Grace Sagola Church

The use of our time is a continual decision of priorities.  We only have a finite resource of minutes and hours - how we use them will reveal where our greatest treasures and values lay.  Dividing up the time we have and offering it in worship to God will by necessity characterize our stewardship as "living for Christ". 

God has given us so much more than we need or deserve! His design is to bless us that we might be a blessing to others.  Not only has God made this principe of reciprocity a key element of His Covenants, but He has actually woven it into the very nature of His Creation! 

The church is designed by God to represent Him; to wear His name on our chest as use the energy and ability He gave us - we are therefore representatives of God.  Because of this we must make sure our work in this world is done under the banner of blessing others in the name of Jesus our Lord. 

When we attempt to understand God's design for the time given to us, we must begin by looking at His nature.  Because when we understand who God is, we will also see who we are. Stewarding time will require and awareness of God's judgement over our sin leading to consequences for our life. 

The subtlety of the control of riches in our lives often goes unnoticed.  It's not until generosity comes in conflict with self-preservation that we are faced with a decision: follow God's leading and trust His provision, or rely on ourselves, our savings, and our supply. 

The challenge in our modern world is an artificial division between the sacred and the secular when it comes to work.  However, what God has established for man through work all belongs to Him. Our stewardship of work will be defined through the community of God. 

One of the greatest potential failures for under-evaluation in a prosperous culture is the idea of stewardship.  Because the rich have a perceived lack of dependance on God for meeting their material needs, they will easily confuse stewardship with ownership.  We must be careful to remember that God has only temporarily entrusted us with earthly treasures. 

The Magi demonstrate a sort of observance and obedience that is shocking to most of us.  Their worship of Jesus is founded upon who Jesus is, and their gifts to him produce a unique challenge for us as we too worship Jesus at Christmas. 

Our picture of Christmastime has affected some of the terms, titles and themes that belong to Jesus.  When Matthew ascribes to the newborn the prophecy of "Immanuel" he does so from a unique historical context that might help us in our worship of the incarnated Christ.

The church is in a war.  If you follow Jesus you are being hunted, and our enemy is relentless. Often times the greatest victory of our adversary isn't very obvious, and unless we are prepared for battle, it's very likely that we will either completely miss or misplace the attacks.

The most important subsection of the church is the family.  In fact, the family is the most fundamental unit of all of society - this is why it is under constant attack by the forces of evil.  In Christlike fashion, the answer to such an attack isn't in kind, but rather victory is won with Godly submission. 

"Having the eyes of your heart enlightened" means we can no longer live in the dark.  Through Jesus, God has given His people an illumination of truth so that we are shown the path of a life characterized by righteousness.

God has given us an agent of change, a helper to renew and direct us as we grow: the Holy Spirit.  It is this Spirit that resurrects our spirit and can then serve to reorient our minds and thoughts onto service and submission to God's will and purpose. 

The church is designed by God to serve with a multidimensionality that benefits the whole and honors the Head.  No one part is greater than another, and yet it is so easy to miss the purpose of diversity that it can accidentally lead to division.  Only when each part serves the Head will we be truly unified. 

When it comes to God's design for the church, the scriptures will repeatedly use terminology that shapes her purpose as a family.  It is this familial commitment that serves as the scaffold for the rest of the New Testament’s commands for how we are to treat one another. 

God's design for exacting His will upon the earth is the church.  She is to be a redeemed humanity whose members orient their lives after the lead and love of Jesus.  How critical is it for us then, to make sure that we do not allow the "church" to become a sterile institution or a one-hour-a-week service that remains cursory to the multifaceted lives of Christians. We must know God's plan for the...

The church is intended to be cross-cultural, international, and yet somehow singleminded. For all of the complexities between different tribes and traditions, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that has brought the nations together, so that the life of Christ would be evident upon the earth.  Observations & Conclusions: Purpose – Without Jesus                 – With Jesus    Estrange...

The heart of the gospel is under threat by the deception of human achievement.  Every other religion on earth is an expression of man's attempt to reach divine righteousness, whether through ritual expression, commanded devotion, sacrifices, charity, or societal expectations.  It is Christianity alone, as correctly taught from the scriptures, that reveals the good news of God's saving and transfor...

It is easy, in our world, to undervalue and under-appreciate our faith.  When we are offered so many other pseudo-promises that capture our excitement and anticipation we often fail to truly treasure the greatest gift offered.  Yet it is our hope in God that will determine how we live here and now. 

The letter to the Ephesians is a Masterclass on Christianity.  The Apostle Paul lays out the foundational details for the Christian's calling and purpose on this earth as sourced in God's redeeming work through Jesus Christ.  It is now with an allegiance to Jesus as our exalted Head that the Christian can embrace their God defined purpose according to His will. 

Of all the many things that draw our attention, wonderment, and awe, the pinnacle for the Christian ought to be their own union with Christ.  The "why" of God's mercy, is by design unanswerable, such that meditation of this question ought to humble us - since we are recipients of God's grace, we will be guided in being generous in extending grace to others as well.  

The gathering of Christians for worship has been quite contorted in our world today. Some see it as a checkbox of righteousness, a holy obligation, others are left feeling "let down" if the service doesn't meet their expectations. What is the purpose of God's design of gathering Christians together for worship?

There is a natural rebellious bent to the human spirit; we often resist authority, and fail in our understanding of submission.  Even for the Christian, the residue of subversion often remains, and requires God's Word to teach and instruct us how we are to submit to our governing authorities.  But what should be the Christian's response when our government conflicts with God's Word?  How has Jesus...

“And now , O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”   - Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Prayer is, unfortunately, a very misunderstood practice.  Some religions see it as meditation, others as a way of appeasing many gods; some Christians even demonstrate it as little more than simply "sending thoughts".  So, what is the deal with prayer and why has God given it to us?