One of the things I believe God would have us grow in as a church is to better recognize some of the ways He is at work in our midst. While I have many hopes for us as we seek to do this, three of them are primary. First, I pray that we would rejoice over His grace to us. One of our core values is “joyful worship”. Recognizing some of the ways God is working in our midst will help us to more joyfully worship Him with our lips and our lives through every season and circumstance. Secondly, I want us to be encouraged. I don’t know a person or a church body who is too encouraged. My prayer is that as we recognize some of God’s grace toward us as a church, we will be encouraged in Christ and in the worthy work He has sent us to. Third, I pray recognizing His handiwork would make us hungry for more and more of Him and His work in our midst. The truth is, God is always working in powerful and profound ways, both in the ordinary and extraordinary. Often, we don’t see it, recognize it, or acknowledge it. So, in an effort for us to recognize His gracious work more regularly, I’ll be sending out a monthly post highlighting a few ways He has been at work in our midst.
As you read these glimpses of grace every month, I would ask three things of you. First, let’s praise God and be encouraged together because of God’s work in our midst. Second, I want to encourage you to be on the lookout for God’s work in your life and share it with those around you. Third, I’d love to hear from you if you have a glimpse of God’s grace to share. Please email me at david@sentcharlotte.org.
Here are three glimpses of God’s grace from the month of September:
We celebrated eight years as a church. On September 8th, 2013, the Northlake congregation of Exodus Church held its first official worship gathering at the AMC movie theater in the Northlake Mall. For the next 6 years we existed as Exodus Church and then in January of 2020, God led us to become Sent Church. Over the course of the last eight years, we have seen God’s hand at work in powerful ways in our midst. Hundreds of lives have been impacted and changed through the faithful, gospel centered ministry of this local congregation. God has been so incredibly good to us. When we gathered on September 13th, we celebrated His goodness to us and worshiped our King Jesus for all He has done. We also look ahead with hopeful expectancy for all He is going to do in and through us over the next eight years as we seek to continue to live faithfully as those who have been Sent into this world as His gospel proclaiming ambassadors.
Our ladies kicked off another semester of bible study. On September 27th, the women of Sent Church kicked off their 6th official semester of Bible study together. As a church, one of our core values is “biblical authority”. We want to be a people who are completely submitted to God and His word in all things. One of the ways we seek to do that at Sent Church is through studying the Bible together. During these Bible studies the women of Sent church are being taught the word of God by other women of Sent church. After studying a Bible passage throughout the week, the women gather together weekly for a time of teaching, small group discussion, and prayer. Right now, they are studying through the book of Colossians together. So many women have been impacted through this Bible study over the years. I know God is working to speak to and shape our women now as they study the ScrIptures together. I praise God for His work in and through the women of Sent Church and am hopeful for all He is going to do through their time in Colossians.
Four new babies have been born into our church family (two in August and two more in September). This is the third or fourth time we have been able to highlight the beautiful gift of new life in our congregation this year. As I have mentioned before, it can feel like there is a new baby being born about every month at Sent so we can forget how gracious and miraculous it is of God to give the good gift of children to us. So many churches in our country have gone years without someone in their congregation having a baby. We can and should praise God for continuing to grant life in the womb and look forward to more glimpses of grace through childbirth in 2021. I’d also recommend this wonderful blog post from our very own Ashley Blavatt talking about the gift of pregnancy and childbirth and how they are intended to lead us to worship God together as His people. Please take a few minutes to read it and praise God for His work in our midst.
I pray these glimpses of God’s grace would bring us to more joyfully worship our great God and be encouraged in Him and the work He has sent us to. What a mighty, gracious, and active God we serve!
Recent Comments