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Time for “Grace” is Running Out

This week, Pastor John hands over the TAGD keyboard to Marti Wiegman, Northpoint’s Director of Women’s Ministries.

Time for “Grace” is Running Out

A Special Message for Our Ladies,

I ran a search on Amazon this morning for “Christian relationship books” and got 59,915 results! Clearly, relationships are an area of high priority, or at least high interest, in our lives.

God himself has put great importance on our relationships with one another. Jesus summarized all the laws of the Old Testament in two commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (from Matthew 12:20-31).

But for all the advice out there on how to be a better spouse, parent, child, friend, coworker, neighbor, committee leader, “pet guardian” . . . we still have hearts that ache. Each one of us has experienced relational pain. Some wounds we bounce back from relatively unscathed. Others leave scars that last a lifetime. Our hearts yearn for the love we so desperately need in all these relationships, because to some degree or other they seem to fall short. And we are tormented by ways we ourselves have failed to show love to others.

The biggest problem with relationships is they always seem to involve sinners—including ourselves. So how can we form strong, resilient bonds with people who, like us, are bound to mess up?

The solution is not more advice or willpower or another checklist of things to do. It is an ever-increasing grasp of God’s grace and our Savior’s love for us. Focusing on Jesus and the loving way he relates to us has the power to transform the way we relate to each other.

This is the Bible-centered, hope-filled message we women will be hearing throughout our upcoming Women’s Conference here at Northpoint:

Everyday Grace
Infusing All Your Relationships with the Love of Jesus
March 11, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

We are so excited to have mother and daughter team ELYSE M. FITZPATRICK and JESSICA THOMPSON as our speakers—two amazing, gospel-centered women who practice living in grace in their own lives. Elyse (Certificate in Biblical Counseling, CCEF; MA, Biblical Counseling, Trinity Theological Seminary) is a frequent conference speaker and the author of more than twenty books. Jessica is a popular speaker and author in her own right, including our theme book, Everyday Grace. She has a bachelor’s degree in theology and is a wife and mother of three. Elyse and Jessica coauthored the book Give Them Grace, Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus.

Everyday Grace is not a marriage conference but instead, will focus on all the relationships we have as women.

Session 1:  Relationships with our Friends—
We will rejoice together that Jesus himself has called us his friend. The knowledge of Jesus’ friendship towards us will warm our hearts towards others.

Session 2:  Relationships with Parents and Siblings—
We will focus in on the fact the Jesus has called us his brother and discover how that proclamation can change how we see and relate to our families.

Session 3:  Relationships within the Church—
We’ll explore the truth that Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest. As we delve into the way that we have been loved by him, we will see clearly how to love others in the church.

Pre-Conference Event for Moms
Friday night, March 10, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in Heritage Hall

Every Christian mother wants to raise good kids and be a good mom. But what does good mean? And is that the point? Together Elyse and Jessica will point us to the one who can comfort our hearts, transform our children, and give us grace—grace to parent, to persevere, to pray, and to rest in God’s love for us and our children.

The cost for the conference is:
$38 advance purchase through February 19 (Time is running out!)
$45 general admission
(Cost includes a catered lunch, beverages and snacks)
NOTE:  Tickets purchased after March 5 will not include a catered lunch.

Pre-Conference Event for Moms:
Free with purchase of conference ticket
$10 for Friday only

You can purchase your tickets online at everydaygrace2017.org. Or you can pick up your tickets Sunday after services in the Foyer. Remember, the time to buy your “grace” tickets is running out; prices go up February 20! Scholarships are available—please don’t miss out because of financial concerns. Just let us know.

To you ladies who have yet to decide to join us, I want to strongly encourage you to invest in this weekend. It’s never easy for us to pull away from our many demands, but I truly believe there is nothing better you can do for your family and all your relationships than to spend a day in the Word under the teaching of two amazing, gospel-centered women who practice living in grace in their own lives. And the fellowship with one another throughout the day just makes it all the sweeter.

For those of you who have already decided to come, I want to ask you to help us spread the word.  Bring a friend, post it on Facebook, pick up some flyers on Sunday to hand out at school or work. Let’s share this opportunity with others who need to experience God’s transforming grace in their relationships.

Grace to you,

Marti Wiegman