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Gratia Ministers Visit A Member After Surgery

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Gratia ministers Pastor Walker and Julia visited Kellie who received surgery on her leg and now she is under-recovery. Kellie was very grateful for their visit, prayers, and care.

“I felt strongly God’s presence in the morning. Through my pain, I realized the pain of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross and never cried like this before. I felt that God already healed me and I can walk freely. I don’t know the path before me but I want to be used for God’s purpose. I remember the last Bible study I had with pastor Walker right before my surgery and it was Romans 5, suffering brings perseverance, character, and hope and I believe in God’s hands that He trains me under all circumstances.” said Kellie.

 

We pray for her fast recovery and she can dwell in the presence of God during this time. 

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Put the Word into Practice

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The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on Matthew 7:24-29 entitled “Put the Word into practice in your house.” The message focused on building the church on the rock. Pastor Tzeng referenced Peter’s confession of Jesus Christ in Matthew 7, while saying that Gratia Church should focus on putting the Word into practice on campus. The hope is to build a church that bears fruit for God’s Kingdom.

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Gratia Graceful First Sunday Service at New Chapel

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On August 22, 2021, Gratia Church held its official dedication service for the new Chapel, located on the USF campus. 

A video was shown that was made by brother Mario, that shared the history in pictures of Gratia throughout the years leading up the move. 

To be able to hold service at the new location was only by the grace of God, that a church could be planted right on the campus, next to the place where Gratia ministers evangelize. The chapel is located in the upper room of St. Ignatius Church, a catholic church started in 1855 in San Francisco. The leadership at St. Ignatius Church warmly welcomed Gratia Church to hold services in one of their room.

Please pray for SF Gratia Church in its new location on the USF campus. May many USF students, souls in SF, and in the Bay Area truly come to faith in Jesus Christ and live for God’s glory and Kingdom.

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Gratia Church Receives Key for New Church Building By God’s Grace

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Gratia church received the key for the new church building on August 12 by the grace of God. The new building is located 2 blocks away from the USF campus and it is very suitable location for the USF students can come to the Bible studies and fellowships. The USF chapel which was just moved yesterday is for the Sunday service, this location will be used for daily Bible studies, fellowship, and office room.

It is expected to take 2 weeks of remodeling and want to hold the dedication service by the end of August. We pray that these changes can bring more young people come to know Jesus Christ and they become the cornerstone for God’s Kingdom.

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Gratia Sunday Service: Spiritual Family

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On June 6, 2021, Gratia Church held a graceful Sunday service, full of God’s word, praise, worship, and fellowship. The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on Mark 20:20-35 entitled “Spiritual Family”

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about the line Jesus draws when it comes to what a spiritual family is. Jesus is clear that a spiritual family is the one who does the will of the Father. It’s that Jesus himself is doing God’s Will, even though the Pharisee tried to accuse him of using the power of Beelzebub. However, it’s clear that all good things come from God, so the Lord performing miraculous signs is obviously from God.

Jesus’ physical family opposition is a bit different than the Jewish leaders, they simply think Jesus is “out of his mind”. This is the same accusation that many of us can get from our own families as we do God’s Will. It is because family values can clash against God’s Will. Family values may come from the world and Jesus draws a strict line, saying it’s only about doing God’s Will. Anything deviating from God’s Will is sinful and part of the world.

That being said, God did place us in our families, allowing us to be born into our families for a reason. Also, our families are blessed through us. Therefore, we must pray for our physical families to also be spiritual family as well. It is that the bond of the Holy Spirit is much more powerful than the bond of blood relations. Therefore, we must build our families to be united in the Holy Spirit to do God’s Will.

Also, we must remember that ultimately, we are building a spiritual family in the church. May we remember this live for God’s Kingdom together.

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Spiritual Family

by with No Comment Sermons

The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on Mark 20:20-35 entitled “Spiritual Family”

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about the line Jesus draws when it comes to what a spiritual family is. Jesus is clear that a spiritual family is the one who does the will of the Father. It’s that Jesus himself is doing God’s Will, even though the Pharisee tried to accuse him of using the power of Beelzebub. However, it’s clear that all good things come from God, so the Lord performing miraculous signs is obviously from God.

Jesus’ physical family opposition is a bit different than the Jewish leaders, they simply think Jesus is “out of his mind”. This is the same accusation that many of us can get from our own families as we do God’s Will. It is because family values can clash against God’s Will. Family values may come from the world and Jesus draws a strict line, saying it’s only about doing God’s Will. Anything deviating from God’s Will is sinful and part of the world.

That being said, God did place us in our families, allowing us to be born into our families for a reason. Also, our families are blessed through us. Therefore, we must pray for our physical families to also be spiritual family as well. It is that the bond of the Holy Spirit is much more powerful than the bond of blood relations. Therefore, we must build our families to be united in the Holy Spirit to do God’s Will.

Also, we must remember that ultimately, we are building a spiritual family in the church. May we remember this live for God’s Kingdom together.

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Graceful Outdoor Fellowship On Memorial Day

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Gratia church members had a graceful outdoor fellowship on May 31, on Memorial Day on Pacifica Beach right next to the Half Moon Bay. It was a bright sunny day that they enjoyed being outside in the warm weather, playing on the water, had lunch, and hiking on the trail by the beach shore. It was the first time of in-person fellowship ever since COVID and members were very happy to meet together. May the grace of God strengthen each other and continue the path of faith to grow together in Jesus Christ.

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Acts 3 – Look At Us

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The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on Acts 3:1-10 entitled “Look at us!”

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng examined the difference between the disciples and the crippled beggar in front of the temple. The crippled beggar is the one who looks at the hand, reliant on money, and whose very being is confined in the world. The disciples were exactly like the crippled beggar before, confined in the upper room in fear from the world.

However, the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and their very being was shifted towards God’s Kingdom, no longer confined in the world. That is why they were able to say “Look at us!” to the crippled beggar. They were able to be like that through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in their lives. While we are not individually strong, God has called us as a church to strengthen one another to be a part of God’s Kingdom.

May Gratia Church be full of the Holy Spirit as a body of Christ.

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The Early Church

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The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on Acts 2:42-47 entitled “The Early Church”.

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng explained about the characteristics of the early church which started on Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples. Prior to Pentecost, the disciples were gripped in fear and locked in the upper room of Mark. It was the Holy Spirit which empowered the disciples to go out to the world.

The blessing of the Holy Spirit has come to us all through Jesus Christ. Prior to Jesus, the Holy Spirit was only with a few people very hundred years and also in the temple as well. After Jesus, we understand that we ourselves are God’s temple and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, dwells in the church, and dwells in the body of Christ. Therefore, the church is important because it is the place where the people of the Holy Spirit are gathered.

The characteristic of the early church is that they focused on the Word, had fellowship, prayed, and shared everything, overcoming possessions. Our church must be a church that focuses on the Word, which is why we focus on Bible Study. We also must have good fellowship, developing a holy culture, not a culture of the world. Also, we live praying and sharing with one another.

Finally, the Bible teaches us that the early church spent time together in the temple courts and in each other’s homes. Our church must be one who people center their lives and grow as people in community. We don’t live lonely by ourselves, but we live among others. From the outside, it may look strange as if church should just be one activity among many. But we see the original image of the early church where the disciples centered their lives around the church.

May Gratia Church also be a church that models itself after the early church and live for God’s Kingdom.

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When The Day of Pentecost Came

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The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on Acts 2:1-41 entitled “When the day of Pentecost came”.

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng delivered a message in preparation for Pentecost, explicating the meaning of it. The Shavuot celebrates the barley harvest after the Passover, while the Pentecost literally means 50th and is the festival celebrating the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The deep meaning correlates with the Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross and then 50 days after Easter was the Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down with wind and tongues of fire. The kernel of wheat that died, produced many seeds which finally ripened as a fruit, when the 120 disciples received the Holy Spirit.

In his sermon, Peter explains that the coming of the Holy Spirit was prophesied since the Old Testament by the prophet Joel. Of course, the Holy Spirit existed in the Old Testament, but only a few prophets received it every hundred years. But through the precious blood of the Lord, he was resurrected and we all enjoy the Holy Spirit. The church started on the Pentecost with the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit.

We also must reflect on receiving the Holy Spirit in our lives and living for God’s Will. Coming to church is not just about staying the same, but it is about changing our lives to be fruits before God. As we approach the Pentecost, we must self-reflect deeply on receiving the Holy Spirit and being a fruit before God.

The Pentecost was amazing, because it showed the amazing power of resurrection and the Holy Spirit which came down. From the one who died for us all Jesus Christ, it became 120, and then 3000. It shows us that the power of the Holy Spirit works so powerfully and not just in a 1 to 1 way. If we are the kernel of wheat that also serves, loves, and self-sacrifices like the Lord, then God will help our church grow not just 1, 2, 3 people, but it will be 120 and 3000.

May we prepare our hearts for the Pentecost and truly rely on the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our church.

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