Grace Church of the Bay Area

God often uses trials, difficulties, and suffering in our lives to grow us in spiritual maturity. But it is important to understand that it is not the trials themselves that perfect us, but the One who is sovereign over those trials. It is not the temptations that strengthen us, but the One who provides the way of escape from those temptations. Listen along to learn more as Pastor Roger teaches fi...

Many of us understand that being tempted to sin is not sin, giving in to the temptation is. That being said, temptation is dangerous. One reason being, the temptation to sin is often not all that obvious- subtle is the temptation, but great is the consequence. Listen along to learn more as Pastor Roger teaches four keys to remember to avoid temptation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

As a child of God, you have two options- humble yourself, or be humbled by God. Many of us understand the importance of humility, and yet our desire for control makes it difficult to be humble. And we end up becoming anxious. Today, Pastor Roger explains the importance of humility, and that when you're anxious in the things of life, it's really an expression of pride. Listen along to learn more. S...

The enemy pride is God, for -God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble- -James 4-6-. Christ, our Lord and Savior, Himself was humble -Phlippians 2-3-8-. Listen as Pastor Roger teaches the how we as believers must live with heart attitudes of humility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Pastor Roger concludes his series on four qualities of a biblical elder. This time, focusing on describing the right motivation for a godly elder. And setting an example of being a faithful Christian. But what can we do to encourage the elders in our church- Listen along to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not everyone aspires to be an elder in the church, nor is everyone qualified to be an elder. But that doesn't mean this sermon is not for you. We should understand today's passage because this is God's Word. But also, because we need to understand what a biblical elder looks like. And today, Pastor Roger sets our expectation, according to the spiritual qualifications God requires. Listen along to...

When it comes to God's judgement, there is no middle ground. Someone is either a child of God, in which case he receives God's discipline. Or an enemy of God, in which case he will be condemned for his sin. And when persecution does come, we must always look up. Listen along to learn more about what that means, as Pastor Roger brings us today's sermon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

We have learned that suffering will come to us as Christians. And that trials are allowed in our lives to refine us. Now looking to today's sermon, Pastor Roger explains that when suffering does come, we should find comfort in knowing that we have the Holy Spirt resting on us. Giving us comfort in the midst of persecution. But are you really suffering for the right reasons- Are you really sufferin...

In this edition of Fifth Sunday Q-A, Pastor Roger answers questions from the GCBA congregation on the topics of alcohol, smoking, the disqualification of pastors and elders, tithing, singleness in ministry, and spiritual gifts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biblically, happiness is based on your ever changing circumstances. Joy is based on our never changing God. How does this look like in the midst of persecution- Listen to Pastor Roger as he preaches on the first of seven components of persecution to remember to maintain your joy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having faithful friends starts with being a faithful friend. Listen to Pastor Jon Szeto as he teaches on Biblical friendship in the final session of the 2019 GCBA retreat series Marks of Maturity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you struggle with forgiving others- How do you know you have truly forgiven someone who has sinned against you- Join Pastor Jon Szeto in Session 3 of the Marks of Maturity series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you think you're good enough for God- Listen as Pastor Jon teaches on the perils of self-righteousness, the prescriptions to this sin, and the blessings we experience in our relationship with God and as a church family when we repent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is spiritual maturity- Is it the number of theological books you have read or the number of church events that you regularly attend- Are you a mature Christian- Join us at Grace Church of the Bay Area's annual church retreat as Pastor Jon Szeto teaches the first of four sessions on the marks of a mature believer - a deep faith in God. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Pastor Roger's sermon on biblical service in the body of Christ. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn the first 4 of 5 present-day priorities of every Christian in light of difficulty and persecution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Responding to Christ's victory through suffering -Part 2 of 2-. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Christ has suffered and claimed victory over sin, we as followers of Christ should have the same mindset of being willing to suffer for His Name's sake, since we have already partaken of that victory from sin. Listen along to learn more, as Pastor Roger teaches us six responses to Christ's victory through suffering. And encourages us to redeem the time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

When life is moving smoothly, joy comes easy to us. However, during the time that Paul wrote his letter to the saints at Philippi, circumstantially, he had very little reason to rejoice. And yet, he affirmed that, -I will rejoice-. Because, despite his unknown future, he knew the outcome, that he would be vindicated. Listen along to learn more, as Pastor Daisuke Okada teaches us four reasons we ca...

Just like we see in God's salvation of Noah in the ark, even though He was patient for 120 years, only eight people were saved from His wrath. We too live in a time where so few are saved. A salvation not based on external washing, but an internal salvation, a pledge to Christ, that, apart from His resurrection, there would be no true victory over sin and death. Listen along to learn more as Pasto...

What makes us different from the world is what's inside, our heart attitude. We pursue Christ from our hearts. And we understand that in our pursuit of Christ, suffering is inevitable. However, our encouragement is found in knowing that since Christ was victorious in His suffering for righteousness, we will be too, because of Christ. And what His suffering, and victory entailed, is found in verse...

You have two basic options, do right or do wrong. And with both options you have the same potential consequence - to suffer. To suffer for righteousness, or to suffer because of sin. In today's sermon, Pastor Roger concludes his series on suffering well. Explaining that suffering is all under the power and sovereign plan of God. That we would suffer for the sake of righteousness. And respond well,...

When it comes to suffering as a Christian, it is not a matter of if, but when. Suffering is part of being a Christian. So how are you going to respond- In today's sermon, Pastor Roger begins his series on suffering well. He points out that our measure of what is -good- must not be defined by the world, but rather as defined in Scripture. He also explains that as our confidence in God increases, ou...

Your mouth is reflective of your heart. What you say is who you are, regardless of your circumstances. Today, Pastor Roger concludes his series teaching four truths to embrace to maximize your life on earth. He now focuses on our speech, the attitude of our hearts, and our motivation for godliness. That we are to be peacemakers. He also reminds us that true joy is only found in the Lord. And that...

Today is a fifth Sunday in the month, and as such, Pastor Roger answers some of the pressing questions from the GCBA congregation. He answers questions like, why Christians say -Amen- to end their prayers, and what amen actually means. He also discusses the proper view a Christian should have regarding mental health. Along with a biblical view of In vitro -IVF- and if it is an acceptable option fo...