Grace Assembly Sermon Series

Today’s service starts with Pastor Jenn sharing from Acts 8 and key things we can learn from the Ethiopian eunuch and Phillip during that baptism.

We then celebrate as the following 11 people are baptized:

Angel Juarez;

Jerica Jones;

Courtney Divine Carpenter;

Nicolas Alfred; 

Kalisi Brown;

Mikayla Brown;

Lexie Brown;

Samuel Ademola;

Favor Ademola;

David Ademola;

Isaac Ademola.

Today’s service starts with the youth sharing about their recent missions trip with the Dream Center and in the Raleigh area.

Lance Morris then shares a vision he recently had related to what has been happening at Grace in the spiritual realm. We are encouraged to prepare for involvement by mending our vessels so we can hold and not waste His living water.

Then Pastor John goes on to remind us again what we are told in 1 John 4 - that the Lord God loves you! 

Pastor Les Lawrence shares today and reminds us that the #1 terrorist in the world is Satan. And the primary weapon he uses is fear - even on Christians. Les reminds and encourages us to resist the devil and he will flee.

Pastor John then goes on to speak about fear, doubt, and unbelief and the biblical antidote. We need to reboot our stinking thinking and stop putting effort into everything else to try and get God to love us more. Instead, we need to be confident in His love that is already perfected in us.

Today the mission team that recently went to and returned from Kenya shares about their trip. Pastor John then points out that while none of them had training in advance, their testimonies remind us that Jesus’s words are still true and He is “with [us] always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:16-20).”

Vincent Ademola shares today and reminds us of several key things in order for us to be spiritually prepared and vigilant. He emphasizes our need to have an urgent and immediate focus on maintaining a faithful and prepared heart always ready for the return of the Lord. Vincent stresses - to us, the children of God - that “Repentance is not a one-time act but a continuous journey of aligning our lives with God's will.”

Today’s “substitute pastor” is Les Lawrence who goes in depth on the promise of the Father - the Holy Spirit.

We need the Spirit in our lives during our times of testing and trial. We need the Spirit so we can have a complete relationship with God - the Father, Son and Spirit. We need the Spirit so our character can be shaped into one that is more like Jesus.

We need the Holy Spirit.

Looking at very personal and recent events, Pastor John reminds us what God is doing during our times of trial. Rather than wallowing in why,  as that can lead to unhealthy places, we need to count it all joy.

We start today by recognizing and honoring our High School students that graduated this year:

- Jackson Stitt

- Jeremiah Lewis-Brown

- Jose Garcia

Pastor Hannah then goes on to speak on how we,  believers, can walk into God's promises. It has nothing to do with age or gender. Instead, it has to do with our spirit. This requires us to align ourselves with God in order to receive from Him. Looking at the lives of Joshua and Caleb, Pastor Hannah points out this requires faith, focus, and action.

Life can be difficult. Life can be frustrating. Life can be impossible.  Looking to the preaching of John the Baptist, Pastor John confirms these truths. He also reminds us of the solution - we need the Holy Spirit to help us as God works through our tough times.

Pastor John points out that while we wait on revival, it is preceded by repentance. Even those with great gifts must realize if our gifts don't align with a Godly character we'll look like fruitcakes.  So,  what are we elevating above our relationship with God?

Going to the Word, Pastor John shows our need and how to perform  personal spiritual examinations.