Grace Church Sermons

Big idea: If you really want to care about the environment, you need to know Jesus. And if you say you know Jesus, you really need to care about the environment.     Thinking Christianly about the Environment  When We Recognize That Creation Belongs to Jesus...  We Remember That We're Stewards, Not Owners   We Value All Creation While Honoring Humanity's Primary Place in It.   We Balance Dominion...

The Christian Conundrum: “competing Biblical obligations.”     Some important distinctions:   Ancient vs. Modern  Biblical Principles vs. Specific Policies  Immigrants vs. Refugees  National Policy vs. Local Responsibility    Big Idea: What if immigration was not a threat, but an opportunity to make disciples of all nations?       3 Ways to Think Christianly About Immigration  God has always comma...

Reclaiming the Christian Mind    Your Mind is a Battlefied of Ideas  Abiding in His Word = 1) Holding to his teachings, 2) Living in union with Jesus himself    Big idea: Thinking Christianly places God's truth above cultural narratives.     The Rise and Fall of Secularism.     The Story of Secularization in 5 Chapters:   1. The Enlightenment (17th-18th C) - Reason over Revelation.   2. The Indust...

Big Idea: Your failures are not the end of the story if you're willing to meet the risen Christ.     Three Ways We Fail   We fail to SHOW UP  We fail to WISE UP  We fail to STEP UP  JESUS NEVER FAILS!   Come and meet the risen Lord  Take a spiritual step at whoisgrace.com/next  

Awake the Lake- whoisgrace.com/awakethelake  Vision: Imagine if, by 2035, a new dawn has arrived where 30,000 people have been mobilized to step into their kingdom, calling to bring gospel influence into the everyday places of life. Mission: Following Jesus as we live out God’s story every day, everywhere  Dream Disciple Roles: Compassionate Storyteller, Savvy Follower, Embedded Influencer, Intenti...

Big Idea: Jesus experienced the judgment day that we deserved,   3 powerful ways Jesus transformed our relationship with God on the cross:   1. As the Darkness Fell: Jesus absorbed God’s wrath (:33)   - When was the last time you truly reflected on what it cost Jesus to absorb God’s judgment for your sin?   2. As the Cry Echoed, Jesus endured God’s absence (:34-37)   - Jesus was separated from the...

3 Questions That Unveil God's Plan for the Guilty to Go Free  1. Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answers, “I’m a different kind of King.”  2. Why aren’t you fighting back?   Jesus answers, “I wield a different kind of power.”   3. What shall we do with the king?   Why did the crowd choose Barabbas? The crowd chose Substitution.   Jesus answers, “I apply a different kind of justice.”     Next S...

Big Idea: Your greatest failures have both an origin story and a redemption story.     A Redemption Story: 5 Stages of a Spiritual Comeback.       Part I: Failure’s ORIGIN Story  A PRIDEFUL ATTITUDE reveals early cracks in your spiritual foundation (Mk 14:27-29)   SPIRITUAL COMPLACENCY leaves you vulnerable in critical moments (Mk 14:37-42)   Major denials usually follow a series of COWARDLY COMPR...

Context:   High Priest and the Sanhedrin    Confronting the Claims of Jesus:  LIES (14:55-61a)  TRUTH (14:61-64)  Next Step:   If you’ve never considered that Jesus is telling the Truth, read Mark’s whole story and ask yourself- “what if this is all true?” If you know that you’re the one who was condemned and Jesus took your place, you may need to be confronted by the Truth again. Not only that yo...

Big idea: It’s worth it to stick with Jesus      3 Lessons from Gethsemane   When you lose sight of Jesus’ glory, you’ll start seeking a savior in personal gain.  When you don’t count the cost of following Jesus, your only options are fight or flight.  When you lose control in the light, you'll seek control in the shadows.    What do we learn, and how can we live differently based on Jesus’ reacti...

Big idea: Under pressure to abandon God, Jesus is both our model and our strength.     Lessons from Two Gardens: What is Revealed Under Pressure.    Pressure reveals your CHARACTER: Adam chose blame … Jesus chose prayer: Genesis 3:11-13 | Mark 14:35-36  Pressure reveals your CONNECTIONS: Adam chose isolation … Jesus chose community: Gen 3:8-10 | Mark 14:32-34  Pressure reveals your MASTER: Adam su...

Big Idea: There’s a place for you at the Lord’s table.     Four Historical Views   Transubstantiation (Catholic View).   Consubstantiation (Lutheran View).   Mystical Presence (Reformed Anglican).   Memorial (Zwingli & Anabaptist).     What a seat at the Lord’s table does for us:   Look Back: It’s a seat that points to your forgiveness (:12-16).   Look Now: It’s a seat that enables the power o...

Big Idea: Jesus always prepares His people.    Jesus demonstrated to His disciples that He was in total control of the situation (Mark 14:12-16) and knew exactly what would happen next. (Mark 14:17-21)    --In what area of your life are you tempted to forget that God knows what will happen next and that He is in control?   --In what area of your life do you struggle to believe that God is actively...

Big Idea: Surrendering to Jesus is worth whatever sacrifice it may cost.     How to respond to the true worth of Jesus  Make Jesus the highest value that shapes everything else (:3a).   Break your backup plans (:3b)   Let criticism confirm your scandalous conviction (:4-5)   Offer what you have in timely moments of surrender. (:6-8a)   Let Christ’s story become your story (8b).     Next steps:    ...

Do you live your life like Jesus is coming back?     Big idea: What you believe about the future will have a dramatic impact on how you live now.   The Lesson from the Fig Tree (:28-30). - When you see the signs of the times, his return is just around the corner.   Jesus’ authority is timeless! - Every person has to make a decision about Jesus.   Jesus urges us to live a life of readiness (:32-37)...

Grace’s mission statement: Following Jesus as we live out God’s story every day, everywhere.     Big idea: A rhythm of missional living will move your faith from boring to breathtaking.     5 Timeless Truths about Missional Living  Look for missional opportunities during times of personal difficulty (:1-4)    Open your heart to people who are not like you (:5-8)   Follow the promptings of God (:26...

You are in the disciple-making business.    Big Idea – A rhythm of discipling relationships is the main path to bearing spiritual fruit.     A Disciple-Making Model (2 Timothy 2:2)   Four generations of discipling relationships - Paul to Timothy to faithful men to others     A New Testament Example: Everyone needs a Barnabas, a Paul, and a Timothy.   Bring in a Barnabas.  Pursue a Paul .   Train a...

Big Idea: A rhythm of prayer properly positions you to move through life on God’s agenda.        3 Ways the Lord’s Prayer Postures you to Move Through Life on God’s Agenda   1. God is the loving Father; You are his Child (:6-9a)     Be RELATIONAL   2. God is the rightful Ruler; you are his Servant (:9b-10)   Be RESPONSIVE.   3. God is the generous Provider; you are Dependent upon him (:11-13)   Be...

Let’s declare 2025 the year that we don’t settle for a mediocre faith!    Big idea: A rhythm of scripture reflection helps you choose a wise life instead of a wicked one.     The progression of a wicked way of life  Avoid ungodly thoughts: don’t walk in the counsel of the wicked.  Avoid ungodly behaviors: don’t stand in the way of sinners.   Avoid an ungodly identity: don’t sit in the seat of scof...

Big Idea:  A painful path in this life leads to our glorious future in the next.      The Great Tribulation = a time of outpouring of God’s wrath on all the earth that will mark the end of history.     5 Markers of the Great Tribulation   Growing numbers of Spiritual Imposters (:5-6, 21-22)   Increasing Global Calamities (:7-8)   Unparalleled defections and betrayal (:12-13; 21-22)   The rise of t...

Big Idea: When the world goes crazy, be ready with the gospel.    Context: Herod’s Temple    Living in the Birth Pains:  Watchful (Mark 13:5-8)  Withstanding (Mark 13:9, 11-13a; Philippians 4:5-7)  Waiting (Mak 13:b; Ephesians 6:10-18)  Welcoming (Mark 13:10; Acts 1:8)    Next Step:   When the world goes crazy, will you be sidelined by fear, distracted by prophecy, or ready with the gospel?  Choos...

Big Idea: Appearances are deceptive, trade your self-promotion for self-sacrifice.      3 Surprising Lessons from the Story of the Widow’s Mite     Jesus is the ultimate proof of the truth of Christianity (:35-37)  Spiritual imposters will incur God’s wrath (:38-41).   The kingdom of God is built on small acts of total surrender (:42-44)     Five things giving is NOT  Giving is NOT TRANSACTIONAL  ...

Big Idea: Jesus will always dig beneath the surface to address the hear issues. 3 Realities of an Unhealthy Heart. 1. Unhealthy hearts will hinder a clear understanding. A contenious person is most vulnerable not through their points of weakness, but rather when their perceived strength are dismantled. 2. Unhealthy hearts will cast a shadow over God’s beauty. 3. Unhealthy hearts will ultimately cl...

In this thought-provoking message titled 'God or Government,' Derek dives into the nuanced relationship between faith and civic duty. With the backdrop of an impending presidential election, the message draws from Mark 12:13 and explores Jesus' famous teaching on paying taxes to Caesar, emphasizing the revolutionary idea that believers owe their ultimate allegiance to God. Through historical conte...