Grace Church Indiana Sermons

Paul composed his letter to the Philippian church from prison. Based on his words in the letter, Paul is suffering mightily and wondering if his death is near. If it is true, as some scholars now believe, that Paul was in prison in Ephesus when he wrote this letter (not Rome), this also would have been a time of deep pain and emotional turmoil for him as churches like the one in Corinth had all bu...

We end this series with a similar sentiment with which we began it: the troubles we face can be an opportunity for joy(!). This time, however, the person saying these words is none other than James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and no stranger to hardships himself. Why does James believe our response to troubles should lead us to joy? Because, according to him, troubles grow our hypomone...

One of the first things to flee our minds during hardships is perspective. The challenges we face can become all-consuming, and we can forget where we’ve been and where we’re going. The author of Hebrews provides an important reminder of the mindset we are to have in our hypomonē. If we want to patiently endure now, we must also remember “those early days when you first learned about Christ,” whi...

At the time when Paul wrote his letter to the church in Colossae, he had not yet visited their community. Nevertheless, he had heard about their faith and love and wanted to send along some encouragement along with his teaching. Thus, he prays from afar that they would have all the hypomonē they need. In this prayer we see a beautiful reality about the Church’s call to endure. We do not do it alo...

The Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about hardships. From prison to shipwrecks to rival teachers constantly undermining his ministry, Paul faced persistent struggles in his effort to be faithful to God’s call on his life. In 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses believers in Corinth who began to see all these hardships as a stain on his reputation (maybe God wasn’t blessing Paul’s ministry?). Quite the c...

One of the most central images in the Christian imagination at Christmastime is that of baby Jesus lying in a manger. We picture a tiny infant resting calmly in a clean, cozy, wooden crib while Mary, Joseph, a few angels, some sharply dressed wise men, and some spotless animals look on. What we fail to consider in this beautiful nativity scene is the dirt, the noises, the stench of animal dropping...

In his letter to the Roman Church, the Apostle Paul makes a startling claim. We can rejoice in the face of problems and trials. Why in the world would obstacles make us joyful? According to Paul, because it develops hypomonē in us. This patient steadfastness in turn develops our character, which ultimately bolsters our hope. What would it mean for each of us, as we consider what 2025 will hold fo...

Most of the biblical texts envisioning the coming of the Messiah associate him with royalty. The vision of a gilded savior at the head of an army, ruling on a throne, and bringing prosperity to Israel gave the lower classes hope that their fortunes would one day change. How shocking and unexpected, then, for the Messiah to be born into a low-class family of peasants, too poor to afford a lamb as a...

When the New Testament was written, the might and rule of the Roman Empire was at its peak. In fact, the shadow of Rome falling over everything was such a common phenomenon that the biblical authors rarely draw our attention to it. For example, Luke does not mention that the census of Augustus in 2:1, which leads Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, also sparked off a violent rebellion in Galil...

We too often take the incarnation for granted because of how familiar it is. In this message, however, we will explore the staggering implications of the eternal Word of God taking on flesh and walking among us as a fully human man. What does it tell us about the love of God that he would willingly enter his own creation as one of us?

Tim's Final Sermon by Grace Church

Now that Joseph is in a position of extreme power over Egypt, he can prepare the country for seven years of famine. Because of his wise stewardship, the land has grain to see them through a time of shortage. This is a blessing to the Egyptians, but also to his own family, who seek Egypt’s aid as they struggle to survive. In the story we see how Joseph is reunited with his brothers, tests them to s...

As Joseph’s story continues, we see him yet again rising from a place of destitution to a position of wealth and authority. Through his gift of dream interpretation, the prisoner Joseph is introduced to Pharaoh, earns his trust, and ultimately becomes his second in command. It’s an even more meteoric rise than his earlier ascent out of slavery. Now we begin to see God’s master plan at work: the sa...

When making his covenant with Abraham, God said, “I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3). As Joseph serves in Potiphar’s household, we see this promise beginning to come true as God blesses Potiphar’s family and...

In this final week of the series, we will attempt to draw these biblical threads together and talk about what it takes to truly become a steward full of contentment and faith: wisdom. If we are to use our finances in a way that leads to flourishing for others and for ourselves in light of God’s abundance, we must be wise in the decisions we make with our money. With wisdom and intentionality, we c...

October 6 | Biblical Stewardship | Making Change | Barry Rodriguez by Grace Church

A final component of God’s healing work to consider is that so much of it happens through the community of faith. Through prayer, service, and tangible support, God works in and through us to bring healing to others’ minds, bodies, and spirits. This is a part of what it means to be Christ’s representatives in a broken world! In this message we will explore our responsibility to use our gifts, our...

We have established that our God is in the business of healing pain. We have also begun to grasp the shocking truth that he experiences that pain alongside us. But this still raises an important question. The Bible is full of declarative promises that God’s healing for us is assured (Psalm 91 is a perfect example). What do we do when the healing of God doesn’t happen when we feel we need it most?...

As we continue to explore the meaning of pain in our world and the actions God is taking to heal it, we must wrestle with the most provocative idea of all: that God sent his own Son to not only heal our pain, but to bear our pain with us. How does it change our understanding of our own pain to know that Christ is “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (Isaiah 53:3)? How might we experie...

For the first message of Hope Month, we will consider two fundamental propositions about our world. First, we’ll discuss the universality of pain and the many forms it takes (body, mind, and spirit), from the grief we experience at the loss of a loved one, to the anxiety and depression so often clouding our minds, to the chronic illness and pain which besets our bodies. Second, we will explore the...

What happens when we fail? With such a high call to biblical morality in our minds, this question is inevitable. None of us are perfect and we are all going to continue sinning even as we try to live in a new way. In this message, we will explore the concept of God’s grace for us and consider what it looks like to accept his forgiveness daily. We will see how we are called not just to avoid acting...

All we have to do is read the Bible and do what it says, right? Well, it may not be quite so simple. For one thing, the Bible is full of “rules” which, for one reason or another, we no longer consider binding. Some biblical rules are emphasized differently (or ignored entirely!) in different parts of the Church. And it’s obvious that the application of some biblical rules has changed significantly...

At the core of all biblical morality is a posture which can and should define our lives. First, we love God with everything we have. Second, we love others as we love ourselves. As familiar as this sentiment is to those who grew up in the Church, the implications of this core posture remain staggering if we think about them deeply enough. Choosing to live each day completely surrendered to God’s d...

What is sin? This may sound like an easy question to answer, but in truth we have a lot of baggage to unload to grasp its real biblical definition. In this message we will explore the grand narrative of Scripture and see how humans, created in the image of God, have had that image disfigured through our self-serving rebellion against God’s intentions (a.k.a. “sin”). We will also begin to understan...

In the final week of the series, we will explore Jesus’ conclusion to this provocative section of teaching. Here he provides two metaphors to capture the idea that the fruit of our lives (e.g. loving our enemies) only comes about if we have our roots or foundations in the right place. It is fitting for us to conclude by considering whether our words and actions are flowing out of our surrender to...