Church family:
One of the clearest and most personally shaping studies of my life has been our time in the Sermon on the Mount this past year. Jesus’ words continue to challenge my thoughts and actions, sometimes before I sin, and sometimes, by His grace, after. Even then, He is still sanctifying us.
Have you ever thought about how Jesus wants the Sermon on the Mount to shape the way we gather as GCT around the Lord’s Supper, both personally and together as His family? The Sermon on the Mount is not merely a collection of gentle suggestions or inspiring morals. Jesus speaks with the authority of God as King, calling His followers to a life of wholehearted obedience. In Matthew 5–7, Jesus shows us what life looks like under His loving rule. His people are poor in spirit, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, truthful, forgiving, and fully dependent on the Father. These are not boxes we check to earn God’s love; they are the fruit of Christ’s mercy at work in us as He brings us into His kingdom.
That matters every time we come to the Lord’s table. We do not come to communion as people who have it all figured out or who have proven we deserve to be there. We come poor in spirit, admitting our need. We come mourning over sin, hungry and thirsty for the righteousness only Christ can give. And we remember and receive again the incredibly good news that Jesus gave His body and poured out His blood for sinners like us, forgiving our sins and transforming our hearts. The bread and cup are not merely reminders of something we once believed; they are grace that continues shaping us week after week.
When we come to the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, the Sermon on the Mount teaches us to come humbly, honestly, gratefully, and united together. We examine our hearts, not to prove we are worthy, but to turn from pride, bitterness, hypocrisy, and indifference. We remember that the person beside us belongs to Christ, too, and we are called to know and love them well. This means we do not come as isolated individuals, but as brothers and sisters learning to receive mercy and extend it to one another. One loaf declares we are one body in Christ; one cup declares one Savior. At the Lord’s table, grace unites us and draws us together.
Let the Sermon on the Mount prepare us for communion. Let it remind us that we are citizens of Christ’s alternative, upside-down kingdom, reshaped by the gospel we remember. We come needy, forgiven, reconciled, and hopeful, not because we are strong, but because Christ is gracious. We come to remember Him and to be renewed by the gospel He brings.

See you Sunday, as we remember Jesus Christ and are changed by His grace: Steve

Church family:
Take a moment to think about this: the greatest invitation in the world is extended to us from the God of the universe, our Heavenly Father, "come and ask me for good gifts” (Matthew 7:7–11). Jesus invites us to come to our Father again and again to ask, seek, and knock with confidence. Of course, this is not a blank check for everything on our wish list. It is an invitation to keep praying, trusting that our Father knows how to give what is truly good even when we unknowingly ask for something that is not.
That means prayer is not a way to manipulate God into approving our plans. Through prayer our desires are shaped, our faith is deepened, and our hearts are aligned with our Heavenly Father’s wisdom. Sometimes God gives exactly what we ask for; other times, He gives something different and better than what we would have chosen for ourselves. That is why prayer is such a gift—even when we unknowingly ask for stones and serpents, our heavenly Father gives us the bread and fish we actually need.
We see this pattern in Scripture. Jesus in Gethsemane asked for the cup of suffering to pass, yet Jesus was not given escape; He was given the sustaining grace needed for obedience. The Father answered by carrying out redemption through the Son’s suffering, and Jesus’ cup became the cup that secured salvation for His people (Matthew 26:36-46).
Paul pleaded three times for his thorn (suffering/affliction/weakness) to be removed, but Christ gave Paul both His sufficient grace and His power made perfect in weakness instead of removing the thorn (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). That means Paul received ongoing help from the Lord to endure, stay humble, and keep relying on Christ's power rather than on his own weaknesses.
That is often how God works with us too. He may not give the exact answer we wanted, but He gives something deeper: endurance, humility, wisdom, peace, and grace that holds us steady when circumstances do not change.
Matthew 7:7–11 is not a call to quit praying when God’s answer is not what we expected. It is a call to press in, to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking because the Father we approach is perfectly good and infinitely wise. Sometimes He says, “yes.” Sometimes He says, “no.” Sometimes He says, “wait.” But every time, He gives what is best, even when it is far better than anything we knew to ask for.
So, GCT, let’s respond with a fresh commitment to prayer personally, in our families, and in our Grace Groups. Let’s come boldly as children of God, trusting the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Your Father is not stingy, indifferent, or cruel. He is generous, holy, and sovereign, and every gift He gives is filtered through perfect love. Ask, seek, knock. Keep coming to your Heavenly Father who knows how to give what is truly good.

See you Sunday, asking, seeking, knocking: Steve

Church family:
As we enter our new building, we do so with full hearts, deep gratitude, and joyful celebration. This moment has been long hoped for, prayed over, and worked toward, and in His kindness the Lord has now brought us here. Sunday is a day to rejoice together in His faithfulness. When I sat alone in the sanctuary Tuesday evening, reflecting on this blessing, I was struck by the windows, the natural light, and the beauty of God’s creation surrounding the church building. This building is truly a house filled with light. It lifts our eyes to the greater wonder—that God has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light so that with joyful hearts we may proclaim His excellencies (1 Peter 2:9).
This move is far more than a change of address. It is a holy opportunity to remember who we are in Christ and why He has placed us here. We are not merely a church in a new space; we are God’s treasured people, redeemed by grace, set apart for His glory, and sent to proclaim His excellencies. The light filling this building points us beyond itself to the greater light Christ gives His church: the light of truth, holiness, love and the life giving gospel.
The brightness of this new building is a beautiful gift, and may it continually remind us of the greater light we have in Jesus Christ, who came to rescue us from darkness (John 12:46). Scripture teaches that darkness was not merely around us; it was the condition from which God delivered us (Ephesians 5:8). Apart from Him, we were distant and lost in darkness, but in Christ we have been drawn near, forgiven, and brought into His radiant presence. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), and by His grace we no longer stumble in darkness but walk in the light of His life.
As sunlight streams through these windows, may it lovingly remind us that Christ’s light is to shine through our hearts. May this place be filled not only with visible light, but with a people who shine as lights in the world through prayer, worship, love, compassion, discipleship, fellowship, preaching, mercy, and gospel proclamation (Philippians 2:15).
So let us begin this new chapter with grateful hearts and expectant faith. Let us walk as children of light, proclaim His excellencies, and make this building a place where Christ is exalted, His people are strengthened, and His gospel goes forth with power and joy.

See you Sunday, marveling in the light of Christ: Steve

Church family:
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to judge someone else while giving yourself endless grace? Judgmentalism looks down on others, assumes the worst about their motives, and speaks as though it can see their heart clearly enough to pronounce final verdicts. In doing so, it wrongly makes us a very poor version of God. Scripture reminds us that God alone is Judge and that we are not the final judges of one another (James 4:12; Romans 14:10-12). In God’s kingdom, there is an important difference between "judgmentalism" and "biblical discernment."
Jesus does not command us to ignore sin or to pretend truth does not matter. In Matthew 7, when He says, “Do not judge,” He is not forbidding all correction or moral discernment. He is warning us against a harsh, self-righteous spirit that condemns others while ignoring our own failures (Matthew 7:1-5). The problem is not discernment; the problem is pride. The problem is not speaking truth; the problem is speaking truth without humility, mercy, and self-examination. That is judgementalism.
Biblical discernment is different: it is loving, humble, and aimed at restoration. It seeks to help rather than humiliate, to protect rather than injure, and to restore rather than expose. That is why Jesus tells us to remove the log from our own eye before helping a brother with his speck (Matthew 7:3-5). True discernment begins with repentance. It prays, “Lord, search me,” before saying, “Brother, let me help you.”
This changes how we live in the church. Judgmentalism tears down. Discernment builds up. Judgmentalism says, “I am better than you.” Discernment says, “I want to help you in love, and I am under the same mercy myself.” Judgmentalism leaves people ashamed. Biblical discernment tells the truth in a way that seeks restoration, unity and holiness.
The Lord does not call His people to be naive, but He also does not call us to be harsh. He calls us to be wise, humble, and gracious. In His kingdom, truth and love belong together, and correction is meant to lead toward redemption. Jesus says, replace a critical spirit with the grace He has shown you: examine your own heart first, assume the best of others, and seek to understand their story before drawing conclusions. Why? Because this is how Jesus treats you.
See you Sunday, removing logs together: Steve

Church family:
 
Do you struggle with anxiety? At its deepest level, anxiety forms a worldview: no one will meet my needs, no one can rescue me, and no one sees my distress. I am left like an orphan in a chaotic world ruled by chance.

Anxiety often shows itself as a divided mind, pulled in many directions by worries we cannot control. It lives in the future, imagining danger and destruction before it arrives, and it can fill our minds with microscopic, unpleasant details of what we think might go wrong but doesn't. Sometimes anxiety sounds reasonable, but it keeps us from listening well, trusting deeply, or resting peacefully in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

Jesus’ teaching about anxiety reaches into the places where we most often feel exposed: our security, our future, our needs, and our fears. He is speaking to the part of us that wonders whether God will really come through when resources are thin, plans fall apart or tomorrow feels uncertain.

In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus shows us that both abundance and insufficiency test the heart. When we have plenty, we are tempted to trust ourselves, relax into comfort, or forget how dependent we really are on our Heavenly Father. When we have too little, we are tempted to panic, to hold on more tightly to what we have, and to act as though everything depends on us. In both seasons, Jesus is exposing the same question: where does our security come from?

Think of something as ordinary as the mortgage or groceries. A family may sit at the kitchen table looking at an overdue bill or a nearly empty refrigerator, and the anxiety from the weight of that need can quickly grow larger than the need itself. The bill is real, the shelves are bare, and the pressure is heavy. But in that moment Jesus calls us to remember who our Heavenly Father is. He does not shame us for having needs. He knows we have them. He knows we worry about food, bills, work, and the future. Our heavenly Father is not indifferent, distracted, or stingy. He is loving, attentive, and faithful. He sees us in our insufficiency, and He declares to us, “my eternal love and promises still stand.”

That is why Jesus calls us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He is not asking us to pretend our needs are unreal. He is teaching us to place them in the right order. If we seek Him first, we are not neglecting our needs; we are entrusting them to the Father who already knows what we need. His kingdom is not built on anxiety, but on trust. His care is not occasional. It is constant and steady. It is personal. It is more reliable than our own feelings.

The answer to worry is not to become more controlling. It is to become more trusting in our Heavenly Father as king. It is to keep coming back to the truth that we are not alone, our Heavenly Father is near, and He has not forgotten us. In our seasons of insufficiency, we are to put Him before any survival anxiety. He remains enough.

Jesus’ invitation is simple and loving: seek first the kingdom, trust your Heavenly Father, and let Him provide for you what you cannot.

See you Sunday, replacing anxiety with God’s kingdom promises: Steve

Church family: 
Think with me: what words would you use to describe your relationship with God?

Scripture invites us to embrace an astonishing truth: through Jesus Christ, God is not only our Creator and King but our Heavenly Father. You are a child of God!

This week I have been studying the beautiful gift of knowing God in this way. He chose the name “Father” to show us His daily care, love, and purpose for our lives. On Father’s Day, we remember that the deepest truth about a believer’s identity is not found in achievement, performance, or even family status, but in adoption. In Christ, we are God’s children, welcomed into His household, where grace, belonging, and joy are found. May the awe of God as your Heavenly Father bring you deep comfort. He is not distant, harsh, or detached; He is your ever-present, loving Father. Through Jesus Christ, He has drawn us near and made us His own. We are not merely people who believe in God; we are children who belong to Him. That truth changes everything: we are loved, known, protected, and held by the One who made us.

Galatians 4 reminds us that God sent His Son so we could be adopted as His sons and daughters. What a gift of grace! Because of Jesus, we can cry out, “Abba! Father!” with confidence, trust, and joy. Our place in God’s family is not something we earn; it is a gift we receive. Each day, we live secure in our Heavenly Father's love for us. Every day is a Happy Heavenly Father’s Day.

And for those of us who are fathers, this gives us both comfort and calling. We are not left to figure out fatherhood on our own. We have a perfect Father to look to. He shows us what fatherhood is meant to be: loving, steady, generous, patient, truthful, and full of grace. When He corrects us, He does so because He loves us. He stays close when we struggle. He delights in His children. He does not simply tell us what is right; He shows us by walking with us in it. This is the father we are to be.

That is the kind of father every child needs, both young and grown. And by God’s grace, that is the kind of father you are called to be. Your children need more than your provision. They need your presence. They need more than your instructions. They need your example. They need to see your Heavenly Father’s heart reflected in you through trustworthy love, nurturing discipline, and reliable faith.

This Father’s Day, we thank God for earthly fathers as we look to our Heavenly Father above. May He strengthen every dad, encourage every weary heart, overcome the pains left by imperfect fathering, and teach us to live as His beloved children. May your home reflect His love, and may your children come to know His goodness through the life you live before them.

See you Sunday, enjoying our Heavenly Father: Steve

Church family:
What a joy it is to enter this new season together as God’s people at GCT. For fifteen years, the Lord has faithfully led us, and He has brought us to this moment for His purposes and His glory. As we prepare to move into our new church building (hopefully June 28), let us not simply enter a new space; let us embrace a renewed call to live as God’s holy people, set apart by His grace and united in Christ to be His church.

There is no greater honor on earth than belonging to the body of Jesus Christ, His church. We are not merely a group of individuals who gather to the same place for worship. We are God’s chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people for His own possession, called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9-10). That means GCT is not just a place we go, but a people we are. We are a church formed by the mercy of God, gathered around the Word of God, and sent out to reflect the glory of God.

As we move into our new building, let us remember who we are and what we have been called to do. This is a place where God’s people will gather to worship with reverence and joy, to hear the Word declared with faithfulness, to pray with dependence, to serve one another in love, and to bear witness to the grace of Jesus Christ together. Every song matters. Every prayer matters. Every act of service matters. Every person matters. God has joined us together as one body for His glory, and because He calls us His “spiritual house," this new building is a powerful tool in His hands for us to offer spiritual sacrifices unto Him (1 Peter 2:4-5).

We are more than a building, even a beautiful one. The church is a people. So, as we enter this new chapter, let us do so with humility, gratitude, and expectation. Let us continue to be a church marked by love, holiness, warmth, hospitality, unity, generosity, and gospel faithfulness. Let us love one another deeply, welcome the stranger gladly, honor Christ joyfully, and live as a visible display of His kingdom in Hampstead and around the world.

Rejoice and give thanks as we move toward 1099 Hoover Road! The Lord has been good to us! What an honor to belong to Him, what a privilege to be His people, and what a joy to serve Him together as GCT inside and outside of our new building.

See you Sunday, gathered as God’s spiritual house: Steve

Church family:
Fasting has always been countercultural. It pushes against Western values by calling us to self-denial and sacrifice. It is neither easy nor comfortable, unlike the convenience and ease our culture often celebrates. And those values have also made their way into the Western Church, yet Jesus fasted and He calls us to do the same.

At the very start of His ministry, the Son of God was tested. Satan tried to pull Him off the path of humble obedience and suffering. If Jesus had failed, there would be no cross, no resurrection, and no salvation for us. But Jesus did not fail. He stood firm by trusting His Father, and His fasting was part of that victory.

Then, in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that fasting is of utmost importance (Matthew 6:16–18). Jesus assumes His disciples will fast like He did. He does not say, “if you fast,” but “when you fast.” And He reminds us that the Father who sees in secret is not looking to shame us, but to reward us in our fasting and praying.

This should encourage and challenge us. Fasting is not about earning God’s favor. It is about learning to depend on Him more than on the things we naturally reach for. Jesus’ words in the wilderness make that plain: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). In other words, food is real and necessary, but God is more necessary.

The connection to Israel in Deuteronomy 8:3 is important. In the wilderness, God humbled His people and gave them manna to show that life depends on His Word, not bread alone. Manna taught that God can provide with a single word and reveal Himself when every other hope is gone. Satan twisted that lesson when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4) to make bread for Himself, but Jesus answered that true life and deepest satisfaction come from God, not food. Jesus calls us to fast to remember that our ultimate nourishment is the bread of God's Word not physical food.

That means Jesus’ fasting was not random. It was purposeful. It exposed His unwavering trust in the Father and prepared Him for faithful obedience under the great pressures of living on earth. And it reminds us that our commitment to fasting will do the same in our lives. Fasting reveals what controls us, exposes where our hearts are attached, and helps loosen the grip of lesser loves that we allow to become our daily bread.

If we are honest, many of us are ruled more by comfort than we realize. Fasting gives us a practical way to say, “Lord, You are my portion.” It is a small but powerful act of trust that God promises to reward. This week consider setting aside a meal or two or three to pray, reflect, and seek the Lord. Ask Him to show you what your heart relies on most. Then ask Him to make Christ more precious to you than bread, comfort, or control. This is the reward that God our Heavenly Father promises us when we fast—knowing Jesus.

See you Sunday, not living by bread alone: Steve

Church Family: 
Picture an enemy lurking at the edges of your home and church, sowing doubt and trying to twist what is good into evil. This is the daily battlefield we inhabit. Jesus teaches us to pray with eyes wide open to that unseen conflict. “Deliver us from evil” is our call for God’s forces to move forward, confident that the LORD of hosts enters every dark place ahead of us. The Lord’s Prayer is both worship and warfare: we ask God to do certain things, and we push back against others. We pray for God to be glorified and for evil to be overthrown (Matthew 6:9-13).

Jesus never promised a painless life. He warned us that hardship, persecution, insults, calamities, testing, and opposition would come. But those trials are not proof that the Father has abandoned us to be conquered by the evil one. They are the very place where His presence and power are made known. Scripture reveals God not only as our Father, but as the “LORD of hosts” (YHWH Tsebaoth), the commander of heaven’s armies, the divine warrior who fights for His people. God uses this name for Himself 280 times in the Old Testament. From the Exodus onward, God shows Himself as the One who defeats the enemies His people cannot overcome on their own. This is where we find ourselves today, The LORD of hosts fighting for us against the evil one.

So, when Jesus teaches us to pray, “Deliver us from evil,” He is not just giving us a request for protection. He is awakening us to the reality of spiritual warfare. Some of the fiercest battles we face are the ones we do not even recognize: continual division in marriage, nations and policies that perpetually promote evil, conflict that suddenly erupts in a relationship, distractions that flood the mind at the moment of prayer, doubt in the promises of God just as we step out in faith, continual justification of sins we have made peace with.

Good news: The cross wasn’t God losing, but God’s victory over evil. Jesus has already defeated the evil one and his evil schemes. By taking evil, death, sin, and accusation on Himself and rising again He broke their power and proved death won’t have the last word. We are still in the battle against evil, and Jesus has given us His Word (the Sword of the Spirit) and His complete Holy Spirit armor (Ephesians 6:10-20) to win those battles that the enemy plans against us today. The responsibility is ours! God does not put the armor on for us; we are told to put it on ourselves. This is to be our daily habit and our own personal duty.

“Deliver us from evil” is a war cry: We must be sober, vigilant, and willing to resist deception, putting on truth, prayer, and obedience while trusting that the battle ultimately belongs to the Lord. He fights for us.

See you Sunday, at war with the evil one: Steve

Church Family:
Are you battling temptation right now? Temptation is the quiet, deceptive voice in the tug-of-war of the human heart. It shows up when we are angry and want us to lash out, when we are tired and want to quit, when we are lured and enticed to compromise, hide, procrastinate, or live as though God were not present. None of us is untouched by it. Temptation lures us toward what will ruin us. Why, then, do we choose what we know will undo us? Because our desires often carry more power than we want to confess. God made desire for good and for His glory, but sin twists those desires inward, turning it against God, against others, and against our own souls.

That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). This is not the prayer of one who is self-assured in their ability to resist temptation. It is the prayer of the humble disciple who knows the flesh is weak. It is the prayer of someone who understands that grace is costly, sin is not small, and holiness matters to God. To pray these words honestly is to say, “Lord, I do not trust myself apart from You.”

In Greek, the words translated "test" and "tempt" are exactly the same. This can be easy to miss, but Scripture draws an important distinction: God tests, and Satan tempts. God’s tests are meant to refine our faith and reveal what is in our hearts. Satan and our own sinful flesh use temptation to destroy, deceive, and derail us. Yet even in the testing, God is faithful. He never abandons His children to their weakness. He does not merely expose our frailty; He supplies grace to win the fight.

That is why Hebrews 4:15–16 is such good news. Jesus knows what it is to be tempted, yet without sin. He does not stand far off from our struggle. He sympathizes with our weakness, and He invites us to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. There we find mercy for our failures and help for our next battle that is coming up minutes from now.

So, we do not fight temptation by pretending we are stronger than we are. We fight by watching and praying (Matthew 26:41), by fleeing what would ensnare us (2 Timothy 2:22), by ordering our lives around obedience (John 14:15), and by keeping our eyes fixed on Christ (Hebrews 12:1–2). The way of holiness is not joyless restraint; it is freedom from the lies that promise life but deliver death.

The good news is this: Jesus has already conquered sin and temptation. Because He is our Savior and High Priest, we do not face today’s temptations alone. We can be honest about our weakness, confident in His mercy, and hopeful in His power to keep us. With the same assurance with which we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we also pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” The battle against sin and temptation begins and ends in prayer.

See you Sunday, watching and praying: Steve

Church Family:
As De Witt Talmage wrote, “There is no emotion so completely unselfish as motherly affection. Marital love expects the return of many kindnesses and attentions, but the strength of a mother’s love is entirely independent of the past and the future, and is, of all emotions, the purest. Your child has done nothing in the past to earn your kindness, and in the future your child may grow up to hurt you; but still from the mother’s heart there goes forth inexhaustible affection.

“Abuse cannot offend it; neglect cannot chill it; time cannot efface it; death cannot destroy it. A child’s harsh words receive gentle chiding. When your child neglects you, your watchfulness increases. For harsh words it offers gentle correction; for the blow it gives loving care; for neglect it gives even greater watchfulness. It weeps at the prison door over the wayward child, pleads for mercy before the governor, and is led away by compassionate friends from watching the struggles at the gallows. Other lights go out, but this love keeps burning without being put out. Other loves can wane, but a mother’s love burns on without extinguishment, as in a gloom-struck night you may see a single star, one of God’s bright shining lights guarding the outposts of heaven. Oh, despise not a mother’s love (Proverbs 23:22).

“And if you have been neglectful of your mother, and you still have the opportunity for reparation, make haste. If you could only look in for an hour’s visit to her, you would rouse in the aged one a whole world of blissful memories.

“What if she does sit without talking much: she watched you for many months when you knew not how to talk at all. What if she has many ailments to tell you about: for fifteen years you ran to her with every little scratch and bruise, and she doctored your little finger as carefully as a surgeon would bind the worst fracture.

“You say she is childish now: I wonder if she ever saw you when you were childish. You have no patience to walk with her on the street; she moves so slowly: I wonder if she remembers the time when you were glad enough to go slowly. You complain at the expense of providing for her now: I wonder what your financial income was from one year to ten years of age.” (This is a slightly edited quote from a sermon by De Witt Talmage late 1800s that blessed me this week so I had to share).

To mothers: This is a reminder that your love matters deeply, even when it goes unnoticed. The constant care you give, the sacrifices you make, and the patience you show are never wasted.

To children of mothers: This is a call to gratitude. Honor your mother while you can, thank her while you have the opportunity, and do not delay affection that may one day become regret.

Seen you Sunday, eternally thankful for moms: Steve

Church Family:
Before we forgive others, remember this: in Christ, we were forgiven first. Forgiveness doesn’t start with our strength, maturity, or emotional readiness; it starts at the cross, where Jesus bore our sin, paid our debt, and set us free from condemnation. We don’t forgive to earn God’s favor; we forgive because we have already received it. A forgiven mindset changes how you experience life and relationships. Without a steady habit of forgiveness, human relationships will quickly fall apart.

When Jesus teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), He isn’t laying a heavy religious requirement on us. He is revealing the family resemblance of His kingdom: forgiven people forgive people. Those who have received mercy are called to extend mercy. The grace that saves us also remakes us into people who give grace. But if we claim God’s forgiveness and still refuse to forgive others, we show we haven’t truly grasped what Christ has done for us. That is why Jesus warns, “If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

This is why forgiveness is so serious. To cling to bitterness is not simply to hold on to pain; it is to resist the very grace that has been given to us. Christ has not only commanded forgiveness; He has embodied it. From the cross He prayed for His enemies, and in His resurrection He opened the way for a new life marked by mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

That does not make forgiveness easy. Some wounds are deep. Some betrayals are grievous. Some lies have been long-term. Forgiveness is not pretending the hurt never happened, and it is not saying justice does not matter. It is releasing vengeance into God’s hands and trusting Him to do what is right. It is refusing to let bitterness rule the heart that Christ has redeemed.

When we forgive, we are not excusing sin; we are declaring the gospel. We are saying, “I have been forgiven much, and by God’s grace I will not withhold forgiveness from others.” In that way, forgiveness becomes one of the clearest signs that Christ is at work in us.

What does forgiveness look like? Thomas Watson put it well: It is “when we strive against all thoughts of revenge; when we will not do our enemies mischief, but wish well to them, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, seek reconciliation with them, and show ourselves ready on all occasions to relieve them.” That kind of forgiveness is not easy. But it is freeing. When we hold on to resentment, it does not punish the other person nearly as much as it imprisons us.

Return continually to the forgiveness you have received in Jesus. Refuse to let bitterness harden into your legacy. Make space for forgiveness to be born one prayer at a time, one day at a time. The forgiven life is a forgiving life.

See you Sunday, forgiven and forgiving: Steve

Church Family:
“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) is not just a line we recite; it is a prayer that will change your life. Many of us wake up in the morning feeling that we do not have enough. Before our feet hit the floor, we carry quiet worries: I didn’t get enough sleep, I don’t have enough time, I don’t have enough energy, I don’t have enough money. Jesus meets our anxious thinking with a prayer that brings us back into the remembrance that our Heavenly Father cares for us perfectly with “enough.”

In Jesus' day, bread was more than food. It was short-hand for anything essential. So, when we pray for daily bread, we are turning to the Father and saying, "Be my source and my strength for whatever this day holds. Provide what I need to keep going—whether that’s groceries or clarity, rest or steadfastness. Quiet my endless craving for more and teach me the grace of enough."

Israel’s wilderness experience reminds us how God provides daily bread. After 400 years in Egypt, Israel had adopted Egypt’s worldview. So, God led His people into a place where they could not rely on their own self-sufficiency or Pharoah’s provision. In the wilderness He gave His people manna one day at a time, “enough” for today. God was not being stingy; He was teaching them to trust Him daily. He was transforming their hearts to trust in His daily provision that was “enough.”

God does the same work in us. We still live in the temptation to think that more of this and more of that will finally make us secure, happy, and content. But God comes in and says, “No, I am going to give you enough for today, enough to keep you going, enough to remind you that I am always faithful.” God would rather we have “enough” and depend on Him than have abundance and forget Him.

God knows we can feel overwhelmed by an uncertain future, anxious about where our provision is coming from. So that’s exactly where Jesus meets us when He teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He wants us to speak trust in the God who gave manna one day at a time. Jesus anchors us in our loving God whose past perfect provision in our lives is our future confidence that He will again provide perfectly tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day.

So today, run to your Heavenly Father whose face is turned to you ready to listen to your prayer. Ask Him for what you need. Receive what He gives with gratitude. And when you see someone else in need, be willing to become part of God’s answer to their need of daily bread.

God has provided before. He will provide again.

See you Sunday, with daily bread: Steve

Church Family:
Over the past several years, GCT has experienced significant growth, which has brought the need for meaningful changes in how we care for everyone who calls GCT their church family. Unfortunately, I have not done a good job of sharing the task of “shepherding the flock of God that is among us” (1 Peter 5:2). By not delegating well to other elders, I have left some pastoral needs unmet. So, I am declaring to you, from the fullness of my heart, that I am dedicated to more fully sharing the weight of all GCT’s pastoral needs with our elders. God has designed His Church to be led by a plurality of biblically qualified men who lovingly oversee, protect, teach, and care for the people of God. That is our goal.

This Sunday, we will introduce Tom Miller and Martin Graddon as candidates to join Warren Rich, Bob Highet, Kyle Mills, and me, who are already serving as elders. You will hear their testimonies and their hearts to serve you as undershepherds of our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. These men are already shepherding among us at GCT. If, after hearing from them on Sunday, you have any concerns or are aware of any biblical disqualifications, please speak with one of the current elders within the next two weeks (by May 1).

The qualifications for elders, as outlined in Scripture, emphasize both moral integrity and spiritual maturity. From 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9, and 1 Peter 5:1–5, an elder must be above reproach, faithful to one spouse, temperate, self-controlled, and respectable, demonstrating hospitality and sound judgment. He should be able to teach and hold firmly to the trustworthy message of the gospel so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Elders must not be violent, quarrelsome, or given to drunkenness or greed, but should be gentle, upright, and disciplined. They are called to lead their families well, managing their own households with dignity, for one who cannot lead his own family cannot care for God’s church. Furthermore, an elder must have a good reputation with outsiders to avoid falling into disgrace. According to Peter, elders are to shepherd God’s flock willingly and eagerly, not out of compulsion or for selfish gain, but by being examples to the believers—humble, faithful stewards of God’s people, who will receive the crown of glory when the Chief Shepherd appears.

Please be in prayer as new elders join us and I more fully share the task of shepherding with them. We look forward to greater spiritual care, stronger prayerful oversight, shared faithful teaching, and wise leadership for the years ahead. I love you GCT.

See you Sunday, worshipping Jesus together: Steve

Church Family:
Everyone has a kingdom. Your kingdom is the sphere where what you say, do, and decide makes a difference; it is the space in this world that you have been entrusted to steward. Your kingdom is everything you have say over: your time, words, resources, decisions, and relationships. And Jesus demands that we are to radically rethink how we live in our kingdom as we pray, “Our heavenly Father, Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

The Kingdom of Heaven is not just something we wait for after death; it is God’s active rule breaking into our ordinary life, and when we live under that rule, God’s presence becomes visible through us, our little kingdoms. The gospel of the Kingdom isn’t just about being saved from something; it’s about being saved for something.

If Jesus is Lord, then every part of our “little kingdom” belongs to Him: our time, our money, our homes, our work, our relationships, and our ambitions. We are not merely called to believe the right things. We are called to surrender control of our own personal kingdoms, to take up our cross, and to live as faithful stewards of everything God has placed in our hands.

This is a demanding calling. It requires us to stop asking, “What do I want from my life today?” and start asking, “What does God want from my life today?” It challenges us to see our work not as laborious drudgery but as worship to our Heavenly Father. It calls us to treat our daily relationships as divine gatherings, our giftings as assignments, and our daily decisions as opportunities to reflect the character of Christ. The classroom, the office, the hospital room, the neighborhood, and the family dinner table are all places where the Kingdom of God is to break through and be seen, felt, enjoyed and practiced. We are responsible not only to avoid sin, but to actively bring love, forgiveness, hope, holiness, boldness, life, healing, justice, and faithfulness into the spaces we occupy.

The question for every believer is not whether we have a kingdom, but whether our kingdom is being surrendered to God, our Heavenly Father. Jesus does not invite us to a safer life; He invites us to become people whose ordinary lives are so yielded to God that we become living evidence that His Kingdom is here and active, and it is conquering the dark chaos of this world. Heavenly Father, Your kingdom come through us, living out Your character and power in our lives, so our lives can “glow with God” and make the reality of the kingdom tangible to others.

See you Sunday, living in His kingdom: Steve

Church Family:
On resurrection morning, the silence of the tomb was shattered. Jesus Christ walked forth, triumphant over death, declaring, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). The resurrection of Jesus Christ is meant to change every single thing in your life. Yet so often, we forget what resurrection power really is. We forget what we have been given and what God has done. We forget that Jesus conquered death so that we might truly live: not just forever, but abundantly, joyfully, and with purpose today.

It is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that changes everything. This is the power of our faith. This is the same resurrection power of the Holy Spirit who is in you (Romans 8:11). Everything in Scripture rests upon the resurrection. It is our highest joy, the Father’s greatest gift, the heartbeat of our hope.

When Christ rose from the grave, the power of death was crushed. The tomb became a throne, and the crucified Lamb was crowned universal King with all authority in heaven and on earth given to Him. Death was defeated, demons disarmed, and disciples emboldened. The risen Lord reigns seated with His Heavenly Father, at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:20-21).

The crucified Lamb was crushed to bear our wrath and reconcile us to God. The risen Savior now commands every government, politician, ruler, storm, scheme, and heart. There is no corner of the universe untouched by His authority. No sin beyond His reach. No life beyond His power. No soul beyond His salvation. No need beyond His ability to fulfill.

That same power is at work in you. Jesus rules over every power in heaven and on earth. His omnipotent resurrection power restores, renews, and commissions us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The One who triumphed over sin and the grave now empowers His church to bring life where there is death, hope where there is despair, and light where there is darkness. This is our power today.

GCT, this is the hope that fuels our mission and drives our joy. Remember Christ’s omnipotent resurrection power that He wields in heaven and on earth. Live in the power of the risen Christ. Know it. Love it. Enjoy it. Trust it. The Lord of life still reigns, still saves, and still says, “I am with you always to the end of the age.” Christ is risen. Christ is reigning. And Christ is with us always.

See you Sunday, enjoying Christ’s resurrection power: Steve

Church Family:
I am presently sitting in a hospital surgery center waiting for news on my mom's somewhat minor surgery. I am surrounded by other patient's loved ones also waiting for their news. Understandably, many here are burdened with anxiety and fear. You know when you experience that deep sense of unease in your mind and heart, a troubled spirit caused by uncertainty or disbelief; when God feels silent amid declining health, an uncertain future or even fractured relationships? It is that anxious chaos in your soul that doubts God’s promises as it whispers, “I know what Jesus says, but I just don’t think He will come through for me this time.” This is the heart condition that Jesus directly addresses on His way to the cross.

As Holy Week begins, on His way to the Cross, Jesus speaks final instructions to us in these times of unbelief: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). Unbelief says, “I am on my own.” Faith says, “Jesus has already gone ahead of me.” In the shadow of betrayal and the cross’s pain, Jesus offers unshakable hope to all who trust Him. “Let not your heart be troubled!” But why?

Let not your heart be troubled, because there is a place for you in my Father’s house. Jesus promises a place prepared for you from eternity, for every broken believer who follows Him (John 14:2).

Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus prepared the place for you. He opened the way as the Passover Lamb; His blood removed every obstacle of sin and death between you and the Father’s house. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus Himself is your dwelling place, and He will come again to take you to Himself. Heaven’s substance is not a distant mansion, but nearness to the risen Christ forever (John 14:3).

Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus and the Father are one. To have Jesus is to have the Father, His presence right now, closer than your own breath, meeting every ache of fear, uncertainty, parenting, marriage, and health (John 14:9–11).

Let not your heart be troubled, because Jesus has come in the Holy Spirit. He is with you now and always, not as a distant observer, but as your Helper, turning turmoil into peace (John 14:16–18).

This Easter week, walk from Palm Sunday’s cheers through Friday’s sorrow to Sunday’s empty tomb, applying these truths to the very thing that troubles you most. Name it before the Lord, then answer it with Jesus’ promise: “Let not your heart be troubled.” In that exact place of unbelief, He is inviting you to trust Him, to know He has gone ahead, secured your future, and walks with you in the present. Resurrection life begins now. This is the work of Jesus Christ on His Cross.

See you Sunday, not troubled (usuallly): Steve

Church Family: 
Do you see the moment God has given us? Right here, Pender County is among the top three fastest growing counties in North Carolina, with Pender’s population rising over 21% since 2020, adding tens of thousands of new neighbors in just a few years. This is not an accident; the Lord has placed GCT as a living witness in a county that is swelling with people who need hope, a church family, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God our Father has planted us here not as spectators, but as willing instruments in His hands. As neighborhoods burgeon and thousands move in without a church home, He invites us to pray boldly: “Father, use us to hallow Your name right here!” (Matthew 6:9).

When Jesus taught us, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,” He wasn’t giving us empty words. This is to be our daily cry to our perfect Heavenly Father, the One who heard Israel’s groans in Egypt, who came down to rescue them as their Redeemer, who now works powerfully through us, His children, GCT. We don’t pray this to earn His favor; we ask Him to align our hearts with His passion, to make us a people who multiply His glory in Pender County and around the world.

“Hallowed be Your name” means pleading for God to make His Word trusted, His displeasure feared, His commands obeyed, and His name glorified in our midst. Father, use us as GCT! Make unbelief turn to faith in Hampstead’s new neighborhoods. Ignite obedience that builds welcoming, gospel homes from Sneads Ferry to Wilmington to Burgaw. Let Your name shine bright in us, drawing the unchurched to worship You as God, their Heavenly Father.

This is what Jesus calls GCT to do as a new church in a county that is booming with new neighbors: to lift up informed, personal, surrendered prayers. “Father, take our schedules, homes, families and hands to be used by You so that Your Kingdom will be more fully present on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

GCT, let us do as Jesus says: “Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Fall before your Father daily, asking, “Use me to hallow Your name here in Hampstead.” Let’s watch Him use us to transform strangers in our neighborhoods into brothers and sisters in Christ. And this will be our undeniable testimony: God did that… through us, for His glory, in this fast-growing county in His universe that He upholds by the word of His power. Let’s pray this together. Let’s live this together. Father, use us now!

See you Sunday, rewarded: Steve

Church Family:
The providence of God is not cold fate; it is His sovereign and loving hand wisely governing every detail of our lives. Sometimes in this life there befalls us a difficult providence of God. This is when a challenging or seemingly negative event in life, which is still under God’s sovereign control and part of His divine plan, is directed toward us by God’s loving and purposeful hand. We do not ask for a dark providence, yet God declares it to be. The pain it brings can be overwhelming, but we are reminded that even our hardest experiences remain within God's steadfast, loving, and sovereign care.

Throughout GCT’s history many difficult providences have crashed into us and yet God has shown Himself faithful. Specifically with our housing situation as a church, over the last three years, GCT has journeyed through several difficult providences with rent doubling to $11,000 per month, finding land to build, county zoning, permitting, site prep and then building during soaring inflation. Property and material prices climbed relentlessly, with cumulative inflation around 11% since we started this journey, and tariffs spiking some expenses 20-50%. As a result, our total construction costs have gone up, and we now need to pay approximately $600,000 by March 2027.

These are tough providences, no doubt! But does this make God unfaithful? Absolutely not. God is still faithful, and look where He has brought us. He designed even these challenges to draw us together. As we look over at the building that we will soon call home, He calls us to declare with one voice: Lord, you are faithful, and it is only by Your hand. You have been faithful through every step, and You will continue to be faithful.

God says, “Look to Me as a faithful, loving, caring God. Remember how I have worked in your past, and I will give you peace in the present and hope for your future.” He is faithful, unchanging in His nature, unable to break His Word. Nothing in heaven or on earth can stop Him from accomplishing what He has promised us in Christ.

Scripture relentlessly calls us to remember God’s faithfulness. Jeremiah stands among ruins and cries, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope… great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:19-24). David, hunted and surrounded by evil, looks up and declares, “Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds” (Psalm 36:5). Asaph, in deep anguish, chooses: “I will remember… I will ponder… I will meditate on all Your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12). God Himself proclaims His name to Moses as “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

Again and again God raises “stones of remembrance”—at the Jordan with Joshua, at Ebenezer with Samuel, in David’s song as the ark comes to Jerusalem—so His people will never forget: “Till now the Lord has helped us” (Joshua 4:6-7, 1 Samuel 7:12). This we must call to mind, God is faithful (Psalm 105:5).

So here is my plea: Do not let our present difficult providence rewrite God’s character. Let us raise our own Ebenezer. Let us name how God has carried us in His faithfulness “till now” (1 Samuel 7:12) and what He is calling us to do in this difficult providence. At this time of difficulty, we are being invited by God Himself to be held firmly by His unbreakable nature of faithfulness, which always has the final word.

See you Sunday, remembering God’s faithfulness: Steve

Church Family: 
Following last Sunday's worship service, we discussed the financial steps that will bring our building project to completion. Providentially and expositionally, the next Scripture we get to in the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 6:1-4, in which Jesus encourages a deeper commitment through the discipline of giving. He desires that our giving would be motivated by the personal reward of our Heavenly Father, who sees in secret, rather than by any public recognition.

Jesus’ sermon urges us to develop a generous spirit that gives freely, just as He does, offering love without expecting anything in return. In the first part of Jesus’ sermon (Matthew 5:16), Jesus implores us to embrace an inner righteousness that shines like light into the world through good works of love, purity, forgiveness, truth, grace, mercy, encouragement, and service, all intended to lead others to glorify God. However, here in Matthew 6:1, Jesus teaches us that when we practice outward disciplines we should do so in secret to maintain sincere motives. How can these teachings be balanced? A.B. Bruce, a pastor from the late 1800s, summarized it well: "Show good works when tempted to hide them; hide good works when tempted to show off."

In Matthew 6:2-4, Jesus describes three distinct attitudes we may exhibit when giving to particular needs, with only one of these approaches guaranteeing an eternal reward:    

1. Giving for the praise of others. Pharisees craved praise, turning giving into a performance, like trumpeters announcing their gifts. They "received their reward in full," settling for fleeting earthly approval rather than God's eternal blessing.
2. Giving for the praise of me. "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Even in secret, our heart seeks to congratulate itself in pride; forget the gift once given, embracing self-forgetful generosity that mirrors Christ's new life in us.
3. Giving for the Father's approval alone. Nothing escapes His eye. "Your Father who sees in secret will reward you." This isn't vanity; it's pursuing divine intimacy, joy, and treasures in our Heavenly Father that endure forever, far beyond earthly trophies.

Jesus teaches that when we give solely for the Father’s approval, He will reward us. The reward our Heavenly Father promises is Himself; He is the gift we receive. His reward is your guarantee on earth as it is in heaven. Faith in Jesus Christ leads us to seek the reward of God’s powerful presence when we give. Jesus encourages us to joyfully share His generosity and to look forward to experiencing more of Him as our reward.

See you Sunday, abundantly rewarded: Steve

GCT Prayer Needs:
Evan, Greyson, Joey, Jacob, John - USMC work
Shiloh Luke multiple surgeries for Spina bifida - parents Max and Melissa
Jeanne Farabaugh aneurism(s) in brain
Betty Jo Marshall progression of Parkinson’s
Kim Zino PRAISE no cancer
Michael Mercer healing of Multiple Myeloma
Cody Randles intestinal cancer surgery and recovery
Necey Highet shoulder/arm healing
Elliott Roberts transplant recovery
Dave Thomas and caring family
Marie Brame with sister Halina in cancer treatment
Church Building financial needs – God’s perfect provision
(let me know how GCT can pray for you)

Church Family:
The Gospel is shocking! Astonishing! Outrageous! Words fall short! The Gospel of God bursts onto the scene as His divine rescue for sinners like us who deserve nothing but His wrath, yet Jesus arrives with joyful, overflowing, eternal mercy! Abundant joyful hope surges through every vein of the gospel, so let it surge through our spiritual veins as well.

Picture Paul, foaming at the mouth with murderous rage, hunting Christians like prey. He was the last person on earth who should get a second chance, a blasphemer who cheered at executions, a self-righteous killer hell-bent on erasing the Church from the earth. And then, on Paul’s way to Damascus on a dusty road, a blinding light from heaven! Jesus Himself stops Paul in his tracks, calling, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). Not a slap in the face, not fire from the sky but Jesus’ voice of pure, pursuing love that knocks Paul flat and lifts him into eternity. That is the Gospel! The Rescuer, Jesus, didn’t wait for Paul to clean himself up or even stop the persecution or killing of Christians; He simply immersed Himself into the sinful mess, yet without sin, grabbed the worst sinner by the soul, Paul, and shouted, “You are now Mine!”

Do you remember when Jesus did that to you? Is it still astonishing? Jesus didn’t just forgive Paul’s or your atrocities; He indwells you with His Holy Spirit, giving you, like Paul, God-like strength, faith, and love that explodes into purposeful service for Christ. Grace didn’t trickle onto you; it flooded your life. Jesus turned Paul from a Christian-killer into the world’s greatest evangelist. And so, Paul continues to yell from the rooftops: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Not “was foremost” but “I am foremost” (1 Timothy 1:12-17). Do you remember your sin-loving condemnation before Christ rescued you from it? Paul is saying, “if you think that you are a hopeless out-of-control sinner, look! If He saved me, He can save anybody!” No sinful pit is too deep, no guilt is too heavy, no rebellion is too far from God’s abounding grace.

Church, let the divine rescue of the Gospel for the worst sinner awaken your soul today. Every time you stumble, every hidden shame, every lukewarm day, Jesus is already running toward you, arms wide, with more grace than you have sin. Jesus is not unwilling; He is eager to save, empower, and launch you into His mission in this world. These truths led Paul to worship: “To the King eternal, immortal, invisible—the only God—be honor and glory forever!” (1Timothy 1:17). Let these truths ignite worship in us as well.

See you Sunday, loving the Gospel: Steve

Important Church-Wide Meeting This Sunday After Worship:
We invite everyone to stay after worship this Sunday for an update from the building team about our project’s progress and financial needs. The team will discuss our current status and outline the next steps we need to take to move forward with completing and moving into the new building.

GCT Prayer Needs:
Shiloh Luke multiple surgeries for Spina bifida - parents Max and Melissa
Jeanne Farabaugh aneurism(s) in brain
Will and Val Corsey kitchen fire recovery and needs
Kim Zino surgery recovery, clarity of symptoms, healing
Sherrie Pruitt’s mother went home to the Lord, Tuesday
Jill Torbert’s father James – end of life
Elliott Roberts transplant
Cody Randles intestinal cancer surgery and recovery
Phan Marrow recovery from thyroid surgery
Necey Highet shoulder/arm healing
Betty Jo Marshall progression of Parkinsons
Evan, Greyson, Joey, Jacob, John - USMC work
Dave Thomas and caring family
Marie Brame with sister Halina in cancer treatment
Church Building financial needs – God’s perfect provision

(let me know how GCT can pray for you)

Church Family:
Loving our enemies is not optional for disciples of Jesus. It is one of the clearest ways we show we belong to our Father and not to the spirit of the world. Jesus teaches in Matthew 5 that true righteousness transforms the heart, not just the actions. He reveals the deep roots of sin: anger that fuels murder, lust that gives birth to adultery, deceit that twists promises, retaliation that ignores God's justice, and then it peaks with Jesus’ call for us to love our enemies, not to hate them (5:43-48).

Israel's law commanded them to love their neighbors, but many twisted it to justify hating their enemies, even making hostility a sign of holiness. Jesus rebukes this law-twisting: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Jesus roots this in God's work of common grace, in which He makes the sun and rain fall on the just and the unjust alike, showing kindness to all, including His enemies. When we love our friends, that is just ordinary. Even the world does that. When we love our enemies and our haters, that makes us like our Heavenly Father.

How do you apply enemy-love this week? Jesus gives practical, cross-shaped steps:

Pray for your enemies:
Name your enemies honestly. Critic. Betrayer. Hater. Opposer. Daily ask God to bless them with mercy, healing, salvation. Prayer reshapes your own heart as God works on your enemy’s heart.

Bless your enemy with words:
Speak kindly to them; refuse gossip. When tempted to curse, say something true and good instead. Peter commands: bless, don't curse (1 Peter 3:9).

Do good deeds for your enemy:
Serve practically: help without expectation, give extra, defend their dignity. Like God reconciling us while we were His enemies, seek their good amongst harm.

Endure despite resistance of your enemy-love effort:
Reactions and feelings usually take a while; obey anyway. Jesus prayed forgiveness while His enemies were hammering nails into His body. Your perseverance broadcasts God's kingdom mercy.

This supernatural enemy-love, that chooses prayer over payback and kindness over hatred, shines Christ's beautiful love. Depend daily on the Spirit to do His work as you do deeds and prayers for your enemies today. Your enemy-love obedience displays how the family of God loves and reacts in this world of hate and vengeance, and that draws others to Him.

See you Sunday, loving enemies: Steve

Prayer needs:
Elliott Roberts transplant
Phan Marrow recovery from thyroid surgery
Necey Highet shoulder/arm healing
Betty Jo Marshall progression of Parkinsons
Shiloh Luke multiple surgeries for Spina bifida (parents Max and Melissa)
Evan, Greyson, Joey, Jacob, John (USMC work)
Dave Thomas
Sherrie Pruitt’s mother (Judy – end of life)
Jill Torbert’s father (James – end of life)
Marie Brame’s sister (Halina – cancer)

*let me know if you have a prayer need

Sandra Taylor’s Funeral:
The Celebration of Life will be at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, February 21, 2026 at Hampstead Baptist Church. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall.
The burial and family graveside service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at Burgaw Cemetery.

Church Family:
Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-42 pierce our daily lives with countercultural clarity: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye.’ But I tell you, do not resist the one who is evil... If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” In our world of quick comebacks and vengefulness, whether at work, on Highway 17, on social media, or in family conflicts, we often twist God’s holy law like the Pharisees did, dragging civil law into our own personal relationship quarrels and disputes. In doing so, we damage our testimony of being ruled by King Jesus in His kingdom.

The “eye for an eye” rule found in Exodus 21 and Leviticus 24 was not intended to encourage personal grudges. Seeking revenge by applying this principle only makes situations worse, and ultimately, if taken literally, everyone would be left with no eyeballs. The guideline was designed to help judges balance justice, ensuring punishments matched crimes without going too far, such as receiving compensation for a lost ox instead of demanding strict retribution. Jesus does not eliminate justice; He frees us from misusing it. That “right cheek” slap? In His day, it gestured a backhanded insult to your dignity, not an actual physical threat upon your life or someone else’s you are called to defend. Jesus calls us to receive mockery with grace, just as He endured sneers, spit, and the cross’s terrors, silently entrusting Himself to the Father who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23).

Think of the sting when a coworker belittles your faith, a driver cuts you off with hand gestures, or a loved one wounds you with words. Our fleshly instinct screams, “Fight back!” But Jesus calls us to freedom: release the prideful response, refuse revenge, reflect His meekness. This isn’t a call to spineless doormat living. Even so, we must defend the vulnerable, like a child or neighbor under threat, and stand against evil, as Jesus did when flipping temple tables or Paul did when confronting sin within the Church. Celebrate just courts that bear the sword against wrongdoers (Romans 13:1-4). Jesus’ words target our own hearts. We are called to renounce personal payback or retaliation when our ego is at stake.

Picture it unfolding today. Someone sues for your “shirt,” that basic layer you owe after losing fair and square? Jesus calls you to hand over your “coat” too (5:40), the outer wrap no law could touch (Exodus 22:26-27). Jesus is calling us to a sacrificial love beyond the minimum expected, transforming enemies into opportunities for gospel witness. Or when a demanding boss “forces” you one mile, like extra hours or an unfair errand, well then go two, and double it joyfully (5:41). Remember Simon of Cyrene, forced to carry Jesus’ cross. What if your extra mile opens a door for kindness and conversation during oppression?

And when someone begs or borrows (5:42)? Open your hand with discerning love. Do not subsidize laziness (2 Thessalonians 3:10) or some sort of habitual life-dominating sin, but meet the true need: hospitality for the neglected neighbor, a loan to the struggling friend. Let love set the boundary: that which builds them toward Christ, not what indulges harm. Paul echoes this: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

This kind of living is impossible apart from the Christ’s Spirit living in us. Jesus, who perfectly bore every insult for your forgiveness, now dwells in you by His Spirit. When resentment boils at that snide comment or unfair slight, pause, pray for your “enemy,” absorb the wrong, and watch God defend your honor. One step today: choose grace over retaliation. Feel His strength increase; watch for opportunities and see lives change. Let us actively embody these values together and extend them to one another.

See you Sunday, with nothing but grace: Steve

Church Family:
Allow me to make a claim; there is no sin more tolerated or widespread among Christians than legalism. Our struggle at GCT most likely will be legalism not wokeism or liberalism. Most of the time we look at legalism as just someone being overzealous rather than them perpetuating anti-gospel sin. We tend to look at adultery and theft as more heinous than legalism. But look at Jesus’ ministry on earth, He clashed most with legalists, the Pharisees who crucified Him. Then Paul battled them all his ministry as well as they perverted the amazing grace of God. Jesus deliberately provoked the legalists: healing on the Sabbath, openly violating their rules, ignoring hand-washing rituals at dinners, and blasting their hypocrisy when confronted. When lawyers objected, He didn't apologize but warned, "Woe to you lawyers as well!" Jesus confronted legalism head-on as sin.

Paul charged Timothy, and us in 1 Timothy 1:8-20, to continually recognize, guard against and confront the recurrent sinful doctrine of legalism. Then again he says, “Guard the good deposit (Gospel) entrusted to you” (2 Timothy 1:14), and pass it faithfully to others (2 Timothy 2:2).

Do you know what legalism looks like? Legalism is when we treat as divine law things that God has neither required nor forbidden in Scripture to gain favor with Him and then with firmness we look with judgment on others for their failure or refusal to conform to our extrabiblical laws.

Living as a legalist is trusting in our own good deeds to earn God’s approval. The legalist measures righteousness by outward performance, seeking to appear holy before others while ignoring the heart that God truly sees. Pride grows when the legalist spots faults in others, yet he cannot see his own. In doing so, he denies his sin and replaces grace with self-effort, standing in subtle opposition to the Gospel of Christ’s mercy. The legalist then gets all the glory for his fleshly deeds instead of God getting the Glory for His amazing free gift of grace through faith (Romans 9:30-33).

The Gospel tells a gloriously better story, that God’s grace cannot be earned or improved upon. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are accepted not because of our striving, but because of His perfect obedience and atoning love. The Gospel frees us from the exhausting pursuit of approval and draws us into joyful relationship with the God who looks on the heart. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Here lies our hope! The Gospel of Jesus Christ delivers us from our legalistic tendencies. In Christ, God declares us perfectly righteous, not because of our obedience, but because of His (Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Through Jesus, we are freed from the curse and condemnation of the law and are empowered by the Spirit to live joyfully free under God’s grace.

God has done this so that we might rejoice in Him who set us free. The Gospel transforms our striving into resting in Him, our self-reliance into Spirit-dependence, and our fleeting pride into everlasting joy in Christ’s finished work. Because of the Gospel, we no longer bear fruit through dead legalistic works, but through the living Spirit of God within us (Romans 6:14; 7:4-6). This is true freedom in Christ. This is our hope. This is the glory of the Gospel of God. Together, let us guard the Gospel, our church and ourselves from our own legalistic tendencies.

See you Sunday, freed from legalism: Steve

Church family:
Jesus calls us, His Church, to use God’s law lawfully (1 Timothy 1:8), especially for the unrighteous among us, not for those who have already been declared righteous in Christ. Understanding God’s epic love story of law and Gospel helps us apply it rightly and avoid the legalistic trap of misusing it. Otherwise, we either miss salvation altogether or make ourselves a legalist, putting ourselves back under the yoke of slavery, always trying to make ourselves righteous by law-keeping.

Picture the grand story: God rescued His people, that includes the line leading to you and me, from slavery in Egypt. He split the sea, fed us in the wilderness, led us by cloud and fire. At trembling Sinai, before any commands, He reminded us: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). From that grace, He gave us His law, a beautiful gift to shape us as His holy people, shining His wisdom to the world (Deuteronomy 4:5-8).

That law acted like a mirror for Israel, and for us today, revealing God's perfect character and the sin in our hearts. Over time, it showed we could not keep it perfectly. As Paul said, “through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). The law was our guardian leading us straight to Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24).

By Jesus' time, leaders buried God's good law under man-made rules, birthing legalism: earning righteousness by performance, finding identity in rule-keeping, belonging by measuring ourselves to others. Does this sound familiar in your life?

Then Jesus, the law's goal, arrived. He didn't abolish the law but fulfilled it perfectly where we failed. On the cross, He took the curse we deserved, giving us His spotless record: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
Word spread: we are forgiven and made righteous not by works of the law, but faith in Christ alone. “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). That is our gospel freedom: resting in Jesus' finished work, no more striving through works.

But in Galatia, false teachers whispered to them, and sometimes to us, “Faith alone is not enough; add law-keeping.” Paul responded: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm… do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). He championed obedience as fruit of salvation, not its root.

God's law did its job everywhere: mirroring His holiness, exposing our sin, pointing us to Christ. Now we believers aren't under law as a merit system, but under grace (Romans 6:14). Grace fuels our joyful obedience from new hearts.

This is how the testimony goes: we strive to be "good enough," chasing rules and feasts, always doubting. Then the gospel rises like sunlight after darkness: God's law exposed our sin truthfully, but Jesus met every demand. My obedience shifts from a desperate earning of His love through works to my delighted response to Him giving me His love as a free gift (Romans 4:2-5).

Legalism still tempts us: “Do more to earn acceptance.” But gospel truth shouts: “Christ did it all; live free!” Legalism breeds pride and fear; gospel builds our family of forgiven sinners obeying as beloved children. We are free from rule-chasing identity. Instead, with law on our hearts, we obey with joy.

See you Sunday, maybe: Steve

P.S. We will let you know when we know if Pender County is not able to open the School building... stay tuned.