Grace Sagola Church

The Mosaic Law communicated the penalty for sin and provided the picture of God's rescue plan.  But it was always temporary.  The law could never impart righteousness.  It is only in Christ that the fulfillment of God's rescue plan could be realized.

For the first 300 years of our faith, the church withstood governmental oppression and persecution.  They were able to do so because they believed God's promise of eternal life and lived with a hope in the resurrection as promised by our living Lord. 

The message of Jesus is an illuminating message. But Jesus doesn't just say that His message is light, He declares that HE is the light of the world.

In our world that celebrates materialism we can easily become distracted at Christmas.  Even the blessings and gifts that are received through Jesus can unintentionally become more significant than the Giver of those gifts. 

Jesus delivers to the disciples a definition of God that will determine how they ought to view themselves. The answer to the question "Who is God" is the catalyst that can lead the Christian towards a life lived in love and truth. 

What influences our direction in life the most?  This question ought to help recalibrate where our faith lies and how we can learn to live as a Christ-follower in a world of obstacles and distractions. 

A the potential for division in the church has never been greater in our generation.  A vigilant believers we are challenged to show love above all, and in loving one another, we will also be loving our Lord in obedience to His commands.

The danger of self-deception is the refusal to recognize what God says.  As Jesus addresses the fake righteousness of the Pharisees, He does so to reveal their hypocrisy in light of God's intentions, and provide crystal clarity to His purpose in coming in obedience to God's Word by doing what man could not do as the law required.

The actions of a Christ-Follower must follow in characteristic to their nature.  As a "new creation" our nature has been changed, but this new calling is still resident in a sin-cursed-world.  Jesus gives clear and convicting markers for identifying the new nature. 

Once again we see the command "do not repay evil with evil".  Then verse 18 commands you to "live at peace with everyone."  How can you flip it, and repay "good" for "good"?  How do you think "good" actions will produce peace?

It appears that making a promise is extremely important to God.  Why do you think God holds promises with such a high accountability?

Divorce has wounded so many lives, and yet we've grown so numb to its effects in our world today, so that for many there is a failure to see the deeper transgression as marriage is truly an act accomplished by God, and therefore can only truly be an act dissolved by God.  

The topic of adultery for the Pharisees was cloaked in self-deception, and Jesus raises the veil to reveal that God's law was more than mere obedience to the letter, but must be understood through the spirit of the law. 

Anger is such a deceptive emotion.  Many feel justified in their anger because there is much injustice in our world.  But where anger promises justice it only delivers bondage.

No one is perfect.  All of us struggle with a unique cocktail of flaws and failures.  The Apostle Peter is no exception to this rule, but his life shows the progress of a Christ-follower by examining his weaknesses and through that attention offers for us today helpful conclusions for our preparation in the Kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul in his epistles set an example for us of a life devoted to service - service to Christ and to Christ’s kingdom.  Today we’ll discover how our hearts can turn towards Jesus.

How should we face suffering?  There are people in the Bible who have suffered in numerous ways and held on during it all because of their faith.  God gives us a picture of the faith-filled-follower in the crucible of suffering in the person of Job. 

Although the words of the gospel message can be believed and understood, there is still something necessary at the heart of the message that can subtly become lost or changed.  Without Jesus as Lord, the gospel message falls apart and ultimately fails.  The entirety of counsel and encouragement from the New Testament writers is predicated on this single truth contained inside the gospel, namely: J...

There is a tendency in our world today to sacrifice truth on the altar of tolerance or fear of offending.  Our world of victimization has (as illustrated by C.S. Lewis) pared the claws of the Lion of Judah to make Him a simple and illusive house cat. 

The proclamation of the gospel today is often non-existent in the face of contemporary values.  The exclusive claims of Christ are offensive in our world of tolerance.  But as has been said, "facts don't care about your feelings."

People are so eager to share the latest news with their friends - so why is it so hard for some people to share the "Good News"?  Might it be because we find a fearful disconnect in our own lives between the message and our own adherence to live as a Christ-follower.

We cannot save anyone.  The burden of love and affection we have for the lost can sometimes become crippling from a fear of offense or ridicule.  How do we share the good news without looking like we're judging our neighbors?  Jesus commissions His Apostles as witnesses and then leaves them with the supernatural power of the Spirit to accomplish that work to which they are incapable of achieving. 

Sometimes we we easily fall into the false idea that security in our faith is determined by our works of obedience.  While it is true that obedience is a direct product of our salvation, we need to be careful in our thinking to make it crystal clear that we don't add or contribute anything to our redemption. 

One of the most most grievous events a Christian can witness is when a long time standing member of a church denies the faith and walks away from God.  This trend is happening more today than ever before, and we believe it's largely due to a misunderstanding of the gospel. 

Although the process of parenting is never over, there comes a realistic conclusion that has been prescripted by God.  The challenge and the blessing of helping our children spread their wings and yet remain under the wings of our Lord is beyond our ability - it is a task we need God's help to accomplish.