Grace Chapel Knoxville Sermons

This week, Jake explains that the Christmas story is really the story of God’s redemption that began long before Bethlehem. John teaches that Jesus, the Word, has always existed and is both fully God and the Creator of all things. He is the source of life, and His light continues to shine in the darkness. John the Baptist appears as the God-sent messenger whose purpose was to prepare people for th...

As we conclude Mark’s Gospel today, may we respond to Jesus' call to live with Purpose, walk in Power, and share the Gospel by the grace of His Presence with us. The call to bring the Good News wasn’t specific to only the original disciples, but is the purpose of all those who believe. May we learn to rely upon the power of God and be sustained by His presence as we go into all the world.

In today’s message we are exploring the resurrection of Jesus and the reaction of his closest followers. Jesus’ resurrection, and our response to it, are of vital importance. Even before we explore all the implications of his death and resurrection and what it means for us, we must first just grapple with whether or not we believe this actually happened. May we all have faith to put our trust in J...

In Mark 15, Jesus stands trial before Pilate, silently enduring false accusations and injustice as the true “King of the Jews.” While Pilate recognizes His innocence, he yields to the pressure of the crowd, releasing Barabbas, a guilty man, in place of the sinless Savior. Jesus is mocked, beaten, and crucified, fulfilling Psalm 22 with remarkable precision as He suffers rejection, scorn, and physi...

In Mark 14:26–72 we follow Jesus from the Passover table to Gethsemane, the pressing place, where He faces the full weight of sorrow, betrayal, and denial. Despite the disciples’ confident words, their roots are shallow and they fall away under pressure. In the garden Jesus models both deep anguish and perfect surrender: “Abba, Father… not what I will, but what You will.” His obedience in the face...

In this week’s passage, Jesus and his closest friends gather around the table for two significant meals within just a few days of his trial and crucifixion. As we observe the various motives and conversations among Jesus’ friends and enemies during these two meals, let’s invite Jesus to reveal himself in a fresh way to us. May we be open to the Holy Spirit to convict and refine any broken motives...

In today’s passage, we see Jesus spending time on the Mount of Olives with his inner circle of disciples. It’s an intimate conversation about the future and coming difficulties, yet Jesus encourages them to see beyond the coming struggle to His return and ultimate victory. Jesus gives a series of warnings so that no one leads us astray, and we don’t become alarmed when trouble comes. Instead, He c...

In Mark chapter 12, the religious leaders are feeling threatened by Jesus' power and influence. So they conspired together to put him to the test, hoping to discredit him in the eyes of the people. However, it’s actually Jesus who flips this around and reveals truth by exposing their own broken thinking and flawed assumptions. If we surrender to him, Jesus will help us see our own places of broken...

In this week’s message (Mark 11:11-33), Jesus addresses the empty show of religion—like a fig tree with no fruit or a temple turned marketplace—and calls people back to prayer and real faith. His actions showed God’s authority and care, exposing what was false and opening the way to true life with Him. The question is simple: will we just nod in agreement, or truly give Him our allegiance and bear...

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, He was showing the world what kind of King He is. He came in humility and peace, fulfilling a prophecy spoken centuries earlier, while the crowds welcomed Him with shouts of “Hosanna!” from Psalm 118. What they didn’t realize was that this moment also lined up with the choosing of the Passover lamb—a picture of Jesus offering Himself as the sacrifi...

This passage tells the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar who recognized Jesus as the Messiah even before he received healing. Despite being silenced by the crowd, Bartimaeus cried out all the more, and Jesus stopped, called him near, and restored his sight. Jake highlighted that Jesus not only heals but brings complete wholeness (sozo): body, mind, and soul. Bartimaeus moved from sitting by the...

As Jesus is making his final approach to Jerusalem, He engages in some important conversation with his disciples. He prepares them with full transparency of his coming arrest, suffering, his death on the cross, and ultimately his resurrection. This sparks several conversations with the disciples regarding their own coming persecution, for some their martyrdom, and the need for patient endurance am...

This sermon from Mark 10:17–31 shows us that while the rich young ruler came eagerly to Jesus, he was unwilling to surrender the “one thing” that held his heart: his wealth. Jesus reveals that every person has something they may cling to that threatens to take His place, whether it’s possessions, pride, control, or comfort. Out of love, Jesus calls us to let go of whatever holds us back and follow...

In Mark 9:30–50, Jesus redefines true greatness for His disciples. While they argued about power and position, Jesus pointed them instead toward humility, servanthood, and purity. He embraced a child as an example of receiving the least and warned His followers to take sin seriously, guarding both their own hearts and the influence they have on others. Greatness in God’s kingdom is not about prest...

In Mark 9:14–29, we encounter a desperate father, a suffering son, and a group of disciples unable to help. Jesus steps into the chaos and reminds us that the answer is always to bring our brokenness to Him. The father’s honest cry, “I believe; help my unbelief!”, is the kind of prayer Jesus honors; one that admits weakness yet trusts His power. Christ not only heals the son but restores the fathe...

In Mark 9:1–13, we see Jesus transfigured before Peter, James, and John, giving them a breathtaking glimpse of His glory and confirming Him as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets through the appearance of Moses and Elijah. This passage reminds us that intimacy with Christ invites us into moments of revelation where His true majesty shines through, not to keep us on the mountaintop, but to...

In today’s sermon, we take a look at Jesus healing a man’s physical blindness, and we see Peter’s eyes opened to the reality of Jesus as the coming Messiah. The good news of Jesus' power and presence is essential for us, as we also learn the cost of following Him. The question for all of us is, who do we say that Jesus is? May we fix our gaze upon Jesus as he brings true sight to our eyes!

Jesus understands his purpose and has compassion on those in need. He has no patience for the pessimism, distraction, and attacks of his skeptics. As his disciples, will we learn to bring what we have in our hands and invite him to permeate our hearts? Or will we keep our eyes only on what we can see - like our limitations and our overwhelming challenges - and find our hearts hardened in the proce...

In today’s sermon, we see Jesus healing two people in very unlikely and even controversial ways. In these two stories, we see Jesus' loving, personal touch to heal. We are also taught about the power of faith, not only in our own lives, but also learn how our personal stories of faith can grow and produce faith in others. May we all see Jesus’ touch in and through our lives as He does all things w...

Jesus wants to free us from false and external forms of justification that keep us from a genuine repentance and true purity and healing. In this passage, Jesus makes it clear that we should not substitute traditions and outward behaviors to keep us moral and pure. Instead, let’s allow the Lord to expose broken ways of living and thinking that keep our hearts defiled and in bondage, that we might...

From Genesis to Revelation, God is described as a Shepherd to His people, and in John 10, Jesus Himself says He is, in fact, the Good Shepherd. Let’s look at the intimate bond between the Shepherd and his sheep, that we may claim as David did, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

We all feel the deep need for approval, security, and worth. In this Family Sunday message, we explore what happens when our identity is unsettled—and how the world’s solutions just bury us deeper. Drawing from Ephesians 3, we’ll see how being rooted and established in God’s love frees us from needing others’ approval, self-protection, and the drive to prove ourselves. It’s not about self-love—it’...

What does it truly mean to live out grace? In this week’s message, Kristen shares both personal stories and biblical examples that challenge us to go beyond mercy and embrace grace as a defining trait of our faith. From Mephibosheth to Peter, we see how God’s grace restores, uplifts, and transforms lives. Join us as we reflect on how we, as a church and as individuals, can be known by our love and...

On Sunday, Pastor David Thompson shared a special Father's Day message.

The hows of church aren’t obligations; they are responses to something incredible being made available. In this message, we explore the stunning contrast in Hebrews 12 between Sinai and Zion—between fear and full access to God. Through the blood of Christ and the anointing of the Spirit, we can draw near. As an anointed people, we gather and we extend.