The Church is the greatest wonder of the world.

I know there are various lists of other wonders of the world. Wonders of the natural world like the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, or the Great Barrier Reef. Or wonders of the ancient world like the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or the Colossus of Rhodes. But consider this stunning statement Paul makes.

“The plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God… [is] that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:9-10)

God is showing off His glory through the church.

He is creating a masterpiece of His manifold wisdom. And not just for the world to see. Paul says it’s bigger than that. The whole spiritual realm is watching God create His masterpiece.

Where are they seeing this incredible display? The church. And where do you look to actually see the church? Local churches. Like Grace! Gatherings of justified sinners declared righteous who belong to God by His grace through faith alone in Christ alone. Gatherings of justified sinners filled with the Holy Spirit bearing fruit of the gospel in their relationships with one another and the world as a people for God’s glory.

Our two ministry values of diverse unity and simplicity each help us make our display of this manifold wisdom of God more conspicuous, more obvious, and more visible.

This week, Erik Thoennes will preach on our ministry values of DIVERSE UNITY and SIMPLICITY as Kenny Clark leads our sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? As a prompt to pray for our Grace family, you could spend time praying through John 17:20-23.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!

Everlasting Love by Walt Harrah and Justin Unger

Everlasting love falling down on us
Like a fire, like a flood
You give more than enough
Let us shine, let us sing
So that the world may finally see
Everlasting love in Jesus, in Jesus our King

Preaching Schedule

SEP 14: God’s Glory
SEP 21: Christ-Centered Worship
SEP 28: The Great Commission
OCT 5: Biblical Preaching
OCT 12: Priesthood of Believers & Elder Leadership
OCT 19: Elder Leadership & Spirit-Led
OCT 26: Diverse Unity & Simplicity
NOV 2: Children & Youth