King’s Grant Online

Many of us struggle to accept compliments. We respond with self- deprecation or dismissal mainly because we’re uncomfortable with focused appreciation and affection. What is it like then to receive the full, unmerited love of a holy God? It can be hard to accept and enjoy, which is why Paul prays for us and we respond in prayer and worship.

We all have opinions on what “church” should be: what we’re looking for, the needs we want met, the style of music and preaching, etc. But the letter to the Ephesians has shown God has plan for all things and He wants us, the church, to join in what He’s doing. What might happen if we checked our wants and emotions and, instead, pursued the calling He’s given us? 

Human beings, like animals, tend to group together with those most like them. We naturally associate with those who look like us, talk like us, vote like us, live around us. The Gospel obliterates all those boundaries, however, and calls us into an entirely new group. God hasn’t just created a new identity for you and for me, but also for us together.

The world today is full of labels. Whether it’s about politics, sexuality, gender, career, income-level, it feels like we’re defined by a select number of nouns and adjectives. The Gospel says something completely different, however. There is only one identifying thing and that is simply Jesus Christ. This is who you are.

Knowing what the plan is and even what to do in it is one thing. Having the ability, however, to execute is an entirely other thing. We can’t do it on our own, whether it be cleaning up our lives, fixing our homes, or experiencing God. But God gives what He commands. He gives His Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we struggle to see the forest for the trees, whether we’re watching global affairs or just wondering if our little old lives mean anything in the big scheme of things. Are we just momentary blips passing through the cosmos? Is the world just heading toward chaos and destruction? Jesus is the answer! In Him both human beings and the world itself can be brought into perfect relationship wi...

What’s the point of life? What’s the point of this world? If one day we’re all just going to die, what about all this stuff we have around us? Is it really all about eating, drinking, and being merry or is life just about trying to one day just make it to heaven? Jesus’ full bodily resurrection proves to us, though, that God loves this world and has amazing plans for us not only in the future but...

As God created the heavens and the earth by speaking light into darkness, humanity’s sin and rebellion invited the darkness back in. In the cross, then, Jesus would take that darkness upon himself in order to defeat death in his own death.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday aligned with many of the symbols of kingship the people were looking for. And yet, despite these signs the week would end with this would-be king hanging to die on a Roman cross. Were the people wrong, or, had that been right all along?

You don’t need to be an engineer to know a solid foundation is necessary to a stable building. Everything can look beautiful and top of the line on top, but without a firm base everything will collapse. The Sermon on the Mount has illustrated exactly what the Kingdom Jesus is building is, culminating in this final command to be sure our core foundation and beliefs are in the right place.

Some criticize and characterize Christians as judgmental. But when something is out of alignment with God’s design is it judgmental to state that? How do we embody the righteousness of the Kingdom in a loving and humble way without becoming hypocrites? Jesus says just to Ask.

We can tell what a person really believes and values by where they invest their time, money, and affections. If we work in reverse then we’ll see where our true loyalties and allegiances are and that, ultimately, you are what you love.

Why pray if God already knows everything that is going to happen? Why pray if God has a Sovereign Will that will be done no matter what? Yet Jesus doesn’t just invite us to pray but commands it. He then even gives us a model. By understanding the Lord’s Prayer not only can our own prayer lives be transformed but our very friendship with our heavenly Father.

ON SUNDAY February 22, the message is called KINGDOM-FORMED PEOPLE, with Beth Anderson. In Matthew 6, Jesus challenges His followers to examine not just what they do, but why they do it. As He teaches on giving, prayer, and fasting, Jesus shifts the focus from outward appearance to inward formation. Kingdom-formed people don’t practice their faith to be seen by others, but to be shaped by the Fath...

People have a default way of dealing with problems. Especially today, it feels like you can’t believe what anyone says and at the slightest hint of offense people explode in rage. We’re not just talking about outside the church; this happens inside too! What if we really thought of everyone as our neighbors, and by neighbors we mean those we truly loved?

Matthew 5:21-32 | True faith isn’t performance based. Jesus doesn’t want our rote obedience and conformity. His Kingdom bears both a perfect design for the world and for each person within. We must be diligent, then, at surrendering even our emotions and desires to Him!

Matthew 5:6-8 | How common it has become to hear people talk about “My truth”, or to say “Well, that’s just your truth”? The standards of right and wrong have seemingly become subjective. Jesus reveals to us, though, in the Beatitudes, that there is a singular standard and it is God Himself. God is a God of justice, but He is also a compassionate and loving God. If we seek His Kingdom, therefore,...

Matthew 5:3-5 | If you wanted to give a picture of the best of the best or define the criteria of a utopian community, what would be included? Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount defining just that, but warning that His disciples will not fit the criteria the world will offer. But because they seek Him and His Kingdom above all, they are blessed.

Matthew 5:13-20 | God didn’t design us to just get by and make it through life. Since Genesis 1 He has had big, good plans and invites us into them. By understanding His mission and how we can join in through Jesus, even the ordinary routines of life become a part of something bigger than we could ever imagine.

Human conflict abounds in our world, even in our churches. Whether we have been wronged, someone has wronged us, both, or just because of our pursuit of Jesus, peace is not something that just comes naturally about. Only by focusing our hearts, however, on how Jesus has reconciled us to Himself and has overcome the world can we enjoy the flourishing of relationships He designed us to have.

ON SUNDAY January 4, the message is called The Sermon on the Mount, with Patrick Edwards. The world isn't right. Things aren't how we sense they should be. The Bible is filled, however, with promises from God that He will heal this world and His people. Jesus said, in fact, that He came to give abundant life, that His burden is easy and His yoke is light. Are these just promises for the future or...

ON SUNDAY December 28, the message is called My SWAN Song, with Scott Chafee. This service is Scott's last Sunday as Discipleship Pastor. This passage is where Paul is on his way to Jerusalem and he stops to visit the Ephesian elders to encourage them and bid them farewell.

ON SUNDAY December 21, the message is called Return of the King, with Patrick Edwards. The world is full of those who want control or influence over our lives. There’s the promise of peace, security,  contentment everywhere we look. But there is One who claims authority and promises He is coming soon to place everything else in subjection. We are to welcome His return and begin now to find our pea...

ON SUNDAY December 14, the message is called Idylls of the King, with Patrick Edwards. It’s normal to have doubts or questions in a time of crisis or suffering. Why would a good God allow bad things to happen especially to people who follow Him and worship Him? It’s hard to have joy when things aren’t merry and bright. But by centering ourselves on the King and His promises are we able to see that...

ON SUNDAY December 7, the message is called AS KINGFISHERS CATCH FIRE, with Patrick Edwards. Repentance isn’t a very popular concept. Perhaps because it requires us to acknowledge wrongdoing. It can be even more difficult because it means the end or death of something we’ve likely enjoyed. But it also means the birth of something even better! When we really believe that Jesus is King and is a bett...