May 19, 2013

Rev. Peter Wang

Let's start with what faith promise is and is not.
"A faith promise is a commitment to give a certain amount if the Lord provides it. This allows churches and ministries to prepare good, logical budgets for the year. With faith promises, people promise to give if the funds are or become available. It is understood that if God doesn't provide the funds there is no obligation to give (Hebrews 11:1). Committing to a faith promise is scriptural and acceptable to the Lord..." - Crown Financial Ministries

A faith promise is a vertical commitment between you and God. It is not a tithe nor a pledge. It is meant to be sacrificial and yet fruitful. It should not be driven by guilt but joy.

In regards to the why question, we would like to address this in person and so, please join us for our missions presentation on June 9th in the sanctuary during the ACE hour (10-11am). The Missions Committee will be presenting information about ongoing projects and partnerships, as well as sharing some of our vision regarding future opportunities.

Sincerely,

GRC's Missions Committee

May 12, 2013

Rev. Peter Wang

May 5, 2013

Rev. Peter Wang

April 28, 2013

Rev. Jake Yohannan

Rev. Peter Wang

In today's world, we have a tendency to make things more complex. In the old days, if you wanted to adjust your heat, you had to get up, go to the single control in the house, and turn the dial. Aim too high, and you have to return to adjust it down. Who knew what the actual temperature was? You just go by feel. A smidge warmer, a notch cooler. But today, you can pull out your smartphone while hiking in the Andes, worried about pipes freezing back home in NJ, and turn up just your downstairs thermostat. Heaven forbid that the server is unavailable just when you need to remotely control your home's climate!

We also need specialists for everything. The internet makes each of us smarter than we really are, and we don't want generalists; we want someone experienced enough to have a couple of decades of experience in the field of our need, but not too old that they're out of touch with current developments. We can tend to bring the same expectations to relational challenges and spiritual issues. "I need a PhD counselor who specializes in post-adolescent identity crises brought on by too much video gaming." Such a person may exist, and such a need may arise, but here's my point: at the heart of our core problems, is the reality of sin. And at the heart of the God-provided solution/antidote is the reality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, there are often issues surrounding the core problem that benefit from specialists, from targeted therapy, from medicine, from practical tips. I'm all for that, in appropriate measure, applied with wisdom. But at the heart of it all, is an eternal truth that is not very complex. It's quite simple. The problem is us: stubborn, prideful, strong-willed, independent hearts.

During my discipleship group last night, one guy repeated a refrain of mine: in our spiritual growth, in the challenges we face, we never move beyond Gospel 101. That's not to say there's a magical solution, or a verse to quote, or a formula to pull out, and poof! You get the results you want. But we need to guard against emphasizing solutions apart from the One that God has perfectly, wisely provided. Sin destroys, corrupts, decays, and kills. The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings healing, wholeness, and renewed life from death. It promises victory over sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is why every sermon brings us back to Christ. Yes, other sources of help have important roles to play. But without Gospel-Resurrection-Holy Spirit-power they are insufficient.

Are you skeptical? Look for Gospel throughout the NT. The letters of Paul, for example, are by no means isolated from reality. But what Paul emphasizes is Resurrection power! (Ephesians 1:15-23). What Paul stresses is the message of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). What Jesus tells us is that the entire Old Testament is about Him! Fulfilled in Him! (Luke 24:25-27, 44). Your problems are not beyond the greatest invasion of Grace the world has ever known, and will ever know.

Do you already trust this? Then how are you growing in your understanding of the gospel, and your ability to apply the gospel to your everyday life? To one another as agents of Gospel reconciliation? I'm thrilled to help you as you are interested and energized by the Holy Spirit.

An Agent of the Gospel,
Peter

April 21, 2013

Rev. Peter Wang

March 29, 2013

Rev. Josh Desch

April 14, 2013

Rev. Peter Wang

Rev. Peter Wang

As I write this, a handful of us are sitting at Orlando Int'l waiting out a weather delay. We've just shared a unique experience by attending The Gospel Coalition's national conference, and 3 of us also attended the Missions Pre-Conference. 21 sermons of 50-60 minutes. When you come to after fainting, know that it wasn't all that bad. In fact, in great contrast, it was an incredibly rich and stimulating feast of God's Word. Some of the most-gifted and anointed preachers known to the Christian world, pastoring our hearts, challenging our perspectives, calling for a radical response of praise fueling obedience and faith, all directed toward the Risen Savior, Jesus!

I'm not even sure how to capture in a few paragraphs the richness of this investment. Perhaps I'll simply share a few snapshots of thoughts and experiences, starting with the very last moments of the conference:

- The last thing we 5,000 attendees did, was sing Holy, Holy, Holy a capella in a huge conference room. Keith and Kristyn Getty had led us in glorious musical worship all week, but they stepped back to allow all of our voices to simply be raised up in adoration of our Triune God. As we sung the final verse, I believe the Spirit gave me this glimpse of glory in eternity: that the multitude of the Redeemed would be singing this very song, in every language, before the very throne of "God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity." I choked up and couldn't sing the last lines of the hymn. I simply and silently praised our Creator and King and Savior! A true and tangible taste of heaven, as we ended 5 days.

- The conference hall was a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God - many denominations, many cultures/ethnicities representing the diversity of America, along with people from 43 countries. We said 'Amen' together, in response to the preaching of the timeless Gospel. And we sang in unison, praises to the Lamb. Amazing. Moving. A foretaste of heaven.

- A unique week to share with Cedar, worshipping and learning together. And Josh and Karen as fellow staff members. And Matthias/Henry Prinz, and Mark/Becky Grawehr who took time off to be equipped for Gospel ministry. We enjoyed time chatting about Gospel, about ministry in the church, about a sharpened Kingdom vision. And we broke bread together, including an introduction of a few to the delights of Chick-Fil-A! This extended time of fellowship, of team camaraderie, of equipping for ministry - it is a gift from the Lord.

- As top-notch as the main conference was, the three of us who attended the Missions Pre-Conference agreed that it was much more impactful. We got our spiritual butts kicked, challenged to the core, reminded of the urgency of the Great Commission to rescue the lost all around the world. No guilt trips here, just Holy Spirit conviction brought by the powerful and eternal Word of God! What does it mean for GRC? That's what I need to process and share with our church leaders. But the core of the mission of the church has always been, and remains until the return of Jesus Christ, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

- The truth of God's Word and the witness of God's people, are under attack in a world that rejects any Truth, any sense that individual autonomy is not King, any call to change from the inside out. But this conference gave me an encouraging sense that the Church of Jesus Christ has many sharp leaders and many, many willing servants to honor the King with our labors. And thousands of churches - and all who receive their ministries - will benefit from the equipping, sharpening, vision-clarifying experience of this conference. We trained, and now we return to the battlefield for souls.

Want to join for the next conference? It'll be two years from now. Lord willing, I'll be there...

Grace to you,
Peter