Marriage Finds Hope In The Gospel of Grace

I so enjoyed the wedding I had the privileged of preaching at this past weekend. My prayer was that the Lord spoke through me and into to the live of those there to celebrate, and into the lives of Matt Nelson and Catie Kilgore who are now Matt and Catie Nelson united in Holy Matrimony.

The following are some excerpts from the ceremony:

I John 4:7-16
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[b] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.


Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling... Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last; but feelings come and go... But, of course, ceasing to be "in love" need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense — love as distinct from "being in love" — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriage) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God... "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it. CS Lewis in Mere Christianity states

There will be times when you can’t do without each other and there may be brief times when you struggle to do with each other. Knowing that, I desire for you and every person in this room to find your strength in the Hope of the Gospel of Grace.

-It is only by the Grace of our Lord and Savior that we can have hope.

-Only by His Grace can love one another.

-Only by His Grace can we love God.

-And only by His Grace can we be united with Him for eternity.

1 John 4:7-16 ...so graciously read for us speaks loudly of the Hope of the Gospel of Grace and how we are to love one another, of how Christ showed his love for us by sacrificing and suffering for us, and it shows that the love in us and through us testifies of Jesus- Savior of the world.

In closing Matt and Catie as you enter into and continue in the covenant of marriage I pray, because “you are the salt, you are the light, because you are a city on a hill, practice love for each other as exemplified by Christ and find your Hope in the Gospel of His Grace

A Hundredfold

"Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brother or sister or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last."

Is a hundredfold not a good return on your investment, who would not like to invest a dollar and receive a hundred or $10 and receive $1,000 or $100 and receive $10,000...? God's has commissioned us, charged us, directed us, authorized all those who believe, all who have the Holy Spirit living with in them to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" Matthew 28:18. Spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth is not an option, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Said Jesus in Act 1:8.

These words have been speaking loudly to me in the wake of the death of Chris Leggett in Mauritania, who's murder was claimed by Al Qaeda for sharing the Gospel and in a time where my Brother and Sister in-law will board a plane in three week in route to central Asia to spread the gospel in a Muslim land. As He speaks to me, I for the sake of His commission, for His saving grace, for His sacrifice, for His love want to experience the glory of God, a hundredfold!

Matt

....to the ends of the earth.

Without the the leading and guiding of our Lord and Savior and your prayers and support we would not have been able to accomplish the amazing work that was done in San Augustin Honduras last week. Numbers certainly do not tell the whole story but they help draw a picture for what was done and what might possibly come of the hard work and sacrifices that went into this trip to the mountains of Honduras.

San Agustin, Copan, Honduras Population is 9,700.

Over 1,700 people went through the mission where the gospel was presented everyone, medical and dental needs where administered and sincere love for Christ was demonstrated.

Over 600 children were presented the gospel in Children's Church.

Over 350 adult decisions for Christ where made.

Pray for discipleship, spiritual growth for the new believers, continued health, pray that God's saving grace is spread throughout the region and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8


music by Jon Foreman

Matt

Honduras Here We Go

Last minutes preparations are being made for our Medical and Dental Mission to Honduras. We leave out of Chattanooga on a Bus heading to the Atlanta at 4:30 AM on Saturday morning, pray no one oversleeps and that no one forgets their passport.

After arriving and a brief stay in San Pedro Sula we will travel five hours on bus over bumpy roads to a small town in the mountains called San Augustin (not too much info out there). While in town we will set up medical and dental services for all those in and an around to take full advantage of. People will hike in from miles to receive much needed medical and dental attention. We look not only to help improve the quality of life but to communicate the opportunity for everlasting life. While being Christ to those we are serving we will share the gospel through the Jesus Film, through children's activities, through gatherings and through the love of Christ working through us.

You can assist us as we gladly sacrifice time away by praying for all the team members and those we will be sharing with:

Bethany Beene
Aimee Dietz
Sonya Ownbey
Alison Griffith
Michael Varner
Rusty Lewis
David Ownby
Ronald Beene
Phil Griffin
Lawrence Cotton
Iris Clement
Matt Davies

Thank you for joining us in prayer for the people of Honduras.

At The End of The Road - San Augustin, Honduras

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At the end of the Road in West Central Honduras lies a little mountain town called San Augustin. As of now this is our planned destination for our medical and dental mission from June 13th-20th. The recent 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Honduras has caused significant structural damage to many of the roads and bridges around San Pedro Sula, the city where we will fly into, and therefore we may be rerouted to set up our mission in another town. As of now we may not know for sure our destination but we do know one who does and we put our faith and hope in Him.

We would love for you to help us by praying for the Mission staff who live in Honduras, the Hondurans we are going to serve, the mission team who will be sharing Christ, pray for our families as we are away and pray that God the author and commander of missions goes before and with us as we proclaim His eternal love to all ends.

Matt

A Runners High?

This past weekend I had the opportunity to push my physical, mental and psychological limits in a long competitive run through rocky trails in the mountains of northern Virginia where the finish line would be 100 miles after the start. The conditions were far from ideal; 100% humidity at the start, 85 degree temperatures through out the day and then the hail, thunderstorms, bolts of lightning and persistent rain. Sadly to say this time my limits came before the 100 mile finish line and after an exciting 65 miles and 12 hours on the mountainous trails, due to some it-band (knee) pain. More importantly than experiencing the finish line I was able to experience God; His awesomeness, His power, His beauty, His creation, His amazing strength that brought pure elation that could not be confused with any runner's high. As the lightning split the air and the mountains shook beneath my feet my response was nothing but shouting-joy for a God that is glorious in every way and who I have an even deeper desire to worship.

As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. -Luke 17:24

Thanks for letting me share our God with you, Matt

Food Drive for the Caring Place

The Caring Place is an outstanding resource that we have in our community. We want to take the month of May and fill the warehouse full of food for the widows, for the elderly, for the children, for all that are in need.

Bring in nonperishable food items during the month of May to Grace Point and we will take them over by the truck load.

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" -Matthew 6:19-21

-Matt