GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF HEALDSBURG JULY 2016

THE MONTHLY JOURNAL OF GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF HEALDSBURG

Baptisms July 31 & Aug 7 —

Hal will be teaching on baptism during regular

Sunday morning services

Aug 21If you are interested in being

baptized, read article on page 3 and contact Dan or Chris. Our Sunday morning service will be around the Maurtison pool as we baptize members

of our GCC body.

nursery: Kim Lapides 495-4578 July 3 TatianaJuly 10 CarrieJuly 17July 24 KimJuly 31 Danielle

flowers: Janette Gilbertson 953-9662 July 3 YvonneJuly 10 BeverlyJuly 17 JanetteJuly 24 JanisJuly 31

teaching:

The Holiness of God and His people

July 3 Susie — Is. 6:1-6July 10 Dan — Ex 19:1-25July 17 Corey Johnsrud — Deut 4:1-9July 24 Karl — Josh 24:14-27July 31 Hal — Baptism

Recommended reading… The Hole in Our Holiness

by Kevin DeYoung

Community News

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity

by Nabeel QureshiBook review by Reed Jolley, teaching pastor at SBCC

If you are interested in a book that will cause your heart to break with joy over the love of God, strengthen your faith, bolster your confidence in the Scriptures and give you the conviction that the gospel is good news for everyone, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is just the book for you.

Nabeel Qureshi grew up in a devout, loving Muslim home and was convinced that Islam was both true and good. Furthermore, the author enjoyed a very warm and loving relation with his earthly father, whom he called and calls Abba. It should come as no surprise that Qureshi was not looking for a change. He did not sense any deficit in Islam. He had a comfortable understanding that his sins were a problem, but in the end, he believed Allah would forgive him because of his devotion to his religion and his good deeds. Qureshi

GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF HEALDSBURG JULY 2016

PAGE �2

EldersDanFifer danfifer@gmail.com838-3798

Chris Vanden Heuvel vanclanfive@gmail.com953-6555

Children’s Program

Sara Leffewksleffew@comcast.com540-4442

Church Family Giving MAY 2015

Received $2775 Expenses/gifts given $2708Account Balance $41,100

Mailing Address: PO Box 1200 Healdsburg 95448

would have lived and died as a devout Muslim were it not for God’s plan to reveal his grace, convict him of his need for a Savior, show him the truth about Islam and draw him to Christ.

How God did this is the story the author supplies us in this great book. I won’t spoil the fun, but to give you a preview, God keeps putting friends in Qureshi’s path who genuinely enjoy him as a friend, and happen to be devout believers. One in particular, David, a college buddy, roommate and all-around great friend happens to be steeped in what might be called evidential apologetics. That is, David knows a bit about how our Bible came to be, the great manuscript evidence that exists to testify to the authenticity of the Bible and how Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth.

In the end, David, among others, answers a good number of Qureshi’s questions—questions he wasn’t really asking but was forced to ask nevertheless because of his unlikely friendships. In addition to discussing the Christian Bible and Islam’s Koran, Qureshi was also exposed to the hadith, the oral traditions of Islam that show the unsavory underbelly of his religion. Growing up in the mosque, Qureshi had never heard or read what the hadith actually said. He was in for a jolting surprise. Today, Qureshi says that he was raised with an airbrushed portrait of Muhammad and of Islam. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is something of an exposé revealing Islam’s darker secrets.

In the end, Qureshi surrenders his life to Christ and pays a huge price for doing so. He dedicates his book on the opening page to the parents he dearly loves, but their relationship has been broken. Qureshi’s heart has been broken too. Broken because of his love for his parents and broken only to be remade by the God who gives new hearts to those who come to him in faith. If you have any interest in Islam and how the gospel speaks to Muslims, you want to read this book. If you have any questions about why we, as Christians, can trust the Bible, you want to read this book. Did I say it yet? You want to read this book.

GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF HEALDSBURG JULY 2016

PAGE �3

What is Baptism? Baptism publicly symbolizes a person’s identification with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Baptism is a symbol of the spiritual reality of new birth. When a believer is baptized, his or her old life is symbolically buried in the waters of baptism and raised to a new life.

Consider what Paul had to say about baptism to the church in Rome: Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. (Romans 6:3-6).

Paul’s phrase, “baptized into” in the passage above is the language of identification with, belonging to, and union with Christ. To be “baptized into” Jesus Christ and his death is to publicly declare, “I have identified with the death and resurrection of Christ as my only hope for salvation. Correspondingly, I know that my old life is dead and I have been raised again to a new life.”

Baptism does not effect any changes in the believer’s standing before God. Rather, it is an outward expression of the inner changes already made by God himself.

Why Should I Be Baptized? Every believer is to be baptized.

In the New Testament, baptism was the expected and normal response when one was saved. Baptism is not for a certain type of Christian who believes that he or she is “ready,” while other Christians wait.

In the Book of Acts, Peter preached about the death and resurrection of Jesus to thousands of listeners. Here’s what happened next:

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 2:37- 38, also see Acts 8:26-38, 16:25-33, 22:16-6)

The New Testament pattern is that believers, after being born again, are baptized—usually immediately—in order to symbolize and publicly declare their new faith in Jesus as savior and Lord.

Baptism is Commanded by Christ. Aside from the pattern of previous practice in the New Testament, we are commanded by Christ to be baptized. At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus instructed his disciples about what they were to do after he left.

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the

GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF HEALDSBURG JULY 2016

PAGE �4

Grace Community Church meets Sundays at 10:10 a.m. at Healdsburg Community Center, 1557 Healdsburg Ave.

Thank you for loving our KIDS!!Preschool:July 3 SophiaJuly 10 LyndaJuly 17 LyndaJuly 24 KristenJuly 31 Andrea

Grades 1-5 July 3 SaraJuly 10 TracyJuly 17 KathyJuly 24 SaraJuly 31 Bill

Jr HighJuly 3 HyattJuly 10 BlackerbyJuly 17 MossbergJuly 24 ChurchJuly 31 Church

High SchoolJuly 3 ChurchJuly 10 EmilyJuly 17 MusettaJuly 24 ChurchJuly 31 Church

Junior Highers!! Boating at Lake Sonoma

Saturday July 23rd at 3:30pm.Spots are limited. 

RSVP to Emily707-217-3763

High Schoolers!! Broom Ball

Friday, July 8th, 9-11pmSnoopy's Ice Arena

with The Rock: Calvary Chapel Let’s fill up a car and go together!

have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:18-20)

Clearly, based on this command to the Apostles, the idea of an unbaptized disciple was foreign to the early church. In short, baptism is commanded by the Lord. If we want to be obedient disciples, we will be baptized.

Baptism is Modeled by Christ. Finally, baptism is so central and significant to the Christian faith that even Jesus was baptized. In Matthew’s Gospel we read, Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented. (Matthew 3:13-15)

And, what was God’s response to this act?

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ (Matthew 3:16-17)

In summary, baptism serves as a public symbol of the death of the old life and the resurrection unto new life that is offered by the death and resurrection of Christ. Upon placing one’s trust in Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, baptism ought to be the natural response of all believers, as it publicly declares the new reality, fulfills the command of Christ, and follows in the footsteps of Jesus. In light of all this, baptism is something to be undertaken seriously, thoughtfully, and joyfully.

If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, we strongly urge you to be baptized!— — — — —