This February the world will come to Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympiad. And since Canada is not all that far from us, we are also bringing the Olympics to Grace Church this February.
During this month we are going to be studying together the story from Scripture when religious leaders tried to trap Jesus by asking Him what the greatest commandment in the Law was. Jesus’ answer was twofold – we are to love God and we are to love others. So over the four weeks of the month, in a message series we are calling “Love: Go For The Gold,” we will look at what it means to love God; love others; love our neighbors; and even love our enemies.
The stage will be transformed into a winter Canadian sports complex complete with the medal ceremony podiums and flags. The first Sunday of February will begin with our own Olympic Opening Ceremony complete with the lighting of the Grace Olympic Torch. Now trust me, you will want to be in your seat a few minutes early on that Sunday as right at start time we will begin with a video presentation of the Grace Olympic Torch making its way through the streets of Lancaster and Lititz, ending with a very special live lighting of our Grace Olympic Torch. Look for other special events over the course of the four Sundays including key members of our staff in a competition against the Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Another special part of this February Olympic Month here at Grace as we focus on love is the way it will also fit into our Year of Prayer. During the 2010 year we are focusing on making prayer a priority as individuals and as a church. Part of this is doing a monthly challenge together as a church family. In January, we prayed through a daily prayer guide in which we were all praying for the same request regarding our ministry here at Grace each day.
In February, we are going to be using what is called the “shema” as part of our monthly prayer challenge. As we study the response of Jesus regarding what the greatest commandment is, we will see that Jesus quoted from a part of the Old Testament that is commonly called the “shema.” So here is what we will be doing for our monthly prayer challenge.
Every morning in February we are asking our church family to read this passage from Deuteronomy 4:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” We are then asking each person in our church to pray this prayer each morning, “Father, today help me to love You with everything that I am and everything that I have. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Then, for the entire month of February we are asking our church family each evening to read this passage from Leviticus 19:27, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” We are then asking each person in our church to pray this prayer each evening, “Father, tomorrow help me to love everyone I meet and pass by as I would want others to love me. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Join us here at Grace Church this February as we go for the GOLD when it comes to LOVE!
During this month we are going to be studying together the story from Scripture when religious leaders tried to trap Jesus by asking Him what the greatest commandment in the Law was. Jesus’ answer was twofold – we are to love God and we are to love others. So over the four weeks of the month, in a message series we are calling “Love: Go For The Gold,” we will look at what it means to love God; love others; love our neighbors; and even love our enemies.
The stage will be transformed into a winter Canadian sports complex complete with the medal ceremony podiums and flags. The first Sunday of February will begin with our own Olympic Opening Ceremony complete with the lighting of the Grace Olympic Torch. Now trust me, you will want to be in your seat a few minutes early on that Sunday as right at start time we will begin with a video presentation of the Grace Olympic Torch making its way through the streets of Lancaster and Lititz, ending with a very special live lighting of our Grace Olympic Torch. Look for other special events over the course of the four Sundays including key members of our staff in a competition against the Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Another special part of this February Olympic Month here at Grace as we focus on love is the way it will also fit into our Year of Prayer. During the 2010 year we are focusing on making prayer a priority as individuals and as a church. Part of this is doing a monthly challenge together as a church family. In January, we prayed through a daily prayer guide in which we were all praying for the same request regarding our ministry here at Grace each day.
In February, we are going to be using what is called the “shema” as part of our monthly prayer challenge. As we study the response of Jesus regarding what the greatest commandment is, we will see that Jesus quoted from a part of the Old Testament that is commonly called the “shema.” So here is what we will be doing for our monthly prayer challenge.
Every morning in February we are asking our church family to read this passage from Deuteronomy 4:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” We are then asking each person in our church to pray this prayer each morning, “Father, today help me to love You with everything that I am and everything that I have. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Then, for the entire month of February we are asking our church family each evening to read this passage from Leviticus 19:27, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” We are then asking each person in our church to pray this prayer each evening, “Father, tomorrow help me to love everyone I meet and pass by as I would want others to love me. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Join us here at Grace Church this February as we go for the GOLD when it comes to LOVE!
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