Grace 242

Title: Preparing to Share: Learn
Scripture Reading: Acts 17:22-23
Series: Send Me

How did the Apostle Paul effectively share the Gospel in the diverse and philosophical city of Athens? Paul's journey to Athens reveals three essential principles for effective gospel sharing: first, know the Lord deeply through personal relationship and scripture; second, learn from a godly mentor like Barnabas, fostering accountability and maturity; and third, learn how to connect with your audience by understanding their culture and beliefs, speaking their language to introduce them to the unknown God. Cultivate a profound relationship with God, seek out a godly mentor, and diligently study your audience to effectively communicate the message of Jesus Christ.

Title: Why Your Right Belief Might Be Wrong
Scripture Reading: James 2:14-18
Series: Mercy in Motion

How do we truly prove our faith to a watching world? This sermon unpacks James 2:14-18, revealing that genuine faith is profoundly demonstrated through action and good deeds. It warns believers against cloistering (retreating from the world) and compromising (adopting worldly causes over biblical truth), emphasizing that the church must actively authenticate its faith to the world by putting mercy in motion, just as Christ exemplified. Our sincere belief in Jesus is powerfully evidenced when we consistently live out our faith through tangible acts of mercy and service.

Title: Stop Fixing and Start Gardening
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:4-7
Series: Mercy in Motion

Are you a mechanic trying to fix the world, or a gardener tending it for growth? God's people are called to improve the world around them by embracing three roles. We are exiles, strategically placed by God in this world, just as the Jews were in Babylon. We are gardeners, not mechanics, cultivating an environment where good things can grow, knowing God brings the increase. And finally, we are blessings, working for the welfare of even a hostile world, ultimately serving Jesus by serving others. Embrace your God-given role as an exile, gardener, and blessing to compassionately improve the world around you.

Title: Prepare to Share: Fast and Pray
Scripture Reading: Colossians 4:2-4 ESV
Series: Send Me

Do you feel an unfillable void in your life, seeking true satisfaction and spiritual growth? This message, part of the "Send Me" series, explores fasting and prayer as essential preparations for spiritual service. Fasting is presented not as a way to earn holiness or for public display, but as a means to realize our profound hunger for Jesus and allow Him to fill the God-shaped vacuum within us with His overflowing, living water. Intentionally fast from distractions and dedicate that time and resource to drawing closer to Jesus and serving others, allowing Him to fill your inner void.

Title: Preparing to Share: The Bible
Scripture Reading: John 1:1
Series: Send Me

What if a single, ancient book holds the key to unparalleled personal transformation and understanding God's ultimate plan? This message explores why the Bible is a uniquely miraculous book that defies all odds, written by over 40 authors across millennia yet maintaining a singular, unbroken theme of redemption: God made it, we broke it, Jesus fixed it. Scientific evidence reveals that engaging with the Bible four or more times a week is a total game-changer, fostering profound spiritual and personal growth, because Jesus himself is the eternal Word of God made flesh. Engage with God's Word actively and consistently, particularly by reading it four or more times a week, to experience transformative life change and be equipped for God's purpose.

Title: You're Not the Good Samaritan
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25-37
Series: Mercy in Motion

Think you're the Good Samaritan? Think again. This message challenges the common understanding of the Good Samaritan parable. It reveals that mercy first requires us to recognize the world's need for it due to sin and then our neighbor's need, extending even to those we deem 'extra grace required.' Ultimately, the parable teaches us that we are the beaten traveler, desperately in need of Jesus, our true Good Samaritan, who showed us mercy at great cost. Humbly recognize your own desperate need for Jesus's mercy, and let that realization fuel your compassion for every neighbor, even the 'extra grace required' ones.

Title: In a World Full of Misery… Enter Mercy
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:9-12
Series: Mercy in Motion

What does it mean to set mercy in motion in a world full of suffering? This message explores the biblical basis for acts of mercy from 1 Peter 2:9-12, revealing that we set mercy in motion for four key reasons. We are pilgrims, temporary residents pointing to our eternal home; priests, representing God to the world; pointers, demonstrating God's way; and profoundly, we act mercifully because we have been pardoned by God's own mercy through Christ. Let us actively embody God's mercy through our deeds, reflecting His character and the hope of new creation to a broken world.

Title: How to Listen to Your Donkey
Scripture Reading: Numbers 22:21-31
Series: Bizarre Bible

Ever wonder what a talking donkey has to teach us about obeying God? Explore the bizarre biblical account of Balaam and his talking donkey to uncover four critical scenarios where God demands our obedience. Learn to obey when it doesn't make sense, when it seems foolish, and when you can't see God's full plan. Discover the importance of repentance and choosing to obey even when you haven't previously. Embrace a life of unwavering obedience to God, trusting His wisdom and purpose even when circumstances defy human understanding.

Title: How Dying Was the Greatest Beatdown
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Series: Bizarre Bible

What if the greatest beatdown in history wasn't on a football field, but on a cross? This sermon explores Jesus's ultimate triumph, revealing how His victory was secured through His death and resurrection, then proclaimed to disobedient spirits, and subsequently shared with believers through a heart response to baptism. Ultimately, His victory is eternally exalted above all creation. Turn your heart towards Jesus’s victorious death and resurrection, demonstrating your loyalty to Him, for this alone secures your salvation.

Title: Dirty Worship
Scripture Reading: II Kings 5:15-19
Series: Bizarre Bible

Guest Taylor Englund joins us today to discuss why  a powerful Syrian commander would ask for two mule-loads of Israelite dirt. This message unpacks Naaman’s strange request for Israel’s dirt after his miraculous healing, revealing an ancient worldview of cosmic geography where gods were given specific territories. This understanding helps explain Naaman's shift in allegiance from Rimmon to Yahweh, ultimately foreshadowing how Jesus, through His death and resurrection, reclaims all nations and reverses the division of Babel at Pentecost, making believers His dwelling place. Embrace your calling to be a citizen of God's Kingdom, shifting your allegiance entirely to Jesus, who makes you a part of His cosmic geography.