Grace Valley Church

Christianity isn't just for the "elite". It's not for those who have a PhD in theology or who claim to be privvy to special, secret knowledge. From the apostle Paul's day to the present, some have claimed exclusive access to God's truth and the authority to decide who receieves it. This is one of the ways that Satan tries to keep everyone from the life-giving message of the gospel. But in Colossia...

The Bible is full of befores and afters. Before you were one way, now you are another. Before you didn't know God, but now you do. Before you were drowning in your sin, but now you have a rescuer. The apostle Paul continues this pattern in his letter to the Colossians as he reminds the Colossian church who God is and what He has done for them. In the barrage of temptations and sieren songs that ca...

Jesus is in all things and all things are made for Him. That means every single thing that ever existed is under Jesus care, love, protection and purpose. That means that you, no matter who you are, matter. Because you are a created being and because you have the breath of life within you. There is nothing that Jesus does not already know about you. Nothing about you will make Him ashamed of you....

In Colossians 1:9 we read that the apostle Paul "continually asks God to give believers full wisdom and knowledge of His will through the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives." But Paul doesn't stop there; he continues to unpack what God's will actually is (vv. 10-12). It's easy for believers to get caught up in asking God what His will is. Our prayers are often full of questions and con...

Jesus calls His followers to live a life that is markedly different than the lives of those around us. As Christians, we are called to live as a people of faith, hope and love. And while this may seem like a slogan you might see on a mug in a gift shop, it is meant to be such a deep calling that it soaks into our very DNA. Colossians 1:1-8 identifies Christians as children of the Father, as ones w...

This week we focus on a familiar passage in the Bible, the parable of the sower. We learn how the seed of the gospel is freely given but it isn't always received. We are encouraged to continue to share the Gospel with others, with steadfast faith and obedience to the great Commission given by Jesus Himself.

In Luke 12, we hear the story of a rich man who seeks the wise counsel of Jesus. This man's question seems ike a reasonable request, until we hear Jesus' response which cuts the man right to the quick and tells truth of what's really going on here. This man's focus is on his own wealth and his own relationships. He's seeking Jesus advice not in reverence or to worship Jesus but so he can become ev...

Every day we are surrounded by people or things that are vying for our attention. From social media, to billboards, to our bosses, spouses and children, everything is trying to influence us in some way shape or form. It is imperitive to grow in wisdom when we are discerning what we will let influence (or disciple) our hearts and minds. As Christians, recieving Christ is the first step in reorienti...

In Acts 1:9-11, we read about Christ being taken up into the clouds just after speaking words of comfort to His followers. Although He is not here in bodily form, we can rest assured that we have not been left as orphans but we have received the Holy Spirit. Jesus continues to take care of His people even as He ascends to His Father in Heaven. What does this mean for us as believers? Join us this...

Bad things happen in this life. Awful, heartwrenching, unbelievably painful things. Who do we turn to when we're caught up in a dark season? Where does our help come from? We turn to the One who calls us to Himself. Our help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth. Our Sovereign God bends His ear to us and calls us to take refuge in Him. We only need to be still and wait and watch in confidence t...

Charles Spurgeon called Psalm 131 a "short ladder that neertheless rises to a great height, moving from deep humility to fixed confidence." It's a psalm that's easy to remember but harder to put into practice which makes it all the more important to do so. When we settle into our positions as God's created beings, we begin to relax and trust our Creator. Our confidence in Him grows over time and o...

Psalm 126 teaches us that in times of trouble, it is good to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness to us in the past. In 126:1-2, we see the Israelites practicing faithful rememberance. This life giving spiritual practice is what sustains them through their dangerous journey of ascent. God is steadfast and His loving care never changes. The same faithful God that walked alongside the Israelites t...

As we begin our new series "Songs For The Road", we take a look at Psalm 24. This short psalm reminds us that as we journey through life's difficulties, we can find comfort and confidence in God's Word. The fundamental truth that God created all things and that everything belongs to Him is the answer to our deepest need. We belong to our Creator. We are accepted and loved. He cares for us and we a...

Has God intruded in your life? In this part of Jacobs life, we see God intrude on Jacob's life in a very physical way. It's a bit of a strange story, as many stories in the Bible often are, but it is a story where God literally grabs hold of Jacob and forces him to pay attention. If you're wondering whether or not God is grabbing a hold of you, pay attention to your own thought patterns. Check you...

After the disasterous consequences of Jacob's disobedience to God, we read on to find that Jacob does not hear God's voice of judgement or condemnation. Instead, he hears an invitation to come home to Bethel. We see yet another example of how God's grace and His commitment to His promises will be the deciding factor in the next chapters of Jacob's life. Not Jacob's acts of repentence, not his atte...

Despite Jacob's profound encounters with the Living God, he continued to fall into deep and destructive patterns of sin. His inability to face his problems head on, combined with his compulsion to manipulate and lie, left it's mark on a whole new generation of children. Because of Jacob's inability to act on behalf of his violated and abused daughter, his enemy was forced to make a hasty peace tre...

What's actually happening when we go to church? Are we all just following tradition? Being compelled to do it by guilt or obligation? Or is there something more at work? God brings us into corporate worship for a reason. It's to give us a taste of home - not our earthly home, but the one He's created for us to be in. This week we explore Psalm 84 and what it means to worship as a church family and...

It's tempting to believe that if God appeared physically in front of us right now, our belief and faith in Him would be forever solidified. In Genesis 32, we see angels literally appear in front of Jacob's very eyes (32:1) and yet just a few verses later we see him hedging his bets. He attempts to re-arrange a stressful situation "just in case" God doesn't show up. God's angels appeared physically...

Even though Jacob had all the material possessions he needed, his time with Rebecca, Leah and their father Laban was frought with tension, emotional abuse and constant strife. God called Jacob and his family out of Paddan Aram, but it wasn't an easy call to follow, especially for Rebecca and Leah. Sometimes the "devil you know" is better than whatever the unknown future may be. But God was with Ja...

Jacob spent years believing that blessing came through his own schemes. Yet again and again, God showed him that it was never his plans that secured the future, it was God’s providence. Maybe today you feel small, unseen, or insignificant. Maybe you wonder if your life really matters. But the God who governs every detail of history is the same God who knit you together in your mother’s womb. You a...

Over the last number of weeks we've been diving into God's Dysfuntional Family through the book of Genesis. And we can see one thing for sure. God's grace does not depend on our good behaviour in any way. We've seen countless examples of bad, even despicable behaviour, but God is still weaving His goodness throughout it all. In this section of Genesis, we come across another wild story of people d...

Jacob was the boy that nobody wanted. But if Rachel wanted him, he'd do anything to get her. Many of us can identify with thinking that if we can just get this one thing, this one person, this one promotion, we'll be accepted. We think that the holes inside ourselves will be filled with affection, admiration and praise from others. And that may be true, but only for a moment. God sees our aching h...

After weeks of walking through perilous terrain, Jacob arrives at his destination in Harran. In order to woo himself a wife, he sidles up to her father Laban, a professional schemer and a man who turns out to out-scheme Jacob himself. If the way this story unfolds seems familiar to those of you who have been following along in our series thusfar, its because God intended us to see the effects of g...

This week, Pastor Paul takes us through Genesis 28:10-22 where we continue following along with Jacob.

Imagine winning an award for something you didn't do. Or finally hearing the words of affirmation and love you have been longing to hear, but knowing the person speaking those words intended them for someone else. That's what Jacob was experiencing in Gen. 27:1-29. And if he didn't already feel like a less-than son, he sure did after this encounter with his father Isaac. Although Jacob willingly p...