We’re living in a post-Christian culture that believes future peace can be achieved by scientific/technological advancement or social/political action. How might a biblical view of heaven breathe life into this cultural impulse for peace and renewal?

In this episode I share the final sermon in the “sermons for a post-Christian culture” series, focusing on a biblical view of heaven that will transform not just our hope for the future, but also our attitude and behaviors in the present.

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Revelation 21:1-5 ESV:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

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Season 2 of the Gray Matter Podcast is here, and in it we’ll be focusing on sermons for following Jesus in a post-Christian world.

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Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

For more information on Forest Hill Church: http://foresthill.org

Show of hands: who's feeling tired or burned out from life?

Yeah, me too.

That's why Jesus's invitation to come and find REST is so attractive to me. But how do we experience the rest he offers? How is it different from the world's perspective on rest?

In this episode, I share a sermon that seeks to answer these questions.

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Matthew 11:28-30 CSB:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

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Season 2 of the Gray Matter Podcast is here, and in it we’ll be focusing on sermons for following Jesus in a post-Christian world.

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Don't forget to subscribe!

Love this episode? Share it with a friend who will be challenged and encouraged by it.

Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

For more information on Forest Hill Church: http://foresthill.org

What do you do when you feel tempted to indulge your fleshly desires? Culture says to act on the things you desire most, because they are the truest part of who you really are, but what does God say?

In this message I talk about the anatomy of temptation, showing you not just where temptation comes from, but how to fight it practically. I end by encouraging you to find your identity in who God says you are, not in who your temptations say you are.

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Proverbs 4:20-27 (CSB):

My son, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to my sayings.

Don’t lose sight of them;

keep them within your heart.

For they are life to those who find them,

and health to one’s whole body.

Guard your heart above all else,

for it is the source of life.

Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,

and don’t let your lips talk deviously.

Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gaze straight ahead.

Carefully consider the path for your feet,

and all your ways will be established.

Don’t turn to the right or to the left;

keep your feet away from evil.

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Season 2 of the Gray Matter Podcast is here, and in it we’ll be focusing on sermons for following Jesus in a post-Christian world. In this episode, I share a message I preached at Forest Hill Church called “The Truth About Temptation” from Proverbs 4:20-27.

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Love this episode? Share it with a friend who will be challenged and encouraged by it.

Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

For more information on Forest Hill Church: http://foresthill.org

Is your life reflecting the fruit of secularism or the fruit of the Spirit?

In 2 Peter 1:3-11, Peter exhorts us to make every effort to walk in virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Secularism encourages to walk in counterfeit versions of these characteristics: virtue signaling, secret knowledge in yourself, self-expression, tolerance, worldliness, ideological affinity, and acceptance. The extent to which we are walking either in the Spirit or in secularism is determined by what we see as our primary vision. You become like what you behold!

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Here's what 2 Peter 1:3-11 says:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

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Season 2 of the Gray Matter Podcast is here, and in it we’ll be focusing on sermons for following Jesus in a post-Christian world. In this episode, I share a message I preached at Forest Hill Church called “A Vision for Godly Living” from 2 Peter 1:3-11.

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Love this episode? Share it with a friend who will be challenged and encouraged by it.

Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

For more information on Forest Hill Church: http://foresthill.org

What do we want when we want to be free? Is freedom best defined as “freedom from restraints?” Or, is there another, truer, and perhaps less obvious path to freedom?

In this episode, I share a message I preached at Forest Hill Church called “Counterfeit Freedom” from 2 Peter 2:17-22. I argue that counterfeit freedom — the freedom on offer in our post-modern, post-Christian, post-everything world — begins with deception, leads to bondage, and results in destruction. True freedom, on the other hand, begins with dependence, leads to submission, and results in love.

The paradox at the heart of the Gospel is this: when you pursue freedom from all external restraints, you become a slave; when you willingly become a slave to Christ, you become free.

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Season 2 of the Gray Matter Podcast is here, and in it we’ll be focusing on sermons for following Jesus in a post-Christian world.

—

Don't forget to subscribe!

Love this episode? Share it with a friend who will be challenged and encouraged by it.

Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

For more information on Forest Hill Church: http://foresthill.org

THE GRAY MATTER PODCAST IS BACK!

Season 2 is here, and in it we’ll be focusing on sermons for following Jesus in a post-Christian world.

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In this first episode I share a message I preached at Forest Hill Church entitled "The Fear that Casts Out Fear," in which I argue that our problems of priorities and perspectives are ultimately problems of posture—more specifically, heart posture. As I explain, it’s not more information or more volume in our arguments that will create clarity in these confusing times. Rather, it is the FEAR OF THE LORD that is the first step towards a right understanding of truth (perspective) and how to live (priorities).

What if recapturing this foundational fear — the fear of the Lord — could eradicate the noise, confusion, and uncertainty in your life and in our culture?

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Love this episode? Share it with a friend who will be challenged and encouraged by it.

Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

Masks or no masks? Racism or cultural differences? Conservative or liberal? The list of polarizing divisions in our country is only getting worse, and it is unfortunately as bad in the church as it is in the broader culture. How can Christians pursue unity in such a fractured world?

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This episode features a teaching I gave to our church on Facebook Live, encouraging them to consider the biblical basis for pursuing unity and love in the midst of so much division. In this teaching, I focus commentary on Ephesians 2, John 17, and 1 Corinthians 13 to demonstrate that:

1. Unity in love is a gospel issue

2. Unity in love is the heart of Jesus

3. Unity in love is the call of the church

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Love this episode? Share it with a friend who will be challenged and encouraged by it.

Connect with Gray on social media, Youtube, and his blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

Our world is being turned upside down in the aftermath of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Countless white Christians are awakening to the reality of racial injustice in America, and are wondering what to do next. Other white Christians are confused or even angered by the notions of white privilege, white supremacy, and systemic racism, and are struggling to know how to be empathetic while disagreeing with the terms at play. In the midst of these different responses we must ask: How *should* white Christians respond to racial injustice?

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As a white Christian (and pastor to hundreds of white Christians), I've found myself wrestling with this question a lot. I recently hosted a Facebook Live session for our church where I offered three actions and attitudes as the baseline or starting point for our response to racial injustice. This episode features a clip from the teaching I offered to our church, and I hope it will help you as well.

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How should Christians respond to racial injustice?

1. Lament - a posture of empathy

2. Repent - a posture of humility

3. Remember - a posture of worship

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Connect with me on social media or my blog: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

The absence of structure and rhythm in quarantine life has many of us at our breaking points, feeling down, anxious, tired, and more stressed out than normal. Fortunately, a mixture of ancient spiritual wisdom and practical advice can go a long way in helping us create life-giving rhythms in this rhythmless time.

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Six practices for staying sane and spiritual in quarantine:

1. Get alone and get quiet

2. Read the Bible and pray

3. Exercise

4. Go outside

5. Choose books over screens

6. Sabbath once a week

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Acronym for prayer:

P. Praise - thank God for one good thing in your life

R. Repent - confess and turn away from sin in your life

A. Ask - pray bold prayers by asking God for whatever is on your heart

Y. Yield - surrender your life, your day, to God

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Resources:

-Youversion Bible App: https://bit.ly/3dvFgdL

-John Mark Comer’s new book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”: https://amzn.to/2We8CHG

-Jefferson Bethke’s book “To Hell with the Hustle”: https://amzn.to/2WfywuF

-Richard Foster’s book “Life with God”: https://amzn.to/35IsplJ

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Follow Gray online: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

Where is God in the coronavirus? What kind of God allows pandemics, pain, and suffering? Can we trust a God like this? In this episode, Gray answers the questions that you’re probably asking—or that you’re at least thinking about—in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

*This episode is longer than normal. Don’t worry, they won’t all be over 30 minutes! ;-)

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Links mentioned in the show:

-John Lennox’s new book on God and the coronavirus: https://www.thegoodbook.com/where-is-god-in-a-coronavirus-world

-NT Wright on lament: https://time.com/5808495/coronavirus-christianity/

-Fr. James Martin on where God is in the pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/coronavirus-religion.html

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Connect with Gray online: https://linktr.ee/graygardner

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