Sermons From Grace Baptist Church of Richmond Hill

When something goes wrong, we’re quick to blame ourselves or others or God. We assume that trials must be punishments and we try to evaluate them to see whether they’re fair. Jesus shows us that punishment often isn’t the purpose at all. He points to God’s good purposes even in tragedy and shows us how to understand God’s working in our lives.

It’s easy to be weighed down by bad news and disappointment. We can complain about the bad stuff and be complacent about the good stuff. This psalm teaches us how to find our joy in God no matter what we’re facing.

Our ability to cope with difficult and painful circumstances will be tested over the course of this pandemic. We’ll likely face times when our strength seems to fail and the answers to prayer that we had hoped for don’t come. This message looks at some practical steps we can take when it feels like the world is against us.

Guilt has a way of gnawing at your peace and shame can tear down your self-confidence. And our most instinctive reactions, denial and escape, can dull the effects for a while but don’t really solve anything. According to the Bible, the only lasting solution is found in the forgiveness and grace of God. This message looks at how to come clean with God in a way that positions us to receive His forgiveness.

Easter for many people is a celebrated holiday and a family tradition, but according to the Bible it is central to the Christian faith. Even for people who love to celebrate Easter, it’s easy to miss the implications of Jesus’ resurrection. This passage considers how Easter ought to define our faith and shape how we live.

The final scene and often the closing words are crucial in understanding any story. The same is true of Jesus. The last words that He uttered on the cross give us an essential understanding of what He came to do. Many people misinterpret Jesus because they don’t take His final words seriously. And even those who do understand Jesus rightly often don’t connect what He accomplished with how we are freed to live. Join us Good Friday for an examination of the meaning and implications of Jesus’ final words on the cross.

Stress brings out the worst in all of us. While we’re all affected by COVID-19 differently, most of us are experiencing added pressure. We will either turn to God for relief or something else. What we place our hope in is critical. According to the Bible, worship is the act of declaring our hope and identifying our ultimate allegiance. This message looks at how to worship God in a pandemic and find relief from the false hope that we might otherwise trust.

People keep describing the COVID-19 pandemic as unprecedented. While our times are unprecedented in one sense, you don’t have to look far back in history to see examples of people who have faced similar situations. This psalm looks at a person who dealt with the pain of isolation and it gives some warning signs to look for as well as some steps that we can take to cope with quarantine.

How do you feel thinking about or preparing for worship? Excited, exhausted, conflicted? Today we will turn to Psalm 135 and be reminded that no matter what is going on in our lives or in the world, God is always worthy to be praised!

COVID-19 has put everyone on edge. While we all work to take necessary precautions, many feel a sense of panic as well. The greatest example of this has been the mad rush to stockpile toilet paper. The Bible promises confidence in God, but many are unsure of how to lay hold of it. This message looks at a psalm of David where we learn some practical steps we can take to overcome our anxiety and find confidence in troubling times.