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Greetings GraceLife!

This past Sunday, Pastor Joe called our attention to God’s Word as found in 1 Samuel 28:12-25, in his message #28 in the series “A Sinner in Love with God”.  He titled this one “The Last Word”.   In this scripture, we learn the result of Saul’s lifetime of refusing God’s Word, his choice of rebellion over repentance.  His “connection to God”, the prophet Samuel, had died and Saul, in desperate circumstances, had sought Samuel through a medium/witch in order to hear a “new Word” from God that would help him through his circumstances.  Yet, he had not heeded God’s previous Word over and over again, to the point that God was no longer offering warnings, but was administering judgment.  What can we learn from this?  Don’t rebel and refuse God’s Word that He has clearly given; repent and run to Him.  This passage is so rich in encouragement to us!  We invite you to listen (or re-listen) to this message in its entirety through our website (select “Messages”). 

Please note…

Our updated GraceLife Sarasota app is now available for your use!  Just download the app and enjoy our new features!  We’re excited to provide you with this connectivity option! 

Here is a quick look at events coming up this week and a look ahead as well.  

June 2nd – Tuesday evening Adult Bible Study at MB, 7-8pm, Room 105.  Tonight, we will continue our study in Judges, looking at the life of Samson and the surprising ways God accomplishes His purposes through deeply flawed people.  Please read Judges 14:4-15:20 prior to our study.  As we follow Samson’s story, we will wrestle with some important questions.  How can God be at work through someone whose desires and decisions seem so misguided?  What does Samson reveal about Israel’s spiritual condition?  And what does his life teach us about God’s sovereignty, patience, and grace? 

June 3rd 

  • Sisters in Prayer at MB, 7pm, Fellowship Corner; no meeting of BLAZE Youth, but  new Student Ministry schedule coming!  
  • Our new Women’s home-based Bible Study, “Captivating”, will NOT meet this week, but will be meeting next Wednesday, June 10th.  See Connie Daidone for details.   

June 4th – Deep End Dinner/Bible Study at ML will NOT meet this week, but will reconvene soon.  We’ll keep you posted!  

June 6th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Gym Classroom, 201C, 8-9am

June 7th  at MB

  • 8:15 – 8:30am – prayer time with our leadership in Room 105
  • 9am worship service in Auditorium/Sanctuary – celebrating the Lord’s Supper
  • 10:30am worship service in Auditorium/Sanctuary – celebrating the Lord’s Supper
  • 10:15 – 11:30am -- Adult Christian Education (CE) merged class in the Gym classrooms; BLAZE Youth classes in the Gym Loft
  • 10:45 – 11:30am -- GL Kids -- infant-5th grade classes
  • After the 10:30am worship service, please join us for our First Sunday Luncheon in the Gym!   

Quick note – Our Auditorium/Sanctuary at MB is being painted this week as part of our on-going efforts to care for what God has entrusted to us!  

Looking a little further ahead…!   

June 21st – Celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Communion) – We’ll again be celebrating the Lord’s Supper at both the 9am and 10:30am worship services!  

July 5th – No First Sunday Luncheon due to July 4th holiday weekend.

July 18th – Day4Hope (D4H) – We need volunteers to support this event, both in the planning leading up to July 18th as well as the “day of”.  Please reach out to Cean Cerny or speak with someone at the Connection Center if you’ll be able to help.  You can sign up to help through the following link Day4HopeVolunteers2026 or sign up in the Lobby at MB. 

July 20th-24th – Vacation Bible School!  This summer, we will be offering an exciting VBS to GLKids AND children of Living Hope Church!  Of course, we need YOUR help!  Volunteer sign-up sheets are now available in our MB Lobby, along with a flyer providing more details about this wonderful opportunity to serve.  (Sign-ups are also available online – see just below.)  Volunteers are needed from 8am - 1pm.  

August 9th – Our Next Baptisms!  We are excited to bring you another opportunity to make a public profession of your decision to accept Jesus as Lord of your life!  Sign-ups are available through our website or through sign-up sheets in our Lobby on Sunday mornings.  Preparation for your baptism will include meeting with GL leadership, so please sign up early so that we may begin the process with you!

Stewardship Thoughts 

Stewardship can be seen as the fruit of repentance.  When we repent, we move from self-rule to faithful responsibility by obeying God’s Word.  We no longer view time, money, influence, possessions, or even our own lives as tools for self-centered gratification, but as gifts entrusted to us for wise and faithful use.  Repentance reverses rebellion, and stewardship demonstrates that reversal in our daily lives.

Ministry Spotlight

Repentance restores our relationship with God, and ministry extends that restored relationship outward to others as we serve Him by loving others.  A repentant heart does more than abandon rebellion; it embraces God’s mission.  Ministries become channels through which transformed people express obedience, love, compassion, teaching, encouragement, healing, generosity, and service.      

Blaze Youth Student Ministry

Students in grade 6-12 are invited to join us in the Loft (upstairs MB Gym) during our weekly meeting times.

  • Sunday mornings 10:15-11:30am
  • Sunday evenings 4-5pm

Other Group Prayer Opportunities

In addition to our Weekly Prayer Meetings on Sunday mornings and Monthly Prayer Meetings, we also have a prayer chain here at GraceLife, a way for many to pray for the needs of those in our GraceLife family.  

  • How do I request prayer for myself or others?  You may submit your requests for prayer through our Connect Cards, email, note, text, or verbal request to our leadership or member of our Admin Team, or to Cindy Lanoue-Foster or to me (Dreama).  We’ll then post your prayer request for distribution to those who have indicated their desire to be part of our prayer chain.  
  • How do I become part of the prayer chain?  Just indicate to a member of our Admin Team that you’d like to be part of the prayer chain OR sign up at the lobby’s sign-up table (by the seating area) and we’ll make that happen.  Prayer is powerful and we are privileged to pray for one another.

In addition to seeking volunteers for upcoming events, we also have on-going needs for volunteers in the following ministries…

  • Hospitality Ministry – Volunteers are needed for the hospitality team! Please respond to this email if you are interested in helping prepare/serve food for our fellowship times!  

  • Children’s Ministry – We are so blessed that our Children’s Ministry continues to welcome more and more children to GraceLife!  That means that more and more volunteers are also needed for Sunday mornings! We’re looking for volunteers with servant hearts to help care for our youngest members of the GraceLife family. If you’re interested in serving in our Children’s Ministry, please stop by the Connection Center or contact Jackie. 

  • Greeters and Connection Center – We are seeking more volunteers to serve as Greeters and at the Connection Center for both the 9am and 10:30am Sunday morning worship services.  Whether it’s a first-time visitor to GraceLife or a member of our GraceLife family, we want each person who enters our Lord’s house on Sunday morning to be warmly welcomed, to be assisted as needed, and to be, frankly, surprised at the evidence of abundant love at GraceLife.  If you are interested in serving in this way, please stop by the Connection Center and let us know.  

More about our Sunday Mornings at Mount Beneva

  • Parking – Please let us know of any parking issues you may have.  
  • Lobby
    • Greeters are available to welcome and assist you.  (As you’ll see later in this post, we need more Greeters and Connection Center volunteers!!  If you would like to serve in this way, please speak with someone at our Connection Center.)  Also, visit the Connection Center with questions, or for sign-ups, books, t-shirts and more!  
    • Nametag requests continue to be processed. Nametags can be located in the drawers by the sitting area.  
    • Coffee, snacks and pastries are provided for your enjoyment and are refreshed throughout the morning by our hospitality team. Please enjoy your food in the lobby and bring only lidded beverages into the auditorium/ sanctuary.  Thank you!
  • Open prayer time with our leadership is available to you, Room 105, 8:15 – 8:30am.
  • Worship services are held in the auditorium/sanctuary at 9 and 10:30 am. 
  • Christian Education classes are held from 10:15-11:30am for Adults in the Gym classrooms and our BLAZE Youth in the Loft;  and from 10:45-11:30am for Children in the children’s wing in the main building.  Our Adult CE classes have been merged into one (Better Together!) and are continuing the “Biblical Love” study.  The merged class meets in Gym classroom 201B/C.  Jeff Lawson and Mike Hamel share in teaching the class.

Connect Cards can be found in the auditorium/sanctuary and at the Connection Center.  Use these to provide contact information, request contact from us, or ask for prayer.  (An online version of the Connect Card is also available through our website.)

Reminder

Please identify your giving recipient as “GraceLife Sarasota”. If you have questions, please contact Randy Coryell or Dan Deems.