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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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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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Gratia Sunday Service: Why the Resurrection is Important

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On April 11, 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 John 20:19-31 entitled “That by believing, you may have life in his name”.

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng first explained about the connection between the ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit, 10 day later. The Lord’s ascension and return to the Father opened up a new era of the Holy Spirit. When we return to our Father in heaven, it is also a new era, the seed on earth sprouting a new vitality of life that is unimaginable as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, the chapter on resurrection.

Second, doubting Thomas needed to see and feel the nail marks of Jesus, but the Lord told him to stop doubting and believe. We also need to stop doubting whether or not the Lord really resurrected.  There is 1500 years of prophecy of the Lord with multiple prophets over multiple eras, multiple recording of the fulfillment by Jesus, multiple skeptics scrutinizing the Bible, yet the resurrection holds up in history. On Easter, the Lord rose.

Finally, there is an even more important reason why the resurrection is important. Apostle Paul says that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is futile and we are still stuck in sin. It shows us that just as the ascension is closely tied with our own return to the Father after we die, the resurrection has a deep connection to our life here on earth. It’s that we don’t have to die of our sin to live a new life, because Jesus already died and rose again. All we need to do is accept the Lord and we can live a new life and be born again. It means that our life that we live on earth is meaningful just as the Lord’s resurrection is meaningful.

May we live our lives with the faith and power of resurrection for God’s glory and Kingdom.

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SF Gratia Graceful Friday Bible Study and Prayer Meeting

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Gratia Church held a graceful Friday Bible Study and prayer meeting on April 9, 2021. They finished the Romans 1-8 last week and are beginning a new series on Genesis to learn about the bigger scope of God’s history from the creation.

“Bible speaks about the purpose of our creation by God. We mostly try to self-generate our purpose but we should know that there is God’s essential and fundamental purpose of our being.  We are created in God’s image to receive His love, love God, and love others. Through the Genesis learn our purpose and how God is restoring his history,” said Pastor Walker.

Later in the day members gathered together to pray.  We pray that all church members can go deeper in faith through Bible Study and prayer.

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Gratia Easter Retreat Full of Grace

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On April 3, 2021, Gratia Church held its Easter Retreat consisting of three Bible Studies on the Path of the Cross of Jesus Christ from John 18-19.  

“Do you know the meaning of the cross?  We must meditate on this deeply every day,” Pastor Walker said.  In the final part of the final Bible Study, Pastor Walker also exhorted members saying, “Live your life of faith now fully carrying the cross together with the Lord.  Don’t live with any regret and live fully for God’s Will that He has called you to.” 

Various Gratia members gave testimony and broke bread after the retreat.  Many remarked how grateful they were and received grace during the messages.

“The messages were so clear,” Sister Helen testified, “I really got to know deeply exactly what Jesus carried for us and why.”  Helen also testified that through the Bible Studies she is doing regularly, she is receiving grace and even caused her to try to evangelize her nephew visiting from China where he was never exposed to faith.

Thank God for such a grace filled Easter Retreat where many members could receive grace and grow in faith.  May God continue to bless Gratia Church to live for God’s Kingdom.  Please also pray for Easter Service that we may experience resurrection together with Jesus in our church

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Gratia Sunday Service: The Clear Voice of the Lord Calling Us

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On January 31, 2021, SF Gratia Church held a graceful Sunday service, full of God’s word, praise, worship, and fellowship. The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was from Mark 10:46-52 entitled “Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight.”

 In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng examined how we are all in the situation of Bartimaeus because of our spiritual sickness.  We are blind living in this superficial world and not being able to see the essential direction in which we should walk.  We are beggars because we are dependent on other people, enslaved to jobs, instead of being dependent on God.  We are also confused because there are so many voices speaking and rebuking us, just like they did to Bartimaeus.  

A blind man is able to walk straight, not by using his eyes, but by his ears.  We also must use our ears to cut through all the noise of the world and hear the clear voice of the Lord calling us.  Then, we must clearly walk to the Lord like Bartimaeus did.  Pastor Tzeng encouraged SF Gratia member to make a 40 day walk starting on Lent, which is starting on February 17.  

Finally, we see that Bartimaeus had true faith in the Lord and was able to be healed.  Faith isn’t complicated, it isn’t some wishy-washy confusing direction.  Faith is the channel for us to receive God’s amazing grace.  Simply to hear the Lord’s calling, open our hearts, and receive the guidance he gives us in our lives.   Although we are limited, God has no limit.  By the cross and resurrection, he raised Jesus Christ from the dead and gained victory over sin.  God can make miracles for our life too.

In whatever situation we are stuck and entrapped in our life, let us open our hearts and depend on God and taste the miracle of resurrection that will happen in our life too.

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Gratia Holds Thursday Oline Bible Study

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Gratia Church had a very graceful Thursday small group Bible Study, the first for the year 2021. Pastors Walker and Julia Tzeng led the group in praise and Bible Study on Romans 7:7-25.  Attendees also shared reflections and prayed together.   

  “Knowing the law doesn’t prevent us from sinning. Pharisees knew the law in detail, but that didn’t stop sin in this world.  Instead, it just created an atmosphere of anxiety, shame, and condemnation. This is limit of the law. Romans 7 explains that sin seizes the opportunity of knowing the Law to deceive us. You know what is right but Satan twists the holy knowledge of the Law and tempts us in sin. In fact, we are helpless in the spiritual battle on our own. We need the power of God. Paul’s realization that we are wretched people, helps us open our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit and salvation that comes from Jesus Christ,” Pastor Tzeng explained.

Please pray for all members of the group Bible Study to their heart to receive God’s truth and grace continually.

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Gratia church welcomed 2021 with New Year service

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Gratia church welcomed 2021 with a New Year service on Jan 1, 2021, giving the first hour back to God. Members of the Gratia church gathered on-site and online for the service.

Pastor Walker Tzeng delivered the message with the scripture 2 Corinthians 5:17, “The New is Here!”  The message compared Paul’s encounter with Jesus Christ with C.S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader and spoke about Paul’s excitement for being a new creation.  Pastor Tzeng encouraged members to receive God’s amazing and endless grace to begin the New Year.  

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Gratia Sunday Service: Baptism of Teenager

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On December 27, 2020, Gratia Church held a graceful and special final Sunday service of 2020. The message was delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng from Colossians 3:1-17, entitled “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” The message reflected on the past year, exhorted members to cast off the sins of our old life, and live a new year righteously in Christ.

The service included a special baptism ceremony for 16-year old Teenager Simon Tzeng. Pastor Tzeng started the ceremony by explaining the meaning of baptism and then conducted the baptism. Afterwards, members prayed for Simon, thanking God for His amazing love in his life and to be a new creation in Jesus Christ. Finally, members of Gratia applauded and encouraged Simon.

Teenager Simon reflected on his baptism saying, “I am so grateful to be baptized today. I truly hope to have the heart of Christ that loves endlessly.”

We thank God for this final Sunday service of 2020, that He allowed such graceful celebrations that gives us strength and love to live newly for a New Year.

 

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