Grace Reformed Church

This week we opened Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus speaks directly to anyone who has ever lain awake at two in the morning carrying tomorrow's worries.

Together we looked at three things: the diagnosis (why anxiety is at its root a worship problem, not just a feeling to manage), the cure (the Father who feeds the birds, clothes the field, and proved his care for us by not sparing his own Son), and the response (what it means to "seek first the kingdom" not as a new project to start, but as a remembering of what is already true of us in Christ).

The promise we want you to take home: Your Father gave you his Son, and you don't have to carry tomorrow's worries.

Genesis 9 gives us one of the more sobering and uncomfortable moments in Noah’s story. After the flood, Noah plants a vineyard, becomes drunk, and lies uncovered in his tent. What follows is not merely a strange family conflict, but a revealing picture of sin, shame, dishonor, and the difference between exposing someone’s brokenness and covering it with humility.

In this sermon, we look at Noah’s failure, Ham’s response, and the actions of Shem and Japheth as they walk backward to cover their father’s shame. Together, we consider what this passage teaches us about the seriousness of sin, the danger of mockery, and the kind of grace that does not delight in exposure but moves toward restoration.

This passage reminds us that even after judgment and rescue, the human heart still needs redemption. We do not merely need a fresh start; we need a Savior who covers our shame, deals with our sin, and brings blessing where we deserve curse.

What does it really mean to “stand firm” in the Christian life?

In this sermon, we look at one of the most repeated commands in the New Testament and discover that standing firm is not about proving our strength, measuring our performance, or holding everything together by force of will. Instead, we are called to stand because Christ has already made us stand.

Whether we feel steady and successful or weak and barely holding on, the call is the same: keep our feet planted in the gospel. We stand on ground Christ has won, in freedom Christ has secured, guarded by the power of God, and held by the hands of our victorious King.

Together, we consider what it means to stand, where we stand, and how it often feels to stand firm in the middle of suffering, temptation, fear, and spiritual warfare. Our hope is not in our ability to hold on to Christ, but in the promise that he will never let us go.

Scripture references include: 1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6, Galatians 5:1, Colossians 1–2, John 10:28–29, Jude 24, Philippians 1:6, and 1 Peter 1:5.

We are tired people. We labor under sin, guilt, and the slow weight of trying to be our own saviors, and we have looked for rest in every place except the one Person who can give it. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus speaks directly into that weariness with one of the most tender invitations in all of Scripture: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

This sermon traces the biblical story of rest - the rest we were made for in Eden, the rest we lost in the fall, the rest Israel longed for but could not enter, and the rest now offered freely in the person of Jesus Christ. It explores the two rests of Matthew 11 - the rest given in justification and the rest found in walking with Christ under His yoke - and lands on the heart of the One who calls us: gentle and lowly, strong enough to bear what we cannot.

Jesus tells this story to those who trust in their own righteousness and look down on others. One man stands confident in his religious performance. The other stands far off, beats his chest, and simply cries, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Only one goes home justified.

Today, Curtis Delozier challenges us to examine our own hearts: Do we slip into the Pharisee’s comparison game and self-righteousness—even after conversion? Or do we come to God with the humble dependence of the tax collector? This message reminds us that our only hope is not in our good works or spiritual résumé, but in the mercy of Christ alone.

Perfect for anyone wrestling with pride, comparison, or the temptation to measure their standing before God by performance rather than grace.

This week, Ben May unpacks Romans 8:31-39 and reminds us of the unshakable security we have in Christ.

What do you do when it feels like the whole world is against you? Ben walks through the incredible truths of Romans 8 - no condemnation, the Spirit’s help in weakness, God’s unbreakable love, and the promise that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Even in trials, suffering, and seasons where God feels distant, nothing - not tribulation, distress, death, life, or anything in all creation - can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Because God did not spare His own Son, He will graciously give us all things with Him.

If you need encouragement that God is truly for you, this message will strengthen your faith and fill you with hope.

This week we ask not can we do better, but where we should actually look when life is piling on?

Working through John 15:1–17, Jeremy Bryant traces the difference between abiding in Christ and checking off a religious to-do list. He makes a case that obedience isn't a condition for staying in God's good graces — it flows out of abiding. And the surprising hinge of the whole passage, the verse that often gets skimmed over, is Jesus saying: I told you all this so my joy might be in you, and your joy might be full.

What does that mean? Hebrews 12 gives a clue. Christ endured the cross for the joy set before him. That joy is what made it possible. And that same joy, Jeremy argues, is what makes it possible for us to lay down our lives for one another — which turns out to be the actual definition of obedience in this passage.

This week we looked at what Scripture says about how church leaders are to shepherd the flock, and how we as a congregation are called to encourage and care for one another. Walking through Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 and the writer of Hebrews' call to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds," we talked about the biblical role of the elder as a humble protector, not a status position or mere administrator. We discussed why there's no distinction in Scripture between elder and pastor, how leaders must care for their own spiritual well-being in order to effectively shepherd others, and how to stay anchored deeply enough in the gospel to recognize false doctrine when it creeps in.

We also looked at what it means for the whole church body to bear one another's burdens — not just offering words, but actually stepping in to help carry the load. Using the analogy of a cycling paceline, we talked about how believers shield and strengthen each other through life's headwinds, and why rotating leaders through seasons of rest matters for the long-term health of the church.

As we prepare to vote next week on confirming a new elder, this message is a timely reminder that we are all in equal need of grace, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation for everything we do together as a body.

Scripture: Acts 20:28–35; Hebrews 10:19–25

Discover the profound truth that God's grace and mercy are not earned, but are freely bestowed upon us, as revealed through the life and writings of the Psalmist, David. Listen as Eric Locker invites you on a journey that reframes our understanding of God's character and His relationship with us.

Imagine Easter memories filled with delicious meals and cherished gatherings with loved ones, but have you ever pondered the true significance of Jesus' resurrection? Join us as we invite you to rediscover the Easter story through a powerful sermon at Grace Reformed Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee.