New Year, New ________?

How would you fill in this blank for 2024? It is that time of year again that everyone begins writing their resolutions with the greatest of imaginations and intentions. If you are like me, resolutions have never really stuck all that well. I cannot figure out how to maintain the drive throughout the year to complete the commitment I was once overly zealous for. This seems to be the case for many people. Most often, people make the same mistake for the wanted and needed changes in their life. Every new year, with the greatest ambition, many people want to make significant change that can drastically improve their life, their family, their church, their work, and on and on and on.

A great deal of research has gone into New Year’s resolutions and why they do and don’t work. I know you have heard this before, but if you want to be successful in your New Year’s resolutions, then begin with small habits that will create big results over time. Here is part of the problem: we say, “New year, New me.” This is a great slogan, and it has big ambition, big intentions, but often has very little results. Why? Resolutions need to address a problem by resolving toward the solution. Instead, identify what needs the “newness” of “me.”

For instance, if you want to lose weight, then identify how you can lose weight and make that your resolution. No one has ever lost weight or created a healthy lifestyle by saying, “I want to lose weight.” Instead, we can resolve by saying “This year, I am going to limit myself to one sugary treat per week.” Or “This year, I am going to limit myself to one soda per week.” Identify the habit that will create momentum over the course of the year. Then next year add another habit. The year after that, add another habit. In five years, you will have created 5 new habits that will lock you into whatever goal you want. I started doing this several years ago and it has proven to be helpful. Our greatest ambition should be forming our spiritual life as well.

            If you are looking at your spiritual life and have determined that you desire greater intimacy with the Lord, where should you begin? Some of you have been reading through the Bible for years, while others struggle to have that daily, intentional, unhurried time with the Lord. Start by understanding the gift of true intimacy with the Lord. A book that you may want to add to your reading list (and I highly recommend) is Pursuit of God by: AW Tozer. This is a starting point to give a theological and biblical understanding of why intimacy with the Lord is a necessary endeavor for every follower of Jesus.

            First, identify what needs to change for you. If you are finding yourself not getting into God’s word every day, then begin there. Make it your resolution to read one chapter out of God’s Word daily. If you recognize you need to spend more time in prayer, then set a time and place every morning that you are going to spend unhurried prayer time with the Lord. Start small and grow incrementally. I have found in my life, that when you start small (15 minutes in prayer), the Lord will be gracious and grow a desire to spend more and more time with Him. As you read God’s Word, and pray without being rushed, you will long for more time naturally. Remember, spiritual habits are called disciplines for a reason. They require personal discipline. There will be some days that you don’t want to get up, and some days that other tasks will look more important. It will require discipline on your part to maintain this resolution.

            Another resolution that you may recognize as needed in your life is to simply be more faithful in your church attendance. How can you make this an attainable resolution? Stop giving yourself excuses to miss church. Resolve: I am only going to miss church if I am physically unable or out of town. Church attendance is not popular among Americans today. Throughout history (since the first century), gathering with God’s people has always been a priority among the followers of Jesus. It is more than a choice; it is a mandate from God Himself.

            Even in the middle of great persecution, early Christians always found themselves gathering together. The Lord’s Day (Sunday) has become less of a discipline and more of a convenient option at our leisure. This is not God’s design for you. Gathering to worship was never meant to be a convenience for you. In fact, it is often inconvenient for His people. “Convenient commitment’ is an oxymoron.  You can go to many different parts of the world and find God’s people fighting against the inconvenience of their culture so they can gather together. Do not underestimate the value of assembling with God’s people in your spiritual life. You do not have to go to church to be a Christian: but certainly if you are a Christian you will go to church. This is not legalism; it is simple obedience that some have become accustomed to leaving out of their lives. We don’t choose church attendance when it is convenient; instead, we choose church attendance so you do not neglect the gathering. This is an important resolution for your spiritual well-being.

            As followers of Jesus, New Year’s resolutions are not required. However, the beginning of the year is a great time for believers to evaluate their own personal priorities. Above all else, consider what must change so that you can become a more faithful follower of Jesus.

• RESOLVE: I am going to read at least one chapter in the Bible daily and yearn to create more margin to read more as God allows.
• RESOLVE: I am going to spend an unhurried amount of time of at least 15 minutes every day praying with a growing desire to expand my prayer time.
• RESOLVE: I am going to only miss church if I am physically unable to attend with a growing desire to be with God’s people.

If you are new to spiritual disciplines, give yourself grace. Never think that the Lord is upset or disappointed in you if you happen to miss a day. We should strive for intimacy with God, but there is nothing that you can do to gain a greater love from God or greater approval from God. God’s approval of you is based on the work of Christ and Christ alone. God’s love for you is because of the work of Christ and Christ alone. God demonstrated His love for you by sending Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins. Spiritual disciplines are not to gain anything from the Lord’s hand: they are only to gain intimacy with the Lord’s heart.  

New Sermon Series THIS SUNDAY!

This week we are beginning our journey through the book of Hebrews. I am excited to walk through this book verse by verse with you. You may be wondering, “Why Hebrews?” First, the book of Hebrews provides an in depth understanding for the person of Christ. Hebrews (like all of Scripture) is unapologetically Christ-centered. He is God’s son, He is eternal, He is the radiance and image of the invisible God and He is the unchanging creator of all things. Second, Hebrews also gives us an in depth understanding of the work of Christ. Jesus who is above all things and Creator and Sustainer of all things was superior to angels so that He would be crowned with glory and honor. In the middle of the book, we see why Christ was and is necessary as the final atonement for all sins. Third, we see in Hebrews the importance of persistence in Christ.  It is Christ who enables and sustains our endurance while here on earth.

This Sunday, we will only be looking at the first three verses that set the tone of who Christ is. Jesus is our prophet, our King, and our Priest. This understanding  is necessary for our walk in Christ. Make sure you start off 2024 right and gather with His people for worship. You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 Connect Groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for worship in CrossWalk.

Starting this Sunday evening, and continuing throughout the week, we are thrilled to launch an array of engaging activities and insightful Bible studies designed for all ages.  For more detailed information about schedules, topics, and locations, visit www.gabc.org/mdwk. 

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/give

Have questions about baptism?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

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MERRY CHRISTMAS – God Sees You!

Parental advisory: Santa spoilers ahead!

My family loves listening to Christmas music. We love singing the classics at church, singing them in our car and hearing them throughout the city. The Coots and Gillespie classic, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, however, is something to warn people about! “You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout…. He’s making a list and checking it twice; Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.” Without the holly jolly music, it reads a little strange, doesn’t it?  It gets worse! “… He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake!” These are wild lyrics! Have you ever considered the psychological implications that this song could bring? Based on tradition, Santa is a large old man who dresses up in a red suit, sneaks into people’s homes, and steals milk and cookies. This scenario successfully happening in Texas is very unlikely. The first sign of an intruder would not be a positive experience, especially in East Texas. However, what is most worrisome to me is whether Santa can really see me day and night. This is an unsettling thought. I would not want the judge who determines whether I am worthy of Christmas presents seeing everything, right? I would not want Santa seeing the influence of my selfish heart and how that so often displays itself. I would not want Santa seeing when I am short with people around me. Why? Because who could last a year under this type of scrutiny? The answer is no one.

Praise be to God that this psychological nightmare about Santa in that song is American fiction at its best. However, there is the ONE who does see everything. The God of the universe who will never slumber or sleep (Psalm 121). But is the Lord staying awake so He can see every right and wrong that we do, and this becomes the determinant for any blessing that we receive? Can you see how fictitious characters, concepts, and even our most fun traditions all have opportunities to be misleading to our understanding of who God really is? Common sayings, great ideas, pithy and creative thoughts that circulate around social media have a way of shaping a culture, especially a culture who is increasingly unaware of what God’s Word really says. The Bible must be our ultimate authority by which we view everything else. Even the great traditions that have good intentions along with advice from friends and family members with good intentions must be viewed through God’s Word.

God’s Word teaches us about God’s ability to see. “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me’” (Genesis 16:13). This is really an astonishing moment in Scripture, especially for our understanding of who God is. Don’t you love the imagery of her description of God? El Roi, the God who sees. This is a way of using symbolism to help our understanding of who God really is. Roi in the original Hebrew can be translated as shepherd, or as seeing, looking, or gazing. In other words, God is not watching you as Santa (not literally) does. Santa is watching you for judgment (once again, not literally), but God really (yes literally) does watch you because of His love and care for you. He watches as the shepherd watches over the herd of sheep. God watches over you in the sense of a Father looks after his own children. This is beautiful in how we can picture a shepherd who never sleeps, never takes His eyes (anthropomorphically speaking) off of us. This is not tradition, this is not something to be afraid of, this is something that provides great courage, great comfort, great joy, great peace, and great hope for those in His pasture.

Christmas time can be filled with great laughter, great joy, great chaos, and for some, great sorrow. I want you to be reminded this Christmas that God sees you. God sees your hurt, your loneliness, your sorrow, and has come so that these things do not have to be your reality. He is close to the broken hearted because He sees the brokenhearted. God is not hardened or calloused toward you. He loves you so much that He sent Jesus for you this Christmas.

This Sunday at Green Acres – IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE!

I am excited to worship with you! And I am especially excited that the Lord’s Day has fallen on Christmas Eve this year! What a unique opportunity to start the Christmas celebration with morning worship together! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and our Español Campus at 11:00 for worship in CrossWalk. Christmas Eve services will only be at 9:30 and 11:00 with no Connect Groups. This is true of Christmas Eve and will be the same for New Year’s Eve. We will observe the Lord’s Supper this Sunday together, as well as participate in a candlelight time to remember that Jesus is the light of the world who has come.

God has been so gracious to our Green Acres family this past year. Your generosity has been used to impact kids, students, adults, families, marriages, singles, college students, and even those who are incarcerated. We are now reaching hundreds of Spanish speaking families every week and that number continues to grow because you have been generous with your support this year. I want to share with you a few things to consider as we bring 2023 to a close.

1. While we significantly underspent for 2023, we are still around $600,000 behind budget year to date. That gives us a $1.38 million challenge in the last two weekends of the year if we are to make the 2023 general giving budget goal of $15,330,000. This is similar, though slightly more, than the challenge we faced last year when GABC ended the year with a budget surplus.
2. World Mission Offering is going strong, but we are still not quite there. We are currently about 75% of the $1,000,000 goal!
3. As you know, all end of year giving needs to be postmarked by December 31^st, which is a Sunday this year. That means that Saturday, December 30^th is that last day to mail your financial contributions for 2023.

Would you pray with us that we would meet and exceed budget and WMO going into 2024? Would you ask the Lord how you might participate in that with us?

Thank you for your love, your support, your generosity, but most of all, your commitment to the Gospel.

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/give

Have questions about baptism?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

Like, subscribe, and share!

A Note from Michael Gossett

Christmas Cheer (Really?) – How to love people well
There is one thing for certain…. Christmas naturally exposes every family dynamic. This is genuinely a blessing. If you have family and you are able to see them this Christmas, then it is a true blessing. However, what do you do at the Christmas table when crazy Uncle Eddy shows up and short circuits the entire Christmas vibe? Everyone has to come face to face with making a choice this Christmas. You can either give in and become annoyed or you can press in and be loving. In almost every case, this is easier said than done.

And what happens when the crazy Uncle appears in church? He is not your blood relative, but the person that is just difficult to be around. Everyone is tested in this area of life. There will be people in the church with different perspectives on worship styles, and they will have different perspectives on covid protocols. Or they disagree about preaching style or have different perspectives on small groups vs. Sunday school, and different perspectives on voting. They won’t agree with you when it comes to perspectives on tradition, culture, and language. The list will go on and on and on.

We know we need to love our “family” because they are our family. But, what about your church family? Jesus told his disciples, ^“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35).

There are times that this comes naturally, even in our own families, but then there are times that this becomes really difficult. You have probably heard old adages like, “I love you, but I don’t have to like you.” Maybe you have heard, “I love you, but I don’t have to be around you.” Or maybe “I can love you and not go to church with you.” These are adages that I have personally heard over my ten plus years of pastoral ministry. The old adages actually make sense. Maybe, it is better to stay away from those you cannot “love” well, or at least stay away from the ones that you cannot get along with. Is this what Jesus had in mind?

Jesus said, “The world will know that you belong to Him, if you love one another.” Jesus did not say, “avoid one another so you don’t argue.” He did not say, “love the easy ones and deal with the difficult ones.” He did not say, “Do your best to bite your tongue.” No, Jesus said, “Love one another.” With any family, even more so with our church family, this seems to be a wearisome task if not an impossible task for you and for me. Do you believe the words of Jesus to be true? I do, and I know you do. Do you believe that the commands of Christ are to be kept? I do, and I know you do. Jesus said to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving others is a big deal to Jesus and it will be one of the greatest reflections of His love in our own lives.

It is only through the power of Christ in us, that this impossible task becomes possible. Jesus said that if we depend on our own ability and our own power, salvation is impossible and loving others is impossible as well. But with Christ, all things are possible (see Matthew 19:23-26). If this is supposed to be the way we live, how does this become our reality in our own families, our own lives, and in our church as brothers and sisters?

Unity is possible. Do you believe this? I believe the early church gave us such great clarity on the possibility of unity as Jesus describes. The expectation is very clear and the way it is accomplished is just as clear. The early church emerged from all different types of religious customs, cultural preferences, and personal expectations of what the church should be and how they should live together. The early church was not immune to their own “wars” among them. There were different moral convictions that emerged as we see Paul write about the use of drinking wine or eating meat. There were different statuses economically among them with the slave and with the free. However, because of their differences and through their differences, they were unified. The night before the cross, Jesus prayed, “I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)

For the first church, there were difficulties that arose among them that caused friction and discord. Personal preferences and differences continued to emerge through the centuries and they exist today. However, in spite of our differences we can be ONE together because Jesus lives in us. This is the reality for those who believe in Jesus. You and I will never be united around styles of worship, song selection, preaching styles, Christmas tradition, politics, or any other “difference” among us. We will be united in one thing… Jesus.

Remember this truth as you gather with your family this Christmas. Jesus is our purpose. His mission is our calling. His love is our motivation. It is true of your family gatherings and it must be true of our church gatherings. Jesus came to the earth in the form of a baby so that He may live in those who believe in Him. Because He came, because He died, because He rose again, because He lives, WE can be united in Him. What a blessing Christmas truly is. We are a JESUS Church! Therefore, we will always be a united church not only during Christmas, but every season, every circumstance, every trial, and every difference.

I love you, church, and I am grateful to be your pastor!

I am excited to offer you a great deal! People often ask me what devotion I recommend to supplement their Bible reading. I am grateful to be a contributing author to a highly recommended daily devotional that will be available for purchase in the lobby of the church this Sunday! The book is a daily devotional packaged in a nice leather-bound style that will last you. They are priced at $24.99 per book, but we are able to sell them to you for yourself, or as a GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT for only $15.00 per book with an even BETTER deal at two for $25.00. You read correctly, we have them priced so that you can purchase two for the price of one! Just in case you are wondering, no proceeds go to me, but go to ministry purposes only. Get your copies Sunday or any day of the week during church business hours.

This Sunday at Green Acres

I am excited to worship with you! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for Worship, 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 Connect Groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for Worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for Worship in CrossWalk.

As you pray and seek the Lord about your year-end giving, consider going above and beyond in two areas:

(1) Our annual World Mission Offering! We are currently almost 60% of the way there, and we have lots of ground to cover to reach our goal of $1,000,000.

(2) Pray about how you can help with our GENERAL BUDGET. We are currently around $400,000 behind our budget goal. Would you consider helping us reach our budget goal?  Praise be to the Lord that our staff and committees have helped navigate our costs to keep our expenses below budget. Thank you for considering and praying how you can give! We cannot wait to see you this Sunday for worship as we continue in our sermon series, “God with Us!”

Christmas at Green Acres

I’m so excited to invite you to our GABC Community Night of Worship!  Tonight (December 15), we will gather for a Christmas Night of Worship for the whole community!  This incredible evening of Christmas worship will be led by our entire Worship Ministry, all campuses, and languages, along with some special guests!  Join us at 7pm in the Tyler Campus Worship Center!

One of my most favorite Christmas traditions for our family is to attend the Christmas Eve service together. This Christmas Eve Service will include great worship, a sweet moment for the Kids, an opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper, as well as a candlelight component. It will be a great time for your entire family!  This year our Christmas Eve services will be during our morning worship times at 9:30am and 11am at Tyler and Flint Campuses and Espanol Campus at 11:00am.  There will be NO Connect Groups on Christmas Eve.  Childcare is provided for preschool and special needs children.  I hope that you are making plans to join us for this special Christmas Eve tradition! 

Cannot wait to see you tonight and this Sunday!

You are loved and you are prayed for!

Michael Gossett

A Note from Michael Gossett

Christmas Cheer (Really?) – How to love people well
There is one thing for certain…. Christmas naturally exposes every family dynamic. This is genuinely a blessing. If you have family and you are able to see them this Christmas, then it is a true blessing. However, what do you do at the Christmas table when crazy Uncle Eddy shows up and short circuits the entire Christmas vibe? Everyone has to come face to face with making a choice this Christmas. You can either give in and become annoyed or you can press in and be loving. In almost every case, this is easier said than done.

And what happens when the crazy Uncle appears in church? He is not your blood relative, but the person that is just difficult to be around. Everyone is tested in this area of life. There will be people in the church with different perspectives on worship styles, and they will have different perspectives on covid protocols. Or they disagree about preaching style or have different perspectives on small groups vs. Sunday school, and different perspectives on voting. They won’t agree with you when it comes to perspectives on tradition, culture, and language. The list will go on and on and on.

We know we need to love our “family” because they are our family. But, what about your church family? Jesus told his disciples, ^“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35).

There are times that this comes naturally, even in our own families, but then there are times that this becomes really difficult. You have probably heard old adages like, “I love you, but I don’t have to like you.” Maybe you have heard, “I love you, but I don’t have to be around you.” Or maybe “I can love you and not go to church with you.” These are adages that I have personally heard over my ten plus years of pastoral ministry. The old adages actually make sense. Maybe, it is better to stay away from those you cannot “love” well, or at least stay away from the ones that you cannot get along with. Is this what Jesus had in mind?

Jesus said, “The world will know that you belong to Him, if you love one another.” Jesus did not say, “avoid one another so you don’t argue.” He did not say, “love the easy ones and deal with the difficult ones.” He did not say, “Do your best to bite your tongue.” No, Jesus said, “Love one another.” With any family, even more so with our church family, this seems to be a wearisome task if not an impossible task for you and for me. Do you believe the words of Jesus to be true? I do, and I know you do. Do you believe that the commands of Christ are to be kept? I do, and I know you do. Jesus said to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving others is a big deal to Jesus and it will be one of the greatest reflections of His love in our own lives.

It is only through the power of Christ in us, that this impossible task becomes possible. Jesus said that if we depend on our own ability and our own power, salvation is impossible and loving others is impossible as well. But with Christ, all things are possible (see Matthew 19:23-26). If this is supposed to be the way we live, how does this become our reality in our own families, our own lives, and in our church as brothers and sisters?

Unity is possible. Do you believe this? I believe the early church gave us such great clarity on the possibility of unity as Jesus describes. The expectation is very clear and the way it is accomplished is just as clear. The early church emerged from all different types of religious customs, cultural preferences, and personal expectations of what the church should be and how they should live together. The early church was not immune to their own “wars” among them. There were different moral convictions that emerged as we see Paul write about the use of drinking wine or eating meat. There were different statuses economically among them with the slave and with the free. However, because of their differences and through their differences, they were unified. The night before the cross, Jesus prayed, “I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)

For the first church, there were difficulties that arose among them that caused friction and discord. Personal preferences and differences continued to emerge through the centuries and they exist today. However, in spite of our differences we can be ONE together because Jesus lives in us. This is the reality for those who believe in Jesus. You and I will never be united around styles of worship, song selection, preaching styles, Christmas tradition, politics, or any other “difference” among us. We will be united in one thing… Jesus.

Remember this truth as you gather with your family this Christmas. Jesus is our purpose. His mission is our calling. His love is our motivation. It is true of your family gatherings and it must be true of our church gatherings. Jesus came to the earth in the form of a baby so that He may live in those who believe in Him. Because He came, because He died, because He rose again, because He lives, WE can be united in Him. What a blessing Christmas truly is. We are a JESUS Church! Therefore, we will always be a united church not only during Christmas, but every season, every circumstance, every trial, and every difference.

I love you, church, and I am grateful to be your pastor!

I am excited to offer you a great deal! People often ask me what devotion I recommend to supplement their Bible reading. I am grateful to be a contributing author to a highly recommended daily devotional that will be available for purchase in the lobby of the church this Sunday! The book is a daily devotional packaged in a nice leather-bound style that will last you. They are priced at $24.99 per book, but we are able to sell them to you for yourself, or as a GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT for only $15.00 per book with an even BETTER deal at two for $25.00. You read correctly, we have them priced so that you can purchase two for the price of one! Just in case you are wondering, no proceeds go to me, but go to ministry purposes only. Get your copies Sunday or any day of the week during church business hours.

This Sunday at Green Acres

I am excited to worship with you! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for Worship, 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 Connect Groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for Worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for Worship in CrossWalk.

As you pray and seek the Lord about your year-end giving, consider going above and beyond in two areas:

(1) Our annual World Mission Offering! We are currently almost 60% of the way there, and we have lots of ground to cover to reach our goal of $1,000,000.

(2) Pray about how you can help with our GENERAL BUDGET. We are currently around $400,000 behind our budget goal. Would you consider helping us reach our budget goal?  Praise be to the Lord that our staff and committees have helped navigate our costs to keep our expenses below budget. Thank you for considering and praying how you can give! We cannot wait to see you this Sunday for worship as we continue in our sermon series, “God with Us!”

Christmas at Green Acres

I’m so excited to invite you to our GABC Community Night of Worship!  Tonight (December 15), we will gather for a Christmas Night of Worship for the whole community!  This incredible evening of Christmas worship will be led by our entire Worship Ministry, all campuses, and languages, along with some special guests!  Join us at 7pm in the Tyler Campus Worship Center!

One of my most favorite Christmas traditions for our family is to attend the Christmas Eve service together. This Christmas Eve Service will include great worship, a sweet moment for the Kids, an opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper, as well as a candlelight component. It will be a great time for your entire family!  This year our Christmas Eve services will be during our morning worship times at 9:30am and 11am at Tyler and Flint Campuses and Espanol Campus at 11:00am.  There will be NO Connect Groups on Christmas Eve.  Childcare is provided for preschool and special needs children.  I hope that you are making plans to join us for this special Christmas Eve tradition! 

Cannot wait to see you tonight and this Sunday!

You are loved and you are prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/give

Have questions about baptism?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

Like, subscribe, and share!

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/give

Have questions about baptism?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

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A PURITAN THOUGHT FOR CHRISTMAS

Have you ever pondered on the implications of the coming of Christ? It is obvious to a degree why Jesus came to earth as stated in Luke 19:10. He said, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” This is sufficient for all reasoning in our understanding of Christ’s coming, but the writer of Hebrews takes this thought even deeper. The Lord did not only come to seek and save the lost as an uncaring herdsman who would look to find a wandering sheep, only to return it to the pasture.  The Lord is our Savior but also a Shepherd who cares for us. Hebrews 4:15 says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus is able to sympathize with us. Thomas Goodwin wrote a book entitled The Heart of Christ based on Hebrews 4:15.  He explains to the reader to show the depth of what it means for Jesus to be a caring Shepherd. But how are we to understand the implications of Jesus’ ability to sympathize? Even though, Christ came, He lived, He died, He rose again, and He ascended to the right hand of the Father. Through it all He remains as open and tender as He ever was. It seems the distance would not allow sympathy to exist but that is the beauty of the incarnate Christ. Christ came so that there would be an understanding of His presence with His followers. His presence has not diminished but will continue to flourish in those who trust and follow Christ. Thomas Goodwin begins his treatise with introductory remarks that says:

“I have chosen this text, as that which above any other speaks his heart most, and sets out the frame and workings of it towards sinners; and that so sensibly that it does, as it were, take our hands, and lay them upon Christ’s breast, and let us feel how his heart beats and his affections yearn toward us, even now he is in glory – the very scope of these words being manifestly to encourage believers against all that may discourage them, from the consideration of Christ’s heart toward them now in heaven.”

Christmas time gives us an incredible glimpse into the lengths that which Jesus would come to show His love for us. Even in our brokenness, our sin, our inability to achieve righteousness or even to choose that which is good, Jesus came. Goodwin wrote we no longer have to search for a sympathetic friend, but we can place our hands on the chest of Christ to feel His heart. Hebrews 4:15 assures us that He is able to sympathize. The word for “sympathize” here is a compound word formed from the prefix meaning “with” joined with the verb “to suffer.”^[1]

Christ does not have a detached pity for people (you and me). Rather, He has an understanding of solidarity with our suffering, and our sinfulness (not that Christ was sinful), so that we may be saved by Him. We are able to extract similar solidarity with sinfulness and suffering from Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that says, “For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus did this according to Hebrews 4:15 “in every respect” and yet “without sin.” Jesus sympathizes with us in a way that is utterly perfect. He knows everything about you. He knows your past. He knows your future. He knows your thoughts. He knows your desires. He loves you. He sympathizes with you and for you.

Consider this…. Sometimes relationship problems come in various forms. When a relationship doesn’t work out the way you thought it would, or when you feel as if you have wasted your life, your caring Friend is there. When you did not treat someone fairly, or someone treated you poorly, or your family member betrayed you, Jesus still cares for you. If you feel you were cheated, or were falsely accused, or you were misunderstood, the Lord understands. And when all of the weight of the fallen world comes crashing upon you, you have a Friend who knows exactly what you are feeling and knows how to make sure you make it through. This Friend always knows what to say at exactly the right time and does so with a warm embrace to give you a security and a worth that no earthly treasure can do.

This is why we celebrate Christmas; this is why we worship the King who has come to seek and save the lost, We honor the King who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and suffering. He, as John Owen puts it, “co-suffers” with us. We simply say, “Praise be to the King Who sympathizes, Who seeks, Who saves, Who loves, Who suffers, Who gives, and Who came on that Christmas morning!”

Come this Sunday, the Lord’s day, to worship with us as we start our brand-new Christmas series, “God With Us.”

This Sunday at Green Acres

I am excited to worship with you! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 for Connect Groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for worship in CrossWalk.

As you pray and seek the Lord about your year-end giving, consider going above and beyond in two areas:

1. Our World Mission Offering! We are currently almost 40% of the way there, and we have lots of ground to cover to reach our goal of $1,000,000.
2. Pray about how you can help us reach our general budget goal. We are currently around $400,000 behind budget. Will you join with us so that together we can  reach our budget goal? Praise be to the Lord that our staff and committees have helped navigate our costs to keep our expenses below budget. Thank you for considering and praying how you can give! We cannot wait to see you this Sunday for worship!

THIS SUNDAY NIGHT is our third annual Christmas Tree Lighting from 5:00pm – 8:00pm! This is a free event for our whole community and church family! Will you help spread the word? You can do several things to help get the word out.

1. Go to Facebook and share the links from the GABC page.
2. Post on Instagram about the event.
3. Make sure everyone in your Connect Group is invited.  
4. Make personal invitations to your friends / coworkers / neighbors.

In addition to attending this incredible event, please be in prayer for God to use this night to reach people all over the city of Tyler. We want to make every effort to make this fun for the evening, but also to make an eternal difference in the lives of people. Cannot wait to see you there!

Community Night of Worship!  On December 15^th, we will gather for a Christmas Night of Worship for the whole community.  This incredible evening of Christmas worship will be led by our entire Worship Ministry, all campuses, and languages, along with some special guests!  Join us at 7pm in the Tyler Campus Worship Center!

One of my most favorite Christmas traditions for our family is to attend the Christmas Eve service together. This Christmas Eve Service will include great worship, a sweet moment for the Kids, an opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper, as well as a candlelight component. It will be a great time for your entire family!  This year our Christmas Eve services will be during our morning worship times at 9:30am and 11am at Tyler and Flint Campuses and Español Campus at 11:00am.  There will be NO Connect Groups on Christmas Eve.  Childcare is provided for preschool and special needs children.  I hope that you are making plans to join us for this special Christmas Eve tradition! 

Finally, don’t forget that Advent begins today. If you haven’t picked up your book yet, you can read the first few days online. Pick up a book on Sunday morning! Let’s set our hearts on Jesus during this Christmas season.

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

[1] Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, pg. 46.

The Blessing of Thanksgiving

It is the most wonderful time of the year! If you have been around me any amount of time, you will most likely understand that I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. Around this time of year, however, it is easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of expectations which prohibits the ability to be intentional. Thanksgiving is not just a holiday to be celebrated. It is one of the foundational pillars to our relationship with Christ and His people. Scripture is not lacking in commands or expectations for God’s people to simply be grateful. As you look to scripture and maybe pause for a moment as you are reading this, answer the question: “What am I thankful for?”

I want to take a moment to say that I am thankful for you. This is not some sort of semantical ingenuity, but rather a deep and sincere picture of my heart as I think of you and pray for you. Thank you for being the church family that you are. In no way am I trying to depict a perfected community of believers, but even in the midst of the imperfections among us, there is much to be grateful for with one another.

It is this time of year that the Lord gives respite spiritually, and potentially for some, physically. But it may not come in the form that you think. As I am writing this article (or at least my attempt), I am surrounded by noise, chaos, and distraction of every kind. For many of you, you may be experiencing the same type of holiday rest. When you think about the holiday season, it is difficult to even begin to comprehend some sort of respite. However, this is the design by God Himself to give annual, monthly, weekly, and daily rest to His people. Annual festivals throughout the Old Testament were observed to celebrate God’s goodness. These festivals were spiritual  markers of blessing for the people of God and a way to bless the Lord by means of remembering. This in turn would produce gratitude within the people of God. Regardless of your annual, monthly, weekly or daily rhythms, each one of us is called to a place of thanksgiving….

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we should remember that Thanksgiving is a posture of heart more so than an exercise for our lips. It must be more than a feeling prompted by turkey, dressing and ham. Thanksgiving is a worshipful response for those who have been called out of darkness and into marvelous light. Ephesians 4:7 says, “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” How could this not draw us toward a posture of worship, gratitude, sincere faith, and love for Christ and one another? We have more to be thankful for than any one of us can truly imagine. You and I are created to give thanks to God and we are created to give thanks to one another. Give thanks to God for what He has done, and give thanks to God for family that He has given you. And don’t forget to give thanks to God for your church family that He has provided. I give thanks to God for you.

This Sunday at Green Acres

 This week, we are continuing our World Mission Offering Emphasis! It has been a really exciting couple of weeks watching the Lord move among us, draw us into His presence and call people to Himself. We have seen salvations, calls to ministry, baptisms, new life, and so much more! This is your church family! We want to continue to grow in the likeness of Christ doing what only God can do! I am pleased to tell you that as of the writing of this article, we have received 25% of our WMO goal. Wow! Praise the Lord for the way He is using our church!

With that in mind, we must also be aware that currently, we are close to $300,000 behind budget giving year to date. I want to ask you to prayerfully consider how the Lord may be asking you to participate in ministry partnership with Green Acres. Thank you for your love, your support and your continued prayers as we work together for the Gospel of Jesus. If you would like to give to the World Missions Offering or to the general budget you can go to gabc.org/give. Thank you for being faithful!

This Sunday is going to be the final WMO week in service, but giving can continue through the end of the year. I am excited to worship with you! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 connect groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for worship in CrossWalk. We cannot wait to see you here!

Christmas Tree Lighting is happening this year on December 3^rd from 5:00pm – 8:00pm! This is a free event for our whole community and church family! I want to invite you to not only be a part of this incredible event, but also be in prayer for God to use this night to reach people all over the city of Tyler. We want to make every effort to make this fun for the evening, but to make an eternal difference in the lives of people. Cannot wait to see you there!

I am so excited that the East Texas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be honoring Pastor David with the Distinguished Citizen Award on December 5, 2023 in our Crosswalk Conference Center. This is a well-deserved award and could not go to a better man! If you would like to be a part, table sponsors are available here.

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/give

Have questions about baptism?

Click here: https://www.gabc.org/connect

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

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The Benefit of Happiness

It is common understanding that happiness is fleeting, but is there any benefit to happiness? I would say absolutely yes! There are many earthly treasures that are fleeting that are still beneficial for the Kingdom. Everything on earth such as money, homes, cars, health, and even our own bodies are fleeting and will ultimately end in failure. However, it does not mean there is no temporal benefit to any of them. The benefit of happiness is our emotional state that is produced from a place of joy. Happiness can be seen, it can be heard, it can be felt. Happiness allows others to participate externally from an internal joy that comes from Christ. It is not demeaning, nor is it destructive to think about happiness in this way.

Thomas Goodwin wrote, “Christ’s own joy, comfort, happiness, and glory are increased and enlarged by his showing grace and mercy, in pardoning, relieving, and comforting his members here on earth.” Similarly, another Puritan author Richard Sibbes says, “We cannot please Christ better than in showing ourselves welcome, by cheerful taking part of his rich provision. It is an honor to his bounty to fall to.” The joy of Christ increases to the degree that the sick come, the broken come, the sinful come, the heavy laden come and ask Christ for help and healing both physically and spiritually.

I believe this to be nothing less than mind boggling to imagine Christ as the ruler of the universe who finds joy in helping the hurting and the lost. This is the reason why Jesus came! Jesus never will appear frustrated nor will He be flustered at our requests for help. I think how often I fail in this as a dad and as a husband. Too often, the multitude of requests seem to fluster me rather than understanding them as an opportunity to serve happily.

This is the heart of Christ nonetheless. His service to us brings Him joy. There is a benefit when we  understand this nuance completely. We must shift our thinking to understand that every moment of requests ultimately leads us to a moment of happiness. Think about the way you work or the way you serve. Think about the way you interact with those who cause frustrations within you. Do they see happiness externally due to the internal joy you have with Christ? Or do they see another flustered and frustrated person who may have the joy of the Lord in their heart but lack the happiness on their face?

These are the moments that we must trust in the provision of grace and mercy that Jesus provides for us. The benefit of happiness for us is not only that we draw near to the throne of Jesus for the benefits of atonement. There is much more here. As we draw near to Christ, He draws near to us and the benefit of atonement only spills out into deeper benefits as we walk with Him. He drew near to us in the incarnation so that His joy and ours could rise and fall together. Is this not astonishing?

Hebrews 12:2 says, “For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” It was the Lord’s joy to provide a way for those who had no way to have healing, victory, or atonement so that we may not live in shame, sin, and defeat any longer. There is a joy that lives within Christ because of the sight He has of you being forgiven. As we come to Christ, His joy and our joy are increased together for the glory of God. Praise be to Jesus!

Midweek at GABC! I want to invite you to come and join us at WEBS this Wednesday in Crosswalk at 6pm. We are currently teaching through different doctrines of the Bible and would love to have you join us. We will end promptly at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

I am so excited that the East Texas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be honoring Pastor David with the Distinguished Citizen Award on December 5, 2023 in our Crosswalk Conference Center. This is a well-deserved award and could not go to a better man! If you would like to be a part, table sponsors are available here.

MAN TALK is coming again on November 14 in Worship Center Room 150 from 6:15 am – 7:00 am. You can sign up to come hang out with other men, be encouraged in the word, great food, and even better brotherhood. Sign-up deadline is Sunday, November 12!

Christmas Tree Lighting is happening this year on December 3^rd from 5:00pm – 8:00pm! This is a free event for our whole community and church family! I want to invite you to not only be a part of this incredible event, but also be in prayer for God to use this night to reach people all over the city of Tyler. We want to make every effort to make this fun for the evening, but to make an eternal difference in the lives of people. I cannot wait to see you there!

This Sunday at Green Acres!

I pray that the book of James and our study through those incredible five chapters were a blessing to you and continue to challenge you. I know that I was personally challenged every week as I studied and prepared to deliver God’s Word. This week, we are starting our World Mission Offering Emphasis! This is really an exciting time to be a part of Green Acres and to learn, see, and experience all that God is doing through you around the world. You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 connect groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for worship in CrossWalk. We cannot wait to see you here!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

A God who Yearns

On the surface, Jeremiah would not be a “go to” book to find a place of comfort. Jeremiah 1:16 says, “I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil.” Jeremiah 2:13 says, “My people have forsaken me.” Jeremiah 3:2 says, “You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom.” Jeremiah 4:14 says, “O Jerusalem, how long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?” Jeremiah 5:23 says, “This people has a stubborn and rebellious heart.” Jeremiah 6:7 says, “As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her evil. This continues on for twenty-nine chapters. Not much comfort to find there… Conviction? Sure! Comfort? Not really.

However, there is a moment of summation that takes place in what scholars call the Book of Consolation. Chapters 30-33 provide a glimpse into a reality that is unexpected for the wicked and that is comfort. Jeremiah 31:20 says, “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him declares the Lord.” This is the Lord speaking to this broken people who are going against the ways of the Lord and yet the Lord yearns for something greater. Ephraim is simply another term for Israel. This is God’s people. These are the chosen ones that are the covenant people of God Himself. The darling child, the ones clothed with His law, His commands, His covenant, and His love. Even through for twenty-nine chapters, a laundry list of rebellious ways surface, it does not ever mean that the Lord is turning His back on His dear son, Israel. The Lord remembers. The fact that the Lord remembers does not mean that He is in the business of having to “recall” something that was once forgotten, but rather is the language of acknowledging His covenant with His beloved people.

As Jeremiah pens, the Lord reveals a yearning for His people. “Therefore my heart yearns.” The idea of Heart is typical in Hebrew fashion to speak of the inner self. However, here is different. This carries a different word in Hebrew “meah.” This term literally refers to the insides of a person. This is in reference to someone’s guts or bowels. This is why (if you recall) in the KJV, this is transliterated to “bowels.” Of course, this is anthropomorphic language sinse the Lord does not literally have bowels. This gives us a picture of intense yearning or an intense longing. Now, the word used here for yearn is even different than we would expect. The idea here from the Hebrew is actually more fitting to say, restless, agitated, or growling. The Lord is revealing something about Himself to us. This is denoting the intensity by which He yearns for His people. This should change our understanding of how God perceives us being the ones that He has rescued. As you live, the Lord is not waiting for you to mess up, so that He can hang it over your head. As you pray, the Lord is not waiting for you to come to Him, so that He can show you how harmful His wrath is. Instead, what flows from God is mercy upon mercy because He intensely yearns for His mercy to be received by His children to whom His mercies are given. Do not fall into the temptation of believing that God is ever against you. This should be reflected in how we approach Him. We do not sin so that we may receive more of God’s mercy. Instead, because of His mercy and His longing for us, it causes us to be more enamored by His presence than anything else in our lives. In fact, knowing how God longs for us, produces righteousness through us and in return a deep yearning from us for the things of God. Live with the knowledge that God longs for you in such a way that He was willing to send His only begotten son to come down to earth, live a perfect life on our behalf, save those who would trust in Him as their savior, so that they would not just live eventually in heaven, but live life abundantly now. Knowing that God who yearns for you, let us yearn more for the presence of God until His return. It will be that day that our faith becomes sight, sin will be no more, pain will disappear, and our longings ultimately fulfilled.

This Sunday at Green Acres!

This Sunday is going to “feel” a little different! I am so excited and I am praying for the Lord to flood our services in all three campuses and all five services! This week, we are concluding the book of James and to prepare, read James 5:13-20 as we study Wisdom with Prayer. Come expectant for God to move in your life and come expectant to be transformed even further into the likeness of Christ! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 Connect Groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus (in Crosswalk) at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for worship. We cannot wait to see you here!

I would love to invite you to join us this coming Wednesday, November 8th at 6 PM in Crosswalk to listen as our Local Missions Minister Samuel Sadler interviews a former Catholic on how we can effectively share the gospel with those from a Catholic background. Click HERE to register for this free evangelism training event (Childcare available)! 

I am so excited that the East Texas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be honoring Pastor David with the Distinguished Citizen Award on December 5, 2023 in our Crosswalk Conference Center. This is a well-deserved award and could not go to a better man! If you would like to be a part, table sponsors are available here. 

MAN TALK is happening again on November 14 in Worship Center Room 150 from 6:15 am – 7:00 am. You can sign up to come hang out with other men, be encouraged in the Word, great food, and even better brotherhood. I hope to see you there!

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

The Better Way

Everyone wants to live the best life they possibly can. This is not a secret at all. If you were to ask a hundred different people if they wanted the best life possible, then all would respond with a resounding, “Yes!” The problem is, we don’t trust what our best life could possibly be. We all have our own understanding of what that might be based on success stories, history, and based on our own preferences. However, Isaiah 55:8 is clear when he warns and exhorts, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” The Lord has declared clearly that we do not think in the same way He does. We do not go in the way that He goes. It is clear that in order for us to have the “best” life, it would be a life that is surrendered to the thoughts and ways of Christ. John Calvin has a great quote on this passage. Calvin says, “There is nothing that troubles our consciences more than when we think that God is like ourselves.” When you look to the prophets of old, I do not think any of them would have chosen their path, but they would have certainly chosen their destination if they knew the alternative. Job, Jonah, David, Joseph and many more all prevailed on the path of peril. Job would not have chosen to lose his family and all that he had. Jonah would not have chosen his rebellion and being dumped overboard then swallowed by a fish and thrown up on the land he was avoiding. David would not have chosen for Saul to be relentless in his pursuit of ending David’s life. Joseph would not have chosen to be betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, then in the waiting, be betrayed once again, and left in prison. However, Job was restored completely, Jonah surrendered, David was king, and Joseph saved Israel as Egypt’s number two man.

It is not for us to decide what path we take, nor is it ours to rebel against the path we are on. It is not for us to live apathetically and simply say, “well God’s ways are not our ways” as if it is a divine curse or mystery. Rather, it is for us to understand that God loves us so much and that He cares for His children so much that the path of peril in this sin fallen world will not have the final say, nor will He allow His children to sink into the path of their own knowledge and understanding. This is the vantage point of God’s scope. I was hunting one year and was eager to harvest my first buck. I was beyond excited (still am) at the opportunity to harvest something BIG! However, late into the evening, my scope could no longer see the light of day. It was dark and all I could see was an animal with big antlers. I couldn’t see it well enough to know exactly where to shoot. Praise be to God that His scope is never darkened. Instead, from eternity past to eternity forward, He sees and knows all things. To compare our sight to the Lord is only helpful when we understand our limitations and God’s unlimited ability to see all things for all time. This is why His ways will always be better than our ways and His thoughts will always be better than our thoughts. It is incomprehensible to imagine a life where we do not trust in the Lord. We either struggle with trusting His sight, or we struggle trusting His love. Both have been proven over and over again in our lives. So many times, we sinfully disregard His sight and love and begin to believe that we know how to achieve our best life while ignoring the better way of Christ.

Prayer: Before our day begins, we must pray, “Lord, your ways are better than my ways. Your thoughts are better than my thoughts. Will you allow me by your grace to pursue your ways, pursue the mind of Christ and surrender when you reveal it to me? Lord, help me to live today according to your plans in my life. I want your way. Give me the strength to now go and obey the better way because I know your thoughts and your scope know no limit and your love has been displayed by sending your only Son to die in my place. Thank you, Jesus, for another day to serve you.”

This Sunday at Green Acres!

Take time this week as you prepare for worship to read James 5:7-12 as we study “Wisdom with Patience.” If a sermon on wealth and worldly riches were not enough, now James is moving into a more internal language with his teaching on patience. If we are not tested with money (which all of us are), then we will surely be tested with patience in life. Everyone struggles with the concept of patience, but James gives us great insight on how we can have wisdom in patience. Wisdom with patience, just as wealth, can be liberating to those who follow the Lord and His design for your life.  Come and worship with us at Tyler or Flint at 9:30 or 11:00 to learn how we should live in wisdom with patience.

DO NOT MISS! THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! Night of Prayer and Worship! Come and join us this Sunday night, October 29 at 6:00pm for a night of worshipping and praying together as a church family.

Midweek at GABC! I want to invite you to come and join me at WEBS this Wednesday in Crosswalk at 6pm. We are currently teaching through different doctrines of the Bible and would love to have you join us. We will end promptly at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

I am so excited that the East Texas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be honoring Pastor David with the Distinguished Citizen Award on December 5, 2023 in our Crosswalk Conference Center. This is a well-deserved award and could not go to a better man! If you would like to be a part, table sponsors are available here.

 I want to give you an update on where we are as a church in terms of financial health. Our giving is higher this year than it was last year as well as the previous year. However, we are currently about $103,000 behind budget. I am proud that our staff and ministry teams have been cautious to underspend their budgets, keeping our expenses well-below what has been received.  Praise be to God that in doing this we have still been able to make an impact for the Kingdom of God. But as you know, GABC wants to reach as many people as possible for His name and for His Kingdom! I want you to pray about how you could jump in for the first time, continue, or possibly increase giving to the general budget of Green Acres. I am so thankful for your generosity and the way God continues to provide for the great ministries that take place around the world! I also want to highlight that in just one-week, Green Acres received over $20,000 to give directly to the efforts taking place in Israel! Way to go! Thank you for your commitment and your trust in your church. God is good and will continue to see us through! If you would like to give, you can go to gabc.org/give and the prompts will guide you through the process.

Español Campus Update! I want you to know that the Español campus is off to a booming start! In just six short weeks, we have baptized 17 people and there are more on the way! Salvations, new members, and a deeper impact into the community is taking place because of this new campus and ministry initiative. This is all possible because of YOUR generosity to make ministry happen. Praise be to God! Continue to pray for Pastor Fernando as God continues to use him in really incredible ways!

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

God is….

Who is God? If you were to answer this question concisely, how would you do it? Most of the time, we answer this question with some rendition of an adjective. Adjectives serve as great descriptors, but usually fall short of essence. I believe this is a difficult task for anyone. Think of it in this way… Who is your wife? Who is your husband? Who is your friend? We can call them by name to answer the question quickly, but it does not tell us who that person is or is not. Descriptors are all we have to understand essence. Exodus 34:5-7 says, “⁵ The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed his name, ‘the Lord.’ ⁶ The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, ⁷ maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.” God is revealing Himself to Moses as He passed by. It is in this passing by that we see not just a descriptor of God, but the center of who God is.

When Moses makes this request of the Lord to pass Him by, the Lord says in return, I will show you all my goodness. The glory of God is revealed to Moses and given to us to understand in Exodus 34. The glory of God is defined in terms of mercy and grace. This is who God is. Psalm 138:5-6 describes the great glory of God and says, “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly.” This is difficult to fathom. Most of the time when we think inwardly of who God is, we are naturally drawn to an understanding of thunderous, roaring power and might. While though these things are true of God, when He reveals Himself to Moses, it seems different than what we often imagine. Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Our deepest instincts tell us that this should not be the case. We deserve the judgment, the thunder, the power, but instead…. Mercy? This does not delineate from the just nature of God independent of His judgment, but rather through His just nature, He is merciful, gracious, compassionate and slow to anger. This is who God is. The mercy of God is seen best in the atonement, justification, and redemption found in Christ. Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This is who God is. As you think about this let it draw you into a greater worship of the merciful and gracious God who has made Himself known to you.

This Sunday at Green Acres!

Take time this week as you prepare for worship to read James 5:1-6 as we study “Wisdom with Wealth.” There are a few ways we can view wealth. First, we can take the stance that we are not wealthy in comparison to others, which in turn takes away any accountability with wealth. Second, wealth can be viewed in terms of wickedness. James gives a correction to the normal view of wealth and gives us an understanding based how to handle wealth with godliness, but it requires wisdom. Wisdom with wealth can be liberating to those who follow the Lord and His design for your life.  Come and worship with us at Tyler or Flint at 9:30 or 11:00 to learn how we should live in wisdom with wealth.

Midweek at GABC! I want to invite you to come and join me at WEBS this Wednesday in Crosswalk at 6pm. We are currently teaching through different doctrines of the Bible and would love to have you join us. We will end promptly at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Starting Point is October 22 at 9:30am in Crosswalk C! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres.

For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

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Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

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The Heart of Christ

Have you ever considered the heart of Christ? Charles Spurgeon once mentioned that in all of the gospel accounts which consist of eighty-nine chapters of biblical text, there is only one place where Jesus tells us about his own heart. Matthew 11:29 says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Humble in heart. Other translations say, “gentle and lowly in heart.” This is the one place in Scripture that we see the Lord Himself pull back the veil of His own heart so that we might understand Jesus better. Many times, when we think about the Lord or if we were to describe Him to someone else…. How often would we get this wrong? Jesus is the King! Jesus is the Savior of the World! Jesus is the righteous judge and ruler of all things! He is the First and the last, the alpha and omega! Jesus is the creator! Jesus is the sustainer of all things! Jesus is all knowing! Jesus is all powerful! Even though all of these things are true of Christ we read… “Jesus is lowly and gentle in heart.”

The heart is not only the organ that pumps blood systemically through the body but in Hebrew terms, the heart is the epicenter of all that we do. It is the emotional center, the physical center, and the spiritual center and this “center” for Christ is lowly and gentle. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep the heart with all vigilance, for from if flows the springs of life.” The heart serves as our control center. The one who is all powerful is the same one who is described at His epicenter as lowly and gentle. You and I would have never thought of such a savior as this. This concept of gentleness only occurs three other times in the New Testament. Jesus first speaks about this in his inaugural sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:5. Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek.” It is the meek who will inherit the earth. We often think that the meek is only found in those who are weak and surely the ones who will inherit the earth will be reserved for those who are a dominant force. This is not the way of Christ. Instead, we are to be like Christ who is gentle and lowly. The second time we see this word used is in Matthew 21:5 (quoting of Zechariah 9:9) that says Jesus “Is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey.” Peter uses this word as well in his exhortation to wives. 1 Peter 3:4 says, “The hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.”

Then Jesus says this word lowly. Gentleness and lowliness are often used interchangeably, but there is a specific reason Jesus uses them side by side in His description of His own heart. This lowliness refers not only to the humility of Christ but speaks more directly to His accessibility. What king would ever describe himself as accessible? What king has the time? What king has this type of care? What king has this type of compassion? Jesus, the king is accessible to you. Jesus is gentle and lowly. Jesus does not require any hoops to jump through in order to get to Him. Jesus does not require a long waiting period to access Him. Instead, he is available at all times for you and me. This is astounding for us to even think about. The King of kings and the LORD of lords who is above all is not only sustaining the universe by the power of His words, He is completely available to meet with you intimately. No prerequisites and no strings attached. The qualification for a meeting is mentioned as Jesus says, “all who labor and are heavy burdened I will give you rest.” There is an invitation from Christ for you. Come to Him. Rest in Him. When you go to Him, what will you find? A gentle and lowly Savior ready to receive you. Wow! What an invitation. This benefit is for you today and every day until He calls you home to be permanently in His unhindered presence. As you long for that day, rest in the gentle and lowly Savior.

This Sunday at Green Acres!

Take time this week as you prepare for worship to read James 4:1-12 as we study “Wisdom with Passion.” Passion has many benefits in life. In fact, we are called to be passionate. Passion is a sign of care, virtue, and determination. However, what happens when passion rules negatively? Passion that is untamed can lead nations to wars, brothers to fight and quarrel, churches to split, marriages to be broken, people to lose their way. However, passion in the hands of God can be used in a mighty way for His kingdom. Come and worship with us at Tyler or Flint at 9:30 or 11:00 to see how the Lord can take your passions and direct them toward His good.

Midweek at GABC! I want to invite you to come and join me at WEBS this Wednesday in Crosswalk at 6pm. We are currently teaching through different doctrines of the Bible and would love to have you join us. We will end promptly at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Starting Point is October 22 at 9:30am in Crosswalk C! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres.

For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

Is Jesus our friend?

Have you ever considered whether or not Jesus is your friend? It seems somewhat elementary to think about and it can also carry a bit of a demeaning tone as well. However, Matthew 11:19 says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” In this one verse we get a peek into the heart of Christ and how He views you and me. This statement comes in the form of an indictment against Christ. How could Christ be the friend of sinners and tax collectors? These are the worst of sinners. The indictment comes only from those who do not perceive themselves as partakers of that category. The sinner can find much comfort in the statement, but the one who does not understand they are a sinner only finds it to be offensive. I find this intriguing to think about the way Jesus is identified from the crowds. In Mark 1:24, the demons identify Jesus as the Holy One of God. In Luke 4:9 Satan himself identifies Jesus as “the Son of God.” It is not the disciples, not even Satan or the demons, but the ones against Jesus who seem to see Him most clearly. The antagonists say he is a “Friend of sinners.”

When you think about someone being your friend, you are probably thinking of someone that you went to school with, someone you work with, or maybe someone with whom you have much in common. Maybe it is simply a person you get along with well, and you consider each other friends. It may also mean that you feel welcome and comfortable around them. I want to show you what it says in Luke 15:1-2. The bible says, “All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them’” (Luke 15:1-2). The sinners and the tax collectors that Jesus is blamed for being friends with, are the ones who are literally drawn toward Him. They are comfortable around Jesus. They are welcomed by Jesus. They enjoy being with Jesus. They are invited to hang out by Jesus. They are friends with Jesus. I find it truly amazing that in Christ, we have a friend who will always enjoy us when we are around. Is this not an incredible truth? Jesus, the righteous one, the Holy One, the Son of God, the Image of the invisible God, the perfect savior, the Holy Lamb of God is my friend. He is not a fickle friend who may grow weary of our stay, but rather the faithful friend who continually encourages and welcomes our stay. This is the love of Christ for you. He is the friend that will continually pursue you and will continually allow you to pursue Him. He is the perfect friend.

In conclusion, I want to give you the words from the great Puritan, Richard Sibbes “In friendship there is a mutual consent, a union of judgment and affections. There is a mutual sympathy in the good and ill one of another…. There is liberty which is the life of friendship; there is a free intercourse between friends, a free opening of secrets. So here Christ opens his secrets to us, and we to him… In friendship, there is mutual solace and comfort one in another. Christ delights himself in his love to the church, and his church delights herself in her love to Christ… In friendship there is a mutual honor and respect one of another. As his friendship is sweet, so it is constant in all conditions…. if other friends fail, as friends may fail, yet this friend will never fail us. If we be not ashamed of him, he will never be ashamed of us. How comfortable would our life be if we could draw out the comfort that this title of friend affords! It is a comfortable, a fruitful, an eternal friendship.”

Praise be to Jesus, that He is a friend to sinners like you and me.

This Sunday at Green Acres!

Take time this week as you prepare for worship to read James 3:13-18 as we study “Wisdom in Living.” Have you ever considered how wisdom is gained, how it is applied, and how we should live in it? James teaches us that there are two types of wisdoms that we see in people. People either have the wisdom from above or the wisdom from below. The difference is clear in that one is a true wisdom, and one is a false wisdom. There is one wisdom that leads to a greater delight in Christ and a wisdom that leads to a greater destruction apart from Christ. James gives us a unique understanding of how we can know what type of wisdom we are clinging to. I hope to see you this Sunday as we continue our study in James.

Come and worship with us at Tyler or Flint at 9:30 or 11:00 to see what it means to obey in light of our salvation. 

Midweek at GABC! I want to invite you to come and join me at WEBS this Wednesday in Crosswalk at 6pm. We are currently teaching through different doctrines of the Bible and would love to have you join us. We will end promptly at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Starting Point is October 22 at 9:30am in Crosswalk C! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres.

For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.

Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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The Need for Evangelism

Jesus gave us a clear understanding of how we are to live our lives. Too often, we complicate and clutter our lives, which casts an unintentional shadow on our calling as followers of Jesus. Wouldn’t you expect the enemy to work in this way? We know the commands and our calling, yet everything else takes priority in our lives. We have work to do, we have goals to accomplish, we have family activities, we have sports to keep up with, schoolwork to complete, tasks at home, cars to take care of, and the list goes on and on and on. We have become so busy with our lives that we could not possibly consider adding one more thing to do. However, in the structure of the great commandment, we do not read that we should add one more thing to our lives, such as evangelism, but instead, this is the one thing in our lives that we add other things to. Jesus said, “Go.” It could be better translated to say, “As you are going,” make disciples of all nations…. This is where we often get it wrong. We believe that the command is to “go and do” rather than “as you are going… MAKE.” What is the difference, you ask? If we are told to go and make disciples, then it becomes a task to manage, but if we make disciples as we are going, it is a reality and expectation of our life.

As a church family, WE MUST be about this one task. We cannot get bogged down in the management of tasks and forget our purpose in life. Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that we will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and we WILL be His witnesses. One of the greatest evidences of the power of God in your life is your commitment to be His witness. We do not go somewhere to make disciples; we do not go somewhere to be his witness, but instead, EVERYWHERE we go, we make disciples, and we are His witness. We know that as a church, this must be our primary effort, which all other efforts support. Every activity of the church must directly support the church’s ACTIVITY, which is to witness Jesus and make disciples in His name and in His way. I am excited that we have a great opportunity to grow in evangelism!

I want to invite you to be a part of an incredible event that will give you the tools to share the Gospel with others effectively on Wednesday, September 27th, starting at 6 pm in Crosswalk. The guest speaker will be Dr. Bruno Molina of the SBTC, and he will be guiding us through practical ways to turn our everyday conversations into Gospel conversations based on The 3 Circles method. Childcare is available for this training, and we invite you to register HERE.

This Sunday at Green Acres!

As you prepare for worship, take time this week to read James 2:14-26. We will look at this text together and study the “Wisdom in Obedience.” James, in his own unique way, gives us incredible wisdom on the implications of obedience in our faith. Many people (including the great reformer, Martin Luther) believe this is one of the most challenging topics to reconcile with the Pauline thought of “Justification by faith alone.” We obviously hold this doctrine as true, but how do we reconcile the words of James that says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24, CSB)? Come and worship with us at Tyler or Flint at 9:30 or 11:00 to see what it means to obey in light of our salvation.

I want to invite you to join my wife, Katie and myself on the journey of a lifetime as we explore the Holy Land. You will have the opportunity to see the “place of the skull” and the garden tomb as the crucifixion comes to life. We will follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples as we travel through the Holy Land, where our Messiah lived and worked miracles. Watch the Scriptures come to life as you visit places like Bethlehem, Jericho, the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, and Jerusalem. Float in the Dead Sea, discover Masada, and gaze upon the Valley of Armageddon. This trip will be an incredible spiritual experience that will forever change how you read, study, and understand the Scriptures.

Sign up today to secure your spot on this trip of a lifetime!

I also want to personally invite you to our Wednesday Morning Bible Study for senior adults. Each Wednesday from 10:00am – 11:00am, we hear outstanding teaching by former Executive Pastor, Ken Warren. On September 20, we will meet at the Student Center, as we kick-off our new series, “Jonah – Lessons from a Petulant Preacher.”  This is a great time for you and your friends to be together!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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Theology Matters Part 7 – The Doctrine of Justification

I pray you had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration with your family and friends. It was a special time this past Sunday as we prayed over Congressman Nathaniel Moran and then commissioned two of our very own, Mark and Effie Tripura, to full time mission work in Southeast Asia. Please continue to be in prayer for them in the days and years ahead. As we think about our nation’s leaders, our president, and the freedom our country stands on, let us offer thanks to the Lord for the many ways He has provided for His people. When I was contemplating the great cost of freedom, the great country we live in, and the Lord that allows all of it, I was reminded of this doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

These 25 words make up one of the most influential and memorable of Christian hymns. It is a clear reminder that everything exists because of God. The freedom we experience in America is extended by God Himself. It came at a great cost even before the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Attempts of first settling in the new land came at a great cost. The victory of the Revolutionary War came at a great cost. The War of 1812, the Indian Wars, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and the Global War on Terror that still lingers today all came at a great cost to many Americans and their families. We set aside special days to recognize veterans and active military as well as a day set apart to remember all who have fallen protecting the freedom you and I have experienced in America. However, July 4^th is a day designated for celebration, remembrance, and mourning. We celebrate the freedom we have, we remember the sacrifice, and we mourn as Christians the growing lack of morality throughout our nation.

As followers of Jesus, we do the same, not only for our nation, but for the Kingdom of Christ. Our greatest celebration is not found in America but rather in the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20-21 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Our citizenship of heaven is to be lived out now, in anticipation of Christ’s return.

We also remember the ultimate sacrifice made by Christ Jesus. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We remember the cost of our justification. The doctrine of justification helps us remember the sacrifice of Jesus. Justification is not attributed to us because of our faith nor are we justified because of our obedience. We are justified only because the penalty of our sin has been set upon the only righteous one: Christ Jesus. For us to be justified, we must receive, accept, and trust in the righteousness of Christ. This doctrine teaches us that the faith we must believe in Christ with is not because we chose Him, but because He chose us. It is truly a gift from God alone. Jesus fully satisfied the wrath of a holy and just God by taking the punishment on our behalf. This is how the doctrine of justification is applied to us by the Spirit of God.

Yet, we still mourn for our own fallenness in sin and for the sin of those around us. Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” While we live in America, the land of the free, we mourn for the sake of God’s kingdom. We know the penalty of sin, and we understand the cost of justification; this realization should cause a mourning within us until the return of Christ. It is at Christ’s return that mourning will cease because the Kingdom of God will be established without sin’s taint. Until then, let us continue to repent of our sin with mourning, pray for revival, and pray that America and every nation would come to know Jesus as the one true ruler of all.

I want to personally invite you to join my wife, Katie and myself on the journey of a lifetime as we explore the Holy Land. You will have the opportunity to see the “place of the skull” and the garden tomb as the crucifixion comes to life. We will follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples as we travel through the Holy Land, where our Messiah lived and worked miracles. Watch the Scriptures come to life as you visit places like Bethlehem, Jericho, the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, and Jerusalem. Float in the Dead Sea, discover Masada, and gaze upon the Valley of Armageddon. This trip will be an incredible spiritual experience that will forever change how you read, study, and understand the Scriptures. Reserve your spot today!

Sign up today to secure your spot on this trip of a lifetime!

Come this Sunday and worship with us as we continue our summer series, “The Heart of Psalms.” You can join us at the Tyler campus or the Flint campus for worship at 9:30 or 11:00. If you missed last week’s message, you can view it on Facebook, YouTube, or GABC.org. This week, we will look in depth at Psalm 73 as we understand “The Heart of Satisfaction.”

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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Welcome to Wednesday Evening Bible Study! We’re so glad you’re here!

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“O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him born the King of angels: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. True God of True God, Light from Light eternal Humbly, He entered the virgin’s womb. Son of the Father, begotten, not created. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God, glory in the highest: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory given! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” [1]What a great reminder of what Christmas is really about. 1 Timothy 1:15 tells us why Jesus came. Paul says, “15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them.” Jesus came into the world to save us, even the worst among sinners. This is the reason for worship – not just at Christmas, but in every season of our lives.

For an understanding of worship and in accordance with this great hymn, look no further than the magi in Matthew chapter 2. Matthew 2:1-2 says, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.'” The magi went looking for the King of the Jews so they could worship him.

Most nativities display Jesus in the manger, Mary, Joseph, and the wise men. However, that is not the case. Popular nativity scenes are pretty, but they are not exactly historically always accurate. We can see in our text the Wise Men did not arrive on the night of Jesus’ birth – it was later. In fact, Matthew used a word that specifically means “house” instead of stable. He also used the word “child” instead of newborn. Based upon verse 16 in Matthew 2, we can infer Jesus was probably anywhere from 12-24 months old when the wise men visited Him.

True worship consists of seeking after Jesus.

When you think about the wise men… Often we hear different words for the men who came and visited Jesus. You have three different descriptions of the men who came. The first as we already mentioned, wise men, the second is magi, and the third is kings. Which one is correct? I love what John MacArthur says: “Because of their combined knowledge of science, agriculture, mathematics, history, and the occult, they became the most prominent and powerful group of advisors in the Medo-Persian and subsequently the Babylonian empire. Historians tell us that no Persian was ever able to become king without mastering the scientific and religious disciplines of the magi and then being approved and crowned by them.” Technically speaking, Matthew calls them magi who came from the East of Israel which is modern day Iraq and Iran. They had been traveling for a long time following a strange star in the western sky. There are many theories about how the star appeared along with this one…. Others believe it was a comet, others think maybe a supernova. But those theories seem to ignore one major facet and that is the star of Bethlehem moved. It finally stopped right over the house where Jesus was staying. I believe this miracle was a light that could never be explained by natural means. But they were not just following a star… They were seeking something greater. They asked Herod in Matthew 2:2, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” The words, “Where is the Messiah?” are the first recorded words spoken by a person in the entire New Testament. In Matthew 1, only the angel Gabriel speaks. What do you think is the first question found in Old Testament? In Genesis 3:9, God asked Adam, “Where are you?” I love this truth here…. The Bible is comprised of 66 books written over 1500 years inspired by God but has one message and one dominating plot from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament can be summarized by this one question from God to man symbolizing our lostness before God. And the New Testament can be summarized by this question, “where is the Messiah?” I am not sure what you are looking for this Christmas, but it always will end the same. You and I will always be in the trench of one of those questions. The answer hasn’t changed because they tell them, the Messiah is to come and be born in Bethlehem. People who are lost will always be searching for the Lord. However, when you search, you will find Jesus and those who find Him will worship Him. The miracle of Christmas is that God didn’t look down on our search to worship and leave us. Instead, He sent us His son so that we may be saved by Him and worship Him completely. It is Jesus who came to earth to make a path for you to be given the right standing to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

True worship consists of us giving all we have to Him.

Giving gifts is a symbol at Christmas to show love to family and friends. It is also a reminder of how the magi approached Jesus for the first time. What can you possibly bring to the one who owns it all? I love the song, Gratitude, by Brandon Lake that says, “All my words fall short, I got nothing new. How could I express All my gratitude? I could sing these songs, As I often do. But every song must end, And You never do. So I throw up my hands And praise You again and again. ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah, Hallelujah. And I know it’s not much, But I’ve nothing else fit for a King, Except for a heart singing hallelujah, Hallelujah. I’ve got one response. I’ve got just one move With my arm stretched wide I will worship You. So I throw up my hands And praise You again and again ‘Cause all that I have is a hallelujah, Hallelujah. And I know it’s not much, But I’ve nothing else fit for a King. Except for a heart singing hallelujah. Hallelujah.” [2] It is difficult to get the right gift for those we love and care for, but what are we to bring to the King of kings? In bringing our “all” to Jesus, we must first recognize that we truly have nothing to offer. We have nothing to offer that is fit for a King except a heart of worship. There is something to learn about worship from the gifts the magi brought.

GOLD: Worship the Lord with our first and best.

Worshipping the Lord should consist of giving Him our first and best that we have to offer. Gold has always been considered a valuable commodity. This is a gift that only earthly kings would have received. Psalm 21:3 says, “For you meet him with rich blessings; you place a crown of pure gold on his head.” The magi were making a statement here that they were recognizing Jesus as the true King. This is much more than just a simple financial donation from the magi. This is a symbol of who is king. Many people give to the Lord financially. However, each month, they pay all their bills and spend on themselves, and then if any is leftover, they will give to the Lord out of that. This is not how we should think of our financial gifts to our King, Jesus. He deserves our first, our best. Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest.” This means we are to give the first and best of our time, resources, finances, and energy. This is what true worship looks like when we recognize who Jesus really is.

INCENSE: Worship the Lord with joy.

Our oldest, Ryleigh, was in the hospital for an extended period. For the first 6-7 days or so, we were not able to stay at the hospital with her in the NICU. So, the nurses gave Katie a cloth to keep with her and then Katie would leave that cloth with Ryleigh to help her stay calm with the aroma of Katie’s presence. We are all familiar with that feeling of when you smell something, and it can draw you to a significant memory. The Incense was used and burned by the Priests during worship because the aroma would help the experience of worship affect all the senses. The cloud created by the incense represented the presence of God that was revealed as a cloud to the Israelites to the Promised land. When the people could smell the incense, it brought them toward the joy of worship. Matthew 2:10 says, “When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy.” Eugene Petersen paraphrases this verse in the Message and says, “They could hardly contain themselves.” Their joy was expressed as they bowed down and worshiped the Child. The aroma of our worship today for the Lord is tied to our joy in worship. In our walk with the Lord, we are to be the aroma of worship and Joy. The third gift is,

MYRRH: Worship the Lord with your life and loyalty.

Myrrh was an ointment that was used on dead bodies to slow down the process of decay. This gift from the magi reveals an understanding that this Messiah’s death was going to be different. Daniel prophesied about this Messiah and how he would be cut off or killed. The hands of this child will be pierced for our transgressions, that the child’s side that is soft and innocent would be pierced by a Roman soldier and this child would grow to rescue and redeem the world through His death. Jesus came to lay down His life so that our life can be lived in Him. Therefore we worship Him with our life and with a loyalty knowing that this is the only King who can give life to us. It is not what the magi brought; it is the act of worship that was so special because they recognized who Jesus really was. In our lives, it is not about what we BRING to the Lord; it is about what we surrender in worship because He alone is worthy.

I love the way Charles Wesley says it in a hymn in 1744: “Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.” This is who we are worshipping this Christmas…. The wise men sought after God, found Jesus, worshiped Him, and surrendered everything to Him. It is the same with you and me when we meet Christ. He is not interested in the gifts you have; He came to rescue. He came to give you joy, to give you peace, to give you hope, to give you all the desires of your heart and your deepest longings. The magi came to give Him gifts because they ultimately recognized that in Jesus, they have everything they could ever need. Our worship to the Lord is a statement that Jesus alone is our treasure, not anything here on earth.

I want to ask that you pray about making a financial gift to the Lord through Green Acres. As I write this, we are still almost $500,000 behind our budget goal for the year. Will you consider helping us close that gap? You can give here.

Come and worship with us on Christmas Eve! This is one of my favorite gatherings of the year! Make plans and invite someone to join you on December 24th for our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. This year’s service will be packed with great worship from our Worship Ministry, including a full choir and full orchestra! We will also have a great kids’ element that will make it fun for the whole family. We will take the opportunity to partake in the Lord’s Supper and will also be reminded of the Light of World that came to earth with Candlelight. You do not want to miss, so make plans to join us at 4:00pm or 6:00pm on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day, December 25th, we want to invite you to join us for worship at 10:00am! We will only have one service that day, and we look forward to worshipping on Christmas Day as a church family.

NEW YEAR’S DAY  On New Year’s Day we will have only one service at 10 AM at the Tyler and Flint campuses.  I’m excited to tell you that at the Tyler campus, our Pastor Emeritus Dr. David Dykes will be preaching!  We love Pastor David and are thrilled to have him share with us!   And then I am happy to have the opportunity to preach at the Flint campus on New Year’s Day.

CHURCH-WIDE BIBLE READING PLAN! Psalm 119:25-28 says, “My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word. I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word.” It is no secret to anyone that if you want to understand the true value of God’s word, look no further than Psalm 119. It is filled with verse after verse on the importance of keeping and hiding God’s word in our hearts. I want to invite you to join our entire church family on a two-year Bible reading plan. You will have the plan emailed weekly to you. It will also be available on the GABC App, and you can pick up a printed copy of the 2-year plan. Come and dig into God’s word with us. We will begin on January 1st of 2023. There is nothing greater than a church praying together, worshipping together, and reading God’s word together. Join in!

I cannot wait to preach this Sunday as we conclude our Christmas series, “The King has Come.” We will continue to look at Isaiah chapter 9 with other supplemental verses to help us understand the significance of Christ dwelling among man. This week we will study, “The Peace of Christ in Chaos.” Christmas can become very chaotic at times. Schedules are tight, expectations of visiting family, friends, parties, and on and on and on. Come on Christmas Day and let’s worship together family style! This is going to be a great time of worship for the whole family. We will have a special kids’ element that will make this Christmas Day special for the entire family. Please come worship with us on Christmas Day at 10:00 am at our Tyler and Flint campuses.

Merry Christmas to all of you! You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

[1] https://hymnary.org/text/o_come_all_ye_faithful_joyful_and_triump

[2] https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/brandonlake/gratitude.html

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WORSHIP MATTERS PART 5

One of my prayers for myself and for our church is that we would be a “Spirit-filled” people. Most would agree with that prayer because it is commonly understood that all Christians are called to be full of the Spirit or filled with the Spirit. This is not a command to the Pentecostals and charismatics only; it is a command to every believer in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:9 says, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” Every disciple of Jesus has the Spirit within him, but does the Spirit have you? This is the significant difference and one of the most misunderstood when it comes to Spirit filling. The Spirit of God lives within the believer and at the point of salvation, the believer has every bit of the Spirit. There is no partial payment from the Lord, but rather at the point of salvation, the Lord gives you all of Him. You are indwelled by the Spirit. Paul is talking about the Spirit of God having all of you. This is being Spirit-filled. Being filled with the Spirit allows you to walk with the Lord in obedience, serve Him sacrificially, and worship Him genuinely.

This is the part of worship that we often ignore. This is the part of worship for which we are most responsible. Paul makes this abundantly clear in Ephesians 5:18-21:

“And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Do not get drunk with wine; instead, be filled by the Spirit. Paul answers the question that everyone would have leading up to this point. The audience knows what someone will look like when drunk on wine. They may stumble as they try to walk, become belligerent, or act out of character. So, the question must be, “What does it look like to be filled with the Spirit?” Being drunk with wine does not lead to godliness, but rather debauchery. Being filled with the Spirit leads us to the throne of grace. Paul says that the Spirit-filled person will address one another in “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” One of the greatest characteristics of being full of the Spirit is that you will be worshipping the Lord and drawing others in to worship the Lord as well. When you are full of the Spirit, you can’t help but worship the Lord because the dampeners of the world have been removed and the song of the Spirit inside of you can be heard clearly.

Have you ever considered your preparation for corporate worship? Here at Green Acres, we believe in the weekly gathering of God’s people. We see in scripture that we are not to forsake the gathering of God’s people. But what about the preparation? Jesus says we are to deny ourselves daily, take our cross, and follow Him. This is one of our greatest preparations for the Lord’s day as we gather together. Deny ourselves, take up our cross so that we may be full of the Spirit, and worship Him wholly. Our ability to worship the Lord has much more to do with our personal preparation than anything else that is happening at the church. Let us not only make the weekly gathering of God’s people our priority but also our preparation. Lord, let us be a Spirit-filled people who pursue you wholeheartedly.

Make plans and invite someone to join you on December 24th for our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. This year will be packed with great worship from our Worship Ministry, including a full choir and full orchestra! We will also have a great kid’s element that will make it fun for the whole family. We will take the opportunity to partake in the Lord’s Supper and will also be reminded that the Light of World came to earth with Candlelight. You do not want to miss, so plan to join us at 4:00 pm or 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve, December 24th.

On Christmas Day, December 25th, we invite you to join us for worship at 10:00 am! We will only have one service that day, and we look forward to worshipping together on Christmas Day as a church family.

SHUTTLE UPDATE: We are transitioning away from shuttles in order to have better modes of transportation that are more dependable and cost-effective. In this transition, we ask that you park on our campus, not in the shopping center parking lot, so that our Parking Team can easily pick you up and get you to your destination quickly. As we make this transition, your understanding and patience will be greatly appreciated.

CHURCH-WIDE BIBLE READING PLAN! Psalm 119:25-28 says, “My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word. I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word.” It is no secret to anyone that if you want to understand the true value of God’s Word, look no further than Psalm 119. It is filled with verse after verse on the importance of keeping and hiding God’s Word in our hearts. I invite you to join our entire church family on a two-year Bible reading plan. The plan will be available on the GABC App, or you can pick up a printed copy of the 2-year plan. Come and dig into God’s Word with us. We will begin on January 1st of 2023. There is nothing greater than a church praying together, worshipping together, and reading God’s Word together. Join in!

JOURNEYS OF PAUL TRIP: I would like to invite you to join Katie & me on an amazing journey retracing the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. The trip will be September 17-26, 2023. We will step into history and walk alongside Paul as we journey through Philippi, Thessaloniki, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Crete, Patmos, and Ephesus. The Holy Scriptures will come to life in unimaginable ways! This will be a trip of a lifetime that promises to forever change all of us! For more information on this trip, stop by our table in the foyer or visit this link.

I cannot wait to preach this Sunday as we continue our Christmas series, “The King has Come.” We will look at Isaiah chapter 9 over the next three weeks with other supplemental verses to help us understand the significance of Christ dwelling among man. This week we will study, “The Light of Christ in Darkness.” Make plans to join us and bring someone you know who needs to hear a word from the Lord.

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

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WORSHIP MATTERS PART 4

“Worship is more than a song.” Many of us have heard this truth, but at times, it is difficult to understand.  A song for worship or a hymn of praise is only as good as the motivation from which it derives.

Psalm 40:1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.  He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.”

David gave a new song and a hymn of praise that was simply an overflow of God’s work in his own life.  The Lord brought David up from a desolate pit and out of the miry clay.  The Lord set David’s feet on solid ground rather than a slippery place.  The Lord’s work in David’s life caused a new song to develop.  King Nebuchadnezzar, who was responsible for pillaging Israel and taking the Israelites captive, had to learn this lesson of worship the hard way.  During this time of Babylonian captivity, the land was strengthened, and Nebuchadnezzar’s reign flourished.  One night, the king had a dream that only Daniel could interpret.  The interpretation was not favorable news to the king, and Daniel’s interpretation, that came from the Lord, proved true.  Nebuchadnezzar would not place himself under the authority of the Lord and would not humble himself before God.  In Nebuchadnezzar’s mind, he built Babylon, and it was all for his glory.  However, as the dream came true, the king lost his mind, began acting like an animal, and the dew of the earth covered him.  But then, the Lord restored his sanity.  Daniel 4:34 says, “But at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned to me.  Then I praised the Most High and honored and glorified him who lives forever.” Nebuchadnezzar looking to heaven was only an indication of what God had done within him.  He gazed at the Lord, and worship followed.  Fixing our eyes on the Lord seems like an easy task at times and impossible at others.  The author of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 12:2, “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of our faith.  For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

If we fix our eyes upon the Lord, then worship follows.  It was true of their lives, and it is true of ours.  As our church family gathers together for worship, our eyes can be fixed on many things other than Jesus.  Psalm 40:1 says, “I waited patiently for the LORD, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.” David would not know of the Lord’s turning, had his eyes not been fixed on the Lord.  As a church family, let us hold our gaze on the One who is worthy.  As we walk through Advent together, let us keep our eyes on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Remember, on December 4, we will have our annual city-wide event to light up the Christmas Tree!  This is more than just a Christmas tree lighting; this is an opportunity for us to reach into the community with the hope of Jesus Christ.  Come and join us as we kick-off this Christmas season by showing East Texas the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: I cannot wait for our annual Christmas Eve service!  It will be packed with great worship from our Worship Ministry, including full choir and full orchestra!  We will also have a great kids’ element that will make it fun for the whole family!  We will take the opportunity to partake in the Lord’s Supper and will be reminded of the Light of World that came to earth with Candlelight.  You do not want to miss, so plan to join us at 4:00 pm or 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve, December 24th.

On Christmas Day, December 25th, we want to invite you to join us for worship at 10:00am!  We will only have one service that day, and we look forward to worshipping together on Christmas Day as a church family.

CHURCH-WIDE BIBLE READING PLAN!  Psalm 119:25-28 says, “My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word.  I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes.  Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders.  I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word.” It is no secret to anyone that if you want to understand the true value of God’s Word, look no further than Psalm 119.  It is filled with verse after verse on the importance of keeping and hiding God’s Word in our hearts.  I invite you to join our entire church family on a two-year Bible reading plan.  The plan will be emailed to you weekly and will be available on the GABC App, or you can pick up a printed copy of the 2-year plan.  Come and dig into God’s Word with us.  We will begin on January 1st of 2023.  There is nothing greater than a church praying together, worshipping together, and reading God’s Word together.  Join in!

I cannot wait to preach this Sunday as we start our brand-new series, “The King has Come.” We will look at Isaiah chapter 9 over the next four weeks with other supplemental verses to help us understand the significance of Christ dwelling among man.  This week we will study “The Hope of Christ in Desperation.”  It seemed as if the Lord was completely silent and had forgotten Israel, and Israel was desperate.  They were longing to hear from the Lord, and suddenly the Word they needed finally appeared.  The Messiah that was promised and the Messiah they had long hoped for was finally here.  Come and celebrate the birth of Christ with us as we start this brand-new Christmas series together.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are joyous occasions for many people.  However, for some, this season can be challenging and difficult.  We want you to know that as a church family, we are here to help and serve you in any way we can.

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

Merry Christmas! Did you know that God sent his one and only son, Jesus, to this earth to live the perfect life and then to die for our sins? Well, that is the whole reason for this time of year, Christmas! In today’s episode, Michael and Todd discuss the reason for this season and how we can use this time to talk about Christ and make this busy time of year all about Jesus! We hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Season 3 kicks off in January 2023! So be sure to follow us via the links below to stay updated on all things CGM!

Do you have a topic that you would like to hear about on the CGM Podcast?

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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Happy Thanksgiving! It is easy to be grateful in the highs but not so much when you’re in the lows! This week, Michael and Hixon discuss how you can be grateful through all the ups and downs of life! What are you grateful for? Let us know in the comments! We pray that you have an incredible Thanksgiving Day! Do you have a topic that you would like to hear about on the CGM Podcast?

Send us your topic at communications@gabc.org

Show Links:

Greenberg Turkeys

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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A Note from Michael Gossett

WORSHIP MATTERS PART 3

This past week, Rowan, our 6-year-old daughter, has been memorizing Psalm 100. We would read it together, she would repeat the verses, and we continued this for the entirety of the Psalm. Rowan stopped me and asked this question: “What does acknowledge mean?” I thought it was an interesting question; little did she know it was vital to the understanding of the entire Psalm. Psalm 100:1-5 says:

“Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his—his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.”

Did you catch Rowan’s question? Understanding acknowledge is vital to our understanding of worship. Other translations say, “Know that the Lord is God.” To know the Lord is speaking to a level of intimacy – to know him in a personal way. This is not only to know him in an intellectual way, but to also know him spiritually. Those who shout triumphantly to the Lord shout with thanksgiving. This thankfulness springs from knowing the Lord by faith in a salvific sense, not just as a distant ruler over the earth. This drives our worship. Worship is an overflow of knowing Christ as Savior. So often, our worship is dependent on external factors. These external factors are not invalid, but they are factors that hinder worship rather than encourage worship. Personal knowledge of the Lord gives you and I a greater confidence and ability to worship the Lord no matter the external factors. It also means that you and I can worship with confidence because we know the one thing that doesn’t change: Jesus Christ and his saving power and grace. This should flow in us, through us, and out of us as worshippers of the Lord. “He made us, and we are his!” The Creator of the universe who made all things is the same God who made you and is the same God who chose to save you…. This is a God who is worthy of worship.

When we find ourselves “unable” to worship because of external factors, let us draw our attention to this Psalm and remind ourselves of the reason why we worship. Our knowledge of God drives our worship and our generosity.

I want to thank you for your outstanding participation in our Going Beyond Sunday on November 6^th. It was a special day for many reasons, but it was also special because as a church family, we were able to reduce our budget deficit by 25%! This is incredible! However, as you know, we are still looking at a $750,000 deficit. I want to encourage you this week to bring an offering of Thanksgiving. This is seen as an act of worship from the people of God. Psalm 116:17-19 says, “I will offer you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord’s house—within you, Jerusalem.  Hallelujah!” The people were bringing their offering to the house of the Lord as an overflow of their thanksgiving to the Lord. Thankfulness, generosity, and worship all collide in Scripture as fuel for one another. What are you grateful for?

For some of you, the thought of the holidays brings great joy; for others, it brings much heartache. I want to invite you to GriefShare on November 20 at 5:30pm in Lighthouse 353 for a one evening seminar that will help build you up in Christ and give you the tools necessary for surviving the holidays in a Christ-honoring way. Register here.

Don’t miss our 8th Annual Grace EmBEDded Bed Build in the parking garage on November 23, 2022 at 5:30PM to assemble 100 beds for children facing placement into the foster system. Sign up today!

Do not forget on December 4, we will have our annual Christmas Tree Lighting! Invite your friends and neighbors to this community event as we start off this season showing East Texas the reason why we celebrate Christmas. You can view our Christmas schedule gabc.org/Christmas.

I cannot wait to preach this Sunday as we study Acts 20:17-24 and look at the mission of Paul and how it went from House to House. Come and join us this Sunday at 8:30am or 11:00am.

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

Have you ever wanted to share the gospel with someone at work but you can’t seem to find the right moment? Most of us spend more time at work than we do at home. So why not take advantage of that time with your coworkers and share the gospel with them? In today’s episode, Chance and Michael talk about ways that you can boldly share the gospel and be an example for Christ in the workplace!

Episode Links:

I Am Second – Brain Welch

How to Share the Gospel with the 3 Circles

If you want us to mail you 3 Circles Tracts, send us your name, address, and quantity to, communications@gabc.org!

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In our final episode of the “Discipleship Matters” Series, Michael sits down with our Student Pastor, Kurt Fehlis, and our Kids Pastor, Dustin Lee. They share insights on making discipleship a priority in your house and how to disciple your family well. Check out the links below for all of the great resources mentioned in today’s episode.

Show Links:

Holly Shivers Books

AXIS

“Shepherding a Childs Heart”

“A Little God Time”

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A Note from Michael Gossett

WORSHIP MATTERS – PART 2

Have you ever considered the primary purpose of gathering in worship together? We know that “worship” is more than just a gathering—it’s a lifestyle. And regarding this gathering, what is most important? What should be the ultimate purpose when we gather for worship?

The importance of honoring the Lord through offerings of worship was first recorded in Genesis, where we read about the difference between an act of worship that is acceptable and one that is not.

“In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord.  And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent” (Genesis 4:3-5).

The offerings of Cain and Abel are a topic of discussion and debate. It is not my desire to settle the debate that surrounds the offerings but rather to help us understand the difference between the two offerings. Some have suggested that the issue was that Cain’s offering was not a blood offering. We know that a blood offering is what has been required from the beginning as a substitute for our sins, and blood is required for atonement. “And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). However, we also know that the Lord accepted both blood and grain offerings throughout the Old Testament. Others have suggested that Cain did not give of his “first fruits.” This again would be reading the text with quite a bit of assumption, being that the Bible does not say that Cain gave of his leftovers or rotten fruit that was no longer good to eat. Others suggest that the difference was the posture of Cain’s offering. This would suggest that Cain did not come with a heart of worship to the Lord even though it may have been of his first fruits.^[1]

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith” (Hebrews 11:4).

What we know from scripture is that the Lord was pleased with the faith of Abel and displeased with the faith of Cain. What does this teach us about worship? It teaches us ultimately that our posture of faith before the Lord is what pleases Him in worship. The worship that pleases the Lord most is our worship that has placed our highest desire and our highest priority on the Lord alone. It is not about what you bring, it is about who you bring it to.

This kind of worship involves every aspect of our life. It takes our singing, our praise, our thanksgiving, our thoughts, and our acts. Our offering before the Lord is a compilation of all these things as we lay them at the feet of Jesus.

How can you prioritize Christ in your worship? It begins with the attitude that flows from the heart. I look forward to gathering together with you this Sunday as we worship the Lord together. We will conclude our “Anchored” series with 1 Peter 5:6-14 and look at Peter’s words on what it means to be “Anchored in Eternity.” Join us at our Tyler Campus at 8:30am or 11:00am or at our Flint Campus at 11:00am. I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

THIS SUNDAY: We have set aside this Sunday, November 6^th as “Going Beyond” Sunday. I am asking for you to give above and beyond your normal tithe so that the Purpose of Christ can continue moving forward through our church. I want to slow down and praise the Lord for ALL that He has done through you this past year. What an honor it is to lean in together for the sake of Christ and celebrate all He has done! As we continue to follow God’s lead, we look forward to stretching out and “Going Beyond” to reach even more for the sake of the gospel.

 BLOCK PARTIES: What an incredible sight it was to see our Connect Groups serve in 21 different locations across Tyler! Gospel conversations took place, invites to church were made, and people all across Tyler saw Green Acres as a light to push back darkness. Thank you to everyone who participated in some way to make this such an impactful evening.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME:  Finally!  This Sunday, November 6th we “fall back.”  Enjoy that extra hour of sleep!

ANOTHER STEP TOWARD “NORMAL”:  I’m sure you haven’t forgotten, but since the Covid shutdowns, so many things in our lives were modified or cancelled altogether.  One of those things was “passing the plate” for the offering during our time of worship.   We are finally bringing back the offering bags during Sunday worship services.  Every little step back to “normal” is always great!

STARTING POINT: Our next Starting Point class is November 13th. If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres.  For more information, visit gabc.org/new-here.

A NIGHT OF PRAYER AND WORSHIP:  On November 16^th at 6pm in the Worship Center, we will gather to worship, pray together, and participate in the Lord’s Supper.  This will be a special evening.  I hope to see you there!

IN THE FOYER THIS SUNDAY:  Journeys of Paul Trip – I would like to invite you to join Katie & me on an amazing journey retracing the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. The trip will be September 17-26, 2023. We will step into history and walk alongside Paul as we journey through Philippi, Thessaloniki, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Crete, Patmos, and Ephesus. The Holy Scriptures will come to life in unimaginable ways! This will be a trip of a lifetime that promises to forever change all of us! For more information on this trip, click the banner below or stop by the information table in the foyer!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!  The Christmas Season is going to be incredible here at Green Acres! We will kick things off with the Tree Lighting on December 4th from 5-8pm with SO much to do from inflatables and rides to a live nativity, carriage rides, food, and more!  Then, the KLOVE Christmas Concert will be here on December 16th.  CLICK HERE for more details.  Our Christmas Eve Services will be held on December 24 at 4pm and 6pm.  And finally, Christmas Day, December 25th at 10am, we’ll come together to worship as one church family.

ADVENT DEVOS: Advent Family Devotional books will be available in the Foyer next Sunday, November 13, for a suggested payment of $5.  This is a great opportunity to walk through the Advent season with your friends and family, intentionally preparing your hearts for Christmas.  They will also be available at the Reception Desk during the week starting this Tuesday.  Pick one up and make the most of this season!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

[1] H.B Charles Jr. “On Worship: A Short Guide to Understanding, Participating in, and Leading Corporate Worship.”

Welcome to Wednesday Evening Bible Study! We’re so glad you’re here!

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In today’s episode, Michael and Katie Gossett discuss how discipleship matters in marriage! They give biblical examples of how to have a gospel-centered marriage and the importance of being intentional with your faith! Whether you are single, engaged, newly married, or been married for many years, this episode is for you! Check out the show links below for some great resources on how to have a Christ-centered marriage.

Show Links:

The Sacred Marriage

The Sacred Search

The Meaning of Marriage

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How do we make disciples through church planting? In today’s episode, John Roach, Green Acres Missions Pastor, shares how we can reach others and make disciples via Church Planting. He breaks down moments in scripture where the early church goes out and plants other churches. Jesus teaches us to go and make disciples of ALL nations! We encourage you to get involved with your missions ministry wherever you live and go make disciples of ALL nations!

For more info on how you can get involved or why we go on mission, visit www.gabc.org/missions

Follow Green Acres Missions on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_missions/

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

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A Note from Michael Gossett

WORSHIP MATTERS

There was a point in my life when worship became something more than a song. I am sure you can remember this moment in your life. You can remember the words that began to stick out to you and impact you in a way that you felt drawn into the presence of the Lord. This happened to me for the first time when I was in 5^th grade about to go into 6^th grade. The music began to fade, and the lyrics became more prominent as I was singing to the God of the universe. There was a time in the church when instruments were not readily available, yet people still sang and worshipped the Lord. In the first century church, we know that the Christians sang during worship, but they probably used no instruments. As the time and culture progressed (not negatively speaking), instruments of the day were added. People were singing hymns to bar tunes and maintained relevancy and holiness in their posture toward the Lord. We all know the controversy that surrounds the concept of gathering together as the Lord’s people to worship.[1] We also understand that worship (generally speaking) is not just our gathering together but is our lifestyle by which we live.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” What if this verse was our starting point for understanding corporate worship together as a church family? How would our time of worshipping together as a church this Sunday look different if we pursued this verse with fervor? Many of you take this to heart and strive to live out your sacrifice of worship according to Paul. For many of us, like myself, this can be difficult at times. We all have styles, preferences, understandings, and traditions that we love on Sunday morning. Sometimes it can feel that we are having to sacrifice more than others. I know this is difficult. Your concerns are not unheard, and your heart is not wrong…it is simply a matter of personal preference. Preferences are not evil, but they can at times lead us away from our purpose in Christ.

I love the story of Zacchaeus. I learned this story of the Bible like many of you through a song. “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.” You know the rest of the song. Jesus went to this rich, tax collector’s home. In Luke 19, Jesus does something alarming to the rest of the crowd. They could not believe what was happening. Luke 19:7 says, “All who saw it began to complain, ‘He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.’” The preference of the complainers was not for Jesus to stop doing His work, they just didn’t understand the way that Jesus was accomplishing his purpose. Zacchaeus repented and told the Lord that he was going to pay back what he wrongfully took, and he was going to give half of all he had to the poor. Jesus said to him in verse 9, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

We may not always agree with methods, but we all agree with God’s purpose. Let us be careful as followers of Jesus that we are not staying on the sidelines with complainers while Jesus is moving, but rather move with Jesus in His work. Jesus made His purpose very clear at the end of this story. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” I want to encourage you to jump in and stay focused on what our purpose is. To welcome those who are not welcomed and seek out those who are not saved so that they too can know the Savior of the world. Isn’t it incredible to be a part of a church who continues to see lives transformed by the truth of Jesus?

The same Jesus who looked at Zacchaeus is the same Jesus who invites us into His Kingdom work. 

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Jump in and jump all in for His purpose.

With this “ALL IN” mentality, I am setting apart November 6^th as “Going Beyond” Sunday. I am asking for you to go above and beyond your normal tithe so that the purpose of Christ can continue moving forward. I want to slow down and praise the Lord for ALL that He has done through you this past year. Did you know that we are celebrating 696 new members from this past year? Not only do we get to celebrate new members, but also new life in 254 salvations and 205 baptisms. We are seeing the evidence of multiplication through 10 new Connect Groups launched and 277 people mobilized on mission trips where we assisted in planting 14 new churches. This is because of your generosity and your perseverance in the faith! What an honor it is to lean in together for the sake of Christ and celebrate all He has done. As we continue to follow God’s lead, we look forward to stretching out and “Going Beyond” to reach even more for the sake of the Gospel.

THIS SUNDAY: We are continuing our study in 1 Peter called Anchored. This week, we are looking at what it means to be Anchored in Joy from 1 Peter 4:12-19. I find it extraordinary that disciples of Jesus have an unwavering joy that cannot be diminished or taken away by our circumstances that we face. Come and hear Peter’s explanation of why we have such a profound and eternal joy. Join us at our Tyler Campus at 8:30am or 11:00am or at our Flint Campus at 11:00am. I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

BLOCK PARTIES: Our Connect Group ministry is on mission this Fall right here in our own community! On Monday, October 31^st, we will have multiple block parties throughout Tyler hosted by our Connect Groups in their neighborhoods. Connect Groups have three primary functions that model what we see in the New Testament: First, they study God’s Word together and seek to be like Jesus. Second, they live together and support one another in Biblical community. Third, they serve together on mission! If you’re not a part of one of our Connect Groups, find one to visit here. Find a block party near you here.

SHUTTLE DRIVERS NEEDED: The environment we create on our Guest Services team goes far beyond smiles, shuttle rides, and hot coffee—God uses each team member to set the stage for lives to be transformed by the truth of Jesus. We’ve recently purchased two shuttles for our Parking Team. We’d love to have YOU join our Parking Team as a driver. These team members will drive shuttles, greet guests, and provide guests with a ride to a building entrance. To serve as a shuttle driver visit gabc.org/drive.

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

[1] Church: commonly referred to when speaking of the gathering of God’s people rather than the ekklesia. Church primarily known as to where we go, not necessarily known for how we live. The church of the bible is God’s people who are “Called out” or “set apart” which is ekklesia (a called-out assembly or congregation) for God’s use and purpose.

In today’s episode, we are joined by our Creative Arts Pastor, Chance Riehl! Michael and Chance discuss how being in biblical community and living life with other believers can help strengthen your walk with Christ.

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS CONCLUSION

As we conclude our series on Discipleship, I would like to recap what we have learned. My hope is that as a church we continue to grow in our understanding of discipleship. As the pastor, I will continue to lead us toward not only correct Biblical doctrine, but in understanding how that doctrine will impact our efforts as a church family.

When we began this series, we began in the Great Commission. We understand that the Great Commission was not intended for the disciples alone, but for the entire church. Therefore, the Great Commission still applies to every believer today—that is, you and me! As we examine the Great Commission, we see three participles that provide for us the specific indicators for how we are to accomplish this great task of telling the entire world about the transforming truth of Jesus! Those three participles are πορευθέντες (“go”), βαπτίζοντες (“baptizing”), and διδάσκοντες (“teaching”). In other words, these are the three participles that provide the framework for our role in the carrying out of the Great Commission. These three actions of going, baptizing, and teaching apply to believers at the individual level and to the church at the corporate level. Together, when we participate in the Great Commission, we are also fulfilling our intended role as the Bride of Christ, that is—the church!

A further examination of Scripture in this series provided more insight into our approach. By looking at Jesus, we can learn more about how to most effectively fulfill our role as disciple-makers. There were a few notable things about Jesus’ approach to developing leaders and making disciples that we can all apply to our own lives. Based on John 3:22, we noted that Jesus simply spent time with those he was discipling and developing. “After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them…”^[1] This is where all disciple-making relationships begin by simply being intentional with both who we spend our time with and how that time is spent. Within Jesus’ example of developing the disciples, we can see three distinct phases of leader development that Jesus employed. First, Jesus mentored his disciples. They beheld miracles, heard Jesus teach, watched how He responded to the Pharisees, and most importantly, observed Jesus as a servant leader committed to the will of His Father. The second phase of Jesus’ leader development was apprenticeship. As Jesus’ level of expectation elevated, they moved from casual observers to active participants. Finally, Jesus became a coach for the disciples. Jesus began deploying the disciples into ministry opportunities without His presence.

As we wrapped-up this series on discipleship, I articulated how we are being intentional about discipleship at Green Acres. It is no secret that at Green Acres, the primary vehicle for discipleship is our Connect Group ministry. A healthy Connect Group is a Biblically based model for developing leaders and deploying disciples. Healthy Connect Groups are in a constant state of developing new leaders and forming new Connect Groups in order to carry on the Great Commission. And this is not new, rather we see it modeled all throughout the New Testament.

I am so thankful for our Connect Group leaders, specifically because of the way they selflessly lead our church family. I believe this is part of Pastor David’s legacy. Pastor David was famous for saying, “If you only have one hour to give, don’t come and hear me but visit one of our groups.” Often when we get contacted about a matter of pastoral care, I find that our Connect Group leaders are already there ministering. If you are one of these leaders, thank you. If you are in a group but have not found your place of serving, let me encourage you to reach out to your Connect Group leaders and find your unique place of leadership. Each of us have a role to play! Perhaps you are reading this, and you have not found a Connect Group. That’s okay! Each week at the Connection Suite we are recommending Connect Groups for those who are new to our church, and we would love to help you find a group this weekend. You can view all our Connect Groups by CLICKING HERE

As we conclude this series, my heart is that we would seek to follow the example of developing leaders that we see in Scripture. What would Green Acres Baptist Church look like if we sought to emulate Jesus and took the commands of the Great Commission to heart. What would our church family look like if we committed not only to live together in Biblical community, but to invite others in, invest in one another, and together carry out the Great Commission?

You are loved and you are prayed for,

Pastor Michael

^[1] Reference to John 3:22, emphasis mine.

WE ARE BACK! We are so excited to be back with Season 2 of the Connect Grow Multiply Podcast! This week we are kicking off our mini-series, “Discipleship Matters”! Throughout this series, we will look at how disciple matters in the community, church planting, your marriage, and your family.

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CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS PART 10

In last week’s article, we discussed the importance of discipleship and multiplication within Connect Groups. Connect Groups are the primary vehicle by which we make disciples, and when new groups and new leaders cease to form, it reveals an interruption in the process of discipleship. Today, we look at the importance of the many leadership roles within a Connect Group and the role that each one plays in developing leaders.

The Importance of Structuring Your Connect Group: An effective Connect Group should serve the church as a tool to foster discipleship, develop leaders and multiply groups. In addition, the very structure of a Connect Group can bolster ministry effectiveness throughout the church. In the Old Testament, God’s people experienced challenges that changed the organizational structure. Moses was forced into a new pattern that would facilitate growth within the Kingdom of God. This is now known as the Jethro model of Connect Group structure and organization.^[1] When the framework changed for Moses, opportunities opened for other people to participate in serving and leading. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul describes organization and structure for the purpose of building one another up (Ephesians 4:11-16, ESV). This pattern allows for all people to have a place of ministry within the church. For the follower of Christ, no exceptions were given regarding the call to serve in some capacity. There is something that should be noted to help understand this service in A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, “Christian service translates a Greek noun meaning ‘service, work,’ a general term for all that a Christian is called on to do.”^[2] Paul explains the implications of Christ’s discipleship model for Connect Group ministry and the function of group members.

Church members must understand that every believer in Jesus is an active minister for Him.^[3] Greg Ogden observes, “The church in its most fundamental essence is nothing less than an interdependent, life-pulsating people who are indwelled by the presence of a resurrected and reigning Christ.”^[4] This understanding is most aligned within a biblical interpretation of individual expectation as well as New Testament ecclesiology.^[5] To support the whole, every person in a Connect Group should participate in some way. Through opportunities provided, each group member should discover the gifts that God has entrusted to him or her. Bruce Bugbee says, “Your gift indicates the role, function, or particular way in which God has intended you to serve.”^[6]

There are times when Connect Groups become stagnant and are no longer growing. In this case, the overseers should ascertain whether leaders are being fostered, disciples are being made, and God’s Word is being taught. Connect Groups should share the same vision and commit to the same values as the church. They should equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, as Paul commanded in Ephesians chapter 4.

The structure of a Connect Group will determine the effectiveness of the group in accomplishing its mission.

As Jesus modeled, and as Paul prescribed, each person in the group will be given an opportunity to lead through one of the various roles within the group. There will be specific practices in place to train and equip each member of the group. Each group member should practice pastoral care, evangelism, helping others discover and develop spiritual gifts, and leader development. Maturing within the group should result from the mutual care and support given to one another. All efforts of the church should be bolstered by small group involvement. Conveying this vision will require intentional and patient leadership from each minister and lay leader.

Everyone is expected to lead in some capacity, as illustrated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. In the description of the body of Christ according to Paul, there is an expectation that every member is doing their individual part within the body. The healthy function of the body is dependent on each individual member expressing the gifts and utilizing those gifts for the edification of the church. The intended goal, as seen throughout Paul’s epistles, is that every believer participates in ministry activities.^[7] Each member of the body has a definitive role in discipleship and leader development. Jim Putnam writes, “Many Christians believe that they are unimportant to the cause of Christ and that the work of the church is the job of the clergy.”^[8] Paid ministry leaders have mistakenly placed a divide between laity and themselves. Ed Stetzer exposes the ideology that paid ministers are the only ones expected to make disciples. Church leaders cannot advocate any further that lay people are excluded from making disciples and building leaders. According to Stetzer, language such as “laypeople” creates a mindset that there are those within the church who participate in ministry and those who receive ministry.^[9] Greg Ogden understands the church is an interdependent people that is directed and steered by the indwelling Spirit of God.^[10] This understanding is most aligned with a biblical interpretation of individual expectation as well as New Testament ecclesiology.^[11] Frank Damazio agrees and says, “The New Testament presents all Christians as ministers in the sense that all have definite ministries to perform within the Body of Christ.”^[12] The Connect Group structure provides every believer the opportunity to engage in Kingdom work for the purpose of discipleship.

CONSIDER THIS:

VIEW THE DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THIS SUNDAY: We are continuing our study in 1 Peter called, Anchored. This week, specifically, we are looking at what it means to be Anchored in Victory. Disciples of Jesus have a gift by the Lord that we can walk in this world with a unique victory. Those who are in Christ do not experience defeat here on earth, nor for all eternity. We are victorious in Christ. Come and hear Peter’s explanation of why we have such a profound and eternal victory. Join us at our Tyler Campus at 8:30am or 11:00am or at our Flint Campus at 11:00am. To prepare for worship, read 1 Peter 3:18-22 and let’s dive into this great victory together. I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

STUDENT PASTOR VOTE: I want to thank our Discipleship Selection Committee for their incredible work on prayerfully searching for and finding our next Student Pastor. I’m so thankful for their dedication and effort in this process. As a church family, we will vote on Sunday at the conclusion of each service to call the Student Pastor candidate and his family to Green Acres. If you have a moment in the next couple of weeks, be sure to thank our Selection Committee members:  Chairman Gregg Eppler, Mike Murphy, Jim Nipp, Shanda Proctor, Colton Rudd, Lori Sirman, and Michelle Small.

BLOCK PARTIES: Our Connect Group ministry is going on mission this Fall, right here in our own community! On Monday, October 31^st, we will have multiple block parties throughout our community in your neighborhood! What I love most about this is that it is through our Connect Group ministry. Connect Groups have three primary elements that model what we see in the New Testament: First, they study God’s Word together and seek to be like Jesus. Second, they live together and support one another in Biblical community. Third, they serve together on mission! If you’re not a part of one of our Connect Groups, find one on our group finder. Find a block party near you by clicking the image below:

SHUTTLE DRIVERS NEEDED: The environment we create on our Guest Services team goes far beyond smiles, shuttle rides, and hot coffee—God uses each team member to set the stage for lives to be transformed with the truth of Jesus. We’ve recently purchased two shuttles for our Parking Team. We’d love to have YOU join our Parking Team as a driver. These team members will drive shuttles, greet guests, and provide guests with a ride to a building entrance. To serve as a shuttle driver, visit gabc.org/drive.

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Bob Deffinbaugh, “18. What happened to Discipleship in the Epistles?”

^[2] Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 102.

­^[3] Ed Stetzer, “Lay People and the Mission of God,” TheExchange (blog), Christianity Today, July 17, 2012, accessed November 4, 2016, http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2012/july/laypeople-and-mission-of-god-part-1–killing-clergy.html.

^[4] Greg Ogden, Unfinished Business, 41.

^[5] Edmund P. Clowney, The Church: Contours of the Christian Faith (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 112-113.

^[6] Bruce Bugbee, What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 37.

^[7] Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 102.

^[8] Jim Putman, Real-Life Discipleship: Building Churches That Make Disciples (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2010), 21.

^[9] Ed Stetzer, “Lay People and the Mission of God,” TheExchange (blog), Christianity Today, July 17, 2012, accessed November 4, 2016, http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2012/july/laypeople-and-mission-of-god-part-1–killing-clergy.html. 

^[10] Greg Ogden, Unfinished Business, 41.

^[11] Edmund P. Clowney, The Church: Contours of the Christian Faith (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 112-113.

^[12] Frank Damazio, The Making of A Leader, 3.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 9

In last week’s article we discussed how Connect Groups are the primary vehicle for leader development. The small group ministry reflects the nature and character of God when it functions in unity. This week, we take a deep dive into the purpose of Connect Groups and the specific role they play within discipleship.

Connect Group Discipleship and Multiplication: According to research, there are many churches missing the link between church attendance and discipleship.^[1] There is a misconception within the church at large which assumes activity equals transformation. Attendance in the church or even activity is not the chief end for the existence of a healthy Connect Group ministry. The vision from the Lord described in Ezekiel chapter 10 should incite a healthy attentiveness and fear for all Connect Groups and ministry leaders. The temple is still in place, God’s people are still present, but God is not there.^[2] Without the overarching theme of discipleship guiding our ministry purpose toward multiplication, it would be easy for the activities of the church to proceed without the presence of God’s Spirit. If multiplication is no longer the driving purpose, the mission can diminish as people participate in ministry activities without the presence of God.

“Too often, churches launch a small-groups ministry without instilling the birthing of new groups into its DNA. Those leading and attending first generation groups experience community like they never have before, and they don’t want to see that experience come to an end. The beauty of the experience is so fantastic that when you request that they birth another group, you have a mutiny on your hands.”^[3]

The purpose embedded in discipleship drives Connect Groups toward multiplication of new groups and new leaders. Connect Group leaders who are not leading towards new groups and new leaders have not fully understood or embraced the vision and purpose of Connect Groups. Conversely, it generates powerful momentum when Connect Group leaders are consistently teaching and leading toward discipleship and leadership development. Connect Group members begin to catch the vision and consequently realize that they have an active role to play in the Great Commission.

Connect Group multiplication is the aim for every group rooted in biblical mission. Multiplication is the effort of launching new groups for the purpose of reaching people who are far from God.^[4] It is the natural outcome of additional leaders being developed.

When new groups and new leaders cease to form, it reveals an interruption within the process of discipleship.

The goal of every existing Connect Group should be to multiply to advance the Kingdom of God. Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson say, “God’s people have been charged with the mission of connecting the unconnected ever since His dream of perfect community fell apart in the Garden of Eden.”^[5] With this in mind, it is essential for each believer to seek relationships with those not yet connected to God’s church.

Biblical leaders should yearn to foster initiative in others. Groups will inevitably grow stagnant unless Connect Group leaders are reproducing themselves. Larry Stockstill notes, “Our primary goal, therefore, must be to develop leaders who will facilitate that multiplication. Remember: Don’t focus on…attendance as much as on leadership development.”^[6]

Ferguson proposes three frameworks for beginning new groups. The first option is sending out members with leaders, the second is sending an apprentice with members, and the third option is when everyone becomes an apprentice who is sent out to create a new group.^[7] It is clear from this framework that Connect Groups are the best place to develop and replicate leadership. Stockstill, Breen, Yongii Cho and Ferguson all share the same belief in leader development within small groups. Each takes a slightly different approach in the methods, but they all agree that the context which most naturally fosters leaders is small groups.^[8]

Jesus empowered and equipped men to build the church.^[9] Paul poured into Timothy, giving him the charge to teach others what Paul had taught him.^[10] Paul understood that the mission would only be accomplished if leaders came behind him who were equipped to continue the work. Leaders must be committed and trained before they can be deployed on behalf of the mission. The three phases of leadership development examined in a previous article—mentoring, apprenticeship, coaching—are best utilized in a small group setting, just as Jesus modeled. The small group is the context in which Jesus developed leadership. This is why we say at Green Acres that Connect Groups are the vehicle by which we make disciples.

CONSIDER THIS: Do you see this type of multiplication happening in your group? In your own life? Healthy leaders build healthy groups which build healthy churches. Every person has a part to play. Are you building others around you to be more like Christ and to lead as He did? Let us all commit today to building one another up in Christ so that we may press on in maturity until His coming. To help you with this development process, start with the GABC Discipleship Guide.

THIS SUNDAY: Come ready to continue our series in 1 Peter titled, Anchored. You can participate with us in worship at 8:30 or 11:00 at our Tyler Campus or at 11:00 at our Flint Campus.

PUMPKIN PATCH SUNDAY: This Sunday is Pumpkin Patch Sunday in our Kid’s Ministry! We will have a Pumpkin Patch in our Kid’s Atrium and will be giving away a FREE pumpkin for every kid! Come by with your family and enjoy photo opportunities, fall snacks and free pumpkins!

JOURNEYS OF PAUL TRIP: I would like to invite you to join Katie & me on an amazing journey retracing the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. The trip will be September 17-26, 2023. We will step into history and walk alongside Paul as we journey through Philippi, Thessaloniki, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Crete, Patmos, and Ephesus. The Holy Scriptures will come to life in unimaginable ways! This will be a trip of a lifetime that promises to forever change all of us! For more information on this trip, visit this webpage.

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Barna Group, “New Research on the State of Discipleship,” Barna.com, December 1, 2015, accessed September 20, 2019, https://www.barna.com/research/new-research-on-the-state-of-discipleship/

^[2] Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop, The Compelling Community: Where God’s Power Makes a Church Attractive (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2015), 35.

^[3] Rick Howerton, “Casting a Vision for Group Multiplication,” SmallGroups.com (blog), Christianity Today, April 20, 2009, accessed April 27, 2018, https://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2009/casting-vision-for-group-multiplication.html?paging=off

^[4] This definition derived from the biblical understanding of multiplication based on Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey’s Disciplemaking is… pages 117-122. The understanding is to reach people who have no relationship with Jesus and to continue this pattern through multiplication efforts. These standards should be applied and expected of every small group.

^[5] Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Movement, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 91.

^[6] Larry Stockstill, The Cell Church: Preparing Your Church for the Coming Harvest, (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1998), 71.

^[7] Ferguson and Ferguson, Exponential, 96-97.

^[8] For more see Larry Stockstill, The Cell Church: Preparing Your Church for the Coming Harvest.

^[9] Bob Deffinbaugh, “18. What happened to Discipleship in the Epistles?” Bible.org, June 2, 2004, accessed May 18, 2018, https://bible.org/seriespage/18-what-happened-discipleship-epistles.

 ^[10] J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles for Excellence for Every Believer (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 149.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 8

Connect Groups as the Primary Vehicle for Leader Development

As we move into part 8 of our study, we turn our attention to our Connect Group ministry. Our Connect Group ministry (in which many of you serve!) should always be moving people toward the target of discipleship. Our Connect Group ministry should always be developing leaders according to the model of Jesus. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Although it can be argued that this passage describes the marriage relationship, it is still clear from Scripture that man was meant to live in community. From the very beginning we were created for community. Carolyn Taketa says, “What is striking about this statement is that God makes it before the Fall. There’s no sin yet and no disobedience; man is in perfect intimacy with God. And yet, God declares that man is alone and that it is not good.”^[1]

For believers to live together in community not only reflects the nature and character of God, but it shapes us in the nature of Christ. Bill Hull says, “The small group is the most strategic training environment used by Christ to make the kind of disciples that glorify God.”^[2]  Healthy groups reflect Christ when they reach the marginalized, express hospitality to those not connected to a church, and aid those in physical need.^[3] As believers gather, they are encouraged to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24) They are encouraged to see their own role in the Great Commission. In fact, at the heart of the Great Commission, we see a need for small group ministry. When Jesus proclaimed the Great Commission, He spoke with a small group. In the book of Matthew, this is prescriptive as well as descriptive, meaning the Great Commission is charged to the men present as well as all believers. The small group (the Disciples) is now charged with the task of making disciples of all nations. According to Ephesians 4:12, Paul aspired to equip the saints for service just as Jesus had done with the twelve.

Jesus’ illustration about mending nets correlates to the delicate process of maturing disciples.^[4] Both the model of Jesus, as well as the model found through the New Testament, serve as a foundation for a healthy church to implement God’s plan within small group ministry. Mark Dever examines Jesus’ pattern of discipleship by suggesting, “But the goal is always to present people mature in Christ.”^[5] Those who are in the small group learn this by growing in community with others. Ferguson identifies a pattern for growth consistent with Acts 2 where the small group celebrated, connected, and contributed.^[6] To celebrate implies worshiping God in community with other believers. To connect describes the healthy relationship patterns found within the small group. To contribute describes our posture of participating in a group not only for what we gain from others, but for how we can contribute to others. Joel Comiskey says, “Koinonia is the fellowship that we have with the Trinity that needs to be practiced with other believers.”^[7] Christians are called to serve alongside other believers in love for the purpose of Kingdom advancement. Jesus declared, in fact, that the world would recognize His disciples based on their love for one another. While individual growth is important, the disciple flourishes as he serves in community with other believers pursuing the same calling.^[8] As we see in the example of Jesus, discipleship and leadership are fostered through small group relationships.

Love is both exercised and experienced in community. Love is never intended to end with an individual, but rather to express itself to another. Love serves as a mark of discipleship; it is by love for one another that we will be identified as followers of Jesus.^[9] This type of Christlike love is beautifully expressed in our church every week through our Connect Group ministry. God designed man to reflect His likeness, according to Genesis chapter one. Comiskey also adds, “The Trinity dwells in perfect unity and community. God is not a lone individualist, and this fact should stir God’s people away from a rugged individualism (‘How can I do my thing?’) to community-oriented living (‘How can I serve the Body of Christ?’).”^[10] God Himself functions in perfect community, putting Himself on display as the example of how individuals can interact with one another. The Trinity, consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, exemplifies the art of living in complete unity. Connect Groups help to fight the tendency for believers to hide in anonymity. When a believer is separated from community, it is not healthy for the individual or the church. Instead, Christians should live in the openness and accountability that biblical fellowship provides. Within the context of small group and individual growth, the foundational practices of prayer and devotion to God’s Word transform lives.^[11] It’s for this reason that we say at Green Acres that Connect Groups are the primary way in which we make disciples!

CONSIDER THIS: What is your part in the Great Commission according to God’s word? I love the free resource offered at GABC called, “Discipleship Guide.” This guide is designed specifically as a resource to help you walk with others in a discipleship relationship. Grab someone from your Connect Group, a friend, a mentor, or someone younger and just commit to going through the Discipleship Guide together. I know you will be amazed at the fruit from relationships such as this. Hold each other accountable. Pray for one another. Grow together in the likeness of Christ. Stay tuned next week for more…

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD OUR DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THIS SUNDAY: We are continuing our study, ANCHORED, as we dive into what Peter describes as being “Anchored in Marriage.” Whether you are have been married for many years, newlyweds, engaged, or single, the Lord has a message for you. Peter helps us understand what it looks like to have a Christ-centered marriage even amid cultural breakdowns.

GREEN ACRES CLASSIC: We are looking forward to the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation this coming Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program.   The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team. They have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.   Maybe you don’t play golf or cannot participate in the tournament this year, but you can still support this incredible new ministry of the church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please click this link to support this ministry. To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, visit GABC.org/foundation.

JOURNEYS OF PAUL TRIP: I would like to invite you to join Katie & me on an amazing journey retracing the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. The trip will be September 17-26, 2023. We will step into history and walk alongside Paul as we journey through Philippi, Thessaloniki, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Crete, Patmos, and Ephesus. The Holy Scriptures will come to life in unimaginable ways! This will be a trip of a lifetime that promises to forever change all of us! For more information on this trip, click the image below:

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Carolyn Taketa, “Why Small Groups? The Reason Behind Intentional Christian Community,” SmallGroups.com (blog), Christianity Today, June 25, 2012, accessed April 27, 2018, https://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2012/why-small-groups.html?paging=off

^[2] Bill Hull, Jesus Christ Disciple Maker (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1984), 235.

^[3] Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church, 56.

^[4] Ray C. Stedman, Body Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Discovery House Publishers, 1995), 116.

^[5] Mark Dever, Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2016), 35.

^[6] Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Movement, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 93.

^[7] Joel Comiskey, Making Disciples in the Twenty-First Century Church, (Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2013), 50.

^[8] Ritva H. Williams, Stewards, Prophets, Keepers of the Word, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006), 30.

^[9] Keith Phillips, The Making of a Disciple, (Los Angeles, CA: World Impact Press, 1981), 59.

^[10] Joel Comiskey, Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church, (Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2012), 43.

^[11] Glen Martin and Gary McIntosh, Creating Community: Deeper Fellowship Through Small Group Ministry, (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1997), 6.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 7

Last week, we discussed Jesus’ discipleship model and how he spent time with His disciples. Jesus was very intentional with His time with the disciples. Specifically, we see that Jesus utilized three phases in his approach to developing leadership within them. If our aim is to fulfill the Great Commission in the making of disciples, we have much from the example that Christ has given us. Not only do we have the formula given in the Great Commission, but today we will examine the three distinct phases that Jesus used to develop leaders.

DEVELOPING LEADERS AND THE PHASES OF CHRIST:

Phase One – Mentoring: Jesus was masterful in his practice of mentorship. The concept of mentoring has existed for centuries. In certain African cultures, the term referred to a boy growing up to become a man.^[1] At the core, mentoring is the further maturation of an individual. In this case, I think of development as helping someone become more like Jesus Christ.

Phase one is demonstrated by Jesus’ calling of His disciples. The invitation described in Matthew 4:19 is to come follow Jesus and He will make the disciples “fishers of men.” Jesus trained His disciples thoroughly, fully equipping them to be fishers of men. Even today, we as disciples of Jesus still carry this duty to invest in others.^[2] After the call to become fishers of men, Jesus immediately began instructing His disciples. Mentoring is an intentional process of teaching and demonstrating a definitive set of values. The values intended to be shared are those modeled by Christ. Simply put, they are to evangelize, teach others to live like Christ, and to multiply. Bill Hull describes Jesus’ initial relating with the disciples as the “come and see” phase of His ministry.^[3] Paul also modeled this type of mentorship. After Jesus addressed the crowds, He took time to further mentor the disciples privately with greater detail (Mark 4:34). This additional time and teaching saturated them in the Word of God and reinforced sound doctrine.^[4]

In every moment, Jesus modeled ministry before His disciples.^[5] They beheld miracles, heard Jesus teach, watched how He responded to the Pharisees, and most importantly, observed Jesus as a servant leader committed to the will of His Father.^[6] Everything they witnessed and heard prepared them for the next phase of growth with Jesus.

Phase Two – Apprenticeship: During the apprenticeship stage, the disciples were invited to participate with Jesus in His ministry. One of the greatest hindrances to fostering leaders is the void of participation and empowerment. Both can emerge organically through an apprenticeship. Captain L. David Marquet, a retired Navy officer, offers principles for bolstering leaders that churches can apply. According to Captain Marquet, lack of participation stems from a top-down command and control system of leadership. Participation flourishes in a bottom-up philosophy of leadership that empowers team members to thrive according to their skill set and giftedness.^[7] The apprenticeship phase should create a collaborative and engaging atmosphere so ministry can flow. Empowered leadership enables learning and growth in the maturation process.^[8]

During this stage of development, Jesus shared a deepened level of intimacy with His disciples. As Jesus’ level of expectation elevated, they moved from casual observers to active participants. “Apprenticeship is true to the intent and expression of how Jesus did discipleship.”^[9] According to Bill Hull, when Jesus states, “I will make you,” He imparts a level of responsibility to the disciples.^[10] In Matthew chapter 9, Jesus illustrates the necessity for His followers to advance the Kingdom of God. The mandate to fish for men moves into the forefront as the expectation is that they are now becoming ministers.

The apprenticeship phase provides the opportunity to implement what you have already learned as you continue to learn. During this phase, the teacher stays near to offer clarification and encouragement during this critical time of training. This stage of leadership multiplies effectiveness as more people participate in Kingdom work. John chapter six elaborates on the mentorship that Jesus shared with His disciples. Mike Breen describes this stage as “I do, you help.”^[11] During the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000, He exhibited intentional actions that allowed the disciples to share in the ministry. They moved beyond the role of observers to serve others in the name of Jesus.^[12] Paul continued this pattern when he invited Timothy to join him on his second missionary journey and to partner with him in ministry.^[13]

Phase Three – Coaching: In Jesus’ third phase of leader development, He began to deploy them into ministry opportunities without Him. The gospels describe Jesus calling to the disciples and sending them out for ministry.^[14] Jesus charges them to go and do what they have seen him do, assuring them of their calling and authority. It is during this phase that Jesus sends the disciples out two by two to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1).^[15] It is important to note that Jesus was still available to the disciples. Mike Breen describes this third phase as “You do, I help.”^[16] After the disciples returned, Jesus offered coaching after hearing the reports of how they ministered in His name. Robert Coleman identifies these interactions between Jesus and the disciples as a checkup regarding ministry activity.^[17]  During this critical time of development, each disciple ministered without the mentor present.

FREE DOWNLOAD: I love our church’s “Discipleship Guide,” a free resource to help equip our church to make disciples. This guide is specifically designed to help you walk with others in a discipleship relationship. Grab someone from your connect group, a friend, a mentor, or someone younger and just commit to going through the guide together. I know you will be amazed at the fruit from relationships such as this. Hold each other accountable. Pray for one another. Grow together in the likeness of Christ. Stay tuned next week for more….

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD OUR DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THIS SUNDAY: Come and join us this Sunday as we continue our series, Anchored, as we study 1 Peter 2:13-25 and we will look at what it means to be “Anchored in Submission.” Come and worship with us at 8:30 or 11:00 am at the Tyler campus or 11:00 am at the Flint campus.

SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament that will be hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team and have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Maybe you don’t want to play golf, but you can still support this incredible new ministry of the church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! To support this ministry: CLICK HERE. To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, CLICK HERE.

STARTING POINT THIS SUNDAY: Come learn all about Green Acres! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres. For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.

WORSHIP MINISTRY CHRISTMAS KICKOFF: This Wednesday night at 6:30pm in our Choir Room, the Worship Ministry is having their kickoff to the Christmas Season!  If you have ever wanted to be a part of the Worship Ministry, this is the night to finally take that next step.  Show up and you will be welcomed with open arms!  They will be previewing the plans and the music for the Christmas Season and dreaming about the future.  No better time to get involved.  You never know…there may be a couple special guests as well…See you there!

WOMEN’S MINISTRY FALL KICKOFF: This week Debbie Stuart and our Women’s Ministry team hosted the Fall Friendship Dinner. Our staff team and deacon body had the pleasure of serving the 780 ladies that were in attendance! I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for Debbie for the way that she leads and serves—she is an encouragement to me. If you are not connected in Women’s Ministry, now is a great time to jump in as they are kicking off Fall Bible Studies and Flourish Groups beginning Tuesday, September 20th. CLICK HERE to get connected.

JOURNEYS OF PAUL TRIP: I would like to invite you to join Katie & me on an amazing journey retracing the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. The trip will be September 17-26, 2023. We will step into history and walk alongside Paul as we journey through Philippi, Thessaloniki, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Crete, Patmos, and Ephesus. The Holy Scriptures will come to life in unimaginable ways! This will be a trip of a lifetime that promises to forever change all of us! For more information on this trip, CLICK HERE

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Edward L. Smither, Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2008), 4.

 ^[2] Stuart K. Weber, Matthew vol. 1, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 46.

^[3] Bill Hull, Jesus Christ Disciplemaker (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2004), 27.

^[4] Edward L. Smither, Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2008), 20.

^[5] Keith Phillips, The Making of a Disciple (Los Angeles, California: World Impact Press, 1981), 149.

^[6] Bill Hull, Complete Book of Discipleship, 171.

^[7] L. David Marquet, Turn the Ship Around: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders, (New York, New York: Penguin Group, 2012), 81.

^[8] Larry Crabb, Understanding People (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987), 109-15.

^[9] Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird, Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 117.

^[10] Bill Hull, Complete Book of Discipleship, 177.

^[11] Mike Breen, Multiplying Missional Leaders (Pawleys Island, SC: 3D Ministries; 1 Edition, 2012), 85.

^[12] Jim Putman, “Six Things Jesus Did to Equip His Disciples for Ministry,” Discipleship.org (blog), accessed November 4, 2018, https://discipleship.org/blog/six-things-jesus-did-to-equip-his-disciples-for-ministry/

 ^[13] Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciplemaking Is…, 161.

 ^[14] The scriptures referenced are Mark 6:7, Matthew 10:5, and Luke 9:1-2.

 ^[15] Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (Grand Rapids: MI: Revell, 1993), 73.

 ^[16] Mike Breen, Multiplying Missional Leaders, 85.

 ^[17] Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism, 83.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 6

As we continue our dive into Jesus’ discipleship model, we turn our attention to Jesus’ model of developing leaders. As we will see today, Jesus was very intentional in his model of developing leaders. Jesus’ unassuming disciples became Christ’s strategy to proclaim the Good News after His ascension, and to this day the local church is Christ’s strategy to fulfill the Great Commission. It’s precisely because of this that new leaders will always need to be developed and deployed. Christ always had the end in mind when developing leaders: their future participation in the Great Commission! How humbling is it to consider that Christ develops us for participation in His kingdom and His mission, and we likewise develop others with that same end in mind!

To emulate Jesus, we must start with being servant leaders. I believe the leadership model of Jesus is best understood through John 13. Jesus tells the disciples, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15, ESV). God intends for all believers to grow into servant leaders. J. Oswald Sanders says, “It has been said that in achieving His world-purpose, God’s method has always been a man. Not necessarily a noble man, or a brilliant man, but always a man with capacity for a growing faith. Granted this, there appears to be no limit to the pains God is willing to take in his training. He is limited by neither heredity nor environment.”^[1]

Discipleship is often simplified into a system to mature Christians in their knowledge of God. This definition minimizes Jesus’ model of discipleship, which was to develop leaders who evangelize, teach, and multiply other leaders who do the same. Many have studied discipleship since Jesus, but with eternity at stake, one question still drives us: what is the best way to make disciples? Jesus knew that discipleship was simultaneously growing in our knowledge of God while also being developed as a leader for the Great Commission. Jesus fostered intentional relationships with His disciples, strategically allotting His time and energy to build them up.^[2] His relational investment resulted in intentional development. What is interesting here is that their development was equally motivated by Christ’s interest in them and Christ’s interest in fulfilling the Great Commission. These two cannot be separated.

As I think about the way Jesus spent his time, I love the beautiful simplicity found in John 3:22. “After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them…”.^[3] “The word for ‘spend time’ in Greek is pronounced ‘dia-tree-bo.” Dia means ‘against,’ and tribo means ‘to rub.’ To put it literally, diatribe means ‘to rub against’ or ‘to rub off.’ The concept means ‘to spend time together rubbing off on each other.’”^[4] Jesus was intentional in spending time with His disciples so that He could help them learn to emulate Himself.

The Great Commission is not only a command for all believers, but also the blueprint for developing disciples who make disciples. To follow this blueprint, believers intentionally cultivate a Great Commission lifestyle. Believers pursue missional living, which informs their purpose in life to reach others with the gospel. One of the reasons we go on short-term mission trips is to be obedient to the Great Commission. Additionally, short-term trips train us to live on mission so that we can cultivate a Great Commission lifestyle here in Tyler. It is easy to see why we must follow the model of Christ as we seek to cultivate a discipleship model that fosters biblical multiplication.

According to the pattern of Jesus, discipleship based on spiritual formation is not enough. A discipleship strategy for leader development and deployment must also be constructed for multiplication to occur.^[5] Ephesians 4:12 calls churches to pursue the essential practice of multiplying leadership.^[6] While Jesus’ mission was to seek and save the lost, His strategy was to develop leaders so that ministry would continue.^[7] Likewise, the local church must prioritize discipleship and leader development. Only a church that intentionally focuses on making disciples will accomplish her objective. Multiplication of leaders will not occur without an intentional strategy for development.

What if every believer understood that they had a role to play in the Great Commission? What if every believer committed to emulating Jesus’ discipleship model in their personal lives? What is interesting is that this “diatribo” pattern of discipleship was not developed by Jesus Himself.^[8] It was an adaptation of discipleship that already existed. Students and Jesus alike were familiar with the traditional mentoring system, where an apprentice devoted himself to learning from a master, following him through life. Jesus’ model deviated in that He sought out the student, instead of the learner seeking the teacher.^[9]  

As you look back on this week, have you emulated the model of Christ in your personal life? Have you been a servant leader this week? Have you strategically and intentionally allotted time and energy to build someone else up? It is humbling to consider that Christ has redeemed us, and Scripture is clear that He has redeemed us so that we could participate in the Great Commission! After all, the Great Commission is for every believer. Every believer is called not only to be developed but to develop others. Take some time now to simply and genuinely ask the Lord how you can be participatory this week in the Great Commission.

Stay tuned next week for more…

View the guide here!

THIS SUNDAY: We are continuing our series, Anchored, in 1 Peter 2:4-12. The title of the message this week is “Anchored in Community.” As followers of Jesus, we have been given a great gift by the Lord, and that is we have one another to spur us along in our walk with Christ. Come and join us this Sunday at 8:30 or 11:00 am at the Tyler campus, or 11:00 am at the Flint campus.

SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team. They have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Maybe you don’t want to play Golf, but you can still support this incredible new ministry of the church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please click the image below. To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, visit GABC.org/foundation.

FALL FRIENDSHIP DINNER: Ladies, I pray that you will be able to attend this year’s Fall Friendship dinner! It is going to be such a great time so men, make sure your wives are there! The dinner will take place on September 13^th from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. Just know that this is a huge outreach gathering and serves to kick off all fall Bible studies, Flourish mentoring ministry, and other enrichment events for women of all ages. If you have any additional questions, please be sure to stop by the table in the foyer this Sunday.

STARTING POINT: Come learn all about Green Acres! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres. For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry. Register here!

I pray that your walk with the Lord has been encouraging and challenging as we walk through these 10 days of fasting and prayer. It is never too late to jump in! I look forward to seeing all of you this Wednesday for a Night of Prayer and Worship as we gather together to end these incredible days of intentional fasting and prayer. You can download the guide here.

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Sanders, J. Oswald (John Oswald), Robust in Faith: Men from God’s School (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1965), 9. 

^[2] Eddie Mosley, Connecting in Communities: Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups (Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 2011), 69.

^[3] Reference to John 3:22, emphasis mine.

^[4] Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird, Hero Maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 115.

^[5] Dennis McCallum and Jessica Lowery, Organic Discipleship: Mentoring Others into Spiritual Maturity and Leadership (Columbus, Ohio: New Paradigm Publishing, 2012), 26. 

^[6] Glen Martin and Gary McIntosh, Creating Community: Deeper Fellowship Through Small Group Ministry, (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1997), 4.

^[7] Gary L. McIntosh, Growing God’s Church, 48.

^[8] John Koessler, True Discipleship: The Art of Following Jesus, 150.

^[9] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship, 63.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 5

As we continue to understand the biblical model of discipleship according to Christ, it is reasonable to ask the question, “how are we to accomplish this?” Theory is never useful if it is detached from practice. At Green Acres, we have said, “Connect Groups are the primary vehicle for discipleship.” What this means is that when functioning properly, our small group ministry will become a disciple making factory. The goal is not to have more people in a “groups ministry” program, but rather to have more people walking with other believers, so that we may all grow in the likeness of Jesus.

SMALL GROUP MATTERS: In order to truly understand the purpose and the reason Green Acres is committed to our Connect Group Ministry, we must first consider the historical development of Small Groups. The New Testament serves as a historical catalyst for the inception of small groups. Joel Comiskey says, “Jesus developed His own group of twelve and hung out with them for three years. In the atmosphere of the group, these disciples were molded, shaped, trained, and then sent forth.”^[1] It is implied that Jesus intended for the apostles to continue developing others in small groups as He had modeled. The entirety of Jesus’ earthly ministry was spent in a small group with these men. Soon after He enlisted the disciples, He sent them to teach, heal, and minister to others as He had done. This small band of men led by Jesus would become the catalyst to move small groups forward throughout the next three hundred years. Eugene Peterson gives similar insight about Jesus’ time by saying, “Jesus, it must be remembered, restricted nine-tenths of His ministry to twelve Jews.”^[2] Throughout the three years of Jesus’ ministry, it is evident that his time with the twelve disciples was spent for the purpose of development.

The disciples received the charge from Jesus with resolution and zeal. They continued in ministry just as Jesus had taught them throughout the previous three years. Throughout the first century, the ministry of small groups advanced. Due to increasing persecution of Christians, small groups were spread across the cities. These groups, which met in homes, were often mentioned throughout the epistles. The absence of physical church structures does not inform the modern church’s prescription regarding buildings, but it does suggest the effectiveness and need for small groups. Acts 2:42 states, “They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Apparently, home groups met on a regular and even daily basis. This frequency differs from what is regarded as today’s small group culture. Despite increasing hostility and persecution throughout the first century, home groups continued to thrive.

The politicizing and legalization of the Christian faith in 313 A.D. presented new trials and tests for the followers of Christ. Although unintentional, an unhealthy professionalism arose within the culture of the clergy. As political freedom increased and persecution decreased, the disparity between clergy and laity grew. Clergy members continued to meet in small groups, however, laity was removed from small group structure.^[3] The lack of separation between the church and state provided opportunity for political influence to gain control over many aspects of the Christian faith.

Martin Luther boldly challenged the unhealthy political climate within the church, calling for major reform. He purposed to restore the structure and function of the church to resemble the leading of the early apostles of the first century. Church groups, theologians, and religious leaders had recognized the need for change, but reform ultimately began with Martin Luther in 1517.^[4] Luther’s ideas emerged as he studied the Bible, and his doctrine of Sola Scriptura informed many of the conclusions he reached. Martin Luther helped reestablish the biblical concept that salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone. His doctrine of the priesthood of all believers pertains to small group ministry directly. Martin Luther embraced the charge of Ephesians 4 to equip the saints for the work of ministry. This implies that believers must commit to service and shared community. Martin Luther and Martin Bucer declared that small groups were vital for those serious about their faith and obeying the commands of Jesus. Both also agreed that small groups were given as a gift, not only for community, but also for the cultivation of personal holiness. Martin Greschat says of Bucer, “There was no doubt for Bucer, however, that it was the small groups that bore the greatest importance; it was they who would ultimately set the tone of and determine the greater church.”^[5]

The attempts to capture the essence and power of the ‘primitive church’ became more prominent and effective during the post-Reformation era.^[6] Philip Spener instituted what is now commonly referred to as home groups, where he offered sermon-based small group discussions. The groups, known as Collegia Pietatis, consisted of prayer, Bible study, and discussion regarding previous sermons. Spener regarded community within a small group as vital for true life change in a believer. The Moravians structured their groups like Spener’s model, regarding them as little churches within bigger churches. This movement influenced the Methodist church’s format and function for small groups. John Wesley appropriated what is called the band system from Zinzendorf that resembled Luther and Bucer’s philosophy for helping believers grow in personal holiness. Wesley’s basis for these groups was found in James 5:16. He believed that each church member needed personal encouragement and support, which only came from community within the parameters of small groups. Throughout church history, we can see the common thread of the need for small group ministries to not only exist, but thrive for the local church to thrive. For this reason, we continue to encourage every member of Green Acres to jump into one of our small groups, which are known as Connect Groups. Why do we call them Connect Groups? The purpose is to remind us why we meet on a weekly basis. Just as the Apostles did, we meet to Connect to Jesus and His church, Grow in the likeness of Jesus, so that we may Multiply for the purpose of Jesus. This is what our Connect Groups should truly resemble here at Green Acres. Every time someone asks you, “why do you call them Connect Groups?” You can gently answer, “because it is more than just a program to study the Bible…. It is a life changing decision to Connect with Christ and with other believers.”

The Connect Group Ministry at Green Acres is not a new concept. This is what traditional Baptists do because it is embedded in scripture. Every single one of us have a reason to be in a Connect Group. This is the reason my wife, Katie and I are a part of a Connect Group on Sunday nights. It is not something we talk about as a program; it is the scriptural basis for how we are to grow together and individually in Christ.

CONSIDER THIS: Considering what has been discussed, how has this deepened your understanding of the need for small groups? What is the role that you should play in your Connect Group? If you have never been a part of biblical community as God has designed, go to gabc.org/groupfinder to find your place at Green Acres.

Be sure to download this free resource offered at GABC called, “Discipleship Guide.” This guide is designed specifically as a resource to help you walk with others in a discipleship relationship. Grab someone from your Connect Group, a friend, a mentor, or someone younger and just commit to going through the guide together. If you would rather have a physical copy of this guide, contact Todd Haymans at toddh@gabc.org and request yours today. I know you will be amazed at the fruit from relationships such as this. Hold each other accountable. Pray for one another. Grow together in the likeness of Christ. Stay tuned next week for more…. Download the Discipleship Guide Here.

THIS SUNDAY: I am so excited to preach the third week of the series, ANCHORED, and we will be looking specifically at 1 Peter 1:22-2:3 “Anchored in Love.” I pray you will come excited and be sure you invite someone to attend with you. There is no greater invite than a personal one from you.

SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament that will be hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the Mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team.  Residents also have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Even if you decide not to enter the Green Acres Classic, you can still support this incredible new ministry of our church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please click the link to support this ministry: https://www.gabc.org/classic/ To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, visit GABC.org/foundation.

FALL FRIENDSHIP DINNER: Ladies, I pray that you will be able to attend this year’s Fall Friendship dinner! It is going to be such a great time! So, men, make sure your wives are there! The dinner will take place on September 13^th from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. Just know that this is a huge outreach gathering and serves to kick-off all fall Bible studies, Flourish mentoring ministry, and other enrichment events for women of all ages. If you have any additional questions, please be sure to stop by the table in the foyer this Sunday.

STARTING POINT: Come learn all about Green Acres! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class on September 18 is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres. For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry. Register here!

HOLY LAND TRIP: Pastor David and I will lead a trip to Israel in February 2023, which is coming up quickly!  This is a rare opportunity to travel with both of us.   The dates are February 15-25, 2023.   Email jend@gabc.org for more information.

DON’T FORGET! 10 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER: I am asking each of you to join in on our churchwide 10 days of fasting and prayer together. Starting on September 4, we are going to have 10 days of focused prayer for us to pray together as a church family. You will receive a fasting and prayer guide that will give you everything you need to journey with us on these 10 days. On September 14^th, we will conclude our 10 day journey in the Worship Center for a Night of Prayer and Worship as one body praying to the one true God! Make plans to join us that evening!

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Joel Comiskey, Making Disciples in the Twenty-First Century Church, (Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, 2013), 33.

^[2] Eugene Peterson, Travelling Light: Reflections on the Free Life (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1982), 182.

^[3] Joel Comiskey, Chapter 2: History of the Cell Movement, Provided by Dr. Dempsey in DSMN 820.

^[4] Dr. Dempsey, Video Lecture for Week 3 in DSMN 820.

^[5] Martin Greschat, Martin Bucer: A Reformer and His Times, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press), 216.

^[6] Joel Comiskey, Chapter 2: History of the Cell Movement.

0:00 – SPANISH ARMADA VS. ENGLISH NAVY

3:40 – 1 Peter 1:13-21

7:40 – HOLINESS REQUIRES COMPLETE ATTENTION ON THE GOSPEL

10:20 – REMOVE THE DISTRACTIONS OF YOUR MIND

13:20 – RENEW THE DIRECTION OF YOUR MIND

20:00 – HOLINESS REQUIRES DELIBERATE ACTION FOR THE GOSPEL

21:20 – CONFORMITY IS BASED ON WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING AROUND YOU

22:30 – OBEDIENCE IS BASED ON WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR YOU

25:30 – HOLINESS REQUIRES PERFECT ATONEMENT IN THE GOSPEL

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 4

The art of true discipleship really boils down to one fundamental element and that is action. James 2:26 says, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” The gift of faith by Christ leads us toward an action on His behalf. The fruit of our actions is not always seen immediately, but the Bible does teach us that there will be fruit that is seen in the life of the believer. This means that there is a fruit that will be seen in the believer who is pursuing discipleship and the fruit is multiplication. The fulfillment of discipleship will not take place apart from the participles listed in the great commission.  As we have already discovered in last previous articles, the Great Commission gives three participles πορευθέντες (“go”), βαπτίζοντες (“baptizing”), and διδάσκοντες (“teaching”) which serves as the formula and expectation that Jesus gave for the discipleship process. You can revisit these articles mentioned HERE. This understanding allows the emphasis to still be placed on the imperative verb which should also be the center of the church’s commitment to be and make disciples.^[1] In today’s article, we are going to see the fruit of discipleship and the concept of multiplication and the model of Christ.

Multiplication and the Model of Christ: As the disciple matures, the next step is multiplication, which consists of active participation with others in the process of discipleship. The disciple is no longer just a learner, but an active contributor in fulfilling the mission to go and make disciples. The charge to become fishers of men was inherent in Jesus’ call of his disciples in Matthew 4:19. From the moment He chose them, He intended to mature them for the purpose of sending them out. This is the third aspect of discipleship. Jesus’ followers were never expected to stay in place, but rather to go. This correlates back to the essential first participle, “Go.” If there is no indication of an imperative value for the first participle, the Great Commission could end with development. However, the deduction is that due to maturation and continued growth into Christlikeness, disciples obey the command to go and make more disciples. At its core, discipleship is cyclical. Earley and Dempsey give further clarity by saying, “In a very real sense, a disciple is a person who has been ‘summoned’ to be sent. Any discipleship strategy that eliminates personal ministry is ineffective. Jesus trained his disciples to fish for men and preach the gospel.”^[2] Every disciple carries the call for multiplication by going and making disciples of all nations.

Jesus leaves his followers with the Great Commission, propelling them toward their primary responsibility to make disciples who are also making disciples. This passage reminds every follower of Jesus that discipleship efforts do not occur in the power of man, but rather the power of God. Believers carry out the mission through Jesus’ authority. Dodson gives explanation to this by saying, “Jesus is the ground of going. When Jesus sends, He sends not merely to evangelize but, in His power, to make disciples. Under His authority, the so-called Great Commission begins with Jesus, not our great effort, and ends with Jesus – ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”^[3] Discipleship anchors every church’s purpose for existence and each believer’s primary responsibility. The church must summon all who know Christ toward this mission. John Koessler makes this very clear by saying, “Discipleship is not primarily a matter of what we do. It is an outgrowth of what we are.”^[4] This is the commissioning of all disciples until the return of Jesus. The Great Commission gives a greater understanding to the unique model of discipleship Jesus prescribes for all believers.^[5]

CONSIDER THIS: What is your part in the Great Commission according to God’s Word? How can you grow in your intentionality in multiplying for the Kingdom of God?

FREE DOWNLOAD: I love the free resource offered at GABC called, “Discipleship Guide.” This guide is designed specifically as a resource to help you walk with others in a discipleship relationship. As you do this, you can help multiply in ways you have never imagined. Grab someone from your connect group, a friend, a mentor, or someone younger and just commit to going through the guide together. I know you will be amazed at the fruit from relationships such as this. Hold each other accountable. Pray for one another. Grow together in the likeness of Christ. Stay tuned next week for more…

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THIS SUNDAY: I am so excited to preach the second week of the series, ANCHORED, and we will be looking specifically at 1 Peter 1:13-21 “Anchored in Holiness.” I pray you will come excited and prayed up for God to move in your heart and the hearts of our church family.

SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament that will be hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team, as well as have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Maybe you don’t want to play in the Golf Tournament, but you can still support this incredible new ministry of the church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please click here to support this ministry. To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, visit GABC.org/foundation.

FALL FRIENDSHIP DINNER: Ladies, I pray that you will be able to attend this year’s Fall Friendship dinner! It is going to be such a great time! So, men, make sure your wives are there! The dinner will take place on September 13^th from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. Just know that this is a huge outreach gathering and serves to kick-off all fall Bible studies, Flourish mentoring ministry, and other enrichment events for women of all ages. If you have any additional questions, please be sure to contact our women’s ministry at 903-525-1100.

STARTING POINT: Come learn all about Green Acres! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class on September 18 is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres. For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry. Register here!

10 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER: I am asking each of you to join in on our churchwide 10 days of fasting and prayer together. Starting on September 4, we are going to have 10 days of focused prayer for us to pray together as a church family. You will receive a fasting and prayer guide that will give you everything you need to journey with us on these 10 days. On September 14^th, we will conclude our 10 day journey in the Worship Center for a night of prayer and worship as one body praying to the one true God! Make plans to join us that evening!

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

^[1] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 26.

^[2] Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making Is . . ., 74.

^[3] Jonathan K. Dodson, Gospel Centered Discipleship, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2012), 31.

^[4] John Koessler, True Discipleship: The Art of Following Jesus (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003), 12.

^[5] Michael J. Wilkins, Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992), 185-187.

We are excited to start this brand new sermon series, “Anchored”! In “Anchored” we will be studying the book of 1st Peter and will be looking at this letter for the next 12 weeks.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS: PART 3

As we continue to dive into the elements and expectations of discipleship, I want to remind you where we have been in the last two weeks. If you have missed an article, you can click here for PART 1 and here for PART 2. In last week’s article, we looked at the second participle of the Great Commission, which is βαπτίζοντες (“baptizing”), and what it teaches us about baptism, as well as conversion. This is where we understand the true meaning of evangelism within the greater conversation of discipleship. Discipleship does not end at the point of evangelism and continues to what is identified as the third participle which is διδάσκοντες (“teaching”).

Teaching and the Model of Christ: The third participle, but the second phase that is seen in the Great Commission, is to teach or observe all that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:20). Jesus’ mandate does not end with evangelistic efforts but gives explicit expectation for growth through teaching and fulfilling His commands. Teaching implies a pattern of ongoing training and development within the disciple’s life.^[1] Jesus modeled this for the disciples throughout His three-year ministry on earth. He continuously taught and developed the disciples so that they could eventually go and minister on their own. When Jesus called the disciples, saying, “Follow Me” this was the first step of abiding in the teachings of Jesus seen in Matthew 4:18-22. After the disciples abandoned all to follow Jesus, they pursued intentional personal relationships with Him for the purpose of developing Christlikeness. Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey said, “For the twelve, the call to discipleship was a call to immerse their lives in the words of Jesus.”^[2]  

The teaching component of the Great Commission is the primary route in which the disciple grows in his relationship with Jesus. Paul states that the aim of the disciple is to imitate God and walk in love just as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:1-2). As disciples are being taught and nurtured, Christlikeness will flourish. The Great Commission admonishes believers to teach or observe all that I have commanded you. When Jesus was pressed by one of the religious scribes to give an answer to what the greatest command is, Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV). In this summation of the commandments, Jesus reveals to his disciples that this is the focus of their development.

^[1]  Michael J. Wilkins, Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992), 189.

^[2] Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making Is . . ., 73.

In Matthew 4:17, Jesus’ public ministry is introduced.^[3] Jesus announces his intentions, emphasizing his desire to seek the lost. This announcement begins the ministry of Jesus as He calls disciples to follow Him. The remainder of His time with the disciples becomes the training ground He utilizes for the purpose of spiritual growth. Matthew chapters five through seven show that He trained the disciples through what they witnessed as well as what they heard. These chapters reveal the mentoring nature of Jesus’ relationships during this teaching phase.^[4] The ultimate purpose found in the training and teaching of the disciples was to become more like Christ. Therein lies the foundational understanding for the discipleship process to produce Christlikeness.^[5] Jesus proclaimed, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40, ESV). Jesus’ words to believers assumed each would teach his commands, leaving no room for a disciple not to participate.^[6]

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, discipleship occurred when men and women spent time with their mentor.^[7] The relational method of discipleship was widely known among the Greeks and Jews.^[8] The purpose for discipleship was realized only through the example and commission of Jesus. In the examples of discipleship before Christ, Hull notes, “It meets the human need for friendship, guidance, and intimacy.”^[9] As in the process of evangelism, discipleship occurs by grace alone through faith alone. Likewise, growth of the believer through Bible teaching is completely dependent on God. Jesus’ model for maturing believers through teaching is illuminated through the lens of Hebrews 12:2, which reminds us that by the Holy Spirit our eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.^[10] The purpose of the teaching stage of Jesus’ ministry is for disciples to be conformed to his likeness. According to Pettit, there are three primary elements necessary for people to grow in the likeness of Christ after salvation. The first is the Word of God, the second is the Spirit of God and the third is God’s people.

CONSIDER THIS: What is missing to help you grow in the likeness of Christ personally? Secondly, how are you helping others grow in the likeness of Christ? How are you growing in your obedience to Christ’s commands? How are you helping others grow in their obedience to Jesus? This is really the meaning of this third participle. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded. When we connect others to Christ (Participle 2) and connect them to His church, we are then charged with the task of helping them Grow in Christ (Participle 3). The disciple is never done growing and will never be done helping others grow. I pray that you will take time this week to examine your patterns of growth and the habits that help you grow and will examine whether or not you are helping others grow closer to Christ. Find someone this week that you will invest in for the purpose of helping them grow.

^[3] Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 89.

^[4] A.B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1988), 41.

^[5] Allan Coppedge, The Biblical Principles of Discipleship, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989), 79-82.

^[6] Gary L. McIntosh, Growing God’s Church: How People Are Actually Coming to Faith Today (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2016), 18-19.

^[7] Winfield Bevins, “How Jesus Made Disciples,” Gospel Centered Discipleship, September 26, 2017, accessed November 10, 2017, http://gcdispleship.com/2012/06/04/how-jesus-made-disciples/.

^[8] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 62.

^[9] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship, 52.

^[10] Paul Pettit, Foundations of Spiritual Formation: A community approach to becoming like Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2008), 44.

FREE DOWNLOAD: I love the free resource offered at GABC called, “Discipleship Guide.” This guide is designed specifically as a resource to help you walk with others in a discipleship relationship. Grab someone from your connect group, a friend, a mentor, or someone younger and just commit to going through the guide together. I know you will be amazed at the fruit from relationships such as this. Hold each other accountable. Pray for one another. Grow together in the likeness of Christ. Stay tuned next week for more…..

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THIS SUNDAY: I am so excited to begin our brand new series, ANCHORED. We are studying the book of 1^st Peter and will be looking at this letter for the next 12 weeks. I pray you will come excited and prayed up for God to move in your heart and the hearts of our church family.

GREEN ACRES CLASSIC: SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament that will be hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the Mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team.  Residents also have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Even if you decide not to enter the Green Acres Classic, you can still support this incredible new ministry of our church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please click the link to support this ministry: https://www.gabc.org/classic/ To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation CLICK HERE.

GREEN ACRES INSTITUTE: This past Sunday, you heard about a new opportunity that we have to partner with ETBU for a fully accredited Institute here at Green Acres Baptist Church. The Green Acres Institute is designed to help you grow in your studies theologically, but also to deepen your faith as a follower of Jesus. Also, because it is accredited fully, you can utilize our Institute credits to transfer toward any degree up to a Masters. Stay tuned in the coming days for more information on how you can take advantage of this incredible new ministry.

STARTING POINT: Come learn all about Green Acres! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class on September 18 is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres. For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.

SENIOR ADULT LUNCHEON: I am excited to tell you that Hixon Frank (Executive Pastor), Todd Haymans (Discipleship Pastor), and I will be hosting and speaking at the Senior Adult luncheon on Thursday, August 25^th. I hope that I will see you there for this time of encouragement with one another! To register for the luncheon, please go to REGISTER HERE.

HOLY LAND TRIP: Pastor David and I will lead a trip to Israel in February 2023, which is coming up quickly!  This is a rare opportunity to travel with both of us.   The dates are February 15-25, 2023.   Email jend@gabc.org for more information.

10 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER: I am asking each of you to join in on our church-wide 10 days of fasting and prayer together. Starting on September 4, we are going to have 10 days of focused prayer for us to pray together as a church family. You will receive a fasting and prayer guide that will give you everything you need to journey with us on these 10 days. On September 14^th, we will conclude our 10 day journey in the Worship Center for a Night of Prayer and Worship as one body praying to the one true God! Make plans to join us that evening!

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

This week we are celebrating as a church family all that God has done, and we are anticipating together all that He will do. We are going to be studying, particularly in Scripture, what it looks like to be ALL IN for Christ in every area of our life and how this impacts our church.

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new or want to know more about Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Want to give your life to Jesus Christ?

Click here: www.gabc.org/connect

Do you have a prayer request?

Click here: www.gabc.org/prayer

Want to give to Green Acres?

Click here: www.gabc.org/give

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbaptistchurch

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS – PART 2

In last week’s article, we opened a discussion about the concept of discipleship and understanding the Great Commission according to God’s Word. “Going” as a disciple must carry the same weight of the command to disciple because it is necessary for the fulfillment of discipleship. The fulfillment of discipleship will not take place apart from the participles listed in the Great Commission.  As we discovered in last week’s article(view here), the Great Commission gives three participles πορευθέντες (“go”), βαπτίζοντες (“baptizing”), and διδάσκοντες (“teaching”) which serves as the formula and expectation that Jesus gave for the discipleship process. This understanding allows the emphasis to still be placed on the imperative verb which should also be the center of the church’s commitment to be and make disciples.^[1] In today’s article, we are going to address primarily the second participle.

Baptism, Evangelism, and the Model of Christ: The first directive of the discipleship process is to baptize. Jesus taught His disciples in Luke 19:10, that the reason He came to earth was to seek and save the lost. The lost are those who do not understand the truth of Jesus and who lack a saving relationship with Him. Therefore, discipleship must include the act of evangelism. Jeffrey Arnold and Stephanie Black say, “The message of evangelism, called the ‘Good News’ in the New Testament, is that salvation has come through Jesus Christ.”^[2] The efforts of evangelism are the strategic actions taken to help people understand the Gospel and then know how they should respond. Dave Earley and David Wheeler talk about the importance of evangelism by saying, “To the follower of Jesus, lost people are of utmost importance. Jesus had a heart for lost people. If we are to be His followers, we too need to have a heart for lost people. The eighteenth-century pastor Charles Spurgeon once stated, ‘Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.’ Jesus had a heart for lost people, and so will His followers.”^[3] It is this reason Paul writes in Romans 10:14-15, “How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

^[1] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 26.

 ^[2] Jeffrey Arnold and Stephanie Black, The Big Book on Small Groups (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992).

 ^[3] Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic Publishing Group, 2010), 39.

Going (the first participle) is a transcendent understanding of the process of discipleship. Paul makes it clear that evangelism cannot happen unless there is a willingness to go. This is not an aloof going, but rather a very intentional going that you and I are called to commit to as a part of our lives. Evangelism is an intentional act of clearly sharing the Good News of Jesus that is undergirded by the love and grace of Jesus.

CONVERSION: People must first convert to following Christ before baptism should occur. This substantiates that as part of biblical discipleship, evangelistic efforts are vital. The process must include proclaiming the Gospel, helping others come to know Christ, and leading them through a public profession of faith through baptism.^[4] In preparation for Jesus’ arrival, John the Baptist preached repentance to all who would listen. Jesus continued this theme, modeling baptism in the first step of his discipleship process. In John chapter three, Jesus confronts Nicodemus, teaching what it means to repent and be born again.^[5] Jesus was evangelizing and teaching Nicodemus about the new life received through the gift of the Holy Spirit.^[6] A similar instance took place in John chapter four with the woman at the well. In this encounter, Jesus explained what it truly meant to be a disciple. He told her to repent of her sins and current lifestyle.  Jesus modeled for his disciples the example of connecting with others at all cost for the purpose of evangelism. Nothing deterred Jesus from associating with this woman for the purpose of revealing the Gospel to her.^[7]

God desires for all men to repent and be reconciled unto Himself (2 Peter 3:9). John 3:16 proclaims, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (ESV). There is further support of this understanding throughout the book of Acts. In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are living out the Great Commission on their first missionary journey. As Paul preached the Gospel, he helped people understand the truth, giving them an opportunity to respond by faith. Mark 16:17 expresses the same expectation for evangelism by calling the believer to go in all the world and preach the Gospel. The beginning of the Great Commission in the second participle is a declaration to go and evangelize.^[8] After the new believer is baptized, they are then a part of the Body of Christ. Evangelism is, therefore, for every follower of Jesus not just those with a particular gift to evangelize. This is also not a program of the church but an expected lifestyle for every believer as you are going throughout your life. J. Mack Stiles says, “We need to replace evangelistic programs with a culture of evangelism. Programs are to evangelism what sugar is to nutrition: a strict diet of evangelistic programs produces malnourished evangelism. So, we should feel a healthy unease with regard to evangelistic programs. We must use them strategically and in moderation, if at all.” The point is to determine within yourself that you will be committed to Biblical evangelism.

^[4] Allan Coppedge, The Biblical Principles of Discipleship, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989), 115.

 ^[5] Gerald L. Borchert, John 1-11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 172.

^[6] Barclay Moon Newman and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook of the Gospel of John, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 82.

^[7] M. S. Mills, The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries, 1999).

^[8] Allen Hadidian, Discipleship: Helping Other Christians Grow (Chicago: Moody Press, 1987), 21-22.

CONSIDER THIS: What is your part in evangelism? Your particular part is to take seriously the command of Christ – to make Him known to all nations. This begins with your smallest circle of influence, into your greatest. In every area of your life, are you truly leveraging it so that others may know Christ? Here at Green Acres, we have attempted to give you different tools to assist your efforts in evangelism. In the lobby of the church, you will find free evangelism tracts that you can take and continue, or begin, your efforts in evangelism. Find someone today to share the greatest news for all humanity to know.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THIS SUNDAY: This week we are celebrating as a church family all that God has done, and we are anticipating together all that He will do. We are going to be studying, particularly in Scripture, what it looks like to be ALL IN for Christ in every area of our life and how this impacts our church. Come join us this Sunday at 8:30 or 11:00 am at the Tyler campus or 11:00 am at the Flint campus.

SUMMIT: Have you considered being a part of what God is doing at Green Acres? If so, but you have been hesitant about jumping in or knowing your place, then you should join us at SUMMIT. Our Green Acres Leadership Summit is designed for everyone who is currently serving or those who are considering how to serve. Make plans to join us on August 14^th, at 4:30 pm. You can sign up HERE

SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament that will be hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the Mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team.  Residents also have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Even if you decide not to enter the Green Acres Classic, you can still support this incredible new ministry of our church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please click the link to support this ministry: https://www.gabc.org/classic/ To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, visit GABC.org/foundation.

STARTING POINT: Come learn all about Green Acres! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class on September 18 is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres. Register Here: (Link Here) For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.

SENIOR ADULTS:  On Thursday, August 25, I will be speaking at our Senior Adult Luncheon.   I’ve invited Hixon Frank and Todd Haymans to join me in a panel discussion.  I hope to see you there!  Here’s the link to register:  https://connect.gabc.org/Registration/Senioradultlunch 

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

David’s life is full of incredible moments. The shepherd, the anointed King of Israel, the failure, and the grace of restoration. How does faith allow us to walk with the Lord through the highs and lows of life?

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A Note from Michael Gossett

DISCIPLESHIP MATTERS – Part 1

Discipleship is central to every believer and truly matters to every follower of Jesus. Have you ever considered what it truly looks like to be a disciple of Jesus? Following Jesus is more than a simple “commitment” that reduces a true following to a nominal Christianity. Cultural Christianity exists in a life that proclaims Jesus verbally (when comfortable) but has no difference in the way we live. According to Jesus, this type of Christianity is not possible. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” A living sacrifice (quite the paradoxical lifestyle) is the expectation from Paul for every believer not just the Christian elite. To be a disciple is to be a living sacrifice for Christ.

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE: A disciple follows Christ and the commands He gave. A disciple is committed to the great commission that states all disciples go and make disciples. In essence, the disciple is a disciple-maker. The word disciple appears 266 times in the New Testament.^[1] When it comes to truly following Jesus, you must consider the cost of laying your life down for the sake of God’s Kingdom. Jesus makes this claim precise in Luke 14:28: “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”  The disciple is committed to following Christ and surrendering completely to His will. The disciple is willing to sacrifice personal ambition for the sake of following Christ. They are one who is willing to give up earthly gain including present or future possessions. The disciple is not only a learner of God’s word, but they work in accordance with the Spirit to apply His word. Disciples have their lives refined by regular and consistent time in God’s word. Disciples abide in Christ through daily prayer, which bears fruit in their lives. Disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and their lives are marked with obedience and surrender. Disciples desire involvement in the mission of Jesus to make disciples in the local church, both locally and around the world.^[2]

UNDERSTANDING THE GREAT COMMISSION: Jesus begins the Great Commission declaring his authority before arriving at the central command to “make disciples.” He proclaims that “all authority” which is in Christ Himself will be given to the disciples as they adhere to the task of discipleship. The authority transferred to a disciple allows them to proceed in the power and authority of Jesus as they carry out the mission of Jesus. Jesus’ mandate in the Great Commission gives us insight into our purpose, which is to glorify God by going and making disciples.

^[1] Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…, 22.

^[1] Ibid., 22-25.

The structure of the Great Commission gives clarity to the method required to fulfill God’s plan to rescue the world. The command begins with the participle “go.” There is great consensus among evangelical and biblical scholars that the main purpose of the Great Commission is to “make disciples” (μαθητεύσατε).^[3] The weight of the sentence structure is placed on the verb, “make disciples.” Bill Mounce prescribes to the belief that the participle πορευθέντες (go) is best understood in the framework consistent with Daniel Wallace, who states there is an expectation tied to the command “make disciples” (μαθητεύσατε).^[4] Mounce and Wallace emphasize that the command to go and make disciples is the expectation of every believer. The command to baptize and to teach all that Jesus commanded is prescriptive not only for the church, but for the individual disciple. Understanding the participle is important to the process of discipleship, but also to the understanding of the verb μαθητεύσατε “make disciples.”^[5] A disciple must “go” in order to “make disciples,” which means a disciple is participatory in discipleship both locally and globally.

Understanding the Great Commission in this way speaks directly to the application of biblical discipleship the local church. The command to “go” must carry the same weight as the command to “make disciples” because both are necessary for discipleship to occur. Making disciples cannot occur apart from the participles listed in the Great Commission.  The three participles, πορευθέντες (“go”), βαπτίζοντες (“baptizing”), and διδάσκοντες (“teaching”) serve as the formula and expectation that Jesus gave for the discipleship process. This understanding allows the emphasis to stay on the imperative verb which should also be the center of the church’s commitment to be and make disciples.^[6] The Great Commission is the crescendo of the Gospels and of Jesus life and ministry on this earth. The local church, carrying out the Great Commission, is God’s plan of proclamation to the world.

CONSIDER THIS: What is your part in the Great Commission according to God’s word? I love the free resource offered by Green Acres called, “Discipleship Guide.” This guide is designed specifically as a resource to help you walk with others in a discipleship relationship. The Discipleship Guide will be available in the Connection Suite this weekend and is also available to download HERE. Grab someone from your Connect Group, a friend, a mentor, or a younger believer and commit to going through the guide together. I know you will be amazed at the fruit from relationships such as this. Hold each other accountable. Pray for one another. Grow together in the likeness of Christ. Stay tuned next week for more…..

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

^[1] Grant R. Osborne, Matthew: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, edited by Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 1080.

^[1] Bill Mounce, “Great Commission and Participles,” For an Informed Love of God (Blog), Bill Mounce May 26, Accessed: November 1, 2019, https://www.billmounce.com/monday-with-mounce/great-commission-and-participles

^[1] Daniel B. Wallace, “The Great Commission or the Great Suggestion?” danielbwallace (Blog), February 17, 2014, Accessed: November 1, 2019, https://danielbwallace.com/2014/02/17/the-great-commission-or-the-great-suggestion/

^[1] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 26.

THIS SUNDAY: I am so excited to be preaching the end of our series, Epic Faith, as we look at the faith of David. David’s life is full of incredible moments. The shepherd, the anointed King of Israel, the failure, and the grace of restoration. How does faith allow us to walk with the Lord through the highs and lows of life? Come and join us this Sunday at 8:30 or 11:00 am at the Tyler campus or 11:00 am at the Flint campus as we look at this epic faith of David and how your faith can grow in exponential ways.

SUMMIT: Have you considered being a part of what God is doing at Green Acres? If so, but you have been hesitant about jumping in or knowing your place, then I invite you to join us at THE SUMMIT. Our Green Acres Leadership Summit is designed for everyone who is currently serving, or those who are considering how to serve. Make plans to join us on August 14^th, at 4:30 pm. You can sign up HERE

SIGN UP TODAY! I am so excited to announce the inaugural Green Acres Classic golf tournament that will be hosted by the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation. The tournament will be on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Willow Brook Country Club. All proceeds will benefit the next generation of ministry leaders by supporting the Residency Program. This is just another thing I LOVE about our church family. We believe in raising up leaders so that the mission of God will continue to advance.

The newly developed Residency Program is designed specifically for those called to full-time vocational ministry. Residents serve on our ministry staff for one year while being developed and discipled by our staff team and have an opportunity to further their ministry education through a partnership with East Texas Baptist University.

Maybe you don’t want to play in the golf tournament, but you can still support this incredible new ministry of our church. Your support of the Green Acres Classic is an eternal investment that goes beyond the boundaries of this world! Please visit gabc.org/classic/ to support this ministry. To learn more about the Green Acres Baptist Church Foundation, visit GABC.org/foundation.

Church family, please be in prayer for all the 5^th and 6^th graders who are attending CROSSOVER this coming week. This trip is designed to help students CROSSOVER from Kid’s Ministry to Student Ministry. This is such an important milestone as we join together in building the next generation of Jesus followers.

I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday!

You are loved and prayed for!

Michael Gossett

Want to know what REAL faith looks like? Join us for our new sermon series as we examine the Old Testament stories of 5 Bible characters who showed epic faith. In this message, we are looking at the faith of Noah. It is interesting that as you study Noah in Genesis 6-9, you will see one of the clearest understandings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

0:00 – INTRO TO GENESIS

3:20 – GENESIS 6-9

11:00 – THE DEPRAVITY OF MAN

14:20 – THE PROBLEM IS INTERNAL

15:20 – THE PROBLEM IS INESCAPABLE

16:00 – THE DISTINCTION OF NOAH

17:40 – NOAH WAS COMMITTED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

21:00 – NOAH WAS COMMITTED TO OBEDIENCE

22:50 – THE DEMONSTRATION OF GRACE

23:10 – GRACE IS SEEN IN GOD”S PROVISION

26:30 – GRACE IS SEEN IN GOD”S PRESERVATION

27:10 – GRACE IS SEEN IN GOD”S PROMISE

28:00 – BOW IN THE CLOUDS

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Exodus 20:16 says, “Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This seems straightforward, but there are certain implications that you and I can easily overlook in this study.

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Summer can be an exciting time for your students! Rest from the school year, spending time with friends, and sleeping in. But oftentimes it can lead to a disconnect from their walk with the Lord. Without the routine of the school year curriculum, Wednesday night, and Sunday morning schedules, it can cause students to lose interest and focus on their walk with Jesus. In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss how we can take advantage of the summer to strengthen our student’s faith by getting them involved in summer camps, mission trips, and other serving opportunities in the church! Don’t let summer be an excuse to slow down!

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The Eighth Commandment from God says, “Do not steal.” This commandment encapsulates all of the other commandments in one way or another. It is easy to think that we have a good understanding of this commandment and quickly move on to the last two. In today’s message, we dive into what “do not steal” truly means.

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Exodus 20:14 says, “Do not commit adultery.” There is much to learn from this short yet impactful commandment. This is a very personal and intrusive commandment speaking heavily against our cultural dynamics today. However, the issues of immorality were just as rampant in the First Century. The problem the church faces today is the emphasis, the openness, and the celebration of immorality. Our national culture is now setting aside the month of June to celebrate the perversion of God’s design and gift of marriage. This celebration and acceptance is growing rapidly around our nation and is beginning to infiltrate the ideology of many. God’s Word is clear, and we are called to be a distinct people. Throughout the history of the church, we have seen the church strengthened amid cultural oppression. Together, as God’s people, let us be strengthened in the Lord and stand firm on the authority of His Word.

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Change can be a scary word. But it doesn’t have to be! In today’s episode our Creative Arts Pastor, Chance Riehl, explains how you can embrace change and thrive in it! Chance has taken the “The Three Circles” model that we use to share the Gospel and created the “Circles of Change”, this diagram walks you through the different stages of change to help you be creative and try new things. Creativity produces change, change sparks transformation, transformation births new life! 

Click the link below to download the “Circles of Change”. Be sure to share this episode with your friends, family, and coworkers. Let’s thrive in change!

Download the Circles of Change

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The Ten Commandments are just as relevant today as they were at their inauguration. The Ten Commandments begin with our worship of the Lord. If we forget this essential first step, everything else crumbles beneath it. The right to life has been replaced with a “my right to take life” mentality. We cannot disconnect the sixth commandment from who we worship. Who we worship as followers of Jesus determines our love for others. The sixth commandment may be short, but it has a great impact in how we interact with others. Exodus 20:13 says, “Do not murder.”

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Last week Pastor Michael and our Missions Pastor, John Roach, discussed WHY we go on Mission! This week they discuss HOW we go on Mission! For information on getting involved here at Green Acres click the links below. If you don’t attend Green Acres, check with your church’s missions ministry on how you can go on mission!

Want more info? Visit https://www.gabc.org/missions
Email John Roach: johnr@gabc.org

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Today we continue our series “A Better Way”. The fifth commandment teaches us that we shall honor our father and mother. We look at how to honor and invest in your family biblically. And what it looks like to invest in other generations around you.

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We are excited to have our Missions Pastor, John Roach on today’s episode of the CGM Podcast! Pastor Michael and John discuss what missions really is and how you can get involved with missions here at Green Acres or at your local church!

Want more info? Visit https://www.gabc.org/missions

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In a world of fast paced busyness, rest is something that is not celebrated in many ways. Rest often appears as lazy or un-driven. The Lord gives us an example that we are to rest and take it seriously. Rest is not just physical but involves every aspect of our lives. It will make you better as a follower of Jesus because it is the rest that your soul undoubtedly craves.

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We are so excited to announce the launch of our brand new Español Ministry here at Green Acres! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael sits down with our Director of Operations, Eddy Espinosa! Eddy is also leading our Green Acres en Español Ministry! If you would like more info about this new ministry, you can call Eddy at 903-525-3277! The new connect group, Pasos de Fe, meets on Sundays at 9:45 am in our Crosswalk Conference Center! Spread the word!

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Exodus 20:7 tells us to not misuse the name of the Lord. Many times, we have shortened our understanding of this commandment to miss the level of significance that it really carries.

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss the commandment that you should honor your father and mother and what instructions the bible gives to moms. Happy Mother’s Day!

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In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt cover the second half of the Ephesians: Living in Christ series! If you missed the Ephesians series you can click the links below!

EPISODE LINKS:

Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/green-acres-messages/id1548124342?i=1000553173263

Watch: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMAo-dzYk5YPhcF0ZQbOh7YZ9Nqk57Btx

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Many people believe that the 10 Commandments are antiquated and have been wiped out by Christ, so why study them? However, what we will see are the direct applications to our lives and we will gain a better understanding of what Jesus meant when He came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.

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We just ended our “Ephesians: Living in Christ” sermon series at Green Acres! Today Pastor Michael and Kurt will look back over the first half of this series and how Paul gives us a picture of the Christian life and challenges us to fully live our lives for Jesus! Check out the “Ephesians: Living in Christ” sermon series below!

EPISODE LINKS:

Listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/green-acres-messages/id1548124342?i=1000553173263

Watch: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMAo-dzYk5YPhcF0ZQbOh7YZ9Nqk57Btx

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1st Corinthians 15 may be one of the most significant passages in all of scripture. Paul gives us this understanding that the resurrection does matter for your life. That if Jesus was raised from the dead, then it means something to you personally. Jesus died for YOU, no strings attached!

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We are excited to have Dr. Jonathan Teague on today’s episode of the CGM Podcast! Dr. Teague is the Senior Associate Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX. Today we are jumping back into our series “Generation _______ “. In this episode Pastor Michael and Dr. Teague talk about Millennials. Who are they? How do we reach them? And what do they bring to the church?

We loved this conversation and hope you do as well!

EPISODE LINKS:

–Follow Jonathan Teague on Instagram

-Nine Commons Lies Christians Believe – Shane Pruitt

-30 Days Turning the Hearts of Parents – Richard Ross

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As Paul draws this book to an end, he concludes with quite an incredible concept for all of us. What does it look like for us to “Battle in Christ.” Every disciple enters into this battlefield as they follow Jesus. The enemy is against you if you are truly Living in Christ. You have a unique target on your back, and we must be prepared for spiritual warfare because it is happening all around us, whether we realize it or not. As we finish this study, we need to ask how we are to prepare for this battle and how do we continue in the fight?

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If we want to love our neighbors well, then we need to have a love that shares the gospel! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss Matthew 13:1-9 and look at how Jesus teaches us to have a love that shares! We have loved this “Love Well” series! If you are just now tuning in, be sure to go back and listen to parts 1 and 2! The links are below!

Episode 21 – Love Well – Love That Sees

Episode 22 – Love Well – Love That Serves

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Discipleship should be part of the fabric of every follower of Jesus. Paul addresses this concept through the lens of children, parents, slaves, and masters. The examples that Paul provides speak to every individual no matter what season of life you are currently in.

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Serving your neighbor is not about personal advancement, but about the advancement of God’s kingdom! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt continue the “Love Well” Mini-Series by discussing how we can have a love that serves!

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In Ephesians 5, Paul teaches us that we are to be filled in Christ! How should you function in the church, at your job, with your family, with your spouse? Today we study what it means to be completely filled in Christ in every aspect of your life!

0:00 – Naval Ships

6:30 – Ephesians 5: 18-33

11:40 – The Spirit-filled Church:

12:20 – Sings praise from the heart

18:30 – Gives thanks to the lord

18:55 – Demonstrates submission to one another

20:55 – The Spirit-filled marriage:

22:00 – Submits with respect

28:00 – Sacrifices with love

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What does it mean to, “love your neighbor”? We hear this a lot in our lives and in church but what does Jesus teach us about truly loving our neighbor. How can we love our neighbors even when they are oceans apart from us? In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt break down what it means to truly love our neighbor in our Mini-Series, “Love Well”.

Episode Links:

Ukraine Disaster Relief

The Unhurried Life

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The call to imitate God in Ephesians 5:1 should cause every one of us to pause and reflect about this audacious goal. William Barclay calls this verse, “The highest standard in the world.” Alexander Maclaren says this verse is, “The sum of all duty.” Martyn Lloyd Jones says, “Here in this new chapter we come to what is perhaps Paul’s supreme argument, to the highest level of all in doctrine and in practice, to the ultimate ideal. There is nothing possible beyond this. This is the highest statement of Christian doctrine that one can conceive of or even imagine.” We are going to learn from Paul what it truly means to “Walk in Christ.”

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Distinct in Christ

0:00 – Pastor Michael’s Daughter’s Surgery

5:00 – Ephesians 5: 1-17

13:20 – Walk in love and reject selfishness

17:50 – Walk in purity and reject idolatry

22:00 – Walk in light and reject darkness

27:15 – Walk in wisdom and reject foolishness

29:35 – Tilly Smith

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We are excited to start our new series, “Generation __________”! We will dive into the 4, soon to be 5, generations that make up the church! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss Gen Z! Who are they? How do we reach them in the church? What do they bring to the church?

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you can be the first to know when a new episode comes out!

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As Paul continues to turn the corner in the book of Ephesians, he now makes it clear to us, as followers of Jesus, what it means to be “Distinct in Christ.” Last week we learned that because of the truths shared through chapters one through three, we should be motivated to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. Paul now continues the theme of walking or living in this manner by describing our distinctiveness in Christ.

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Grow in Christ

0:00 – Team Tryouts

4:00 – Ephesians 4: 14-32

7:15 – Forsake the ways of the world

9:40 – The world walks in darkness

11:00 – The world walks in isolation

19:00 – Exchange your life with Christ

23:55 – Commit to a new standard

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We’re back! We are so excited to be back with new episodes of the CGM Podcast! In this week’s episode, we catch up with Michael and his recent trip to Israel and discuss, Why Going is Growing! Where is God calling you?

Interested in going on mission? Click here: http://www.gabc.org/missions

Be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you can be the first to know when a new episode comes out!

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This week we continued our study of Ephesians! In this message, we will learn how to “Grow in Christ”, from Ephesians 4:1-16!

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Streams of Living Water

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If you are living in Christ, then there is power in Christ! In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul teaches us to live a power-filled life that can only be found in Jesus Christ!

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Proclaim in Christ

0:00 – President McKinley

4:34 – Ephesians 3: 14-21

10:45 – Pray with a posture of humility

16:30 – Encourages desperation

22:00 – Pray with the fullness of love

25:50 – Pray with the expectation of impact

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Yesterday we continued our study of Ephesians! The title of the message is “Proclaim in Christ.” Ephesians 3:8 says, “This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ.” You have been given a great hope and a great message in Christ!

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Together in Christ

0:00 – Titanic

3:28 – Ephesians 3: 1-13

7:18 – Proclaim the will of Christ

16:30 – Proclaim the mystery of Christ

18:22 – The riches of Christ

25:35 – Proclaim the purpose of Christ

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This week we continued our series, “Ephesians: Living in Christ”. We focused on Ephesians 2:11-22 and what it means to be “Together in Christ”.

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Alive in Christ

0:00 – Where we left off

4:50 – Ephesians 2: 11-22

7:48 – We were isolated from Christ and His people

16:00 – We are reconciled to Christ and His people

22:20 – We are unified with Christ and His people

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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This week we studied what it means to be “Alive in Christ.” Ephesians 2:8 is one of the most well-known verses in scripture that says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” We looked at the powerful passage of what it takes from us and from the Lord to be made alive in Him.

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Pray in Christ

0:00 – How would you prove you are alive?

4:26 – Ephesians 2: 1-10

7:35 – The reality of our condition apart from Christ

16:00 – The reality of our position with Christ

22:20 – The reality of our direction in Christ

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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Martin Luther says, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Today we learn what it means to Pray in Christ!

Miss last week’s message? Click here: Worship in Christ

0:00 – Kent Hughes

5:21 – Ephesians 1: 15-23

7:29 – Prayer aligns our purpose with Christ

14:28 – Prayer provides clarity in our calling

22:17 – Prayer partners with God’s power

28:00 – Prayer and Fasting

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Welcome to Wednesday Evening Bible Study! We’re so glad you’re here!

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Ephesians is only six chapters, 155 verses, and takes about 20 minutes to read in its entirety. Throughout the 155 verses, Paul gives us a deeper understanding of the truth of Jesus Christ. Ephesians takes us to new heights and depths of knowledge of how the Gospel applies to each of us. We will learn that a superficial following of Jesus cannot continue when you realize what it truly means to have life in Christ. The book serves as a crash course for Christian doctrine and Gospel-centered theology and is one of the most significant influences on Christian living. All of us require growth in our understanding of Christ and reorientation to His design for our lives. Living and growing in God’s design is the surest way to find fulfillment and satisfaction, and this sermon series will help us do just that. As we journey together, come, and find out how to live a life in Christ. Join us as we jump into this series together beginning with Ephesians 1:1-14 and this message titled, “Worship in Christ.”

0:00 – Ephesians Info

4:00 – Ephesians 1: 1-14

12:09 – Created for worship

16:20 – Chosen for worship

18:50 – God chose us based on our brokenness

21:39 – God chose us based on His benevolence

26:26 – Cleansed for worship

28:45 – Conserved for worship

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Merry Christmas!! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss the true meaning of Christmas! The true reason for the season is the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ! Michael and Kurt dig deep into why we celebrate this year and how we can take the good news of Jesus outside of the month of December! We hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Join us for worship on Sundays at 830a and 1100a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 830a and 1100a .

For more info about Green Acres head over to https://www.gabc.org

Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

Yesterday we discussed what it looks like for Green Acres to be on the move this upcoming year. We talked through the secret formula for Kingdom expansion and evangelism. The book of Acts is a treasure for all followers of Jesus because it serves as the blueprint of God’s design for the church. Acts 2:42-47 gives us an in-depth look at that very design that you and I are called to mirror.

0:00 – Moon Landing

8:14 – Acts 2: 42 – 47

10:10 – MOVEMENT IS PRECEDED BY DEVOTION

18:40 – MOVEMENT IS PRECEDED BY PASSION

21:52 – OUR PASSION FOR THE MISSION MUST BE GREATER THAN OUR PASSION FOR OUR METHOD

22:00 – 3 Circles Tracts

23:29 – MOVEMENT IS PRECEDED BY GENEROSITY

25:50 – TAKE AWAY TRUTH: MOVEMENT RESULTS IN EXPANSION 

If you would like to give to our World Mission Offering visit gabc.org/give or you can text WMO to 903-638-7076!

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Happy Thanksgiving from your CGM Podcast Family! In today’s episode, Kurt and Pastor Michael reflect on this past year and talk about things they have been thankful for in their lives and in the life of our church! We want to know what you are thankful for! Click here, https://www.instagram.com/p/CWVsDsYIMFp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link , and comment 3 things you are thankful for from this past year! We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

In today’s episode Pastor Michael and Kurt finish up the series, Why Religion Doesn’t Work. They discuss who the Pharisees were and how many we read about in the bible were blind to who Jesus was and how He taught. And what kind of actions/thoughts would define Christians today as acting link a pharisee.

VIDEO LINK:

The Upside Down Life – Costly Living

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

This week, we studied the 8th Beatitude, “Blessed are those who are persecuted….” It seems like a difficult element to end on, but persecution is one of those misunderstood topics within scripture.

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

Few things are needed today more than peacemakers, people who actively seek to make peace with others. Peacemaking, however, is a very difficult task, because a peacemaker must have a unique combination of strength and humility. Like in v. 8, they must be “pure in heart” or have an undivided allegiance to God, which cannot be compromised. But as Paul says to the conflict-ridden Corinthians, peacemakers also cannot insist upon their own way or on their own rights. This combination requires a difficult and thorough self-scrutiny about the things we can and cannot compromise on. We may be surprised to find how many things are important to us but are not all that important to God or vice versa. 

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Jesus packs a lot of thought into this one verse and I am excited to unpack this verse with you. We pray that the Lord will continue to speak to us through His word. Yesterday we continued our study of The Upside Down Life and the concept of being pure in heart.

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

In today’s episode Pastor Michael and Kurt continue the series, Why Religion Doesn’t Work. Today’s discussion focuses on how when we miss out on a daily, growing relationship with Jesus and instead live in the box of religious tradition and rituals, we open ourselves up to live a life dictated by FEAR over Faith!

VIDEO LINK:

The Upside Down Life – The Tension of Mercy

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

There is a natural tension that takes place with the concept of mercy. How does justice and mercy coexist together? Yesterday we continued our study of the Beatitudes, focusing on Matthew 5:7 and how those who show mercy to others will receive mercy from God.

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

How can it be that you can have hunger and thirst but still experience satisfaction? Yesterday we continued our study of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:6 and what it means to have “Satisfying Hunger”.

0:00 – Satisfying Hunger

7:10 – A LONGING HEART IS THE CONDITION THAT LEADS TO GOD’S BLESSING

11:24 – A RIGHTEOUS HEART IS THE CONDITION THAT RECEIVES GOD’S BLESSING

17:30 – A CONTENT HEART IS THE CONDITION THAT CONTINUES IN GOD’S BLESSING

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\

Miracle #47 -Saul’s Conversion

We are excited about our new series, “Why Religion Doesn’t Work”. In today’s episode, “It’s a Foundation Issue”, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss the top 10 common reasons that people leave the church and clarify religion vs. relationship.

VIDEO LINKS

Ep # 10 – 10 10 10 

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

Yesterday we continued our study of the Upside Down Life, in a message titled, “Powerful Weakness.” We studied what it means to be humble. Jesus says, “blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.” Often when we think about the concept of humility, we identify that term to mean weakness. Jesus is turning our understanding of how to interact with others completely upside down. – Pastor Michael

0:00 – Digging Our Way Through Life

5:18 – Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:5-11

11:28 – THE HUMBLE ARE POWERFULLY PATIENT

14:31 – THE HUMBLE ARE POWERFULLY RESTRAINED

19:02 – THE HUMBLE ARE POWERFULLY SUBMISSIVE

21:29 – THE HUMBLE ARE POWERFULLY RECEPTIVE

CONNECT AT GREEN ACRES

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Join us for worship on Sundays at 830a and 1100a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 830a and 1100a . For more info about Green Acres head over to https://www.gabc.org

Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

Crisis is something that we can expect in our lives. How do we prepare for a crisis? How are we supposed to respond when a crisis hits our friends, family, church, workplace, etc. In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss how we prepare and respond when a crisis comes into our lives.

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Join us for worship on Sundays at 830a and 1100a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 830a and 1100a .

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Green Acres Baptist Church //Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus

This week in worship we are continuing our study of The Upside Down Life and will be looking at the blessing of mourning. While it may not sound thrilling to discuss the concept of mourning, there is so much hope found in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” We will be discussing this hope in today’s message, “Hopeful Mourning.” – Pastor Michael Gossett

0:00 – Are you a morning person?

3:55 – Matthew 5: 4

6:11 – Isaiah 61: 1-3

11:40 – MOURNING IS THE RESULT OF UNIVERSAL BROKENNESS

16:23 – MOURNING IS THE RESULT OF PERSONAL BROKENNESS

20:00 – COMFORT IS THE RESULT OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS

22:03 – COMFORT IS THE RESULT OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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10 Years, 10,000 Baptisms, 10 Campuses! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael and Kurt discuss Pastor Michael’s recent prayer challenge here at Green Acres! We are praying that over the next 10 years we see 10,000 baptisms across 10 campuses! Pastor Michael shares his vision behind this God-sized prayer for our church and how we as a church can join together in prayer! We are so excited about 10 10 10!

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Green Acres Baptist Church //Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\

In today’s message, Pastor Michael continues our study of, “The Upside Down Life” and what it means to be “poor in spirit”?

0:00 – Mt. Everest

3:19 – Matthew 5: 3

8:15 – The Poor In Spirit Are Destitute

16:00 – The Poor In Spirit Are Dependent

22:57 – The Poor In Spirit Are Desperate

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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For more info about Green Acres head over to https://www.gabc.org Green Acres Baptist Church //Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

In today’s episode, Pastor Michael Gossett and Kurt Fehlis discuss God’s design for multiplication in part four of “Gospel Centered Homes”.

Episode Links: A Pastoral Transition: Pastor David & Pastor Michael

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For more info about Green Acres head over to https://www.gabc.org Green Acres Baptist Church //Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

The Upside Down Life – Cancel Kingdom In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus gives us a tangible understanding of what it truly means to follow Him in His kingdom. Matthew 5-7 is known as “The Sermon on the Mount” and Jesus begins this sermon with what is known as the “Beatitudes.” I am looking forward to this 9-week series as we dive into the “Beatitudes” together. This is Jesus’ economy of how to truly live a blessed and fulfilled life. It truly does seem to be the Upside Down Life compared to the culture of the world. – Pastor Michael

Attacks on 9/11 – 0:00

Matthew 5: 1-12 – 3:41

Jesus turns our society upside down – 8:07

Jesus turns our standard upside down – 14:48

Jesus turns our status upside down – 19:46

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979! Follow us on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/greenacresbap… Like, subscribe, and share!  Join us for worship on Sundays at 830a and 1100a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 830a and 1100a . For more info about Green Acres head over to https://www.gabc.org Green Acres Baptist Church //Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

Miracle #43 – Earth Shaking Prayer

United.

Joined together for a common purpose.

TRANSFORMING LIVES WITH THE TRUTH OF JESUS.

It’s who we are. It’s what we do. It’s what we pray for.

Only the Holy Spirit can transform a life. We are dependent upon Him. We are dependent upon each other.

Together, we strive to see everyone: CONNECT to Jesus. GROW in the likeness of Jesus. MULTIPLY for the purpose of Jesus. Because of Jesus, the best is yet to come!

In this message, Pastor Michael teaches from Psalm 145 and how we as a body of believers can remain united in worship, united in vision, and united in faith.

Message Points:

1. United In Worship
2. United In Vision
3. United In Faith

Are you new to Green Acres or would like more info about our church? Visit www.gabc.org/connect and someone from our team will be in touch with you. Or you can text GABC to 797979!

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Hebrews 12:1-2

In today’s episode, Pastor Michael Gossett and Kurt Fehlis discuss conflict resolution in gospel centered Homes in part three of “Gospel Centered Homes”.

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In today’s episode, Pastor Michael Gossett and Kurt Fehlis are joined by our Green Acres Women’s Minister Debbie Stuart! They discuss gender roles in the context of Gospel Centered Homes in part two of “Gospel Centered Homes”.

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1 Samuel 17

In today’s episode, Pastor Michael Gossett and Kurt Fehlis discuss what it means to have a gospel centered marriage in part one of “Gospel Centered Homes”

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3 John 1: 1-14

In today’s episode, Pastor Michael Gossett and Kurt Fehlis talk discuss the church since our grandparents, what is causing the decline in the church, and where does the church go now, in part three of “What’s the Church to Do”.

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In today’s episode, Kurt Fehlis and Pastor Michael Gossett talk about today’s divided nation. Where and how are we divided? Where does the Church fit in with all of the division? Where do we go from here? All discussed in part two of “What’s the Church to Do”.

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1 John 5:18-21

In today’s episode, Kurt Fehlis and Pastor Michael Gossett discuss cancel culture in part one of “What’s the Church to Do”.

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Isaiah 6:1-8

In today’s episode, we sit down with Mike Parks, Celebration Worship Pastor, and Chance Riehl, Resonate Worship Pastor, to discuss all things worship here at Green Acres!

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1 John 5:16-17

1 John 5:14-15

In today’s episode, Pastor David Dykes and Pastor Michael Gossett sit down to discuss the 2 year transition of Pastor David’s retirement and the vote to call Pastor Michael to be the next Senior Pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church

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Welcome to the Connect. Grow. Multiply. Podcast! In today’s episode, Pastor Michael Gossett and Middle School Minister Kurt Fehlis discuss what the CGM Podcast is and how these episodes can help you develop your walk with Jesus!

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1 John 5:5-13

1 John 5:1-6

1 John 4:15-21

1 John 4:7-16

#39 – The Miraculous Catch of Fish (Continued)

#40 – The Virgin Birth 

1 John 4:1-6

#38 – Jesus Conquered Death 

#39 – The Miraculous Catch of Fish

1 John 3:18-24

1 John 3:2-9

1 John 3:1-3

1 John 2:28-29

1 John 2:18-27

1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:12-14

1 John 2:3-11

1 John 1:8-2:2

Miracle #29 – Jesus Heals Man Who Was Blind, Deaf, and Mute

Miracle #30 – Woman Who Was Crippled For 18 Years

1 John 1:5-7

1 John 1:1-4

If we truly love our neighbor, we shall without a doubt share with him or her the good news of Jesus.

Matthew 13 : 1-9  

Pastor Michael Gossett

How can we possibly claim to love our neighbor if we know the gospel but keep it from them? We are called to share the Good news of Christ with our neighbors. All of our neighbors. As a Christian, I cannot deny how much I long for my neighbors to know what I know: Jesus Christ is Lord. We’ve been made to know and love God. All of us fall short and deserve eternal punishment. But God, in His love, made a way of escape. The Father sent the Son into the world. Jesus lived a perfect life and, therefore could die as a perfect sacrifice in the place of all who would turn and trust in him. His resurrection proves he really is the King of Kings, and now all are called to follow him. This is the gospel, it’s the heart of my life, and it’s what I want my neighbors to hear and believe. This is not the only goal of good neighboring, but it is the end goal. I appreciate how Willis and Clement make this point: Clearly, the aim of hospitality and loving your neighbor is more than merely inviting someone into our home, sharing a good meal and a few stories, and calling it a night. We are missionaries, after all. Paul reminded us, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). And pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “Every Christian . . . is either a missionary or an imposter.” I want to share Christ with anyone and everyone that crosses my path. However, I want to be especially faithful with those God has planted in my life. These are my nearest neighbors, and I have a unique responsibility to show them Christ. Furthermore, I don’t want to be a beast in the pulpit but a coward in my neighborhood! I’m sure you don’t either. A display of Loving Your Neighbor is throwing the seed to allow the Lord to work. Your job is not to save your neighbor, your job is to share what you have already been given in Christ (the seed) and to share with your neighbor.

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Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Join us on campus in Celebration and Resonate Worship at 8:30a / 11:00a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 8:30a / 11:00a .

Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

In order to truly Love Your Neighbor then we must have the same mind as Christ which is to serve others.

Mark 10:35-45

Pastor Michael Gossett

One of the greatest displays of the love of Christ is to serve others. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. There is a tie between serving others and giving up your life for them. We must die to ourselves so that we may live on behalf of others.

Follow us on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Join us on campus in Celebration and Resonate Worship at 8:30a / 11:00a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 8:30a / 11:00a .

Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\

Understanding how to view people and the world around us as Christ does Luke 10:25-37 

Pastor Michael Gossett

If we are to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR, we must see them as Christ sees them. We are called to look on people with compassion and to care for those who are hurting. The idea is that all people are made in the image of God and it is by God’s grace that people experience joy or suffering. Our perspective changes in how we treat others, when we rightfully see where we would be apart from the work of Christ in our lives. We once were just as the beggar in need of a passerby. Christ looked upon us with compassion and mercy and restored us.

Follow us on:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GABCTyler

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gabc_tyler/

Join us on campus in Celebration and Resonate Worship at 8:30a / 11:00a or our Digital Campus on our Facebook page at 8:30a / 11:00a .

Green Acres Baptist Church

//Transforming Lives With The Truth Of Jesus\\