TIM SALESKA, “THE GOSPEL-CENTERED CHRISTIAN”
Faith is a gift of God, not something a person can be reasoned into
Most Christians would agree that the Gospel, the good news about Jesus, is the saving message in the Bible. But if we were to look at how our acceptance of this truth actually influences the way we interpret the Scriptures, or the way we preach and witness, or the way we deal with cultural issues and people outside of the faith, we would soon see our agreement fading.
So, while everyone might agree about the importance of the Gospel as the saving message of the Bible, not everyone agrees with how this belief should be embodied in the various practices of our faith. This raises a lot of questions. For my purposes here, two of them are important, “How do Lutherans understand the relationship between the Gospel and Scripture?” and, “How does our understanding influence our preaching and teaching and our lives together?” These are big questions, and in this paper, I can only start to address them. Though there are any number of directions that my argument could take, I am going to argue specifically that Lutherans have always and should continue to walk a middle road between two ditches into which it is easy to fall. The middle-of-the-road approach for which I am advocating is what I will call a “Gospel–centered approach.” The ditches to be avoided are a so-called Gospel-reductionist approach on the one side and a so-called Biblicist approach on the other
Read the rest in the PDF below.
Free To Live - God's Varied Grace
Today we see that as stewards of “God’s Varied Grace” (1 Peter 4:10), we put the gifts that he has given us in Christ Jesus to work in his kingdom.
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
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Cameron Taylor Birtwell-Sloan Memorial Photos
October 19th
11AM
Join us Friday October 19th at 11am
To remember Cameron Birtwell-Sloan
She is Susan Becker’s Grand daughter.
Kimberly’ Daughter
and Cassie’s younger Sister.
Free To Live - God's Grace
Today we see that although we have nothing to give in exchange for our salvation, God, in his grace, sets us free through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now we have much to give—all of the riches of God’s grace to share with others in Jesus’ name.
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Backpack Packing
Backpack is a service to the community where we provide food for children who are food insecure during the weekends.
Backpack is a service to the community where we provide food for children who are food insecure during the weekends.
Misquoted - Poor Will Always Be With you
John 12:8 — Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
“John 12:8 — Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.””
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Escher Open House
Sunday 3PM - 7PM
Pastor Cris and Coli are finally in their new home and would love to invite you in! Feel free to drop by for their Open House today between 3pm and 7pm.
Their address is
Misquoted - Love of Money and Evil
1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.”
Money has a way of controlling us. However, Jesus has given us life that is truly life.
“1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.”
Money has a way of controlling us. However, Jesus has given us life that is truly life.”
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - Heavenly Armor
“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” The Lord has brought us into His unity, and now we put on His strength and His armor to not fight in flesh and blood but against all forms of evil which desire to divide.
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - Submit Humbly to One Another
“Submit humbly to one another out of reverence for Christ.” With all the language we as modern Christians have gotten stuck on in the Bible, Paul’s “submit” has to be at the top. However, we understand this as mutually serving each other.
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - Awake
We no longer emulate the ways of the Gentiles, put aside all of our dark ways. The things we do and think and say which we hope never sees the light of day. The empty words we listen, telling us stay asleep, stay in the dark. The Light of the world has come and we all sing in unity “Awake Oh Sleeper, Arise from the dead, Christ will shine on you.”
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - Under New Management
Paul sits in prison and has told the church of all the amazing things which God has done to bring us all together. Now he switches gears and tells us how we can make an effort to maintain the unity in the Spirit.
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - Effort to Maintain Unity
Paul sits in prison and has told the church of all the amazing things which God has done to bring us all together. Now he switches gears and tells us how we can make an effort to maintain the unity in the Spirit.
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - Go to the Ephesian
Paul sits in prison. He is happily sitting in chains because he openly welcomed the outsider Ephesians inside. The question for us: how would we react if he was to bring the outsiders into our midst?
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
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What Had happened at Grace this week.
Insiders - The Temple God Builds
We love the grace of God. But what does grace actually mean? It means that no matter the names we call people or the barriers we put up between them, God saves them and us by his action.
“Paul is encouraging us, saying through Jesus, the promise of Abraham, has come true, that those who were once outsiders are now insiders; those who were lost are now found. “A plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 ”
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Let’s celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary together with good food, good friends, and good fun!