April 23, John MacArthur. Welcome to the Lord s day worship service at Grace Church. Vol. 21 No. 17

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1 Vol. 21 No. 17 April 23, 2017 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 TODAY 8:30 & 10:30* am Fugue in A Minor Bach Stephen Sturz, Organist Hymn 135 O Worship the King Congregation Hymn 136 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing Our Great Savior Prichard/Goeller Instrumental Praise Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Trad./Wilberg Worship Choir Down from His Glory di Capua/Krogstad Philip Webb Hymn 159 O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus Congregation MESSAGE: THE CHARTER OF FREEDOM, PART 2 John MacArthur Galatians 1:1 5 Doxology Hymn Congregation Old Hundredth Trad./Bock Organ Postlude 6:00 pm How Firm a Foundation Funk Instrumental Prelude Songs of Praise Congregation Baptism Tom Patton Hymn 389 All I Have Is Christ Offertory MESSAGE: THE GOSPEL OF TIME Paul Twiss Ecclesiastes 3:1 15 Right Hand of Fellowship Postlude Instrumental Praise Our Great Savior Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul; Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole. Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! what a strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in Him; Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He, my strength, my vict ry wins. Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus! I do now receive Him, More than all in Him I find; He hath granted me forgiveness, I am His, and He is mine. Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Words by J. Wilbur Chapman (1910); music by Roland H. Prichard (1830) Doxology Hymn Hymn 161 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav n, to earth come down; Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, All Thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation, Enter ev ry trembling heart. * 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. To maintain a worshipful atmosphere in the services, please do not applaud after musical numbers.

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. Next Membership Class May :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 s Conference Spanish Ministry (by the Chapel) The following lesson was taught today in Sunday School (Preschool through Juniors) God Gives Solomon Wisdom 1 Kings 2:1 4; 3:1 15 We are unable to obey God without His help. In Christ Alone What did Solomon ask for, and how did God give it to him? By asking God for the wisdom to obey Him. As a family, read selected portions of I Kings 2:1 4; 3: Kings 8:1 9:9 Adapted from the Generations of Grace Family Devotional, available at the bookstore. Bookstore The Bookstore is open after each service and during the week. It is located on the south side of the Worship Center. GRACE BOOKS HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BOOK ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE by John Calvin For centuries, disciples young and old have turned to this book for guidance in the Christian life. Today, it remains unique in its clear exposition of God s calling for Christians to pursue holiness, endure suffering, and fulfill their callings. This is a book for every Christian to pick up, read, and apply. Grace to You RADIO gty.org/radio The Battle for the Beginning 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 Reality of Resurrection, Part 1 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 All audio is available for free listening or downloading. TODAY

4 An Ordinary Church Membership Ministry FEATURE We re not trying to be fancy or sophisticated; we re not interested in all the bells and whistles. We re merely seeking to be the kind of church that the Word of God calls us to be a church that loves Jesus Christ, submits to the Bible, upholds sound doctrine, and pursues holiness, humility, and loving each other sacrificially. But just because we are a simple church, doesn t mean that we re not serious about church. In Scripture, we read about an ordinary church that is devoted, committed, and relentlessly faithful. At the beginning of the year our pastor preached a series called The Ordinary Church. In his opening sermon he said, The church is where you live and move and have your being. It s where you live, it s where you love, it s where you learn, it s where you worship, it s where you serve. The church is your life. It is your breath; it is your blood. Last month, it was our joy to welcome another group of new members who have decided to make Grace Church their church family. As they, and we, continue to grow in being more devoted to our church, making it our life and love, we will find ordinary, yet profound blessings that come from doing so. Following are a just a few. Loving Accountability. God wants you to have close Christian friends to help you live for Him. When you re alone, it s often the most difficult time spiritually, and you fall into the greatest sin. Being a part of the church means that you have brothers and sisters in Christ who can help you fight off sin and hold you accountable for holiness. Exemplary Leadership. At this church, we are blessed with godly spiritual leaders to help guide our lives. By their example of spiritual maturity, we learn what it means to grow in Christlikeness. These leaders are also there to counsel us and guide us through difficult life decisions and trials. Biblical Preaching. The Word of God sanctifies (John 17:17). Putting ourselves under the regular preaching of God s Word exposes our sin and instructs us on how to grow in Christlikeness. Every Christian needs a steady diet of spiritual nourishment if they are going to grow spiritually (1 Peter 2:1 3). Effective Evangelism. Evangelism is tough. We are often too afraid or too lazy to proclaim the gospel, and being alone amplifies these negative feelings toward evangelism. But evangelizing alongside other Christians emboldens us when we are fearful and spurs us on when we are lazy. In addition, our testimony is enhanced as the outside world watches our loving interaction with one another (John 13:35). We are blessed to be at an ordinary church with these ordinary blessings. God, in His wisdom, saved us to be part of a family where we can grow in loving and worshipping our Father together. To learn more about becoming part of the Grace Church family, stop by the Member Center after any Sunday service.

5 New Members The following new members received the Right Hand of Fellowship in MARCH. John & Janine Anderson Ray Arganosa Elizabeth Bailey Forrest & Ursula Berry Jonathan Burke Daisy Canales José & Alicia Carulli Ethan Cherry Raul & Susan Corona Hannah Elliot Tom Farrell Alexi Flynn Gerson & Irene Galdamez Hossein Golizadeh Nima Golizadeh Angela Gomez Jessica Grahek Richard & Marianne Grey Abigail Gunning Cassidy Hall Parol Harrell Wade Hart Kimberly Humphrey Mijo Hwang Claudina Soriano Max Ignacio Marty Stein Luis & Miurell Iraheta Sheila Stevens Ruth Jacobo Francine Grace Tan Jenny Julian Rhiannon Telles Grace Julian David Wong Kaylee Julian Ryan & Stacy Zamroz Odette Kahwajian Peter & Esther Kim Susan Kim Masoomeh Moradipour Alexandra Morales Katherine Morsch Isaias & Danielle Munoz Jerry & Barbara Newbold Humberto Ojeda Nick Rivera Christi Rose Dennis & Linda Russell Joseph Russell Stephen Russell Charles & Shelley-Ann SanFilippo Mary Jane Silva NEW MEMBERS

6 Men s Conference Running the Race: Exploring the Doctrine of Sanctification Saturday, April 29 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Worship Center Speakers: John MacArthur & Jack Hughes Cost: $20 (includes breakfast and lunch) Register on the patio this morning or at gracechurch.org/men. Grace Around the World Christian & Sheryl Andresen Serving in Germany since 1997 Prayer / Praise Pray for the Reformation conference in Wittenberg (May 17 21). The conference will not only be a historic event, but also a proclamation of the gospel. Pray for the European Bible Training Center leadership as we launch a Master of Divinity program that will start this August with about fifteen students from all over Europe. HIGHLIGHTS Faith Promise Last week you generously gave $13,081. Thank you for your ongoing support of our missionaries and their ministries around the world. Local Outreach Spotlight Outreach Resource Table The Outreach Resource Table, located on GraceWalk, provides evangelistic tools to Grace Church members at no cost. Audio CDs of Pastor John s evangelistic sermons are available in 26 different languages, along with Bibles, New Testaments, evangelism books, and tracts in various languages. For more information call

7 Logos Institute Colossians & Philemon April 24 May 22 (Mondays) 6:00 7:30pm Instructor: Eric Dodson Cost: $25 Discipleship Counseling 3 April 26 July 5 (Wednesdays) 6:30 8:30 p.m. Instructors: Bill Shannon and George Sanders Cost: $75 1 Samuel April 27 May 25 (Thursdays) 6:00 7:30 p.m. Instructor: Jay Lennington Cost: $25 For more information or to register, visit gracechurch.org/logos. Job Opportunity Web Programmer. Grace to You is looking for a full-stack developer with experience on the Microsoft.Net platform. Must have experience with C#, MVC, MSSQL, JavaScript, HTML5, and related technologies. Familiarity with.net Core is a plus. This individual must give close attention to details, communicate effectively, and work well both independently and within a small team. For an application, please contact Gabriel Powell at , or gpowell@gty.org. With the Lord Wayne Beaty recently went to be with the Lord. Please remember his family in your prayers. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. Psalm 116:15 Russian Outreach Bible Study Today 12:30 2:30 p.m. H If you speak or understand Russian, know someone who does, or have a heart to see Russian-speaking people saved, please visit one of our Sunday afternoon meetings. Join us on the fourth Sunday of each month as we pray about how to reach the Russian community in Los Angeles with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unequally Yoked Tuesday, April 25 Bible study primarily for women married to unbelieving husbands. For information, call PSP Now Partnering with The Master s University Multiple three-unit, sixteen-week courses from TMU s Online Dual Enrollment Program are now available to eleventh- and twelfth-grade PSP students for the school year. These online classes satisfy both high school and college requirements, and some TMU general education requirements. For more information, visit faithpsp.org or contact Julie at or julies@faithpsp.org. Used Curriculum Sale Saturday, June 17 10:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Family Center Seller registration is now open. For information, call Marina at ANNOUNCEMENTS

8 SUNDAY FELLOWSHIPS 8:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 10:30 10:30 a.m. a.m. 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 (Singles & young families) 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 CC130E Pastor: Rick McLean Spanish Adult Sunday School H Teachers: Josiah Grauman, José Soria Spanish Worship Service Chapel Pastors: Henry Tolopilo, Michael Mahoney Children s Sunday School Special needs class available 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 Pastors: Rich Gregory, Carlos Chung Developmentally Disabled CC130E 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 5:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. Neighborhood Outreach T273 5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Sunday Night Prayer Group T385 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 Fridays 7:30 p.m. 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.