hosted by Rockford Reformed Church, 4890 11 Mile Rd NE, Rockford, MI
Everything you need to know can be found at the link below. Don't wait to move on this as early registration (a $20 discount) ends January 4th!
See Jeff & Mary Burpee if you have questions (jburp24@gmail.com).
https://rockfordreformedchurch.org/mindful-marriageBirthdays and Anniversaries we're celebrating this week:
Sunday, December 7th - Rick Abbott
Monday, December 8th - Logan Hoffman
Monday, December 8th - Logan Hoffman