Grace Chapel

What do you do when you feel invisible—unnoticed, unimportant, or forgotten?

In this message we look at the shepherds in Luke 2 and discover that the first people to hear the “good news of great joy” were people living outside the city, on the margins, spending long lonely nights under the stars.

Through the shepherds’ story we explore:

The bleak reality of our world and our own personal darkness

How God deliberately steps toward the unseen and overlooked

Why the angel’s message really is “good news that will cause great joy for all people”

Two simple ways the shepherds model a life of hope:

They go and see for themselves

They spread the word even before they have everything figured out

Wherever you find yourself this Advent—hopeful, exhausted, anxious, or numb—this passage invites you to hear again:

God sees you. God loves you. And in Christ, he has come to meet you right where you are.

It’s easy to have hope when the story feels like it’s on track. But what do we do when our expectations collapse… even when we’re holding onto real promises from a good God?

In this message, Blaire walks through the whole arc of Mary’s story — not just the Christmas moment — and shows how hope gets tested, refined, and sometimes derailed by timing, misunderstanding, pressure, and pain. From the angel’s promise (“no word from God will ever fail”) to the wedding at Cana, to the moment Mary tries to “take charge” of Jesus, and finally to standing near the cross, we see a pattern:

When hope gets shaky, go to Jesus… and keep going to Jesus.

Big Idea:

Biblical hope isn’t rooted in our preferred outcomes. It’s rooted in God’s character — the expectation that God will do something good because God is good.

Key Scriptures: Luke 1:26–38, 42–55; Luke 2:41–51; John 2:1–11; Mark 3:21, 31–35

We live in a world that often feels grimdark—bleak news cycles, polarization, war, fear for the next generation, personal disappointments and unanswered prayers.

In this Advent message, Pastor Bryan Wilkerson takes us from grimdark, hopepunk, and hopecore in pop culture to the quiet story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1. Their long season of delayed dreams and unfulfilled prayer becomes a powerful window into:

What hope is

Why hope matters so much

Where we ultimately find real hope

Through their story, we discover:

Hope sustains us – even when it’s feeble.

Hope rewards us – even when it’s not what we expected.

Hope inspires us – even when fulfillment is still in the distance.

And ultimately, we learn that hope isn’t mainly about what, when, or how… hope is about Who.

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.”

Wherever life feels dark or uncertain—personally or globally—this message invites you to bring those longings to Jesus and ask Him to “do something good with them,” in His way and His time.

Big Idea

Hope is the expectation that God will do something good — and that hope is anchored in the person of Jesus.

Key Scriptures

Luke 1:5–25, 57–79

Luke 1:79

Hebrews 11–12 (referenced)

Romans 8 (implied; God working for good)

Speaker: Pastor Ruthie Seiders, Central Ministries Pastor

Message: Thanks + Giving: It’s Time for Thanksgiving Again

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10; 5:16–18 • 2 Corinthians 9:6–8 • Proverbs 11:24–25 • Hebrews 12:1–3

As the holiday season launches into full speed, Pastor Ruthie Seiders invites us to pause — to breathe in the goodness of God and remember the heart behind Thanksgiving.

Looking at Paul’s earliest recorded letter, Ruthie explores how the Apostle begins not with updates about his own life, but with gratitude for the people he shepherds. This message calls us into that same rhythm:

Thanks + Giving — Giving Thanks and Thankfully Giving.

Through stories of the Thessalonian church, Grace Chapel’s own history, and the joyful legacy of generosity, Pastor Ruthie reminds us that:

True faith is busy (Leon Morris)

Love prompts labor

Hope produces endurance

Gratitude fuels generosity

And cheerful giving is a spiritual practice that shapes us into Christlikeness

As we gather around tables and step into Advent, may our hearts echo Paul’s words:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” (1 Thess. 5:16–18)

Speaker: Pastor Tom VanAntwerp, Wilmington Campus Pastor

Series: Cultivate – The Fruit of the Spirit-Filled Life

Text: Romans 7:18–25, Galatians 5:22–23, Romans 8:5–6, Matthew 27:51

Self-control is one of the most misunderstood fruits of the Spirit. It sounds like something we produce through sheer effort — but Scripture tells a very different story.

In this message, Pastor Tom VanAntwerp explores the tension Paul exposes in Romans 7, the paradox of enkrateia (inner strength), and the cultural swing between self-indulgence and extreme self-discipline. Through biblical insight, spiritual formation wisdom, and memorable images (including Odysseus, the Sirens, and a better song), Pastor Tom shows us:

Self-control isn’t willpower.

Self-control comes from giving the Spirit control.

This Cultivate series finale invites us to open more of our inner lives to God’s Spirit — the One who rearranges our desires, grows all the fruit together, and leads us into a life with God.

What does faithfulness look like in real life? Akash Ahuja (Lexington Director of High School Ministry) takes us from Acadia to the Grand Canyon—showing how a river’s slow, steady flow carved something breathtaking—and how the Spirit forms the fruit of faithfulness in us the same way.

We trace God’s faithfulness through Scripture (Ex 34:6–7), see Jesus finish the work the Father gave Him (John 17; 19:30), explore the Bible’s two meanings of “faithfulness” (trustworthy and full of trust), and watch Jesus restore Peter to faithful service.

Practical next steps land close to home: 1-minute prayers, consistent serving, small gifts—ordinary acts that add up over time.

Speaker: Akash Ahuja, Lexington Director of High School Ministry

Series: Cultivate — The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)

Key Texts: Galatians 5:22–23; Exodus 34:6–7; Hosea 6:3; John 17:1–5; John 21

Artwork Mentioned: Under His Wings by Laura Wallace (Psalm 57:1)

What does true gentleness look like — not as weakness, but as strength under control?

In this week’s Cultivate series message, Pastor Tim Ghali, Interim Teaching & Discipleship Pastor, unpacks the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1–26) to show how God’s Spirit cultivates gentleness in us — especially in a world that rewards power, pride, and harshness.

Jesus’ gentle engagement with the woman at the well shows us how gentleness restores dignity, opens doors to transformation, and reflects the heart of God to those around us.

Key Themes:

Gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)

How Jesus models strength through compassion

Restoring others through Spirit-led humility

Living gently in a harsh and hurried world

💬 “Gentleness isn’t avoiding truth — it’s bringing truth in love.”

🎧 Part 7 of our Cultivate series: The Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life.

📖 Scripture: John 4:1–26

📍 Speaker: Pastor Tim Ghali, Interim Teaching & Discipleship Pastor

🕊️ Series: Cultivate – The Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life

We’re wired to celebrate what’s good—but we don’t agree on what “good” is. Pastor Josiah explores Jesus’ worldview-shifting claim that God alone is good (Matt. 19:16–22) and shows how that truth reframes evil, sin, and even hell. With a vivid “spring and river” picture, you’ll see why swimming toward the Source changes your life, how the Good Samaritan still captures our hearts, and why the invitation of Jesus is to come empty-handed and follow.

Key Scriptures: Galatians 5:22–23; Matthew 19:16–22; James 1:17; Romans 2:4

Big Idea: Goodness happens in us when we respond to God’s call out of ourselves and into Him—the Source of all good.

If you prayed with Dom or want to talk more about following Jesus, email: [email protected]

Cultivate – Week 5: Kindness

Big idea: God has been so kind to us, and he is working to make us just as kind as he is.

We all want to live in a kinder world—so why is kindness so hard? Today we walk through Galatians 5:13–26 to see Paul’s “third way”: not slavery to law or flesh, but walking by the Spirit. We explore biblical ḥesed (God’s steadfast kindness), how Jesus embodies it, and how the Spirit grows that same kindness in us—then get practical about exercising the “kindness muscle” in daily life.

Key Scriptures: Gal 5:1, 13–26; Rom 2:4; Titus 3:1–6; Isa 30:18; Ps 86:15; 2 Sam 9

Art Feature: Photo by Dan Smith (Forsyth Dental Infirmary tile frieze) – a picture of a God who waits to show us kindness.

Questions to take into the week

“God, who in my life needs Your kindness today?”

“Where is fear keeping me from being an upstander?”

“Where is my certainty getting in the way of kindness?”

Next step: Join our October Season of Prayer and ask God to both show and grow His kindness in you.

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming…” (James 5:7)

In this message, we explore what it means to live a Spirit-filled life marked by patience. Unlike love, joy, and peace—which feel refreshing and desirable—patience is often harder to embrace because it means waiting, enduring, and long-suffering.

Drawing from James 5, the story of Waiting for Godot, and practical spiritual practices, we discover that patience is not passive but an active partnership with God. Patience teaches us to embrace suffering, resist distraction, and experience God’s presence with us in the waiting.

This sermon is part of our Cultivate series: The Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life at Grace Chapel.

👉 What helps you cultivate patience in your own life? Share in the comments below!