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Good morning. In the message of Suday morning we were reminded of how important love is as we persevere. Talking of love Paul writes: "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:7) Love overcomes all things. In Jude 1:3 Jude urges us to contend for the faith. We were reminded that as we persevere in our Christian walk, we need to contend for: • Community - church, the body of Christ, is a healing community. • Relationships - love is the glue in relationships. Love overcomes all things. • Those who can't. There are so many folk battling with depression and anxiety. Life seems almost too much for them to bear. Let God use you as you contend for those who can't. "To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:29) Have a blessed day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. What a good message we were given by Colette Meyer yesterday. "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4) and "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12) From these verses in James we are reminded that: • Hardship is seasonal - James 1:12 • God is faithful - James 1:3-4 • God has a purpose for each 1 of us. We draw encouragement from this to face our present circumstances while knowing we have a promise of a future crown. Have a super Monday. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) Not only has He made today, He sustains us by giving us all we need for a godly life. This is what Peter has to say on the subject: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3‭, ‬5‭-‬8) So, today, let's take heed to what Paul says in Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Have a good day worshipping Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. During the lockdown period one of the things that takes strain is our relationships. Our lives are full of different kinds of relationships. We have husbands, wives, children, friends, co-workers, and extended family members. And because no one is perfect, there will be different degrees of strain that we experience when interacting with people. Even though some relationships are more difficult to navigate than others, we can do our part in treating others with respect and honor. Today let's put Paul's words into practice. "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10) Gave a good day with your family and friends. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We find it easy to place our hope and trust in money and possessions. Somehow trusting in God’s provision over our lives just isn't that easy. We can see and feel money and somehow feel comforted but the peace it provides is temporary. Placing our hope in something that can be gone tomorrow sets us up for disappointment. The older we have become, the easier we have found it to lean on God and trust Him for His provision for now and eternity. He has not disappointed. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."(Ephesians 3:20) "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) "How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you." (Psalm 31:19) We have an amazing testimony of God's on-going provision for us. If you haven't already put your trust in God for His on-going provision, join us in putting your trust and hope in Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. At some point in our lives, we’ll go through some kind of ailment that drives us to ask God to heal us. Right now we are living through a pandemic and we are reminded on a daily basis just how fragile life is. At times our thoughts run riot with us, don’t they? No matter how hard we try, it seems that our thoughts manage us instead of us managing them. It is important to find a way to gain some control over our thoughts, because our thoughts determine what we say and do. We can hang on to the hope we find in Scripture. Let’s allow God’s Word to permeate our minds so that we can live in victory. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you literally have nothing left. Your faith is depleted, your doubts are overwhelming you, you’re fearful about the future, and to make matters worse, you’re beginning to doubt God. You’ve got nothing left to offer others and certainly nothing left for yourself. The good news is that God’s Word is the perfect place to be built back up again. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:28‭-‬31) "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) Have a great day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Even with the joy of eternity in our future, the current stresses and worries in this world can often sidetrack us and keep our eyes on what’s happening in the here and now. Paul reminds us that what we are going through is temporary and will fade into insignificance when seen in the light of eternity when he writes: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17) Paul proceeds to give us the "how" when he says: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18) One of the most popular Christian hymns is Amazing Grace. The final verse of the hymn says: "When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first begun." That's absolutely mind-boggling! What’s happening in the here and now is just a small portion in our lives that won’t even be noticeable once we’re 10,000 years into our eternity. Let’s adjust our sights from earth’s struggles to the hope of heaven for when we do, all else will pale in comparison to what God has in store for those of us who call Him our Lord. God bless you. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. I, Mike, am excited and at the same time challenged by the building work taking place at GraceCov. Excited because we are demonstrating that our response to God's call and commission is not determined by circumstances. Why do we need to build when Covid-19 has determined that we must seat fewer people in our meetings? Because we are obedient to the call to make disciples of of all nations, including here at home. We are preparing for the expansion of the Kingdom that will be coming, while adhering to government regulations. I'm challenged by what Nehemiah called a "great project" (Nehemiah 6:3). When we see what still needs to be done in the next 5 weeks, how will we get it done? God did it in Nehemiah's time. We have both seen and experienced God doing it in and for GraceCov in the past. In Nehemiah chapter 3 we read of at least 40 individuals or groups of individuals building next to each other - shoulder to shoulder as it were. For us the challenge is, will we stand shoulder to shoulder and do our part to see the building extension to completion? When people were trying to distract Nehemiah from the task at hand, his response was: "so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3) We must remain focused and not become distracted. Have a good start to the week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We are excited about getting together with other followers of Jesus Christ this morning. Why are we excited? Well, we will worship the King of kings, the Lord of Lords. His name is Jesus. As for the followers of Christ: "We are the people of the Lord We're a holy nation A chosen generation Called to show forth His praise We are the people of the Lord We're a holy nation Believers in Jesus Lifting up our voices to the Lord" (Based on 1 Peter 2:9) Below is a link to a song to set the tone for our worship today. Have a great day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne https://youtu.be/3fhFTn0CORU

Good morning. We trust you are well this fine morning. The song by Robert Gay, "Sing to God" sets the tone for us as we go into the weekend. "Sing to God sing praise to His name Extol Him who rides on the clouds Clap your hands and shout with joy To the God of all creation To the God of our salvation" This song is based on Psalm 68:4 which says: "Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds ; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord." If you are reading this post, you have so much to be thankful for. • You are loved by God, family and friends • He has brought you through another week • He has placed you in family • He gives you hope for the future • He cares for you Let's go into the weekend with a spring in our step, praising God and giving thanks to Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning to you. Paul pleaded with God to remove the thorn in his flesh. And each time God told him, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We all face challenges in life. Regardless of the circumstances we are facing, we have to learn how to walk through them. We have to rely on God’s help, because, like Paul, we can't do it on our own. We need God’s strength. So, when we’re facing a trial where we have our own “thorn in the flesh,” we can derive strength by admitting we can’t do it on our own and by calling out to God. As we navigate the circumstances of life it’s an opportunity for our faith to be proven genuine, as Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:7. It’s an opportunity for God’s strength to strengthen us so that we will be “perfect and complete, not lacking anything. ” (James 1:4). Have a super day, knowing God is in control. Blessings. Mike and Daphne