Grace Church Sermons

Big Idea: Your response to authority reveals what’s deep in your heart.      Background/Context:  1. God is Provider   Mirror moment  2. Provision Comes with Responsibility  Mirror moment  3. Action Have Consequences  Mirror moment    Next Steps:  Discipleship Question: What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus? 

Historical context | Biblical context | Literary context.   1. The Fig Tree #1.     Big Idea: The true test of discipleship is not looking good on the outside; it’s bearing spiritual fruit.   2. The Temple.     Commerce in the court of the gentiles.   - temple tax.   - animal offerings   - money changers.   3. The Fig Tree #2.     Three Lessons from Jesus’ Bills Mafia Moment  1. Sometimes it’s OK...

Big Idea: How will you respond when Jesus says, “I’m not the king you thought I was?”     Context on Jerusalem and about Kingdoms.     “The Kingdom of God” = the rule and reign of God in the whole earth.    Three Processionals into Jerusalem.   #1 The Procession of Jesus Son of David   #2 The Procession of Pilate the Governor     Three ways Jesus disappointed the crowd:   1. Political disappointme...

Big Idea: Your life depends on seeing Jesus clearly.  4 Ways of Seeing Clearly:   See Jesus as Messiah (:47-48)  See Jesus as the only Hope (:47-52)  See Jesus as the Way (:52)  I once was _____________, but through Jesus I am ____________.  Question: Do I see Jesus clearly?  Challenge: Tell your story. 

Big idea: As your awareness of Christ’s ransom increases, so does your humility.     Discipleship Failure theme: Ask “What is holding me back from looking more like Jesus?”     The audacious request (:35-41)      2 Ways Jesus upends our definitions of Power    Jesus teaches that radical servanthood is a power move (:42-44).   Jesus is our example of power in humility and our source of true life (:...

Big idea: What do you need to leave behind in order to follow Christ?     A man and his question (:17).   Jesus and his response (:18-20)  A Line-in-the-Sand Challenge (:21-22)     3 Lessons from the Guy Who “Had it All”  Scrutinize the power wealth has over you.   Recognize that the kingdom of God will cost you everything.   Realize the sacrifices you make will pay off in the end.     Next Step:...

Big Idea: God has entrusted Grace with great influence, will we be faithful?      3 Choices of Those Who are Faithful  Choose urgency over apathy (:16-19)   Choose risk-taking over playing-it-safe (:20-27)   Choose to share in the master’s joy over becoming an object of his wrath (:21, 28-30)   Two pillars of our Awake the Lake Vision   - Help every believer at Grace to walk in deep discipleship....

Big Idea: God has entrusted you with a unique calling, will you discover it?     Three Unique Truths about Your Unique Calling.     Your Calling has been handcrafted by God (:4-5)   Your Calling will be accompanied by doubts (:6-8)   Four Excuses when it Comes to Calling  The “Jungles of Africa” excuse   The “I don’t have anything to offer” excuse   The “I’m too busy” excuse   The “I’m already usi...

4 Preliminary Truths about Discipleship.   Every person is a disciple of someone or something  Every person is becoming who they are by who or what disciples them.   In the New Testament the word “Christian” is used 3x, the word “Disciple” is used 260x.   Discipleship is more caught than taught because it’s primarily relational.     Big idea: God has a disciple-making journey for you to walk. Will...

Big Idea: God can resurrect what has been written off.     Four Major Shifts We Are Making at Grace.   A Missional Reorientation.   Changing the Scorecard of “Success”   Changing the Finish Line for discipleship.   Creating an all-play, everyday mission statement.   Following Jesus as we live out God’s story every day, everywhere.   The Path of Hope When you Feel Written-Off (Ez. 37:1-14)   The pa...

Envy = a mingling of a desire for something with the resentment that another is enjoying it and you’re not.     Big Idea: cultivating contentment counteracts the silent killer of chronic envy.     3 Stops on the Journey from Envy to Contentment  1. An envious heart points to sin that must be dealt with (:13-15)     Where are we most susceptible to envy?   a. With people closest to us.   b. In Achi...

The More Cycle.  Greed says I Owe Me.  Big Idea: Cultivating generosity counteracts the craftiness of chronic greed.  Four Practical ways to Cultivate a Heart of Generosity  Develop a strategic awareness of needs around you. Liquidate some stuff and give it away.  Don’t accumulate more without applying Kingdom filters.  Become a percentage giver.  Next Step   choose one of the 4 ways to cultivate...

The Problems with Anger.   You cannot be angry and live the righteous life that God desires.   Anger is a gateway to other toxic emotions.   Anger is self-reinforcing.   Anger is bad for your health.   Big Idea:  Cultivating forgiveness counteracts the erosion of chronic anger.       3 Heart Questions to Overcome Your Anger  1. Is this righteous or unrighteous? (4:26)     Unrighteous anger = self-...

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it .   Proverbs 4:23    4 Toxic Emotions  Guilt - "I owe you."   Anger - "You owe me."   Greed - “I owe me.”   Envy - "God owes me.".   Big Idea: Cultivating grace counteracts the power of chronic guilt.     How to Cultivate a Posture of Grace.   Run to God (Luke 15)  Own what you did. (Romans 7:19-20)   Confess your sins specifica...

PROBLEM = PARENTS WANT TO BRING THEIR INFANTS.     Components of the Hebrew Blessing:  Meaningful touch  A spoken word of blessing  Attaching high value of worth  Picturing a special future of service in God’s kingdom  An active commitment of fathers/leaders  RESPONSE 1: DISCIPLES REBUKE THE PARENTS...  RESPONSE 2:   JESUS REBUKES HIS DISCIPLES...  RESOLUTION:   JESUS BLESSES THE INFANTS...    Nex...

Three Truths about Divorce    1. Christians tend to let other voices overshadow God’s voice when it comes to divorce (:1-2)   2. Divorce is a product of sin (:3-6)    3 primary marriage promises from Exodus 20:   - Fidelity.   - Provision.   - Conjugal Love.     5 legitimate reasons for ending a marriage:   Death (1 Cor 7:39; Rom 7:2-4).   Adultery (Dt. 22:22; Mt 5:32).   Sexual Immorality (Dt. 24...

The Gravity of Discipleship    Big Idea: Discipleship Requires Diligence    Jesus cares about our influence (42)  Jesus cares about our integrity (43-48)  Jesus cares about our investment (49-50)    Next Steps: What is holding you back from looking more like Jesus? 

Big Idea: Jesus demonstrates that downward mobility is the path to true greatness.   3 Insights into Jesus’ Radical Redefinition of Greatness.   Jesus doesn’t rebuke a desire for greatness (:33-34)   Jesus reimagines greatness as humble servanthood (:35-37).    Humility = the noble choice to forgo your own status and use your influence for the good of other before yourself.   3. True greatness rej...

Big Idea: Jesus invites faith, even in our failure.     Jesus and his closest disciples were confronted by a troubling situation immediately after a mountaintop experience. (Mark 9:14)    --Can you identify a mountaintop experience in your life? And can you describe any challenges that might have come afterwards?     The disciples failed to cast out the demon by relying on their own power instead...

Big Question: How does this picture of Jesus compel me to live differently?  What the Transfiguration Says About Jesus:  He isn’t just a man; He is God (9:2-3)  He isn’t just another prophet; He is the Son (9:5-7)  He isn’t part of the story; He is the point of the story (9:8-13)  What This Means For Us:    Honor Him  Listen to Him  Reflect His glory  Discipleship Question:  How does this picture...

Big Idea: A dream disciple will always begin with Jesus    When we live unguarded, near-truths quickly become the breeding ground for Satan to carry out some of his most divisive work    The first Kingdom Cost of Discipleship means   Letting go  Preparing for a difficult road  Following Jesus  Next Steps   What’s holding you back from looking more like Jesus? 

Big Idea: Following Jesus requires Kingdom Vision.  Kingdom Vision = Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s Story to rescue, redeem, and reconcile the world. And Jesus sends His followers, the Church, into the world, wherever they live, learn, work, or play, to tell this Good News in word and deed until the day God’s Kingdom comes at the end of time.  How to Develop Kingdom Vision:   By Fa...

Discipleship Failure = Failure to SEE  The POTENTIAL of God’s Kingdom promise (Revelation 5:9)  The WONDER of God’s Kingdom promise (Luke 2:10)  The FULFILLMENT of God’s Kingdom promise (John 6:35)  The DANGER of Unbelief (Mark 4:11-12)  Big Idea: Following Jesus requires Kingdom Vision.  Discipleship Questions:   What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus?   What am I failing to see: pot...

Big Idea: Jesus is available to restore those who think they’re disqualified.   4 Ways Jesus Gives Hope to the Disqualified   1. Sometimes Jesus needs to get your attention to draw out your faith (7:24-27)   2. Jesus recognizes humility as an indicator of true faith (7:28-30).   Her response was incredible:  She understood the parable.   She didn’t take offense.   She expressed true faith.    3. J...