Grace Sagola Church

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. 

The design of work has been corrupted by the sin and the fall.  Where originally it gave fulfillment and joy, work has become for many a chore or a punishment to be avoided.  This unfortunate perspective has crept its way into each successive generation, and today the avoidance of work is a symptom characteristic in young people that needs to be addressed within the church. 

Have you ever lifted something too heavy to carry; maybe an arm load of groceries, and giant pumpkin, or a wiggly puppy?  Chances are you felt the contrast between a desire to carry it and your inability.  This is what it is like to raise children.  They will inevitably grow up and our possession of them will prove to be temporary.  In order to parent with assurance of their protection and future...

What we pass down to our children is their inheritance. For the Christian, the most valuable thing you have is your faith. The treasure of passing down your faith to the next generation is often predicated on following some very clear and basic principals that require intentional integration with the many various facets of your life.

Is God with us? Does He have a plan? How does the Christian message speak to the events of our world today? The gospel tells of a God who enters into our mess, takes upon Himself the punishment of our sins, and rises from the grave in victory - that is then offered to all who believe.

The death of Jesus is for too many of us out-of-sight and so therefore out-of-mind. It is shockingly easy for the Christian to become side-tracked and deceived to sacrifice the best thing for some good things. And we are sometimes the main culprits in deceiving ourselves because no one likes to admit they are all-that (and a bag of chips).

If you are a child of God then He has you under construction. This formation of Christlikeness in you is a process called sanctification. God uses the difficulties of this life as one of His primary mechanisms for shaping and molding us. We cooperate with God in His work when we're honest about those moments of difficulty and thereby embrace God's purposes as we learn to ground ourselves upon His...

Time is the most priceless commodity there is. But our time is often stolen away by fear, discouragement, laziness, and ignorance. Without an intentionality of spirit, we run a great risk of missing the opportunities given to us in the seasons of life.

God has done something very unique in the virgin birth; He has made a way of redemption for the human race through a miraculous new creation found in the humanity of Jesus. The virgin birth unites God with man and supernaturally reveals God's gracious provision to reunite man with God.

The absence of fellowship, the restrictions on travel and and familial interactions, the loss of our regular routines, have all been a difficult wake-up calls for us.  We used to live in a time of plenty of abundance, and we didn't even know how fortunate we were.

The crucifixion of Jesus is far too easily overlooked in its offensiveness and cruelty; where we’ve grown accustomed to crosses on jewelry and bookstore trinkets we’ve likewise forgotten what the cross stands for. Its transformation in the heart of the Christian must be one of significance and not one of elegance. Why is the cross our only boast?… because it has become they symbo...

The upheaval and inconveniences of our world right now are nothing compared to the turmoil to be experienced by those who are ignoring Jesus' return. The image of marathon runner who focuses all body, mind, and soul in each step to reach the finish line is a picture of the faithful endurance and perseverance that is expected of all Christians.

The ascension of Jesus is often overlooked due to the magnitude of the Resurrection at Easter. However, it is in the doctrine of the Jesus' ascension that we find the proper posture of our hearts towards dependency rather than self-sufficiency. Without the ascension we lose our present source of aid, and our faith would only be ever past-tensed reminder.

The story of Easter is part of a greater narrative describing and declaring the glory of God. We would do well to give our attention and affection to that which has unfolded in the resurrection and realize that the greatest good, namely God's glory, is on display at Easter.

Palm Sunday contains a beautiful picture of God’s amazing grace in the scene of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on the back of a colt; not a mighty steed, flashy mustang, or towering chariot… the Messiah on the back of a humble donkey.  We will use this picture for an examination of God’s undeserved election of His children.