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Gratia concludes Easter Retreat with Full Grace

On Easter Sunday April 9, Gratia concluded their Easter Retreat with a full day of service, bible study, testimony, and fellowship. Easter Service was led by Pastor Walker, who spoke about the resurrection of the Jesus. Comparing the recording in Matthew with Paul’s explanation on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor Walker exhorted retreat attendees to live with faith and the power of resurrection in their lives. Easter Service also featured a communion celebration.

The last Bible Study in the afternoon was led by Pastor Esther, who spoke about the road to Emmaus and helped retreat attendees burn with passion for the Word to see the resurrected Lord. After a full day of retreat, members shared fellowship meal, activities, and prayer. Easter Retreat was a graceful time, please pray for all retreat attendees to hold onto the grace that they received.

Guest Pastor Speaks at Wednesday Service

At Wednesday night’s service, the guest speaker pastor Larry delivered an inspiring message to the congregation. His sermon was based on Exodus 17, Jehosaphat, and Daniel’s three friends in the fire.

The speaker focused on the concept of spiritual battle and how it affects our daily lives. He encouraged the audience to put on the armor of God and fight the spiritual battle with faith and determination. Throughout the message, the pastor emphasized the importance of remaining steadfast in the face of adversity. He used the biblical accounts of Jehosaphat, Daniel’s three friends in the fire, and Moses’ victory over the Amalekites to illustrate how God empowers His people to overcome even the toughest challenges. The message was well-received by the congregation, who were inspired and uplifted by the pastor’s words.

Following the service, the congregation participated in a time of breaking bread, where they shared food and fellowship with one another. The service was a reminder of the power of faith and the importance of community, especially during difficult times. The pastor’s message left a lasting impact on the congregation, and many left feeling encouraged and motivated to continue the spiritual battle.

They had warm and delicious fellowship and it was a great time of sharing each other’s faith and they were encouraged greatly by each other’s work for God’s Kingdom.

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord

In the sermon, Pastor Walker spoke about how Abraham received a great blessing from God through three visitors and strangers. Abraham served them generously and lavishly. We see that Abraham was simply a person of love towards others, faithfully believing that God always blesses. Indeed, God did reveal himself through these strangers and they gave him great blessing.

This blessing was that his wife Sarah would have a child, even though she was an advanced age. In that culture, not having an heir was as if life itself was cut off. Yet, God made the impossible situation possible. It’s something that God has been doing since impossibly creating this universe out of nothing. He also showed us the impossible by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. God makes impossible possibilities happen.

For us, we believe in Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit with us. Just like for Abraham, God would reveal himself to us in great ways. If there is a great goal, hope, and blessing for us, He would give us great ideas. These ideas wouldn’t just be from human thoughts, but we should scale up and think towards what God can fulfill. May we respond to the impossible possibilities that God has for us with faith and joyful hope.

Gratia Offers First Sunday Service and New Year Celebration

On January 1, 2023, 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 Ephesians 4:20-24 entitled “Put on the new self”.

In the sermon, Pastor Walker encouraged church members to start the new year with Jesus Christ in their hearts. First, its about remember our first heart when we came to faith in Jesus Christ and never losing that passionate faith. Next, its about putting off our old self which has been corrupted by deceitful desires of sin in this world, covering up the beautiful image of God we were created in. Then, its about accepting by faith Jesus Christ in our hearts, the perfect one who lived holy and righteous. Finally, its about putting on our new self, not by ourselves, but the power God who transforms us to be Christ-like and in His glory.

After the service, church members went to Pastor Walker and Pastor Julia’s house to celebrate New Years by making dumplings together. It was a joyful time to share in God’s grace and start the New Year giving the first back to God.

Gratia First Sunday Service and New Year Celebration

On January 1, 2023, 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 Ephesians 4:20-24 entitled “Put on the new self”.

Gratia Concludes Christmas Retreat with Overflowing Grace

Gratia concluded its three-day joint retreat near Lake Tahoe, California. Like the previous day, it was a full day of Bible Studies and fellowship, and also included an overflowing grace-filled Sunday Service with baptism and communion.

The Sunday worship service was delivered by Pastor Walker explaining the historic and universal meaning of the Word, or logos, becoming flesh in Jesus Christ. The Sunday service also featured the baptism and had a communion ceremony, where attendees took the bread and wine together in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ and his continual sustaining of our lives of faith.

The evening concluded with a final prayer meeting filled with grace and the Holy Spirit. God led many retreat attendees to pray for ministers, just as many ministers had prayed for students in previous prayer meetings. Many members had the prayer topic of holding onto the grace they received during the retreat.

Through three days of the Christmas retreat, God filled all attendees to be filled with grace and united them in the love of Jesus Christ. Please pray that God may carry all retreat attendees to fulfill His glory and Kingdom.

Crucifix cross at sunset background, crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Mark 7 Ephphatha! Be Opened

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng explained the meaning of the deaf and mute man as it relates to us. In the sinful world, we live in confined, unclear situations in our life. We don’t listen to God, nor do we speak to Him. Also living in this world, we want to be heard, but we can’t because we are in the confined situations we are.

The Lord healed the deaf and mute man by first taking him away from the crowd. Then, the Lord got up close and personal, touching his ear and tongue. Then he woke the man up by shouting “Ephphatha! Be Opened!”. We too, need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and be up close and personal with him. We must hear the words of the Lord that are waking us up from our confined situation and unclear life. God created us out of love, to have a two-way communication with him. Faith is not just God talking to us or us talking to God, but it is a relationship of love.

Finally, the Lord told the crowds not to speak about what happened, which seems hypocritical in this miracle. But the reason why is that many followed just the miracle and weren’t sharing the true good news of God’s love. If we do have lips to speak, we shouldn’t speak of worldly things, but we must speak by the Holy Spirit as it has loosened our tongue. It is about testifying the good news of salvation of Jesus Christ.

May our ears be opened to hear the truth and our tongues be loosened to share the name of Jesus Christ to the world.

Gratia Young Members Practice for Sunday Worship

Gratia’s young members gather on December 2 to practice praise songs for the Sunday service. Brother Larry, Moses, and sister Dany are going to lead the praise for this Sunday service and they are thankful for this opportunity to learn to serve and get involved in the service preparation. We pray that they can give glory to God and may abundant grace be poured down in the service.

the-harvest-is-plentiful-but-the-workers-are-few-

Harvest Is plentiful But Workers Are Few

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about the important moment in time now to evangelize and bring in many souls. The 3-fold ministry of Jesus which was teaching, preaching, and healing and this is a ministry we must all emulate. The Lord called his 12 disciples to follow in this ministry, so we must be those disciples. Disciples are the ones who bring others to the Lord.

In sending out his disciples, he gave a long teaching to them. He told them to go to the lost sheep of Israel, continuing on the history of God. He told them to preach about God’s Kingdom as we must do as well. He also told them to live relying on God, which speaks to us to not live money-centered. The work of evangelism is blessing others, we are giving the gift of eternal life. If some don’t accept that gift, the Lord comforted us saying that the peace and blessing returns back to us.

The Lord further comforted us by explaining how many will persecute and go against God’s work. However, all sin and evil will be revealed and judged. There is a final judgment that the Lord spoke to us about. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ, can take comfort in God’s sovereignty which protects and cares for all. Therefore, even though many may oppose us, even our families, we should continue forth to gain rewards in heaven. The greatest rewards are for those who evangelize and save lost souls.

May the members of Gratia Church be the ones to bring in many lost souls of the harvest to faith in Jesus Christ and the glory of God’s Kingdom.

Esther 2-8 Esther and Mordecai

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng shared the story of Esther and Mordecai, how by God’s grace, Esther became queen to the powerful King of Persia. However, one of the King’s wicked advisors plotted against the Jewish people, because of his hatred towards Mordecai, who was Esther’s cousin. Esther was asked to plead to the King, but she was afraid that approaching the King without permission could be death. However, Mordecai encouraged her saying that perhaps she was placed in the royal position as Queen for such a time as this. It is a message that speaks to us, whom God has prepared by His providence in the time, place, and position I am now.

Esther answered with faith, listening to Mordecai, and heeding to God’s Will. Her famous words were “If I perish, I perish”. Her fear turned into faith and trust in God. She now understood that her life was only meaningful in God’s Will. What kind of fears to we have living in this world? Perhaps we try to “play it safe” and not risk ourselves. Apostle Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain. It speaks to how our life is meaningless in the world and meaningful only is the bigger context of God’s Will. If we perish, we perish, but we still believe in God’s great power to bring resurrection.

Afterwards, Esther appeared before the King and by God’s grace was accepted. Then through a series of events, Haman was executed. Later, Mordecai and the Jewish people were lifted up. This is how God works so mysteriously in the background. When everything seemed to be going against the Jews, and even genocide was imminent, God worked to turn the situation around. This is God’s faithfulness towards the ones who live righteously by faith. As Christians, we also do not fear death and have faith in God who has the power of resurrection.

May we be guided by the Holy Spirit in our lives, believing in the power of the resurrection, and live for God’s glory and Kingdom.

Gratia Community Church

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