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Grace Church

New Year - New You!  #3 JOY

New Year - New You! #3 JOY

2026 is a new year and our challenge is to be more like Jesus and less like the person we currently are. This is what the fruit of the Spirit is all about...not perfection, but progress. It's about what naturally begins to grow in us when we are walking closely with the Holy Spirit.

Locations & Times

Grace Community Church

8950 M-79, Nashville, MI 49073, USA

Sunday 10:00 AM

Our February and March series is called New Year - New You.
With the start of a New Year, many people think they are to tackle the Christian life like every other area of life; with personal resolutions and determined effort. But Scripture reveals something different. The Christian life is dependent upon God transforming our life and not just our whims, wishes, and willpower.
In looking at Galatians 5:16-26, we see that Paul starts this section with a warning and a list of the "works of the flesh" before getting into the fruit of the Spirit.
Fruit of the Spirit vs. Desires of the Flesh
We are at war. We have two natures - the new you and the old you. Before Christ that struggle didn't exist but now we sense a war.
Romans 8:5-6
"I have the choice to rejoice."
The problem is that it's not always easy to be joyful. So many people think that joy and happiness is something to be pursured, not something to be grown.
Philippians 4:4
How do I stop pursuing happiness and grow joy?
What is JOY?
Biblical joy is a supernatural contentment rooted in God’s character and promises, not circumstances.
This is where the battle comes in.
Our flesh wants to make joy about what pleases my flesh.
The Spirit wants to make joy about what pleases God.
Happiness depends on what happens; Biblical joy depends on who holds the future.
Why can we JOY?
Romans 5:1-11
1. We can rejoice because our joy is anchored in hope. (FUTURE)
The world centers our hope and happiness on our self. The Bible centers our hope and joy on Christ alone and His future glory.
2. We can rejoice because God has a purpose in every situation. (PRESENT)
Do I rejoice in my sufferings? Do I rejoice because I know that God is using life's difficulties and Satan's attacks to lead me into a deeper relationship with Him?
We think, "When I get rid of my problems, then I'll be happy." Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God in suffering. God is always with us!
James 1:2-3
John 16:33
3. We can rejoice because of the blood of Christ. (PAST)
Many times in Scripture a person is called to look back in order to move forward. We do this because God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. When we're struggling to move forward, we can look back and see where God was faithful again, and again, and again.
Some of us can't move forward and rejoice in the Good News, because we don't fully understand the bad news. We can't experience the fruit, because we don't understand the affects of the weed.
Colossians 1:13-14
All throughout Scripture, the greatest source of joy is when a sinner repents and believes. (Acts 8:8, 39; 16:34)
There is a unique kind of joy that only the Christian can experience.
How can we JOY?
If joy is an essential feature of the life of Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit...why are so many missing joy?
1. Choose Jesus.
1 Peter 1:8-9
2. Let go of the sackcloth.
Psalm 30:11-12
Hebrews 12:1-2
Christians should have the most to rejoice in and be having the most fun!
Every difficult experience in life is a chance for us to have a pity party or to join the celebration of heaven.
3. Be a giver.
- of thanks
- of material possessions Acts 20:35b
- of your time
- of the Good News 1 Peter 3:15
4. Choose JOY.
Choosing joy is choosing to rejoice in our sufferings and being grateful in good and bad times.
We have the choice to rejoice!

Grace Church Website

https://gc3.org/

Breeze Directory

At Grace we use a secure directory/giving service called Breeze Church Management.  Creating your personal account allows you to contact others in the church family, keep your contact information updated, and keep track of your giving if that is important to you, and/or create an online giving account. Use the link below to get started or to login if you already have an account.
https://gc3.breezechms.com/r/dashboard

CJ's Coffee Shop Pre-Order

Skip the line and order your latte ahead of time!
https://gc3.org/pages/cjs-order

Grace Church has an App!

Access messages, prayer posts, news & events, Breeze login, and more! Use the link below to download the Grace Church app through Tithely. This is an easy way to access all of the most important things found on our website or even get to the website itself. Once you download the app it will ask what topics you would like notifications for so that you won't miss out on any information that is shared. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Lisa Sterkenburg (lisa@gc3.org) or Leslie Booher (leslie@gc3.org).
https://tithely.app.link/gc3

Join a H.O.M.E. Group

Life is better lived in community with one another. As Christ followers, we know that being in community helps us tremendously as we learn and grow in our faith. Grace Church offers H.O.M.E. Groups that help us do just that! These groups meet from September to May in homes throughout our 4 county region. H.O.M.E. Groups guide us in four key areas: Hospitality, Obedience, Ministry, and Evangelism. It is our hope that everyone be able to experience life lived in community through a H.O.M.E. Group!  If you have questions or want help finding a group that is right for you, contact the church office (grace@gc3.org).  You can learn more and sign-up using the link below.
https://gc3.org/pages/h-o-m-e-groups

Meet and Greet

Grace Church holds a Meet & Greet for those who are newer to Grace Church on the 4th Sunday of each month following the service in CJ's coffee shop. It is a great opportunity to meet the staff and leadership of Grace Church and learn a little more about the church. It also gives us an opportunity to learn a little about you! Contact Leslie Booher if you have any questions (leslie@gc3.org).

Grace Wear 2025

You Can Order from Courtside Today! We have a whole new line of shirts available to order from Courtside Screen-Printing and Embroidery. You can see all of the t-shirts, long sleeve tee's, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats, and more when you visit the online store at the link below. All questions should be directed to Courtside; their contact information can be found at the bottom of their page.
https://gracechurch-2025.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Bible Reading Plan 2026

Pick up a Harmony Study booklet on Sunday after church!
Our Bible Reading Plan for 2026 is a study of the life and ministry of Christ using the harmony of the gospels. The printed booklet, ready for pick up on Sunday, lists all the passages to be studied for the week along with 4 questions you can answer in your personal study or with your H.O.M.E. Group.
Because this is a harmony of the gospels plan, you may want to use a harmony book (for example: The NIV Harmony of the Gospels by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry) but this is not essential to participate in the study.
We are very excited to dig deeply into the Word, to take our time to apply it to our lives and share the life-changing lessons and insights God has revealed to us during our time with Him. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Sterkenburg (lisa@gc3.org).

The Mindful Marriage Conference

A BIBLICALLY-BASED MARRIAGE EVENT FOR COUPLES Hosted by Rockford Reformed Church, 4890 11 Mile Rd NE, Rockford, MI Everything you need to know can be found at the link below. Don't wait to move on this as early registration (a $20 discount) ends January 4th! See Jeff & Mary Burpee if you have questions (jburp24@gmail.com).
https://rockfordreformedchurch.org/mindful-marriage

March/April Grace U Classes

A peek at the next round of classes coming up! Bible Essentials:  This class will give you an overview of the Bible and how to apply it to your life / Sundays at 8:45 am Christianity, Cults, & Religions 1:  This class will help you know what you believe and why / Wednesdays at 6:00 pm S.H.A.P.E.:  This class will give you opportunities to learn how God has uniquely created you to minister / Class day & time will be announced soon Frontline 1:  This class provides practical training for sharing your faith story / Class day/time will be announced soon Love Works:  This class will give you a practical sampling of skills, tips, and stumbling blocks in leadership / Class day/time will be announced soon All of these classes will provide you an opportunity to grow in your faith and give you tools to be a disciple who makes disciples. You can find a more detailed description and/or sign-up for a class at the link below. If you need help determining which class to take or have any other questions, contact the church office (grace@gc3.org).
https://gc3.org/programs/grace-u

Annual Helping People Rummage Sale

This is an annual event for Grace Church where you can clean out your closets and storage areas and give what you don't need or use to a good cause. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Samaritan Fund that helps our community and those in need. If you'd like to participate, there is a registration form you need to fill out. Here are a few things to keep in mind: - You will need to mark all of your items and set them up on your designated table(s) before the sale begins (anytime during the week of February 16th) - You will need to return at the end of the sale to collect any unsold items you wish to keep. Anything not picked up at 11:30 am on Saturday will be donated to local charities. - If you don't have items to donate but still want to help out with this event, we will need a few people to work the payment table during both days of the sale as well as clean up on Saturday. You can also help us out by advertising! 
What we need to know from you: Would you like a table or two? Want to help with this event? Let us know by filling out the form below. Have questions? Contact Leslie Booher (leslie@gc3.org)
https://gc3.breezechms.com/form/rummage26

Birthdays and Anniversaries we're celebrating this week:

Sunday, February 8th - Donita Murphy
Monday, February 9th - Nick Van De Moortel, Carson McKay
Tuesday, February 10th - Terry Whitten
Wednesday, February 11th - Rachel Kuestner
Thursday, February 12th - Memphis Dykhouse