Grace Harbor Community Church

“Don’t go outside with wet hair on a cold day or you will catch a cold.” Some old wives tales are so strongly a part of our culture and tradition that many of us don’t realize that we hold some of these tales to be true.  We’ve heard them for so long by people we trust that we fail to stop and ask the question, “Is that right?”  Instead, we accept and even abide by these tales.

Well, sadly, because of a failure to read certain passages of the Bible in their context with good hermeneutical skills we can sometimes do this with the Bible. There are certain passages of scripture that have especially become victims of this today. They are frequently quoted, but frequently detached from their context. As a result, they are misunderstood and misapplied. As a church we want to be faithful to interpreting and living in accordance with the Bible. We hope this next sermon series will not only clear up some common misunderstandings of some common texts, but also help us learn how to read and interpret our Bibles more faithfully. Please join us at Grace Harbor on Sunday mornings as we dive into our next sermon series…

Used and Abused Passages

March 27	Me + My Friend = The Church?	Matthew 18:20
April 3	Manifest Destiny?	2 Chronicles 7:14
April 10	Can I Really Fly?	Philippians 4:13
April 17	No One Can Stop Me?	1 Samuel 17
April 24	Easter Service
May 1	I Can’t Say That’s Wrong?	Matthew 7:1
May 8	Poor, Helpless, Jesus?	Revelation 3:20

At Grace Harbor we believe it is important to exercise our hearts and minds by not only reading Scripture, but by reinforcing it with a healthy diet of biblically sound, practical reading.

Our book of the month for February of 2011 is God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts.

Many people look at the Bible with  skepticism. “Why are there sixty-six books?” “What does the Old Testament have to do with the New Testament?” “What about all of the antiquated laws and traditions?” “Why are there so many different authors over such a long span of time?” “Can all of these books be trusted?” The answer is YES! In fact, the heart of the Christian faith is built upon the belief that all of these books make one Book; there is one author behind many authors. This book is God’s revelation of Himself and His plan of redemption. In this revelation we are pointed to one unified theme which is God’s plan to bring salvation to the ends of the earth through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the glory of His name. It is when we understand the storyline of Scripture (where we’ve been and where we are going) that we can read Scripture the way it is intended to be read. We will also be to articulate a gospel that is rooted in the love of God displayed in history and not simply in our individual experience.

PLEASE READ this book and gather together with us at the beginning of March for a time of discussion and fellowship. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!

Grace & Peace,
Joel Sedam
sedam.joel@gmail.com

Winter brings the occasional snowstorm that can sometimes make it difficult for us to gather as a church. Due to the hotel’s location and our dependence on off street parking, it has been the church’s practice to gather as a church based on the city’s parking ban. If the city has a parking ban on for Sunday morning then we do not gather as a church. If it’s snowing, but there is not a parking ban, then we gather together as normal. We hope that on those days you are still able to meet with us.

You can find the latest information on the area’s parking bans by going to www.abc6.com, www.turnto10.com, or www.wpri.com. Click the weather tab and then closings.

At Grace Harbor we believe it is important to exercise our hearts and minds by not only reading Scripture, but by reinforcing it with a healthy diet of biblically sound, practical reading.

Our book of the month for November 2010 is Marks of the Messenger by J. Mack Stiles.

There are many methods for successful evangelism. This book will prove that our evangelistic efforts should be rooted in something much deeper. Mack takes readers on a journey of what it means to be a healthy witness of the gospel in everyday life. Moving from the renunciation of presenting the gospel as pragmatic peddlers to a grave cautious to tell the whole truth and not add or subtract from the gospel. He then encourages us to bear the message we share as we seek to live out the implications of the gospel in daily life. Mack explores the connection of the gospel to social action, and moves on to give clear, practical tips on being bold in sharing our faith. This book will prove to be a helpful tool to help aid Christians in their quest to be faithful in their daily witness to people they love and know.

PLEASE READ THIS BOOK and join together with us for discussion and fellowship to follow on the first Friday of December.
*To follow this book of the month, we will be taking a two month hiatus for the holidays. We will resume our discussion group in the month of February 2011.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Grace & Peace,
Joel Sedam
sedam.joel@gmail.com

They like Jesus but not the church. That’s a fairly common phrase that people use to describe the perils of church decline and the lack of growth. Many believe that if we call the world to look to the church then they will miss seeing Christ. So weak doctrine and American individualism push us all to think more about personal piety than about God’s greater plan for displaying His wisdom and glory in the church. That’s where the apostle Paul expects people to see Christ and God’s greater unifying purpose for the world. The letter of Ephesians challenges us as Christians to live in real communities of people whose lives and worship together as a church bear witness to God’s wisdom and glory in His redeeming the world. God has begun His plan of saving the world, and He is still doing it. We must respond.

God Acts. We Respond.

October 17	God Blesses	Ephesians 1:1-14
October 24	God Works Powerfully	Ephesians 1:15-23
October 31	God Gives Grace	Ephesians 2:1-10
November 7	God Unites	Ephesians 2:11-22
November 14	God Displays His Wisdom	Ephesians 3:1-13
November 21	God Works In Us	Ephesians 3:14-21
November 28	We Must Keep the Unity	Ephesians 4:1-16
December 5	We Must Imitate God	Ephesians 4:17-5:2
December 12	We Must Not Partner With Sin	Ephesians 5:3-20
December 19	We Must Love One Another	Ephesians 5:21-6:9
December 26	Christmas
January 2	We Must Persevere	Ephesians 6:10-23

Joel Sedam serves as a deacon of music at Grace Harbor. His ministry in the local church extends to the campus of Roger Williams University. We are excited as a church to partner with Joel in this ministry. We hope that others will join Joel in this work as well.

It is undeniable that the colleges and universities all over the world have a massive amount of influence on the citizens that they produce. The university is the factory that produces politicians, lawyers, scientists, teachers, and professionals who form what we come to know as “society.”

Unfortunately, today’s students are being educated in colleges and universities that assume God is irrelevant and only to be accepted if he fits within the confines of a pluralistic worldview. It is essential that Christian students on campus are affirmed in their faith, in their witness, and in a Christ-centered worldview. It is equally essential that non-Christians are engaged with the gospel and called to faith in Christ.

At Roger Williams University we desire to see a multi-ethnic community of students who love their campus and bring the gospel to their dorm mates, class mates, and friends. We want to see students pray and pray BIG for their friends, their campus, and the world. I think of the many movements that God used through praying students. I think of the Haystack Prayer Meetings at Williams College in 1806 and how God used those five students to spur on the establishment and development of American missions as we know them today. I think of seven students from Cambridge University in 1885 who became burdened for China and devoted their lives to see the gospel brought their with success through the China Inland Mission. I think of the Student Volunteer Movement and the thousands of students who devoted their lives to overseas missions through their decades of work.

Long story short – the campus, filled with students from different ethnicities and backgrounds, is a strategic mission field to see gospel seeds planted and God’s harvest produce students who will bring the gospel to others. It could be a student who goes back to his or her country and brings the gospel to people who have never heard it before. It could be a student who works his profession with integrity for God’s glory and sees co-workers come to Christ. It could be the student who devotes herself to her local church and is used by God to serve His people and bring others to Him. The possibilities are endless! I am excited to see what God will do in the lives of students at RWU. I am excited to see the leaders that will be developed and how God will use them for His purposes in the world!

If you are interested in giving a financial contribution to this ministry or would like to become a partner in this work, go to www.intervarsity.org/donate and give today!

Grace & Peace,

Joel Sedam

“I believe.  Help my unbelief!”  This was the cry of a desperate father to Jesus (Mark 9:24).  If we are honest, this is our cry as well.  Faith and belief are a matter of popular conversation, but without much clarity. Many people say, “I do not believe in God.” Many more say, “I believe in God.” Others say, “You just need to believe in yourself.” Jesus said, “Believe in Me” (John 14:1). But why should we believe in Jesus? And what does it mean to believe in Jesus anyway?

Many Christians want to see their faith increased, but are discouraged to see it weak or struggling.  Is there anything we can do about this?  Our faith is only as good or strong as the object of that faith.  So if we are “believing” in a friend who recently let us down, we might not have much confidence in our friend and our faith will be weak.  In as much as we know and trust Jesus, our faith will be equally strong or weak.  Or as one pastor put it, “Spend more time looking at Jesus and see what happens to your faith.”  The Gospel of John was written for just that purpose – to help our unbelief (John 20:30-31).  In this upcoming series we will spend 4 weeks looking at Jesus and the “signs” He did.  By God’s grace, we will be stirred up to truly believe in Him and in so doing, find life in His name.

Help My Unbelief

September 19	Help My Unbelief: New Wine	John 2:1-11
September 25	Help My Unbelief: From Famine to Feast	John 6:1-14
October 3	Help My Unbelief: Eyes to See	John 9:1-41
October 10	Help My Unbelief: Resurrection	John 20:1-23

At Grace Harbor we believe it is important to exercise our hearts and minds by not only reading Scripture, but by reinforcing it with a healthy diet of biblically sound, practical reading.

Our book of the month for September of 2010 is Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney.

Once a person accepts the gospel they then move on to discipleship, right? After so many months of getting discipled they then take aspiritual gifts test, right? And once they know what their spiritual gifts are they need to get plugged into the best ministry that fits their gifts, right? Perhaps a door greeter at the entry to the church building, or maybe someone to “man” the coffee station before the service? This is what being a Christian is, right? Was Christ’s substitutionary death upon a cross and his resurrection all so you can be an effective door greeter? Or does the cross determine how I live at home, in the workplace, among friends, when I’m alone, and every other aspect of my life? The effects of the cross should move beyond the walls of a church building into every area of our hearts and lives.

PLEASE READ THIS BOOK and join together with us for discussion and fellowship to follow the end of the month.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask! ”If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life” -C.J. Mahaney (p.15)

Grace & Peace,

Joel Sedam

sedam.joel@gmail.com

At Grace Harbor we believe it is important to exercise our hearts and minds by not only reading Scripture, but by reinforcing it with a healthy diet of biblically sound, practical reading.

Our book of the month for August 2010 is What Is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert.

Many people view the gospel as an introductory doctrine to the Christian faith. Many believe that once you “graduate” from the gospel, ahead of you lies the grand seminary of Christianity. The truth is that the gospel is not only what saves, but it is also what sanctifies and spurs Christians on to genuine, God-glorifying works! From Scripture, Gilbert unpacks what the gospel is and is not. He then exposes the revolutionary effects of the gospel on individuals, churches, and the world. The apostle Paul said that the gospel was “of first importance” (1Cor.15:3). We therefore must treat it as such, and seek not to go beyond the gospel, but deeper into it. We hope you will invest the time to read this book and join together with us for discussion and fellowship to follow the end of the month. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!

Grace & Peace,
Joel Sedam
sedam.joel@gmail.com

The Bible is filled with wonderful promises and doctrine that give life to the believer. Christians treasure these truths, because in them we see God’s glory and His plans to eternally bless us in Christ with an inheritance in heaven that will never fade away and is sure to come. We might expect to find great doctrine like this only in the New Testament letters of Paul or perhaps in the Gospels. We might even expect to find that these great promises come to us only after we have advanced in our becoming more like God. The Bible, however, has the same great gospel message of a great God and His plan for redeeming His people from the beginning. From the beginning that message and its benefits have come to us undeservingly. In the upcoming sermon series we hope to treasure God and the gospel more from the book of Genesis.

Great Doctrine – Humble Beginnings

July 4	“Covenantalism – No One Special”	Genesis 12-15
July 11	“Obedience – Amateur Faith”	Genesis 16-18:15
July 18	“Holiness – Below The Standard”	Genesis 18:16-20
July 25	“Election – Nothing Deserved”	Genesis 21-26
August 1	“Faithfulness – In Spite Of…”	Genesis 27-30
August 8	“Reconciliation – In Desperate Need”	Genesis 31-33
August 15	Guest Preacher	Psalm 8
August 22	“Depravity and Mercy – Nothing to Bring”	Genesis 34-36
August 29	“Redemption – Not On Our Own”	Genesis 37-41
Sept 5	“Providence – Being Led”	Genesis 42-47
Sept 12	“Sovereignty – Thanks Be To God”	Genesis 48-50