Grace417

Putting together the best Christmas plan is difficult...at best! We try to account for every detail and end up adjusting as the days come and go. But the best Christmas plan pales in comparison to the plan that God had for his children from the beginning of time. The plan of redemption. The plan of salvation. The plan of forgiveness. As the Christmas season has us put our best efforts into plannin...

As we are blessed by our salvation in Jesus, often times we hesitate to act as He would act. Even when the Holy Spirit encourages us, we still manage to push it down! This Sunday Pastor Jack Gilbert, our NextGen Pastor, encourages us to look for opportunities to be a blessing to those around us just as Jesus did.

As we close out the Life in the Spirit series, Pastor Tim reminds us that Peter wasn't always the powerhouse of faith and spiritual strength that he is after Acts 2. He often tried to act through his own power and strength, even when he was walking with and learning from Jesus! But once he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he too healed and performed signs and wonders as only Jesus did...

As we receive the baptism of the Spirit, we are given access to spiritual gifts that allow us to minister to people in the same way that Jesus ministered. These gifts don't prove our spirituality or make us more important than others. They are simply tools, for our use, to accomplish Kingdom priorities! This Sunday, Pastor Tim does a surface review of the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Co...

During Peter's first sermon in Acts, he references the Old Testament book of Joel to remind the people who were listening that the baptism of the Holy is for young & old, rich & poor, Jew & Gentile, and male & female. And throughout the book of Acts how God's Spirit moves just as Peter had said. This Sunday, Pastor Tim identifies each of those specific situations in Acts...

Aren't we ALL called? John the Baptist's parents knew from before he was born that he was set apart and that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. They probably didn't realize at the time that they were preparing the way for the Messiah as spoken of in the Old Testament. It's likely that they taught him and prepared him for a ministry assignment that would guide him in what the L...

We believe that the Holy Spirit IS our baptizer. And it's not some strange or even awkward event only for those "elite" or select few Christians who are better than the rest. It's for everyone and it's a natural step in our growth as Christ-followers. But often times those who are baptized by the Spirit are flawed vessels and can often be tempted or confused in the Spirit&...

Spiritual growth is something that takes time. It takes focused time in God's Word, time in prayer, and time listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say about your life. As we are all tempted to be distracted by the works of the flesh, we have to overcome them with the fruit that the Holy Spirit provides. This Sunday, Pastor Tim discusses how the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence can cu...

Have you ever considered what you feed your mind and heart? When you mindlessly unlock your phone what apps do you turn on? We truly are a new creation when we accept Christ into our hearts and receive the Holy Spirit. And with the Holy Spirits teaching, we are able to recognize things in our lives that we need to be freed from. So much about this world is meant to distract us or divert us from Go...

Throughout the New Testament the Holy Spirit is called many different names, "Spirit of God," "Spirit of Holiness," "Spirit of Truth," "Spirit of the Lord," Etc. But one of the names of the Holy Spirit goes beyond being just a name. This name is a reminder that we are never alone. This name ensures that he will always be there to teach us and remind us. This...

This Sunday Pastor Tim tackles two more words that often get overlooked or quickly dismissed as "religious" terms in the church today. Those words are "indwelling" and "sealing." Each of these words have just as much weight as "truth" and "conviction" as Pastor Tim mentioned in his previous message. But what is missed is the significant implication...

To fully grasp the Holy Spirit takes time and the topic is like a textbook - you have to work through every detail about the Spirit in an orderly fashion. This Sunday, Pastor Tim shares with us two very important aspects of the Holy Spirit...1) Truth and 2) Conviction. Both of these words bring freedom to our lives, through the Holy Spirit, but often these words land hard in our lives depending on...

Jesus told us that it is to "our advantage" that He goes away so that we could receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7), and yet, for many Christians today He is a mystery, dismissed, or worse, ignored and grieved. This Sunday, Pastor Tim begins his sermon series titled, "Life in the Spirit," where he is inviting each of us to learn (or re-learn)  who the Holy Spirit is, and experie...

In Acts chapter two we learn how the Holy Spirit was released in to the hearts of those who waited per the instructions of Jesus. This first release of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ ascension, was proof that the words of the messiah were 100% true. As we prepare for the next series on the Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim takes a Sunday to remind us of that incredible moment in Acts chapter 2 where the first...

Being really excited about Jesus is just an everyday thing for Christians. But have you considered what it is specifically you are excited about? This Sunday we welcomed back our Missions Pastor, Carey Higgins, as he shared with us about four different things he's excited about when you encounter the love of Jesus. Those four things are, holiness, healing, help, and hope.

In this final session, Pastor Tim reminds us of what the values of Grace Church are, and their importance. But, he goes on to explain that within our values there's an intersection where all three values meet. It's in that intersection where we learn about the anchor to wholeness, community, and discipleship.

Discipleship is central to why we are here. In Acts, chapter 9, Paul (then known as Saul) is physically healed, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and water baptized. And each of these were not boxes to be checked, they were part of Saul's transformation! As he begins his ministry, he begins to invest in his the lives of those he's with, and has someone who is discipling him. He is being disci...

Last week Pastor Tim, introduced "Wholeness" as the first Grace Church value and highlighted the importance of being spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally whole. This week he jumps into Acts, chapter 9, to highlight how Paul (then known as Saul) experienced "wholeness" through his initial interaction with Jesus. But, beyond this, when Paul interacted with Anani...

In this first installment, Pastor Tim defines introduces the idea of values and how they define each of us and the organizations / churches that we belong to. Additionally, we take a look at the first value for Grace Church, wholeness, and what it means for each of us physically, spiritually, relationally, emotionally, and mentally to be whole not only individually, but whole as a body of believer...

When it comes to healing our wounds, we have to remember to anchor ourselves in the truth of God's Word. The Liar will try his best to convince us of doubt, fear, worry, or speak the fatal words that would cause us to pause, "Did God really say...?" In this final session of "Healing Our Deepest Wounds," Pastor Tim reminds us that it's worth every opportunity to spend...

The world today tries to convince each of us of our purpose. As a result many people look to that definition, provided by the world, to build their sense of identity. But from the beginning, God had a divine purpose for men and women. Each of these purposes intended to bring us closer to God the Father as we look to Him to see our true identity and receive love and healing as we walk closer to Him...

The prodigal son searched for love out in the world and never found love, or acceptance. When he ran out of money, everyone and everything was gone! But as he returned home, he experienced love from his father that was always there, if not more than before! This is God's love! His love is shown in his looking, in his pursuit, and in his extravagance. And this love isn't counterfeit, neve...

Grace’s new NextGen Pastor, Jack Gilbert, shared this family Sunday about the power of example. Children, teens (really all of us!) become what we SEE modeled — not what we’re TOLD to be. When we focus on putting Jesus at the center of every part of our lives, we become worthy of imitation.

The crisis of identity was present in the Garden of Eden at the very beginning, and as a result of sin, doubt was introduced into the heart of humanity leading us to believe that we are the ones who define our own identity. This Sunday, Pastor Tim contrasts the story of man's fall in the garden in the Old Testament with the parable of the prodigal son in the New Testament and shows us how onl...

Our parents were broken people. And with a heart of good intentions, most dads did their best to raise their children. However this didn't always have amazing results in our lives. But the importance forgiving our fathers, no matter the mistake, has a direct impact on our own healing. This week, Pastor Tim shares part two, "The Dad Connection," with us and shows us how we often time...