Grantham Church Podcast

Sermon Title: Here I AmScripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 40:6-8; Proverbs 3:5-6; Acts 9:10-18 Several times in the Bible we read of where God spoke to his followers, and then they responded with a submissive phrase that revealed a willingness and a desire to obey his word: “Here I am.” These simple words reflect a heart that is set on pleasing God and surrendering to his wisdom and will, no m...

Sermon Title: Passing the TestScripture Reading: Genesis 22:1-18; Matthew 26:42; Romans 8:28; James 1:2-4, 12  Life is full of trials that test our faith. We live in a broken world and not everything is as God intends. Bad things happen and challenges come. But ultimately, God wants to bring good out of our trials and for us to see them as opportunities to deepen our faith in him. Listen as Pasto...

Sermon Series: FoundationsSermon Title: The Call to RelationshipsScripture Reading: Genesis 1:26; Colossians 1:15-23; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21 The Bible says that God, who is communal in nature, created us in his image to know him and experience his divine goodness in others. Unfortunately, human sin—like a virus—disrupts and destroys his good purposes. Therefore, God’s desire is that through Christ...

Sermon Series: FoundationsSermon Title: The Call to ScriptureScripture Reading: 2 Kings 22:1-13; Psalm 119:1-16; John 5:39-40; Hebrews 4:12 While it certainly requires interpretation and communal discernment, faithful disciples believe that the Bible is divinely inspired and authoritative—a trustworthy guide for faith and practice today. Therefore, we should engage with the Scriptures. But as Jesu...

Sermon Series: FoundationsSermon Title: The Call to PrayerScripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 6:5-13 When we answer the call to discipleship, we commit to some basic spiritual practices and religious routines that help orient our hearts to God and allow us to hear his voice. Prayer is the primary way by which we abide in the Lord, experience his presence and power, discern his...

Sermon Series: FoundationsSermon Title: The Call to DiscipleshipScripture Reading: Luke 9:23-25, 57-62 As we begin a new series that seeks to address the spiritual foundations of our life in Christ, we’re challenged to respond to the call of Jesus: “Follow me!” But when Jesus calls us to be his disciples, it’s a bid (as Dietrich Bonhoeffer states) to “come and die.” Listen as Pastor Melissa shares...

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent 2021Sermon Title: Home By Another WayScripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-12; Ephesians 1:3-6; 11-14 Ephesians 2:4-7, 12-13, 19-22 After receiving the angel’s news, Mary retreats to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home to digest her new calling. She seeks refuge—physical safety and emotional protection. She receives a safe haven, a home for her heart and a space to reflec...

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent - ChristmasSermon Title: Chosen HomeScripture Reading: Luke 2:41-52; Colossians 3:12-17 Home is where we are discipled to follow Jesus, by our birth parents and our Father in heaven. As a young man, Jesus's human parents nurtured his wisdom and godly favor. Then Jesus chose to leave his birth family to stay in his Father's house, immersing himself in the work...

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent 2021Sermon Title: Invited Home Worship Resources:service video]]>

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent 2021Sermon Title: Seeking Sanctuary (Love)Scripture Reading: Psalm 9:9-10; Luke 1:39-55; Hebrews 13:1-2 After receiving the angel’s news, Mary retreats to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home to digest her new calling. She seeks refuge—physical safety and emotional protection. She receives a safe haven, a home for her heart and a space to reflect on her purpose and...

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent 2021Sermon Title: A Home For All (Joy)Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-18 John the Baptist’s proclamation sounds harsh, but he preaches good news for all people where hearts are changed and where the coming King will bring down every mountain of injustice and raise every valley of hurt and brokenness. John’s message is one of joy, because our true deliverer has com...

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent 2021Sermon Title: Laying the Foundation (Peace)Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-3; Luke 1:57-80; 1 Corinthians 4:11-13  In the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, God is laying the foundation for the blessings of heaven—to make his home upon the earth. As we see with Zechariah and Elizabeth, God wants to do the extraordinary through ordinary people. But for t...

Sermon Series: Close to Home | Advent 2021Sermon Title: Homesick (Hope)Scripture Reading: Luke 21:25-36; Romans 8:18-25; Hebrews 11:13-16 As we begin our Advent series, we remember how we are far from home. The world is not as it should be. Many have lost their physical homes, many feel alone, and many are isolated. Many of us feel as if we are wandering with no clear way forward. In this first me...

Despite the many challenges over the past 19 months, we have so much to celebrate and be thankful for at Grantham Church. In our annual Thanksgiving Service, we sang together, prayed, and heard stories of how God has been at work in our congregation. Listen as Sarah and Chris Beckinig, Dawn Isley, and Pastors Melissa Lowther and David Flowers share. Worship Resources:service video]]>

Sermon Title: Deacon Care TeamsScripture Reading: Matthew 27:55-56; Acts 6:1-7; Galatians 5:13-14, 6:2 The first followers of Christ had no manual for how to “do” the work of the Church. They had the Old Testament, the example and teachings of Jesus, and the Spirit to guide them. Therefore, when there was a need they were fairly pragmatic in responding to it. In this message, Pastor David shares h...

Missions Sunday 2021 - Compassion During COVIDSermon Title: The Mission of InterruptionScripture Reading: Luke 10:25-37; Revelation 11:1-12 It’s an understatement to say that we live in a divided culture, and the church is not immune from this division. Throughout Scripture we encounter a missional God who works in and through troubled times to point others toward his Kingdom mission and purpose....

In a special service of reflection and lament, Alisa Bair, author of the memoir, Grief is a Dancer, and Gregg and Susan Hurley, of HurleyInMotion and professors at Messiah University, partner together to provide space to acknowledge our pain, using word, music, and dance. Listen as Alisa Bair shares some of her insights into grief and how God can use it to deepen our faith and know his goodness.

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel SaturationScripture Reading: Matthew 9:35-38; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16-25; Col. 1:19-20 Once we have been captivated by the power of the gospel in our own lives, we will naturally want to gather with the church, grow in our faith, give to the mission, and go into the world as good news people. This is what God intends through the...

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel to OthersScripture Reading: Luke 9:1-6; John 14:6; Romans 10:14-15; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:15-16 It’s clear from the New Testament that disciples are called not only to embrace gospel living, but also to share the good news as we have opportunity. But unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many Christians in the West have an avers...

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel LivingScripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-23; 2:8-10; 3:14-21; 4:1 The gospel is not just good advice about what we can do or how we can live. It’s good news about what God has done for us in Christ and how we get to live in response to that. The gospel story affects every part of our lives. In the fifth message of our series, Pastor Meliss...

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel in UsScripture Reading: Matthew 5:13-16, 16:18; Galatians 5:13-25; 1 Peter 2:9-12 Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The church is God’s idea. And according to the New Testament, the local church is called out to be a gospel community that embodies the good news and radiates the Spiri...

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel in YouScripture Reading: Romans 8:1-13; 2 Corinthians 5:15-17; Colossians 1:15-29; 3:1-10 We were created in God’s image. Therefore, we can only know who we are in our Creator. This explains why many in our society are experiencing a major identity crisis. We don’t know who we are and why we were created. So, what does it look like when...

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel TruthsScripture Reading: John 3:16-21; Romans 10:9-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-7; Galatians 1:1-9 It’s critical that we understand the gospel as story and then embrace historic Christian beliefs about Jesus—his identity and his saving work in the world. These beliefs not only ensure that we are faithful to the original good news, but they imp...

Sermon Series: The Gospel of the KingdomSermon Title: Gospel as StoryScripture Reading: Mark 1:1-15; Romans 8:18-30; Colossians 1:19-20; Revelation 21:1-4 Jesus said, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” But what is the good news? And what does it mean to embrace the gospel story in a world of competing narratives—stories intended to tell us who we are and where we...

Sermon Series: Prayer: Our Cry for the KingdomSermon Title: Our Cry for the KingdomScripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-10; Mark 6:6-13, 30-52; Ephesians 3:20-21 As the disciples learned in the feeding of the five thousand, greater faith is required for Jesus (God in the flesh) to do the impossible. Like them, we must remember what God has done in the past, and trust that God can deliver us from the sto...