Grace 242

Title: How to Sell Someone on Poverty
Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12
Series: Sermon on the Mount

Coinciding with the start of Lent, we are beginning a new series on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7. 

Today we look at Jesus introduction to the sermon through five body parts: 1. Feet 2. Eyes 3. Ears 4. Head 5. Heart to discover that Matthew 5:3 is the key to the entire sermon. 

Please join us in Pastor Bill's challenge to read through the entire sermon, Matthew 5-7, at least once per week. Share your stories and takeaways on our shout out board here: https://t.ly/pvx50

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed.

Title: How NOT to Trust Your Inner Knowing
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 30:21 ESV

One of the messages that gets circulated in Christian circles is listening to your heart or, as one author writes, your "inner knowing." In today's message we first look at why we can't trust our hearts. Then Pastor Bill gives four checks for discerning between your own inner voice that cannot be trusted and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Those four checks are: 

1. Does it Align with the Bible?
2. Are You Accounting for Your Own Sinfulness?
3. Who Ultimately Gets the Glory?
4. What Sort of Road Does it Resemble?

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed.

Title: Surely Nothing is Sure
Scripture Reading: Psalm 25:4-5

One of the mutations that poses as a more Christianly, humble, loving, attitude to have is this idea that nothing is sure. That somehow certainty, surety, and confidence are arrogant and uncertainty, questioning, and prevarication are more loving, more Christlike, more Christian. But this is reversal. David, in Psalm 25 shows us that, especially when we're in crisis, the surety of our faith is not only necessary, but more loving, more Christ-like, and more Christian. 

This Sunday Grace 242 celebrates God's faithfulness over the past year in our first-ever worship home. Deacon Karin Barnes brings us the message today about remembering God's faithfulness. 

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 27:1-8

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed.

Title: The Wonderful World of Unfair
Scripture Reading: Micah 6:8

Many of us conjure a mental image when we describe skinny jeans Christians who promote a gospel of social justice. But with social justice so in vogue with Christians, what is true, biblical justice?  

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed.

Title: How NOT to Live Your Authentic Self
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Today we contrast the biblical idea of becoming your most authentic self with the self-help mutation that has made its way into the church. 

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed.

Title: If You Love Me, You'll Give Me a Like
Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-8 

Last week we looked at how our vertical love for God is mutated and this week we pinpoint at how our horizontal love for others is mutated. First we walk through three characteristics of the mutation of love for others. Then we walk through an authentication of love for others by identifying three characteristics of true, biblical love for others. 

To kick off 2025, we are spotting ways in which the DNA of the faith one for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is mutated and changed.

Title: God's Love Unboxed and Reboxed
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:18-19

Today we look at the magic trick that mutates God's love into something it isn't. We walk through the three steps of the magic trick, and then we respond with three movements of biblical truth. 

This Advent we're conducting a Christmas Scene Investigation to sleuth out how the differences between our magical, mythical conceptions of Christmas differ from the Biblical reality of Christmas.

Title: The Inn
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:7 NIV (1984)

Today we conduct an INNvestigation of the "I" in CSI which is Inn. We ask two questions: 1. So where? 2. So what? 

This Advent we're conducting a Christmas Scene Investigation to sleuth out how the differences between our magical, mythical conceptions of Christmas differ from the Biblical reality of Christmas.

Title: The Stable
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:6-16 NIV (1984)

Today we investigate the S of CSI as we investigate the Stable. First we look at the Setting of Jesus' birth. Next we look at the Significance of that Setting.