Grace Sagola Church

The kingdom of our Lord is breaking into this world through the person, message, and people of Jesus Christ.  We, as Christians, are tasked with engaging our world/culture with the distinctiveness of Jesus; confident of God's ultimate triumph in recreation to establish a new heaven and new earth!

The church today has been given her marching orders for organization and character.  She must the Lord’s design, which, unfortunately, is often easier to say than to do.  Observations: The kingdom of man’s priority isn’t belief in God The kingdom of man’s priority isn’t knowing God The kingdom of man’s priority isn’t knowing the love of God The kingdom of man’s priority isn’t the community o...

Our country is built upon the years of both the wisdom of the kingdom of God and the idolatry from the kingdom of man.  When we examine the core of America's policy decisions, we will see that they all relate back to the sovereignty of the individual to determine their own pursuit of happiness. 

The culture of the kingdom of Rome was the strongest and most powerful yet known on the earth.  As this culture made it way into the church, it would have to be addressed as belonging to the world's ideology - a way of life that Jesus calls His followers to reject. 

The kingdom of man will further strengthen its influence upon God's people through a process called enculturation.  The church's response must a be careful engagement and an avoidance of isolation - that we might reach the lost with a creative and intentional reframing of the culture.

The biblical characters exiled in Persia give us a glimpse of what it looks like to engage in a governmental and political system that does not fear or respect God. There's much for us to learn for today in observing how followers of God kept their focus on His promises and purposes while living as aliens. 

This world can easily be identified with a spirit of Babylon.  She is that ancient type of describing the depravity of the kingdom of man.  Nevertheless, God has placed His church and fashioned His people to be the light for the kingdom of God. 

Our current culture has many parallels to the world of the ancients. Yet, there is a pattern that the scriptures outline for the follower of Jesus Christ.  The very same diverse expression of "the gods of Egypt" must be replaced with a faith in Jesus.

The world, during the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, has many frighteningly similar characteristics to our world today. These patterns are observed under the values and ideologies of the kingdom of man.  Review:  The entire world is shaped by national tribalism and following false gods that elevate the secular to the sacred, as humanity assumes the role of deciding what is good God now has His own na...

Our citizenship in heaven will come at the cost of our allegiances on earth.  Where each of us would fail in fully trusting God, we will see that Jesus succeeds. 

The story of God's redemption reveals an arch of His Sovereign grace. When sin goes unaddressed in a culture it will inevitably define that people in opposition to their Creator. Nevertheless, the mercy of our God will keep reveling supernatural grace! 

Being part of a family isn't easy - but then again, not worth doing is ever easy.  We have a hidden warning at the end of Philemon through the providence of God's progressive revelation.

A healthy church needs more than just a one-hour-a-week gathering. A healthy church needs personal community that goes beyond the 4 walls of the church building.  A healthy church needs intentional reunion for the refreshment of our souls.  

The follow-through is always the hardest.  It's one thing to know that you're bound together in the family of God with others in the church, but it's a whole other thing to put your money-where-your-mouth-is and intentionally dig in deep into fellowship and Christian community. 

Paul's message to Philemon isn't for Onesimus's sake alone - it's actually to help Philemon. The evidence of our Christian faith is only seen when put the world's standards behind those of our Creator. It is our Creator who gives us our lasting identity in Him. 

The Christian community was always designed by God to be more than just a "community".  As there are many such "communities" in our world, all defined by shared values and identities, the Christian community was supposed to be a family of God. 

God's design for our growth in Him includes a commitment to one another in love, fellowship and encouragement.  For the church to experience and express this as a whole will require small manageable groups of families, whose relationships can grow deeper beyond the 2 hours of accessibility of a Sunday morning worship service... these are called Life Groups at Grace. 

One of the essential mechanisms for our growth and encouragement in the faith is the Christian community. Paul's interaction with Philemon reveals many of these characteristics that we can learn from today. 

The sending of disciples on mission was determined by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. If we too are to be sent, we also must learn to be led by the Spirit. 

One of the most difficult aspects of being sent is submitting to the one who sends you. We are most secure when we are in the center of God's purpose and calling, no matter where He sends us. 

Our true opposition in this world is not the men and women we are sent to, rather it is the unseen enemy that opposes the glory of our God.  We are protected from this deceiver by grounding our understanding upon God's Truth! 

The task of being "sent" begins with following Jesus. 

God's intention for the commissioning of missionaries was to function through the local church by leading of God's Spirit.  When this happens as designed, it helps grow those believers who "hold the reins" in their participation with the mission of God. 

The commissioning of the disciples by Jesus serves for the church as a lens to see and understand the unfolding plan of God.  He has chosen to dispense the message of salvation through those equipped and sent with orders. 

The nature of Jesus' commission from the Father will help us in our understanding for how Jesus' disciples are also sent.  We will see that at the foundation, Jesus is sent to display what the Kingdom and rule of God looks like on the earth.