Grace Church Waco Sermons

2 Peter 2 // In the second chapter of 2 Peter, the apostle warns the church that as sure as there were false prophets in the past there are false teachers among them in the present. As disciples who are faithful to Christ and who anticipate the return of the Lord we can prepare for the second advent by being aware of and avoiding false teachers, by steadying our souls and grounding our freedom in Christ, and by trusting the rescue of the Lord and looking to his coming.

**Due to an error, the first section of this sermon is missing from the recording. See the manuscript for the whole sermon.**

2 Peter 1 // Advent is a time of preparation for Jesus' second coming as we look to his first. To prepare, we must pay careful attention to the Word of God, which through the power of promise can develop our imagination to know and participate in the holiness and happiness of Jesus. //

Luke 5:12-26 // In these two stories Jesus shows that he is willing and able to heal with compassion, authority, and to the uttermost. Jesus meets a leper and a paralytic at the point of their desperation and he heals them in a way that not only restores their bodies, but meets their deepest needs. We can have the utmost confidence in coming to Jesus with our deepest needs - the forgiveness of our sins and total restoration of our bodies.

Luke 5:1-11 // In Jesus' call to Peter we see how he calls us to follow him, what the call of Jesus is, and what kind of people he calls.

Luke 4:31-44 // Jesus Christ is the Word in the Dark -- as he begins his ministry he shows beyond the shadow of doubt that he has all authority over all darkness, especially the darkness in you.

Luke 4:15-30 // In this passage, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and reveals that he is the Spirit-empowered Servant of God from Isaiah 61 who will bring liberty, healing, and the favor of God to those who trust in him. The reaction of the people of Nazareth shows us that we should not let the Jesus we are comfortable and familiar with hold the real Jesus in contempt. The grace of God in Christ is expansive and his mission cannot be hindered.

Luke 4:1-14 // In the wilderness, Jesus succeeds where everyone else has failed. Jesus overcomes the diabolic temptations of the devil by the power of the Spirit and by the word of God, but he is more than an example for us to follow, he is the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Luke 3 // It's the everyday prerogative for a Christian to have a heart ready and open for Christ. A ready heart is a repentant heart, a baptized heart, and a beloved heart.

Luke 2:22-52 // Jesus prepares himself in the house of God so that he might become the home of God, his very temple, and we might find our eternal home with God in him.

Luke 2:1-21 // Reentering a familiar story, we find a political drama with four characters, three announcements, two realties, and one gospel truth.