There is no way you can be discouraged after listening to this song! We serve:
A Great God!
An Amazing God!
A Wonderful God!
One thing we know is that God will provide for His children! His provision comes in many varied ways, and different times. But His provision are always right on time to meet your need.
Surely we can take time out of our busy schedule to thank and praise our Wonderful God! I pray this song blesses your heart as does mine. For me it's a song that never gets old! Enjoy and Praise the Lord!
Your life is not a mistake! Your trial is not a mistake! Your loss is not a mistake!
Your victory was not luck! Your promotion was not luck! Your talent was not luck!
Everything that happens to you is part of God's master plan for your life! Remember you are safe in the arms of God! He wants to use you! He wants you to bring Him glory!
Life is a test!
Life is a trust!
Life is a temporary assignment!
It's heaven all the way to heaven, but it's hell all the way to hell!
Remember, life with Jesus is INCREDIBLE!
Like Father...Like Son. Music by Anthony Evans "Incredible"
The challenge in the Christian life is how do you stay focused on Jesus Christ while living in a world that tries everything in its power to pull you away from the things of God?
The cry of the world is this:
“If it feels good…do it”
“Look out for #1”
“It’s all about the Benjamin’s baby”
To stay on track with Jesus you must develop the discipline to FOCUS! Hebrews 12:1-2
…, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith………..
Every athlete dreams of being in “the zone”. The "zone" is where total concentration ends in awesome results! Our goal is to be in the zone spiritually!
How’s your prayer life?
Spending time in the Word?
Staying accountable to someone?
How do you stay focused spiritually? How do you stay on track? How do you “not screw up”? Well I believe there are three things you must do if you are to ever stay focused in the Christian life.
1. STAY IN……………………….THE SCRIPTURES! Psalm 119:11 (NIV) "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
2. STAY CLOSE……………………….TO A FRIEND! Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
3. STAY ALERT…TO THE TACTICS OF THE ENEMY! 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
Remember, the Christian life is not a sprint! It's a marathon with high hurdles! To make it in the Christian life, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith! Many Christians start out strong, but very few finish strong. It's all about your focus! No matter what you may go through, make a commitment that you will keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Only by doing that will you ever safely make it to the finish line!
ABUNDANT GRACE FELLOWSHIP
"Witnesses to the Grace of God"
View 3300 Mayfield Rd in a larger map "the Park" - Park Synagogue - Stein Auditorium Worship Center
33 acres, former home of John D Rockefeller
In May of 2005, the Lord led two men, called by God, to begin a new ministry in the Cleveland area. The continuing purpose is to touch people with the Word of God, within a community of Grace. The church began with 50 people coming together on May 7, 2005 at the Homewood Suites Hotel in Solon, OH for worship and prayer. The following week, the Lord opened the door for worship at a larger facility, the Red Roof Inn, in Bedford Heights with 100 people in attendance. Two months later AGF moved to the Mediterranean Center also in Bedford Heights, which could accommodate 250 adults and our Children’s ministries.
Today, God has blessed us to worship at the beautiful Park Synagogue, in Cleveland Heights, where the church meets weekly on a 33 acre campus, with ample parking, a spacious auditorium, and 400 members in attendance.
Abundant Grace Fellowship is committed to the following ministry objectives:
* Teaching the Word
* Making Disciples
* Caring for People
* Standing for Truth within a “Community of Grace”.
Abundant Grace Fellowship features over 25 ministries, and 23 “Grace Groups”, our foundational small group ministry. Dynamic Bible teaching, innovative youth ministries (“Teens and Kids with Purpose”), and practical ministries for women (“Women of Grace”) and seniors (“Grace Forever”) are strategic features of our ministry. We're dedicated to “Making Disciples of All Ages”.
AGF is made up of caring, dedicated people, who love the Lord and one another. They serve Christ with passion, and purpose, and lead with integrity.
Our Care and Prayer Ministries ensures that our members receive love, compassion, and support in times of need from their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Our Marriage Ministry, works with couples to experience high harmony and deep intimacy with God and one another. This year we launched our marriage ministry radio broadcast (“Why in God’s Name Did I Get Married?”) to help more marriage relationships in our city.
Our Worship Ministry, featuring our praise team, “Daughters of Grace” dance ministry, Praising Tots, and teen hip-hop dancers usher us into the presence of God each week, as we adore our Savior and Creator.
Members are discipled through our in depth Sunday School for adults, teens, and kids.
The center of our ministry is the real, and relevant preaching of the Word of God by our pastors, Jerry Birch and Darryl Harris. Their accurate teaching, and application of the Word of God strengthens believers and challenges unbelievers to make life-changing decisions for Christ.
They are assisted by a team of elders and deacons, committed to meeting the needs of the people, and model servant leadership. We have also been blessed by the emerging ministry of Pastor Luvirt Parker.
Members enjoy wonderful times of fellowship at our annual church picnic and many other special events throughout the year.
Since our beginning we have “witnessed” the wonderful, loving, caring hand of God on our ministry. He has done “exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or think”.
For every saved, or encouraged life, we praise God and give Him the glory! We strive to follow Christ into a bright future for AGF. “We are Witnesses!“
WHAT WILL GOD DO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? BUCKLE UP!
DON'T TAKE THE GRACE OF GOD FOR GRANTED...IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOU!
AGF THEME SONG BY CLINT BROWN - IF NOT FOR GRACE!
I have been blessed to be a founding Pastor of an incredible church called Abundant Grace Fellowship. One of my most difficult jobs is to understand who we are, know what God has called us to be and do, and lead where God wants us to go. You have to have a shepherd's heart, and a leader's head.
God has brought us a long way in a relatively short time. I believe we are just beginning. Enjoy where we are but don't be afraid of change. Challenge yourself to do and give your best. We will walk by faith, trust God, and try to touch lives! If we do this, we will get to the finish line and bring many with us on the journey for the glory of God!
Grace is made up of:
• People who want to know!
• People who want to show!
• People who want to sow!
• People who want to serve!
• People who want to share!
• People who want to care!
This is who we are:
The core came seeking refuge where TRUTH was not compromised!
The core came seeking refuge where PEOPLE were not overlooked!
The core came seeking refuge where POWER was not abused!
People need to know TRUTH…we live in a world where truth is relative!
People need to know that CHRIST is the answer!
People need to know that all PROBLEMS have a spiritual root!
They want to belong!
They want their life to count!
They want to be used by God!
They want to follow Jesus Christ!
They want to be empowered by the Holy Spirit!
They need to know that our "God is Sovereign"!
They need to know that there is "Nobody like Jesus"!
They need to know that "The Holy Spirit is a Person", and He is God!
They need to know about false teachers, who have infiltrated the church!
They need to know they have a real enemy…Satan!
They need to know we will have trials…but fear not, Jesus has overcome them all!
They need to know how God worked in the OT and NT!
They need to know what are our priorities!
They need to know what is our purpose!
They need to know what are our values!
They need to know our vision!
They need to know they count!
They need to know they can make a difference!
They struggle with sin, money issues, relationships, trust, worry, envy, immorality, purpose, loneliness, parenting, and other life issues like everyone, and the bible addresses them!
They want to Know:
• HOW CAN I KNOW GOD!
• HOW CAN I BE SAVED!
• HOW CAN I GROW AS A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER!
• HOW CAN I SERVE GOD!
They need to Know:
• The love of God!
• The grace of God!
• The forgiveness of God!
• The wrath of God!
• The mercy of God!
• The goodness of God!
A person of Grace will submit their lives to the authority of the Word of God!
A person of Grace will surrender their will to the Will of God!
A person of Grace will surround themselves with people who live for the Glory of God!
Are you a person of Grace?
As a pastor, we love to celebrate moms on Mother's Day. However, I realize for many this is a very difficult day, because their own mother is no longer with them. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost their Mother!
Pastor Chuck Swindoll's sister Lucy gives the following great advice to encourage those who have lost their mom as Mother's Day approach. Why don't you give her advice a try and see if the Lord restores to you some of the joy you experienced under that special person in your life!
1. Share funny stories with your family of funny things your mother did or said.
2. Cook for your family one of your mother's best dishes.
3. Sing some of her favorite songs with your family.
4. Write a poem that recalls her good qualities, even if it is the "Roses are Red" kind.
5. Plant a tree in her honor.
6. Show your family photos of mother, taken at fun times in her life, to family members.
7. Place flowers in your church to honor her.
8. Write ten lessons that you learned from your mother.
9. Do something special for someone else's mom, such as giving a gift, making a call to tell her she is special or cooking something for her.
10. Try to embody and live out the good qualities you saw in her.
My prayer for those who have lost their mother is that by doing some of these things, God will fill the void in your heart with joy by placing your focus on the positive thing she brought to your life. Give it a try. Remember if your mom knew the Lord, she is not lost! God has never lost any of His children.
One of my most incredible experiences as a Christian was the Tuesday night I went to Prayer Meeting at the Brooklyn Tabernacle! I was inspired! I was touched! I experienced the presence of God in a moving way. One thing I learned that evening was to stop seeking my way, but instead, surrender to His will! That means simply saying yes to God. Do you need to say yes to God in your life? When you say yes, your life will never be the same. You're in for the most thrilling ride of your life!
Perhaps the most difficult thing to do while waiting is summed up in one word…surrender!
But I haven’t accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.
But I haven’t done all the things I wanted to do.
But I still have work to do on the job,
with my kids,
at the church.
How can I let go and surrender if the job isn’t yet done.
What we inevitably find out is that God isn’t sweating the fact that you won’t
get all the accolades,
add more notches on your resume,
win the hearts of young people who think you can do it all.
But surrender is precisely what God wants you to do.
Surrender your will...
Surrender your dreams…
Surrender your plans…
Surrender and let God handle your difficult situation.
What you just may find is behind the disappointment, there just may be a blessing that God desires to give you, if you just let go. By surrendering, we allow Him to work out the seemingly impossible and unfinished business of your life situation. Surrender is the first step to victory in Christ!
