Grace Dover Messages

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from Psalm 51:15-19 & 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

As we continue in our series of “The Grace of Giving,” this week we will examine the motivation behind Christian giving and the principles behind what Paul means by reaping and sowing.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from 1 Chronicles 29:6-14 & 2 Corinthians 8:1-7.

This Sunday we are starting a sermon series on the grace of giving. The grace of giving is actually the title of a devotional we are using to guide us through this series. The sermons are based on the devotional guide. So for the next couple of weeks we are talking about generosity.

This sermon's focus is on excelling in the grace of giving. God's word encourages us to not only give generously, but to be generous. Now it is easy to see that people in general are not generous by nature. If that is the case, then how do we become generous? The Apostle Paul says it is through the grace that God has given us that we excel in this grace. To excel in this grace of giving, Scripture instructs us to learn the liberty of grace, lean into the power of grace and love the act of grace. The message of the gospel is a message of grace and is the power to be generous. Grace has the power to free us and the greatest expression of that freedom is generosity.

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from Psalm 51:1-12 & Ephesians 4:11-16

In Ephesians 3, Paul teaches us that the fullness of God is revealed through the love of Christ who unites all things in heaven and earth, which includes Jews and Gentiles alike for salvation. This is the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul continues in chapter 4 by urging those who have been “filled with all the fullness of God” to "attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from Psalm 14:1-7 & Ephesians 3:14-21.

In Ephesians 3, Paul reveals the beauty of the mystery of the gospel. It is through this mystery that we are able to be filled with all the fullness of God, and fully understand the grace of God to us and “know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge".

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:1-22

Every Christian faces a battle with vanity that is unexpected. This is so because it comes in the guise of doing something for God. In our reading for this Sunday's sermon we see David, the king, struggling with this vain desire. He wants to build a house for God. The Lord's response to David is both a rebuke and a blessing. The Lord's response shows us the difference between religious effort and grace at work. If the Lord is to have a house, he must provide it himself. Through Christ, God shall build a house for his name.

If we labor to build a house for God, we will always be building, it will always be inadequate, and filled with tributes to our efforts. But if the Lord builds the house, it will be a place for all nations, a true habitat for humanity, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. This dwelling place for God is built through the gospel of Christ. In which house would you want to dwell?

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from Psalm 24:7-10 & Ephesians 1:11-14

According to Westminster Shorter Catechism Question #1, the chief end or purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Sounds easy, right? But what does it mean to glorify God and how do we actually do this in our daily lives?

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Senior Pastor, from Psalm 123 & 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

In a world of boasting about one's own abilities and strengths, and in a culture that has been characterized by expressive individualism, why is the believer encouraged to boast all the more gladly of their weaknesses? Many Christians have offered the words of this text about the sufficiency of grace in the form of platitudes to friends going through tough times. However, it is easy to become numb to the truth of this passage, overusing the phrase divorced from its context. We can begin to think there is a better alternative to Christ's grace!

Paul's reason for gladly boasting of his weaknesses is a reversal of the expressive individualism of popular culture. But how does it happen? In this text we see that we must first be caught up, then be convinced of the supply of grace, and finally be contented for Christ's sake. This sermon will teach us of the sufficiency of Christ's grace and why boasting in one's weakness is more powerful.

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from Psalm 130:3-8 & Mark 5:25-36

Believe it and you’ll receive it! Give some money, do a good work, think positively, and God will bless you beyond your imagination! Unfortunately, this is the allure and cry of many so-called “gospel” preaching evangelists of our day. But we are reminded that God’s healing and blessings are for his glory alone, not ours. The greatest blessing we can receive is faith that “is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

This week's Scripture reading brings us to the familiar story of Christ calming the storm on the sea. This story is recorded by Mark, but many Bible scholars are certain that it is Peter who gives Mark the information. So we have a first hand account of what happened on the boat that day. This story reminds us of the providence of God. Providence is the doctrine that teaches us that God is in control even though it looks chaotic, even when facing storms in our life. Though we may believe that God is in control, when storms come, we find it hard to believe that God would let us go through something horrible. Yet the question that Jesus put to the disciples is one that speaks to our hearts as well when he asks, "Why are you so afraid?"

This sermon will show us the benefits and beauty of trusting in the providence of God. In discovering the benefits and beauty of the Lord's providence we welcome the invitation to travel with the Lord, we respect the storm, know that God's providence is greater, and worship strengthens our faith in the Lord of the storm.

There are all types of storms that come into our lives and producing fear. But where is your faith? God's providence at work in the life of Jesus displaces our fear and feeds our faith. The gospel is the good news that God's ways are best and his eternal decrees are fulfilled even when it looks like chaos is winning. Through Jesus, everyone whose faith is in him will get to the other side, so that they will exclaim and give thanks that the wind and the sea obey his voice!

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Associate Pastor, from 1 Samuel 16:4-13 & 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

The Lord makes it known to Samuel that when it comes to choosing his anointed, he looks on the heart. David was considered a man after the Lord’s own heart, and was anointed as the king of Israel. So how do we create the heart that God is looking for?