December 30, 2012: Between two Advents

Right now, we're between Christmas and New Year's day, between two holidays. It's sort of an awkward time, because you don't want to go back to work, and yet it's a week inbetween with football and other things not normally seen in most weeks...and yet, it is a full business week with government offices and businesses mostly open.

However, spiritually, we are between two Advents in our lives as Christians: between Christ's first and second comings. And in that time frame, we must live as believers in Christ: in the Spirit until Jesus comes back. Listen to how we should do that in Pastor Michael Hodge's sermon for today.

Also, Katharine Spencer played "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" for us, and we have that recorded here too for your listening pleasure. To listen to them, click here:


http://archive.org/details/BetweenTwoAdvents

We hope you are blessed by these recordings, and that you had a blessed Christmas. And from all of us here at Grace to your family, we pray God's blessings on you in 2013!

December 23, 2012: The peace of Christ

As this is being typed, we're a week and a half past the terrible school shooting in Connecticut, and a few days after the day that the world was supposed to end...according to the Mayans. There's so much angst, so much confusion, so much anger, so much hatred in the world today. As we approach Christmas, let us remember that we have the solution to all of that...Jesus Christ! He is the only one who can provide the peace in our lives that we all seek. Listen to this sermon and be reminded of that as Christmas is upon us. And if you don't know Christ as your Lord and risen Savior, we invite you to listen, that you may know the peace that passes all understanding that we have!

Also, we had the lighting of our Advent candles, and our special music today was done by Roger Seldal and others.

You can hear all of these by clicking here:

http://archive.org/details/ThePeaceOfChristInAnUnhingedWorld

We hope you are blessed by all these recordings today, and may you have a joyous Christmas, with the peace of Christ in your heart!

December 16, 2012: The Lord of life

As we continue our celebration of the Advent season, and prepare our hearts of Christmas, we are reminded on this gloomy but mild day that God is the Lord of Life today. We go back to the foundations of our faith to remember today that God provides us with not only physical life, and those of everything around us, but eternal life. The question is: do you know if you are going to eternal life, to heaven? Listen to this challenging sermon to find out!

We also had Connie and Karen Hannan put together special music and our prelude, and we recorded these for your listening pleasure. And, we had the Spencers light the Advent candle and do the readings today. We hope you are blessed by these recordings.

You can hear them here:

http://archive.org/details/TheGodOfLife

May God bless you richly this week in Christ Jesus!

December 9th, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 8: Discipleship

On this cold and rainy Sunday, Pastor Michael Hodge shared with us the last in his series on spiritual transformation, as Christ transforms us by the power of the Holy Spirit, we become Christ's disciples. We witness to others and live out what we believe. And, we are martyrs if necessary, living our lives at all costs for Jesus. We encourage you to listen to this challenging message and meditate on the Scriptures that it is based of off.

Also, we had our lightning of the Advent candle, sacrifice. And Kaelynn Clark did our special music today.

You may listen to all these here:

http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart8DiscipleshipAndWitnesses

We hope you are blessed by all of this today, and pray you have a great week in Christ Jesus!

December 2, 2012: Spiritual formation, part 7: Holiness

On this partly sunny and near record warm day, Pastor Michael Hodge spoke about holiness. As we become more like Christ, we become holy, hating and acknowledging our sin more and more...while doing less and less of it. Find out how this is done by listening to his sermon today.

Also, we had the lighting of the first candle in Advent today. This candle symbolizes holiness...also the topic of our sermon today. The Fagerstroms were the first family up this week today, and other families will perform this ceremony in weeks to come.

Finally, Donna Seldal and Karen Hannan gave us our special music today; I think you'll really enjoy it. Donna really had a good song today!

You can listen to all these by clicking here:


http://archive.org/details/SpiritualFormationPart7Holiness

And we hope you have a great week in Christ Jesus!