Grace for Your Day March 28

March 28th, 2022

One of the greatest joys in ministry is to support other like-minded churches in the spread of the Gospel. Our Vision Statement says that it is our mission “To proclaim grace upon grace to Chilliwack, British Columbia and to the ends of the earth.” However, we cannot do that alone. It is impossible for us to do all the work of preaching, teaching, witnessing, counselling, and serve people here in this community all by ourselves so it only makes sense that we need help from other congregations.

One of those congregations is Prairie Chapel in Abbottsford. Prairie Chapel began several decades ago when a group of believers wanted to start a church that was founded on the Gospel and the basic teaching of Scripture. Since then, they have seen a considerable amount of growth and have called a new pastor to lead their congregation in 2018 named Mike Chalmers. Mike is originally from Surrey, B. C. and is a graduate of The Master’s Seminary where he was trained in expository preaching and sound theology. He and his wife, Tanya, have five children.

In order to learn more about their ministry and the work that they are engaged in, this Sunday we will be doing a Pastor Swap where Pastor Mike will preach for us here at GFC and I will preach for their people in Abbottsford. The goal in doing this is to have him give a report to you on the ministry over there and remind you that you do not stand alone in your faithfulness to the Scriptures. The Lord has called other congregations to preach the Word right along with you and we want to do everything we can to encourage them in that task.

Pastor Mike will be speaking from Psalm 147 and the title of his sermon is “The Provision of the Lord.” This is what the passage says:

Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant and praise is becoming.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He gives names to all of them.
Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord supports the afflicted;
He brings down the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens which cry.
He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your sons within you.
He makes peace in your borders;
He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.
He sends forth His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes.
He casts forth His ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His cold?
He sends forth His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.
He declares His words to Jacob,
His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His ordinances, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord!