October 2, 2013

We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come." -Samuel Adams
Grace Baptist Church, 4737 W. 4100 S., West Valley City, UT 84120 www.graceutah.com grace@graceutah.com (801) 968-4843

Points to Ponder

By Matt Johnson Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:5-6) As noted previously, the direct application is to our gospel witness with our lives that we engage in on a daily basis, yet I contend that what is good for evangelistic witness is good for normal living within our families, friends, church, and everyone we encounter. So if it is good for us to have gracious salty speech toward those who are outside the faith, it logically follows that it is necessary to have the same toward those within the faith, and even those closest to us. In this article, I want to point out an area where we might be not as careful regarding having gracious or salty speech as well as suggestions concerning how to put into practice this Biblical command. I am writing about our electronic communication. In the 1950s the internet was used for communication by the Department of Defense. In 1980, the internet was made public domain. Although internet communication was practiced since the 1950s, it wasnt until personal computers became affordable in the early 1990s that email became a popular mode of communication. In the 1990s discussion forums became a popular way of communicating with others via the internet, but these forums were direct descendants of electronic bulletin boards of the 1980s. Dating sights and forums were the first form of electronic social media, but in 1997, Six Degrees was the first social media site where people could share information with friends. Many other social media sites began popping up, but none of them has enjoyed the international success of Facebook. Facebook began in 2004, but grew to be the largest social media internet site by 2008. In 2012, there were over 835 million Facebook users in the world. Text messaging, e-mail, social networks, instant messaging, twitter, and many other electronic forms of communication have almost made what was once standard communication (telephone, mail correspondence, face to face visits) unnecessary in many if not most contexts. The purpose of this article is not to judge the merits of such communication,

many do falling on both sides of the aisle either as a techno-phobe or techno-geek. So wherever one lands on this issue, it would be unwise to forget that electronic communication does indeed have a huge impact in how we communicate today and especially how the largest generation in American history communicates. If we dont recognize the mega impact electronic communication has, we are bound to be ineffective in doing the work of the ministry. What I am more concerned about than whether or now one uses this electronic communication, is how one uses it. This verses in Colossians does indeed apply to the use of email, social media sites, instant messaging, twitter, text messaging and any other form of technological communication. So before you post that status on Facebook, is it filled with grace? Before you tweet that response, is it beneficial (salty)? Before you hit send tearing your friend, church-member, boss, or pastor that email, have you done so with grace and salt? Or have you forgotten in your technology that the person reading that message, that post, that opinion is a living, breathing being created in the image of God at least and a blood bought child of God at best? We often feel more bold in electronic communication that we would in face to face conversations, because as we are typing up those angry words filled with no-grace and no-salt we imagine our audience is a lifeless computer screen. But it is not, real people are reading those words, and more importantly, the honor and glory of God is either on display or being disgraced. Words have consequences, even words that are typed or texted. It is possible that the effects of the written word is even more profound than the spoken word, since it can be studied, reviewed and not easily forgotten, let us not forget grace, especially in our electronic communication.

October 26-27 Marriage and Family Seminar with Dr. Ernie Schmidt. Stay tuned for more details.

A tiger was walking through the jungle one day and saw two men relaxing under a tree. One was reading a newspaper, and the other was working feverishly on a manual typewriter. The tiger leapt on the man with the newspaper, and ate him up. The tiger did not bother the other man at all. That's because any predator knows that readers digest but writers cramp. Why did the runner quit the race against Bigfoot? He couldn't face defeet!! Q: How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? A: Two: one to change it and another one to change it back again. Q: Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? A: He didn't have the guts. Q: What happens when you cross a shark with a cow? A: I don't know but I wouldn't milk it.

Lamb of God
Lamb of God! Our souls adore Thee While upon Thy face we gaze; There the Fathers love and glory Shine in all their brightest rays Thine Almighty power and wisdom All creations works proclaim; Heaven and earth alike confess Thee As the ever great I AM. Lamb of God! Thy Fathers bosom Ever was Thy dwelling place; His delight, in Him rejoicing, One with Him in power and grace; Oh, what wondrous love and mercy! Thou didst lay Thy glory by; And for us didst come from heaven As the Lamb of God to die. Lamb of God! When we behold Thee Lowly in the manger laid, Wandering as a homeless stranger In the world Thy hands had made; When we see Thee in the garden In Thine agony and blood At Thy grace we are confounded Holy Spotless Lamb of God! When we see Thee, as the victim, Bound to the accursed tree, For our guilt and folly stricken, All our judgment borne by Thee, Lord, we own, with hearts adoring, Thy great love, vast, like a flood, Glory, glory everlasting Be to Thee, Thou Lamb of God. Lamb of God, Thou soon in glory Wilt to this sad earth return; All They foes shall quake before Thee, All that now despise Thee, mourn; Then Thy saints all gathered to Thee, With Thee in Thy Kingdom reign; Thine the Praise and Thine the glory, Lamb of God, for sinners slain! -Marietta C. Prince-

Oct. 3 (Thurs.) Mens fellowship, chapter 6 & 7 of The Mortification of Sin Oct. 6 (Sun.) Communion in morning worship. Classes in evening (6:00) Grace Builders (ages 3-12) Grace Alive (Teens) Grace Institute (All) Christology Evangelism Oct. 7 (Mon.) Quilters meet at 5:00 pm

If I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love. Amy Carmichael