Many years ago, I read a book that equated Jesus to a chief executive officer (CEO). The gist of the book was to overlay the “How tos” of Jesus onto the role of a modern-day business leader. The book fell woefully short because it failed to establish the “Who” question. If Jesus is just a good person, a good teacher, and a model to imitate, we miss who Jesus is. We relegate him to the list of Mohammed, Buddha, Socrates, and the like.
Jesus, as a member of the Triune God, emptied himself and became human. He lived a perfect life, tempted in every way that we are and yet without sin. He is creator of the universe, and it is in him that we live and move and have our being. Jesus is the King of Kings, and we shall ever be growing into the comprehension of who he is.
So, what was Christ really like? How did he place-share with his disciples? Consider this list—a 24-hour snapshot—of how Christ interacted with his followers that final day before Calvary.
He gave them detailed preparatory instructions for the gathering in the upper room. Coming together and being together was always a priority of Jesus, and frequently surrounded a meal and festive environment.
Jesus was about serving other people. On this night he girded himself with a towel and took the wash basin, then one by one he knelt and washed the feet of his disciples. He set the tone for how much he valued them.
Continuing with other people in mind, the profound words of instruction he shared with them and the intimate intercessory prayer he prayed for them was for their comfort. Jesus, who is the “Suffering Servant” portrayed in the writings of Isaiah, deeply identified with the suffering and grief that his followers would face, and he attended to this.
Jesus was honest. He warned them of the troubles they would experience in the world and that ministry would be hard. He then assured them that the Holy Spirit would be the guiding presence to see them through.
Jesus gave them hope for a future. He proclaims that he will share in the sacrament of communion with them again in the kingdom to come.
He shared that he would go away, and during this interim he would be preparing a place for them in glory.
Ultimately Jesus willingly went to the cross and laid down his life. The broken bread and wine pointed to the actions that would come the next day.
(Read chapters 13-17 of John’s Gospel and see if you can identify other ways that Jesus demonstrated deep care and friendship for his followers)
In this “one-day” amazing display of love and friendship, descriptors that leap out of the fabric of this event include servanthood, sacrifice, truth, hope, security, purpose, and friendship; all being of the highest order. These authentic qualities of Jesus demonstrate his deep love and care for his followers. This loving, caring, belonging relationship is what Jesus extends to all humanity.
The apostle Paul says to follow him as he follows (emulates) Jesus. More Christlikeness and more of the tangible expressions of Christ’s love is absolutely what the church of today needs.
May the rejuvenation we have experienced on Easter Sunday firmly remind us of how our personal following of Jesus is also about a personal sharing with others. May the season of Eastertide be punctuated by how we place-share with our neighbors, family, and friends.
The story of Nehemiah and his team rebuilding the wall around the city of Jerusalem has often inspired me. While being cupbearer to the king of Persia, Nehemiah was concerned that Jerusalem had been destroyed and the people were scattered. He lamented over this situation, weeping, praying, and confessing that Israel had forsaken God. As he prayed, a plan began to form for rebuilding the wall.
Nehemiah asked God to act on his behalf for favor from the king and provisions for the project. Invariably, in an enterprise of this scope, there are factors over which one has no control, so God must arrange them. (“Unless the Lord builds the house, the workers toil in vain.” Psalm 127:1) The king not only granted permission for Nehemiah to return to Israel, but he also made provision for Nehemiah to procure all the necessary building materials.
Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, and just as he had heard, he found the wall in ruins. He became more aware of the list of original inhabitants—Ammonites, Amorites, Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, and Perizzites. Any of these “ites” that remained in the land could be an enemy and a continual threat to Israel and its temple if a wall was not built and secured. It took courage and resolve for Nehemiah and his delegation to undertake this project.
Certainly, Nehemiah was a visionary leader, a pioneer, to see the possibility of a restored wall and a restored Jerusalem. But how would he rally the people to accomplish the fulfillment of the vision? Nehemiah was insightful to see how people are inclined to participate more fully if their efforts are in their own backyard. He rallied the families of Israel to first build the sections of the wall that were adjacent to their property and neighborhood. This coming together worked well to accomplish the great task before them.
How does the story of Israel and Nehemiah speak into the life of GCI in the 21st century? First, we have recognized that our church has not been in the state of health that we desire. As your President, I have lamented this for some time, and I know that many of our leaders and members have shared my concerns. I am the first one to confess to our Triune God that we have not been as intentional and active in making disciples as a healthy church should, nor have we been as intentional and active in equipping the saints for ministry as we should. We need to collectively cry out to God in confession and seek his guidance in transforming us into a church that is a healthier expression of Jesus.
The good news is that all 6 GCI Global Regions, under the leadership of their Superintendent, have been making measured progress towards developing elements of Healthy Church. However, each region is unique with different needs. It’s particularly easy to stall when you are limited by a lack of resources, ideas, or strategies that can work, along with the feeling of being stuck. It’s a bit like confrontation with Ammonites and Amorites. But what if we unite and excite? These “ites” can bring us together; after all, we are better together.
In the annual planning meeting with the Superintendents that took place February 13 -16, there was unanimous agreement on a 3-year plan toward the vision of Healthy Church. This 3-year plan is designed to bring movement through a collaborative team process, aligning our efforts in a way we have never done before.
The Process / High Challenge
Each Superintendent, with a Development Coordinator and other key staff leaders, must prayerfully and strategically identify the healthier churches with capable pastors that can most benefit from the long term, high support of training and coaching.
These pastors/congregations—which we’re calling “Vision” pastors/churches—will be invited into a 3-year process of training with a coach to provide support. In return, these Vision pastors/churches will commit to meeting a benchmark of Healthy Church expectations that display their commitment to GCI. It may take the collective effort of the group over the course of 2022 to fulfill this one assignment of committing to the process (and that’s okay).
The Vision Pastors are then invited to attend workshops that take a deep dive into the Hope, Faith, and Love ministry Avenues (workshop templates have been beta tested in the US and can be contextualized for international sites). In each case, the pastor will bring the Avenue Champion along for training. Each workshop has follow-up materials that are sent home to continue training at the congregational level.
Coaching will be provided for pastors and Avenue Champions. It is ideal for the Avenue Champions to be connected with a cohort group and a skillful coach for the continuation of learning and sharing post-conference. (A few regions will need to establish coaches, and help is available to train coaches).
Determine a master plan and schedule for rolling out workshops. It seems logical that the Hope Avenue training will be done first (What will a new person come to and how will that experience go?), followed by the Faith Avenue for establishing the care for new and existing people, and finally the Love Avenue for how we become intentional in reaching new people.
Moving from concepts to application takes time. We are hopeful that doing this over the next three years will give us space for deeper learning and better application. We also want to assure our church around the world that we are committed to the ministry strategies we have established and that there is a strong commitment to follow through.
Resources / High Support
The US has been moving along these lines and learning the process as we go. Because our pilot program has been tested, we have the benefit of sharing what works well and what can be done better. Items that are available:
Workshop outlines with training material set in the context of an interactive learning style
If needed, workshop facilitators could be made available to participate alongside other Development Coordinators to jumpstart the process—through Zoom and possibly on-site in rare occasions.
Ministry tools on the GCI website
Video webinars for training
Cohort support from fellow Superintendents
The faith goal of having an international Development Coordinators cohort, similar to how we operate with the Communities of Practice (CoP) of our Superintendents (Read this story for a refresher on CoPs.)
The unity among the Superintendents is inspiring. And even with time zone challenges, all Superintendents want to meet by Zoom every 2 months to work toward the progression of the 3-year plan. The excitement of what we can accomplish together over the next three years is promising.
May I remind us to walk in the shoes of Nehemiah. Be visionary to see a better future. Be in prayer seeking God for the variables that are beyond us. Be courageous knowing that there are enemies to our plan, but also knowing that if God is for us then who can be against us. Be committed to staying the course of building out the wall of ministry in your backyard!
Back in December we celebrated the Incarnation – God becoming man in the person of Jesus. An incredible verse that captures my imagination is John 1:14.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NRSV)
What a mysterious, fascinating concept that causes us to stop, ponder and worship.
When we dig into scripture and see the first recorded interaction of Jesus the human, we see him at age 12 interacting with the Jewish priests at the temple in Jerusalem. He’s exchanging ideas, sharing in questions and answers, connecting and relating. I’m certain that he blessed them with some truths that were new to their ears, and very likely blew their minds.
Truth most often comes in statement form – “I tell you the truth, you must be born again.” Then thinking more about John’s account of Jesus, we hear the declaration statements about who he is – “I am the resurrection and life,” “I am the Good Shepherd,” “I am the Bread of Life” and the rest of the seven of these “I am” statements that reveal the deity of Jesus.
Truth statements challenge the thinking and stir the spirit. Oftentimes they hang out there for us to think about in wonder and amazement. Jesus also taught that truth has the power to divide and be a point of contention. It can be wielded as a weapon when it is used untampered by grace.
Thinking about our personal lives and our Christian witness, are we more comfortable with stating truth than engaging in dialogue?
Not long ago, Susan and I were riding on public transportation through a sprawling urban center. A middle-aged man with his five- to six-year-old daughter got on the train. The little girl’s behavior and speech seemed to indicate symptoms of autism. The dad was quite calm and patient with her. There happened to be a lady sitting close by on the same bench seat. As we pulled into the next stop, the lady moved to get off and immediately spoke out to the father with bold, emphatic words. She said “Don’t be fearful, perfect love casts out fear. You are a child of God. You are loved and blessed. Be blessed.”
I certainly agreed with her words of truth, but her delivery seemed awkward and came across as bombastic parting words at a train stop. Why not engage the little girl and her dad during the ride?
Then there are the obnoxious words or phrases that Christians use in declaring their understanding of truth. “The Bible says it and that settles it.” Did this ever win a non-believer over to a meaningful conversation? Or point them closer to Jesus?
I recognize that I am comfortable with being direct and stating the truth. And while there is a time to be concise and direct, the more I grow in self-awareness, I see how being “full of grace” is more engaging and better at connecting with others.
What does it mean to be full of grace? Grace is about tangible, transforming love that brings about acceptance and belonging. In my experience, grace most often appears in the form of heartfelt open-ended questions and interactive conversations. Grace flows from the grace-giver, Jesus, and it starts with connecting us to himself, but it doesn’t bottleneck there. This received grace becomes extended grace, and it is about connecting, sharing, building trust, bonding, and authentic relationships. Grace is about give and take in an atmosphere of love and respect.
Jesus was the master at asking discerning, alluring questions. Who do you say that I am? What do you want me to do for you? Will you give me a drink? Do you want to get well? Etcetera.
What if we followed his example more closely and became more effective at engaging others? What if we seasoned our truth with healthy doses of grace?
In 2022 we are following the theme of “Compelled by Love.” (Compelled by Grace fits quite comfortably into this mix). We see the Holy Spirit moving us to engage and love our neighbors with greater awareness and intentionality, and this can only happen as we join Jesus by being full of grace and truth.
May our witness of the Gospel be a testimony to truth and may the grace we share build eternal relationships with new disciples. Amen!
Still growing in grace and truth,
Greg Williams
P.S.
We mourn along with our worldwide family the atrocities of war. Join us in holding the people of Ukraine and all those affected by the conflict in prayer. We ask our God of justice to bring peace and comfort. For prayer points and actions we can take to support our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, please visit the NAE website at: Pray for Ukraine | National Association of Evangelicals (nae.org)
By now you have heard of how GCI seeks to better join Jesus in his ongoing ministry through the avenues of faith, hope and love. It is important for me to answer the question of “Why?” Why are we following this path? Why is faith, hope and love so profound for our church going forward?
In the middle of their varied disorders and factions, Paul reminds the church leaders and members at Corinth of the high value and absolute necessity of faith, hope and love. They are the greatest virtues that speak to who Jesus is and what he is about in his active ministry to humanity.
For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)
Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians is the capstone to important teaching concerning spiritual gifts and godly living (chapters 12-14). Paul articulated the diversity of gifts available to believers as the Spirit orchestrates and then the necessity of maintaining unity among themselves under the virtues of faith, hope and love. The successful use of spiritual gifts by and among believers must be undergirded by faith, hope and love.
So, is faith, hope and love an isolated topic trapped in 1 Corinthians 13? Faith, hope, and love are indeed prominent in the Scriptures. Let’s look at a few examples.
We heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel that has come to you. (Colossians 1: 4-6)
In this passage, we see that hope has a vital connection with faith and love. All three work together to provide “a confident hope” for the believer which not only assures of a heavenly, eternal future, but empowers the believer to live a godly life here and now.
Here, Paul picks up with the “Big Three” as he tells the church:
We must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10)
For God did not create us for wrath and condemnation, but for receiving salvation and love through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, whether we are alert or asleep, we will come to life together with him.
Faith and hope appear together at the opening of the “Hall of Fame” faith chapter in Hebrews 11. This chapter speaks to a wide range of people in a wide range of circumstances, and it shows how through Jesus the believer can live a settled life in an unsettled situation. And how living in a threatening, chaotic world there can be an active, and confident faith in God and the believer can live a life of assured hope. For all “Pilgrims” to come to this end is what Jesus and his church is working toward.
The concepts of faith, hope and love cannot be separated from who Jesus is. It is his faith that fills my unbelief; it is his hope that covers my doubts; and his love that cancels my fear. And he is this Savior of perfect faith, perfect hope, and perfect love for all people.
Faith, hope and love are the three great permanent Christian graces, as opposed to the lesser temporary gifts of prophecy, miracles and tongues spoken of in 1 Corinthians. These three “remain” and will be our continued framework for ministry in GCI.
Have you ever considered the complex world that Jesus came into? It was plagued with politics and domination from the Roman empire. The state of the Jewish religion was all over the map with as many as 72 different factions and sects of Judaism. A common hope that many Jews shared was for the coming of a Messiah spoken of by the Old Testament prophets. The expectation was the Messiah would be a socio-political leader who would overthrow the Romans and restore Israel to dominance. But then here comes Jesus, a non-celebrated rabbi from the back-water town of Nazareth. You can only imagine the external forces he faced.
Throughout this season of Epiphany, we have been focusing on Jesus being the light of the world. Throughout his teachings we see him continually boiling down and refining difficult topics, often using stories with commonplace examples to make his point. The climax of his teaching and effort to simplify is when he expounds on the two Great Commandments—loving God with heart, mind, and soul and then loving neighbor as self. He declares that all the Law and all the Prophets are summarized in these commands. Can it be any clearer than this?
Fast forward to our 21st century. We too face external forces. Political strife, religious confusion, economic struggles, etc. We also have internal forces to deal with. Think of Jesus and his organized band of 12 disciples. He brought them alongside himself to watch him minister to the people of Israel, to join with him in the ministry, and ultimately to be prepared to be founders of the church. Internally they were plagued with dullness in learning, competition among themselves, and a frequent lack of faith, yet Jesus never gave up on them. The church was successfully founded and continues to our day.
In GCI we face our own challenges with external and internal forces. Have you ever considered that we operate in 66 countries across the world? Do you know that translates to 40+ languages and dialects our superintendents work with? There are 2,000 languages and dialects in Africa alone. The seemingly simple task of communication is incredibly complex. For example, when working with the superintendents we were talking about the skill and process of welcoming new people into our churches, referring to this as “assimilation.” Daphne Sidney raised her hand and shared with our group that in Australia there was a government move to assimilate the indigenous people (the Aboriginal people), and this ultimately meant the ending of their culture. We made a quick pivot and dropped the word assimilation and replaced it with “integration.” This challenge to use words that are properly conveying the intended meaning is an ongoing struggle, and relies on the Spirit’s lead.
As Jesus worked with his band of 12, at times we see him working with a smaller group of three. No doubt Jesus was the perfect mentor/teacher, and he was intentional with how he developed those around him. In walking in his steps, we too seek to be intentional in how we work with our groups of leaders. By now you have heard about “Team-Based, Pastor-Led.” This model stresses that ministry is not a “solo” endeavor, but a shared work that ultimately includes all believers. The leadership role of the pastor is extremely important, and yet it is clearly lined out in Paul’s letter to Ephesus when he says that the pastor is to engage, equip, empower and encourage the saints so that they are actively participating in the ministry of Jesus in their time and space, and through the vehicle he designed – the church.
As President, I, along with other GCI leaders, are working long and hard to move us toward the team-based approach. It is our desire that we have a simple, understandable structure and system whereby we more actively join Jesus in his mission to the world (described plainly in the Avenues of Love, Hope and Faith). It is my prayer that the mosaic of our churches and pastors in 66 countries can be organized so that all believers utilize their personal giftings, passions and calling that the Lord has for them individually and can express those gifts corporately through the life of the church.
This all circles back to the two Great Commandments and the clear instruction of Jesus. Before we jump into our response of whole-heartedly loving God, think about this – the Father sent his one and only unique Son Jesus into the world to save us from sin and death and to prepare us for eternal glory. The Son in turn sent the Holy Spirit to be our Guide, Intercessor and Helper, actively transforming us into the image of Jesus. To grasp the understanding of Father, Son, and Spirit, and what they are actively doing in us and through us which compels us to fully accept, receive and engage in loving him with our entire being. With the fullness of his love in us, how can that not spill over to our neighbors?
The amazing Triune God who holds ALL things together, who makes the complex simple and understandable for us, certainly has GCI in the palm of his hand – loving us, caring for us, shaping us regardless of any external or internal forces. The ministry of Jesus we celebrate as we review the scriptures is continuing to minister through us the church in 2022.
If you have been around GCI for a while, you will recall our vast study on the topic of women in ministry. Study papers were submitted to the denomination over a long stretch of time, and much was published about the role of women as seen through the lens of scripture. After prayerful consideration by our denominational committee, it was decided that women could be ordained and serve in ministry capacities that were once reserved for men. Hallelujah! Praise God for opening our eyes to the truth.
It is an amazing journey that we have been on to see many wonderful women of faith rise up and serve Jesus through the ministries of GCI. We currently have 113 female Elders in our fellowship. Four of these Elders serve the church out of the Home Office – Pam Morgan, Michelle Fleming, Cara Garrity and Susan Williams. We have an additional two female Elders serving as Directors on the GCI Board – Celestine Olive and Jen Gregory and one Superintendent serving Australasia – Daphne Sidney.
The addition of the female perspective and voice “at the table” has made us a stronger and more balanced church. As President, I have noticed how the presence of women in leadership has made us more collaborative and much more innovative. A big thank you to the women for stepping up and stepping in!
It gives me great pleasure to announce three major advancements of three special ladies who work out of the denominational Home Office.
Michelle Fleming
Michelle Fleming who has been our Media Director for three years will take on a greater role as our Communications Director (CD). The CD is a senior level manager who reports to the president and works with the team of GCI managers for the overall good and health of the organization. The CD acts as an advisor to the President, monitors the messaging of the church, maintains the clarity of the vision, and serves as press contact for the church. Michelle will continue the oversight of Media and will add another staff person to share the workload.
Elizabeth Mullins
Elizabeth Mullins will join the media team as our Publications Assistant to support the timely production, delivery and execution of projects related to GCI Publications. Working in unison with the Communications Director, Media Team, and Denominational Leaders, the Publications Assistant maintains alignment with the church’s vision and mission with the GCI audience in mind.
Cara Garrity, who currently serves as the GCI Cara Garrity
Development Coordinator, will have expanded responsibilities to include Host of GCI Podcast, and Coordinator of the Ministry Coaching service that is available to pastors and ministry leaders in the US. Her new responsibilities fit nicely into the ongoing development needs that we have in GCI.
I am privileged to work with these amazing women. Their collective skills, knowledge and experience make GCI a better organization. I am proud of each of them, and I solicit your prayers of support as they move into these roles.
The inclusion of women in the ministry of GCI has been a tremendous blessing, and most of all, it reflects who Jesus is and how he so adeptly oversees his church.
The most succinct statement about God in the Bible is found in 1 John 4:8 – God is love. He is the source and Jesus is the perfect human expression.
My daughter-in-law, Crystal, is a teacher. She has been an educator for 13 years in various positions, ranging from a kindergarten teacher, creator of a literacy program, to an Early Childhood Consultant. After consulting for the past five years, she is back in the classroom teaching kindergarten.
Crystal has recently taken a job teaching kindergarten in a private church-operated school. During orientation Crystal became uneasy with the philosophy for managing the students. There was a strong emphasis on behavioral control with the use of the “stoplight behavior system.” The stoplight approach uses the red, yellow and green light as a visual to assist a child in knowing how well their behavioral performance is going throughout the day. Every child starts a new day fresh on “green,” which is positive. However, throughout the day, if expectations are not met, a child could move from “green” to “yellow,” and then “red” if behaviors persist. Most teachers have this behavior-control system openly displayed for the class to see, so everyone knows the behavioral status of each student in the class. It is a shameful experience to send a child to change their stoplight color in front of their classmates.
Setting behavior boundaries and responsibilities for children is useful and needed, but modeling grace is pro-actively teaching children to focus their behavior on being Christ-like versus performance-based. Teaching children love, joy, kindness, and patience, as adults express grace while still setting boundaries, creates deeper love and trust. Performance-focused behavioral systems teach children that love and trust are conditional. It teaches they will be rewarded with the materials and accolades of this world instead of discovering the strength and power of the love God has for us, and that we should have for ourselves and others. The stance by the school to use the stoplight behavioral system seemed to be at odds with the core fabric of who God is and created quite a conundrum for Crystal. The school was projecting that love is tied to conditions, but Crystal’s desire for the children is for them to know and experience the unconditional love of Jesus.
In essence, the Christian school would be telling these five-year old precious boys and girls that their behavior was most important. If somehow they behaved well enough, then they could experience belonging in the community atmosphere of the class. This is the classic message that comes from many Christian groups: Behave as a Christian, believe as a Christian, and only then can you belong as a Christian in a Christian community. Performance gets you in.
I believe it was the Holy Spirit who alerted Crystal’s senses to the issue of making behavior the primary concern. Shortly after the school year started, Crystal and Glenn attended a church service and were greatly encouraged by a sermon message. The pastor spoke profoundly about conditional love versus grace and eternal love. He spoke about the need to teach grace and love to our children through our discipline. Grace isn’t the absence of discipline—rather, it is the act of understanding and applying love. Yes, we want our children to behave appropriately, but more importantly, even when they don’t, we want them to be shown love through the extension of Christ-like grace. In turn, they will learn to extend grace and love to others. The application of grace and love requires more time and effort than asking a child to walk to the front of the classroom and change the color of their stoplight. Applied grace and love means acknowledging the child, listening to the child, discovering what is motivating the child, having a meaningful conversation with the child, and mutually agreeing to better forms of action (enveloped in love and belonging). These steps take time and patience, and they imply a relationship where the child is seen and heard. (Isn’t that what love looks like?) Crystal left that church service feeling relief from the philosophical turmoil about where the church stands on the matters of grace and love.
The apostle John continues developing his thoughts about God and love in 1 John 4:19 – “Because he [Jesus] first loved us,” we already belong. Did you hear that? We belong because of Jesus! Jesus died for all, and because we are all under his atoning, spilled blood, we belong before we ever believe or behave correctly. It is the safety and assurance of belonging that frees us to explore more about this loving God who became flesh and died in our place. It is the believing that smooths the path for receiving the marvelous, free gift of grace that is offered only through Jesus. Then as believers in daily active relationship with Jesus responding and participating through the power of the Spirit, we are continuing to be transformed into his likeness, becoming more like him. So, the flow of “Belong, Believe, Become,” is more in alignment with who we see Jesus to be in Scripture and how he relates to his children (kindergarteners and all other age groups).
Just as Crystal is teaching and guiding her beloved students, we as Christ-followers in GCI are also compelled by the love of God to view and treat our neighbors with the unconditional love we have received. We are compelled, driven and motivated to treat the folks around us with value, respect and godly love. We too can acknowledge, listen more intently, and discover more about our neighbors. (For those want to explore more about this, I recommend the book Surprise the World, by Michael Frost).
The apostle John outlines it so well in his writings.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12 ESV)
My beloved (my dear friends, my darlings), focus on how much you are loved. It is this “love received” that in turn can be freely given to others. It is because God has loved us so well and perfectly through Jesus that we now can love others.
“Compelled by Love” is GCI’s theme for 2022. There is much more to come, so please embrace this season of Christ’s birth along with our beloved brothers and sisters around the world and let’s observe how Jesus transforms us and our neighbors in the coming New Year.
Abundant and Flowing Love,
Greg
P.S. I am proud to have Crystal as my daughter-in-law and thrilled that my grandchildren (Emory and Everett) get to grow up in a home where the unconditional love of Jesus is so palpable.
Footnote:
Dear Church, in my previous video update speaking about Saint Nicholas and the Christmas season I made a reference to the “Immaculate Conception.” Please understand that I was only referencing the understanding that Mary was “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirt and became impregnated with the Lord Jesus and gave birth to our Savior (and remained human).
It was not my intention to make this reference in the context of Catholic doctrine. It is not our belief in GCI that Mary was free of original sin nor is she the intercessor between humanity and Christ.
Please accept my apology for using this term and creating any confusion.
Dr. Greg Williams asks listeners to take a new look at the story of Saint Nick and how he set as an example to us all by sharing Christ’s love; reminding us that is exactly what Christmas is all about.
