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Grace Bible Fellowship

Richmond, California

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  • “Final Words” – by Van Moeller (August 12, 2026)

    “Final Words” – by Van Moeller (August 12, 2026)

    Precious Parting Words

    Will anyone remember our last words? Will we have the chance to say them? Many people leave this world without the opportunity to say goodbye. Many last words are forgotten because the life that was lived gave no reason to remember them.  We should live each day as if it were our last. We should speak with the expectation that what we say may be our last opportunity. 

    I know that I often speak in anger, frustration, or disappointment and say things which I don’t want to be remembered. How tragic it would be if they became the last one which I speak. We all hope that our final words are worthy of being remembered and that those who hear them will do so. That requires that we live a life that causes people to listen. This requires a concern for others which leads to our expressing love for them through our actions. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.

    The Lord Jesus Christ lived the most important and worthwhile life this world has ever seen. We should remember all of his words, not just the last ones. However, his last ones were definitely some of his most important. People may remember our last words if we take them to heart and apply them to our lives.

    “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

    This is the true battle we face. We have to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. (Luke 9:27) His sacrifice on the cross was his last action. It is our example to follow. (1 Peter 2:21)

    “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36)

    Jesus made it clear that anyone who uses a sword or a gun in his name will die by it. (Matthew 26:52). Governments have been given power by God (Romans 13:1-4), but Christ’s kingdom is in our hearts. Our weapon is love. We are to overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Faith cannot be forced. (Revelation 3:20) We persuade men and women, boys and girls. (2 Corinthians 5:11) We don’t kill them, and praise God that he doesn’t kill us.

    “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)

    Jesus said this right after he had large iron nails pounded through his hands and feet and was lifted up on the cross. He had to put pressure on his feet and push up his body in order to be able to speak. It would have caused agonizing pain. Yet he was the one who had told Peter that he could ask his Father to send twelve legions of angels. (Matthew 26:53) One angel had killed 185,000 Assyrians. (2 Kings 19:35) Jesus could have wiped out every Roman legion if he wanted. Instead, he forgave the small group which had spat on him, mocked him, beaten him, and nailed him to the cross. He wanted to save them even though they were killing him. He had preached that we should love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44) He practiced what he preached.

    “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30)

    These are the last words of Jesus while he was in the flesh on this earth. They might be the most remarkable of all. The English words “It is finished” are a single Greek word in the original scroll: Tetelestai. The following is quoted from the Google AI Overview of this Greek word and its historical and cultural use.

    1. “It was commonly written across receipts or documents to mean ‘Paid in Full’, indicating that s financial debt had been fully satisfied.
    2. “It signified that a criminal had fully served a prison sentence or that the demands of justice had been completely met.”
    3. “A military commander might shout it to declare complete victory over an enemy.”

    Christ died as a common criminal, but he shouted his final word as the sovereign of the universe and victorious warrior who paid the sin debt of all mankind to free us from under the control of Satan.

    “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

    “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

    He will receive our worship and gratitude throughout eternity because of his final words and perfect death.

    It Is Finished by Advent World

  • What is the “Breaking of Bread”?

    What is the “Breaking of Bread”?

    Precious Parting Words

    Will anyone remember our last words? Will we have the chance to say them? Many people leave this world without the opportunity to say goodbye. Many last words are forgotten because the life that was lived gave no reason to remember them.  We should live each day as if it were our last. We should speak with the expectation that what we say may be our last opportunity. 
     
    I know that I often speak in anger, frustration, or disappointment and say things which I don’t want to be remembered. How tragic it would be if they became the last one which I speak. We all hope that our final words are worthy of being remembered and that those who hear them will do so. That requires that we live a life that causes people to listen. This requires a concern for others which leads to our expressing love for them through our actions. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
     
    The Lord Jesus Christ lived the most important and worthwhile life this world has ever seen. We should remember all of his words, not just the last ones. However, his last ones were definitely some of his most important. People may remember our last words if we take them to heart and apply them to our lives.
     
    “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
     
    This is the true battle we face. We have to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. (Luke 9:27) His sacrifice on the cross was his last action. It is our example to follow. (1 Peter 2:21)
     
    “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36)
     
    Jesus made it clear that anyone who uses a sword or a gun in his name will die by it. (Matthew 26:52) Governments have been given power by God (Romans 13:1-4), but Christ’s kingdom is in our hearts. Our weapon is love. We are to overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Faith cannot be forced. (Revelation 3:20) We persuade men and women, boys and girls. (2 Corinthians 5:11) We don’t kill them, and praise God that he doesn’t kill us.
     
    “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)
     
    Jesus said this right after he had large iron nails pounded through his hands and feet and was lifted up on the cross. He had to put pressure on his feet and push up his body in order to be able to speak. It would have caused agonizing pain. Yet he was the one who had told Peter that he could ask his Father to send twelve legions of angels. (Matthew 26:53) One angel had killed 185,000 Assyrians. (2 Kings 19:35) Jesus could have wiped out every Roman legion if he wanted. Instead, he forgave the small group which had spat on him, mocked him, beaten him, and nailed him to the cross. He wanted to save them even though they were killing him. He had preached that we should love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44) He practiced what he preached.
     
    “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30)
     
    These are the last words of Jesus while he was in the flesh on this earth. They might be the most remarkable of all. The English words “It is finished” are a single Greek word in the original scroll: Tetelestai. The following is quoted from the Google AI Overview of this Greek word and its historical and cultural use.

     

  • What does it mean to Accept Jesus as LORD?

    The Gospel

    The gospel begins with recognizing that we are sinners and cannot please God or earn salvation through our own efforts, good works, religious rituals, or family background. In His great mercy, God sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem us from sin and the bondage of Satan. Jesus paid the full price for our sins through His death on the cross and rose again from the dead. Anyone who repents, asks God for forgiveness, and trusts in the finished work of Jesus Christ is forgiven and born again. Whether a person is born into a Christian home or follows another religion, everyone must personally repent, believe in Jesus Christ, and be born again.

    What It Means to Accept Jesus as LORD

    Accepting Jesus as LORD is not a casual confession. It is a life defining covenant.

    Bowing to His Authority

    To confess, “Jesus is LORD,” is to bow before His rightful authority over every part of your life. It means renouncing the illusion of self rule and willingly submitting to the One who reigns over all.

    Living to Please Christ

    From that moment, your life is no longer governed by the desire to gain the approval of friends, family, colleagues, society, a church, a pastor, or even yourself. Your deepest desire becomes to please Christ above everyone else.

    Following His Word and Will

    You are declaring that Jesus alone is the supreme authority over your life. His Word becomes your standard. His will becomes your pursuit. His glory becomes your highest aim. This does not mean that you become perfect overnight. It means that the direction of your life has changed. The Holy Spirit continually conforms you to the likeness of Christ. He teaches you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.

    Belonging to Christ

    To confess Jesus as LORD is not merely to change your words. It is to belong to Christ, live under His gracious rule, and walk in the good works that God has already prepared for you.

    “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
    “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

    Scripture References

    Luke 9:23
    Romans 10:9 to 10
    Galatians 1:10
    2 Corinthians 5:15
    Ephesians 2:10
    Philippians 2:12 to 13
    Titus 2:11 to 14

    Author Unknown

  • The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18)

    John 10:1-18

    The Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, and the security of those who are His.

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  • Walking in the Light (1 John 1:5-10)

    1 John 1:5-10

    What it means to walk in fellowship with God, and the cleansing that is ours through the blood of Christ.

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  • The Cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

    1 Corinthians 1:18-25

    Why the message of the cross is the power of God to everyone who believes.

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  • The Word Became Flesh

    John 1:1-18

    A verse by verse look at the eternal Son of God who came into the world to reveal the Father and to bring grace and truth.

  • Recommended Reading and Study Helps

    Below is a short, growing list of resources our fellowship has found helpful for personal study. This page will be updated over time as we add recommendations for books, study Bibles, and free online resources.

    If you would like a personal recommendation for where to begin, please reach out through our contact page.

  • Quiet Faithfulness at Home

    Most of the Christian life is not lived on a public stage. It is lived in ordinary places: at the kitchen table, at work, in the small decisions of an unremarkable day.

    Faithfulness in those quiet, unseen places matters to God every bit as much as any public act of service. A home marked by patience, honesty, and prayer is itself a testimony to the grace of Christ.

  • Can a Person Know They Are Saved?

    Can a Person Know They Are Saved?

    Many sincere believers wrestle with doubt about whether they are truly saved. The good news is that assurance does not rest on our changing feelings, but on something far more solid: the finished work of Christ and the plain promises of God’s word.

    Scripture repeatedly tells believers that they may know they have eternal life. Assurance grows as a believer trusts Christ’s promises, sees the Spirit’s ongoing work in their life, and continues in fellowship with God’s people.