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Prayer for the City & Church: Jan 30-Feb 5

Monday, January 30th, 2012

As we conclude our January sermon series on the core values of Grace, we will be focusing this week’s prayer post on this week’s value – Repentance – along with some ways we can be praying for some urgent needs in our city.  Also, please note the amazing PRAISE section for an encouraging update on Jon Collissimo.

Prayer for the City:

Pray for the recent string of violent acts that have occurred in and around the city over the past couple weeks:

- For 3 separate Scarborough homes where shots were fired in a period of 36 hours

- For the Regent Park community, who continually suffers acts of domestic violence, gang violence, and most recently, the death of a man who has lived there for many years.

- For the family of a Richmond Hill man who was fatally shot in a park last week.

  • Pray for the grieving families – that they would be surrounded by those who can comfort and grieve with them.
  • Pray for the police and authorities who are working on the investigations – that they would have wisdom and integrity in their research and that they would allow justice to prevail in these situations.
  • Pray for the perpetrators of these crimes – that they would feel the conviction of their actions and would have hearts of repentance for what they have done.  Pray that they would be willing to accept their consequences and would be healed and freed from their brokenness.

Prayer for the Church:

  • Pray that we would be a church community of repentant people – a people willing to confess our sins to one another for the sake of prayer, accountability and healing.
  • Pray that our GGs would be places of authentic community and transparency.  Pray for the GG leaders to know how to model this through their own openness with their groups.  Pray for this to allow a deeper expression and maturity of our faith to develop amongst us.
  • Pray for a culture of repentance that would lead to turning from sin, extending forgiveness where needed and healing and restoration in place of brokenness.

Praise the Lord!

See below for the ways we can praise God for the way He has been answering our prayers for Jon Collissimo, who suffered paralysis from the chest down since his accident this past November.

  • Jon has been making great recovery lately! On Saturday, Jon moved his left ankle for the first time and his physical therapist has been working to get him to push with his legs.
  • On his left leg he now has the ability to move his quad, calf, and hamstring.
  • Then on Sunday he lifted the bottom half of his right leg!
  • Praise God that although everyone at the rehab centre is shocked by his recovery, we can see God is at work healing him, despite the most recent comments from the doctors that hope for recovery was dwindling.
  • Please continue to pray for full recovery. Jon is excited but still scared to be too hopeful, as it takes a lot of muscles to work and core body strength before he can stand.
  • Please pray for Jon’s ability to have an extended stay at Lyndhurst so he can continue to get the best treatment possible.
  • Please also continue to pray for Karman’s situation with her job. It has been very busy for her and she is concerned about how much longer her boss will let her work in the current pre-arranged limited capacity. There will be a lot more work put on her as Jon’s discharge date nears and she is struggling to juggle it all even with the lighter work load she currently has.  On harder days she feels like she is really getting burnt out.  She also feels it is getting harder to be upbeat and energetic on the hard days.  Please pray for her workplace to continue to be patient and understanding with her situation. Pray that she will have times of rest and time to herself.

James 5:16

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Tebow’s Attitude Toward Football (Part 2 of 2)

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Read Part 1

by Ethan Park

3) Our reaction to successes is different from what our society expects, because our successes don’t define who we are.

After Tim Tebow led the Broncos to improbable victory, he approached the podium. When asked about how he felt about being a national phenomenon, he responded quite humbly. Our society has taught us that our abilities, successes, experiences, and accomplishments define who we are. That’s how we get jobs and how we measure ourselves against others. Yet, the Gospel tells us differently. Our accomplishments don’t define who we are– Jesus’ death has already given us the identity that we need.

We are children of God, loved so dearly by the maker of this universe. Our identity doesn’t need, nay, can’t have more than what Christ has done for us on the cross.

4) Our work is a platform for the Kingdom agenda: to make Him known and redeem this world.

When Tim Tebow was asked about the overtime win, he said that he considered it a bigger win to be able to cheer up a girl who’s gone through a lot of medical issues. You may think it’s just words. I choose to believe it’s his heart.

Tim Tebow in his college days would write bible verses on his eye black. After his games, Google stats on searching the verse shot up drastically. He believes in what the Lord has called him to do– use the platform to make God known and bring redemption to this world. That means talking about Jesus at every opportunity he has– not because he has to, but because Jesus means so much to him. That means using his fame to care for those in need. He stated in his college days that he wants to use his platform as an NFL quarterback to bring hope to people in their darkest hour of need.

How can we use our work as a platform for Kingdom agenda? We have unique insight to non-believing coworkers who need to hear. We have opportunities to influence our employers and coworkers to help redeem this world. We can be a Kingdom-worker by using our position and influence for His Kingdom.

What we see from Tim Tebow isn’t fake– it’s a genuine display of faith. He will sin and put football before God at times — all of us do. But no one can deny his genuine desire to display his faith. He’s been criticized by so many in this world for displaying and expressing his faith to others– and they aren’t wrong. He is! And, in fact, that’s what we are called to do. As a blog puts it, “If Tim Tebow sold steak knives for a living, he’d be the same way. Except he’d be the “crazy religious steak knife guy.” Football is just what he happens to be doing now. He wants to win games and be the best quarterback of all time because it broadens his territory. His final destination is not money or fame or victory, they are means to an end: to hype Jesus on the biggest platform in America.

This Sunday (Jan 22), we will be discussing how we ought to understand and live “ambition” in light of the Gospel. Tim Tebow seems very ambitious—making the play-offs, making dramatic comebacks, and capturing the hearts of many football fans. But, his ambitions are rooted in something much deeper.

Join us this Sunday as we discuss ambition.

Read a blog for Tim Tebow and his faith:  http://supermassiveblog.com/post/14237066259/timtebow

Read a blog by Chuck Klosterman against Tim Tebow and his faith: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7319858/the-people-hate-tim-tebow

Tebow’s Attitude Toward Football (Part 1 of 2)

Monday, January 16th, 2012

by Ethan Park

The buzz around the NFL this year has been predominately about Tim Tebow, an unorthodox NFL quarterback for the Denver Broncos, who started for the team in their last 11 games, posting 7 wins, most of them miraculous comebacks. A college phenom, he was doubted by the professional scouts that he would not be a successful quarterback, and grasped international attention with an unorthodox NFL quarterback skill set, ability to help his team win, and… his demonstration of his faith.

Religious displays in the NFL are not new. Most players will point fingers to the sky, giving thanks to God after touchdowns. Some talk about their faith. But for some reason, Tim Tebow’s displays look genuine.

After an improbable upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first playoff game with a dramatic overtime finish, Tim Tebow answered questions from the media with the following:

“I am just so blessed to have an opportunity to be the quarterback for the Denver Broncos and play games in front of such great fans with great teammates and I’m just very thankful for the platform that God has given me… I felt like we had a great week of practice and we practiced hard and had a great game plan and we knew that we were playing a very good Pittsburgh Steelers team. I was very glad that we were able to get the win. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he’s done so much in my life and I also want to thank my teammates for the efforts they put out there and just showing so much character whether it’s good whether it’s bad all year and our coaches who constantly every game whether I’m doing good or bad just stick with me so I’m very appreciative of that.”

Soon after, a reporter asked this question: I know you have a faith in God, but do you have a sense of the kind of phenomenon you are nationwide?

“You know, I’m just very thankful for the platform God has given me and the opportunity to be a quarterback for the Denver Broncos, what a great organization. It is special to have the platform of playing football, as I have an opportunity to affect people. I was very excited to have Bailey Knaub here at this game. Football is amazing, we love it, we’re so passionate about it as you can see there but the real win, at least as far as I’m concerned, was being able to comfort a girl who’s gone through 73 surgeries before this game. I get a chance to go hang out with her now and that’s the biggest win of the day and so they’re both exciting but that’s what I’m even more proud of.”

In our view of work, there’s much to learn from Tim Tebow.

1) Whether we are called to become an NFL quarterback or an assistant at a bank, we should see our job as worship to God.

Tim Tebow is by far not an ideal quarterback. Stats like 2 completions on 8 attempts in a game doesn’t bring much confidence in his abilities. But, when he plays, he plays with passion for the game. His coaches love his work ethic and his poise. His teammates believe in him and follow him because of what he stands for. He believes that he’s called to play football right now and he plays football like he believes it. That’s what we are called to do. God calls us, in his mysterious wisdom, to work in this world as agents of His common grace to this world. Tim Tebow understands that.

2) God is more important than our performance. Kingdom matters are far more important than success in our job.

When Tim Tebow plays, he plays differently. He helps his opposing players up after hard tackles. He prays on the sidelines when others would be studying the next plays. In his attitude and action, he applies Kingdom principles, God’s moral standards, and the Gospel in what he does. He never sees himself as better than others. In the team’s wins, he gave all of the glory to his teammates, coaches, and God. In his losses, he took responsibility, and moved on. Often, we are too far concerned with the performance of our job. Likewise, our faith should triumph over achieving success in our job. We are in the habit of pursuing success while ignoring our faith when, in fact, we should look for opportunities to display our faith at the expense of our success.

F&W: Ambition and the Gospel Study

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

We’re often rewarded for staying later, performing better and trying harder at work. Is this what God wants for our lives?

Join us on Sunday, Jan. 22, 1-3 at 41 Britain St. as we continue to consider Faith & Work by looking at what it means to be an ambitious Christian.

For more information, contact Faith & Work.

FilmSpeak

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

Our next FilmSpeak evening is Friday, January 20, 2012 featuring The Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life is a 2011 American drama film with experimental elements written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain. Malick’s film chronicles the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man’s childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the universe and the inception of life on Earth.

Time: The screening is at 7:00pm, followed by a discussion.

Place: 41 Britain St

Some Thoughts on Suffering

Friday, December 16th, 2011

by Nick Kaschuk

Part IV: Faith as distinct from belief

In this self-titled “age of science,” there are many who demand tangible proofs before they are willing to surrender to faith. They seek to see, in His hands, the imprint of the nails, put their finger into the place of the nails, and put their hand into His side. They are forever longing to see.

 Still, there are others (like Nathanael)[1] who long to be seen. 

God’s voice tells Job that he has been seen. Job’s faith tells him that if God has seen then He is working for the good. Job then leaves the question of how God is working as immaterial. 

For those who have faith, the question of suffering is transformed from the question of “Why?” (or “for what purpose?”). It is satisfied by an answer to the question of “Where are You?” (or “have You seen?”) For us, who are not presently experiencing God’s voice, what solace can we find? Was there anything else that we can find within the situation of Job? 

If faith is evidence of Satan’s powerlessness then “faithlessness” is evidence of God’s sovereignty.

In the modern mind, faith and belief are often mistakenly conflated (faith meaning precisely what one believes). The problem with this understanding is that it discounts the fact that the majority of our beliefs are merely a direct function of our experience. 

An individual begins to sit upon a chair with the “belief” that the chair will support their weight. This “belief” is based on years of experience and uncontradicted experimental evidence telling them what a chair looks like and in what manner a chair acts. 

Another individual makes plans for their future based upon their “belief” that the sun will set and rise again.

Each believes what their experience tells them it is safe to believe. Their “beliefs” are based entirely upon what their reason tells them. There is no inconsistency between what they believe and what their experience and reason tells them it is “right” to believe. 

But what will occur if all of the evidence on which one has based their “belief” is at once contradicted? Should their “beliefs” not continue to follow where the evidence is telling them to go? In other words, when there is no more reason to believe, when all of the evidence contradicts what one knows to be true, when one cannot believe in their beliefs any longer, what is one to do? 

Here, we begin to discover an even deeper mystery of faith.

Part 4 of 5

Read Parts 1, 2, and 3


[1] John 1:49-51

Gospel and Work Pt.2: One liner emails – Gossiping

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

by Ethan Park

I picked up a terrible habit in my early days of banking. On most conference calls, we would mute our microphones and incessantly make fun of the parties on the other side of the line. We would pick out all the foolish things they said. I remember the nicknames we had for the bankers, fund managers, CEOs and CFOs. They were not nice. 

Conference calls weren’t the only times when we spoke ill of people behind their backs. We speak ill of our colleagues, superiors and subordinates. Emails with subjects “<no subject>” or cryptic “PRIVATE: NSFW” are often filled with one liners, making fun of what just happened in the office. Often, gossiping becomes the foundation of office friendships. We gossip in the office and out of the office. 

We gossip for so many reasons. Sometimes, it’s for our own image. We want to be the funny person or the quick, witty person. Sometimes we gossip because of hatred for someone. We want to bring down their reputation. Sometimes it’s to be understood; we seek justice and vindication by speaking ill of the person that hurt our ego.

We struggle for our appearance and reputation on a daily basis in our workplace. We have an image of how we yearn to be perceived. Often we end up being dishonest about ourselves, trying to be someone that we are not called to be. Our reputation is so important to us because we think that we can attain righteousness or acceptance by being the person we want to be.

Gossiping is sin because when we gossip, we try to build up our self-righteousness by tearing down someone else’s and building our own reputation. By gossiping, we reject the Gospel by taking control of building our own righteousness.  The Gospel puts an end to our need for gossiping. We are to accept our place as a sinner, who has been redeemed by Jesus and His blood alone. When opportunities arise for gossip, we refrain from it because the subject of the gossip is also a broken person in need of Christ. We don’t gossip because we don’t need to build up our righteousness by tearing others down. When others gossip about us, we don’t defend ourselves, because we are sinners whose righteousness has been fully obtained by Christ’s death alone. Our personal dignity is sustained by grace, not by our defence.

 Next time you face opportunities for gossip, consider the Gospel. We, the undeserved heirs of the God Almighty, do not need to struggle for our own righteousness—Jesus is our righteousness.

The KJV Bible Show

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

A quirky theatrical examination of the definitive English translation of the Good Book on its 400th anniversary year. Created and performed by Ins Choi, Rebecca Davey, Kris Van Soellen, Arthur Wachnik and directed by Tom Carson.

Showtimes

November 18, 19, 20 @ 8:00 pm
Grace Toronto Church
41 Britain St.
Toronto, ON

Tickets

Pay with you can ($15 suggested)
Available at Eventbrite.
For more info call 416-937-6102.

Additional Showtimes

November 26 @ 6:45 pm, November 27 @ 8:45 pm
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts
as part of the WORD Festival.

For more information, check out:

The Arts Engine
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts

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F&W Business Services

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Please join us for a casual lunch get together at the Marche, in BCE place, on the 15th of November.  Come to meet other Grace Toronto people working in the business sector and enjoy some good discussion on living as Christians in ‘Business Toronto’.

Faith & Work will be in one of the private rooms off the main dining area.  Kindly RSVP to Jordan Mayes, so we have an idea of the numbers.

Where: Marche, at BCE Place (Wellington St. W. / Yonge St.) – ask for Jordan Mayes
When: Tuesday November 15th 2011 at 12:00pm

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Some Thoughts on Suffering

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

by Nick Kaschuk

Part III: The Response

The Christian is called to be completely honest and to persevere with patience, continuing to suffer under the possibility of meaninglessness until meaning is eventually revealed. 

If the Christian is to persevere in their suffering, then the question can be asked “is this suffering (the suffering that comes with not knowing the reason for one’s present misfortune) meaningless?”[1] If it is not, then where can one find meaning? 

If we consider the story of Job, we note immediately that it is not Satan who has provoked God, but God who has provoked Satan (“have you considered my servant Job?”) This simple but powerful statement gives us our first clue that there might be, in fact, a will and a meaning in what is about to transpire. Again, we must ask “what might this meaning be and can it be applied beyond the particular person of Job?” 

Job, being a man, shares with us all of the frailties of what it means to be human. He should therefore not be divorced from our experience as if his response is beyond our reach. Instead, let us think of him as us, and of us, as him. 

If we are to think of Job as us, how does this change our thoughts concerning God’s provocation? 

Job, having the same ancestors as I (his ancestors, like mine, having been formed from the dirt), has been chosen, unbeknownst to him, to do battle with the chief opponent of God. More than this, it seems as though the sum of God’s wager is that his “opponent,” in all of his “angelic power and glory” cannot cause Job to curse his maker. 

Is this not scandalous? Should God really trust His name and reputation to what was once just clay and dirt (the substance that all of earth’s creatures treads upon)? Should God trust him to be able to withstand all that this “great” archangel can table against him? 

Here, the mystery of suffering begins to take on meaning. For God to directly defeat an angel is predictable and expected but what of a lump of dirt? …and what of this “archangel,” who had once contrived to make his throne higher than the clouds over the earth and resemble God’s power on high? Is it not a great humiliation for this “angelic” being to have, demonstrated to all, that a mere human who has been gifted with only what is so utterly base and weak, can be infinitely more faithful than that “angelic” being who was gifted with so much? Is it any wonder why other angels long to look upon this spectacle? 

In the end, Job has many questions for God and God has many questions for Job, but neither seems to have their questions directly answered. Instead, Job’s questions are answered by God’s voice and God’s questions are answered by Job’s silence.

Part 3 of 5.

Read Parts 1 and 2


[1] A similar suffering can be expressed when one might know the “reason” for one’s suffering but be in disagreement with its appropriateness.