Weekly UpdateMemorized passages of Holy Scripture can truly be and will be effective tools in the battle against the temptation to sin. Why? God’s Word contains many warnings and promises that give strength to overcome the enticements of sin and the lies of the devil. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” (Ps. 119:9) How often do we apply this verse only to young people and completely ignore everyone else?! But the…
Weekly UpdateIt is not secret that each of us, consciously or not, is under someone’s influence. In Christianity, the concept of influence, discipleship, or mentorship is priced very highly. We intentionally influence one another and seek influence. What for? For our spiritual growth! Spiritual growth does not happen in a vacuum, but in healthy accountability, through a good example to follow, in a positive atmosphere where a person is encouraged by others to live a righteous and God-devoted life! But how…
Weekly UpdateRecently, during evangelism, one of the members of our church encountered a question about foot washing. The question was this: “Why don’t you wash one another’s feet, when Jesus Himself commands us to do so?” (John 13:14). In this article, we will try to explain why wo do not literally, physically wash each other’s feet, but still actively apply this teaching in our daily lives. First of all, let’s look at the text that raises this question: “If I then,…
Weekly UpdateWe continue to encourage you to participate in the ministry of reaching the Afghan people with the Gospel. When: Next Sunday April 6th after the first and second services Where: in the church lobby What: there will be offered embroidery/hand-crafted items made by widows and poor women in Afghanistan. This Bible Mission ministry provides employment for these women and gives them a chance to come into contact with Christians and hear the truth. It can also be a good tool…
Weekly UpdateA few weeks ago, we had a guest speaker at our Sunday Russian service who asked the gathered believers, “What should the Church be engaged in?” Without giving much time for deliberation, he answered his own question: “What a mother does for her family.” This response caught me off guard. While preaching the Gospel would be a Biblical answer, Alexandr took a more practical approach. He continued, “To feed, care for, nurture, resolve various conflicts between children, etc. But a…
Weekly UpdateDear Church, and everyone who is part of GFC, this is a short message for you: Pray to the Lord of the harvest! You may ask: “What should we pray for?” “The he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Matt. 9:37-38) Prayer addresses two key aspects of missionary service: 1) The reluctance of people to leave their…
Weekly UpdateSpeaking about the missions and calling of people into ministry, we will sooner or later come to the sixth chapter of Isaiah and the phrase, “Here I am! Send me.” How many sermons have we heard on this chapter of the Scriptures?! How many important lessons have been drawn from this beautiful and powerful part of the Bible! And yet, sometimes we come across a sermon on this well-known text and we simple marvel once again at the beauty, wisdom,…
Weekly UpdateReading the last book by Alexey Kolomiytsev, Reformation of the Soul, I came across a reminder of the value, importance, and inevitability of repentance in the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. In the first chapter of this book, the author summarizes the meaning of true repentance: “God requires more from you than nominal church attendance. He needs you. Your heart. Your brokenness. Your awareness of your wrongs and sinfulness. Your trust. Your hope. Your obedience. Your love….
Weekly UpdateRarely we draw your attention to various external materials and resources, but in this case, we see it as necessary. We are truly living in the last days. Events are developing so quickly that we can hardly keep up with them. Many people are genuinely worried about what will happen next. And it is precisely what the Book of Daniel provides every believer with: the correct perspective on this world and how to not just survive in it, but to…
Weekly UpdateMartin Luther once said: “I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” This statement was radical and difficult to grasp 500 years ago. Today, in an age of pragmatism and efficiency—even in Christianity—it may seem almost otherworldly. If we truly understand the essence of Scripture and the Gospel, we don’t need to be reminded that without God’s intervention, NOTHING we do will bear spiritual fruit or have any real impact! Just…
Weekly UpdateA couple of weeks ago, we studied the passage about Peter’s denial. Some people approached me with a question about another Scripture passage that also addresses the topic of denial – 2 Timothy 2:12. Now should we understand this verse in light of Peter’s denial and repentance, especially when this text speaks of God denying us? Are these passages in harmony with each other? To answer this question, we need to consider the context. The passage does not refer to…
Weekly UpdateAs Christians, we are all familiar with the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”…
Weekly UpdateDear church, our upcoming baptism will take place on both morning services February 16th, at 9:00 AM (Rus.), and at 11:15 AM (Egn.). God saves people, gives them repentance, a second birth, and a desire to proclaim their faith that they are followers of Christ through water baptism. We believe that baptism must be done according to faith with a full submersion into the water, since this is how baptisms were done in the first church (Acts 8:37-38). This is…
Weekly UpdateDear church, last Sunday evening, during our service, we were delighted to welcome a new group of brothers and sisters into our church family. Today, we want to remind you to notice these new members and show them special attention and love. Below you will find a few practical steps that you can take. 1) Invite them to your home. This is a wonderful way to get to know them, pray together, and perhaps answer any of their questions (1…
Weekly UpdateRecently, I read a sermon by Thomas Chalmers, who lived from 1780 to 1847. In this sermon, we find a few important illustrations and explanations about how a believer is freed from sinful, old desires and affections. What’s the key? Replacement! The text underlying the sermon is found in 1 John 2:15: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Thomas speaks of…
Weekly UpdateDear Church, We warmly invite all of you to join our prayer meetings, held every Thursday at 7:30 PM. These gatherings last only 45 minutes, but their spiritual impact feels like 3-4 hours of fellowship. During these meetings, the Lord reveals, answers our prayers, and transforms our hearts. Prayer is the breath of every Christian, a path to a closer and deeper relationship with God. In prayer, we ask the Almighty to fulfill what He has promised in His Word….
Weekly UpdateHappy New Year to all of you! Friends, the very first letter of this year to you is about our joint Bible reading. Everyone who wants to read the Bible together with others, we invite you to join our monthly plan. This is done with the goal of accountability and edification. This plan is good in that it is organized thematically and has a good balance of reading both the new and old testaments. Besides this, there is the ability…
Weekly UpdateGreetings, GFC family!Please take note of the schedule for the Prayer Week gatherings, and plan to be a part of thisimportant spiritual marathon. Our desire as a church is to grow together in prayer. We do notknow what the coming year holds for us, but when in prayer we entrust our lives into Creator’shands, the unknown does not frighten us anymore.Please, take a note, that due to all the holiday gatherings, tonight’s service is canceled. Prayer week31 December, Tuesday –…
Weekly UpdateDear friends, we are entering a busy season with many meetings and gatherings around Christmas. We will be singing Christmas songs, perhaps exchanging gifts, feasting, but there’s one very important thing we cannot neglect—the reading of Scripture. What can be better than once again reading Bible texts that predict, describe, and explain the meaning of the Messiah’s birth? Below you’ll find a list of texts that will help better your understanding of the wonder of the incarnation of Jesus Christ….
Weekly Update“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…” From the first words of the angels to the shepherds, we hear valuable information about the newly-born Messiah—He will bring joy! This joy will not be exclusive to the Israelites, but it will be for all people. This joy is for successful and unsuccessful people, for the healthy and the sick, for the rich and the poor, for the young and the…
Weekly UpdateThis question often comes up in Christian circles because of the surrounding world’s influence, so we cannot avoid difficult questions. The use of alcohol is in fact such a question. The reason is that Scripture does not directly forbid alcohol use. This is why there are many different positions and views. Our goal is not to investigate or even list each position. Our goal is to look at one text in light of the whole Bible: “And do not get…
Weekly Update“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…” (1 Cor. 1:4) 1. Thanksgiving table Thanksgiving is a special time for many to gather and thank God for all the blessings and mercies in our lives, and most of you will be gathering at the dinner table with friends and relatives. For many this has already become a tradition, to invite brothers and sisters from the church who…
Weekly UpdateThe simplest answer to this question is, of course, to glorify God. However, God can be glorified in various ways, so the answer should be set in the context of the choir as a unique part of a church service. But first, we must determine what is not a reason for the existence of a choir. So, why do we need a choir in our church? In the Old Testament, we see a special place for the choir in temple…
Weekly UpdateIt’s normal to strive to improve any aspect of a ministry, especially when it comes to the pastoral care of church members. We understand that we’re called by God to equip the church for the work of ministry (Eph 4:11-16), so we periodically reexamine and reassess how well we’re doing this. At our last prayer retreat we looked into prayer and the subsequent work of member care and we concluded that improvements could be made to the current biannual prayer…
Weekly UpdateA few important reminders regarding witnessing or evangelizing for every believer… We have already talked a number of times that we should strive toa raise each other’s temperature and reverence towards evangelism. Today, let us pay attention to the driven by God’s grace influence we have on each other and on those around us. Effective evangelism often happens through personal relationships and sharing the Gospel one-on-one. A few important, practical elements that will help us be more effective in evangelism…
