CORE DEVOTIONS
At Grace City Church, we long to be a community of believers, who share our lives and resources with one another, instead of merely participating in church programs. We believe that we can learn best from the example of the early Church, as found in the book of Acts. The following Core Devotions are some of the key practices found in the early Church.
1. Loving God and Loving Others
In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus says that the first and greatest command is that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind. However, He didn’t stop there. He said the second was just like it: To love our neighbor as ourselves. In other words, the two are inseparable. We display our love for God in how we love others. We see this example in the early Church, as they were completely sold out in love with God, which was evident in their devotion to one another.
2. Scriptures
In Acts 2:42, we are told that the early Church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching. The Apostles taught the truth about Jesus Christ – the Gospel. They taught about the way in which He fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures, in order to bring people to salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection. These teachings are revealed to us in the New Testament. The Scriptures reveal to us who God is, what His plan is for the world, and what He requires and expects from us in our relationship to Him and others.
3. Community
We also see in Acts 2:42-46 that the early Church was devoted to fellowship, they met regularly in each others’ homes and broke bread. They met together daily for worship and shared what they had with one another. Again in Acts 4:32, we’re told that they were of one heart and mind. In other words, these weren’t a people who gathered once a week and patted each other on the backs. They did life together, completely devoted to one another.
4. Prayer
The early church consistently operated under the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to those who would pray boldly, shamelessly and persistently (Luke 11:1-13). Thus, they devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42). And we can learn from their example, that as they devoted themselves to prayer in this manner, God would show up and move in miraculous and powerful ways. Simply put, prayer is us staying connected to the power of God at its source. It is the fuel that empowers the church to go and to do the work that it was created to do. As followers of Jesus, we are to consistently go before God boldly, shamelessly and persistently in prayer. Without prayer the church is powerless.
5. Sacrificial Generosity
In Acts 2:45, we see that the early Church shared what they had with one another, as any had need. In Acts 4:34, we’re told that there was not a needy person among them. In other words, they leveraged everything they had for the Kingdom of God and for one another. In 2 Corinthians 8:2, Paul says that the Church in Macedonia, even when faced with “severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity.” Also, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-12, we learn that God blesses us in every way, so that we may be generous in every way. Of course the greatest example of generosity is the sacrificial price that Jesus paid for us, by giving up His life on the cross, so that we could be made right with God. In short, we give sacrificially, because He gave sacrificially.
6. Intentional Missional Discipleship
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus calls His followers to “make disciples of all nations.” Christian discipleship is the process by which believers grow in their relationship with Jesus and are equipped by the Holy Spirit to do the work of ministry, serve others and bear witness to Him. As Jesus made disciples, He sent them out as missionaries/ambassadors of His Kingdom. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the early Church continue to be obedient to Christ’s command to “go and make disciples” and the result was the exponential growth of the Church (Acts 2:47).
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20
FAQ
What is a house church collective?
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands his followers to make disciples of all nations. Simply put, discipleship is the process by which we grow and mature in our faith, by following Jesus, growing in our knowledge of Him and in obedience to His commands. At Grace City Church, we believe that discipleship happens in the context of deep relationships. As such, our house churches are committed to sharing life with each other, praying, worshipping and growing in our faith and understanding of God’s Word together.
Grace City Church is currently comprised of 5 different house churches of between 12-20 people, which meet throughout the West Georgia area and each is led by a lay elder/pastor.
Our house churches meet each week, with the exception of the first Sunday of each month, when we gather together for an all-church worship gathering.
What happens in house churches each week?
While we have house churches in 5 different locations, there is a commonality of practices among our house churches – things we see in Scripture, that the early church devoted themselves to, such as fellowship, worship, prayer, communion and the teaching of God’s Word.
Each week, our house churches sit under the centralized Bible teaching of our lead pastor, as well as a teaching team of pastoral leaders.
In addition, those who come together in our house churches, have lunch together and spend time growing in relationship with one another.
What about children?
We think it is incredibly important for our children to be a part of the same community of believers, who love each other deeply, live life together and support each other. Therefore, while each house church will generally have a time of teaching geared towards children, this does not happen apart from the rest of the church. We encourage the parents and others present to be involved in this time. We encourage families to learn together and seek to equip the parents to use the lessons each week to help their children to grow in their faith as well.
What is an All-Church Gathering?
While our house churches are committed to meeting together each week, we are still one unified Church family that meets in various locations. Therefore, we are committed to coming together on the first Sunday of each month to worship as a unified body of believers. While our All-Church Gathering may feel more familiar to typical church goers, we desire for it to feel more like a family gathering than a service, and as a result it tends to be more casual, informal and more participatory. We pray, read Scripture, sing, take communion and there is a time of teaching.
How do I get more information?
We would love to help connect you to one of house churches. You can reach out to our lead pastor, Tommy Adams and he would love to answer any additional questions you might have and help you get connected. You can email him at tadams18@gmail.com.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
In essential beliefs, we have UNITY.
“There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all…” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
In non-essential beliefs — we have LIBERTY.
“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions… Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls… So then each of us will give an account of himself to God… The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.” (Romans 14:1,4,12,22)
In all our beliefs — we show LOVE.
“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2)
GOD
We believe in one God who eternally exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. God the Father is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. We believe that He is limitless in power, knowledge, wisdom, love, and holiness. We also believe that He has revealed himself as the Father of the redeemed.
Genesis 1:26-27; 3:22; Psalms 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
JESUS
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the second person of the Trinity and is co-equal with the Father. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life, and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory where He sits at the right hand of the Father. He will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13
THE HOLY SPIRIT
He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; Galatians 5:25
THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to all people. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalms 119:105, 160; Proverbs 30:5
HUMAN BEINGS
We believe that man was created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him, but became alienated from that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, man is totally incapable of coming back into a right relationship with God by his own effort.
Genesis 1:27; Psalms 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a, 59:1-2; Romans 3:23
SALVATION
We believe that salvation is a gift of God to man. Man can never make up for sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
Romans 5:1, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12, 3:16, 10:29, 14:6; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14
ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe that God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ; therefore, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14
THE CHURCH
We believe the church is the Body of Christ, the family of God made up of every Christian on earth. It is expressed through local congregations of Christians. It is a place where the Holy Spirit empowers Christians to use their gifts in reaching non-Christians with God’s salvation message, and in helping each other grow spiritually. The church is led by the Holy Spirit through the pastors and elders He has established.
Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:19, 4:11-13, 10
ETERNITY
We believe that people were created to live forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is to live in Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 2:25, 3:16; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15
ORDINANCES
We believe that Jesus has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper/Communion was instituted by Christ for the commemoration of His death. We believe each of these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT GRACE CITY
MESSAGE SERIES
LISTEN TO ONE OF OUR RECENT MESSAGE SERIES
Seven Week 1 – Return to Your First Love
REVELATION 2:1-7
WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Apr 27, 2024Seven Week 1 – Return to Your First Love
Seven Week 1 – Return to Your First LoveREVELATION 2:1-7
- Apr 20, 2024Ruth Week 5 – From Tragedy to Triumph
Ruth Week 5 – From Tragedy to TriumphRUTH 4:1-22
- Apr 19, 2024Ruth Week 4 – Hesed
Ruth Week 4 – HesedRUTH 3:1-23
- Mar 24, 2024Ruth Week 3 – A Visible Display of the Gospel
Ruth Week 3 – A Visible Display of the GospelRUTH 2:1-23
- Mar 17, 2024Ruth Week 2 – Hope in Suffering
Ruth Week 2 – Hope in SufferingRUTH 1
- Mar 9, 2024Ruth Week 1 – Beauty From Brokenness
Ruth Week 1 – Beauty From BrokennessRUTH 1:1-22
- Feb 10, 2024Luke Week 81 – Risk
Luke Week 81 – RiskLUKE 23:50-56
- Jan 27, 2024Luke Week 80 – Entitlement and the Cross
Luke Week 80 – Entitlement and the CrossLUKE 23:26-43
- Jan 20, 2024Luke Week 79 – Hearts Exposed
Luke Week 79 – Hearts ExposedLUKE 23:1-25
- Dec 29, 2023Luke Week 77 – Failure Doesn’t Have the Final Word
Luke Week 77 – Failure Doesn’t Have the Final WordLUKE 22:54-62
WHY WE GIVE
At Grace City, we believe that we have been given the greatest gift the world will ever know, in the love, mercy and grace of God, through the costly sacrifice of Jesus, our Savior. We confidently believe God has blessed us in every way, so that we may be generous in every way (2 Corinthians 9:6-12). In short, we give, because He gave. Whenever you give to Grace City Church, you can be confident that your faithful contribution is being used to further the good news of His love, grace and mercy right here in our community, as well as around the world.
Grace City Church
Sunday Worship Gathering:
10:30 a.m.
Campus/Mailing Address:
104 West Perennial Drive
#100
Temple, GA 30179
Email:
info@gracecitycollective.com
Pastor:
Tommy Adams
Email:
tommy@gracecitycollective.com
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