The message focuses on "City." We live knowing that a new city is coming where everything will be OK. This helps us honestly live in our temporary, current "city" where everything is not OK. While this life has much trouble, we can face this trouble knowing that God isn't on the other side of our pain; instead, God is with us in the pain. It's in the weakness of our pain where we come to the end of ourselves, and all that's left is Christ.

2016 marks the beginning of Grace City Church. This series will unpack the meaning behind the name by explaining each part of our new name: Grace. City. Church.

2016 marks the beginning of Grace City Church. This series will unpack the meaning behind the name by explaining each part of our new name: Grace. City. Church.

This message talks about how grace is like a foreign language in a world that speaks the universal language of conditions and qualifications. In order to learn a foreign language you must constantly hear it and be immersed in it. The same is true for grace.

The arrival of Jesus in the world wasn't good news for everyone. Certainly it wasn't good news for King Herod, but there's also another king threatened by King Jesus - it's King Self. Yet, King Jesus is the Good Shepherd-King who lays down his life for his enemies making His arrival good news of great joy.

Pastor Mike Ohara discusses how God not only comes to us in our shame, but becomes shame for us through Jesus Christ.

The Prophet Malachi announces the coming of a Refiner who will clean his people with fire. Another image is a launderer who will clean his people with strong soap (think bleach). Mike explains that internal cleanliness is important to God and His people. However, no one can endure the fire and the bleach. Yet, Christ came as the Refiner but it wasn't we who suffered under the fire - Christ did for us.