Grace Gathering

When I was asked to write this, I was given a list of the spiritual gifts to choose from. Reading through them I remembered people who have encouraged me through every gifting: Barbie’s prophetic and faith, Paul’s wisdom and knowledge, Pastor Terry’s teaching and shepherding, just to name a few…

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”1 Peter 3:15 A few decades ago, my friend Jodi (now my wife) and…

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.Romans 12:10-13 I have often heard people…

A year ago, I was nearing the end of my master’s program, and I was wrestling with rejoining the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for several years. I was in an internship position at a counseling agency doing what I loved: helping individuals and families find freedom and joy…

"One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty."Proverbs 11:24 When Grace Gathering started the For the Sake of Others journey in 2022 Marissa, my wife, and I had some discussions about what we wanted our faith and sight portions to be. In our…

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture…

The Apostle Paul, when writing about the “varieties of gifts” describes their working like parts of a body. Each has its own function. Each has a unique purpose and each cannot function independently. In 1 Corinthians he says “these are empowered by one and the same Spirit” and ultimately lead…

The spiritual gift of faith is an extraordinary capacity to believe and trust in God’s power, promises, and purposes, even in seemingly impossible circumstances. This gift is more than the general faith every believer possesses; it is a heightened, God-given confidence in His sovereignty that fuels hope, love, encourages others,…

Tears and cheers … as I ponder the gift of mercy, it strikes me that these two things are deeply representative of it. Mercy is a powerful expression of the very heart of God, and when a person is gifted with it, they are able to show compassion to those…

It’s Christmastime, and many of us have our minds on presents—the presents we want to give to others and the presents we want to receive. For our Advent season, we’re looking at the spiritual gifts we’re given as believers. Far from a symbol of spiritual status or importance, apostle Paul…