Grace Community

'Order' sounds horrible. Like 'regimented' or 'straight jacket'. Actually, 'order' is more like harmony. Blurring distinctions in an attempt to create unity cheapens unity. Unity is beautiful if it is a diverse unity - like God. Unity isn't uniformity.  Chaos hurts. Disorder disrupts and produces disharmony. Perfect order is achieved in Jesus Christ. Al...

God, the Good Father who gives us everything, implants the Word of truth into our dead souls in order to recreate life - just like when He first created life through His word. BUT, just like planting seeds into soil, only the seeds planted into good soil will produce fruit. 1. God implants the word of truth but only humble listening will produce life 2. So, humbly receive the word of truth 3. And,...

In this talk we considered the third of these three points:  1. God is self-existent - how does this lead to Jesus - what does this means for us? 2. God wills what is - how does this lead to Jesus - what does this mean for us? 3. God is Tri-Personal - how does this lead to Jesus - what does this mean for us? Without Jesus we wouldn't know that God is a Triunity. In this talk we see how Jesus...

Why is evil so attractive? If God didn't want me to do this  or that, why did He make it in the first place? Why doesn't he just get rid of temptation? Maybe the Devil tempts me?  All these excellent questions are answered as we study the next passage in the book of James. 1. Our own evil desires lure us to death. 2. God only ever gives good things. 3. God became our Father when He gave...

In this talk we considered the second of these three points:  1. God is self-existent - how does this lead to Jesus - what does this means for us? 2. God wills what is - how does this lead to Jesus - what does this mean for us? 3. God is Tri-Personal - how does this lead to Jesus - what does this mean for us? Creation shows us that God wills what is. This means that God is Absolutely Sovereign. Be...

We derive status and value from outside of ourselves... so let it be from the God who truly values you. Contrary to modern thinking, human beings were designed to derive their value from outside of themselves. We can only think highly of ourselves when others, whose opinion we value, think highly of us.  Before sin entered the world, men and women built each other up and above all else, we derived...

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." So what? Who cares? In this first talk of a series exploring how everything leads to Jesus, we begin by thinking how these words not only make sense, but how they are such good news. Without this truth we are nothing more than ungrounded, minute particles of chaos - in short, we are irrelevant.  We looked at the first of these thr...

Taking a break from our series in James, we are considering what Jesus really says about vaccinations. The word 'vaccination' isn't in the Bible but the word 'love' is nearly on every page. This talk focuses on the one thing Christians must do: love. Love is only truly tested when we disagree with others. The whole vaccination debacle is a wonderful God-given opportunity f...

All our choices in life flow from what we really love. When sin disorders our loves, our lives are characterised by instability and we become victims of various passions - like someone tossed by waves and wind. Wisdom begins with an undivided heart that loves God. If we love God above all else, our lives will be characterised by choices motivated by love for Him. This is wisdom. It leads to stabil...

The letter of James is written on Jesus Christ's authority by His brother James, with the aim of curing us from being spiritually double-minded and unstable. Jesus said that we are to love God with all our heart. Love for God flows over into love for others. However, sin disorders our loves and creates within us unhealthy spiritual fragementation as different desires pull us in different dire...

Longing for God may not be your thing... but God alone will satisfy the longing soul. However, David doesn't just long for God because nothing else satisfies - even though that's true. There's another reason why he longs for God... 1. David longs for God because we do not have it within us to get free from the enemy (1-4) 2. David trusts, rejoices and sings because of God's bou...

Before Jesus entered our world, the Holy Spirit gave us glimpses of His glory throughout the Old Testament. In this 6 part series we are looking at the glory of Jesus before entering our world. As we listen to the text of the Bible, our minds are hearts will open to the love and truth of God and our souls will be deeply satisfied. 1. the Bridegroom is blessed forever because of His triumphant grac...

Before Jesus entered our world, the Holy Spirit gave us glimpses of His glory throughout the Old Testament. In this 6 part series we are looking at the glory of Jesus before entering our world. As we listen to the text of the Bible, our minds are hearts will open to the love and truth of God and our souls will be deeply satisfied. In the context of the failure of human government... 1. God  will m...

Before Jesus entered our world, the Holy Spirit gave us glimpses of His glory throughout the Old Testament. In this 6 part series we are looking at the glory of Jesus before entering our world. As we listen to the text of the Bible, our minds are hearts will open to the love and truth of God and our souls will be deeply satisfied. 1. God's majesty is seen in creation (1)    2. God's maje...

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to help believers love God with an undivided heart. The heart is the seat of our loves but sin causes a disordering of our loves. When our loves pull us in different directions we become fragmented, or, as James puts it, double-minded and unstable. True joy comes from loving One Being - God, Who is love.  Keep it simple, silly.      the peace that com...

Before Jesus entered our world, the Holy Spirit gave us glimpses of His glory throughout the Old Testament. In this 6 part series we are looking at the glory of Jesus before entering our world. As we listen to the text of the Bible, our minds are hearts will open to the love and truth of God and our souls will be deeply satisfied. 1. People exchange the glory of God for created things (Exodus 32:1...

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to help believers love God with an undivided heart. The heart is the seat of our loves but sin causes a disordering of our loves. When our loves pull us in different directions we become fragmented, or, as James puts it, double-minded and unstable. True joy comes from loving One Being - God, Who is love.  Keep it simple, silly.  James 1:27 - 2:26 Our...

Before Jesus entered our world, the Holy Spirit gave us glimpses of His glory throughout the Old Testament. In this 6 part series we are looking at the glory of Jesus before entering our world. As we listen to the text of the Bible, our minds are hearts will open to the love and truth of God and our souls will be deeply satisfied. 1. Joseph was rejected by his brothers      - He came to His own pe...

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to help believers love God with an undivided heart. The heart is the seat of our loves but sin causes a disordering of our loves. When our loves pull us in different directions we become fragmented, or, as James puts it, double-minded and unstable. True joy comes from loving One Being - God, Who is love.  Keep it simple, silly.  James 1:19b - 27 Verse...

Before Jesus entered our world, the Holy Spirit gave us glimpses of His glory throughout the Old Testament. In this 6 part series we are looking at the glory of Jesus before entering our world. As we listen to the text of the Bible, our minds are hearts will open to the love and truth of God and our souls will be deeply satisfied. 1. God curses the Serpent (14-15)      - for deceiving the woman  ...

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to help believers love God with an undivided heart. The heart is the seat of our loves but sin causes a disordering of our loves. When our loves pull us in different directions we become fragmented, or, as James puts it, double-minded and unstable. True joy comes from loving One Being - God, Who is love.  Keep it simple, silly.  James 1:12-19a        ...

"Jesus said this." is a series of talks exploring famous one-liners from Jesus. In each talk we unpack what Jesus means and how Jesus' words are exactly what our empty souls need. The love and truth of God shines out of everything Jesus says. Psalm 2                   Why wouldn't anyone want to be a Christian?      1. People say that serving God is slavery (1-3)      2. the Fa...

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to help believers love God with an undivided heart. The heart is the seat of our loves but sin causes a disordering of our loves. When our loves pull us in different directions we become fragmented, or, as James puts it, double-minded and unstable. True joy comes from loving One Being - God, Who is love.  James 1:9-11 and James 2:1-7 See your self as...

"Jesus said this." is a series of talks exploring famous one-liners from Jesus. In each talk we unpack what Jesus means and how Jesus' words are exactly what our empty souls need. The love and truth of God shines out of everything Jesus says. John 10:22-30 I know that I am a Christian because...      1. Today I hear Jesus' voice      2. Jesus knows me      3. I follow Him I kno...

"Jesus said this." is a series of talks exploring famous one-liners from Jesus. In each talk we unpack what Jesus means and how Jesus' words are exactly what our empty souls need. The love and truth of God shines out of everything Jesus says. Revelation 1:9-20 1. Jesus is the Universal High Priest 2. Jesus is the Divine Judge 3. Jesus is the Eternal Ruler    so what?     = Jesus is...