Gratia church held a Monday group Bible study on October 25 and they studied Romans 8. There were two newcomers who joined it along with regular attendees and the sharing after the Bible study was very touching and graceful.
“ This Bible study is really deep and touched me so much. When I think about the comparison mind governed by the flesh versus the mind governed by the spirit, it hits me how I am living. I obey God in order to get things from God versus I obey God to get God and to delight and resemble him in love is a huge difference. I want to find back my original relationship with God by reflecting this message.” shared Alice.
We pray that all members can continue to grow deeper in the Word of God and experience God’s grace every moment.
Gratia church and Berkeley students had a very graceful joint retreat on October 9. They studied Genesis 6-9, the story of Noah. There were two Bible studies in the morning and had an outdoor fellowship in the afternoon.
“We learned about Fall of Adam and how sin spread in Cain and see results in the time of Noah. How is history? It is divided; a fallen history of sin in the world and a righteous history of God building the Kingdom of God. We learn the history of God through Noah how God judges the evilness of the world but He continues the history through the righteous ones. There’s time for judgment and all evil will be judged precisely, sin always has its limit. The God of love is also God of justice, in love, there is justice and evilness is not just forgiven but judged.” said pastor Walker in the Bible study.
Students received lots of grace through the time of retreat and held the sharing time one by one and prayed for each other. After lunch, they hiked a short trail near Berkeley and members were able to get to know each other deeply through talking and sharing their life.
Gratia church had graceful individual and group Bible studies. Ivan, Kellie and Bill had individual Bible studies with pastor Walker and Julia. Each of them continues to learn the Sermon on the Mount, Galatians and Romans and every time they receive lots of grace and deepen their understanding on the Word of God.
In the late afternoon, there was group Bible study with regular students and studied Romans 6. Afterward, they shared their struggles in their sins honestly and openly and prayed for each other.
Pastor Walker and Julia went out for the campus evangelism in the afternoon and made appointments who wants to join the Bible study this week. They want to continue on teaching and evangelism and pray that God can let them grow in His grace.