GCV Blog

Thou readest the heart, viewest principles and motives of actions, seest more defilement in my duties than I ever saw in any of my sins. The heavens are not clean in thy sight, and thou chargest the angels with folly; I am ready to flee from myself because of my abominations;

James 1:27 directly commends care for widows and orphans as the prototypical examples of true religion. Adoption goes beyond orphan care, as important as that is, to providing a lasting family that children so desperately need. God has designed the family, and He also uses adoption as an object lesson for what it means to become a Christian. Because of these principles, we are committed to helping families adopt. Financial assistance is a need for most families pursuing adoption, and so we have just established a James 127 adoption fund as an official part of our church budget. If you’ve been looking for a way to obey James 1:27, the elders want you to know about this ongoing financial opportunity.

March 23 1744 In London, composer George Frederic Handel's famous oratorio "Messiah" was performed for the first time. 1877 Mormon fanatic John Doyle Lee was executed by a firing squad for masterminding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. In 1857, a wagon train of 127 Arkansas Methodist emigrants, bound for California, were killed by a party of Mormon settlers and Paiute Indians at Mountain Meadows (near Cedar City), Utah.

“I hope it rains today.” “I hope I do well on this test.” “We’re hoping the results come back negative.” From the trivial to the most profound longings, hope colors every facet of all of our lives. Whether you think about it or not, hope is an attitude that anchors much of your life. When you lose hope you lose your grip on life. Beyond just wishful thinking, hope informs the foundation of our dreams and expectations. That hope is challenged by our circumstances, however, and most particularly by our suffering.

Do you get disappointed? A lot? Does it seem like no one, from your spouse to the electrician, can keep a promise to you? That no matter how much you lower your expectations, life can still do the limbo even lower? You’re in good company if your hopes are constantly being dashed. Along with the rest of humanity, you are experiencing the inevitable result of living in a fallen world. Besides a world that is entirely incapable of giving us what we long for most, we also tend to stake our hope in shifting sand. For that too, there is good news.

Looking Ahead As we move into February, here are some reminders of ministry events for you to take part in, be blessed by, and be a blessing at. Sunday morning is not our only chance to learn together, encourage each other, and do the work of the ministry. Far from just making busy calendars busier, we pray these ministry opportunities help us pursue our goal of glorifying God through equipping, worship, and outreach.

There is no shortage of books on parenting. Additionally, you can find “Gospel centered” anything on the Christian book market. Neither of those realities should keep you from reading Ed Moll and Tim Chester’s Gospel-Centered Family. I highly recommend this book because it is readable, practical, and most importantly driven by biblical principle.

As another Thanksgiving season has come and gone, I’ve asked myself again about the state of my thankfulness. Thankfulness is not a calendared activity, but every Thanksgiving is a valid opportunity to reflect on the condition of my soul. A Gospel-saturated heart necessarily leads to a thankful heart. When the Word of God dwells in us richly, we inevitably give thanks liberally. If I know the powerful works of God, I cannot help but return words of thanks.

With all the strategies for church growth swirling around in our world, Charles Spurgeon helps us see clearly both what truth church growth is and how it happens.

Joining Grace of the Valley Church on November 17, 2013 was an Amazing God Day.