Grace Church Indiana Sermons

Read Isaiah 53. Jesus was the ultimate suffering servant, because he was sinless - perfectly in line with God’s intentions for the world. And yet he willingly went to death as a result of humanity’s sin. He was the ultimate sacrificial lamb. Think about what happens when you choose to be a servant of God - when you dedicate your life to following Jesus - to model your life after his. We are not th...

The “Servant Songs” of Isaiah • Isaiah 42:1-9 • Isaiah 49:1-7 • Isaiah 50:4-9 • Isaiah 52:13-53:12 The servant of God in Isaiah is one who dedicates his life to God’s - who works to bring God’s justice into the world. This servant is gentle… he’s meek. He’s humble. That’s how God’s justice is supposed to show up? But it goes way beyond that in the other servant songs. He’s not just humble, it’s li...

So far 2020 has not been kind to us, we are all feeling the effects of the pandemic and the quarantine everything from death to loss of jobs, loss of marriages, and more recently of the gross hatred that is destroying our communities - the horrific racism that continues to permeate our culture - it's been a rough 6 months Can we find - can we trust that something new, something better, something g...

We are all living through a time of great tension, great division, great fear and great emptiness. God's intentions for his world haven't changed nor has this time caught him off guard. And our God is going to keep on working in ways that bring healing to the broken places of his world...Yes, God is still working, and He is asking us to trust in his love for us and join him as he continues to brin...

Isaiah 40. God is still working to fulfill his intentions for creation. To heal the brokenness of our world, to root out injustice once and for all, to bring humanity back to Eden. When we look around at our world today and see vulnerable people dying from Covid-19, and seething hatred destroying communities, and poverty growing like wildfire (or whatever it is you 've been facing!), it can be tem...

Romans 12:9-16 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[a] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[b] 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready...

Psalm 25 claims there is a right path - there is truth - and God knows what it is.    Truth is not some list of legalistic facts to believe. Truth is a path to walk - a way of living. It’s a path of action which leads to our restoration. Which leads to our broken world being healed. There is truth. Finding and staying on the “right path” is not a guarantee. So how do we do it? How do we ensure we’...

Philippians 2:1-11 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as bet...

Deuteronomy 31: 1 1-3 When Moses had finished giving these instructions[a] to all the people of Israel, 2 he said, "I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has told me, "You will not cross the Jordan River." 3 But the Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will le...

Deuteronomy 1:1,6-8 "These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. 6 “When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. 7 It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill coun...

Deuteronomy 1:1,6-8 "These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. 6 “When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. 7 It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill coun...

WHAT NOW? We’re facing a global pandemic. We’re facing economic turmoil. Death. We need God’s intervention right now. As individuals, as a church, as a community, as a world… What do we do when the brokenness of the world goes way beyond our ability to fix it? What do we do when we feel helpless? I believe Isaiah 58 gives us all the answers. It tells us that we must take God doesn’t want us to go...

Luke 10:25-37 This is the story of a man who was isolated and vulnerable on a difficult, dangerous, and frightening journey who set aside focusing on his own circumstances for just long enough to change another person’s life. I think this story is pretty relevant to where we find ourselves today. We are all isolated to some degree…we are all vulnerable to some degree…we are all on a difficult and...

This week the psalm we are looking at I believe is giving us words of comfort - comfort as we face uncertainty. Because I believe when we are faced with uncertainty - the only answer is to turn our eyes to God. And Psalm 91 shows us why this is true. In the last lines of the psalm, God spoke personal and wonderful blessings over the one who loves and knows Him: • The blessing of His presence: I wi...

We’re all facing a tremendous amount of loss. • Health • Jobs/Income • Schooling • Connections with coworkers/friends • Physical touch • NORMAL What is your go-to emotional response when our world is in chaos? • Self-medication? • Depression? • Anger/rage? • Denial? LAMENT Biblical lament happens in the context of the relationship between humanity and God. Psalm 22 When you look at all the narrati...

This is an Easter like none other. What does the story of the resurrection say to us at this moment in our lives. This Easter, we want to lift your eyes to the horizon. And through this marvelous story remind us all of… For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 John 20:1-10 In that moment Pe...

Matthew 16:13-28 & Matthew 26:68-75 Just like Peter we are in the middle of a trial - with coronavirus affecting every part of our lives our faith is being stretched and tested. This is a time to see how willing we are to carry our cross for the sake of others. · To see if we're willing to practice social distancing to protect the vulnerable (which is uncomfortable for many of us) · To see if we'r...

Peter wrote this 'Jesus is our example and we must follow in his steps: He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are hea...

Matthew 26:30-46 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will...

Read through John 13:4-38. This was no sweet tender moment, Jesus was making a social statement…mounting a protest against individualism, and self-protection. He says...you’re no better than me…you do this too! • This is the way followers of mine from now on will be defined. • This is how you will now approach the needs of others. • This is now your permanent posture – on your hands and your knees...

So many people think of the law of Moses as a bunch of legalistic rules by an angry God. “Cross me and I’ll blast you.” The law of Moses is an invitation to spread life, not a license to spread death. And the people were missing it (see Leviticus 4). These offerings were a way to be made right. A way to be at one with God again. Atonement. Yahweh is a God not of legalism, but of grace and love. It...

God is not content to let humanity struggle endlessly. He wants to bring us back into his presence - back into the abundance of the garden. God wants humanity to experience fullness of life. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicate...

The cleanliness laws in the Old Testament were very cultural in meaning. At the time, they were the means to make it possible for God, who is holy and perfect, to literally live alongside people who are not holy and perfect. They were created to describe a way of living that made the Jewish people a distinctive nation; these laws made the Jews stand out from all the other people in the world due t...

Key scripture: • Deuteronomy 16:20 • Deuteronomy 10:17-19 • Exodus 22:21-23 • Exodus 23:9-13 • Leviticus 19:33-34 • Psalm 146:9 • Zechariah 7:8-10 • Matthew 25:41-45 The application for us is obvious and unambiguous ... the kingdom of God, Eden...is a space full of justice. • We must create it • We must own it • We must live it • We must stand for it! This church is a Kingdom Church We are Kingdom...

10 commandments. I hope you're starting to see how they are a part of a much bigger story. The story behind the entire law: God's relentless faithfulness to bring humanity back into the mountain garden of his presence. Back to fullness of life. When you understand the law in this way, you realize it's not about legalism. They're not just arbitrary rules laid out by a picky God so he would know who...