Villas Grace Church

There are many intricate rules to the game of baseball, many of which are confusing to the casual observer. One example would be the "sacrifice fly". The "sacrifice fly," can only happen before two are out and a ball is caught in flight, therefore resulting in a scored run, after the catch. See, the batter is therefore out, but his teammate scores a run for the team. As believers in Jesus, we know...

A father and son have a special kind of relationship. Most sons believe their dad has super human strength. However, this doesn't stop them from playing games that pit their own strength against their dad's. At times, the father will let the son win in order to build self confidence. Therefore, it is in the strength (or lack of in this case) and understanding of the father, that allows the son to...

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Some would contest that no sound was produced. Why? Because many believe that sound does not exist if no one hears it. However, as Christians, we know this isn't quite true. Why? Because God is omnipresent. Therefore, everything happens before Him. In fact, not only does He hear each tree that falls, but He sees an...

As humans, we all suffer from making bad choices. We are imperfect beings and act accordingly. However, what about when we choose something bad for us based on a want or need? Just as some would say smokers risk a laundry list of self inflicted ailments because they enjoy lighting up. Also, as Christians, we sometimes choose to do the very thing God has told us not to do. We do it simply because w...

Have you ever noticed how technology attempts to mimic God's omnipresence, omniscients & omnipotence? To livestream one's self, is to mimic His omnipresence (All things happen before Him). To utilize the internet for the gathering of information, is to mimic His omniscients (He is ALL knowing). The technology that powers military strength, is to mimic His omnipotence (He is ALL powerful). So, do y...

A criminal conviction is often achieved due to the testimony from an expert witness. What is an "expert witness"? An expert witness is someone with special knowledge or proficiency in a particular field. However, the expertise of an expert witness, doesn't guarantee a perfect assessment. Why? Because an expert witness is merely a flawed human. Therefore, as Christians we hold the testimony of God...

The greatest boxing defeat of all time came on March 8th, 1971, when Muhammad Ali was defeated by Joe Frazier. The only knock down came in the 15th round, when Frazier dropped Ali to the canvas. Frazier went on to win by way of decision, but paid a heavy price for going 15 rounds with the greatest of all time. Some say his career was never the same after absorbing so much punishment. Speaking of p...

The Bible tells us to fear God. But then it also says there is no fear in love. How can a growing relationship with the Lord, abiding in His love, cast out our fears? Come discover how God’s perfect love can be perfected in us, in our sermon “God’s Perfect Love Perfected In Us,” from 1 John 4:14-21.

Some believe that Alexander the Great was the quintessential leader. His vision, execution, leadership development & "roll up his sleeves" mentality are all credited to his being a great king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. We can all appreciate & benefit from good leadership. As Christians, we're called to be great leaders, too! This is especially true of men as they lead their household...

Many people believe that humans can be good without evoking the presence of a higher power. That much is true. However, we should ask a few questions. First, "How do we know that we should be good?" Secondly, "Who defines what is good?" Join us this Sunday as we discover the highest form of goodness, in our sermon "The Source of Love," from 1 John 4:7-13.

In the 14th century, scientists discovered how to determine if a solution was acidic or alkaline based. The mixture of organic compounds used to indicate red for acid based solutions, and blue for alkaline, was called "Litmus". Today, we use the same term figuratively when determining the validity of someone, or something. As Christians, we have a "Litmus Test" for all things spiritual. We can tes...

One of the core components of a solid resume are reliable references. When listing a reference(s), it's wise to choose individuals who can vouch for your abilities, skill-set, teachability, and work ethic. A few good references might make the difference in getting hired for the position. See, this is similar to us as Christians. Jesus Christ has listed us as His reference. Our response to the auth...

Corporations have trade-marks in order to distinguish themselves among competition, and/or other non-competing entities. For example, McDonald's Golden Arches, lets you know that "Big Mac's," not Burger King "Whoppers," are available to order. Also, the Golden Arches represents a burger, fries and Coca-Cola, not a Real Estate office. As Christians, we have a trade-mark, too! Our trade-mark is reve...

A well known Atheist was quoted as saying: "If God exists, then so-called knowledge of Him is based upon the irrational. Surely, He is not knowable by any objective means." Could there be any truth to this claim? Is God knowable, and if so, how do we come to know Him? Join us this Sunday for our sermon "Coming To Know God," as we discover how finite beings can know an infinite God.

Most of us have heard the idiomatic proverb: "You can't have your cake and eat it too." The meaning can be puzzling, as the grammar is a bit out of sorts. Really, it should be said like this: "You can't eat your cake, and still have it too." Why? Because once eaten, it's gone! However, no matter how it's phrased, the meaning remains the same. The proverb illustrates the idea of trade-offs; it's ei...

Each country and culture defines lawlessness subjectively. The same is becoming increasingly true for our American culture. This is why "Social Justice" is prevalent. So, what exactly is "Social Justice?" It's the distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges among society. As Christians, we do not believe that the word "justice" needs an adjective. Why? Because justice is precisely just th...

Conspiracy theories can be outlandish to believable, to anywhere in between. An example of an outlandish conspiracy theory would be that the "1969 Apollo Moon Landing" was faked. An example of a believable conspiracy theory would be that "Global Warming" is a real phenomenon. Therefore, no matter the categorization, J. Warner Wallace defined all conspiracies best. He said, "All conspiracies are mo...

Many feel that being adopted carries a negative connotation. But if we really think it through, what better way can we describe true love (sacrificially meeting the needs of another)? Many adoptive parents go to great lengths; sacrificing time, energy and money to bring a stranger into their family. As Christians, we too have an adoptive Father who went to great lengths to give us the right to be...

Dr. Tony Evans uses the illustration of a sunflower to depict how we should abide, or remain in the Lord. See, sunflowers are called "sunflowers," because they follow the sun, from east to west each day. They are very productive produces of seeds, due to their constant pursuit to locate the sun. As Christians, we should constantly seek to locate the Son (S-o-n). Each day, our goal is to remain in...

Many people feel like Christianity is like any other religion, It is about following a list of do's and don'ts. As Christians, we are reminded that it is about relationship and not religion. People are committed to the things they love. They will gladly give of their time, resources and lives to the things they deeply care about. They will also commit themselves to those who deeply love them. Come...

Skyscrapers are a testament to human engineering ingenuity. Currently, the tallest man-made structure in the world is Burji Khalifa, located in Dubai. Burji Dubai is 2,717 feet in height and can facilitate up to 12,000 people at a time. Despite human engineering marvels, like Burji Dubai, we mustn't forget that we've been in trouble for building towers in the past. What happened when man made the...

Nathan Bryan is the Executive Director of Assist. He was also the executive director of TMSM from 1994-2006 and oversaw 21 international missions projects that built church buildings in partnership with GBIM (currently Encompass). This allowed him to successfully reach and engage communities in Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil and Cambodia. Nathan started the Grace Brethren initiative to plant c...

There is much debate as to who actually invented the incandescent light bulb. However, there is no debate as to who has been given the most credit for its ingenuity-Thomas Edison. The incandescent light bulb was a game changer! It allowed for day-time events to be held at night, while also extending the work day. Since its conception, persons, places and things can now be illuminated anytime, anyw...

Did you know that George Washington almost enlisted in the British Royal Navy as a midshipman at the age of 15? What prevented his enlistment? A message from his mother commanding him to return home at once! If he hadn't obeyed his mother, we may have never become the United States of America. Instead, we'd still be British America. Like George's mother, God is commanding us to obey too. Our obedi...

Justice can be defined as: "administering the punishment and or reward in fairness". So, what do we say? "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time". Unfortunately, as Christians, we know that we have done a crime in which we cannot do the time. Fortunately, we have a defense attorney who superseded mere counsel. Join us as we gather this Sunday to learn more from 1 John 2:1-2 in our sermon "Ou...