GracePoint Church

I was done! This was going to be the last time I put any money into that junk-heap of a car. My 1978 Ford Pinto was draining my back account on a regular basis. I finally gave it a burial, and bought a new(er) car. The problem wasn't that I got a much needed car. The problem was that I bought a car that looked nicer than I needed it to look, and cost a little more . . . no, a lot more than I shoul...

Pressure seems to come from all sides. It seems like everyone wants something from us. Friends, family, work, school, church, clubs...all seem to pull at us until we are exhausted. As a result we have so little left to give to anything else. The important things are left in the dust. We find ourselves rushing through life, attending to the necessary, the immediate, and the urgent.   Our battle is...

"You're grounded!" I can still hear the words as I worked to hold back tears of frustration toward my parents who failed to heed my cries of innocence. Truthfully, I was guilty. My parents were right. Their motivation was in my best interest...grounded in a deep love for their son.  Everyone one of the minor prophets we have studied have shared echoes of the same message--God gave us a path--the p...

All of us come to times in our life when we don't understand what God is up to. At times like this, the bible teaches us to have faith and trust that God has a plan...even when it doesn't make sense.  However, if you and I had an "honest" moment, there are times when that seems all too convenient...like "wishful thinking." Doubt starts to creep in and if God doesn't come through in a reasonable am...

I still remember the first time I jumped off of a diving board. I was terrified. My brother was behind me and refused to allow me to retreat to the safety of the pool deck. My dad was in the water in front of me...urging me on. This was the scariest moment of my life up until that point.  After what seemed like an eternity...I inched close enough to the end of the board that I lost my balance and...

I grew up with five siblings. When dinner was put in the middle of the table, it was a free-for-all. Being on the younger side of the sibling tribe, I often missed out on the choice morsel of a fine macaroni and hotdog casserole or the extra helping of mashed potatoes. I remember crying out, "It's not fair!" Fast forward to the present day and I've learned that very few things in life are actually...

The gavel lands with a gut-wrenching thud and your heart sinks. You are guilty! That's the message of Micah. God's people have drifted away from God. They have forgotten God and have put themselves on the throne. The result has been a litany of sins that have led God to "step in" and pronounce His verdict. Fraud, theft, greed, debauchery (you may have to look that one up), oppression, hypocrisy, h...

The gavel lands with a gut-wrenching thud and your heart sinks. You are guilty! That's the message of Micah. God's people have drifted away from God. They have forgotten God and have put themselves on the throne. The result has been a litany of sins that have led God to "step in" and pronounce His verdict. Fraud, theft, greed, debauchery (you may have to look that one up), oppression, hypocrisy, h...

It's not unusual around Western North Carolina, to be driving down the road and come across a tree that has fallen. Have you ever wondered how that happened? A moment before the tree was standing straight and tall. Sometimes a storm will be strong enough to blow a tree over but even then, most trees have a strong trunk, and a deep root system enabling them to weather even the toughest storms. A tr...

This Sunday we will take a break from our study of the Minor Prophets and look at how many of the truths can give us insight into our present cultural challenges. Thus far, our study of the Minor Prophets has revealed God’s involvement in culture throughout history. Our current cultural moment seems just as difficult and corrupt as the generations of the prophets. How do we apply what God has said...

As a little boy sitting in Sunday School, I loved the story of Jonah--the idea that some huge fish swallowed a living man! Wow! For years, whenever I thought of Jonah...I thought about this incredible picture.  Perhaps by now, like me, you have learned that this book is about so much more. In fact, it's really not about a "whale" at all. The prophecy of God through His prophet Jonah is, once again...

Sometimes we forget that all people are created in the image of God. They are of great worth because God made them. So, when we look around and see the depravity of the world around us it's easy to view people who don't know God as the enemy. Especially, when some of those people do such evil things--cheating, murder, abuse and unthinkable violence.   Many of us long for God to come and put an end...

I remember the season of raising young kids and how challenging it was. Not just the energy of keeping up and running from one event to the next…but the “cost of raising a family” was something I never saw coming. For years we pinched pennies, amassed credit card debt, constantly dealt with broken down cars and struggled to pay bills. That being said, we were still blessed compared to the rest of...

We dive in to Obadiah. Although it's the shortest book in the Old Testament, it is packed with truth that is relevant for today.

Just think --- We can be instrumental in rescuing the perishing in our families and communities. Hopefully you are not one that is saying we’re doing all right and we got this. What feeling do you have? Everything feel ok to you in our country and communities? We don’t live by feelings, but God does give us intuitiveness and insight from His Word. We do have a big problem in our country and it is...

When you pray, what do you say to God? It's a fair question. How we answer reveals much about where we are with God. If I'm honest with myself, most of my prayers are about me...for me...for God to help me...bless me...and take care of those who are not like me. Before you decide to fire this pastor, know that I battle right alongside you. The late French Bishop, Francois Fenelon declared that our...

Do you ever have "one of those days?" You know what I'm talking about--those days when nothing seems to go right? Or even seasons where everything seems to fall apart? So often we resort to panic, quick fixes or avoidance. Did you know that the Bible gives us a great path to follow when we are stuck in a dark place? There is hope amidst seemingly hopeless times. One place we can find this hope is...

Have you ever been watching a show that was engaging and you are enjoying it, only to have the music turn dark? Then you hear the low, steady voice of the narrator, "All was going great for the Jones family and then--DISASTER!" This is how the book of Joel begins. God's people are enjoying a time of prosperity and economic abundance when--DISASTER! The story opens with an unprecedented locust inva...

The bible describes over and over again how in God...in Christ...through the Holy Spirit...WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED. Because we can't see from God's vantage point, we simply think that there must be something more. There must be something God is holding back from us, and just like Adam and Eve, we eat the fruit...or put it in modern terms--we go our own way. We disregard the message of the bible...

It's Mother's Day this Sunday. Great news...we're looking at one of the greatest love stories in the bible. You may not believe this, but the book of Hosea is one of my favorite love stories. Who doesn't want a love story on Mother's Day? It's about a groom who marries a prostitute. I know what you're thinking. But...this story shows the depths to which God goes to in order to show us His love for...

It's a Celebration Sunday as we get to participate in the baptisms of several folks who have trusted Christ with their eternity. Each of those being baptized represents a person who changed the trajectory of their story. A new chapter has begun as they go public with their faith. It's a story that has changed them, according to the Bible, from old to new--from death to life--from lost to found--fr...

God is truly an amazing God who loves us even when we live in ways that should merit Him turn away from us. But God is merciful. He is gracious. And He is patient. His hope is that we all would turn to Him. Peter talked about this in his message to the Church in 2 Peter 3:9. From Genesis to Revelation God’s message (really an invitation) is to “come and follow me.” When we walk away from Him the B...

The so-called “Minor Prophets” are anything but minor. As a collection, they speak with a unified voice the message of God to a wayward people during the most tumultuous times in Israel’s history. To know these prophets and their message, one must understand the context into which they speak, their place within the history of Israel and Judah, and their place within the revelation of God’s Word. T...

Have you ever felt like you were on the outside looking in? Of course you have. Back in our school days, we often referred to this phenomenon as not being in the “in-crowd”. But this feeling of being on the outside is not something we outgrow. Whether acknowledged or not, this reality is ongoing, whether a whisper in our souls or an acute pain because of a recent experience. And we feel it with go...