WL Grace Sermons

Judas’ trajectory took him away from Jesus. This week we consider Nicodemus, a Jewish leader who was on the opposite trajectory. Join us as we continue our sermon series, “Easter Encounters.”

Neither Barabbas nor Simon of Cyrene expected to encounter Jesus. However, their unexpected encounters with Jesus changed their lives and provide us with pictures of what Christ’s work on the cross means for us.  Join us as we continue in our sermon series “Easter Encounters.”

Betrayed On His was to the cross, Jesus engaged with many different people. Not every encounter was positive. Judas, for example, betrayed Jesus with a kiss. How could a friend do that? Join us as we consider the tragedy of Juda and how to avoid it.

Martha and Mary spoke honestly with Jesus, trusting Him even though they didn’t understand what Jesus was doing.  Jesus knew God’s bigger plan and purposes, but He engaged Martha and Mary where they were, calling them to a deeper faith in Him.  Join us as we launch our Easter sermon series, “Easter Encounters.”  We’re going to learn from different people’s encounters with Jesus on His way to the c...

Our perspective on money needs to be wider than this world, because what we do with the resources God has entrusted to us impacts eternity.  Believe it or not, Jesus uses the example of a dishonest money manager to make a point about thinking ahead in wise ways with our resources.  Join us as we conclude our “Wide Open” sermon series.  It’s also Commitment Sunday for the Wide Open Generosity Initi...

The church in Corinth was highly gifted and known for many things, including faith, speech, knowledge, complete earnestness, and love. Now that’s an impressive resume! But Paul encourages them also to “excel in this grace of giving.” What is the grace of giving and how do we excel at it? Join us as Pastor Bruce continues our sermon series on generosity, “Wide Open.”   

For the JOY of it Some have suggested that joy is at the center of who God is. In other words, God does what He does out of joy and for joy. This is certainly true when it comes to God’s generosity. He gives out of and for the joy of it. Join us this Sunday as we consider the joy of generosity.    

God is by nature a giver.  Not just any kind of giver.  He is a pedal-to-the-metal, pull-out-all-the stops, wide-open giver.  His generosity is expansive, limitless, eternal.  As his children, we are called into the joy of knowing and reflecting the generosity of our God.  Let’s talk about what wide-open generosity looks like for us.   

Life is full of change. Having a constant friend helps us navigate the ups and downs of life. What does it mean to be a faithful friend? Join us as we conclude our series, "Beyond Friending."

Friendship is a great idea, but there are lots of obstacles to genuine friendship.  What are some of those obstacles, and how do we resolve them? Join us as we consider what it means to help each other stand in our calling, even when there is conflict. 

Covenant of Friendship One of the Bible’s best (and most unlikely) friendships was between Jonathan, the son of King Saul, and David, God’s anointed King. Jonathan had everything to lose by befriending David.  Join us as we consider why and how Jonathan could be such a good friend to David.  Along the way, we’ll learn some lessons about what makes healthy friendship possible.

In this social media age, we count our "friends" by the hundreds. But do we know what real friendship is? We launch our new series, "Beyond Friending," by defining friendship and rooting it in the nature of God.

“There are no atheists in fox holes,” so the saying goes. In other words, in extreme situations, prayer is the last option of almost everyone. However, for believers, prayer is not only our highest privilege, it should also be our first resort. The prayers of God’s people are powerful and effective. This is one of the themes of the Book of Revelation. Join us as we prepare our hearts for the New Y...

Discover the wonder of Christmas again.  Christmas Eve would not feel complete without singing “Silent Night” by candlelight. Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Not everyone gets the welcome he or she deserves. Jesus certainly didn’t. The arrival of the Messiah elicited different responses from a variety of people. Which one is most like you? Join us in thinking about what it means to welcome Jesus well.

Advent is a time of waiting...but not of passive waiting. It's a time to actively prepare for the coming of Messiah. How can we intentionally prepare our hearts and lives for the return of Jesus? Join us as we consider two characters in the Christmas story who prepared well for the arrival of their Savior.

Waiting is part of Advent. Hundreds of years passed as God’s people waited for the promised Messiah to arrive. In the fullness of time, He came. Now we wait for His return. And how we wait matters. Join us as for our Christmas sermon series, “Advent.”  

Paul sends Onesimus home, not as an escaped slave but as a brother in Christ. What is the basis for true reconciliation? Join us as Pastor Jeremy Wike of Community of Hope (Columbia City) takes us through the very personal letter of Philemon.

Americans love to talk about freedom. We even have a holiday to celebrate it. The Apostle Paul also loved freedom. However, he talked about it in a different way. Join us as we dive into Paul’s letter to the Galatians in part two of our series, “You’ve Got Mail.” 

We know the New Testament epistles by the name of the people or places to which they were sent. However, the letters themselves made the rounds through all the churches, carried by messengers who taught the believers.  Over the next three Sundays we’re going to engage with three Pauline letters: Philippians, Galatians, and Philemon. We begin with the letter to the Philippians.

WL Grace celebrates 80 years of ministry this year! Join us as we glance back at what God has done and peek forward to future possibilities.

Way, Truth, Life  Christ’s “I am” statements culminate in this all-encompassing claim: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Join us as we unpack the inclusive exclusivity of this claim.

All of Jesus’ “I am” statements have to do with life. We can’t thrive without light, water, or bread. Sheep can’t survive without the shepherd. In this week’s passage, Jesus says it directly: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Join us as we unpack this hope-filled statement. 

Sheep, Shepherd, Wolves, and Thieves  “The Lord is my shepherd . . . " begins the most familiar psalm (Psalm 23). In John 10, Jesus picks up on this theme by claiming, “I am the Good Shepherd.”  What did Jesus mean by that? How does this impact my life today? Join us as we continue in our sermon series, “I Am.”  

At the beginning of John chapter six a huge crowd was following Jesus around. By the end of the chapter, almost all these followers had deserted Him. What did Jesus say to offend so many? Join us as we consider the implications of Jesus’ famous statement: “I am the Bread of Life.”