So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
Gratia Graceful Friday Prayer Meeting
Gratia Church held a graceful Friday prayer meeting on November 22. Pastor Julia shared a brief message based on Philippians 3:12, titled A Life Captured by Christ. She emphasized that without Christ as our ultimate goal, we risk grasping at whatever comes our way-things we neither need nor truly desire. Instead, we must hold firmly to the Lord. On this journey to gain Christ, pruning is essential. Just as a branch that bears many fruits and flowers is trimmed to produce the best fruit, so too must we cut away the excess in our lives to focus on what truly matters.
After the message, members prayed together and for one another, experiencing a powerful time of renewal through the Holy Spirit. Even in the midst of the storm, members who were thirsty for the Lord came to the prayer meeting, driven by their deep passion for Jesus Christ. May the Lord use their lives to bear abundant fruit.
Get up! Pick up Your Mat and Walk
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
Remember the Lord
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
A Touch of Faith
These passages record two intertwined miracles-both demonstrating the profound impact of simple, resolute faith. Jesus, after crossing the lake, is immediately approached by Jairus, a synagogue leader desperate for the healing of his dying daughter. Amidst the pressing crowd, another desperate figure emerges-a woman afflicted for twelve years with a condition that not only drained her body but also her societal worth and spiritual life, as her bleeding rendered her unclean by Old Testament Law. This backdrop sets a stark contrast between the crowd’s curiosity and the woman’s profound need for deliverance, illustrating how physical proximity to Jesus doesn’t equate to spiritual closeness unless coupled with faith.
The woman’s approach to Jesus signifies more than just physical healing; it symbolizes a breaking free from societal constraints and personal despair. Her condition, causing continuous bleeding, relate to us since life in this world is one of continuous hardships that drain one’s spirit without relief. Living on the margins of society, she represents those among us caught in the painful cycle of isolation and suffering due to various life’s burdens-be it chronic illness, mental health struggles, or societal rejection. Her belief that merely touching Jesus’ garment would restore her health highlights a profound faith and understanding of Jesus’ divine nature, which she pursued despite the overwhelming obstacles presented by the dense crowd and her physical weakness.
This miraculous healing juxtaposed with the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter encapsulates the essence of Jesus’ ministry-offering hope and renewal to all, regardless of their societal status or the nature of their affliction. Both miracles are connected not just by their proximity in the scripture but by their shared theme of faith overcoming despair. The woman’s healing interrupts Jesus’ journey to Jairus’ house, yet both stories beautifully illustrate that Jesus’ power to heal and revitalize is boundless, transcending all human barriers and reaching those who feel unworthy or forgotten.
This message encourage us to reflect on our lives, recognizing areas where we might be ‘bleeding’ and in need of the touch of faith and the spark of life from Jesus Christ. It challenges us to reach out in faith, believing in His power to transform even the most desperate situations.
Gratia Fall Retreat Concludes with God’s Grace
On Sunday October 6, Gratia Church concluded its Fall Retreat which lasted three days in Concord, CA. The final day of the retreat was full of grace as members had Bible Studies, Sunday Service, Communion, praise, fellowship, and testimony. As Bible Studies focused on the Sermon on the Mount, members testified feeling as if they were in the Kingdom of Heaven during the retreat.
The retreat also featured a communion service, where recently baptized members of the Church were able to participate in for the first time. There was also plenty of praise and fellowship throughout the day as members enjoyed time together. The retreat ended with almost every single retreat attendee giving testimony this time. Testimonies focused on the grace received during the Sermon on the Mount messages, the Worship and Prayer night, and also just fellowship with one another reigniting passion for the walk of faith. One common theme throughout the testimonies was eagerness to continue living like we are in the Kingdom of Heaven during our time here on earth.
Through the grace received during this retreat, please pray members will hold onto the blessing through continued study of the Bible, walking with Jesus, and participating in the life of faith with brothers and sisters at church.
Gratia Graceful Evangelism Testifying God’s Love
Gratia Church is witnessing God’s grace through ongoing evangelism efforts. On September 25, Gratia ministers and members participated in campus evangelism, experiencing a powerful move of the Holy Spirit. They met many students and invited them to Bible studies and services. The group was strengthened and encouraged by each other’s company, and the evangelism time became a moment of spiritual revival. Sharing God’s love has become a joy for everyone. We pray that this evangelism effort brings more people to Jesus Christ.
Gratia Fall Picnic Full of Grace and Fellowship
On Saturday September 7, San Francisco Gratia Church held its Fall Picnic at Golden Gate Park. The event drew many members to have graceful fellowship together. Member enjoyed fellowship meal, as well as games and sports. Many members testified that it was a good time to come closer as a church and be strengthened, enjoying the outdoors and God’s creation.
Gratia Members Enjoy Fellowship in Mountains
Gratia members went hiking together to Mt. Tamalpais. It was a graceful hike where members could enjoy fellowship and see the beauty of God’s creation.
Since many of the students went home for the summer, it was especially good time for the working members of Gratia to have fellowship. Members shared a lot about their faith and life in God, with many testifying the grace of God being together with Gratia members.
I Will Pour Out My Spirit on All People
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved