Connecting a community of young adults, igniting their faith, changing their world. --- We meet 1st and 3rd Fridays at 7 pm. --- "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." - Romans 12:2
That is right, our second annual formal will be happening in just ELEVEN DAYS! Aaah! It’s going to be a lot of fun, we’re really excited for you to join us. The details are in the image above ^^ and if you have any questions, definitely send us an email. You can rsvp to our event on fb here.
Tickets are on sale now but they won’t be for much longer - you have a week left to purchase yours. We can take cash or check, see us before or after service this friday to buy one. You definitely won’t want to miss this!
ANNOUNCEMENT | More Than This - TWO DAYS REMAINING
"More Than This" is this Friday night May 5th at 7 PM! We are excited to really challenge what the world offers and show our loved ones and friends that with Jesus there really is more than this world has to offer.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10
"More Than This" is this Friday night May 5th at 7 PM! We are excited to really challenge what the world offers and show our loved ones and friends that with Jesus there really is more than this world has to offer. -- "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24
"More Than This" is this Friday night May 5th at 7 PM @ Jupiter Hall in Lucky Strike! We are excited to really challenge what the world offers and show our loved ones and friends that with Jesus there really is more than this world has to offer.
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
As we mentioned last night, on Friday the 21st we’re having an open mic night! A whole bunch of people from the Twelve 2 are going to be showcasing their different talents, including some singing, dancing, and rapping. It’s going to be a ton of fun and you definitely don’t want to miss it! This will be taking the place of our regular 3rd friday service, but it’s at the usual time and location. Hope to see you all there!
Happy monday, and happy April! This week is the first friday of the month, and you know what that means...we’ll be meeting! It’s been a long (and rainy!) few weeks since we last met, so get ready for a great time. But the fun doesn’t stop there - we have plenty of other exciting things happening over the next month! In case you haven’t heard yet, here’s a little information about it all:
Friday, April 7th: As I mentioned, it’s the first friday! We’ll be meeting in the student center of GF as usual.
Sunday, April 9th: Palm Sunday. The usual weekend services will be happening at Grace.
Friday, April 14th: Good Friday. Grace Latham is doing a special Good Friday service this year at 7 pm in the main sanctuary. It’s going to be awesome; I’ll be going, and I hope to see you there too!
Sunday, April 16th: Easter Sunday. There will be three sunday services you can pick from this week, at 8:30, 10, and 11:30 am, as well as the usual 5 pm saturday evening service. It’s amazing every year, so come join us to celebrate the resurrection!
Friday, April 21st: Open Mic Night! This is a special event we’ll be putting on at 7 pm in the student center. A bunch of people from the Twelve 2 will be performing and sharing their talents, so it’s sure to be a great time!
Friday, April 28th: Prayer Night. We’re hosting a special night of prayer at 7 pm in preparation for the big event the following week. More details to come.
Friday, May 5th: More Than This! This is the big event we’ve been preparing for over the last couple months! You’ve heard it announced a few times at the twelve 2 - this is our outreach night at the concert hall of Lucky Strike in Crossgates. We hope that you all can make it, and our goal is that everyone brings 2 people who don’t regularly attend church! It’s going to be an amazing night of worship and prayer and really connecting with God, so you definitely don’t want to miss this! We’ll be posting more specific information soon, so stay tuned.
Doesn’t this month sound exciting? Mark these dates in your planners, phones, calendars, wherever you’ll see them so you don’t miss out on all the fun times we’ll be having! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to message us here, through facebook, or email us. In the meantime, have a fabulous week and we’ll see you friday!
Xx
* More information regarding Grace Fellowship and weekend services can be found online at gracefellowship.com.
Halftime, down by ten and our morale was even lower. Our basketball team was hurting in the season and I knew this game was crucial in both our mentality for tonight and future games. As a leader of the team I could feel the unction and pressure to speak in order to uplift my teammates’ mood, which is a crucial component in any sport. Inside me, my emotions were a thrill of excitement and passion, inspiration and hope. But I was also too aware of the fear of what others would think if I stepped into this role. The role of boldness which always attracts attention. And attention on myself was something I did not want. Not even remotely; every time attention came, so did criticism. And I had had enough criticism. Then came the moments of silence that would have granted encouragement and hope to be spread; I remained silent. Spoke nothing, but felt everything. We lost. I lost something more.
People lose something in their being when passion meets opportunity but their mind gives way to uncertainty. Their choice to give in to fear becomes a foundation for confinement of personality, with our lack of boldness we dictate how the world sees us by how we see our self. Thankfully, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. The freedom that comes with the redemption of Christ isn’t just a freedom of our sins, but the freedom of our past selves. Where fear and isolation once ruled, both courage and love replaces. These two substances are instrumental keys to living a confident and an enjoyable life. A life where you like being you.
The courage given by Jesus is not an earthly one, but heavenly. The courage of the world looks like confidence in a dire situation and stepping out to prevail against immense odds. Although this is true in some aspects of heavenly courage, it is not the pinnacle of it. The highest realm of heavenly courage reveals itself as righteousness. In this realm, the life of a believer looks like one who lives free of sin, not just in their actions but in their thoughts as well. They do not think in terms of shame or condemnation but have been freed from the weight of worry that they may do wrong. Let me show you this truth in the following passages. Romans 6:18 reads, “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness,” and later in 1 John 3:9, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” These scriptures are incredibly crucial to life as a Christian because of the truth that lies in them. This truth is that we are new creations. Many people in the faith actually do not see their self as being a new creation, or maybe they do, but they believe like they don’t. You can tell because they will innately believe that they are more prone to do wrong than right. To sin, rather than to live righteously. If this were true, then what has Christ set you free from? Freedom always comes as an intermediary unto a greater truth. You were freed from sin to be able to love with the love of God. To have God living in you, through you, and with you. So how does this freedom bring courage? Simply, we will never be courageous of something we are uncertain of. When you become certain of God making you righteous, you will live in joy that your life is good and becoming even better.
Now, love. I am glad to have set the foundation of freedom for love to be known more. Now that we see the power of freedom and courage, we can be entirely, completely filled with the love of God. The most powerful miracles of Jesus and the Father are seen in the radical love God has for us. Take a moment to think about this. God who created everything and has endless power does miracles. Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. For man to do this it is extraordinary, but for God to do it it is completely normal. Even logical. But for God, who is right about everything He does, and while in every life of every human we do wrong, He chose us. He chose to chase us down in love, a radical love that turns the stones of hatred away from the prostitute even caught in the midst of her sin. He chose rather than being right and saying I condemn you, even though she deserved it, I love you. I do not cast judgement but I am here to die for every action of evil and disgust you have done. He knows us. He knows all that we have done in our life, yet instead of making it impossible to come to Him, He chases us down! And with a sacrificial heart that would rather take our pain than to have us receive our consequences. This is greater than a healing. Greater than the dead raised. This doesn’t speak of what God can do, He speaks of what God wants to do. It unveils why God chooses what He does. He isn’t ashamed of you. He isn’t disapproving of you. He actually believes in you more than you do of yourself. He realizes your real potential and has decided to pay His life for the possibility of you realizing the greatness of your own. God loves you and He has chosen you.
God isn’t afraid of you and He isn’t worried about what the real you is like. In fact, he delights in it. You becoming comfortable in your own skin is when Christ is revealed in you the most. You actually become a living expression of God’s joy, His love, His quirkiness. Here are a few tells of thoughts and actions that hold the real you back:
• You have something to say, but you remain quiet; you hold it in.
- The real you has a voice but is afraid of what others will think when you speak. The painful truth is that when you hold out, people don’t get to experience the beauty that lies in yourself.
• You have a hard time having fun.
- I have observed that usually the people who can laugh and enjoy life the most are also the most comfortable with their self. Laughter is the key to living free of stress and anxiety and the ability to enjoy your life brings freedom from worry.
• You don’t take risks and step beyond your own boundaries.
- Life always presents opportunities to challenge yourself and it is always in the face of adversity that becomes the furnace to mold and change us. When you step up and into these moments, I believe and have found that you can actually meet the requirements or expectations. Transformation never comes to a stagnant person, but someone who challenges to status quo (always with respect).
Lastly, let me leave you with some tools I’ve found helpful in my own journey of being able to be free, enjoy they daily life, and be able to express my heart when I feel it being tugged.
When there presents itself a moment for me to share my thoughts, ideas, or what I feel God is doing, I step out and take the risk. Risk always invites the possibility of failure, but it also gives way to wisdom becoming a foundation in our life. If you are afraid to fail, you will never succeed. Step out. Fail. Keep going. You’re doing great!
I’m not worried about the future. Being vulnerable and transparent. At the current moment of writing this, I am unemployed, have no degree (at least a state certified one), and have no job. Although this doesn’t look like success to the world, it doesn’t concern me. If I can’t enjoy my life today, where it is right now, chances are that I won’t enjoy it when it is someone that I want it to be. Relax, enjoy today and have hope for tomorrow.
I don’t care. This one may sound funny, and in the wrong context, offensive. Naturally, I am very, VERY aware of those around me. Probably a little too much at times. But I’ve realized that the more I care about the opinions of others, the less I will hear the opinion of my Father. Now, not caring doesn’t mean I don’t have compassion or contain a heart for emotion. It simply states at this moment I do not care for your opinion. The more you care for the approval of man the more you will be controlled by them. And controlled people cannot love well; usually they will manipulate instead. My tool here is thinking the words, “I don’t care.” I’ve found a lot of freedom doing this from the fear of man. It really has given more freedom to love people well. But remember, don’t shut off your feelings or emotions or it will become unnatural and you will become foolish instead of wise. Trust me, been there, done that.
Below is a song that I hope will bring freedom and peace into your heart and soul.
BLOG ENTRY | Relationship Panel: Dealing with Rejection
By Adrien Ong
Q: If we believe God determines our value, why do we fear or negatively feel about rejection?
A: We naturally fear failure and rejection. We constantly live in a society where some people are driven by the appreciation and approval of others. While things are positive, it boosts your self esteem and confidence, but what happens when you encounter people who say hurtful things and cut you down?
Do you really believe in your identity in Christ? Don’t let what others think or say about you, especially non-believers, determine your worth. Christ calls you his beloved and has plans for you to prosper.
Solidify your identity in Christ. Seek a deeper relationship with him and see yourself the way he sees you. Don't let the fear of rejection hold you back from pursuing a spouse. If you never build the courage to ask, you place yourself in a position of dread and anxiety, not knowing and questioning “what if.” Take the opportunity to let the other person know how you feel and that you're interested in them. Be honest before God and to yourself.
If you're rejected, trust in the Lord’s timing and learn from the experience what he is trying to teach you. Dive in and seek comfort in his promises and the people he has surrounded you with who speak life into your situation.
BLOG ENTRY | Relationship Panel: Rapid-fire with the Nelsons
By Fareed Haddad and Doug and Bev Nelson
Fareed: How long do you date someone before marrying them? Is 6 months too soon? 1 year?
Doug and Bev: Although it will vary from couple to couple, we recommend at least a year to go through the 4 seasons taking the time to really get to know one another on a deeper level so as to get beyond mere infatuation.
FH: What about getting married to avoid falling into sexual temptation?
D&B: Getting married is all about being exclusively faithful in every way to your spouse, but marriage in itself will not end 'sexual temptation'. Paul offers this counsel regarding finding victory over temptation:
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Making and keeping a vow not to look lustfully at anyone is a good vow to make whether single or married. Job has set the bar high for everyone. “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” (Job 31:1)
FH: Is it practical or realistic that elders/mentors/etc. would be able to guide you to a possible relationship?
D&B: The New Testament does not set this forth as a responsibility of the Elders of the Church. However, Elders and other older spiritually mature mentors can certainly serve as a source of wisdom and biblical knowledge to help locate scriptures that can give guidance when it comes to selecting a marriage partner. Consider these scriptures:
“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’" (1 Peter 5:5)
“Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live...then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.” (Tit 2:3-6)
“I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14)
FH: If so, why don't the elders/mentors of the church help lead and breathe wisdom into younger relationships?
D&B: Grace Fellowship offers pre-engagement and premarital counseling which we highly recommend for couples who attend Grace.
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.”
Psalm 86:5
Love does not live in the inanimate
You can't see it through your eyes
I may love a color or scent;
But it is a spiritual journey to...
Love someone in a special way
Love does not live inside a smartphone
You can't download it into your heart
I may love a game or a song;
But it is a lifelong journey to...
Love yourself in the present
Love does not rely on a like
You can't click from your fingers
I may love a picture or video;
But it is an inward journey to...
Hear I love you in someone's voice
Love does not have fences
You can't close your mind
I may love my race or hometown;
But it is an outward journey to...
Love the diversity of others
Love does not lie in our hearts alone
You can't just beat for you
I may love myself or I;
But it is an important journey to...
Love Jesus with great friends
Love is not just a pin on a map
You can shoot it across the sky
I may have been to D.C or NYC;
But it is not about the place
Let love fly across many oceans
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:7
Check out this powerful song that reminds us that when our fear and stress is piling up to let God come in, take it from us, and take control of our burdens and restless hearts.
United Pursuit, “Let You Go”
We have sought the truth when we've felt the pain
Even wandered beyond our faith in the name
We cannot pretend we are always ok
We cannot depend on fast food grace
Help me let You go
Help me give up control
of the god i have made you
when my fear has contained you
when the way is unclear and the answers illusive
He is different by far than our broken conclusions
You are not the god my pain has conceived
You are deeper and stronger than my eyes can see
You are with us now
You have always been
When we're found without
You're found within
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”
Proverbs 16:33
So often in life there are so many unknowns, and with those unknowns comes fear, worry, and doubt. Awhile back I was waiting to find out where I would be spending the next four years of my life. If I was like most of the other Medical students I know, I should have been very worried about wondering if I got my first choice or not, but for some reason God blessed me with such peace about my future. See, the world will try to convince you that everything in your future solely relies on chance and you performing well. My prayer tonight is that you realize if you have a personal relationship with Jesus, no test or score, no boss or teacher, no interview or first impression, no amount of luck, no amount of money has the power to determine your future. Nothing can take away the plans Jesus has for you and nothing can remove the purpose he has placed on your life. Your destiny and your destination in life are ultimately in God’s hands. And honestly looking at my life there are no other hands I would want to trust my life in.
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