Grace Free Church Talks

The heart of this season isn’t about us getting everything perfectly in place—it’s about God’s love showing up in the middle of our mess. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men were all imperfect people with real-life struggles who found themselves at the center of Jesus’ birth. The true wonder isn’t that we’ve managed to make it to church or keep our holiday plans on track; rather, it’s th...

Being spiritually ready opens us up to experience the fullness of God’s work in our lives—especially at Christmas. Drawing on the stories of Zechariah and Nicodemus, we see two very different responses to God’s surprises. Both men’s journeys remind us that preparation isn’t just about having every detail handled, but about making room in our hearts for God’s presence. Are we missing God’s movement...

In this talk we explore how the Old Testament foreshadowed and foretold the coming of Christ, highlighting key prophecies that point to His birth, mission, and victory over sin. The fulfillment of these prophecies in Christ underscores God's sovereign plan and assures us that Christ is the ultimate source of security and salvation. (Talk by Don Baker)

The best places in life are the places where the best stuff happens. These places make us feel something special, and we spend a lot of time trying to recapture those best moments in the best places. Bethlehem was statistically insignificant—which unfortunately is how a lot of people feel. A town of three hundred max was the birthplace of Jesus. See you can never say "well not me, not here" when i...

Let’s be real—life moves fast. We’re busy, distracted, and constantly hit with more than we can handle. It’s so easy to lose that sense of wonder. But if we could just hit pause, we’d see something incredible: God is with us. Joseph felt it too—overloaded, overwhelmed, and facing the worst. But right in the middle of his mess, God showed up. With a plan. With a purpose. And with a promise: You’re...

Hope, for people of faith, is resilient, powerful, and sustaining—not mere wishful thinking. Its strength depends on what you place it in. Is your hope too small or misplaced? True hope thrives even in the darkest moments when rooted in Jesus. Be intentional: place your hope in Him, and watch it grow into a sustaining force, even in life’s hardest trials. (Talk by Joshua Ott)

There is an obstacle to your mental health, and it’s you. Just like when we refuse to ask for directions, or double down on an argument already lost, sometimes our pride prevents us from getting the help we need. Pride can mean different things, but the definition of the negative context of the word is having an inflated view of self. Our importance, abilities, self-centered-mess all are inflated....

In this talk, Pastor Baker explores Charles Templeton and Billy Graham and talks about their world views and destinies. It's a choice everyone must take. (Talk by Don Baker)

Worry. It’s not the same as anxiety. Anxiety is a generalized feeling of fight or flight. It is a systematic and exaggerated response to a trigger. Worry is practical, day-to-day concern mongering. The difference is between a condition and a decision. No wonder Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to make a choice to not worry. He goes on to talk about "the more." Life is more than what you are worried abo...

There are all kinds of negative characters. It isn’t just Negative Nancy. Here family is just as messed up. Critical Carl, Perfectionist Patricia, pessimistic Peter, inadequate Ian, catastrophic Cathy, overthinking Olivia and so many others. Left unchecked out negative thinking consumes us and distorts our view of life. It’s a spiritual problem and there is hope to be experienced through the renew...

Loneliness is a serious issue that is on the upswing. 10% of people deal with it on a daily basis and 30% feel lonely weekly. It is an epidemic and it is not a respecter of persons. The effects are devastating. Where is God when we are lonely? The story of Hagar and her son is a powerful story reminding us that God sees us, provides for us and gives us his presence to help us through the lonely sp...

Feeling stuck dramatically affects our mental health. We can feel stuck in our circumstances, I. Our relationships, in guilt and shame, purposelessness, fear, bitterness, comparison…. It is a long list. Paul was literally stuck in prison yet he wrote a letter that in the Bible is called the Book of Joy. It’s Philippians and in chapter 3 verses 12-14 we learn his key to living un-stuck. Paul was ab...

The good shepherd wants to lead you through the Valley of the Shadow of Death to his home in heaven. He promises to be with you every step of the way. Following you with a desire to cover you with His loving kindness. (Talk by Don Baker)

Feeling overwhelmed? I think most of us are. Or at least in today’s fast paced, high expectation world most of us will face feeling overwhelmed at some point. It might be triggered by work, or home, or relationships, or by trying to keep all of those things in balance; however we end up there it is a smothering, paralyzing feeling. It impacts how we think, feel, behave and believe. This passage te...

Depression is tough. It isn’t just sadness. It’s a desperately empty, dark, hopeless state. It is an imbalance of Gods design. Psalm 88 gives us a tough picture into the heart cry of a person who was really struggling with the darkness. This is the “saddest” Psalm. But in the sadness there is help and hope. If you are struggling with depression please know your feelings aren’t permanent. They chan...

(Talk by Joshua Ott)

Life will throw unrelenting waves at you. Challenges that will mess with your balance. Some of them are big and some are small. When you are worn down, even the littlest wave can knock you off balance and send you crashing down. Anxiety works like that. Our brains get overloaded and our fight or flight response gets triggered. The unrelenting waves become harder and harder to deal with. We need a...

Grief is something we will all experience at some point in our lives. It might be the loss of someone or a relationship or dream. Regardless of what you are grieving, it is so important to mourn. Don’t run. Don’t hide from it. Grieve. In this message, we look at the story of Naomi found in the book of Ruth. She had so much. She lost so much. It was bitter. But God worked in her circumstances to br...

Fear is often running under the surface. Fuel for the struggles we have with our mental health. As tough as we want to act everyone has a weak spot. Elijah was a warrior prophet. He had lived so courageously. He had done some incredibly bold and brave things. Yet in a moment of weakness, he gets hit with an empty threat and it blows up his world. Fear untethered will drive your life diminishing th...

If you had asked me how I was doing in the middle of my own mental health crisis, I would have told you “I’m fine.” I was far from fine. Maybe you are too. You aren’t fine, you’re lonely, depressed, anxious, grieving. You might even feel like there is something wrong with you. After all, everyone else seems to be smiling. The reality is their smiles are often hiding deeper fears and concerns. You...

We all fail. Failing is a part of life, but so is responding. How do you respond to failing? In this message, we’ll look at Peter’s story and learn how we can continue to walk in faithfulness to God, even in the midst of our failures. (Talk by Josh Daubert)

Some of our biggest mistakes come when our souls are hungry and we seek satisfaction outside of what God has for us. Just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good for us. Thankfully God provides for the needs of his people even in the dry spaces of life. With Him, the seemingly mundane obedience has divine significance. He can turn harm into a blessing. He can draw the toxic out of our...

(Talk by David Brezena)

(Talk by Rick Schweizer)

Jonah is having an epic meltdown in chapter four. Like most of our meltdowns, it is driven by a narrow focus and a selfish heart. He chooses anger in light of his perception that justice has failed. That is often why we choose anger too. But don’t forget that you are the recipient of grace, the benefactor of God’s patience, and the object of His pursuit. God cares more. He is patient. He loves eve...