Christmas: Better Than A Hallmark Christmas Movie

 

“I wanted to send you something AMAZING for Christmas, 

but the mailman told me to get out of the mailbox…”   Unknown

 
Doesn’t that sound like a line from some Hallmark Christmas movie? One of the most popular movie genres this time of year – one that you probably either love or hate – is Hallmark Christmas movies. Initially associated with the Hallmark Channel, the genre now spans multiple networks and streaming services. To say these movies are successful is an understatement, considering some 50 million people have watched at least one Christmas movie on the Hallmark network.
  It’s an all too familiar script: a reluctant young woman travels back to her hometown; sworn enemies fall in love; towns are named after favorite Christmas treats. There will be an initial conflict, but it will be overcome because Christmas is a time of love…even miracles. We see just enough of our own lives reflected in these conflicts—a sick parent, a heartbreak, a jealous ex—that we can see ourselves as the protagonist. But unlike real life, there’s always a happy ending.
  While I have some Christmas movies that I love to watch each year, the Hallmark ones are a bit too cheesy for me. Jane and I tried to watch one recently. At the halfway point I’d had enough. Everything was just a little too perfect. Maybe that’s my problem. I know that no matter what Hollywood or Hallmark churns out, Christmas is not about perfect.
  And even the Hallmark Christmas movies have a vital unanswered question: What happens after the perfect, cheery holidays? We want to believe that they’re fairy tale endings – “they lived happily ever after.” But most of these movies end at Christmas. What about after Christmas? What does life look like when the magic of Christmas is gone? Or what if the magic of Christmas was never there?
  For some this will be the first Christmas with an empty place at the table. Others have gone through a terrible divorce. It’s the first Christmas after the death of a marriage. Some serve our country in the far reaches of the world. Others must work on Christmas. Many go “home” but family relationships are like walking through a minefield. The atmosphere is fraught with tension and unresolved conflict. Hallmark Christmas movies give us a happy ending in a time for some that feels anything but “merry.”
  With the beauty of Christmas, the decorations, gifts, singing and parties and sanitized manger scenes, we easily forget that Christmas happened because this world was a disaster. Christmas happened, because we’re all a hot mess. God the Father in love sent His only Son into our trainwreck to clean it up, to give us hope.
  Jesus was the first Christmas gift, yet it doesn’t end with a smiling infant in a manger. It ends with a Savior on a cross. While you and I were born to live; Jesus was born to die.
  In his book, Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller explains the three elements of a story. He points out that a story begins when something knocks life out of balance and things are obviously not as they should be. Then it progresses, or the plot “thickens,” as the protagonists in the story struggle to restore the balance of peace while antagonistic forces work to thwart their efforts. Finally, the story ends as the struggle results in either the restoration of balance or the failure to recover it.
  One of the reasons we love the stories that fill our Christmas traditions is that they inevitably end in the restoration of peace and the perpetuation of the Christmas Spirit. They’re so familiar that we don’t need a spoiler alert.
  Remember that when the Grinch stole Christmas, he gave it back. In Christmas Story Ralphie gets the Red Ryder BB Gun. In Christmas Carol that old curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge embraces generosity. Even in Home Alone, Kevin’s family makes it home for Christmas, the bandits are hauled off to jail, and a lonely old man reunites with his family.
  We cherish those Christmas stories because they reflect the hope that’s associated with Christmas. An association we make because of the real Christmas Story, when the protagonist, Jesus Christ, came to light the way to peace and reconciliation with God and us, and us with each other.
  Our story going back to the Garden begins when something knocks life with God out of sync. Sin entered the world and things were no longer as they were supposed to be. You and I, and the whole human race, were originally designed to walk in peace with God. Because of sin, we lost the connection. In biblical terms when sin entered the world, the lights went out and we couldn’t see His way. From that point forward, the world is filled with darkness, and everyone is on a hopeless quest for peace. We either sought to work our way to God through religion, or sought peace in other things—money, drugs, power, prestige, or people. None of it works. It’s why Jesus had to come!
  Christ-followers are reminded every Christmas that Christmas isn’t the ultimate end—it’s the beginning. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the One sent to save us from our sins and the fulfillment of God’s promise. The first promise of a coming Savior is found in the first pages of Genesis in Genesis 3:15. That miracle—a baby born to save us all—is the promise that can get us through the worst days. God created a home for us in Heaven, a home where there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more death. It’s a home where we’ll be reunited forever with our brothers and sisters, all who have accepted the One who came to be our Savior.
  Christ-followers get to live this truth each year, celebrating the miracle of new beginnings. For us there really is a happy ending, one that’s out of this world forever! Because of God’s great love and great Christ’s sacrifice, we will live with Him in heaven forever.
  So, what’s home? It can be many things. It can be a mom or dad, or grandparents. Maybe it’s the aroma of Christmas dinner. Our one true Home is because of faith in a loving God and His promises. When we commit our lives to Him, when Christ lives within us, our hearts yearn for “peace on earth” that begins in our hearts. There really is no place like Home and the one our Heavenly Father is preparing for us. And Hallmark ain’t got nothing on that. It will be a happy ending that lasts forever!

Can we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Food, Family and Lighting a Candle

 “A family can be the bane of one's existence. A family can also be most of the meaning of one's existence. I don't know whether my family is bane or meaning, but they have surely gone away and left a large hole in my heart.”  Keri Hulme

   Prior to reading most books, I read the book reviews. Because I love to cook and experiment with new recipes, I was intrigued by a book review in the July 17, 2021 issue of “World Magazine” about Life From Scratch by Sasha Martin. Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger, Sasha Martin set out to cook—and eat—a meal from every country in the world. As cooking unlocked the memories of her rough-and-tumble childhood and the loss and heartbreak that came with it, she became determined to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures. Sasha had a very hard early life. She never met her father who’d abandoned the family. Her mother lost custody of her two children, and Sasha and her brother ended up in a foster family. Her brother committed suicide. Sasha lived with the foster family in Europe, acted out, and moved back to the United States. She graduated college and attended cooking school. An internship brought her to Tulsa, Oklahoma where she fell in love and embarked on a project: cooking a meal from every country in the world. The project led to this engaging memoir with recipes. In it, she depicts the joy and chaos of her early life, shows the power of food to break down barriers, arouse an appetite for adventure, cultivate community, and work to piece together a fractured family. 

  Though witty, warm, and poignant, Sasha Martin’s memoir about cooking her way to healing, it was sad to read of a child experiencing so much family pain. What’s most heartbreaking is that her family history is becoming more and more the present norm in American life. 

  Today some 16 million children live with their single mothers. Another three million live with their single fathers. 25% of children under 18 live with single moms; 4% were living with single dads. 1300 new stepfamilies are formed each day. 40% of families in the U.S. are blended with at least one partner having a child from a previous relationship before marriage. 

  Today 53% of U.S. adults ages 18 and older are married, down from 58% in 1995. Over the same period, the share of Americans cohabiting has risen from 3% to 7%. Taken together, six-in-ten Americans are either married or living with a partner. Frequently underage children are in those homes  

  About 1 in 8 children (8.7 million) aged 17 or younger live in a household with at least one parent with a substance use disorder, the recurrent use of alcohol or other drugs or both, that results in significant impairment. 

  The cost and deep pain of a lack of stable home and emotional stability on children is very high. The ramifications can last a lifetime.

  Birthdays are times of reflection for me (today is mine). When I was 10. my mother was killed in a car accident and I was raised by a single Dad, who though financially successful, was a prescription drug addict. The truths of Psalms 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect” and Joseph’s words to his murderous yet now repentant brothers are still true, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Gen. 50:20). But I carry my scars as many of you also do.

  One of my favorite quotes is, “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Methodist pastor, William L. Watkinson in a sermon titled “The Invincible Strategy” made that powerful statement. His sermon was later reprinted in a periodical called “China’s Millions” to challenge Christians about the great need for missions in China.

  The “millions” today are all around us but they’re not just in China. They live next door, work beside you or even sit near you in church. The fragmentation of the family carries a high price. It’s why many see a therapist or are on medication for emotional issues. The lack of family stability often has long-lasting pain. What can we do?

  First, we need to be biblically honest about our own family history and the baggage that comes with it. Often what is our “normal,” isn’t. When I lived with Dad and Mom Cummins in my early twenties, I was shocked to learn that they didn’t fight all of the time (I only remember a handful of disagreements). They actually problem-solved and dearly loved each other.

  Christmas was one of my bigger shocks. Every Christmas growing up, my Dad lost his temper with my Mom and she’d end up in her bedroom crying. It was my “normal.” To actually have a “Merry Christmas” was a bit like being transported to Mars for me.

  Many of us carry harmful relational baggage and don’t know it. We need godly friends to come alongside us, be honest with us, and help us. We need the truth of God’s Word to come into our hearts and work its way inside out so we become more like Jesus, who is the standard of normal.

  Second, we must have more grace and patience with each other. We need to walk a mile in their shoes. That simply means trying to consider and understand the other person’s perspectives, experiences or even family history before making judgments about them. Often we’re so self-focused, we neglect to take the time to understand where others are coming from. We need believers that take seriously Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

  Third, we need more spiritually mature Christians to disciple and mentor younger ones. None of us are perfect, so please don’t wait until you’ve “arrived.” In our church family, we have young couples and parents who could use the prayer, encouragement, and support of those who’ve already traveled their road. They don’t need scolding over inconsequential concerns. Many of them just need to know that someone has their back, is praying for them and encouraging them.

  While we can’t change the world, we can make a difference in ours. It’s what God has called us to do! It’s time to light some candles. It’s an opportunity to make a generational difference by assisting younger believers to dine on the fruit of the Spirit in their marriages and families. 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

There's No Place Like Home!

“There’s no place like home.”  Dorothy

  Dorothy was right! It doesn’t matter whether it’s a mansion or a shack. There really is no place like home. Jane and I have just spent four weeks in what many call “paradise.” The beach and ocean were only a few miles away. The weather tropical. Yet, I found myself, particularly toward the end of our time, longing to come home. And it didn’t hurt that as we prepared to leave, Hurricane Dorian was looming as an uninvited guest.  

  It’s hard to believe that I am now in my 32^nd year as your Pastor in Burlington. In 1988 we loaded up our car, a moving truck and our then two very young children, left Detroit and moved to Burlington. The community was smaller then and had much more of a small-town feel.

  The next day as I went to open a bank account at what was then the Bank of Burlington, the woman at the front greeted me with, “Oh, you’re the minister that moved in last night.” There wasn’t a single traffic light and seemingly endless one-way streets. Getting lost both in town and on surrounding country roads was a fairly normal experience. The only fast-food restaurants were Hardees and McDonald’s.

  I grew up in Atlanta, worked in Chicago and ultimately moved to Burlington from Detroit. The smallest places I’d lived in were LaCrosse and Danville, IL (communities of 50,000). The small-town atmosphere was a big shock for me. I’d always qualified myself as a “big city” person.   

  Woody Allen once quipped, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.” Jane and I were originally on our own five-year plan. In fact, it was more foolish than that. As we were praying for a church and place of ministry, the one place that we told the Lord that we didn’t want to go was – Wisconsin. But in our great “wisdom,” we capitulated and determined that we would come and stay for “five years” and then look for greener pastures in another state and in another church.

  Are you like me? More times than I can remember, I’m so thankful for the prayers that my all-wise Heavenly Father didn’t answer. Because we fell in love. We fell in love with you as our church family! We fell in love with this community! And God gave us two of His greatest blessings – peace and contentment.

  Like many pastors, there were calls of inquiry from other ministries. One, back in the Detroit area, was very strong and tempting. But Jane and I never had peace about relocating. Or, the timing was just wrong. And so because we did not believe that we had marching orders, we stayed and stayed and stayed. Looking back now over three decades, we see so clearly that our Heavenly Father is so much wiser than we are. Doors and relationships have been built both within the church and outside of the church that rarely happens in short term pastorates. Unless the Lord has other plans for my life, this will be my last senior pastorate. Though I am approaching my 60^th birthday, I feel very much like Caleb, who as a very spry 85-year-old, spoke of seeing God’s faithfulness for the past 40 years and had mountains that by God’s grace he still wanted to take for God’s glory (Joshua 14). In many ways I feel as if our ministry is just beginning here and there are many mountains to take by His grace and for His glory.

  To be very honest, it would be very hard to leave this community. This is our home. You are our family! This is where our many friends are.

  Jane and I can well relate to the ministry of John and Mary Fawcett. John was born in 1740 and was orphaned by the time he was 12.  At the age of 16, he heard George Whitfield preach and became a Christian. When he was 25 (and had just wed his wife, Mary) he was asked to serve as the pastor of a small church in Wainsgate. The people of the village were all farmers and shepherds, very poor, most of whom were unable to read or write.  They were not able to pay much, and most of what John received as wages came in the form of wool, potatoes or other produce. When John and Mary began having children they found it difficult to make ends meet. After serving at Wainsgate for 7 years, John received a call from Carter’s Lane Baptist Church – a very prestigious parish that would be able to provide him a much larger salary.  John decided to accept the position.

  The Fawcett family packed up their household belongings and prepared to move. The day came and the congregation was in tears as John and Mary prepared to leave.  Mary is quoted as saying, “I can’t stand it, John! I know not how to go.”  John responded, “Lord help me Mary, nor can I stand it! We will unload the wagon!” And John is recorded to have said to the crowd gathered around them, “We’ve changed our minds! We are going to stay!” They unpacked the wagon and let the church in London know that they would not be accepting the position.

  John Fawcett then wrote this hymn to express his thoughts and those of his wife to the church and community they’d chosen to serve. After his sermon the following Sunday, John shared a hymn that he wrote that expressed their hearts. You may know it, Blest Be The Tie That Binds.

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,
Each other’s burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

  The Fawcetts continued their ministry at Wainsgate for 54 years with John passing from this life to glory on July 25th, 1817, at the age of 77.

  Jane and I do not know God’s plans for our future or our church. Yet, if the Father would let us finish our course here at Grace and in Burlington, we would consider ourselves very rich and very blessed! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Family: Some Assembly Required

“You don’t choose family. They are God’s gift to you,

as you are to them.” Desmond Tutu

After the dedication of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy blubbered, “That pastor said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!”

  The vital importance of family is seen early on in Scripture within the provisions of the Mosaic covenant. Two of the Ten Commandments deal with maintaining the cohesiveness of the family. The 5^th commandment regarding honoring parents is meant to preserve the authority of parents in family matters. The 7^th commandment prohibiting adultery protects the sanctity of marriage. From these two commandments flow all of the various other stipulations within the Mosaic Law which seek to protect marriage and the family. The health of the family was so important to God that it was codified into the national covenant of His chosen people, Israel.

  It takes God’s grace, work and commitment to have a Christian home that is more than one merely in name. It won’t just happen. And there are countless sources of advice out there. Many define a successful family as one that communicates or where everyone gets along. Others define it as a place where the family lives comfortably. But God designed marriage and the family, we wisely then begin with His definition of success.

  It’s a privilege to welcome my good friend, James Hauser, to Grace Church today. James is the regional director for Youth for Christ in SE Wisconsin. He’s also one of the missionaries our church supports. For the next six Sundays James will be unpacking for us a biblical worldview on the family. So, what is a successful family?

  A successful home has faith as its foundation. Success begins in Scripture with both husband and wife having a personal relationship with Christ. It’s so vital that one of the few exceptions for the dissolution of a marriage is when an unbeliever abandons it. When both know the Lord, they work from the same blueprint. Can you imagine attempting to build a house with different sets of blueprints? That’s what it’s like if both don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This doesn’t always happen. Sometimes one partner comes to Christ later in life or violates Scripture and marries an unbeliever. The Bible makes provision for that. It’s best though to begin with a solid foundation. Having a husband and wife with a relationship to Christ is the place to begin.

  A successful home is built with commitment. It takes commitment to persevere together through inevitable trials to make a family successful. Both spouses being committed to the marriage must come first. The marriage must have priority even over the children and they must not allow them to be a place of division.

  Marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with His Church. God made Adam and Eve in His own image. A successful family reflects God’s love because God is love (1 Jn 4:8). Though we’re not perfect or holy like Him, we’re to imitate Him in our relationships, especially the marital one.  

  Think of how that should change your relationship with your spouse if you behaved as if you are Jesus to your spouse? Think of how it changes your relationship with your children if you work through that you are Jesus to them? Ephesians 5:1 commands us, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” In our marriages and families, we’re saying, “I will do all that is in my power to love you even when you fail me and to love you even if you don’t love me. I will seek to love you as God has loved me. I am committed to you.” It’s not easy. It takes God’s grace and power. Yet, this is how God loves us and it’s how we are commanded to love.

  A successful home takes time. You won’t have a successful family without spending time together. There’s no substitute for time. In our busy lives, family time must be a priority. It won’t happen without scheduling it and by carving out specific times for your spouse and family.

  God’s Word says that we must learn how to number our days (Ps. 90:12). This means that we need to understand that time is a precious commodity. All of us know how to number our years, God reminds us that every day is so precious that we should treasure it and number it as valuable for our lives. How valuable is an hour? Ask the businessperson whose flight was delayed for an hour and missed an appointment in another city. How valuable is a minute? Ask the man who had a heart attack and the person sitting next to him knew CPR. How valuable is a second? Ask the person who hesitated for 1 second before swerving to avoid an oncoming car in his lane. How valuable is a fraction of a second? Ask the L.A. Spurs who were beaten by the Lakers in a playoff game with 4/10 of just 1 second left on the clock.

  Husbands, do you love your wives? Wives, do you love your husbands? Give them your time! Parents, do you love your children? Give them your time. Love is not spelled T-H-I-N-G-S. It’s spelled T-I-M-E! There will always be something else to do or somewhere else to be. Learn to say no to some of the good things in life so you can have God’s best. It means saying ‘Yes’ to the Lord and ‘no’ to others, including our boss, friends, and others.

  Fifty years from now which is going to more important: Spending time with your family or watching a TV sitcom, scanning your phone or running around with your friends? Not one person on their deathbed has said, “I wish I’d spent more time at work making more money.”

  A successful home plan for tomorrow today. God has a multi-generational plan, yet most Christian families barely survive one generation of faith. Genesis 2:4 teaches that the Bible is summarized as a book of generations. We won’t understand God’s plan without understanding that His plan unfolds for generations. The gospel and a biblical worldview are to be passed on. It’s a biblical mandate and shames our one-generational approach of only blessing individuals.

  Christian parents need a long game. We’re not raising children, we’re raising our grandchildren’s parents. How do we want our grandchildren raised? Living in the perspective of tomorrow must alter how we parent today. Success always begins with God and His perspective.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Why don't we talk about Home more?

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

C. S. Lewis

  If something is important to you, you think about it a lot…you talk about it a lot. This weekend will finish what has been a long anticipated time for our family. For several months our whole family has been looking forward to Aaron coming home for a visit from Taiwan with his fiancé, Jiaya Tsai. Not only were we longing to see Aaron, we were looking forward to meeting this new member of our family. It’s hard to believe that the last time Aaron was home was a year ago. Though we are all very proud of him and support what he is doing, (teaching English in Taiwan), we greatly miss him. We love Aaron and would love to have him closer. These times when we are all together again are so special to us. Praise the Lord, we live in a time of modern technology and Aaron is literally a video call away!

  Recently, I had lunch with a dear friend who lost his wife to cancer a few months ago. His hurt will no doubt never go away on this side of eternity. He loves and dearly misses his wife. Before her Homegoing, I remember often talking with Mom Cummins and she’d express her heartache and how much she longed to go Home and be re-united with Dad. A believer has something that an unbeliever can’t understand – Hope! Yes, there’s pain and hurt, but we know that it’s all temporary. We know that it’s truly “Good-night” not “Good-bye” on this side of heaven.

  Yet, other than funerals or when someone is elderly or ill, we hardly think about heaven. Most of us talk more about retirement, which at best will last a few decades, but rarely do we long for our eternal Home. Sadly, I have to confess that I’m far too this world oriented. I think more about this life, my “To Do” list, or even what I’m going to eat, than I do eternity.

  And if something isn’t important to us, we’re not going to talk about it with those we care about, much less a total stranger. For example, when I go to a restaurant that’s really good, I tell my friends about it. Recently, Jane and tried out a new one because a friend had highly recommended it.

  It used to be that Christians were accused of being so “heavenly minded that they were no earthly good.” That’s not really a problem today. Unfortunately, at least, I know it’s not my problem. I find that the Apostle Paul’s words prick my earth-limited heart, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2). Being with Christ for all eternity must be the focus of life. We should be actively training our minds to think about the day when Christ is revealed and we’re finally Home. It’s easy to be distracted. Temporal concerns easily grab our attention and overall it seems like we don’t think about heaven very much. Part of our difficulty is that the Bible tells us more about what won’t be in heaven than what will be there. Then, some foolishly think that heaven is going to be boring, like one very long church service. It’s not! It will be every joy, thrill, peace and satisfaction that’s beyond our imagination on this sin contaminated earth.

  The best part of heaven though is that Jesus will be there. The One who loved us so much that He died for us, even though He knew how sinful we all are. Jesus loved us, died for us and paid the price for all of our sin.

  One of my favorite hymn writers is Fanny Crosby, who wrote more than 9,000 hymns. She wrote so many that she was forced to use pen names so hymnals wouldn’t be filled with her name. The most remarkable thing about her was that she did this in spite of being blind from infancy.

  One time a well-meaning preacher commented to her, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when he showered so many other gifts upon you.” Fanny Crosby responded at once, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” No wonder she wrote:

  Some day the silver cord will break,
And I no more as now shall sing;
But, O the joy when I shall wake
Within the presence of the King! 

Some day my earthly house will fall,
I cannot tell how soon ’twill be,
But this I know—my All in all
Has now a place with Him for me.

And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story, saved by grace:
And I shall see Him face to face,
  And tell the story, saved by grace.   

  We are so thankful that Aaron is home. Wonderfully, he didn’t come alone. I don’t want to go Home alone, do you? In my Quiet Time with the Lord, I have several folk who I love that don’t yet know my Savior that I’m praying will know my Jesus. Heaven is so wonderful and Jesus is so incomparable that it would break my heart if they missed it. I don’t want to go to heaven alone, do you? Let’s focus on the real world!  

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. "