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Gratia Sunday Service and Farewell Prayer for Missionary

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Gratia Church held a graceful Sunday service on March 23, filled with powerful and heartfelt praise and worship. The message delivered was based on Luke 5. Below is a summary of today’s message.

In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus instructs His disciples to move out into deeper water after an unproductive night of fishing, prompting them to cast their nets once more. Their eventual miraculous catch is a powerful image of what happens when we allow Jesus to lead us beyond our comfort zones. In the same way, He calls each of us to a deeper faith that touches every aspect of our lives, pushing us past the surface-level routines and assumptions we’ve grown used to. When we trust and act on His Word, even the most barren areas can yield abundant fruit.

This invitation to go deeper is ultimately about welcoming Jesus into our hearts, letting His presence transform and guide our decisions. We may think we’ve done all we can on our own-like the disciples who had fished all night-but Christ sees hidden possibilities where we see dead ends. Embracing this new depth of faith involves surrendering our plans and desires to Him, allowing Him to direct us toward blessings we could never achieve alone. As we open our lives to His leading, we come to realize that genuine transformation doesn’t stay at the shallow end but discovers overflowing grace in the deep waters of faith.

After the service, members prayed for Pastor Nancy, who has faithfully served YD Berkeley is returning to her home country. Her devotion and passion for Jesus Christ were sown in this land and have borne beautiful fruit through her life. Members wished her well on her new journey and prayed that her life would continue to be a great blessing to many. They also prayed that she would keep living as a witness for Jesus Christ.

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Unless I See His Wounds

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In John 20:24-31, Thomas famously declares he will not believe in the resurrection of Jesus unless he can see and touch the nail marks for himself. This episode vividly portrays the opposition between faith and doubt, challenging us to consider which force dominates our hearts. Faith, at its core, involves trust in truths and realities we cannot fully see or grasp, whereas doubt often arises when fear and skepticism overshadow our willingness to believe. Thomas’ insistence on physical evidence highlights a closed heart, one that can miss the profound reality unfolding before it simply because it demands certainty on its own terms.

Yet, Jesus responds with both patience and grace, inviting Thomas to place his hands in the wounds. This moment offers a picture of what happens when a once-closed heart becomes open to divine truth: doubt is dispelled, and faith flourishes. The heart that shifts from stubborn skepticism to humble trust experiences transformation and deeper intimacy with Christ. Thus, Thomas’ journey reminds us that while faith and doubt may be polar opposites, Jesus stands ready to guide us toward belief. When we open our hearts and allow Christ to meet us in our hesitations, we discover that faith grows not by having all the answers, but by resting in the One who truly is the answer.

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Be Set Free on the Sabbath

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In the passage, Jesus encounters a woman who has been crippled for eighteen years, a stark image of the burdens and constraints we face in our fallen world. Much like her bent-over condition, the stresses of money, family, or school can keep us bowed low, unable to stand upright or move freely. However, when Jesus sees her affliction, He calls her forward and heals her on the spot, demonstrating that He can untangle the knots that confine us. This miracle reminds us that no matter how long we’ve been stuck, Christ’s power and compassion are sufficient to straighten what has been bent for years.

Despite this amazing act of mercy, the synagogue leaders object to healing on the Sabbath, illustrating a legalistic mindset that values rules over people. Jesus responds by highlighting God’s true intention for the Sabbath: setting His beloved children free rather than burdening them with more constraints. Just as He refused to let the letter of the Law overshadow the dignity of the crippled woman, He also calls us to recognize when our own rule-keeping or perfectionism blinds us to God’s grace.

Ultimately, Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath, and genuine rest is found in embracing His victory, not in exhaustively meeting a checklist of demands. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus reveals that rest in God is about freedom-physically, spiritually, and relationally. The heart of the Sabbath is a celebration of God’s completed work, dating back to Creation when He set aside a day of true peace and renewal for humanity.

As we approach Lent and look toward Easter, we’re reminded that Christ came to release us from every crippling power of sin and the world’s oppressive structures. When we allow Him to loosen our bonds, we step into a new realm of freedom where His grace supports us, lifting our heads and enabling us to live uprightly as part of His Kingdom.

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Student Bible Study Continues to Bring Joy and Grace

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Gratia students continue to find joy and grace through their weekly Bible study. They gather every Monday at 7 PM and have been studying the book of Galatians together. Sister Ruth has been faithfully leading the study, and all participants have been receiving abundant grace.

Being college students, they face a heavy load of schoolwork and other commitments. This time in the Word has become a much-needed moment of true rest in Him. Gratia Church prays that God’s Word will continue to be their power and strength, helping them overcome challenges and stand firm in the Lord.

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Gratia Explores Stanford University for Church Planting

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San Francisco Gratia Church made a special trip to Stanford University to explore opportunities for church planting. Gratia ministers are planning to expand their mission to Stanford this summer, and they conducted a short campus evangelism session to engage with the students. Ministers and members were delighted to explore this new campus, which is one of the most prestigious schools in the world. We pray that a mission revival will take place on this campus and bring the good news to this community.

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Gratia Christmas Retreat Concludes Focusing on Jesus

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Gratia Church’s Christmas Retreat concluded with grace, focusing on the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The retreat was held from December 13-15, 2024 in Pacifica, CA, with this final day being on Sunday. Throughout the retreat, the Bile Studies focused on Matthew 1-4.

Many members gave encouraging and graceful testimonies. Brother JC said it was a life-changing retreat for him in terms of finding direction in his life. Brother Aaron said he received exactly what he needed in terms of renewing his faith in the Lord and taking rest in Him. Brother KJ said the retreat helped him come back to Jesus. Sister Larese testified how she was called by the Lord one year ago, and that attending this retreat has strengthened her call.

Please pray that Gratia members can hold onto the grace from the Christmas retreat, be centered in Jesus Christ, and called for the Kingdom.

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What Good Thing Must I Do to Gain Eternal Life

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Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

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Gratia Launches First Worship Night on USF Campus

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Gratia Church held its first-ever worship night on the USF campus on December 7. USF students attending Gratia opened the door for the use of campus facilities, and they organized the event to bring together Christians from all churches and fellowships to praise God on campus.

The evening, entitled “All of a Sudden” from Acts 2:2, was led by Brother Larry and Sister Ruth, along with members of Gratia and other on-campus fellowships. Many participants from various campus fellowships joined the worship night. Together, as one body of Christ, students and members of Gratia were able to praise God and share in His grace.

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Whoever Wants to Become Great Must Serve

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Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

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Gratia Members Celebrate Thanksgiving Together

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Gratia members celebrated Thanksgiving together at church with a special Thanksgiving service followed by a meal. Students who remained in San Francisco also joined the celebration. Pastor Peter shared a message based on Colossians 2:6-8, titled “Overflowing with Thankfulness.”

Members enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship, reflecting on God’s work in their lives and expressing their heartfelt gratitude. May God’s grace continue to overflow abundantly in the hearts of all members in the years to come.