Welcome to Grace at Home. Thank you for joining us for this morning. May grace and mercy be with you and comfort you today. God's limitless love is alive, healing, and restoring hearts, minds, relationships, and communities anew in this season. May it be known and felt as you worship with us today.
Click on the pictures below to access the inspiring educational videos. Scriptures, prayers, and announcements are located beneath the links.
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"An Original Masterpiece"
(Inspiring video)
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"Blessed Be Your Name"
(Opening song)
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"The Story of Samson"
Children's Moment
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"There is a balm in Gilead"
(Song of reflection)
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Imagine more...more love...more grace
Learn more about our community of faith
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"Called together beyond two masters"
10am central live at Grace
Sermon by Rev. Yvonne Gilmore
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Gifts of generosity and grace
You may give gifts, tithes, and offerings online below or mail in a check to Grace Community Christian Church.
Thank you for making space for Grace to be shared between, among, and beyond our walls. Your faithful tithes and offerings make a life changing difference.
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We are a part of something BIGGER...than time, than ourselves, than darkness. We are a part of God's movement for wholeness as faithful stewards of God's limitless love.
Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16 acknowledges the shrewd action of a manager who tried to grease the wheels of care, knowing he was being fired from his job. We’re not being encouraged to act dishonestly, or to take from the rich to give to those who have less. Rather, Jesus stacks admonitions about faithfulness at the end of Luke 16:1-13.
The teaching? “I cannot serve God and wealth.” That’s one reason we include space and time in each time of worship for an offering. We can talk all we want, pray with eloquent words, sing with vigor, and have terrific sermons, but receiving an offering demands action from each person present. When we give, and especially when we give to the point it makes a difference in how we live the rest of our week, we’re declaring God is more important than keeping all my wealth.
If money is our Lord, we pour our time and energy into producing and protecting wealth. If God is Lord, we pour our time, energy and financial giving into ways which serve God.
Who, or what, is Lord of your life? Let your answer be made clear in what you give as we receive our morning offering.
Offering prayer
O God, we’ve offered our gifts, returning a portion of what you’ve provided for us. May our giving strengthen us to become a more open people— open-minded in hearing your word and wisdom,
open-hearted in healing a broken world, open-handed in heeding your call to charity and enacted love. We pray, Creator, for you to accept this offering as a symbol of our whole lives, gratefully focused on you. Amen.
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Click here to give online using Paypal or your credit card
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Opening Prayer
In moments when we despair, when we see hurt all around, when we wonder where to find your compassionate care, O God, we come, ready to turn to you, confident you will not leave us comfortless. In this hour, lift us up.
Restore your joy in us, that our lives might reflect your glory. Help us return to you and rejoice in your love for us — not only in this place, but in every office, school room, home and restaurant. not only in this morning, but in every waking moment of our week, for we long to live as your beloved children in each place and all times. Amen.
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Prayers of the People
Gracious God,
your people are suffering.
Where there is woundedness,
help us bring healing.
Where there is discouragement,
help us bring support and comfort.
Where there is dismay and mourning,
help us bring the power of new life
and new opportunities.
Heal us, O God,
for you are our help and our hope,
the One we turn to in times of trouble.
We confess that at times we find your medicine hard to swallow. The quick fixes of this world are so much more pleasant, leaving us free to go back to our usual routines.
But your medicine is powerful.
And if we take it, it will remake and renew our lives. It will reorient us to you and to you alone. Turn us toward your love and example. Forgive our sins, for which you weep.
Forgive our hesitation. Grant us courage to choose you as our physician, and to serve you and you alone. In the name of our Great Physician, Jesus Christ,
we pray. Amen.
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Scripture
Luke 16:1-13 (NIV)
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16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
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Eagle Scout Project: Noah Nabicht
Deep gratitude is extended to Noah Nabicht, Boy Scout, for the new prayer garden he planned and constructed on Saturday, September 10, as his Eagle Scout project. Special thanks are also extended to the members of BSA Troop 57 for their support and labor to help fulfill the vision. Seven burning bushes and three scripture reflection stones were planted in the garden.
Noah reflects, " I am reminded of the following scripture:
- Exodus 3:1 (Burning Bush)
- Genesis 1; 2:1-2 (The number 7 in scripture represents completeness - physical and divine perfection)
A time will be announced soon to gather with Noah and Troop 57 to bless and dedicate the prayer garden.
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CCIW & CCMR Regional Assembly 2022
Event details
The Christian Church in Illinois and Wisconsin will be joining the Christian Church (DOC) Michigan Region for a joint Regional Assembly 2022 that will take place October 14-15. Friday night’s session will be Live Stream for all registrants. Friday night worship will take place from 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. CST.
A virtual Friday night “After Session” on Homebrewing and Spirituality will be presented by Rev. Eli Rolón and Andrew Guthrie. Rev. Eli Rolón will be sending out separate information and links for this.
Saturday you have the option to choose between attending the business meeting and workshops virtually or meeting in person at one of the following Host Churches: Grace Community Christian Church, Aurora; First Christian Church, Macomb; Central Christian Church, Decatur.
If you choose the in-person option for Saturday there will be time for fellowship and mission opportunities, childcare will be provided during the business meeting and workshops, and lunch will be available for purchase.
Saturday will begin with the Business Session starting at 10:00 am. Afternoon workshops will take place from 1:00-3:00 pm.
Saturday Workshops (choice of one)
Rev. Matt Rosine, Christian Church Foundation
Rev. Dr. Alex Ruth, Elder/Diaconate training.
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, “In Defense of Kindness”
Jan Aerie, MS, Older Adult Ministry
Week of Compassion
Rev. Hannah Fitch, Great Lakes Green Chalice
Jay Potter, PhD, “Religion and the Mandalorian”
- This workshop is presented by Rev. Eli Rolón Jeong for youth, young adults, and everyone interested in exploring how the Star Wars series incorporates religious elements through its storytelling.
Registration is required for all who are attending. Deadline for registration is September 15th. Payment may be made online at the time of registration, or a check mailed to the Regional Office. Questions regarding registration contact Peggy O’Neal at [email protected]. Click here to register.
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Grace Community Christian Church
2770 Montgomery Road
Aurora, IL 60504
www.graceccc.org
630.898.7990
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