May 27, 2010 Grace Lutheran Church 6931 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (714) 899-1700 contactus@GraceHB.org WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND:Worship - Sunday 8:30 am, 10:30 am; Wednesday 11 am Children's Sunday School - 8:30 am & 10:30 am Middle School [6th-8th Grade] - Sunday 10:30 am High School [9th-12th Grade] - Sunday 5:30 pm Adult Bible Study Classes - Sunday 10:15 am
 The Transforming Friendship
with Members of the Trinity
[ 1 John 1:3, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 John 3:24]
“Our fellowship is with the Father… he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord… And we know he lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.”
“To meditate on the three Persons of the Godhead is to walk in thought through the garden eastward in Eden and to tread on holy ground.”
- A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy (p.17)
We confess that we believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One word for believing is receiving. We receive by embracing the one who embraces us (Romans 12:2). We receive Jesus by inviting Him into our lives (Revelation 3:20; John 1:12). The resurrected Jesus speaks to the disciples and to us, "Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). In the book of Acts being filled with the Spirit is used interchangeably with receiving the Holy Spirit.
Receiving (Greek, lambano) means to take with both hands. We are not passive. Luke writes. “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13). We may receive the Holy Spirit intentionally with the laying on of hands so we actually remember the time when we did this and what we experienced (Galatians 3:1-5). We receive the Father's love by submitting like Jesus did. Jesus only did what the Father told him to do (John 5:19). Submission is “abandoning outcomes to God” (Dallas Willard’s definition).
The members of the Trinity form the first Life Group (hint—you can be like The Trinity by participating in a Life Group at Grace). William Gaultiere writes in his Soul Shepherding article, Worship: Living In and Like the Trinity, “Consider the other-centered way that members of the Godhead relate to each other: Father, Son, and Spirit take turns shining the spotlight on one another. The Father and Jesus send us the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit calls out in our hearts, 'Papa Father!' and 'Jesus is Lord.' Back and forth they love and praise one another. The Father thunders from heaven, 'Jesus is my beloved son and in him I am well pleased' and the Spirit lights on him in the form of a dove. And Jesus replies that the Father is the greatest and warns us never to speak a word against the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit pours the love of the Father into our hearts (Romans 5:5).
Prayer Exercise: Try praying “Father”...“Jesus”...“Holy Spirit”. Wait a few minutes after naming each person of the Trinity. Expect each member to love you and manifest God’s presence.
See you Sunday,
Joe Johnson, Community Life Pastor Click here to listen, watch, or download archived sermon messages. Click here to subscribe to our sermon message podcast on iTunes.
Budget Cottage Meetings
 THIS SUNDAY, May 30, Grace LibraryIf you have any questions regarding the upcoming 2010/2011 budget, you're invited to a meeting between services or after 2nd service to answer your questions. CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Business & Budget Meeting
June 6 from 9:45am-10:30am (between services) in Sanctuary.
Copies of the budget are available in the church lobby. Vision Casting, ELCA Update & BBQJune 6 from 12:00pm-1:00pm in Hope Hall.
Special Missions Offering This Weekend
As part of Grace Lutheran Church's long standing commitment to mission to reach out in response to Christ's command, "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), Grace has dedicated offerings to support special mission projects every 5th Sunday and at various times throughout the year.
This Sunday, May 30, we will take a second offering to support 3 mission projects.
1) While in Belize our team will do a service project that will be determined by the funds they raise. As an example, the team that went from Grace 2 years ago repaired a house that had blown off of its foundation 2 years earlier in a hurricane. It was sitting in mud and was uninhabitable. Our team rented a winch and purchased concrete, lumber and paint. They then raised the house and secured it to its new foundation, rebuilt the entire front porch, repaired holes in the walls and helped with cleaning and painting. The house was ready for its owner when the team left.
2) Jen Powell will be going to the Middle East from June 14-July 19 with a team. "I feel strongly that this is a calling from the Lord that He has made clear through the affirmation of His word, specific situations, and people in my life." She will assist a long-term missionary family in the ministry they are currently doing. Jen was confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church, attended Grace Lutheran School, and has worked at Grace Lutheran School.
3) One third of the funds raised will scholarship a short-term mission trip in the future If God is tapping you on your shoulder and calling you to serve on a short term mission trip, Grace would like to hear from you.
Contact Elizabeth SanFilippo [714-965-0774 or RussellSanFilipp@aol.com] for the Reaching Out Team's consideration.
"Hunger Doesn't Take A Vacation" MAY FOOD DRIVE
Bring your bags full of groceries for the hungry this Sunday to help fill our food pantry for the summer.
 We are collecting non-perishable goods in the Grace shopping cart at the entrance to the Sanctuary throughout the month of May. CLICK HERE for list of suggested items. Please place donations in the shopping cart in the sanctuary lobby.
All donations will benefit the hungry served daily through the Grace Food Pantry, as well as Lutheran Social Services and Miracle Ranch Children Orphanage in Mexico.
MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Our food drive lasts one month but hunger goes on all year. We welcome your donations any time of the year. The shopping cart in the lobby is always available for your donations.
ELCA Update
Bishop Murray Finck recently visited Grace to discuss recent events in the ELCA, especially in regards to the Human Sexuality Social Statement. CLICK HERE to listen to an MP3 recording from our time together. CLICK HERE to visit our ELCA Updates page.
Grace Summer Rec Club
 Sign-up by May 28 to save $50 on registration.
The Grace Recreation Club invites your children to have "Fun in the Son" this summer. Planned activities will serve their emotional, social, academic and spiritual needs through sports, arts, crafts, games, weekly chapels, and off-campus field trips (supervised by caring adults trained in First Aid and CPR). Parents will love the five weeks of academic enrichment with credentialed teachers built into the program at no additional cost from June 28 - July 30. The Rec. Club Director, Mrs. Cindy Gehlar, is a CA credentialed teacher with a Masters in Education. Contact Cindy Gehlar [714-899-1645] with any questions! Click to view Jr.K - 4th grade Registration Form.Click to view 5th - 8th grade Registration Form.
Next Book Discussion
Vacation Bible School is July 12-16, 2010.
 Registration happening now!
Sundays on the patio
or weekdays in the church or school office.This summer, bring your kids and their friends to SonQuest Rainforest - an experience of discovery they will never forget! Based on five key Bible verses that will change a child's life - including John 3:16 - SonQuest Rainforest transports young minds into a rainforest environment where they will explore and encounter Jesus in everyday life. Questions? Contact Beth Tweitmann [714-899-1730 or btweitmann@gracehb.org] Learn more about VBS at Grace.
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