God does not show favoritism. This is a truth that dates to the very creation of mankind. It is foundational to our faith and central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it even finds prominence in the founding of our own nation. So, it should be no surprise that, as we turn the pages of the book of James to chapter 2, we are confronted with this bold truth presented in James’ no nonsense style: “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” Join me and your...
Jun 29, 2022•38 min
This weekend we continue in our series MAKING FAITH WORK. A faith that works is a faith that works through trials. It is natural for us to get angry when we face a problem. Yet, as we will learn in James 1:19-27, anger can blur our vision and pollute our mission. So, don’t be deceived; join us this weekend and learn to transform your anger before your anger transforms you.
Jun 19, 2022•39 min
“We can’t go over them. We can’t go under them. We’ve got to go through them.” When it comes to trials that is ALMOST ALWAYS true – ALMOST. There is one category of life’s trials that can and should be avoided. In fact, we not only don’t want to go through them, we want to run from them. It is the category of temptations – temptations to sin. The temptation to sin is an inward trial of life that we all face and quite often in our daily lives. In fact, the outward trials of life over which we hav...
Jun 12, 2022•45 min
“We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. We’ve got to go through it.” So it is with the trials of life. Much as we may want to “go over them” or “under them” to get away from them, we’ve got to “go through them” because, quite simply, that’s the way life works. This weekend, we begin a new series of sermon from the New Testament book of James called Making Faith Work. The first subject James tackles is the subject of trials – the trials of life. You may recall that we explored that very subje...
Jun 05, 2022•45 min
First observed on May 30, 1868, Memorial Day commemorated the sacrifices of those who lost their lives during the Civil War. For nearly a century, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day and expanded beyond its original audience to include those who had fallen in other US conflicts. Then In 1971, Memorial Day became a nationally recognized holiday. This weekend, in all services, GCC will honor the men and women who died while in military service for the United States of America.
May 31, 2022•46 min
“What happens after I die?” This has been the driving question in our five-part sermon series on eternity. Yet, Heaven isn’t just for you! For the Christian, the question is not, “What happens after I die.” Instead, “What happens after they die” - My neighbor, banker, barber, friend, etc.? Join us this weekend as we learn from Acts 1:4-8 how to fill heaven by being a witness for Jesus.
May 22, 2022•37 min
When trials do come, how do you handle them? Do you allow the trials of life to take you down or build you up? Do you give up or grow up, become bitter or become better? The decision is yours. Thankfully, God has much to say to us about life’s trials and our response. This weekend, we’ll focus on what happens when the hope of eternity intersects with the trials of your life. To hear what God has to say, join me in reading 1 Peter 1:3-9. I look forward to worshipping with you at GCC
May 15, 2022•36 min
Welcome to our third week exploring the truth about ETERNITY. Most people, when they hear the word ETERNITY, immediately think FUTURE. Eternity is always and only about our future. But that’s not Biblically true. Your eternal life began the day you decided to follow Jesus. Whether you realize it or not, on that day, you stopped living for the moment and you started living for eternity. On that day, a seismic shift of focus and perspective took place in your life. This world is no longer all that...
May 08, 2022•41 min
This weekend, we continue our five-part sermon series on ETERNITY. Last week, we looked at what the Bible says what heaven is like. This week we enter into the tough yet tender state of grief. On this side of heaven, we will all come face-to-face with grief. In his book, What Happens After I Die, Michael Rodgers says, “There is a dangerous mindset among many, that Christians in times of grief must maintain a positive, hope-filled façade.” Join us this weekend as we will look at two reasons why g...
May 01, 2022•37 min
This weekend, we begin a five-part sermon series on ETERNITY! It is a fascinating topic that raises the curiosity of Christians and non-Christians alike. Understanding eternity will take the fear out of our future and fill us with what the Bible calls a living and blessed hope. In the course of the next five weeks, we will broadly examine and deeply study the Biblical truths about eternity beginning with this weekend’s sermon on heaven. What will heaven be like? What can we expect and how can we...
Apr 24, 2022•38 min
Join us for the GREAT CELEBRATION OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION! If you’ve ever experienced an ‘emotional roller coaster’ then you can relate to the ‘emotional ride’ of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary during that first holy week. We’ll follow the two Marys from the cross to the tomb to the first day of the week when they saw the Lord! Read Matthew 27 and 28 as you prepare for worship. Then, come to GCC on Saturday or Sunday to discover, in a new way, THE LIVING HOPE that Jesus alone offers. Like, com...
Apr 17, 2022•47 min
This weekend and on Good Friday, we wrap up our series “Unfiltered Jesus.” In this series, we unpacked several hard sayings of Jesus. Let’s face it, sometimes, what Jesus said was hard to grasp. However, this weekend, we will look not at what Jesus said but rather at something Jesus did that is simply hard to get our minds around. This sermon is called “Grace Like Jesus.” How gracious was Jesus? Just consider, for a span of three and half years, Jesus showed the unmerited and undeserved favor of...
Apr 10, 2022•41 min
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ “has freed us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5). “By his blood.” Three simple words that describe the powerful, saving work of Christ accomplished through His death on the cross. Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross and died to pay the price for our sins. Join your GCC family this week as we learn why His blood is precious, how it cleanses, why it is necessary, and how we can remember! In gratitude, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a churc...
Apr 03, 2022•32 min
In Mark 11:12-25, Jesus curses a Fig tree, upsets tables, bars people from making sacrifices, and casts out the buyers and sellers at the Temple marketplace. Then says something so outrageous I’m surprised it found its way into the Gospel of Mark, “if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Really? This weekend we continue our series, Unfiltered Jesus, by looking at ...
Mar 27, 2022•43 min
Do you believe in the afterlife? The AFTERLIFE is defined as our life after death. That such life exists is a central doctrine of the Christian faith and a favorite topic in Jesus’ teaching ministry. In fact, the AFTERLIFE is even a popular topic beyond the church where creative and wishful thinking have, at times, either amended or replaced Biblical truth. We cannot afford to be led astray on the matter of the AFTERLIFE. Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance and, for that reason, we need to ...
Mar 20, 2022•43 min
The best and most accurate way to describe the story in Mark 10:17-31 is that it is a story about a man who was but one step away from a personal and eternal relationship with God. Jesus showed him the step to be taken, and Jesus invited him it. It was a step of surrender. The object to be surrendered – in this case money - is not as important as the act of surrender. Join your GCC family this weekend as we unpack a sometimes hard to understand encounter between a rich man and Jesus. Join us as ...
Mar 13, 2022•44 min
Read the Gospels. You can’t help but notice that Jesus had a lot of fans. He drew large crowds. He attracted many spectators. As long as he was performing miracles and preaching against the sins of others, the fans were happy. But when his preaching hit close to home, when his teaching was hard to accept, he intentionally drew the proverbial “line in the sand” – the line between fan and follower. And He invited his fans to cross the line and become His followers.
Mar 06, 2022•42 min
Over the past several weeks, GCC has been working through a series called “Unfiltered Jesus.” This series unpacks and explains several of Jesus’ hard sayings. One of those hard sayings is found in Matthew 10:34 , “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” Did Jesus mean what He said? Was He holding a sword in Matthew 10? Should violence be used in the expansion of the Gospel? Join us this weekend as we unpack and explain another hard...
Feb 28, 2022•47 min
“if anyone comes to me and does not HATE his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Did Jesus really say that – that we should hate the ‘nearest and dearest’ in our lives? Isn’t this ‘hate speech’? What about Jesus’ command to love others? Isn’t this a contradiction of that!? NOT AT ALL. Jesus doesn’t contradict himself, and this is not ‘hate speech’. This is a figure of speech. This is Jesus exaggerating a point t...
Feb 21, 2022•42 min
“Everyone has a cross to bear.” Maybe you’ve heard that expression; maybe you’ve used it. It has its origin in the Bible but it has found its way into our common, everyday language where it isn’t usually used in the way Jesus intended. From ingrown toenails to annoying neighbors to giving up chocolate for lent, it’s amazing how many of life’s discomforts are, in the minds of people, “their cross to bear.” Unfortunately, in its migration into our everyday language, we’ve trivialized “a cross to b...
Feb 14, 2022•43 min
This weekend, let’s talk about prayer and how it works. If you’re like me, you probably have a lot of questions about prayer and possibly even some frustration with prayer. In fact, one of Jesus’ most concentrated teachings on prayer is in Luke 11:1-13. For many people, it has been hard to understand because it doesn’t always reflect our personal experience with prayer. “ Jesus, I did ask, but I didn’t get what I asked for. Must I keep asking and, if so, why? If you’re good, and I believe you ar...
Jan 31, 2022•40 min
To begin, let me ask you, why would Jesus tell us to ask God not to lead us into temptation? Every other request we make in the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) fits the character of God as we know Him. But lead us not into temptation!!? God certainly doesn’t tempt us, but why must we make that request? What does it mean? To learn what it means and to explore what God says about temptation in His Word, listen to this message.
Jan 17, 2022•45 min•Ep. 2
The Church isn't about buildings or preferences. It is an amazing collective of people coming together to worship the Lord.
Jan 10, 2022•36 min
