Praise comes not just from emotion, but from intentional thought. In Psalm 145, David says he will meditate on the Lord’s wonderful works, implying a choice rather than a feeling. To give thought to the amazing things the Lord does is always a good practice, but especially so when our hearts are downcast and struggling for hope. As we give careful and intentional thought to the Lord’s character, His past work, and His present nearness, we are then moved to praise Him and tell other’s about the h...
Jun 29, 2025•47 min
The psalmist begins by inviting us as a community to sing to our God in humble worship. For He is the rock of our salvation, the One who has formed this earth, the One who made us and takes care of us. And then the psalmist reminds us of the choice before us – to enter God’s rest or harden our hearts towards Him. Those referenced in this psalm saw God’s work, they were given reason to trust Him, and yet because of their unbelief they did not enter the rest of the Promised land. The author of Heb...
Jun 22, 2025•40 min
"Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." So begins our next Psalm in our summer series. The Psalmist reminds us of so many ways our God is good to us. Let us honor and praise Him as we me...
Jun 15, 2025•44 min
At our Vacation Bible Week we learned that Jesus is our true North! When we wonder, feel alone or powerless, when we need hope or help, we can trust Jesus! Join us in celebrating all the ways Jesus has shown Himself trustworthy and deepen your understanding of these foundational truths through our review of select stories found in the book of Matthew! Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Matthew 6:25-33; 8:5-13; 18:12-14; and 28:16-20
Jun 08, 2025•41 min
To identify with the Lord's position as my Shepherd, I must also identify with my position as His sheep; needy, foolish, and dependant. We are creatures full of desires and needs and no amount of our own striving, our own thinking, or our own providing will ever truly satisfy. This Psalm has brought an abundance of comfort over the centuries to people suffering, struggling, and muddling through lives full of hardship, trouble, and day to day uncertainty. We are not left alone in our struggle, we...
Jun 01, 2025•49 min
Oh to see God's ways, His salvation, and His praises spread throughout all the earth. What a glorious thing that would be! The psalmist opens with words that ring familiar to the Aaronic blessing; "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." --Numbers 6:24-26 Continuing with a call for global praise; "Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!" --Psalm 67:3...
May 25, 2025•38 min
I once read a poem titled; *Jesus Volta*. While finding the poem to be clear, by not realizing it was a Sonnet nor remembering what the term Volta meant, it was difficult for me to truly understand it. The term *Volta* describes the turning point in a sonnet. Just that information alone even makes the title more clear! Why all this talk about poetry? Over the next 15 weeks we will be moving into a new sermon series on the Psalms, the poetry and songbook of the Bible. In this book you will find a...
May 18, 2025•46 min
It is not hard for us to imagine the destruction a storm can do, nor is it unlikely that we will face storms throughout our lives. In this final parable, Jesus describes two outcomes of facing the same storms based on what ones life is built upon. Building our lives upon listening and acting on Jesus words provides a foundation which cannot be shaken when the storms of life rain down. As we wrap up our Sermon on the Mount study, take some time to reflect on the principles, perspectives, prioriti...
May 11, 2025•41 min
After pointing out how to tell between true and false prophets, Jesus goes on to describe the reality of those who claim to be His disciples, but who in fact are not. He reveals that we cannot discern a disciple based on amazing and good works they do in His name. “In the end, there is one basis of salvation; it isn’t mere verbal confession, not “spiritual works,” but knowing Jesus and being known by Him. It is our connection to Him — by the gift of faith that He gives to us — that secures our s...
May 04, 2025•32 min
Galatians 5:13-26 tells us what type of fruit is produced by our flesh vs. the fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit. In our next section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us to beware of those who are false prophets and that we will be able to tell based on their fruit. It can be challenging to discern when we use the standards the kingdoms of this world use to determine if someone is a good leader. As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven we can grow in discerning who tells us the truth by u...
Apr 27, 2025•41 min
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5
Apr 20, 2025•46 min
Today marks the beginning of Holy Week - Jesus enters Jerusalem on His way to the cross. The disciples and the crowds don't understand, they have a completely different perspective on all the things happening in what to them is the yearly celebration of Passover. Pages 17-18 of our 40 days guide gives space for you to walk with Jesus from Palm Sunday, to the cross, culminating with Easter Monday. Carve out time this week for extra prayer, study, and fellowship with your Savior to deepen your und...
Apr 13, 2025•42 min
Jesus says He came that we might have life and have it to the full, that it comes through the Holy Spirit, and cannot be found any other way. (John 10:10, 6:62-64) Without Jesus there would be no way for us to be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven or to have the fullness of life He offers. The way to enter is narrow – it is only through Jesus. Let us seek to understand the implications this has for us in how we live and love others. Prepare for this week’s teaching by reading Matthew 7:13-14 with...
Apr 06, 2025•40 min
Isn't it amazing how gracious, generous, and welcoming God is to us - all we need to do is ask for His help and He comes to our rescue! His Throne is a Throne of Grace, not a throne of performance, and He responds to our pleas for wisdom, mercy, and forgiveness with such care. Since we are treated in this way by the God of the Universe, we can in turn treat others with the same care we have received. Prepare for this week's message by reading Matthew 7:7-12 with Hebrews 4:14-16...
Mar 30, 2025•42 min
Knowing Jesus changes the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. This perspective shift is necessary for living as Kingdom Citizens with Kingdom attitudes towards our self and others. God gives us wisdom whenever we ask Him and helps us to see our own sins and to know how to walk in wisdom towards outsiders. (See Colossians 4:5-6 with Hebrews 4:14-16) Prepare for this week’s teaching by reading Matthew 7:1-6 with 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Mar 23, 2025•35 min
In light of Jesus’ words about God being our Master rather than wealth, we are next challenged to set God as our sole provider too. The result, Jesus says, is that we will no longer worry. This is only possible for us if we understand the character of God rightly. He is a good Master. He is a good Provider. He takes care of us and gives us what we need. As our trust in God’s faithfulness grows, our propensity towards worry will lesson. Prepare for this week’s message by reading Matthew 6:25:34 w...
Mar 16, 2025•35 min
It can be difficult for us to keep our relationship with money in its proper place. We often are unaware of the ways we have allowed wealth to cloud our perspectives, our loyalties, our true level of need and where our hope lies. Jesus challenges us to make a choice – and to recognize again that this choice relates to which kingdom we are pouring our time and attention to, either this world or our true home in heaven. Prepare for this week’s message by reading Matthew 6:19-24 with 1 Timothy 6:17...
Mar 09, 2025•45 min
This week wraps up the section about three religious practices Jesus addresses in His Sermon on the Mount; giving, prayer, and fasting. As we enter into our [40 days of preparation](https:// www.gracecomm.org/40days ), how timely that we will begin learning and better understanding the practice of fasting! Prepare for this week's message by downloading the [40 days Preparation Guide](https:// www.gracecomm.org/40days ), revewing Matthew 5-7, and reading Matt 6:16-18....
Mar 02, 2025•41 min
Simply put, Prayer is talking with God. Jesus contrasts what it looks like to pray as a matter of showing off or thinking you must jump thru hoops so that he will pay attention, vs. relating to God as your Father in heaven who listens and responds to you as His child. Prepare for this week's message by reading Matthew 5-7 giving special focus to 6:5-15
Feb 23, 2025•53 min
This week we move away from the antitheses section (You have heard, but I tell you) and into the first of 3 passages related to religious practices; Giving, Prayer, and Fasting. We will begin with giving - where Jesus warns against doing good for the sake of being seen by others rather than to please God. Prepare for this week's message by reading Matthew 5-7 giving special focus to 6:1-4
Feb 16, 2025•36 min
The love Jesus is talking about here is something we choose, not something we feel. One of the footnotes for this passage reads: “ The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.” Our natural bent is to desire the worst for our enemies, not the ...
Feb 09, 2025•36 min
Just like with the Pharisees, it’s important to understand what Jesus is and is not saying as He interprets the law of retribution. It is wrong to think that Jesus means that evil is never to be resisted, He has demonstrated by His life a discernment in accepting insults and also in overturning tables. For most of us it is easy to stand for our rights and seek retribution when wronged. What’s difficult is to lay aside our rights, allow wrong to go seemingly unaddressed and to trust God for our d...
Feb 02, 2025•40 min
In Leviticus 19:11-12 the nation of Israel was instructed; *"You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD"* In our Matthew passage, Jesus expands our understanding on what it means to be trustworthy in our speech and our actions. Ultimately our ability to behave honestly stems from our heart's trust in God's sovereignty, care and provision. Prepare for this week's message by reading...
Jan 26, 2025•34 min
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus deepens our understanding of the law against adultery. He contrasts what has been heard against what is the truth and the application of that truth. Jesus is drawing us back to the intent of the law instead of allowing it to be used as easy permission for sin. Make no mistake, Jesus' words are hard to hear and for many of us reveal sin we would rather more easily justify or explain. Remember, the purpose of the law is to show we are all guilty so ...
Jan 19, 2025•40 min
This week's passage continues Jesus' long discussion where he explains many points of the law which reveal our need for His righteousness. He deepens our understanding of God's commandments revealing how much we fall short. Thankfully we have a Great Savior for our need through the righteousness Jesus offers us through His life, death and resurrection. **Prepare for this week's message by reading Matthew 5-7 giving special attention to 5:21-26**
Jan 12, 2025•42 min
When a new year rolls around, our inboxes and social channels contain all sorts of invitations to join a gym, get out of debt, or better organize our lives. This year, we invite you to endeavor to know and love Jesus more. Join us on Sunday as we discover practically what that looks like. Prepare for this week's message by reflecting on the character of Jesus found in John chapter 8
Jan 05, 2025•40 min
Christ has been born, Mary and Joseph have found a home and settled in to Bethlehem while the census is taken. Magi, Gentile kings from the east, visit them and bow in worship to the King of the Jews, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Use the Advent Guide to help you reflect on this week's message.
Dec 29, 2024•48 min
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 11 min
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one & only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace & truth. Use the Advent Guide to help you reflect on this week's message.
Dec 22, 2024•37 min
Shepherds are the most ordinary and unlikely people to bear witness to the King of Kings—during that time they were not even legally able to be witnesses in court! But God is not bound by the laws of the earth’s systems and courts. These Shepherds unexpectedly find themselves thrust into a plot point of the Messiah’s storyline, with an active role to play. When unexpected plot points enter into the storyline of our lives, the assurance of Jesus’ presence and promises equip and enable us to respo...
Dec 15, 2024•40 min
