Glimpses of Grace – February 2021
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 February:
Pastor Stephen came back from his short sabbatical and is doing very well. We sent pastor Stephen on a much needed sabbatical that started in late December. He had been battling with some severe depression and was living an essentially joyless life simply going through the motions. One of his major prayers was for God to bring him out of this dark season of depression and to restore to him the joy of his salvation. And God answered in a big way! Through much prayer, fasting, counseling, rest, and reorganizing of certain things in his life, pastor Stephen is in a much better place than he was when he started his break. God has indeed restored Stephen’s joy to him. He has reminded Stephen of his adoption into the family of God and Stephen is in a significantly healthier place today viewing God, himself, and those around him through a correct gospel lense. Our God is a faithful, restoring God! And He has gifted our church body with pastor Stephen and his wonderful family.
We hosted a Sent 101 class and two new families (8 total people) are pursuing covenant membership at Sent Church. Even through the difficulties of this COVID season, God is still at work growing His church. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus told us to pray for more laborers for the harvest. He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” We continue to pray for more laborers to join us in community and on mission as a part of Sent Church. And God continues to answer this prayer by sending us more people to live sent as a part of this local church.
God has answered many prayers in our local body. One of our core values as a church is “dependent prayer”. We believe that God loves to hear and answer our prayers. One of the things our pastors and staff have mentioned throughout the month of February is that God has been kind to give clarity and answers to many prayers from the people of Sent Church. God has answered prayers concerning jobs, moves, relationship struggles, opportunities and boldness for gospel proclamation, fighting sin and temptation, and providing for spiritual and physical needs, just to name a few. Our elder candidate Josh Blavatt preached on prayer from Luke 11:1-13 on the last Sunday in February (you can listen to that sermon here). We desire to be a people who are truly dependent on him in prayer for all things. He listens and responds to the prayers of His people. He continues to prove Himself in this over and over again. Let’s praise Him and continue to pray to Him for this!
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!
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