Grace Upon Grace Journal

  Where Are the Young People in Your Church? A Church Alive at Every Age That question often comes up, and it reaches me at a time when my heart is filled with gratitude and joy to be leading such a vibrant, active church here in Blackfoot, Idaho. Many people worry about the future of the church and say, “Young people are the future.” But I ask myself: when did God ever start depending on us, human beings, to secure the future of His work? If we truly believe this mission belongs to God, then it is God Himself who holds and guarantees tomorrow. Of course, as a pastor, I care deeply about welcoming young people into the church. But I don’t do that at the expense of the older adults in my congregation. In fact, I see in them a renewed youth - an energy, a willingness, and a vision to transform our community, our state, and even the world with the love and grace of Christ. In our church, “young” isn’t defined by age, but by spirit, by a warrior’s heart, a burning passion, and an a...

Bible Study Recap: Exploring the Gospel of Matthew 5–7 Yesterday’s Bible study focused on Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7, exploring Jesus’ teachings on blessings, true happiness, and spiritual maturity. We began with three warm-up questions to get everyone reflecting: Matthew 5 – Jesus talks about true happiness and blessing. Participants shared what a “blessed life” means to them personally. Matthew 6 – Jesus warns against doing things just to be seen by others. We discussed why it’s easy to care about people’s opinions and how to focus instead on what God sees. Matthew 7 – Jesus compares two builders, one wise and one foolish. We explored what it means in daily life to “build your house on the rock.” Afterward, participants played an online matching game on Wordwall Game about the Beatitudes, which helped reinforce the lessons in an interactive way. Each person then shared their favorite Beatitude and explained why it resonated with them. I highlighted Matthew 5:48 as ...

“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist… but I am afraid, lest they should exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast to the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.” The Simplicity of the Gospel We live in an age where celebrity culture is increasingly evident in both society and the church. Billboards featuring singers, artists, bishops, pastors, and religious leaders have become common. When this desire for recognition is only external, it is already concerning; but it becomes far more dangerous when it reaches the heart—when the mind is dominated by the need to be seen, to achieve success, and to be admired by others. In the religious sphere, many leaders compete to prove who works harder, who organizes the most attractive events, who preaches or sings better, who gathers the largest membership, or ultimately, who commands the greatest f...

Gospels Through the Perspective of Grace - Gospel of Matthew Bible Study Recap – Matthew 3 & 4 On August 20th , our group gathered for another Bible study, this time focusing on chapters 3 and 4 of the Gospel of Matthew. The study was led by Rev. Marvel Souza , who began with a short introduction about why Matthew is placed first in the New Testament. He explained that Matthew’s message and purpose show how Jesus fulfills the promises of the Old Testament, making clear the connection between God’s covenant with Israel and the new covenant in Christ. Rev. Marvel also highlighted how some chapters of Matthew mirror the first five books of the Bible (the Torah). For example: Matthew chapter 1 reflects Genesis , since it tells the story of Jesus’ origins. Matthew chapter 2 connects with Exodus , showing Jesus’ time in Egypt, the flight from danger, and the persecution of newborns—reminding us of Moses’ story. These connections help us see that Jesus’ story is not random or i...

 Para leer en español haga clic en el enlace a continuación: https://www.xn--direitof-5ya5g.com/2020/09/genealogia-de-jesus-y-constitucion.html  A Multiforme Graça Divina na Constituição Familiar Introdução O debate sobre o padrão adequado de constituição familiar tem sido tema de estudos sociais, filosóficos, humanistas e teológicos. Tradicionalmente, a família nuclear, composta por homem, mulher e filhos, é apontada por muitos grupos religiosos como modelo ideal, enquanto outras formas são vistas como desvios do padrão “correto”. Entretanto, a Bíblia apresenta diversas formas de constituição familiar, indicando que a graça de Deus transcende definições humanas. Este estudo busca analisar essas diferentes formas à luz das Escrituras, ressaltando a centralidade da vontade divina e do amor como fundamento da família. Desenvolvimento 1. Família Substituta A Bíblia apresenta exemplos de famílias constituídas por adoção ou cuidado substitutivo. Moisés, após ser desmamado, foi adot...

We, Pastor Marvel Souza and Pastor Raphael Lira, are committed to mobilizing people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to help transform our communities, our country, and the world into a fuller expression of Christ’s grace, salvation, reconciliation, and inclusive love. We believe that every person is a beloved child of God. We’ve served in Brazil, Argentina, Japan, and the United States, creating safe and sacred spaces for worship, celebrating Holy Communion, officiating same-sex weddings, and preaching the gospel of reconciliation. We don’t fight for the right to have faith—we believe faith is a God-given birthright. Our calling is to help people live it out fully and boldly. marvelsouza@gmail.com