Disappointment. Hurt. Pain. Discouragement. No matter how hard we try to avoid them, we ALL face hard seasons in our lives. And these difficult times can derail our good intentions and discourage us in our faith? So how do we navigate these times well? Do we wait until our circumstances get better or does God have something in these seasons that can help us grow?
What’s the difference between fasting for your health and fasting as a spiritual discipline? Because just like any diet or fast, after a while, it can feel like something you HAVE to do and not something you WANT to do. What are the benefits and mindset of spiritual fasting that can help you keep this a regular habit?
Working to build a relationship with someone takes time and effort and our relationship with God is no different. We want God to be a part of our lives, but doesn’t it seem like we have enough time! There’s always something to distract us. So how do we go about more creating space for God in our lives?
You might have heard about the physical benefits of fasting from your fitness trainer, a friend, or maybe even your doctor. But did you know that fasting can have spiritual benefits as well? In fact, fasting is probably the MOST OVERLOOKED spiritual practice in the lives of Christians, and we are missing out on some major benefits because of it! So what exactly does spiritual fasting look like and what are these benefits?
What if this year, your main goal wasn’t about dropping weight, getting in shape, saving more money, or eating better. What if this year, you decided not to settle for just knowing about God, but the year you decided to discover the kind of peaceful, hope-filled, and abundant life that He had planned for you? But where would you even start?
We know the Christmas story. We hear it every year. We know all the characters and the setting. It’s a great story, but what does this mean for us living over 2000 years after this first Christmas? Because while Christmas is supposed to be full of hope and peace, our world doesn’t feel anything like that, and neither do our own lives! What if the Christmas story wasn’t just a story to tell, but an opportunity for us to claim hope, joy, and peace for our own lives.
We know the Christmas story. We know the nativity scene. It’s a beautiful story to tell, but it can also seem so far from our reality. Often, our lives feel anything but full of hope, joy, and peace. Why is that? Maybe we’re relying on the wrong things? Maybe it’s not about how religious we are, but about grasping something else.
Do you ever have times where you don’t feel like you matter all that much? Like you’re not that valuable. Of course you do! We all do. You see we all go around looking for things that prove we matter. And we spend much of our lives not only trying to prove our stats to others, but to ourselves, and to God! But what if stats don’t matter to God? What if the way He sees our value is nothing compared to how we see it? We’re talking about that this week at Grace Church!
There was a moment in time when a line separated everything before it, from everything that came after it. With one baby’s birth our historical timeline changed from B.C to A.D, but so did so much more. The Bible tells us that even today, there is a line that exists that causes us to feel like we’re distant from God. Like He’s on one side and we’re on the other. So if we have the desire to get right with God, how is that line erased?
It’s easier for us to be grateful around this time of year, when everyone is focused on it. Nobody wants to be that ungrateful person at the Thanksgiving get together. Nobody wants to be the Scrooge at Christmas time. But isn’t it crazy how fast we shift when things don’t go our way or people don’t treat us the way we think they should? What does it take to be a person filled with gratitude all the time?
We know it feels good to be thankful and grateful, but wouldn’t it be a lot easier if life just went how we wanted? When life gets hard and disappointments crowd in, fighting to stay grateful doesn’t really seem worth it. Actually, it’s easier and more natural to stay upset, frustrated, or disappointed. So why fight to be grateful? This week, Pastor Sean gives 3 benefits to staying grateful.
Most of us would say we want to be more grateful, but why is it so difficult? Maybe we could be more grateful if we had more or if the situations in our lives got a little easier. But what if one simple mindset shift could change how you view what you have and what you don’t and allow you to be more grateful all year long regardless of what you're facing.
As we look back over the last 16 years and celebrate all that God has done in and through our church, we have got to think, what’s coming next!? What if God has so much more planned for us? What if we’re just getting started? Find out where our church is headed in this next season as we celebrate 16 years of helping you, your friends, and neighbors know and follow Jesus.
What happens when doing the right thing, doesn’t feel like it was the right thing? What if it costs us MORE to do what’s right than to do what everyone else does? Would you still pick the right thing? What if it meant you not only didn’t benefit, but doing the right thing meant you were gonna lose something? Why should you still do the right thing?
None of us want to look insecure. We want to show a version of ourselves that is put together and in control. One that hides our past failures and only shows the best of us. But we know who we are. We know where we’ve messed up, and the fear of ever being in that place again often keeps us from really living. Maybe your past failures have even kept you at arm’s length from God? How do we break out of the mediocre and have the confidence to pursue who God made us to be? Let’s talk about that!...
What if they don’t like me? What if they think less of me? What if I get laughed at? What if they’re really not cool with me? The second guessing, the worry, the doubt. Fearing what others think can not only make it hard to live authentically, but also to do the things God wants you to do and be the person He made you to be. So how do we get past this?
None of us want our kids to grow up to be selfish or inconsiderate people, but when it comes to the discussion on discipline, we all bring baggage to the conversation. So what does healthy discipline look like? And how can we do it in a way that not only addresses bad behavior, but teaches our kids to make the right decisions?
We know that connecting with our kids is important, but with life being so busy and schedules being so demanding, it’s hard to have meaningful connections with our kids everyday. Today, we’re talking about 3 simple tools you can use to connect more!
There's a lot that parents need to think about while raising kids. How are they in school? Are they developing well socially? Are you succeeding in raising them to be a decent person? It can be overwhelming! But what should be the top priority of a parent? What things are more important for you to focus on than all the rest?
We’re pretty selfish people. Even when we do good, our motivation is often how good we will look or what we might get in return. And even when we do try to help with good intentions, we can still get burned. So do we look out for ourselves or risk being the sucker who helped? Jesus had a better way to look at it.
What if you’ve been missing something when it comes to church? What if you’ve been looking at church as a service and as a result, it just doesn’t seem all that important. But what if God created the church to be so much more. Something so vital to your life that you can’t live without. And what if all that’s missing is this one key piece?
Last week we learned we are all created to be in community. God gave us the Church not just as a place to go, but a family to belong to. But how are we supposed to live in that family? Join us this weekend as we look at what the Bible says the Church should be known for!
Our schedules are too busy. We're trying to raise a family. Other people have hurt me. Life is safer alone. These are some of the things we might tell ourselves that keep us away from investing time in building community around us. But regardless of your personality, God wired YOU for community. And there is something incredible that happens in community that you just can't get anywhere else. Let's talk about what that is!
Have you ever known what God wanted you to do, but instead decided to do something else? Like you knew it was wrong, but did it anyway. Or maybe you just thought your way was better. How do moments like this affect how God feels about you? Most of us would think He would be angry and that we need to do some good to get back on good terms. But is that it? What does the Bible say we should do in moments like this? Let’s dive in together.
You believe in God. You pray and sometimes go to church, and you try to be a good person. You're all set. Right? I mean you're busy enough as is, how much time and effort do you really need to put into your faith? And what's the harm of just dipping your toe in religion? Let's talk about it!
Are you in need of rest? Not just a break, but like real, deep soul rest? Is life going 100mph and you feel like you’re doing everything you can just to hang on? Not only can this type of pace in life be harmful to our physical health, but it’s also harmful to our spiritual health. Learn how you can find the rest that you not only crave, but your soul needs!
Have you ever felt like you're trying to hang onto your faith for dear life? Maybe storm after storm keeps coming and it seems like there will be no relief. Or you're waiting to know what's your next move but it feels like God is silent. How can you keep your faith alive when it feels like everything is against you?
What does it take to live humbly? Why does God want us to live this way anyways? If you are trying too hard to be humble, then are you really humble? This weekend, we're exposing three lies that many of us believe that prevent us from being the people God intends us to be.
Ever felt frustrated that you weren't where you wanted to be in life or didn't have what you wanted? Maybe you feel like you're doing everything right and you still don't feel content. Where is God when this happens? We'll find out this weekend as we continue our series in the book of James.
We’ve all met people who say they are christians, but they look nothing like Jesus. Maybe they go to church, but aren't growing from what they learn in God’s word. They are wearing the uniform, but they’re not in the game. James gives a warning about living that way, and tells us the keys to making sure we have authentic faith.
