Grace City Church

What did Jesus intend His Church to be?

Acts 1 takes us back to the beginning of the Church and gives us a picture of the movement Jesus started—a people centered on Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and sent on mission.

The Church was never meant to exist simply for itself. Jesus gives His people the power of the Holy Spirit and sends ordinary men and women into the world as His witnesses.

As we begin our journey through Acts, we’re asking what it would look like for us to become that kind of church in Boston today: Jesus at the center, dependent on the Spirit, and willing to go wherever He sends us.

What kingdom should we look forward to? Why were the visions in the book of Daniel so potent?

It’s one thing to say you follow Jesus. It’s another thing to make decisions shaped by the Kingdom of God when obedience actually costs you something.In Daniel 3 and Daniel 6, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel face defining moments where their confessional faith has to become convictional faith. Their stories remind us that every follower of Jesus will encounter moments of testing—big and small—where we must choose between conviction and compromise.In this message, we look at why we compromise through conflict, control, compassion, and confusion, and what it takes to live with conviction: count the cost, trust God’s leadership, and discern His presence.The promise of the Christian life isn’t that we will never enter the fire, or even that God will always deliver us from it in the way we expect. Because of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise is that we will never enter the fire alone.

This week we explore the life of Nebuchadnezzar and the cost of building our own kingdoms.

How do you remain faithful to Jesus in a culture constantly trying to shape you? In Daniel 1, Daniel and his friends are immersed in Babylon without assimilating to Babylon. They seek the good of the city while refusing to compromise who they belong to. In this message, we explore what it looks like to live with humility, confidence, and courage—determining in our hearts to be formed by Jesus while faithfully seeking the good of the city around us.

What does it actually mean to follow Jesus? At the conclusion of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:13-29, we explore Jesus’ invitation to follow Him through the narrow way – a life not marked by simply being inspired by the words of Jesus, but by putting His teaching into practice and obeying the will of the Father. Jesus shows here that obedience starts with knowing God and being known by Him. That outward expressions of religion are no substitute for an inward transformation of heart and for real intimacy with God Himself. From this place of intimacy, we are then invited into obedience – to participate in God's Kingdom work here on the earth.

In one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible, Jesus says, “Do not judge.” Does that mean Christians should never confront sin or speak truth? In this message from Matthew 7:1–6, we discover that Jesus isn’t calling us to moral relativism or harsh condemnation; He’s calling us to humble discernment. Learn how to remove the “log” from your own eye, approach others with gentleness, and become someone who restores rather than condemns. This message will challenge the way you think about correction, relationships, and the transforming power of God’s grace.

Anxiety has become one of the defining struggles of our generation. We worry about our finances, our relationships, our health, our future, and countless “what ifs.” But what if anxiety isn’t just something to manage? What if it’s pointing us to something deeper?

In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus doesn’t simply tell us to stop worrying—He reveals why we worry and invites us into a different way of living. By looking at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, Jesus reminds us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need and calls us to seek His kingdom first.

In this message, we’ll explore:
Why anxiety is often a symptom of misplaced trust.
What Jesus really means by “Do not worry.”
How seeking first the Kingdom reorders our hearts.
Practical ways to cultivate daily trust in God’s faithfulness.
No matter what you’re carrying today, Jesus offers something greater than certainty about tomorrow—He offers the presence of a faithful Father.

Scripture: Matthew 6:25–34 (CSB)
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For more information about Grace City Church, visit:

https://www.gracecityboston.com/

Our guest teacher Danny teaches from Matthew 6 to show how Jesus cares about our inner life. Danny teaches us how Jesus wants our inner life to inspire our outer actions, but helps us resist the acting or performing that Jesus was correcting around him.

This week, Max teaches on one of Jesus' most revolutionary teachings: loving your enemies.