GCD Newsletter – March 19, 2022
Weekly update from GCD
“He started it.” The dreaded words that every parent has heard. My boys were fighting over a new toy and tensions were high. My seven-year-old, the king of mischief, knows how to press the buttons of my easily-annoyed and often overdramatic eight-year-old. I try to calmly speak to each one, showing them where they have sinned and where they could have been more loving to their brother. However, it’s not long before I’m just as flustered and let out an exasperated: “just stop fighting and be kind to each other!”
Such brotherly spats could be chalked up as children acting like children, but unfortunately it seems to be more accepted even among adults. What used to be deemed childish seems to be ever more common. The tension in our culture is at an all-time high and the only way down is a hard fall. Showing grace or seeking to understand seem like dated virtues drowned out by screaming and yelling.
However, as this week’s articles remind us, it’s amid such flared tempers that Christians can brightly shine the light of Christ. A touch of grace or a measure of kindness fueled by the Holy Spirit can raise eyebrows and catch others off guard. Even though there are disagreements among Christians, we have a mission that unites us with such a tight bond that even when we disagree, we do it to the glory of God.
This Week at GCDiscipleship.com
The Beauty in Shared Mission by Wendy Willard
“When I eventually placed my faith in Jesus, it was born from an equal depth of conviction around a shared belief. Since then, I’ve studied organizational leadership both inside and outside of church settings. I’ve seen how crucial shared mission and vision is for unity, regardless of whether people come together around a church building, an executive boardroom, a community playground, or a family kitchen.”
How to Disagree to the Glory of God by Tim Shorey
“There is a better way God wants us to disagree with a transcending love that enables us to live together–or apart–in ways characterized by grace. To that end, we will need the following.”
A Knowledge of God Inspired by a Passion for His Story by Jared Kennedy
“How can the church respond to Generation Z’s passion for affirmation, acceptance, and justice? I believe we should see it as an opportunity. After all, we’re all made for more. Both the joys we experience in this life and our unfulfilled desires reveal a deep longing for God’s kingdom.”
Headed to The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference?
If you are attending the TGC Women’s Conference in Indianapolis from June 16-18 please join us for a special auxiliary event, Placed for a Purpose. Authors Elizabeth and Chris McKinney will give practical tools that will help you invest in your community and build meaningful, gospel-motivated relationships with your fellow image-bearers right next door.
A continental breakfast and a copy of Placed for a Purpose will be included. The workshop is $10.
Letters to the Editor
We’d love to hear from you. Please send feedback about our articles (or anything else!) to our managing editor at Benjamin@GCDiscipleship.com. And if you’ll allow us, we’ll share your comments in future emails.
In Christ,
James Williams | Staff Writer