Grace Fellowship Church

We are living in the silence of God's patience. The Lord who stands outside of time has fixed a day for Jesus's return into time. It is appointed; settled; immovable. Christ is reigning now, and He is not waiting on world events or human progress. He is gathering every one of His sheep. Not one will be missing--not one overlooked. When the very last elect sinner is brought to repentance, when the final heart is broking and the final name written in the Lamb's Book of Life believes, that will be it. God's patience will have accomplished its purpose. Then suddenly and decisively, the Day of the Lord will come. The heavens will roar; the fire will fall; the silence will end. Do not mistake delay for safety. The only reason judgment has not already come is because mercy is still at work. But when mercy has gathered the last of Christ's own, patience will give way to glory and judgment, at once. Therefore, be sure you are in Christ, because when the last sheep comes home, the door will be shut.

Closing Thought: The Lord knows. He knows how to rescue the righteous, and He knows how to judge false teachers whose end is destruction. Therefore we must be alert and discerning, recognizing false teachers by their fruit, rejecting their false teaching, and avoiding their influence rather than following them into eternal ruin. And because we trust that God will save His people, we will give careful attention to the Word of God, the Scriptures, the Bible, the faith once delivered to all the saints.

Closing Thought: There is nothing new under the sun. False prophets and false teachers have always been among God's people from the false prophets of the Old Testament, to the Pharisees in Jesus' day, to the Judaizers of the first century, to false teachers today. Their end is destruction. We must know the truth, lest we follow their lies straight to hell.

This message was presented during the 2026 annual End Abortion Iowa conference. While the law can restrain it cannot raise the dead. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can do both.

Closing Thought: The majesty of Christ, once revealed and confirmed by eyewitnesses, is now permanently secured for us, beloved, in the Spirit-inspired Scriptures, which point us to Him and comfort us until His return in power and great glory.

Closing Thought: God sanctifies His people by stirring them up through the preaching of His Word. Through repeated reminders and truth remembered, He continually awakens us to live holy lives in preparation for the day we stand before Him. To be stirred up again and again is not a burden, nor is it to be despised. It is God's gracious mercy for which we ought to be thankful.

Today, Grace Fellowship Church, of Davenport, IA, commended and sent 11 members of the church and their families to plant a new church in West Liberty, IA.

Closing Thought: Because God's grace has made us partakers of the divine nature and supplied everything we need for a holy life, Peter calls us to make every effort to work out the new life we have received in Christ. We do this by deliberately developing the qualities we have been given through him and that he lived out perfectly in his earthly life. And if our lives appear ineffective or unfruitful, the remedy is not passivity or despair, but renewed diligence in supplementing the faith God has graciously given us. So, by the grace of God and to the glory of Christ; Let's go to work!

Closing Thought: God's divine power has called us by the glory and excellence of Christ Jesus. He has given us precious and very great promises, and through those promises has brought us into His life even now, freeing us from the corruption of sinful desire and producing real godliness. Therefore, holiness is neither self-made nor optional: it is the gracious outworking of God's power in us now and the sure pathway to the glory that awaits us.

Closing Thought: Beloved, the faith we have obtained is the same faith given to the apostles, equal in standing and precious in worth. And by that faith we grow in the knowledge of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, so that grace and peace may be multiplied in our lives. Amen.

Closing Thought: Finally, stand firm in the true grace of God. And remember, you are not alone, you are one of His chosen, called to persevere in holiness, love, and peace.

Closing Thought: Though our temporal suffering is real and painful, it will last only for the snap of a finger. In contrast, the glory God has promised us in Christ is eternal. He promises to restore, strengthen, and establish us, and His absolute sovereignty assures that these promises will be fulfilled. Let us therefore endure the trials of this life in hope, knowing that what is brief and painful now cannot compare to the eternal weight of glory that awaits those who are in Christ Jesus.

During his pre-sermon, which included a brief exposition of Psalm 51, Pastor Mike addressed those in the congregation who are yet unconverted, troubled by their sin, and "trying" to be saved.

Closing Thought: It is true concerning your sufferings, dear brethren, that God's got this and He's got you too. But do not think irrationally: Satan is real and intent on swallowing you up, so watch out. He will use people and your own desires to lure you into sin. This is the Christian life; it has always been this way, and it will remain so until Christ returns. When suffering, do not run; stand firm in the faith, remember that God is in control, and trust Him.

Closing Thought: As God's people (elect exiles, royal priesthood, holy nation, Christians) whatever trials we face we must remember these two facts: 1) God is in complete control over all that is happening to us and around us. 2) God is preparing us for glory, and He cares for us. Dear Christian, if you are suffering or facing a trial, and anxiety and worry grip your heart, remember; GOD'S GOT THIS AND HE'S GOT YOU!!!!

Closing Thought: When persecution, reviling, or suffering come, God's people are tempted to forget His design for His holy nation. At all times—especially during these trials—we must remember God's order: elders are to shepherd the flock of God willingly, eagerly, and by setting a godly example. Members of the assembly who are not elders are called to submit themselves to their elders' oversight. If you want to set God against you, treat His people as less important or inferior to yourself. But if you want God to show you His gracious kindness, tie on the slave's apron and serve His people intentionally, valuing them as much and more than yourself.

Closing Thought: Make no mistake Christians, like all Christians in all times, we are going to suffer for our faith. So, for what should we suffer? - Doing good. And what should we do while we suffer? - Entrust our souls to a faithful Creator. Pretty straightforward. So Beloved, let's go live as Christians in a place that is not our home.

Tony spoke to the men at Christ Fellowship Bible Church (St. Louis), during the Men's Bible Study, on the topic of biblical evangelism. A brief Q&A followed.

Final Thought: The pursuit or aim of the Christian life is Jesus Christ and His revealing. We are to live our days disciplining our minds and focusing our thoughts upon God and His truth in prayerful dependence. We are to love one another with everything we have even when we are met with sin, indifference, rejection, or opposition. We must love just as Christ has loved us as we demonstrate our love to Him by the way we love His bride. We are each to uniquely serve the body of Christ by His strength, in everything, and for His glory.

Closing Thought: Beloved, as those baptized into Christ, we now have no penalty for our sin, we have power over sin through His Spirit, and at death we will be fully freed from the presence of sin. Therefore, let us be armed for asceticism, living in disciplined love for Christ and His glory and prepared for the battle of holiness. Now, to those who have not yet trusted Him: today is the day to turn from your sin, receive Christ's forgiveness, and be joined to Him — that you too might be alive in the spirit, prepared to die in the flesh.

Closing Thought: Beloved, the main thing is this: Jesus' suffering had great purpose, for in it He triumphed over sin and death and made a way to bring us to God. Because of His suffering, we have been saved by our baptism into Him. Now that we are in Christ, we have been called to be prepared to suffer for doing good, just as Jesus did. Our suffering shapes us to be more like Him and, while it will not save others, it will affirm the Gospel we proclaim and may bring them to salvation.

Closing Thought: As we live faithfully, being zealous for what is good, we will often avoid harm from others. But when we do suffer for the sake of holy living, we are blessed, for Christ our Captain also suffered at the hands of men. So Peter instructs us: do good, fear not, and be ready to give a reasoned defense for the hope within us. And we are to do this with gentleness and reverent fear of Christ, letting our faithful conduct silence and put to shame those who would seek to harm us.

Pastor Muringi Igweta of Trinity Baptist Church, Nairobi, Kenya, brought this morning's sermon--an encouraging word from Hebrews 11:1-3.

Closing Thought: Beloved Brethren, If you desire to love life and see good days, keep unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind; turn from evil, especially deceit and slander, speak truthfully, pursue peace, and commit yourself to God, for His eyes are on the righteous and His ears hear their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil.

Closing Thought: Beloved, because we are in Christ, we are called to live as He lived. We must not return evil for evil or slander for slander, but instead repay even our offenders with blessing, so that Christ's character may be revealed in us.

Closing Thought: Dear brothers and sisters, as sojourners and exiles, let us be like-minded, sympathetic, loving as siblings, tender-hearted, and humble-minded—living each day to reflect Christ's character so that our deeds point others to Him and bring glory to our Father.

Closing Thought: Husbands, when you honor your wife as the precious, delicate vase she is—listening to her concerns and fears, guiding her spiritually, communicating patiently, and cherishing her in intimacy—you keep the pipeline to God's blessing, love, and prayer wide open. Treating her carelessly, as if she were a common metal pot, you not only block the flow of communion with God and dishonor the grace she shares with you, but you also distort the image of Christ and His Church, and misrepresent the Gospel you proclaim.

Closing Thought: We are not a race or nation by birth or blood, but by God's mercy, which made us His people. We exist to proclaim His excellencies and build His kingdom—one living stone at a time.

Beloved, as living stones and holy priest, we now offer living sacrifices from the heart--our lives, our praise, our love, our generosity, our prayers, and the souls we win to Christ. This is the worship God desires--offered through Jesus, pleasing in His sight. But if Christ is not yet your Cornerstone, He will be the Stone that crushes you. So come to Hime and live, before it is too late.

Closing Thought: Crave the Word like a newborn craves his 4 a.m. feeding — because only it can make you grow into salvation.

Closing Thought: One of the clearest evidences of true salvation is a sincere and earnest love for fellow believers. This love does not arise from fleeting emotion or mere human affection, but from the truth of the gospel that has purified our souls and the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells within us. Since we have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God, we are called to love one another with intensity, sincerity, and sacrifice. A cold or loveless heart is evidence of a soul untouched by grace, but a heart that loves the brethren earnestly reveals a life transformed by Christ

Closing Thought: God's holiness has revealed itself through the glories of Jesus Christ and our faith and hope for salvation are in Him. We who call God Father have been set apart to manifest this inward holiness in how we live and conduct ourselves during our time on this earth. We should be motivated by a proper fear of God who will judge everyone's works without partiality. We also remember that Christ shed his most precious blood to ransom us out of our sinful and worthless ways that we might glorify Him with our lives.

Closing Thought: God calls us to be holy as He is holy. Holy living is not a means to gain God's favor, but a response to the salvation we've received. Beloved, as God's obedient children, let us pursue holiness because He is the Lord our God.

Closing Thought: Of all that God has done in creation and throughout history, nothing displays His glory more fully than salvation. This salvation, the grace of God that is now ours, Beloved, is what the prophets longed to understand, what the apostles lived to proclaim, and what the angels long to witness. It is the supreme glory of God which is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. Let us never treat it lightly. Let us live in awe, in gratitude, and fully devoted to the One who saved us for His glory.

Closing Thought: Even though we are God's elect exiles, we have never seen Jesus, nor do we now see Him face to face. Yet we love Him, and we believe in Him. And this faith fills us with a joy that is inexpressible and full of glory, because even now, we are living in the present reality of our soul's salvation. And that means that one day we will see Him face to face forever and ever. Come Lord Jesus!

Closing Thought: As followers of Christ, we will face many trials that bring sorrow and pain. Yet as elect exiles, heirs to a heavenly inheritance that can never perish, we do not respond with despair or hopelessness. These trials are not meaningless; they are refining fires, testing and proving the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold. And so, even in suffering, we rejoice. We jump for joy; not because the tests are easy, but because our faith is being proven, and it will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Closing Thought: Peter encourages God's chosen exiles toremember that their hope as believers is not found in present comfort, but in the assured promise of eternal glory. They can endure life's trials with confidence, knowing that their future salvation is secured by God's power through faith—and that the eternal inheritance awaiting them far outweighs the fleeting hardships of this world. Beloved, as elect exiles, let us praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us not merely a promise, but a living hope—one that anchors our souls and guarantees our eternal destiny.

Closing Thought: In his first letter, Peter addresses thescattered Christians of the 1st century by reminding them oftheir identity as God's chosen people, the means by which they became His people through divine intervention, and the manner in which they should conduct their lives in obedience to Jesus Christ while enduring trials, temptations, and persecution during their earthly existence. May we, as Christians in the 21st century, also receive an abundance of grace and peace to navigate this same reality.

Closing Thought: Peter wrote this epistle late in the firstcentury to God's chosen people living in a land in which theywere exiles. He was writing to them to stand firm in the grace of God in the face of persecution, trials, and suffering. He begins his letter by reminding them that it is God who made them His chosen exiles. May this encourage those of us who are God's people today to rejoice as we remember that we too were chosen by God to be His exiles in a place that is not our eternal home.

Closing Thought: In the final moments of His earthly ministry, Jesus led His disciples to Bethany to bless them. As He blessed them, He ascended to glory. The disciples did not grieve; they rejoiced. Their worship flowed from the deep well of hope, fueled by the promises of Jesus. Jesus rose and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He reigns, He intercedes, He prepares a place for us. He will return to take us to glory, and until then we will live in submission to our King, filled with the hope of His return.

1. The apostles did not see Jesus completely until they saw Him in the Scriptures2. Repentance and Forgiveness of sin cannot be separated. While repentance is not a work that leads to salvation, it most certainly is an inevitable and necessary fruit of salvation.3. Understanding the Scriptures is not enough to power the Christian life. The Christian must be clothed by power from on high.

After Jesus rose from the dead, and took on an immortal body, He appeared to His true disciples. Their "eyewitness" reports, which we find in the Bible, allow us to "see" the Risen Lord and assure us that we too will one day have an immortal body like His and share in eternal life with Him in heaven. Hallelujah and Amen!