Scripture: Judges 6:1-27 In the book of Judges we find the story of a man named Gideon, an Israelite who lived in dangerous and depressing times.  The country was under constant threat of enemy invasion, farms were frequently attacked and raided, the nation’s glory days seemed far behind them.  People believed that God had abandoned … Continue reading "Again, Lord!-Week 3 // Idols & False Gods // Pastor Kate Murphy"

Scripture: Genesis 21:1-21 One of the most painful things about being a follower of Jesus Christ is listening to folks who have been brutally wounded by the church.  I didn’t grow up in the church, but when I was a teenager, I was invited by a friend to come to youth group.  There I found … Continue reading "Again, Lord!-Week 2 // Genesis 21 // Elder Nicole Thompson"

Scripture: Acts 10:1-23 Peter had been through a season of intense transformation–a call to leave all things behind and follow Jesus, a new name, receiving the keys to the kingdom and the announcement that he’d be the rock of the church, being called Satan by Jesus, confidently declaring his allegiance to the Lord and then … Continue reading "Again, Lord!-Week 1 // God’s Call // Pastor Kate Murphy"

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50 Many of us are moving into a new season, new work, new responsibilities–shifting from the rhythms of summer into the increased demands of the fall.  At this hinge between ending and beginning, it is right that we gather to think one more time about our Kingdom legacy.  It is easy to get … Continue reading "A Kingdom Legacy-5 // Understanding God’s Heart // Pastor Kate Murphy"

Scripture: Numbers 16 Dear Church, This Sunday we welcome a Grove favorite to the pulpit – Pastor Cedric Lundy. He will be preaching the message “Korah’s Rebellion” from the book of Numbers. Cedric is the director of Urban Promise and an adjunct teaching pastor at Watershed church.  Previously, he served Charlotte churches as pastor of … Continue reading "A Kingdom Legacy-4 // Korah’s Rebellion // Pastor Cedric Lundy"

Scripture: Jonah 3:1-5. 10 Dear Church, This Sunday one of my favorite people is coming to the Grove to share one of my favorite stories.  Rev. Daniel Heath will be preaching a message on the book of Jonah.  Some of you might remember Daniel from the times he’s led worship at the Grove, or you … Continue reading "A Kingdom Legacy-3 // Jonah // Rev. Daniel Heath"

There is a line I love in Psalm 145 that says, one generation commends your work to another, they tell of your mighty acts.  We’ve been able to share the goodness of our God with the next generations this summer, because of you–you gave resources, you prayed, you packed, you drove, you cooked, (and cooked … Continue reading "A Kingdom Legacy-2 // More Than Enough // The Grove Youth"

Scripture: Luke 12:13-21 Dear Church, At the end of each of his crusades Billy Graham famously asked the same question, ‘If you died tonight, do you know if you are going to heaven or hell?”   He asked that question to encourage everyone in the audience to make a decision to follow Christ. Respectfully, I believe … Continue reading "A Kingdom Legacy-1 // The Right Question // Pastor Kate Murphy"

Scripture: Hosea 1:1 – 2:2 Dear Church, Today we begin a new worship series on the book of Hosea, which has one of the most unforgettable beginnings in all of scripture: The Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, and marry a wife of whoredom’ Who talks like that? Apparently, God does. God commands the prophet to … Continue reading "HOSEA-Outrageous Love // We Are All Gomer // Pastor Kate Murphy"

Scriptures: Exodus 31:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Dear Church, We are coming up on our last session of Spirit School and we’ve saved the best part: gifts.  Spiritual gifts. I know some of us just felt a thrill and are thinking, ‘finally!’  Others of us are taking deep breaths and trying to manage … Continue reading "Spirit School-Week 7 // Spiritual Gifts // Pastor Kate Murphy"