Grace Sermons

What does it mean that your life is hidden with Christ in God?  What does it mean to have been raised with Christ?  How do we set our minds on things above and not on earthly things?  I answer all of these questions in this sermon on Colossians 3:1-4. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds o...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything!  Through His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross for our sins and His resurrection, we are offered complete forgiveness and eternal life as a gift that we receive by faith in Christ. John 20:31 - But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Is it possible you have missed the real Jesus?  The people on Palm Sunday seemed to think they knew who Jesus was, but just a few days later they were the ones crying out, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  They thought Jesus was coming to make their situations and circumstances better by freeing them from Roman oppression, but Jesus came to give peace between humanity and God by giving Himself as a sub...

Measuring spiritual growth or how we are doing in the Christian life is dangerous.  Paul warns us of 3 ways not to measure the Christian life, or we will become enslaved to hollow and deceptive philosophies.

Paul warns us to watch out for hollow and deceptive philosophy.  Satan works through human tradition and cultural influences to tempt us with a "Jesus plus" gospel, but Paul counters with the truth that we are complete in Christ and not lacking anything. Colossians 2:8-10... 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the...

What does it mean to be rooted in Christ?  In this sermon, we'll discover that we have been rooted and continue to stay rooted through Christ's finished work on the cross.  Rooted is in the perfect tense and the passive voice.  From that rootedness, Christ builds us up and establishes us in the faith as we give thanks for what He's done and what He is doing. Colossians 2:6-7... 6 So then, just as...

In Colossians 2:4, Paul warns believers of fine-sounding arguments.  Satan is a master deceiver and will tempt us with a "Jesus Plus Gospel," and lead us away from the sufficiency of Christ.  Paul points us to Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Christ in you, the hope of glory is the message that Paul proclaimed.  It was a mystery hidden in the pages of the Old Testament and now revealed in Christ.  In this sermon, we'll dive into the meaning of Christ in you, the hope of glory and what that means for you today. Colossians 1:27 - To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ...

What does reconciliation mean in the Bible?  The apostle Paul in Colossians 1:21-23 helps bring clarity to the before and after picture of salvation and how we move from being enemies of God to part of His family.  We are changed into those who are holy, without blemish, and free of accusation. This is reconciliation with God.

Jesus Christ is preeminent.  He is first in everything.  In Him, through Him, and for Him all things were created.  He is before all things and holds all things together.  

If God were handing out grades based on how you are doing in the Christian life, what would your grade be?  Many of us have this mentality where we are earning points for the good things we are doing and having points deducted for the bad things we are doing, but Colossians 1:9-14 reveals the truth that we are already qualified, have been rescued, and are in the Kingdom.  It sounds like you alread...

What is your true identity?  What is the meaning of identity in Christ?  In the opening verses of Colossians, Paul shows us how God defines those who are believers... as saints.  We are not sinners saved by grace but rather saints who sometimes sin.  There is a big difference!  We act out of what we believe about ourselves.  If you believe you are a sinner, the most natural thing for a sinner to d...

Paul wrote to refute the false gospel of "Jesus plus."  The gospel is Jesus plus nothing = everything.  The Colossians background led to a diverse population and a pluralistic society.  The church was being tempted with a Jesus plus gospel, and in this introduction, we see that Paul writes to declare that the good news of Jesus is Jesus plus nothing equals everything and everything minus Jesus equ...

What is the meaning of He shall be called a Nazarene?  Nazarene was a slang term used for people who were despised and rejected.  Jesus experienced suffering and persecution, and He was despised by many.  Because he suffered, He knows your pain.  Because of the victory at the cross, He brings hope to your suffering.

What is the meaning of Matthew 2:1-12?  Why did the Magi come to visit Jesus?  Who were the Magi?  We learn so much from them as they walk into the presence of Jesus as a toddler.  They fall on their face before Him and worship Him. That is the only appropriate response from us as well.

In Matthew 1:18-25, we are told that Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us.  But Jesus didn't just come to be with us for 33 years, He came so that He could be with us forever!  If you've said yes to Jesus, you are never alone.  God is with you.  This is the meaning of Emmanuel and what we see in Matthew 1:18-25.

Matthew 1:1-17 Meaning... A lot of us tend to skip over the genealogy sections in Scripture, but Matthew uses the genealogy of Jesus Christ to show that He is the fulfillment of Old Testament covenant promises made by God.  The birth of Jesus brings hope into our lives and this dark world we live in.

When facing spiritual warfare, one of Satan's tactics is to inflict you with shame.  He wants you to think something is wrong not just with what you did, but that something is wrong with you.  But Scripture tells us how to deal with shame and guilt.  We see how to be free from the failures of our lives and the emotional weight we carry with them.  Jesus gave his life to set us free and to live in...

Temptation can seem so difficult to overcome, but there is a way out.  Satan tempts us to sin in order to rob us of the experience of Christ's life in us and through us.  It can seem so defeating.  How do we overcome temptation?  How do we fight temptation?  In this episode, you will learn to spot the lies and how your union with Christ helps to overcome the temptation to give in and fall for the...

When it comes to spiritual warfare, Satan's primary tactic to steal, kill, and destroy is lies and deception.  He is the father of lies and is known as the deceiver.  In this episode, you will learn to recognize the lies and renew your mind to God's truth so that you will walk in victory.

What is spiritual warfare today?  What does the world, the flesh, and the devil have to do with spiritual warfare?  How do we fight spiritual warfare?  Are there types of spiritual warfare?  Is Satan real?  The Bible tells us that Satan is very real and that he is out to steal, kill, and destroy in John 10:10.  In this podcast episode and opening message of this series you will learn what spiritua...

Giving thanks is at the very core and heart of what it means to worship.  We give thanks to God for who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing.  It's impossible to worship without giving thanks.  To worship means to live a lifestyle of thanksgiving in all areas of your life. Colossians 3:15-17…15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to pe...

Worship is both an event and an everyday experience.  We gather together for corporate worship and then we are sent out to worship every day of our individual lives.  We are Jesus' instruments, and as His Life is expressed through us, He receives glory, honor, and praise.  All areas of our lives become an opportunity to worship the Lord our God! Romans 12:1-2: I appeal to you therefore, brothers,...

Most of us can easily see that worship is vertical in one sense, but I wonder how many of us realize the horizontal aspect of worship.  We worship a transcendent God who exists above and independent of His creation, but we are brought together as the Church for corporate worship.  Jesus works through our horizontal relationships to express vertical worship to the God who sits above all things. 2 P...

Is it better to worship with our heads or our hearts?  Do we worship with our minds or our emotions?  Most of us lean towards head worship or heart worship, but the Holy Spirit will lead us to worship God with our minds and our emotions. John 4:24 - God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.