In Christ Alone

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

We live in a world that champions the self-made individual. We are conditioned to look within for strength, and to build our own kingdoms on the foundation of personal achievement. The deeper we slide into this culture of self-reliance, the more exhausted and fractured we become.

But the message of the Christian gospel offers a radical, counter-cultural alternative. True peace and Kingdom Living require a complete reversal of this mindset — and Jesus has accomplished this reversal in our humanity. He has freed us from the burden of self-reliance.

By the Spirit, kingdom life means deliberately rejecting self-reliance and relying solely on Christ’s finished work on our behalf. Our reliance on Christ is not what secures our place in his kingdom; it is our response to the grace that has already secured us in him. The beloved hymn, “In Christ Alone,” beautifully reminds us:

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.[1]

These lyrics ring loud in my heart and when we sing these words, we perform an act of surrender. We confess that our own strength is frail, our own righteousness is insufficient, and our own wisdom is blind. We are reminded of his grace, this Cornerstone, this solid ground.

Our lives are anchored in Jesus, who did not merely watch our suffering from a distance; he stepped into our human reality, taking on our flesh and bone. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live, completely empty of self-reliance, perfectly dependent on the Father through the power of the Spirit. In him alone, we stand.

I am reminded of Jesus’ monumental cry while hanging on the cross. He uttered the definitive declaration: “It is finished” (John 19:30). This was not a cry of defeat, but a shout of absolute victory. The debt of humanity was paid in full, and the broken cosmos was reconciled to the Creator. Because of his finished work on our behalf, our spiritual striving can finally end and we can rest in Christ alone.

Living out the kingdom life, therefore, looks like a daily surrender of ourselves as our response to Christ’s finished work. It means waking up each morning and acknowledging that our standing before God is not based on how well we can perform, but on how perfectly Christ performed for us.

Our identity is unshakeable because it is grounded in Christ alone. His faithfulness, not the strength of our faith, holds us securely. Through the Holy Spirit, we are continually drawn to trust the One who has already made us his own. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, and self-reliance will always fail us when the storms of life hit. But the finished work of Jesus is an immovable rock. As the song declares: “No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand.”

Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, we are enabled to rest in his finished work and empowered by the Spirit to live boldly, love selflessly, and mirror the beautiful reality of his kingdom. As a global GCI community, we will continue moving forward by relying entirely on Christ alone. We rest in his perfect peace and stand united as one Body to pursue a kingdom life that points directly to our living King, Jesus Christ. I invite you to pray continually with me for Grace Communion International as we move into the exciting new season God has in store for us.

In Christ alone,
Heber Ticas, Vice President

[1] “In Christ Alone” 2001. Melody composed by Keith Getty. Lyrics written by Stuart Townsend.

Devotional—In Jesus’ Name

What did Jesus mean when he told us to ask “in his name?”

As our mediator, Jesus is one with humanity (and you and me), and he is one with the Father. This means when we pray, we are one with the Father through Jesus. Our prayers are not only in Jesus but also in the Father.

For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:5-6

As a part of my kingdom living, I have tried remembering this as I pray to the Father. I haven’t been just tagging “in Jesus’ name, amen” on the end of my prayers. Instead, I am consciously focusing on the fact that my prayers are being lifted to and through Jesus to the Father. As I pray, I am looking at Jesus and, through him, to the Father.

At the same time, I am consciously listening for the Father to respond back through Jesus to me.

I may still conclude my prayer with “in Jesus’ name, amen,” but it has more meaning as I have focused on connecting with the Father through Jesus during the entire prayer.

Prayer
Father, thank you that Jesus is our mediator — one with you and one with us. Thank you that we have a direct connection to you through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Amen

By Glen Weber, Elder Emeritus
Aurora, CO, US

Kingdom Living—Healthy Leadership Transitions

Kingdom Living involves multiplication.

Healthy churches multiply healthy leaders. The multiplication of leaders inevitably leads to leadership transitions.

Watch the full ceremony here.

In case you missed it: watch the interview with Randy Bloom, Greg, and Heber. They explain the discernment process behind these decisions and the care taken in preparing for this transition.

Citizens’ Toolbox—Multiplying Leaders

Citizens of God’s kingdom take seriously the call to develop and equip leaders. Jesus devoted much of his earthly ministry to choosing, training, and commissioning leaders. Following Jesus’ resurrection, these leaders, led by the Holy Spirit, identified, mentored, and sent additional leaders. As a result, the church grew in unity, maturity, and in numbers.

The Spirit continues to gift some within the Church to be shepherd-leaders of God’s “flock.” Existing leaders have the responsibility to equip and support these emerging leaders by providing training, mentoring and coaching with an eye toward multiplying disciple making leaders.

And healthy multiplication naturally leads to leadership transitions. Learn more in this Church Hack.

Prayer Guide—November 2026

“Prayer is not so much a way to find God as a way of resting in him.” — Thomas Merton

This November, we come together in prayer — giving thanks for God’s faithfulness through every season. As we look toward Advent, we find hope in his promises and the life we share in Christ.

Read the full November Prayer Guide here.

Would you like to receive this Prayer Guide straight to your email inbox before the first of the month? Sign up here.

Pasig, Metro Manila Church & MTC

Register Now | GCS

Why Study at Grace Communion Seminary?

- Worship: love God with all your mind.
- Service: help others know God more fully.
- Trinitarian theology: understand who God is and who we are in relationship with him through a biblical, Christ-centered, and historically orthodox faith and worship.
- Grounded ministry practice: integrate ministry practice with solid biblical and theological grounding.
- Part-time study: continue serving in your local congregation. There is no need to leave your current ministry.
- Flexibility: choose master’s level courses or pursue a degree.
- Affordable, accredited study: take quality, fully accredited courses at competitive tuition, completely online to fit your schedule.

Kingdom Living involves multiplication.

Why Study at Grace Communion Seminary?

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