Grace Chapel Knoxville Sermons

The wall of Jerusalem is completed in just 52 days, revealing God’s hand in the work despite the enemy’s persistent opposition. Although the rebuilding happened quickly, it was the result of a much longer story of obedience, reminding us that God often works through a “long obedience” before bringing about a sudden completion. Nehemiah’s enemies shift from open opposition to subtle influence and f...

Pastor Jake’s message centered on Nehemiah 6 and three ways the enemy sought to pull him away from God's work: distract, discourage, and discredit. Nehemiah responded by staying focused, refusing to defend himself unnecessarily, cultivating discernment, and entrusting his enemies to God. These are practices that fit into our daily walk with Christ as well.

This week, we looked at Nehemiah 5 and what it means to lead in the fear of God. The governors before Nehemiah followed the leadership patterns of the culture around them, using their authority to burden the people and benefit themselves. Nehemiah chose a different way. He refused privileges he had a right to take, stayed focused on the work God gave him, and used his own resources to welcome and...

In Nehemiah 5, after facing lots of challenges and resistance to the work of fortifying the city, the people of God now face a new challenge: the enemy in their midst. Within the family of God, people are taking advantage of one another, relationships look less like mutual sacrificial love and more like using people for their own gain. Let’s take a lesson from Nehemiah and embrace walking in the f...

Nehemiah 4 teaches that kingdom work requires both faithful labor and spiritual vigilance. Despite opposition, God’s people kept building while remaining ready to defend the work, trusting that God would ultimately fight for them. Believers today are called to continue the good works God has prepared for them, while resisting spiritual opposition and bearing one another’s burdens. We keep building...

Nehemiah chapter 4 we see God’s people encountering the threats of the enemy in the midst of their rebuilding project. The very presence of the City of God, even just the hint of it established in a region, is viewed as a threat. Nehemiah, awake and aware of the danger, responds in prayer and gives strategic plans for building and warfare. When the threat of attack and sense of discouragement aros...

In chapter 3, Nehemiah leads the people in a large scale project, as they work together side by side to repair the city wall. Just as they received direction together, they now link arms, each person with their own part to play in the work the Lord has called them to. What might the Lord be calling us to, with those around us? What needs repaired? May we discover that by listening to Him together,...

This week’s message focuses on the importance of having a heart open to God's vision, using the story of Nehemiah as an example. Nehemiah, upon hearing of Jerusalem's ruins, felt a weighty burden and acted on it, secretly inspecting the walls at night. He then shared his vision with the leaders, who responded positively. This message also highlighted the growing tension and inevitability of opposi...

Shawn preached on Nehemiah 2:1-10, emphasizing Nehemiah's role as a cupbearer to the king and the broader cosmic significance of his mission. He recounted the historical context of the Israelites returning from exile, the rebuilding of the temple, and the need to restore the city walls. Shawn highlighted the spiritual battle between good and evil, referencing the fall of angels and their influence...

Nehemiah opens with the delivery of sad news. God’s people are in trouble, and the city is in shambles. Nehemiah is moved to pray and seek God on behalf of his people. Anyone can read the “news” and see the trouble around us. But will we find our hearts broken for the people of God, so that we are moved to seek the Lord in prayer? Will we allow Him to open our eyes to how we may participate in the...

This week we wrapped up the book of Ezra by seeing how God’s people responded when called out for their compromise. Through godly sorrow, honest confession, and a holy sacrifice, we can undergo significant renewal when we have gotten way off course. May we posture our lives before the Lord in such a way that we can be corrected and changed when we lose our way.

Ezra is now confronted with the brokenness and sin of the people of God. Instead of blaming others, or ignoring the problem, he faces it head-on. Through this story, we get a powerful example of how we should deal with the brokenness in our own lives and in the church. May we all approach sin and repentance the way Ezra did with honesty, humility, and true godly sorrow, so that through the power a...

Just as Ezra was called to journey from Babylonia to Jerusalem, the Lord will often call us to risky journeys of faith. May we learn from Ezra’s example to use wisdom to plan well in preparation, while ultimately trusting in the Lord and not our own strength. It’s tempting to just leap out in faith unprepared, or give ourselves a false sense of security by trusting our own wisdom and planning. But...

In Ezra chapter 7, we move into the period in Israel’s history when Ezra leads a new wave of returning exiles. He brings with him a sound anchoring in the Word of God and needed reforms to the people of God. All that Ezra will experience and accomplish comes through God’s good hand upon him, and his own heart posture to submit to the Lord's yoke, through his “skilled” study, application, and teach...

In Ezra chapter 6, we see the conclusion of this long journey of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. This leads to a time of dedication, being set apart as God’s people, and worshipping Him in joyful celebration. Now, because of the salvation we have through Jesus, God’s Presence resides with and in us. We are His Temple. May we be dedicated to Him - cleansed, set apart, and full of joy in His Pre...

In Ezra chapter 5, after a 16 year stoppage, God’s people obey His call to get back to the construction of the Temple. They face immediate opposition to this work, but due to God’s faithful presence and His word of assurance through Haggai the prophet, the people find the courage to continue the work. By God’s grace and through a surprising and often painful process, the obstacles we face become a...

This week, Shawn Stutz teaches on Ezra 5: 1-5 and explored how the Israelites stopped rebuilding the temple for 16 years because comfort, distraction, fear, and spiritual disengagement slowly replaced obedience to God. Through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, God called His people to return to Him, reminding them that obedience is not about striving harder but about living a “with God” life empo...

This week, special guest Pastor Dave Buehring joins us and teaches on the pacing of Jesus. Jesus modeled a life that was purposeful, unhurried, and fully surrendered to the Father’s will. Rather than being driven by pressure, demands, or urgency, He lived from a place of secure identity, obedience, healthy rhythms of rest, and intentional investment in others. The message challenges us to compare...

This week, Krystal walked through Ezra 4 and the opposition the Israelites faced as they rebuilt the temple, showing that the resistance was not simply political but spiritual. Zerubbabel refused to let the surrounding pagan nations join in the building because God’s people were being called back to a life of holiness, devotion, and being set apart unto the Lord alone. She emphasized that God was...

This passage reminds us that God is not calling His people to admire the work, but to join it. As the foundation of the temple was laid, the people worshiped in the middle of uncertainty. While some grieved the loss of former glory, God was inviting them to release the past and step into the new thing He was building. In the same way, we are called to follow Jesus, be shaped by Him, and actively p...

This sermon centered on what it means to put first things first as God’s people, using Ezra 3 to show that before anything else was rebuilt, the people gathered to build the altar. Even amid fear and uncertainty, and before the temple’s foundation was laid, they chose to prioritize worship, sacrifice, and the realignment of their hearts with God. The altar was not merely a physical structure but a...

This week, Shawn Stutz walked through Ezra 2 to show what spiritual restoration really looks like. He emphasized that God’s restoration is personal, often difficult, but always purposeful. The return from exile was not just about a nation, but about real people, families, and generations being restored, making the story feel closely connected to everyday life. He highlighted that although people w...

The opening message of the City of God series introduces the story of Ezra and Nehemiah as God’s work of restoring a people, a temple, and a city through His sovereign plan. It emphasizes that Israel’s exile was the result of rejecting God’s compassionate warnings, yet their return reveals His mercy, faithfulness, and initiative in redemption. God stirs both pagan leaders like Cyrus and His own pe...

Easter reminds us that the gospel isn’t just a good idea, it’s the announcement of something that actually happened. Jesus died and was raised, and that changes everything. If the resurrection isn’t real, then none of this matters, but because it is, it means new life is available to us right now. Paul describes our lives like seeds being planted. What looks like loss, weakness, or even death is a...

Mark’s Gospel records the response of Jesus to an unfruitful tree and an unfruitful people as He comes into Jerusalem for his final days before going to the cross. Jesus offers us a life in Him that we can rest into that produces lasting fruit. We live in a world that needs to taste the fruit of the life found only in Jesus, that they too may find their place among His people. As the people of God...