Grace Amplified

Summer Online Bible Study

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:03:03 -0800

Gail Marlowe, a teacher at our Arizona Bible Institute, is leading an online study of the book of Jeremiah this summer. Check out her website for more information on how to participate. Everyone is invited to join.

www.jeremiahstudygroup.blogspot.com

Echo Prayer Manager

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:13:29 -0800

What is Echo?

Pure and simple, Echo is a tool to help you pray more diligently.

You create a prayer list.
You set times throughout the week for reminders.
Echo emails you one prayer at a time from your list. You can set reminders for specific prayers or random ones, and get them as emails, text messages or both.

There's also a built-in prayer journal that lets you write notes and automatically keep track of answered prayers.

As soon as possible, a new feature will be added that will let you send prayer requests to other people easily.

Our hope is that Echo will help individuals, prayer groups, bible studies, and churches everywhere pray for each other more effectively and deepen their own relationships with God.

Read Echo's purpose, watch the demo, or SIGN UP NOW!

Pastor Richard on Nightline

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:19:27 -0800

Look for Pastors Richard and Becky (and some other Casteels) in this clip from Nightline.

We were attending a screening of a new movie called The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry during a break from the Foursquare Convention in Anaheim.

I Want My Norm Radio!

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:09:06 -0800

There is a lot of talent in our church. Norm Seeley of NormRadio.com has 30 years of experience as a broadcaster on radio stations in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.

He also produces a great internet radio show. Check out this week's edition of Friday's Music. It has songs from Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, and more. I'm hoping for shows on the other days of the week as well.

Foursquare Convention Information

Sat, 30 May 2009 12:39:53 -0800

Get more information about what happened at the just completed Foursquare Connection in Anaheim here, here, and here. See photos here.

Updates from the Foursquare Convention

Tue, 26 May 2009 17:31:40 -0800

I'll try to post updates on what's going on at the Foursquare Convention in Anaheim at my Twitter page.

I haven't been able to find any free wireless yet.

Sunday Connections Survey

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:08:03 -0800

Help us plan our Sunday morning schedule by taking this short survey.

Sunday Connections

Fri, 15 May 2009 14:53:22 -0800

Open Sundays at 9 AM - starting May 24

Grace Chapel Student Center

Come to church a little early and enjoy coffee drinks, tea, juice, muffins, and other breakfast food.

Proceeds help support our youth ministry.

Faith

Wed, 13 May 2009 11:53:12 -0800

Most of us are aware that our relationship with God is based on faith, but how many of us do our part to nurture that faith? Do we know what to do? Do we recognize the consequences if we don't?

Go deeper! Listen to the podcast on iTunes or at our podcast page for TruthCast.

Allow Me To Re-Introduce the Christ

Mon, 11 May 2009 19:15:24 -0800

(via Luke Simmons)

5 Things That Are True About Every Child

Sat, 02 May 2009 15:18:24 -0800

From the Desiring God Blog

The following is from notes on Paul Tripp's message last night at the Children Desiring God Conference. Audio will be available next week.

There are five things that you must know about the children you minister to. These must always be the backdrop to the ministry you provide as an ambassador of Jesus Christ.

1. They were created by God to be revelation receivers.
They were never wired to figure life out on their own. You'll never ever know the things you need to know by just using the process of human discovery. You have to have supernatural revelation.

2. They are by nature interpreters.
Human beings do not live life based on the facts of our experience. We live life based upon the interpretation of the facts. We're meaning makers.

3. They are worshipers.
Human experience is not the most essential thing about the human experience. Worship is. It's what we're born doing and what we continue to do all of our lives.

4. They are hard-wired to seek glory.
We're glory oriented. Glory is why we like chocolate mousse cake and great movies and the last quarter of basketball games. And glory is why we exalt ourselves over others around us: we want to get as much as we can for ourselves.

5. They are self-focused and self-obsessed.
Sin causes us to shrink our lives down to the claustrophobic confines of our lives, our wants and our needs. It makes us incapable of loving anyone else.

God Is Writing Our Story, Not Us

Because these 5 things are true of all of us, as God is writing the story of our lives, we're always inclined to try and take the pen from him so we can write it ourselves.

The Bible is one long story with God's notes. Ministry to children--or ministry to anyone else--means helping them forsake the urge to write their own story, and accept instead that God is the author. Then their story will be embedded in God's larger story of redemption, so that in every circumstance they recognize that their life is about and for God.

7 Ideas for Teaching Toddlers God's Word

Sat, 02 May 2009 15:06:58 -0800

From the Desiring God Blog

1. Have an open Bible on your lap during story time. This reinforces where the story comes from--God's word.

2. Use short sentences and few words. Too many words overwhelm young minds.

3. Be animated in your facial expressions and tone of voice. This will help keep children engaged.

4. Incorporate movement into the story and singing. Children this age need to move their bodies. Movement helps them learn and remember what you're teaching them.

5. Create routines during the story/circle times by using songs, finger plays, etc.

6. Use repetition to cement biblical concepts in children's hearts and minds.

7. Keep it short and sweet. A story time of 5-10 minutes is the maximum children this age can attend to and sit for.

Celebrating Your Family Identity

Fri, 01 May 2009 13:04:05 -0800

by Jim Burns

At some point, storms will come to every family. But when you proactively build a strong family identity on the rock of Christ, your family can withstand whatever winds and rains come your way. A strong family identity will give your kids a solid foundation to cling to during those difficult times.

Perhaps you're wondering, How can we build a strong family identity? Click here for three principles to get you started.

Biblical Parenting

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:11:37 -0800

Download free audio and video from a recent Shepherding A Child's Heart conference with Dr. Tedd Tripp.

Conference information:

Everyone wants to be a great parent--the biggest responsibility of parenthood is teaching your children to love Jesus with all of their heart, soul, and strength. For parents with children of any age, Dr. Tripp's insightful, biblical teaching provides perspectives and procedures for shepherding your child's heart into the paths of life.

Session 1: The Call to Formative Instruction
Session 2: Giving Kids a Vision for God's Glory
Session 3: Helping Kids Understand Authority
Session 4: Helping Kids Understand the Heart
Session 5: Overview of Corrective Discipline

Speech

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:02:20 -0800

We are seemingly obsessed with communicating, but what are we really saying? God wants us to be an example to others and tells us that if we can rule our own mouths, we can do anything. On the other hand, He also says that if we cannot control our mouths, anything else we do, is worthless.

Go deeper! Listen to the podcast on iTunes or at our podcast page for TruthCast