Grace Place Church - Notes From the Pastor's Desk

April 28, 2023

4/28/2023

📖James 1:2-4

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

📘Pastor's Note:

As we walk out our lives of faith in Christ, we will encounter trials of various kinds. And James, Jesus’ half brother, tells us that we should count it all joy. Why are we told this? Verse 4 is the answer. Because we are being perfected in the faith. God sovereignly allows us to go through various trials because He uses them to make us more like Christ. Trials, therefore, are opportunities to grow closer to Him and be transformed more and more to His likeness. When we encounter trials, do we recognize this? Because by recognizing a trial as such will greatly help us on how we respond to it. Instead of responding with pride, we can respond in humility. Instead of responding with anger, we have the opportunity to respond with grace. It’s all about perspective. So, today, let’s ask ourselves that question: “how do I respond when trials come?” Respond in faith, respond in humility, and then praise God for loving us so much that He isn’t interested in leaving us where we are. Praise Him for actively growing us closer to Him and changing us into the likeness of Christ! Praying for you always. Have a blessed weekend!

🙏Pray for me as I pray for you.
God bless❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201&version=ESV

April 21, 2023

4/21/2023

Hebrews 10:26-27 (ESV)
#NotesfromthePastorsDesk

📖 Hebrews 10:26-27 (ESV)
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

📘Pastor's Note:
Professing Christ yet continuing in deliberate, willful sin is an indicator of a heart that hasn’t truly been regenerated. That person should have a fearful expectation of judgment. The writer of Hebrews has been laying out how Christ is absolutely superior in every way. He is superior to angels. He is superior to the Levitical priesthood. He is the superior sacrifice. To truly know Him as such should move our lives into the direction of holiness. Of course this doesn’t mean we will be sinless but it does mean that our lives shouldn’t be marked by deliberate, willful sin. Can we all agree that it is one thing to stumble into sin then repent from it. It’s a whole another thing to absolutely know what’s right and wrong and deliberately choose to walk wrongly against the commands of God. Reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 6:1, “shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? Absolutely not!” Have a blessed day walking rightly and obediently with the Lord.

🙏Pray for me as I pray for you.
God bless❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2010&version=ESV

April 6, 2023

4/6/2023

Ephesians 6:12

📖Ephesians 6:12 (ESV):
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

📘Pastor's Note:
To win battles we first need to know who our enemy is. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. Our fight is against spiritual forces of darkness. We fight a spiritual battle. An enemy unseen yet is the cause of the warring that we encounter. Therefore we must be prepared. And Paul tells us how to do that, how to make our stand of resistance. We must put on the armor of God. We must protect our my mind with the helmet of salvation. We must put on the belt of truth. Wear the breastplate of righteousness, carry the shield of faith, have our shoes of the gospel of peace on, and be armed with the sword of the Spirit. A soldier without armor will not last long in a fight. So soldier, put on that armor, gird yourself, prepare for battle! Love you and praying for you. Remember, victories are not realized unless battles are fought. Have a blessed day walking in the grace of God.

🙏Pray for me as I pray for you!
God Bless ❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206&version=ESV

April 4, 2023

4/4/2023

Daniel 3:23-25 (ESV)

📖Daniel 3:23–25 (ESV):
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

📘Pastor's Note:
Such a well known Bible study with a profound lesson for followers of Christ. Jesus never said that we wouldn’t encounter “fire” in this life. He simply promised to walk through it with us when we do. Remember this and let it encourage your heart today. Love you and praying for God’s grace to abound in you today!

🙏Pray for me as I pray for you!
God Bless ❤
Pastor Jamie

MARCH 31, 2023

3/31/2023

John 19:1-6

📖John 19:1–6 (ESV): Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”

📘Pastor's Note:
The horrific trial yet wonderful reality of what Jesus endured for sinful man to be saved. The spotless Lamb of God led to the slaughter so that my debt could be paid, your debt could be paid. Innocence sacrificed so rebels could be set free. Arms spread wide open upon the cross beckoning man to repent and believe for the forgiveness of sins. All who comes to Him, through Him will be saved! The glorious wonder of the person and work of Christ. This morning, my salvation is own my mind. Why would the perfect, holy, Son of God endure such a horrible death for a great sinner such as myself? And the only conclusion is His love for me. He laid down His life for me! And the best part, He took it up again! He has risen, indeed. How often do we contemplate this reality? I suggest no matter how much we do that it’s not enough. That becomes obvious when I think about self more than I think about the cross. But my prayer this morning is that I will focus on it more, that you will focus on it more because it refines our minds and hearts. It sanctifies us. It grows us closer to our Lord. And in doing so, it transforms our thoughts and actions to be obedient to Him and His word to honor Him as a living sacrifice. Know that you are loved and are prayed for this day. God bless.

🙏Pray for me as I pray for you!
God Bless ❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019&version=ESV

March 23,2023

3/23/2023

Colossians 1:22-23

#notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖Colossians 1:22-23 (ESV):
22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[a] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

📘Pastor's Note:
Perseverance…continuing in the faith. A saint, regardless of life’s difficulties, will persevere. He has been reconciled to God. He has been established and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel. He clings to this hope until his dying breath. He knows the treasure of his faith. It is of greater worth than anything the world could offer. No circumstance or difficulty or material possession is worth more than his hope that he has in Christ. His salvation is his prime possession and reality. Nothing will set him to alter that direction. He remains, he stays, he keeps on, he abides, he perseveres! That’s our call. To take the next step, to continue, to keep on keeping on. We run the race and the only way to get to the finish line is by moving forward. And God’s promise is that it is absolutely worth it. So, if you ever feel like giving up…don’t. Continue in the hope of the gospel. Stay steadfast in the faith. And one day we’ll hear those most desirable words, “well done, good and faithful servant.” Have a blessed day persevering in the faith.

🙏Pray for me as I pray for you!
God Bless ❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201&version=ESV

MARCH 10, 2023

3/10/2023

Proverbs 1:23

#notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖 Proverbs 1:23 (ESV):
If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

📘Pastor's Note:
What do we do when the Lord rebukes us? Do we kick against the goads or do we turn and walk rightly with Him? Do we accept His discipline as it is meant…a loving yet sometimes painful nudge to follow Him and His ways? Wisdom is to accept His reproof and to seek Him. If we turn, He promises to pour out His spirit on us. Literally, “spirit” means breath or wind. He breathes on us. His spirit blows on us. In this right response to His reproof, He makes known His word to us. The living water of His word. That there is wisdom. We can keep trying to do it our own way disregarding His injection thus bearing the consequences of rebellion. Or we can turn and let Him breathe on us and experience the grace and goodness of following Him. Have a blessed day. Let’s allow our love to abound. Let’s die to self and live for Him.
Him.
God Bless 🙏❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%201&version=ESV

March 9, 2023

3/9/2023

1 John 1:9

notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖1 John 1:9 (ESV):
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

📘Pastor's Note:
Forgiveness. We all need it. When we are born again, we are forgiven of all our sin…past, present, and future sin. But does that mean we no longer sin or have a need to confess our sin? Absolutely not. If we are in this flesh, we will sin, and John tells us to confess it to He who is faithful and just to forgive and that He will cleanse us of all unrighteousness. We have a High Priest in Jesus; He is the Mediator between man and God. When we sin, we take it to Him in confession and He is faithful and just forgives. This morning, as I read this verse, what stands out to me is that confession has a refining effect of cleansing. When we humbly admit our sins to the Lord, when we repent, He uses it to refine us…to cleanse us. It is the purifying effect of the sinner to sin less and less. We will never be completely sinless on this side of heaven, but we look forward to that day when sin will be no more.

God Bless 🙏❤
Pastor Jamie
Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%201&version=ESV

march 6, 2023

3/6/2023

Psalm 34:3

#NotesFromThePastorsDesk
📖Psalm 34:3 (ESV):
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

📘Pastor's Note
I woke up this morning with the praise song of Psalm 34 on my mind. The psalm was written by David. It begins with his devotion to bless the Lord at all times. Praise was continually on his lips. His soul made its boast in the Lord. Then he said, “let the humble hear and be glad.” And he followed it up with verse 3…magnify the Lord with me!! David experienced true worship to the Lord. His lips and his soul was so overwhelmed at the goodness of God that praise of who He is came flooding out of his worship to Him. Then the invitation to come and magnify the Lord with me. He saw God for who He is. The Sovereign, holy, loving, and gracious Creator that is deserving of praise from all. The beauty of magnifying the Lord with other believers brings my eyes to tears. It is absolutely beautiful and encouraging. He is worthy of all our praise and worship. My prayer for you and me this week is that we join together to magnify Him. That our lives exalt Him, that we are a living sacrifice that demonstrates who He is and what He has done to save sinful man through His Son! Pray for me as I pray for you
God Bless 🙏❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+34&version=ESV

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

2/23/2023

John 19:16-18

#notesfromthepastorsdesk
📖John19:16-18 (ESV):
16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.

📘Pastor's Note
What appeared as one of the darkest days in history is what we, as Christians, hold as the greatest victory to ever occur...the cross. If Christ never went to the cross, we wouldn't have access to grace, mercy and forgiveness. He endured a horrible death, took upon His shoulders the punishment of sin, served as our substitute so that we could be saved! Why did He die for us? Because He loves us and so that we may live for Him. The cross is always a good reminder for us as we begin our day and week. Live today in such a way that we honor the One that died and then rose again for us! Praying for you.

God Bless 🙏❤
Pastor Jamie

Read the Chapter:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019&version=ESV#GodsWord