April 3, John MacArthur. Welcome to the Lord s day worship service at Grace Church. Vol. 20 No. 14

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1 Vol. 20 No. 14 April 3, 2016 John MacArthur PASTOR-TEACHER Clayton Erb / Minister of Music Welcome to the Lord s day worship service at Grace Church. We are truly blessed to be here this morning as we open God s Word together, sing His praises, and enjoy a time of fellowship in His presence. Be sure to take advantage of the many fellowship and ministry opportunities available to our church family today and throughout the week.

2 8:30 & 10:30* am Instrumental Praise TODAY Two Fughettas Rheinberger Stephen Sturz, Organist Hymn 29 Creation Sings Congregation Hymn 26 I Sing the Mighty Power of God Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee Beethoven/Hart-Rice String Orchestra, Woodwinds, Piano The Heavens Are Telling Haydn Worship Choir Hymn 31 This Is My Father s World Congregation Your Grace Still Amazes Me Harrington-Craig/Rice Michael Mahoney MESSAGE: THE THEOLOGY OF CREATION John MacArthur Selected Scriptures Doxology Hymn Congregation Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above Trad./Sturz Organ Postlude 6:00 pm Pass Me Not Doane/Rice Instrumental Prelude Songs of Praise Congregation Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow rs before Thee, Op ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day. All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow ry meadow, flashing sea, Chanting bird and flowing fountain, Call us to rejoice in Thee. Mortals, join the happy chorus Which the morning stars began; Father love is reigning o er us, Christian love binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life. Words by Henry J. van Dyke (1907); music by Ludwig von Beethoven (1824) Doxology Hymn Hymn 5 How Great Thou Art Baptism Chris Gee Every Promise of Your Word Getty-Townend Offertory MESSAGE: A TALE OF TWO BROTHERS Rich Gregory Genesis 4 Thine Be the Glory Handel/Sturz Organ Postlude * Interpreting for the deaf is provided during the 10:30 a.m. service. Arabic and Korean translation for the 10:30 a.m. service is available at gracechurch.org/live. A limited number of headsets are available at the front desk for simultaneous translation. O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee: How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

3 Campus Ministries THE WELCOME CENTER hosts a reception for visitors following each Sunday-morning service. Enjoy refreshments and find helpful people with answers to any questions you have about our church. You ll also receive one of Pastor MacArthur s books as a thank you for being with us today. THE MEMBER CENTER has information about membership and baptism. It is located on the north side of the Heritage Building, across from the Welcome Center. Today s Membership Class 101 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. T375 THE PRAYER ROOM is staffed with counselors, ready to offer pastoral care. It is open after every service, and is adjacent to the Worship Center. Generations of Grace Children s Sunday School MESSAGE PASSAGE PRINCIPLE HYMN OF THE MONTH ASK YOUR CHILD APPLY THIS WEEK NEXT WEEK On GraceWalk Fundamentals of the Faith Local Outreach On the Patio Men of the Word Conference Spanish Ministries (by the Chapel) The following lesson was taught today in Sunday School (Preschool through Juniors) God Raises Moses to Lead Israel Exodus 3 God s plans cannot be stopped. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today What did God call Moses to do? By trusting God because His plans are perfect. As a family, read Exodus 3. Exodus 7 10 Bookstore The Bookstore is open after each service and during the week. It is located on the south side of the Worship Center. NEW DO MORE BETTER A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PRODUCTIVITY by Tim Challies I loved reading Do More Better simply for the defense of the believer s ability to do good works a neglected truth [this is] a biblical call for productivity. Jesse Johnson, Teaching Pastor Immanuel Bible Church, Springfield, Virginia Available today for 20% off retail price Grace to You RADIO gty.org/radio The Foolishness of God KKLA 99.5 FM LOS ANGELES M F 6:30 am & 7:30 pm KDAR 98.3 FM OXNARD VENTURA M F 2:00 & 10:00 am; Sun 2:00 am TELEVISION gty.org/television The Willful Submission of a Christian Wife NRBTV CHANNEL 378 ON DIRECTV Sunday 6:30 pm ONLINE gty.org Sunday sermons Audio archive: John MacArthur s pulpit ministry Resource library: books, study guides, videos, Q&As TODAY Adapted from the Generations of Grace Family Devotional, available at the bookstore. All audio is available for free listening or downloading.

4 An Invitation FEATURE For many of us who grew up attending church, Vacation Bible School was as much a part of the summer season as warm weather and swimming pools. No matter whether it was a small church with a single classroom or a large church with a crowded sanctuary, we all remember the opening assembly, singing, listening to the day s lesson, doing craft projects, playing games, and watching skits all with a gospel-centered focus. For some of us, this may have been our first encounter with the truth of God s Word. With this in mind, we re pleased to announce that this summer, for the first time in more than thirty years, we re opening our own church campus for Vacation Bible School. As we consider the profound grace the Lord has shown our church, we look forward to extending the same blessing to our neighbors in this practical way during the week of June Our theme The Kingdom will introduce children to and point them toward the kingdom of God and the Savior who provides the only way of entry. As a neighborhood outreach, VBS offers a unique opportunity for our entire church family to come together in evangelism.

5 to Evangelism To facilitate that effort, the week will culminate with our first Plaza Fellowship of the summer on Sunday, June 26. This evening will serve as an open house for Vacation Bible School, with a special invitation extended to the families of the children who joined us for the week. Our prayer is that doors will be opened for evangelism throughout the neighborhood and beyond. If you re wondering how you can get involved, there are several practical ways you can help. First, we re looking for volunteers to serve during the week of VBS. A team of coordinators has already been working enthusiastically to plan the event, and there are many opportunities to serve our church family and the neighborhood. We re looking for help with small groups, games, crafts, and much more, all with the goal of planting seeds of the gospel. For more information or to sign-up, come to our first volunteer meeting at 12:30 p.m. today in the T270s. Secondly, you can provide financial support. Because there is no charge for the week all children will attend for free this year s Easter offering is dedicated to raising support for VBS. To contribute, visit gracechurch.org/give/ easter. Finally and most importantly, you can pray. Pray for the children, the families, and the community who participate in Vacation Bible School. Pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be communicated clearly and that hearts would be receptive to God s saving Truth. We hope you ll join us for VBS this summer. We re excited to see how the Lord will use this single week in June to make an impact for eternity. Vacation Bible School Volunteer Meeting Today 12:30 2:00 p.m. T270s All volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting. Lunch will be provided. Childcare is not available for this event. FEATURE

6 HIGHLIGHTS Evangelism Ministries The Bible describes Christians as ambassadors for Christ those who were saved to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). One of the most joyful duties we have is to proclaim this great gospel to others. To this end, Grace Church members hold evangelistic Bible studies in jails, rehab centers, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and on Skid Row. Groups also go door-to-door right here in our own neighborhood. Acton Rehabilitation Center Basketball Outreach Castaic Jail Ministry Downtown Jail Ministry Hope Bible Study Neighborhood Outreach Skid Row Outreach Volleyball Outreach For more information about any of these ministries, call , or visit gracechurch.org/local. Monthly Missions Meeting Tuesday, April 5 7 p.m. T260s Hosted by the Elders Council Handling Outreach (ECHO) Join us to hear updates from our missionaries and local outreach ministries, pray for their needs, and learn how you can be involved. This month s update will be from our jail ministries. Grace Around the World European Bible Training Center The Manten Family Martin & Gabi, Joelle, Lois, Joshua, Timon, Silvan, Noe Serving in Switzerland Since 2009 Prayer / Praise Praise God for His grace and the growth in our church plant, which is entering its second year. Praise God for the highest student enrollment ever at the European Bible Training Center (EBTC). Faith Promise Last week you generously gave $17,742. Thank you for your ongoing support of our missionaries and their ministries around the world. Local Outreach Spotlight Acton Rehabilitation Center Sundays and Wednesdays Every Sunday, ministry leaders take men s and women s small groups to the drug and alcohol rehab center in Acton to preach, lead Bible studies, teach FOF classes, and offer one-on-one counsel. A men s group also ministers on Wednesday evenings. For more information call

7 Premarital/Marriage Seminar A prerequisite for engaged couples desiring to get married at Grace Church, this seminar is also helpful for those who are purposefully dating, as well as married couples interested in God s plan for a successful marriage. Part 1 Friday, April 15, 7:00 9:00 p.m. Saturday, April 16, 9:00 a.m. noon Part 2 Friday, May 20, 7:00 9:00 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 9:00 a.m. noon Instructors: Bill Shannon, George Sanders, Tom Leman T370s $35 for church members or TMS/TMC students; $65 for non-members For more information or to register, visit gracechurch.org/premarital or call Children s Hunger Fund Food Pak Drive April For information visit gracechurch.org/chf or call Sojourners Women s Fellowship Spring Luncheon Saturday, April 16 10:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Speaker: Carolyn Berry Cost: $15 All women are welcome. Call for more information. With the Lord Joe Sanceri and Ruth Schlicht recently went to be with the Lord. Please remember their families in your prayers. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. Psalm 116:15 Baby Rose The rosebud is in honor of Piper Rae Swanson, born March 8, 2016, to Victoria and Erik Swanson. Men s Conference A Charge to Lead Speakers: John MacArthur & Alex Montoya April 30 8:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Family Center Cost: $15 (includes breakfast and lunch) Register this morning on the patio or any time at gracechurch.org/men. Membership Classroom Please note that the Membership Class now meets in T375, on the third floor of the Tower building. Job Opportunity Web Programmer. Grace to You has an immediate opening for a Web programmer knowledgeable in ASP.NET C#, MSSQL, Javascript, and related technologies. This individual must give close attention to details, communicate effectively, and work well independently and within a small team. For an application, please contact Gabriel Powell at , or gpowell@gty.org. ANNOUNCEMENTS

8 8:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 10:30 10:30 a.m. a.m. 5:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Fridays 7:30 p.m. SUNDAY FELLOWSHIPS Children s Sunday School Visit the Welcome Center for room locations. Pastor: Mike Johnston Cornerstone (All ages) T371 Pastors: Nathan Busenitz, Mark Tatlock, Harry Walls Doulos (Young families & singles) T361 Pastor: Carl Hargrove FaithBuilders (All ages) T261 Pastor: Bill Shannon GraceLife (All ages) Family Center Pastors: Phil Johnson, Mike Riccardi Junior High (Grades 7 8) T73 (Basement) Pastor: Jay Lennington Developmentally Disabled CC130 (east) Pastor: Rick McLean Spanish Adult Sunday School H Teachers: Josiah Grauman, Angel Cardoza Spanish Worship Service Chapel Pastors: Henry Tolopilo, Michael Mahoney Children s Sunday School Visit the Welcome Center for room locations. Pastor: Mike Johnston Crossroads (College & young adults) Family Center Pastor: Austin Duncan High School (Grades 9 12) T73 (Basement) Pastor: Josh Petras Joint Heirs (All ages) T261 Pastors: Tom Patton, John Street Mainstream (All ages) T361 Pastor: Rich Gregory Developmentally Disabled CC130 (east) Pastor: Rick McLean Sojourners (All ages) T371 Pastor: William Varner Spanish Adult Sunday School H Teachers: Rubén Pidal, Daniel Corral Spanish Worship Service Chapel Pastors: Henry Tolopilo, Michael Mahoney Neighborhood Outreach T273 5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Sunday Night Prayer Group Grace Grill (next to the Children s Center) 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Discovery (Grades 1 6) Family Center Discovery Kids (Ages 3 5) CC Visit our website at Administration Children Logos Institute Membership The Guild (Single adults) T361 Pastor: Don Carr MINISTRY DIRECTORY Men Outreach Pastoral Care & Counseling Prayer Mondays 9:00 a.m. Monday Morning Prayer Group Welcome Center Building Abbreviation Key T = Tower H = Heritage CC = Children s Center Spanish Special Ministries Student Women Roscoe Blvd. Sun Valley, CA Our mission is to glorify God and extend His kingdom by living and proclaiming His truth in the world. Grace Today is published weekly by Grace Community Church by Grace Community Church. Scripture, unless otherwise noted, is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, Used by permission.