WORSHIP
What is worship? How do we worship at Grace? At Grace one can expect the unexpected during our services. We try to use every avenue to express the word of God through people, drama, music, video and message. To reach those who need to be reached and to stir up hearts for Christ. To lift our eyes and see the wonderous gift we've been given, and to help people heading into the work week be on fire and passionate about the love of Jesus Christ!
5-7-10
To all the Mothers who read this, and the husbands and children of, I would like to share with you this poem that I found today, a poem of a Mother's Love.
Dear Lord, It's been such a hectic day, With little time to stop and pray,
For life's been anything but calm, Since You called me to be a Mom,
Running errands, matching socks, Building dreams with matching blocks,
Cooking, cleaning, finding shoes, And other stuff that children lose,
Fitting lids on bottled bugs, Wiping tears and giving hugs,
A stack of last week's mail to read, So where's the quiet time I need?
Yet, when I steal a moment, Lord, Just at my desk or ironing board,
To ask the blessings of Your grace, I see them, in my small one's face,
That You have blessed me all the while - -
And I stoop to kiss that precious smile.
- - - - - Author Unknown
It's so amazing isn't it? God gave each of us a Mother who took time out of their lives to raise us. Whether that time was planned or not they gave us life. For some this Mother's Day, you may be celebrating without your Mother whether she is miles away or with the Lord. But know that he is with them and that they are praying and loving you. You see that is the thing about Mothers, no matter where they are they don't stop thinking about or loving you. Every fabric of their being is what the Father intended. To be a Loving, Caring, Protective, Nurturing, Forgiving, Thoughtful, Respectful, God-Fearing, All-knowing, Funny, Advising, and Praying Soul that God placed in our lives, if not for anything to prove to us that Angels do walk this earth. As I think about my Wife, Mother, Mother-in-law, Step-Mother, and Grandmothers I am grateful for everyone of these Ladies who have brought an understanding to my life that if not for them I would be a lost soul in this world never knowing Love. True Love the kind that doesn't fail. The kind that kneels before a cross and shows her Love and support for a Son who is an outcast dying on a cross. Disciple's may scatter, and followers may be in hiding, but a Mother stays while the rest of the world walk away! In short, just like the Love of our Father in Heaven!
God thank you for Mothers. Because through them we see your miracle of life and your ever-present Love and Forgiveness in our world. Aside from Jesus our Lord and Savior, Mothers are the most precious people you have created and for that we are truly grateful! Amen
Happy Mother's Day!!
4-27-10
I was sitting here looking at old photos from past Sunday's here at Grace and I thought this would be fun to share with you! Here is a picture from one of our series 2 months ago. It was taken from our Grace on Grace Series and we focused on how our relationship with God is like a marriage. From God pursuing us, to our commitment, to sanctification of that commitment, then finally to perfection of our marriage when we are with God. We did this with message and drama and we felt that it would be fun to have the drama take place through the past four decades as we followed a couple's marriage through each season they went through. Much like our marriage with God. So to make it "Grace Community Church" we as a worship band and some in the congregation dressed up from those decades and this picture was from our 80's weekend.
P.S. Notice the rad scarf on the mic stand! And the girls looking so 80's and is that Don Johnson playing guitar? Where's Tubbs?
4-26-10
Wanted to take the time to thank all of those who came up and shared their thoughts with me about the acoustic worship. Everybody's opinion will be a great help for me to plan different ways to keep worship fun and most importantly to keep it focused on Christ! That is why I felt we needed to bring it to a simple place this past Sunday. Not to say that what we do is not as good but sometimes its good to strip music down and just bring the song to the most honest and true point of singing the song the same way the songwriter wrote it. So it brought this thought to my mind. If ever your life is so crazy and you have a bunch of insrtuments playing at the same time. Just simplify it and bring it way down so you can sing your lifesong to God the way it was intended. With just a guitar and vocal.
Just thought you may like this. Here is a picture of me singing for my daughter's class this past Monday again just guitar and voice. The kids loved it and the cool part was we sang worship songs!! 
4-19-10
Well another week has passed and what another GREAT SERVICE, yesterday, as nine youth confirmed their faith! It is such a blessing and privilege to get to see these kids hear the call of the Lord and start on their journey with him, it's tremendous! Well finally the rains fell and knocked out some of this pollen! Thank you, Lord, for I feel much better! This past week after Greg, our youth director and I spoke about all the original songs being written recently, we feel that a studio album full of Grace originals is in the distant future. We will have a ten song CD of our own music for you to share with family and friends. This will be just another way for God to reach people you know and maybe give them a little listen to how we worship the Lord here at Grace! Aside from that good news, let's reflect today on what God has purposed for our lives and listen to our hearts, as he has given us a heart of worship. Let's be worship this week, so we can focus on Christ and be prepared to hear Pastor Bill's message, and bring it back to the heart of worship!
God Bless,
Chad
4-12-10
A good Monday to all! I tell ya the weather here in Fort Smith Arkansas has been beautiful! EXCEPT FOR THE POLLEN!!!! My goodness if you don't suffer from allergies feel blessed. I'm not known for a low singing voice but yesterday I could have sung bass for the Oak Ridge Boys! God got me through service yesterday thank goodness! If you suffer from allergies I will pray that the Lord heals you and makes you feel better!
Great things are happening in our music here at Grace. Our youth pastor Greg has written a song that let me tell you is quite amazing, very worshipful and spiritual. We felt it definitely needed to be played in an intimate setting so not this Sunday but on the 25th we are going to have an Acoustic Sunday like never before. We want to bring it back to the heart of worship and really let the presence of God work in the room. So make sure you're there on the 25th!
Other than that, we are continuing the Developed series this weekend and we have some great songs picked out to lift our voices to the Lord and worship with all our hearts! We have a great message and drama as well and hope you will be here to share in the amazing love of Christ!
God Bless,
Chad
4-6-10
Wow what an AWESOME EASTER! I can honestly say that I have never been a part or witnessed one quite like Sunday's. I am just reminded everyday how great our God is and how he uses each and everyone of us to tell the Easter story everyday of our lives. No matter what your families history their is an Easter story in them. The story of how darkness and death do not have the last word, but how hope, new life and forgiveness lives on through Christ. I hope and trust that your Easter was a good one, let Jesus work through you so that others may see him too.
Since Sunday, I have had many of you ask me, "where did the song Picture Of Me come from"? Well in preparing for Easter we wondered if we could tell the Easter story from the point of view that our lives are snapshots. Each moment that we experience and some better than others are like photos that God takes of his children and develops them. How many of us have our children's pictures plastered everywhere in our homes? In a sense God is us and he has everyone of our photos plastered in his house. Some good and some bad, but he still develops them into the picture he sees. He knows the full potential of our lives even though we may not at the time. Just as we see the full potential of our kids as we look at their pictures.
So sitting in my office with guitar in hand I knew already how the chorus was gonna flow but didn't know about the verses. So I began to think in terms of a photo shoot what maybe would be some question the person posing might ask. My friends from there is where God took me on this wonderful journey. I invisioned myself at a photo shoot with God. I know it sounds weird but literally all the questions and the conversations you might have with a photographer worked in this song, but it also had an double message and I knew right then it was God at work! So the versus starting coming to me: Should I sit or should I stand? Do I do something else with my hands? Lord I'm nervous I don't know what to do? Cause I've never posed for anyone like you. I mean these are questions somebody getting their picture taking might ask, but the meaning do I just sit it out or do I stand up and take control of my life? Do I use my hands for the work of the Lord or do I use them selfishly? Lastly, do I put on a mask and put on a show or do I see who God really wants me to be and allow him to take my picture?
Isn't it funny how God can take the simplest thing like taking a photograph and weave it into a life lesson. A life lesson of becoming the person he knows we can be. The person who has compassion and cares about their fellow man regardless of what they have done to them. The person who has the power to forgive and be forgiven. The person who after many years kicks that hurt, habit, or hang-up and walks in the light of new life! Guys and Gals he's out there waiting for us to just let him take our picture so he can begin developing them in his image. That is why Christ died for us. So that we may see that picture developed and hanging in his house for the world to see!
God Bless,
Chad
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