The Local Church

This Sunday Pastor Toran guided us in looking at TLC's past, present and future in this special church family meeting. We celebrated what God has done in our church body and talked about some important steps to come in the next few months as we re-launch TLC in a new building and plant The Beloved Church. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 &a...

The end of the book of Nehemiah reminds us that we want to be pure in heart and remember our high honor and calling to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to reveal anything in you that doesn't align with this, and then lay it at the altar, trusting that He has something better. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided...

Week 5 of our Nehemiah series takes us through the steps of remembering what God's grace, repentance of where we've fallen short, and renewal of our covenant with him. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided...

How are we willing to align our hearts with Jesus and be his hands and feet today? God's heart for the vulnerable is one of the most common themes in the Bible, and Nehemiah 5 is a great illustration of this. Those of us in the kingdom of God should strive to act as He would, obeying the full spirit of the law. It is easy to see how this applies today as we navigate recent policy changes, part...

You'll never end at the finish line if you don't begin with prayer. Today Pastor Austin helped us see that Nehemiah's prayer and reliance on God during his conversation with the king is what transformed the outcome. Prayer matters and it makes a difference! God can use a prayer whispered in a moment to shout for all of eternity. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapi...

This week we begin our series through the book of Nehemiah. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! Website: http://localchurchgr.org Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr Local Ch...

The story of the prodigal son is so beautiful that it's become somewhat of an ideal in culture. The problem with ideals is that we're not sure if they actually apply to us. Have you ever done something you thought you could never come back from? In Week 2 of Prodigals, Pastor Toran helps us see that God the Father is looking expectantly for and ready to joyfully welcome anyone who will turn to him...

What's inside your heart, motivating your actions? This Sunday, Pastor Sara helped us take a closer look at the parable of the prodigal son: at the the heart of the older brother and father. The older son convicts us of our own misaligned motivations and broken relationships. But it also provides a glimpse of God the Father's kindness and compassion in his pursuit of his children. He cares deeply...

In Isaiah 7, God offers King Ahaz the opportunity to trust in him amidst wild circumstances and receive the gift of his presence; but Ahaz rejected it. Years later, when Jesus's earthly father Joseph is faced with the same choice, he humbly accepts this gift of God's presence. This progressive prophesy points us to the ultimate gift God intended for us: Immanuel, God With Us. Each of us today is o...

How often do we want the gifts of God more than the gift-giver himself? The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 is challenging - why would God ask this? There were some things that needed to die in Abraham. It caused him to examine if his trust was really in God or just in the promises? Is there anything God is asking you to surrender in the waiting of this Advent season? --- Join us for serv...

This Sunday, Pastor Toran helped us examine two interconnected stories of faith and healing that are captured in Luke 8:40-56. In both, we see Jesus desiring to grow people's faith in the middle of waiting. Where is God asking you to grow your faith in the waiting this Advent season? --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to fo...

In the midst of the Christmas season, Advent offers us an opportunity to slow our hearts and lean in to reflect on the beautiful arrival of Jesus into our lives in the past, present and future.  --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.l...

Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! Website: http://localchurchgr.org Local Church Facebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgr Local Church Instagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgr Weekly Email News...

Persecution will come for those of who sincerely try to follow the Jesus of Scripture - from those who don't know God at all, and those who claim to but don't actually. This was also true for the church in Philadelphia, whose letter in Revelation acknowledged their deeds and promised that they would be protected as they persevered. Sometimes when we have little strength, it's so that we have to re...

How many of us care more about our spiritual reputation than our spiritual reality? Some of us, like the church in Sardis, need a wake up call from complacency. Jesus's letter applied to both the individual and the collective church, and that still rings true today. The consumerism of our culture can make us think that all we need to do is go to a church building instead of belong to a church body...

Have you ever seen someone on a path you know will not turn out well, but been unsure if warning them was appropriate? The letter to the church in Thyatira focuses on Jesus as judge, and is a heavy but necessary setup as he does just this. He issues a warning that they must turn from following a false teacher of suffer dire consequences. While sometimes tough to hear, when a warning is issued from...

The direction of our culture is speeding in the opposite direction of scripture. We can find ourselves tempted to join in with certain cultural norms and idols that don't seem immediately harmful, but aren't bringing us closer to God. The same was true for the church in Pergamum, an impressive capital city of progress but also of many idols. But Jesus urges them to repent, change course and embrac...

Standing with Christ can and will cost you something, but it's worth it. The second letter in Revelation is to the church in Smyrna, who is commended for their steadfast faith in the midst of unjust suffering. Jesus reminds them that the ultimate victory - the crown he gives - is better than anything else and comes only after life on Earth. -- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapid...

In the series, Lampstand, we’re examining Revelation’s seven letters to various churches. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! Website: http://localchurchgr.org Local Church Facebook: http://facebook....

In our new series, Lampstand, we’re examining Revelation’s seven letters to various churches. Pastor Toran set the foundation for the context in which these letters were written and outlined three mistakes to avoid when reading the book of Revelation. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help...

True life is found when we lay ours down. Today, pastors Toran and Austin taught together about the difference between decision-making and discernment, reaching a place of holy indifference. This is a deep inner posture of surrender and release of our entire lives to God, being open to whatever He wants to do. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 &...

In John 12:24, Jesus explains that a seed must die to give life. He knew this applied to His life directly, but He also expects this to be true of His followers. What are you planting, giving away, or losing for God's Kingdom? --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what&...

God likes to bring dead things back to life. In Ezekiel 37, there's a vision of a valley of dry bones being breathed back to life. God's heart then was for restoration and it still is today. Where do you need the Spirit to do a work in you so that He can do something through you? --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 8:30, 9:45 & 11:15AM. Decided t...

Have you ever been around something so long that it becomes familiar and loses its impact? That can sometimes happen to us with church. We need new eyes. This morning, we examined three key parts of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28 and how TLC's mission flows from this scripture. We are one small church in Christ's larger Church, and we are committed to making disciples of Jesus. -...