Grace Valley Church

How can a church that looks so good on the outside be slowly rotting away on the inside? It's easier than you think for a church to slide into spiritual entropy and no church is immune to it, no matter how many boxes we check. In this sermon, Rev. Paul Vanden Brink breaks down the criticism and warning that Jesus gives the church at Sardis, a warning that should catch every Christian's attention,...

Preached by Rev. Mark Hordyk, December 28th, 2025.

Our Christmas Eve sermon, December 24th, 2025.

"You draw the hearts of shepherds You draw the hearts of kings Even as a baby You were changing ev'rything You called me to Your kingdom Before Your lips could speak And even as a baby You were reaching out for me And now we are awaiting The day of Your return When ev'ry eye will see You As heaven comes to earth Until the sky is opened Until the trumpet sounds The bride is getting ready The Church...

This past Friday we gathered for a praise and worship night. We were asked to write our sorrows and prayers on one side of a piece of paper, and our hope on the other. What is the reason we have this hope? Why can we say, with the prophet Micah, "but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever"? Because Jesus came to the world as a baby, who grew up to be a perfect man who sprea...

Micah leaves no room for misinterpretation in this prophecy. At first glance it sounds like a graphic description of the cannibalism inflicted by the leaders in Micahs day. But does any of it still ring true today? This week we continue to explore the reasons why Jesus needed to come and why He needs to come back. Join us as we wait expectantly for His return and seek to become ambassadors of His...

It's not common practice to talk about God's anger on the first day of Advent. But it sure is neccesary. In order for us to understand why God had to send Jesus to make a way for us, we need to understand how corrupt the human heart was during Micah's time, and how corrupt our hearts continue to be. Our rebellion against God's instructions for how we ought to live cannot simply be shoved under an...

In this world of deep-fakes, untrustworthy news sources, and AI generated companionship, our world is starving for truth. For many people, the search for truth can be awkward or overwhelming. Where do you even start? You can start by coming to church. Hear the word of God preached and make note of all of your questions. Follow up with the Pastor or an elder. Look for resources to help you find you...

You know how jokes are funnier when they are shared? And how it feels to give someone a present you know they will love? And how sometimes you can't help but re-share that video of the guy who sings lullabies to donkeys? Do you ever wonder where we get that urge to share something that brings us joy? We get it from the Lord! We are hardwired to share something that brings us joy. So what is it tha...

In last week's sermon, we talked about the importance of regular repentance. This week, we talk about the importance of forgiving others. Neither repentance nor forgiveness are easy to do. Both are contrary to our natural self-protective instincts. But both acts are imperitive to living the free and fruitful life that God desires for us. Jesus perfectly modelled forgiveness in every aspect of His...

The first commandment in the Bible is "you shall have no other gods before me." Which sounds like it shouldn't be a big deal, especially to our modern ears. But if you stop to think about it, what is God saying here? He's saying, don't put anything or anyone before me. This can look different in each of our own lives, but the fact is, we all do it. For example, you could be someone who prioritizes...

One of the hardest things for us human beings to do is say we're sorry. Apologizing is one of those things that requires a great deal of humility and self-awareness that doesn't neccesarily come naturally to most of us. But all throughout the Bible, God calls us to repent of our sins and change our ways. Why does He do that? Why should we even bother? Because without true repentance, we simply can...

This week, we take a look at Psalm 119:33-40 and we reflect on what it looks like to learn to love God's law. Loving the law is not something that comes naturally to our human hearts. Usually if someone places a law on our autonomy, it's not likely going to stir up a sense of peace, but rather rebellion. We'd rather look to anyone or anything else but God to tell us what we should do and how we sh...

From the breath in our lungs to the sun on our face, everything we have is a gift from God. We are recipients of a million seen and unseen gifts from our Creator and lifting our hearts to God in thanks is key to living a joyful, fruitful life here on earth. Even if the sun hurts our eyes and our breath is shallow, we are called to give thanks in all circumstances - no matter how easy or difficult...

Some folks can point to a specific time, even a specific day in their lives where the gospel completely and utterly changed them. Their lives are a stark contrast of before and after. But some folks experience gospel growth in small, subtle ways that begin to change them over time. Both are good, both are growth. But one thing is for sure. The gospel, the good news of the saving grace of Jesus Chr...

This week, Pastor Paul walks us through Luke 18:9-14. It's one of those passages that reminds me of just how human the folks in the bible really were: "God, thank you I'm not like those scumbags over there." (based on Luke 18:11). I'm sure some of us can relate to that, if we're really honest with ourselves. But Jesus' point with this parable is to make us aware of what it looks like when we have...

Before I became a Christian, I had a concept of God. I knew there was 'something more' but I had my own ideas of what that looked like. But once I was confronted with the holiness of God, it literally brought me to my knees and changed my life. The prophet Isaiah could relate - the same thing happened to him in Isaiah 6. As human beings, it's a constant battle for us to figure out our 'place' in r...

This week, we begin a new sermon series called The Gospel Centered Life, beginning in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. As Christians, the gospel should be so central to our lives that we cannot imagine life without it. The good news that we are free from the penality of our sins should cause us to rejoice so loudly that we can't help but spread it to others. But what does that actually look like? Some of us...

Genesis 11:1-9 is not some story about a group of people who built a tower that God didn't like. It's a story about what the human heart looks like - a heart that is always striving to be bigger than God. If you don't believe me, take a look at social media these days. Take a look at how many people are promoting themselves, pointing you to themselves, making themselves the ones that dictate how y...

Offering something of ourselves or our possessions is a very tangible way of re-dedicating ourselves to God. After all, the only reason we have the ability to possess these gifts is because He has given us the means to steward them in the first place. The process of giving something back to God's kingdom is a sanctifying act that reminds us of our place in this world. We don't get to call anything...

Have you ever wondered why we say "this is the word of the Lord?" after the main scripture passage for the sermon has been read? Tune in this week and find out!

Join us as we learn more about the benediction as part of our mini sermon series on Worship.

All through the book of Exodus, we learn how God has set up boundaries to keep His people at a distance. There are rules (and rules and rules) about what His people must do in order to be able to come even a little bit near Him in the temple. Because He is Holy and perfect, anything (or anyone) who is not holy or perfect will die if they even glimpse at His holy presence. But God made a way for us...

Join us this week as we walk through an often misunderstood part of reformed Christian practice and that is the practice of confession. Why do we need to confess our sins? Why does God need to hear from us when He already knows what we've done and what we're going to do next? Does God just love to rub our noses in it? Nothing could be further from the truth. As we'll hear, God's grace is most beau...

Worship is so much more than just showing up on a Sunday morning. When we worship together, God is literally and actively communicating with us through song and through scripture. The God of the entire universe absolutely loves to commune with His people, so much so that He created us for such purposes and He calls us into His presence as a family. Each Sunday, our spirits are shaped and molded by...