Empowered Podcast

Date 02.17.2026

Sermon Summary

Filling your city with Jesus comes by empowering the willing to come fully alive in God’s presence. This is how cities are being renewed: by first strengthening ourselves in the LORD, then managing our households as greenhouses that cultivate life and multiply into your city where relationships are sovereign, and delivering to them what God has freely given to you. Today, we are looking more closely at the last part of a disciple: one who makes disciples. Seeing your city as a place where you give what God has given you is filling the city. Today, we look at your city and “map” who is in your city, look for the “signs” of what God is already doing, and then “delivery” encouragement and love through sharing our gifts and lives with others. 

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Resources cited:

Pastor ryan quoted Elizabeth Barrett Browing in her poem, Aurora Leigh. "Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush  afire with God; But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."

The Mystics of the Church, by Evelyn Underhill

Saturate: Being a Disciple of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life, by Jeff Vanderstelt

Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence

Hearing God: Developing a Conversation with God, by Dallas Willard

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date 09.11.2026

Sermon Summary

As we continue the Vision and Mission series, we are discussing the second facet of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The first aspect of a disciple is to ‘strengthen yourself in the LORD,’ and the second is to ‘manage your household.’ To manage your household means to be present and active in your personal relationships, seeking their good over your own. The picture we get of a well-managed home goes all the way back to Eden in Genesis. Eden was a place where humans were immersed in God’s Presence, where life was cultivated and multiplied. This same picture is given in today’s home, so we can manage our own greenhouses. Greenhouses have gardens, where each represents individual relationships to maintain and tend the soil. The nutrients in each garden require us to maintain healthy levels of water, fertilizer, seeds, air, and light. The climate of our homes shapes the conditions in our cities.

Books cited in the podcast:

Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tedd Tripp

Loving Your Kids on Purpose, Danny Silk

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, Gary Chapman

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date: 02.03.2026

Sermon Summary   |   Mission: Strengthen

We are all together in one family, united in the vision to fill your city with Jesus and live out the mission of empowering the willing to come fully alive for the renewal of our cities. In this Holy Transition that is taking us from crowds to commissioned, pregnant to birthing, and acquaintances to intimates, we see what happens in heaven and earth when the church comes together. We are being called out of apathy into purpose, out of confusion into wisdom, and out of passivity into responsibility. This week, we are looking more deeply into the life of a disciple, a learner of Jesus. A disciple is someone who ‘strengthens themselves in the LORD,’ ‘manages their household,’ and takes up the call to ‘fill their city.’  We will examine the spiritual gym — the place where we train our faith — learning to use the right equipment and the right technique so we grow strong in God, not for ourselves, but to serve, lead, and see cities renewed.

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

01.28.2026

Thank you for tuning in. Due to difficulties with the weather and some technical issues, the release of Episode 53 is delayed. We hope to be able to release it later this week.

Thanks for your patience! God bless you.

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. We empower the willing to come fully alive in God's presence for the renewal of our cities. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date

01.19.2026

Sermon Summary

We are entering week two of our Vision and Mission series, where we are exploring the realities of our future, today. This week, we are looking at the identity and function of the Church. As we examine the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8, we find a small remnant of 300 people who form an army that defeats their enemies, numbering 135,000, in a decisive yet unorthodox victory. This is the picture of the Church: we are at war against the principalities and rulers of this world, not with human weapons but with those that dismantle strongholds. When we get together, a small group can see a massive multiplication effect in our cities because there is little that can stop the Church. It’s only the absence of godly men and women that allows evil to triumph. The Church is a force to be reckoned with when we come to a full understanding of our true identity, built on revelation and formed to heal, prosper, and build cities. Don’t forget that God’s chosen instrument of revival is the Church; every move of God in history has been in and through the Church. Let’s gather! 

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date: 01.12.2026

Sermon Summary

We're kicking off the new year with our vision and mission series from January through February. As we take the time to know and clarify where we are, where we're going, and how we plan on arriving there, it will take all of our family to accomplish the audacious promises God has given us. We are in preparation for war, a time where God is calling us to know that the weapons of our warfare are not flesh and carnal but powerful promises and Truths that break down strongholds of the enemy. We are living in a time when it is easy to see a drift toward a complacent and apathetic lifestyle. But God is calling those willing to take up their commission to go deeper in their relationship with God, becoming intimate and birthing something we have been carrying. As we read through the story of Gideon and his army, there is a strong correlation to us at Grace in this season of Holy Transition God has us in.

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date: January 5, 2026

Sermon Summary:

The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire is not a spiritual accessory designed for charismatic circles; it is God’s appointed means of empowering His people to live and witness beyond human ability. Jesus Himself did not begin His ministry without the Spirit, showing that mission without power is incomplete. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, believers receive deeper intimacy with God, boldness for witness, victory over the flesh, strength in prayer, and spiritual gifts to build the Church. This gift is promised by God, but it is received by those who hunger, ask, and depend fully on Him rather than themselves. The true question is not whether the Spirit is able, but whether we desire Him above all else.

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date 12.29.2025

Sermon Summary

This week, three of our elders preached in our weekend services. Each of them prepared their talks independently, yet it is clear that the Holy Spirit coordinated them beautifully--placing Christ at the center. Find contentment in Jesus. Surrender to Jesus. Pursue oneness with Jesus. These three messages form the core of what it means to have an abundant life in Christ.

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality, by Chip Ingram https://a.co/d/gBoJ4Is

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

Date: December 22, 2025

Sermon Summary

This week we continue our close look at the character and nature of God. The prophet Isaiah had a life-changing, dangerous encounter–behind the veil of the temple–with the profoundly holy God of angelic warriors. In this encounter, he came undone, believing himself to be doomed simply by being a sinful man in the presence of the King. Then, at an atoning touch, he was radically transformed and joined the mission of God. As we explore the implications of this encounter, we see that a Great High Priest came much later who–in the most extraordinary way–ripped apart the veil, forever changing the way we encounter the very same King. How will you respond?

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

The Holiness of God, by RC Sproul: https://a.co/d/596VMR0

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus

12.15.2025

Sermon Summary

Our tendency is to read the Bible as if we are the main character. We read it to affirm what we already know, infer our own presence as the hero of the story, and get our ego stroked by false affirmations. Instead, the Word offers another function in reading: it trains, it equips, and it shapes like fire and a hammer. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 may be better titled if the focus is not on us, but on God. It’s a story about a father who recklessly loves his two sons. He showers the one with unrestrained celebration and offers all he has to the other as an excessive act of mercy. Our hearts are prone to connect with the younger or the older son, but the real connection is to keep our hearts dwelling on the central character of the story, the prodigal's father. 

You can find this week's sermon notes and Sermon Guide here: https://gracechurchsp.org/resources/sermon-guides/

Books Referenced in the Podcast

The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer 

Forgotten God - Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, by Francis Chan

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World, by Rosaria Butterfield

Saturate: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life, by Jeff Vanderstelt

Fill the city with Jesus. This is the vision not just for our church, but for our people. The city is not just a physical location, but a collection of our family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. How can you bring Jesus to your city?

——

Stay Connected

Website: http://www.gracechurchsp.org

Grace Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchsp

Grace Church Instagram: @gracechurch_sp

#fillthecitywithjesus