GraceLife Sarasota

In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His church to go into all the world, preaching the Gospel He taught us. That Gospel is a precious message of grace & mercy, but it’s also a warning of judgment for those who reject it. God’s people have always battled temptation to soften the Gospel’s warnings of judgement, just focusing on mercy. The church is under constant pressure to truncate the Gospel,...

In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His church to go into all the world, preaching the Gospel He taught us. That Gospel is a precious message of grace & mercy, but it’s also a warning of judgment for those who reject it. God’s people have always battled temptation to soften the Gospel’s warnings of judgement, just focusing on mercy. The church is under constant pressure to truncate the Gospel,...

Have you ever heard the phrase “I have good news, and bad news, which do you want first?” Which one do you usually want to hear first? For me, I always say “give me the bad news”. I want to get it out of the way to process it emotionally, physically, and spiritually then hear something hopeful. That’s how chapter 13 & 14 lays out. Its good news and bad news, and John gave his readers the bad news...

Have you ever heard the phrase “I have good news, and bad news, which do you want first?” Which one do you usually want to hear first? For me, I always say “give me the bad news”. I want to get it out of the way to process it emotionally, physically, and spiritually then hear something hopeful. That’s how chapter 13 & 14 lays out. Its good news and bad news, and John gave his readers the bad news...

Reading Revelation the wrong way makes it a horror movie. Reading it the right way makes it an encouraging blessing. Bad interpretation of today’s passage is one reason people see Revelation as scary, ominous, & intimidating. It contains 2 of the most talked about symbols in Revelation, the mark of the beast and the number of the beast. From vaccines to computer chips to bar codes and social secur...

Reading Revelation the wrong way makes it a horror movie. Reading it the right way makes it an encouraging blessing. Bad interpretation of today’s passage is one reason people see Revelation as scary, ominous, & intimidating. It contains 2 of the most talked about symbols in Revelation, the mark of the beast and the number of the beast. From vaccines to computer chips to bar codes and social secur...

It’s a bit of a turn of providence that this passage comes the Sunday after election day, though I didn’t plan it. Also, many of you know I don’t like talking politics during sermons ever, but Revelation sort of demands it. It's full of encouragements and warnings about being too invested in this world, it's treasures, it's powers, it's system. Let me start today with some vulnerability about my p...

It’s a bit of a turn of providence that this passage comes the Sunday after election day, though I didn’t plan it. Also, many of you know I don’t like talking politics during sermons ever, but Revelation sort of demands it. It's full of encouragements and warnings about being too invested in this world, it's treasures, it's powers, it's system. Let me start today with some vulnerability about my p...

Let’s set a visual scene here for you with a couple pics. This what Israeli wilderness looks like. Over 20 years ago, Laura and I were given with a trip to Israel. It was such a formative 14 days. One night, our guide arranged a wilderness camping experience in Bedouin tents, that looked just like this. Our tents were very comfortable. Our Bedouin hosts provided everything we needed, food, water,...

Let’s set a visual scene here for you with a couple pics. This what Israeli wilderness looks like. Over 20 years ago, Laura and I were given with a trip to Israel. It was such a formative 14 days. One night, our guide arranged a wilderness camping experience in Bedouin tents, that looked just like this. Our tents were very comfortable. Our Bedouin hosts provided everything we needed, food, water,...

Have you ever been embarrassed by someone making a loud, public accusation against you? Have you ever made a mistake and had someone who seemed to enjoy telling everyone about it? Has someone secretly, anonymously gone behind your back to make an accusation? That’s never fun is it? In my 1st full time job, I had a person like that, who seemed constantly joyful over carrying a torch for accusing me...

Have you ever been embarrassed by someone making a loud, public accusation against you? Have you ever made a mistake and had someone who seemed to enjoy telling everyone about it? Has someone secretly, anonymously gone behind your back to make an accusation? That’s never fun is it? In my 1st full time job, I had a person like that, who seemed constantly joyful over carrying a torch for accusing me...

So far, Revelation is full of symbolism around the suffering of God’s people in this period we’re in called the tribulation. Are you ever troubled or perplexed by the terrible things throughout human history, and even today? Do you get weary of a seemingly relentless struggle against evil? War, genocide, violence, famine, cultural decline? What about personally? Have you ever felt like no matter w...

So far, Revelation is full of symbolism around the suffering of God’s people in this period we’re in called the tribulation. Are you ever troubled or perplexed by the terrible things throughout human history, and even today? Do you get weary of a seemingly relentless struggle against evil? War, genocide, violence, famine, cultural decline? What about personally? Have you ever felt like no matter w...

In this Revelation series, I’ve made many references to government while not advocating for one political side or the other. It's clear one of the themes in Revelation is don’t put your hope in earthly government....that won’t end well. For Christians in America, I think that misplaced hope is more tempting & prevalent than Christians in other countries. America is an amazing country and I’m a pro...

In this Revelation series, I’ve made many references to government while not advocating for one political side or the other. It's clear one of the themes in Revelation is don’t put your hope in earthly government....that won’t end well. For Christians in America, I think that misplaced hope is more tempting & prevalent than Christians in other countries. America is an amazing country and I’m a pro...

We’ve preached through Genesis (twice), Philippians, 2 Cor, Psalm 119, 1,2, & 3 John. The Life of Joseph, Mark, Jonah, 1 & 2 Peter, and now we are slowly working our way through Revelation, within half a year, w/likely 20 more sermons to go. Recently someone new to our church asked me why we do such long series at GraceLife, months to months??? 90 minutes later (JK), I defined one of our core valu...

We’ve preached through Genesis (twice), Philippians, 2 Cor, Psalm 119, 1,2, & 3 John. The Life of Joseph, Mark, Jonah, 1 & 2 Peter, and now we are slowly working our way through Revelation, within half a year, w/likely 20 more sermons to go. Recently someone new to our church asked me why we do such long series at GraceLife, months to months??? 90 minutes later (JK), I defined one of our core valu...

Have you ever seen a complicated mural telling a story? You have to interpret each image in order. This is a mural of the history of Mexico, to understand it, you would need guide who has studied it. That’s today. This passage is a verbal mural of the story of the church proclaiming the Gospel throughout church history. Last week at the end of ch11, John was commanded to eat the scroll & prophesy...

Have you ever seen a complicated mural telling a story? You have to interpret each image in order. This is a mural of the history of Mexico, to understand it, you would need guide who has studied it. That’s today. This passage is a verbal mural of the story of the church proclaiming the Gospel throughout church history. Last week at the end of ch11, John was commanded to eat the scroll & prophesy...

Have I ever said anything in a sermon that made you cringe? Not a Joe Davis cringe, my wife knows that feeling well. I am talking something cringe-worthy in God’s Word, some kind of clear warning, correction, or judgement. The parts of God’s that taste bitter, seem to condemn, harsh, cutting to the heart, words that leave no wiggle room. Have you ever heard something, sweet, promising, encouraging...

Have I ever said anything in a sermon that made you cringe? Not a Joe Davis cringe, my wife knows that feeling well. I am talking something cringe-worthy in God’s Word, some kind of clear warning, correction, or judgement. The parts of God’s that taste bitter, seem to condemn, harsh, cutting to the heart, words that leave no wiggle room. Have you ever heard something, sweet, promising, encouraging...

Do you remember the 1st time you ever saw pictures of Auschwitz and images of the Nazi’s 7 mill genocide of Jews? Do you remember when you first learned about Joseph Stalin killing 20-30 million people during His reign in Russia? Mao Zedong, killed an estimated 65million Chinese in his attempt to create a new socialist, communist China. Pol Pot killed 2million in His attempt to create a Communist...

Do you remember the 1st time you ever saw pictures of Auschwitz and images of the Nazi’s 7 mill genocide of Jews? Do you remember when you first learned about Joseph Stalin killing 20-30 million people during His reign in Russia? Mao Zedong, killed an estimated 65million Chinese in his attempt to create a new socialist, communist China. Pol Pot killed 2million in His attempt to create a Communist...

How do you feel about some of the insects we have in FL? Massive flying cockroaches, horse flies, prehistoric moths? Deep woods mosquitoes, hornet’s nests, I hate them, I run from them always, and if they are swarming? Child please! If anything, bigger than a small raisin flies around my head, I want to be out of that general area or I want it dead! Last week doing yardwork a massive bug chased me...