The Local Church
“When you join a church, you make it visible. You give a living demonstration of the spiritual reality of the body of Christ. You show that even though you are an individual, you are a part of the body; you are joined together with others. You take the body of Christ out of the realm of the theoretical (1 Cor. 12:27) and give it a meaning that people can see.” Donald Whitney
This quote wonderfully captures a vital biblical truth about living together in Christian community.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
When someone staggers, we help steady the load. If someone is straining, we help bear the burden. And if someone stumbles, we help lift him up.
Jana shared with us on Sunday what it has meant for her to be a member of our local church. Here’s one glimpse she shared of how she experienced Galatians 6:2 in her story:
I just wanted to escape and not be reminded of God’s truths. I wanted to believe there wasn’t a plan and this was a mistake. But y’all wouldn’t let me.
Friends called and texted and visited. And we cried together. And laughed together. And you made me listen to what God’s word says and I saw it lived out in front of my very eyes. God’s grace, mercy, and love, right in front of my face!
It’s a wonderful story of God’s amazing grace being experienced in the context of a community of believers.
Below, you can read/watch Jana’s testimony from Sunday in its entirety.
Jana’s Testimony
Jana Thomas Grose here!
I’d like to share with you a little about our community.
I’ll try to make this really long story short. Most of you know parts of it, but for those who might not know me well, here are the highlights.
⁃ grew up right here in Athens
⁃ met and married Kelly Thomas in college
⁃ moved to AZ where we did graduate work, worked, had four kids, and got involved in a Sovereign Grace church
⁃ moved back to TN in 2014 to settle in on our family farm and for my hubby to begin a new chapter, after 14 years at University of AZ, at UTK as professor of Tuba in the School of Music.
⁃ jumped in to Cornerstone Church of Knoxville and began our dream come true—living on the family farm with four wonderful kids to raise and train. Life was GREAT!
⁃ Until June 7, 2015. Kelly was stung by a wasp, had an allergic reaction and died.
⁃ And within minutes, our community surrounded us. That evening, there were over 100 people who came to my house to bring food, necessities, offer words of support and just love on my family.
⁃ That first week, I cannot tell you how many people showed up, with meals, both our community of people who I grew up with, and people from Cornerstone-Athenians, who had been driving up to Knoxville to be a part of that community of believers
⁃ Then, two weeks after Kelly died, I discovered I was expecting Kelsa-Ana. Wait! What?!?!?
⁃ For THREE ENTIRE MONTHS - people from Cornerstone showed up at my home, with meals, laundry detergent, toilet paper, and most of all friendship and support. Many people dropped food off. Others came and played with my kids and prayed with me and loved on us.
There are truly no words to express how this impacted me. I grew up in a loving community where people supported each other, then moved to a place where people closed their garage doors when they arrived home from work and we had to MAKE friends. And it was hard work!
And now, during the most awful time of my life, with kids ages 12, 9, 6, 4, and pregnant and no dad, people loved us like only those who have the power of Christ in their hearts can do. People I had never seen. People I didn’t know. People I loved dearly and wanted to know more. All loved Jesus and therefore loved us.
And we made it. By God’s grace and through the help of the community of believers that showered us with practical things, financial support, emotional support, and continual pointing me to the Lord and not letting me sink into despair.
And Kelsa was born- and the love started all over again. Amazing grace!!
We continued to grow and love this group. So, we jumped in at the chance to be a part of planting Trinity Grace. And my friends’ kids became my children’s friends and they literally held us up.
There were days when I wanted to sit at home and feel sorry for myself and would have—except y’all loved my kiddos so well that my kids would not let me and they drug me to church, sometimes kicking and screaming the whole way. True story.
I just wanted to escape and not be reminded of God’s truths. I wanted to believe there wasn’t a plan and this was a mistake. But y’all wouldn’t let me.
Friends called and texted and visited. And we cried together. And laughed together. And you made me listen to what God’s word says and I saw it lived out in front of my very eyes. God’s grace, mercy, and love, right in front of my face!
Fast forward to 2021:
God had put it on the heart of a colleague of my Kelly to pray for our family. This friend had lost his wife 4 years prior to Kelly’s death and knew the pain. So he prayed, and checked on me and the kids every few months.
And this year his text, my birthday text which he had sent the past six years to acknowledge those days are hard and he was praying, his howdy do (which he would never actually say since he is from OR) hit a note with me.
And this really long story, well, here is where it gets really good.
Michael David Grose, well, he and I shared our hearts and we begin to seek wisdom from our community, people in this room right here, about whether a relationship could honor God.
And so, exactly 4 weeks ago today, Michael and I were married. And guess what! Y’all did it again!!! Y’all came alongside in a way that blew us away!
You loved us. You asked all the right questions and got to know him immediately. You planned our wedding. Then, you made the wedding happen. You made food. You altered my dress. You ordered things and ran errands and did all the things I’m really terrible at. You took pictures. You set up and tore down and cleaned. You encouraged Michael and myself and y’all got us married like only happens in dreams.
I don’t even know so many things that people did behind the scenes.
And I want to thank you. Thank you. That day wouldn’t have been as wonderful without you. And I don’t know if we would have made it without you.
All glory belongs to God alone!
Praise the Lord for how he has met this family through his people! And praise the Lord for how he has built us up in the process!