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Gratia Has Graceful Thursday Bible Study

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Gratia church held graceful Thursday Bible study with regular attendees on April 28 and all of them received abundant grace. They wanted to walk the path of faith by following the examples of the ancestors of faith. A member shared her reflection.

“Today’s Bible study really spoke to me and helped me to realize the strength of God’s love. He doesn’t care what wrongs you have done in the past, but he will always help to guide you in the right direction. Self-righteousness is something we should be aware of because it may lead us to become selfish with God and not accept and serve others in the way that He wants us to. I hope to continue learning Bible.” shared by a member.

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Run In Such A Way

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In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about running the race in this year and in our lives. People of this world run the race enslaved in the sinful structures of the world. However, the people of Jesus Christ have been set free. However, although Paul proclaims his freedom in Jesus Christ, he says he makes himself a servant to everyone. We also are free, yet we serve others in order to evangelize them and save them for Jesus Christ.

As we run the race, we should know the end goal of this race of life, this race in this year. The end goal is the eternal crown we receive. The temporary crown of this world fades away, but treasures in heaven will remain. Therefore, we should run knowing the eternal crown and live bearing fruits for God’s glory and Kingdom.

In this way, we won’t live our lives aimlessly. Depending on your goal, you will run the race differently. If we know the goal of God’s Kingdom, then we will self-discipline ourselves and for the freedom of God’s Kingdom. This is the greatest fruit that we should run for. Let us have self-discipline this year, not because we are forced, but because we are free, yet it’s to serve everyone and to serve God’s Kingdom.
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Gratia Easter Service: Joy of Resurrection

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On April 17, 2022, Gratia Church held a graceful Easter service to celebrate the joy of the resurrection and the victory of the Lord. The service began with a special Easter song that young members of Gratia had prepared.

The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on John 21:1-14 entitled, “Palm Sun It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn”. The sermon focused on the Lord’s grace in guiding us from the cross towards the resurrection. He encourages us to be fishers of men with a new net and boat, which is the Word and belongs to Church. We are a living sacrifice in living communion with God through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Following the baptism, members had communion together with the service of bread and wine, which Sister Kellie organized. It was a beautiful time when the body of Christ could celebrate the Lord’s love and life that he gave to all of us.

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The Parable of the Rich Fool

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In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng introduced the scene in which Jesus gave this parable, in that a person with greed in his heart was attempting to get Jesus to help him. However, our faith shouldn’t be so shallow, as if faith is just trying to get things from God. This is conditional faith in which we only do good things to get good things. A deep faith is simply loving, trusting, and being with God in a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

However, the hubris of mankind is that we seek to desire control in our lives, particularly with this acquiring of money and things. Money and wealth end up being a gateway to storing up so much sin in our hearts and being controlled by that. We may try to sugarcoat our heart with faithful words saying we will give to God if we’re able to gain a huge wealth, but God sees the depths of our heart and we are too limited and weak to control our greed. That is why Jesus gave us the wisdom to pray for daily bread instead.

The truth is, our life can end at any moment, just like this rich fool. Therefore, we must not store up wrath and sin in our hearts, but rather store up fruits of love and treasures in heaven. Hell is a small place of pride where we lock ourselves in with the sin and wrath we stored in ourselves. Rather, if we open our hearts to Jesus, God pours down amazing blessing upon us that we store in our hearts and we can take to heaven.

When we have faith that Jesus Christ has given us eternal life, then we also can have the common sense wisdom to live for eternity.
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Gratia Holds Graceful Easter Retreat 

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Gratia held a graceful Easter retreat on April 16, 2022. During the Easter Retreat, Pastor Walker preached on John 20 over two Bible Studies. The first Bible study focused on Mary, John, and Peter’s witness of the empty tomb. The second Bible Study focused on the receiving of the Holy Spirit and doubting Thomas. Members were exhorted to go beyond the cross and live a life of resurrection.

After the Bible studies in the morning members hiked Mt Davidson where there is a big cross on top of the mountain and enjoyed the beautiful nature. Everyone received abundant grace through this time and wants to celebrate the risen Christ.

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Gratia Spring Retreat Concludes with Overflowing Grace 

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Gratia Church concluded spring retreat with overflowing grace from God. They gathered in the mountains of Yosemite and the theme of the retreat is “The Path of the Cross” studying through the recording of the path of the cross from John 18-19.

During breaking bread fellowship time, many of the newer Bible Study students testified to understanding the suffering of Jesus more deeply. Meal times were full of grace because retreat attendees had spent a long two days with one another and now know each other more deeply as a spiritual family and could share grace in fellowship together.

As retreat attendees parted ways, many spoke about wanting to gather again more frequently. Please pray for all retreat attendees take a leap of faith towards God’s glory and Kingdom through the grace of God given at this spring retreat.

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I Press On Toward the Goal

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In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about the pain of the Apostle, being in jail, and possibly facing death. Though he longs to be with our Father in heaven, he feels that there is ministry work left to be done. This is the pain that we may have felt last year in 2021, that we didn’t accomplish everything we should have. Yet, we see in the Apostle, that he forgets what is behind and goes powerfully ahead because God is the one who overturns everything.

The Apostle has a challenge mindset in him, which is the same challenge mindset that we need also. God is pushing this Kingdom forward here on earth and we should be a part of that. The grace of God is that He lifts us all up at once, changing things so that they are greater and faster this year than any year before.

The more mature in faith we get, we realize that we haven’t obtained all of this, but God has more in store for us. We should focus on the Word of God more. At the beginning of the year, we should focus on preparing our nets, waiting to catch many people that God has waiting for us. Let us prepare well to do Bible Studies and evangelize a lot of people.

With Paul’s challenge mindset, let us have an active faith to push on towards the goal of Jesus Christ and God’s Kingdom in 2022.
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David – What Is Our Goliath

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In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about the faith of David and asked the question, “What is our Goliath?” Goliath was a Philistine champion, over 9 feet tall, strong, with heavy armor, and representing the greatest of human strength. In our life, there are imposing things of the world we must overcome whether it be the obstacle of sin or even victory for God’s Kingdom. Goliaths speak to our fears and insecurities in the world. The Israelite army faced Goliath with fear, but David only had the holy fear of the Lord and faced Goliath with faith in God.

Like the rest of the world, Goliath puffs himself up with a fake form on the outside, but has nothing true and eternal on the inside. David has the form of a weak shepherd boy, but he has a big heart of love for God on the inside. What image do we have? Rather than the fake outside form of the world, we should go with the image of God. Saul wanted to fit David in his armor, but it didn’t fit him. Instead, David went with what God has given him – a staff and 5 smooth stones from the river.

Finally, very famously, David strikes Goliath on the forehead with a stone and defeats him. This is the method of faith. He doesn’t use the tools of the world, but went with what God gave him. The staff is the Word of God that God has given us. He’s also given us all the tools we need. We should find the 5 smooth stones around us that we can use to gain victory. God has already given us everything we need to defeat Goliath. The victory is with the Lord. God is the one who overturned the cross of Jesus into the resurrection.

May we walk with the glory of resurrection and victory that God has given us as well.

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God Looks At the Heart

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In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng told the historical story of King Saul and King David. Saul started off humbly, but his pride led to using humanistic thinking, rather than the power of God. He looked at the situation around him and tried to use his own power, rather than obeying God. This was true when he failed to wait for the prophet Samuel to give offering and was true again when kept what he considered “good” things of the wicked nation of the Amalekites. Anything with a humanistic start cannot give glory to God.

Through the prophet Samuel, we can learn that deep inside of Saul’s heart was rebellion, arrogance, and self-idolatry. He asserts the biblical truth that obedience is better than sacrifice. There are layers of depth in the heart and obedience is a deeper heart of love than is sacrifice. It’s not that sacrifice is bad, but sacrifice can easily turn superficial. Obedience is simpler, but relies on God and has humbleness. Obedience is a deeper heart of love than sacrifice is.

When choosing David, his own father Jesse overlooked him, but the Lord looks at the heart. Whatever our outward image may be, we can’t hide from God, He knows our hearts clearly. Is what I am doing have a pure motivation? Do I have a humanistic motivation, or is my motivation one of overflowing in God’s love. God doesn’t look at the outward appearance, because He can use even the one without a great outward appearance to do great work. Jesus himself was born in a manager and died on the cross, yet his heart of unconditional love shined through and he gained victory on the cross.

May we also gain victory with the power of God, knowing that God looks at the heart, so let us be a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.

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Christmas Retreat : The Birth of Jesus, Fellowship, Prayer

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On December 19, 2021, Gratia Church continued its Christmas Retreat and members and Bible Study students from all these regions are gathering in the mountains of Lake Tahoe to enjoy God’s Word, fellowship, and prayer together.  

Day 2 of this graceful retreat featured the opening services, Sunday service, and multiple Bible Studies.  The opening services was delivered by Pastor Nancy who spoke about spiritual blindness and the importance of opening our eyes and heart to Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Walker and Julia Tzeng did several Bible Studies on Matthew 1-3.  Pastor Walker’s message on Matthew 1 was also the Sunday service and focused on the birth of Jesus as the coming of infinite eternal God into our limited and finite world.  Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  Pastor Julia message on Matthew 2 emphasized this fallen world in which Jesus came.  Whereas many want to just leave this fallen world, Jesus came to save this world with amazing love and grace.  

Following a full day of Bible Studies, the retreat featured fellowship games where the members to celebrate in laughter and joy.  Also, in between Bible Studies, were plenty of time to take walks, sit in fellowship, and have meals.  Through these times, members could speak deeply about faith and understand a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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