Grace Community Bible Church

There is far more happening in our world than what we can see. Throughout Scripture, angels are revealed as mighty servants of God, carrying out His purposes in the visible world. In this second message on angels, we journey through the book of Acts to discover five ways angels serve God: communicating His messages, protecting and delivering His people, carrying out His providential plans, executing His righteous judgment, and serving in ways we may never see or fully understand. We also consider the fascinating question of whether Christians have guardian angels. Ultimately, these extraordinary heavenly beings remind us of an even greater reality: we belong to a sovereign, loving God whose care for us extends far beyond what we can comprehend. And one day, when faith becomes sight, our greatest wonder will not be the angels themselves, but Jesus Christ, the One whom all the angels worship.

There is far more to our world than what our eyes can see. Scripture reveals an extraordinary invisible realm populated by countless angels—created beings who worship God, carry out His purposes, and minister to His people. In this message from Colossians 1:15–16, we explore the reality of angels, their ongoing activity in our world, and the remarkable ways God uses them to accomplish His will. But as wonderful as angels are, they point us to someone infinitely greater: Jesus Christ, the Creator and Lord of all things, visible and invisible. This message invites us to look beyond what we can see, deepen our trust in God's unseen work, and recover a greater sense of wonder and awe at the greatness of our God.

We have an enemy in our lives, and to stand firm against him doesn't happen because of our strength. Our strength is from the Lord. Our armor is God's armor. The fight and the enemy are both real. God will fight for us, and He gets the victory.

Sometimes life suddenly places us in a story we never imagined—one we cannot control, fix, or understand. Acts 12 finds the early church in exactly that place: James has been killed, Peter is imprisoned, and the situation appears hopeless. But earnest prayer was made to God by the church. In this message, we consider the wonder of prayer—the astonishing privilege of helpless people coming before an all-powerful God who hears and acts—the mystery of God’s providence when His answers are not always what we expect, and what it means to pray earnestly, with our hearts fully engaged. Ultimately, Acts 12 confronts us with a deeply personal question: What are we passionate about, and how can God awaken in us a greater passion for prayer?

What do we do when we cannot understand what God is doing? Acts 12 reminds us that even when God’s hand is hidden, His heart can still be trusted and His purposes cannot be stopped. Through the death of James, the miraculous deliverance of Peter, and the downfall of Herod, we discover three important truths for our lives: following Jesus wholeheartedly will cost us, nothing is impossible for God, and pride always destroys. When life doesn’t make sense and we cannot trace His hand, we can still trust His heart.

In Nehemiah 2, God put it into Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, His hand was upon him for good, and the people responded, “Let us rise up and build.” In this message, Pastor Tony launches GCBC’s new Rise Up initiative and reflects on the ways God has led and provided for the church on the journey toward The Haven. But ultimately, we are not building a building—we are building people. The Haven is simply a tool for making disciples, strengthening families, reaching the lost, and carrying the gospel into our community and beyond. When we believe God has made His will clear, the call is to be “all there,” strengthen our hands for the good work, and rise up and build.

In Nehemiah 1, God begins rebuilding long before a single stone is put back into place. He awakens Nehemiah to brokenness, drives him to prayer, and teaches us that true renewal looks up to God, looks within with honesty, looks back to His promises, and looks forward with surrendered availability. Ultimately, Nehemiah reminds us that God’s greatest concern has never merely been rebuilding walls—it is renewing people, something only Jesus can ultimately accomplish.

We are all paying attention to something—but are we paying attention to what matters most? In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul urges Timothy to “keep a close watch” on two things: his life and his teaching. In this message, Pastor Tony challenges us to examine who we are becoming, the truth that is shaping us, and the influence our lives have on those around us. Godliness requires intentional attention to both our lives and our doctrine, because what we believe and how we live not only shapes us—it impacts others.

In Romans 14, Paul challenges us to lay down our need to be right and instead pursue love, unity, and peace with one another. As we navigate differences within the church, we’re reminded that following Jesus means becoming people who help one another along the journey—not people who demand that everyone take the same path.

GCBC is launching a new discipleship journey called "Rooted." In this sermon Tony (along with their community pastor Chris Lorenz) introduces this new journey to the church. But much deeper than just introducing Rooted, Tony shows from the Scripture how the Christian life is to be much more than "knowing" truth, we are called to "live" truth, and to live it together.