Grace 242

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed. Title: How NOT to Live Your Authentic Self Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Today we contrast the biblical idea of becoming your most authentic self with the self-help mutation that has made its way into the church. 

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed. Title: If You Love Me, You'll Give Me a Like Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-8  Last week we looked at how our vertical love for God is mutated and this week we pinpoint at how our horizontal love for others is mutated. First we walk through three characteris...

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed. Title: God's Love Unboxed and Reboxed Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:18-19 Today we look at the magic trick that mutates God's love into something it isn't. We walk through the three steps of the magic trick, and then we respond with three movemen...

This Advent we're conducting a Christmas Scene Investigation to sleuth out how the differences between our magical, mythical conceptions of Christmas differ from the Biblical reality of Christmas. Title: The Inn Scripture Reading: Luke 2:7 NIV (1984) Today we conduct an INNvestigation of the "I" in CSI which is  I nn. We ask two questions: 1. So where? 2. So what? 

This Advent we're conducting a Christmas Scene Investigation to sleuth out how the differences between our magical, mythical conceptions of Christmas differ from the Biblical reality of Christmas. Title: The Stable Scripture Reading: Luke 2:6-16 NIV (1984) Today we investigate the S of CSI as we investigate the S table. First we look at the S etting of Jesus' birth. Next we look at the S...

This Advent we're conducting a Christmas Scene Investigation to sleuth out how the differences between our magical, mythical conceptions of Christmas differ from the Biblical reality of Christmas. Title: The Child Scripture Reading: Luke 1:31-35 NIV (1984) Today we investigate the C of CSI as we investigate the C hild. Our investigation concludes that Jesus is both divine and human at the sam...

In these three weeks between the election and Advent, we're looking at the book of Daniel. What sort of lessons can we learn from how Daniel related to his government as we relate to our government? Title: The Truth About Humans Acting Like Animals Scripture Reading: Daniel 4:18-19, 24-27 In Daniel 4, we see Daniel's commitment to the truth regardless of fear. Exiles are committed to the...

In these three weeks between the election and Advent, we're looking at the book of Daniel. What sort of lessons can we learn from how Daniel related to his government as we relate to our government? Title: An Exile's Guide to Government Scripture Reading: Daniel 2:29-35 What's with this bizarre dream of Nebuchadnezzar's in chapter 2 of Daniel? The dream makes three sovereignty...

In these three weeks between the election and Advent, we're looking at the book of Daniel. What sort of lessons can we learn from how Daniel related to his government as we relate to our government? Title: An Exile's Guide to Government Scripture Reading: Daniel 1:1-8 Today we look at exile: 1. What is it? 2. Our actions within it. 3. Obedience amidst it. 

Series: Learn to Block Title: Why Doesn't Jesus Just Nuke Satan? Scripture Reading: Revelation 11:36 This is our final week in our Learn to Block series on spiritual warfare. One of our people at Grace 242 insightfully asks, "Why don't Jesus just nuke Satan?" Today we answer that question by looking at three "triple G" or G od G etting G lory moments.  1. Incarnation...

Series: Learn to Block Title: The Accuser's Shame Old Tricks Scripture Reading: Revelation 12:10 This is our eighth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Revelation 12:10 refers to Satan as "the accuser." Today we look at some of the accusations made against us by the accuser and how they feed a complex of shame within us.   The accusations we cover are: 1. You’r...

Series: Learn to Block Title: Temptation Tactics Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 This is our seventh week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Jesus' temptation by Satan in the wilderness reveals several tactics for how Satan tempts us: 1. Satan exploits our priors 2. Satan exploits our methods 3. Satan exploits our distinctions

Series: Learn to Block Title: Tactics of the Father of Lies Scripture Reading: John 8:44 This is our sixth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Whereas last week we looked at lies within us, today we turn our focus outward with the goal of identifying the lies in our culture. We identify three lies:  1. The lie of Reversal 2. The lie of Normalization 3. The lie of Redefinition

Series: Learn to Block Title: The Big Lie-ar Scripture Reading: John 8:44 This is our fifth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Today we get practical by identifying the tactics of the "father of lies." This week we cover two lie tactics:  1. The lie of Projection 2. The lie of Catastrophizing

Series: Learn to Block Title: Crawling Through the Sewage Pipe of Lies Scripture Reading: John 8:44 This is our fourth week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Today we examine spiritual warfare through John 8:44 to see that the conflict is between the One sent by the Father full of grace and truth and the father of lies. We examine John 8:44 through three Cs. 1. C onflict 2. C om...

Series: Learn to Block Title: Tactics of Deception Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:1-7 This is our third week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Today we examine the fall in Genesis 3 to discern the tactics of deception that Satan still uses on us today. We explore three of Satan's tactics of deception: 1. Presumption of Innocence 2. Impugning God's Character 3. Kernels of...

Series: Learn to Block Title: Know Your Enemy Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:12 This is our second week learning how to block the fiery arrows of the enemy. Today we look at who that enemy is through 6 facts: 1. Satan is not God's equal counterpart 2. Satan is not a proper name 3. Satan is not omniscient 4. Satan is not omnipotent 5. Satan is not omnipresent 6. Satan is not redeemable

Series: Learn to Block Title: Learn to Block Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:16 This fall kicks off a new series on spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:16 tells us that we need to learn how to block the fiery arrows of the spiritual enemy. Today we look at a basic blocking technique with four  R s. 1. R ecognize 2. R aise 3. R esist 4.  R elief

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...Are We in the End Times? Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:3-8 Are we living in the end times? All of the signs of Jesus' return from Matthew 24:3-8 are operative today so are the end times upon us? We explore this question through 3 "D"s: D efine - What do we mean when we say "end times?" D on't - What shouldn't we do in regards...

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...About the Dinosaurs? Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:24-25 Today Bob Turner preaches on a fun question from our kids. What about the dinosaurs? 

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...Does God appoint evil leaders to punish a nation for turning their back on Him? Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 14:15-16 We explore the question through 5 "R"s 1.  R eveal  2.  R eason 3.  R eality 4.  R esult 5.  R esponse

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...What does James mean when he instructs us not to show favoritism? Scripture Reading: James 1:27-2:13 In James chapter 2, we're instructed not to show favoritism. What does this mean and how can we live it out? James 2:13 gives us the thesis statement: Treat others as God treats you. This week is part 2 of this message where we look at the second part of t...

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...What does James mean when he instructs us not to show favoritism? Scripture Reading: James 1:27-2:13 In James chapter 2, we're instructed not to show favoritism. What does this mean and how can we live it out? James 2:13 gives us the thesis statement: Treat others as God treats you. This week is part 1 of this message where we look at the first part of th...

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...What Was the Fruit Adam and Eve Ate? Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:1-6 This summer we are diving into your Bible and faith wonderings. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, what type of fruit did they eat? We explore this wondering with three questions: 1. What is it?  2. Why care about it? 3. How to produce it? 

Series: I Wonder... Title: I Wonder...How can we love God if we are supposed to fear Him as well? Scripture Reading: Psalm 147:10-11 This summer we are diving into your Bible and faith wonderings. Scripture commands us to both love and fear God at the same time? How can we do this?  In answering this question, we explore three negative examples of fear and two positive examples of fear.