Grace Church Elk Grove

We’re going to take one more look at how the coming of Christ can and must shape us for the year ahead. Jesus came at Christmas to die and be raised at Easter, in order to give us His Spirit at Pentecost. Listen to this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on January 5th, 2025 to learn more.

Knowing how something works brings not only greater appreciation and understanding, but also greater efficiency of use Romans 6:1–2 ESV 1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Listen to this episode for Pastor Mike's sermon on Dec. 29th to learn more.

Today we are still in 1 Corinthians, but in the spirit of the season, we are taking a break from our series in 1 Corinthians, and considering a simple but profound way that all of a church should and must be shaped by Christmas. Jesus is Immanuel - God who dwells among us, God in the flesh, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of Mary, on Christmas. At Christmas, God dwells WITH US. For our JOY. As...

Today we consider a simple by profound way that a church – our church – should and must be shaped by Christmas. Listen to this episode from Pastor Jed’s sermon on December 15th to learn more.

In today's episode, Pastor Jed tackles what is for some a hard passage, women's place in Sunday worship. Take time to listen to God's heart for order, that has nothing to do with respect and value--but an order of command for all to flourish. This to this episode from December 8, 2024 to learn more.

We return to 1 Corinthians 14 and Paul’s teaching on our Lord’s Day gatherings.  Paul’s main point is this: When we gather to worship, we must do so with a CRUCIFORM ORDER, out of love for one another, that we ALL would behold Christ crucified. This to this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on December 1, 2024 to learn more.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 14 there is the controversial discussion of TONGUES, which we will get to. But do not let that distract you from Paul’s unchanging point: SEVEN times in this section, Paul says that when it comes to Lord’s Day worship, the thing we must do above all else is that which will EDIFY or BUILD UP the CHURCH, not oneself, that the MANY will glorify God. Listen to this episode fro...

Agape love, if you have it you don't need much else, but if you don't have it, not much else matters. Listen to this episode from Pastor Mike's sermon on Nov. 17, 2024 to learn more.

How do we decide between what seems to matter and what truly matters in life? Or better yet, between what matters and what really matters, how do we decide? Listen to this episode from Pastor Mike's sermon on Nov. 10th, 2024 to learn more.

What THEY needed, what WE need is REVIVAL and REFORMATION. God has done it before, and I am confident that God can and WILL do it again. Now, whenever God does great things like that, He first changes the HEARTS of the men and women through whom HE will do it. He revives and reforms THEM, and then THEY turn the world upside down. Listen to this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on Nov. 3, 2024 to l...

Spiritual gifts are perhaps one of the more exciting and exacerbating topics in the Church today. From the early days of the Old Testament prophets there have been instances of what was referred to as “prophetic utterances” when the prophet would be in an euphoric state, after having the Spirit of God come upon them, and utter unintelligible sounds. The early church had its problems with spiritual...

We return today to 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. Paul has not changed the subject since 1:23 “Christ and him crucified”. Today Paul takes this DISCERNING the BODY one step further. The Spirit does three actions: He shows us Christ, gives us GIFTS, and shapes and empowers them so that, 1 Cor. 10:31-33 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God . . . not seeking my own...

Now, we are not partisan, as a church, in a horizontal way - meaning we are not FOR any candidate or party. However, we are NOT NEUTRAL. If anyone tells you they are neutral, you can be confident that they have an agenda. But we are unabashedly PARTISAN, vertically, to the Lord Jesus. That’s because Jesus was raised from the dead. This makes him King, over all. There is therefore no square foot on...

The Lord’s Supper is only one of TWO ordinances that Jesus commanded us to observe, the other being baptism. Last week we considered the three attitudes that must characterize our observing the Lord’s Supper -  Remembrance, of what Jesus did -    Reflection, on how that is working its way into our body - Recommissioning: we are recentered on HIS mission. Today I want to consider three more aspects...

Paul is now addressing questions of WORSHIP. How should the church carry and conduct itself when it comes together? Now he moves on to central act of our worship. It’s not the singing, it’s not the praying or the preaching - it’s the Lord’s Supper. Listen to this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on Sept. 29th to learn more.

Now in chapters 11-14, Paul is concerned with God’s glory being clearly DISPLAYED in the church, especially in its worship. Today we consider v. 2-16 of chapter 11, and we must do so mindful of two obstacles. First, this passage involves women in worship, and WE have been discipled into feminism and egalitarianism more than we realize. The second obstacle is that we are more materialistic and less...

Today we are returning to 1 Corinthians, and to the passage where we left off earlier in the year, 10:31-11:1. This passage is the key to the entire letter: Whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God. Listen this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on Sept. 15, 2024 to learn more.

This is now the third Sunday we are considering the sin of ENVY. This is not because we ENJOY it, but because ENVY is THE emotion which inflates our superheated world. Today Pastor Jed describes three reasons why socialism is immoral, sinful and harmful to the world. That’s because it breaks three commandments: the 8th commandment, the 10th commandment, and the Great Commandment. Therefore, social...

We are returning to the topic of envy today because it is THE emotion which superheats our pressurized age. Envy drives everything OUT THERE. But how could this be, in a country with so many Christians? It’s because WE are the salt and light, but we have not taken seriously Jesus’ command in Luke 12:15: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness”   As the church goes, so goes the cu...

It's so hard when we live in a world focused on, "What's in it for me." Yet, as Christians we are called to look out for the needs of others. The first century church did this well, but not without some growing pains. Envy got in the way and there was a steep cost for it. Listen to this episode from Pastor Mike's sermon on Aug. 25th, 2024 to learn more.

Psalm 20 truly is NOT about us, at least not at first. It SEEMS like it is, but it is not, and THIS, as Robert Frost said, THIS makes all the difference. It is the BEST news that this Psalm is not about us. Listen to this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on July 18, 2024 to learn more.

“There is no atheism among those brought up in nature.” Or, as Psalm 19 begins, “The heavens declare the glory of GOD . . . day to day pours out speech . . . There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.” You can stamp out buildings and people, but not the stars. God speaks, and ALL hear it. God in fact speaks in THREE ways to us. Through His creation, v. 1-6; through His Word...

Today we consider Psalm 18. It is a long Psalm - 50 verses. But its point is very simple. David praises God, for making him successful in war, specifically over Israel’s first king Saul and all his other enemies. The language is poetically graphic - David heaps up words to create vivid images. For God’s anointed son, David, God is, v. 1-3, his strength, a rock, David’s fortress, his deliverer, his...

One of the failures of the American Church that has led to today’s insanities is that we have thought, after the end of the Cold War, that we have no enemies left. And that may have been true, geopolitically. But in many places Jesus assumed that those who follow HIM WOULD have enemies - for instance, Matt. 24:9. We who follow Christ are hated by ALL nations. We must not assume, therefore, that on...

A Christian's list of enemies continues to grow in our ever-expanding atheistic world. David had those enemies too who wanted to kill more than his reputation. They wanted him dead. But David showed us how to cope with these threats. Listen to this episode from Pastor Jed's sermon on July 21, 2024 to learn more.