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Fr. Larry Richards is the founder and president of The Reason for our Hope Foundation, a non- profit organization dedicated to ”spreading the Good News” by educating others about Jesus Christ. His new homilies are posted each week.
The Village Church exists to bring glory to God by making disciples through gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered community, gospel-centered service and gospel-centered multiplication.
Welcome to the Enjoying Everyday Life TV podcast with Joyce Meyer. To learn more, visit our website at joycemeyer.org or download the Joyce Meyer Ministries App. By supporting Joyce Meyer Ministries, you can help us reach hurting people around the world. To find out more, go to joycemeyer.org/donate
Love God, love people, and change the world. We believe the life and lessons of Jesus aren’t just good advice, but are Good News for us here and now. As a church, we are all about following Jesus and know there’s no end to that journey—we’re more about becoming than arriving. We are committed to becoming a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multiplying movement of Christ followers, equipping and empowering our kids and students to not only be the church of tomorrow, but the church of today.
Joe Bates is a member of the Bad River Band, a Native American Tribe residing along Lake Superior in Wisconsin. He and his community have been embroiled in a long-standing legal and public relations battle against Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, to protect their ancestral lands. This struggle has been documented in "Bad River," a documentary film released in early 2024, which showcases Bates and his fellow activists within the band. Joe joins Jay to share his personal journey of activism, the profound influence of past generations of tribal and environmental activists on his own path, and the ongoing fight against Enbridge, which affects the future of water protection in America. To learn more about the Bad River Band, click here. Episode Chapters (00:00) - Intro (01:19) - Joe’s activist history (04:31) - The connection between the Bad River Band and their land (10:06) - How did Enbridge come to have pipes under native land against the Bad River Band’s wishes? (14:00) - The threat’s Enbridge’s Line 5 poses to the environment (18:10) - “You can’t put a price tag on what we have. What we have is priceless.” (19:23) - Joe and Jay discuss the documentary “Bad River” (22:58) - Thank you and goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/…
Content provided by GraceLife Sarasota. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by GraceLife Sarasota or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.
Content provided by GraceLife Sarasota. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by GraceLife Sarasota or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.
Last week is what I will call the “hopelessness climax” in Paul’s letter to the Romans. The case he makes is airtight. Humanity is drowning in idolatry, enslaved to impurity, consumed by arrogance, corrupted by deceit, driven by malice. Humanity is blind to truth, utterly incapable of righteousness; religion, human spirituality, or philosophy can’t save us. In fact, Paul provides a summary statement in today’s section: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. If Romans ended there, it’s pretty hopeless. So where does that leave us? If humanity is totally depraved, what next? Thankfully Paul is about to make a drastic shift in tone It starts with “But now…”. This next section focuses on something we call “Justification”, a critical piece of the foundation of Christian Doctrine. I could preach the next 30 verses all together, but it’s so important we’ll walk through it together for the next 2 weeks.…
Who gets to decide what is good and what is evil? Who has the authority to declare what is righteous and what is sin? If there is a God, why does He have the right to judge us? These are intense philosophical, deeply personal questions. In today’s world, people will try anything to explain away God’s right to judge, while inserting themselves in His place. Some hide behind religious heritage. Others trust in their own morality, sincerity, or self-made spirituality. And when confronted with the reality of divine judgment & eternal accountability, boy the excuses come fast! What if each time humanity tries to come up with an excuse against God’s moral law actually seals our condemnation? That’s the question we’ll wrestle with today as Paul dismantles every human argument against God’s right to judge.…
Have you ever noticed that we church people tend to be blind to our own spiritual deficiencies? Even at GraceLife where we want to love one another, we’re constantly judging each other without even realizing it. Confident in our own superiority, we pass moral, cultural, and political judgment on others without hesitation. We gossip, lash out with passive aggression, and unleash self-righteous social media rants over society’s latest controversies. What if the very thing you’re most confident in—your supposed superiority—is the very thing that condemns you? Are you really so sure that, while you admit you’re not perfect, you’ve got this part all figured out? Having a false sense of superiority or security in any area of life is a very dangerous spiritual place to be. It blinds us to our need for grace, keeps us from examining our own hearts, and leads us further from the truth. We are all in the same boat together. Any “superiority” over anyone else in any area is a false sense of spiritual security. This isn’t about pointing fingers but facing truth together, finding real security in the life-changing grace of the Gospel.…
How do you think God looks at your spiritual life right now? Do you have confidence because you assume you’re doing better than others? I mean nobody’s perfect, but you’re certainly doing better than someone like, Randy, or Scotty right? Imagine you’re sitting in the back of a packed courtroom with a despicable criminal on trial for despicable crimes. The prosecutor has just finished his airtight case against the defendant, detailing every crime, misstep, and even private sin. You find yourself stunned by the evil this criminal has committed, and that the prosecutor has exposed. You’re nodding in agreement with the prosecutor, shaking your head in disgust at the guilty party. Then the judge points at you & asks the prosecutor, “Yeah that’s bad but isn’t this person over here just as bad?” Romans 2 is that moment. After Paul’s indictment of the pagan world in Romans 1, it’s easy for us to point fingers. We agree w/his condemnation of sexual immorality, murder, lying, slander etc., All of that is bad, all of us are guilty. But in chapter 2, Paul flips the script. The spotlight shifts, & now Paul puts religion & spirituality on trial! Whether you wear the mask of the religious, the enlightened, the spiritual, or see yourself as somehow politically, culturally, or intellectually superior in God’s eyes to anyone else, Paul deconstructs that folly completely.…
Today we’re talking about a topic you’ve probably heard before at GraceLife called Human Depravity. I know, Fun right? Depravity is about how sin has polluted every part of your life. That is a harsh reality, but it’s also beautiful in this way. Because without understanding this truth, you will never grasp your desperate, urgent need for the Gospel. You will never be able to grasp why God had to send His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your depravity. You see, when it comes to depravity, we all tend to judge it on a curve. That is what makes it such a tough topic. Because when it comes to having our depravity singled out, 2 things normally, naturally happen. One, we resent the one that points it out, and two, we immediately defend ourselves, justify ourselves, etc. That’s why I’m anxious about preaching today’s passage, cause I don’t want you to judge me. These aren’t my words. They’re God’s Words. Because I’m your pastor & I love you; we can’t skip over uncomfortable portions of scripture. As a church family who loves each other, we can wrestle w/these truths together, so they lead us closer to God’s grace. This is Paul’s provocative opening statement about the desperate condition of every human ever born. Be patient ok?…
I’ve wrestled with how to approach Romans. Because it’s a long, tough book with so much packed in it. Instead of dissecting every phrase we’ll approach it how Paul’s readers would have, in community, in larger sections. Because Romans wasn’t just for theological geeks. It was for everyone. But I’m nervous. Let me tell you why. Have you ever had to have a hard conversation with someone you love that you know will sting, but they need to hear it? You don’t care about being right or winning an argument, it’s being vulnerable enough to tell someone you love the truth. It’s tempting to go soft, to make it taste better, or worse, avoid it all altogether & hope the results aren’t catastrophic. But real love will risk discomfort, say the hard things because their well-being matters more than your comfort. The best way to start is to make sure they know you really do love them. That’s what Paul does first, let's look at Romans 1:1-17.…
Why do we celebrate birthdays, weddings, promotions, or other milestones? Is it because we see them as turning points that provide some kind of hope in the midst of ordinary life? Maybe it’s just tradition, or an excuse to gather and indulge in unhealthy foods we otherwise wouldn’t eat? But how often do we celebrate our redemption, and acknowledge how God’s grace has turned our despair into hope? Or have these eternal moments been overshadowed by fleeting, lesser celebrations? Here is something actually worth celebrating… What God is doing in your heart and lives! Do we proclaim the quiet ways He redeems what we thought was lost, or are we too busy celebrating what won’t last? This last sermon in this series, “Power for Ordinary People,” is about a celebration that points to one far greater.…
Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately needed someone to step up for you—but no one did? How did it feel to be left standing alone, knowing that there is no one willing to come to your defense? Maybe you let people down so often they’ve stopped believing in you, or the cost of standing w/you is just too high. Maybe you looked around so ordinary and felt so unseen that no one noticed you were in trouble; you didn’t matter. What about a time when someone noticed, took the risk, stood up for you & paid the price no one else would? And it reminds you that you’re seen, valued, and loved. Today’s passage is a story where redemption hung in the balance. A moment that reflects the greater story of the Redeemer who stepped forward for us, when no one else could. If you’ve ever doubted your worth or wondered if anyone truly sees you, this sermon is exactly what you need today.…
What is loyalty? Why is it a virtue? Is loyalty always a good thing? What if you’re loyal to the wrong person or thing? If someone asked you, “How loyal are you to Jesus, His Kingdom, and His people, what would you answer?” What does real loyalty to God and His people look like? How can we know it when we see it? Does it come with a cost? These are all questions that pierce deep if we’re willing to ask it. Assessing your Kingdom loyalty is important though. What happens when it demands courage in a moment of fear, or grace in a moment of pain? I’m not talking about convenient loyalty when it's easy, fashionable, or socially acceptable. Kingdom loyalty isn't cheap. It’s bold, risky, and costly, & anything less than complete loyalty to Jesus & His people is really just different levels of compromise.…
One day, as Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind beggar on the roadside, heard Jesus was passing close by. Immediately, he began crying out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! His boldness offended everyone around him. They rebuked him. You’re rude! Leave Jesus alone! Be quiet, shut up! His bold desperation was seen by others as inappropriate, but he wouldn’t be silenced. He cried out even louder! Jesus stopped, called him forward, & asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, let me recover my sight.” Jesus was impressed by his desperate, bold faith! He loved It! He commended his faith & healed him on the spot! Have you ever been so spiritually desperate for Jesus that you became so bold you didn’t care what others might think? I’m not talking about selfish desperation or arrogant boldness driven by a desire for something in this world. I’m talking about a bold, spiritual desperation for something this world could never provide even in its best moments. Would you be humble & bold enough to risk earthly misunderstanding in pursuit of grace, mercy, and redemption? What brings a soul to a place where they take such audacious steps that others might see as ridiculous, or even rude? Imagine a moment of desperation for redemption that leads to a humble boldness that risks others misjudging you. Could it be that the redemption you’re desperate for will require humble boldness? Would you take that step?…
How often do we overlook God’s ordinary blessings right in front of us? Have they become boring, familiar, unnoticed? In a world obsessed with spectacle, have Christians also become so fixated on miracles, breakthroughs, and grand gestures that we forget how to recognize God’s quiet, powerful presence in the fabric of everyday ordinary life? What if our thirst for the spectacular has dulled our senses to everyday quiet evidence of His love and presence? Could it be that God, who can speak through fire and thunder, prefers to speak to us through those ordinary, familiar, everyday provisions; blessings so common we often overlook attributing them to God’s mercy and grace? Our quest for spiritual fireworks makes us numb to a daily meal, a roof over our heads, or community w/His people. Should we stop looking for God’s presence in miracles and look more in the ordinary things He places right in our hands?…
Do you ever drift, feel disconnected from your church family or isolated by something you can’t quite identify? What’s the root cause of division between people in the church? How do we nurture unity and keep it thriving? We claim to value in unity, but do our lives and our relationships with each other in this room reflect that? Are we protecting unity, or is it being compromised by entitlement & selfishness with what God gives us for His purpose? Do we want a community where no one is more deserving than another—or just say we do? Well here are more tough questions that expose what we really want: Is church just a Sunday obligation, or a true family? Are we welcoming to everyone, or only those who fit in our culture? Do some feel more valued here than others? Are you here because you need or want something, or are you here because you desire to give something? Are we hoarding God’s blessings, or using them to serve others with generosity? These are tough questions and the fact is, unity is an easy word to pronounce even venerate but it’s not so easy to achieve. It's under constant attack. I think today’s story in our series on Ruth reveals a critical secret to transformational unity among God’s people.…
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.' With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." - Acts 2:37-41 Peter, a complete stranger, filled with the Holy Spirit, convinces foreign Jews to abandon their earthly rabbis right there on the southern steps, & be baptized, in public, in front of everyone, including their earthly rabbi, in the name of Jesus! That day, 3,000 people publicly identified themselves as disciples of Rabbi Jesus! But the number isn’t the big miracle! Remember the requirement? To be baptized in the name of your rabbi, he had to be alive and with you in Jerusalem. Their decision to be baptized in the name of Jesus was a bold public statement that they believed in the resurrection! They haven’t seen the resurrected Jesus! But they believed because of the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit! They traveled all that way to worship at the Temple, in the name of their rabbi, but were baptized in the name of Jesus. This was a risky, profound public declaration, that they believed the Gospel & identified with followers of Jesus! They are declaring they believe their new rabbi Jesus is alive with them right now, through the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what today is. We have people who have come to us from different places, to declare that Jesus is their rabbi. Today, they are choosing to be baptized in the name of their rabbi Jesus, the same way the travelers in Acts 2 did.…
Have you ever hated your job, felt it wasn’t appreciated like you deserved a better job than the one you have? Maybe your work makes you feel unappreciated, underpaid, or that somehow the job you have is beneath you. I think that comes from how the world has determined there are “important” jobs, and then “ordinary” jobs. We fail to see the importance of our work in the “everyday grind”, feeling like it's meaningless in the big picture. What if your ordinary, even annoying work is making important contributions to the Kingdom of God you cannot see? Today, we’ll discover how every day, ordinary work holds more power in God’s Kingdom than you’ve ever imagined.…
Have you ever felt the need to go back somewhere, but dreaded what you might face when you arrive? Maybe you wonder how much you've changed, or if anyone will even notice. It’s been a long time, and coming home isn’t easy, especially when the choice to leave was your own. Will people see your return as a sign of failure? Will you feel like a stranger in the place you once belonged? The fear of being seen as we really are, broken, bitter, far from perfect—can keep us from taking those first steps back. But what if the very place we’re avoiding is where God’s healing begins? What if the awkwardness, vulnerability & discomfort, is the 1st step to restoration & grace? My experience? God’s power meets ordinary people when they take that journey back to community with His people. So, what’s keeping you from coming home? Regret? Fear? Bitterness? Whatever it is, know that God is already at work—even if it feels uncomfortable. But to experience His healing, you’ve got to be willing to come home!…
Do you ever wonder if your life carries any real weight? If you died tomorrow, what would your legacy be? Do you wrestle with guilt, feeling like you’re falling short? Or like you’re ordinary and insignificant? Maybe you doubt your impact in God’s Kingdom or feel like you’ve disappointed Him, or your life is too small to matter. These feelings can make us resent the mundane, feeling stuck in the routine and even resenting the simplicity of our days. But, what if those monotonous moments are divinely designed, and intended to be pivotal to God’s sovereign plan? What if you learned that your everyday faithfulness & obedience have a ripple effect beyond your imagination, impacting lives you’ll never see, and shaping eternal destinies? Even when you can’t see it, could God be weaving something extraordinary through your very ordinary life! We’re going to learn today that our Sovereign God delights in using simple, faithful obedience to accomplish His plan to rescue & redeem His people—just like He did with Ruth.…
Life has a way of hitting hard. It has a way of creating defining moments that force decisions we don’t want to make. I am not talking about easy choices, like the one I make almost every day… do I swirl my froyo flavors or not? I am talking about inflection points when circumstances put you at a crossroads between faith and doubt. When things fall apart, where do you turn? Do you rely on your own strength, or do you take that step of faith? And you know, it sounds so simple, right? Just have faith! Just trust that God is in control! So easy right? But faith isn’t easy. It’s not a safety net or backup plan. It’s hard to trust God’s promises when everything says don’t. It’s messy, it’s gritty and sometimes makes no sense. But that’s where faith is required! In the crazy and the hard. These are the moments where you realize your strength was never the point. This is where the shift happens. When life hits hard, the question isn’t just “Where will you turn?” It’s “Who will you become because of it?”…
In the last several weeks different people in our church have lost everything in one of 3 different storms. Do you remember what life was like before Hurricane Debbie wrecked so many lives a couple of months ago? What about those among us who lost everything during Hurricane Helene. That experience was life-changing for you. Do you remember the anxiety earlier this week as we watched weather reports, warning us about Hurricane Milton? How do you feel now that the storm has passed, and we see all this wreckage all around? Have you enjoyed the long gas lines? I have seen some fights. The Davis’ are still without power, so no bragging, please! Is it possible to find gratitude in the aftermath of a disaster? When we’re tempted to ask, ‘Why me?’—is there a deeper question we should be asking instead? Can we still be thankful, even when the world feels shattered? Even though life has been disrupted, and things are not “normal”, what can we have gratitude for this morning? There’s a certain kind of Gratitude that isn’t really a response to earthly blessings, or getting through a hurricane. It’s the capacity to experience grace, even in sorrow & chaos. Today, we’ll take a few minutes to explore how gratitude really isn’t a response to earthly circumstances. But circumstances can reveal if you understand true gratitude.…
You know our country is deeply polarized, & everyone on all sides, including you, has an opinion about who’s to blame. Could one of the big reasons be the redeemed’ s disobedience, & lack of faith that God is in control? How does it affect our community when the redeemed lack trust & confidence that God is sovereign & in control? -Instead of being the light of the world, we often become just another angry voice in the chaos. Instead of proclaiming redemption, mercy, love & grace we complain, quarrel, & look for hope in other things. We begin to place our hope in economics, politics, culture wars, etc. to fix what only our Unseen King can fix. What if God’s plan is for us to rise above the chaos? Will we trust Him or continue fighting for control? What might be the effect, the impact on our community, when the redeemed fully trust our Unseen King? This is a powerful lesson our church needs to take away from our series on Esther.…
Have you ever noticed how easily we remember the traumatizing events in our lives, big and small? We never forget! We all have trauma, even those of us who think we don’t, are impacted by it in daily life more than you realize. They’re called core memories that cling to us, spring up without warning, they frame how we see life. These memories can breed bitterness, strain relationships, & foster a mindset of victimhood & entitlement. Have you experienced how easily these memories distract you from following Jesus or remembering the Word of God? It can almost seem like trauma is specifically designed to keep us from remembering mercy and redemption! But when it comes to remembering what God has done for us, it seems that requires more effort & discipline. We must have frequent, regular remembrance of the powerful moments God has displayed His sovereign grace to us. Remembering His goodness a vital part of both our obedience & our transformation.…
It was the summer of 1991 at the outdoor basketball courts at USF. Pastor Joe, 23 years old, was playing pickup with college players while a crowd watched from the bleachers. It was like that Ski-Lo song, “I wish I was a little bit taller…”—everyone came to see their guy dominate the game. This may surprise you, but I was by far the shortest and slowest person on the court. It wasn’t even close. The game was at a critical point—game point, in fact. My team had the ball, and our point guard, under heavy pressure, was forced to pass it to me. I could see the sadness in his eyes. A 6'9" guy, who I'd even seen play on TV, rushed out to guard me. I panicked, thinking he was going to run me over. So, in desperation, I just heaved the ball into the air. We collided, and I went sprawling to the ground. Then I heard a massive roar from the crowd. Someone even yelled, "WHITE BOY!" To my shock, my blind 30-foot bank shot had gone in. My teammates ran over, picked me up, and we celebrated. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. Have you ever experienced a victory or success so surprising and joyful that there was no room for gloating? A success so unexpected that even though you were part of it, everyone knew it was an act of God? You can’t take the credit, but you celebrate anyway. The Jews in Persia felt that same way. They celebrated a miraculous, unexpected reversal of evil, knowing it was divine deliverance straight from the hand of God.…
Isn’t it fun to be the one announcing good news? To see the thrill in someone’s face because of news you shared? When was the last time you had the privilege of sharing amazing news with someone who wasn’t expecting it? How did you feel when you saw their joy, the relief, the spark of hope in someone’s eyes as they received it? Good news can be so powerful! It can lift burdens, renew hope, even change someone’s life, even save their life! Can you imagine a scenario of having good news for someone but choosing, for whatever reason, to keep it to yourself? Wouldn’t that be kind of sick, even evil? Chapter 8 is the moment of the grand resolution of the whole Esther story. It serves as a powerful reminder of what we should do with the keys to deliverance and the message of greater hope we’ve been given.…
Have you ever looked at the world around you and wondered, why does evil seem to be winning? Hypocrisy, injustice, corruption, doesn’t it seem like darkness is constantly gaining ground & closing in around us? We’re confronted daily w/what seems like the wicked prospering while the righteous suffer. There’s a psalm for that: (Psalm 73:3,12-14) For I was envious of the prosperity of the proud and wicked...look at these men of arrogance; they never have to lift a finger - theirs is a life of ease; and all the time their riches multiply. Have I been wasting my time? Why take the trouble to be pure? All I get out of it is trouble and woe - every day and all day long?"…
Don’t you love it when your plans or strategies come together? Especially when the outcome is super important? It's very rewarding! You feel intelligent, in control, powerful! It confirms your high opinion of your wisdom & foresight! Even our selfish, ambitious, lustful, unrighteous plans that hurt others provide this intoxicating illusion of control. While it’s good to strategize and plan, we must remember that control is often an illusion. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, our plans fail—sometimes spectacularly. And when they do, that feeling of being in control can be replaced with humiliation, helplessness, powerlessness, and sometimes even fear. Imagine the devastating humiliation when plans you were so confident in fail so badly, they cost you everything. The humiliation of plans gone wrong is something many will face on the Day of the Lord. Esther 6 gives us a powerful lesson about the peril of placing our trust in human plans, especially plans that are inspired primarily by selfishness & pride.…
"Reverence & awe for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me, your days will be multiplied, and years added to your life." - Proverbs 9:10-11 Do you know people who seem prone to making unwise choices? Have you ever felt like you might be one of them? Why do people make the same silly mistakes repeatedly? While others seem to be able to learn from their mistakes? This kind of wisdom, or lack of it, reveals a deeper issue, a lack of trust in God’s sovereign plan, so we take over. What about people who seem to consistently display wisdom to make courageous, faithful, obedient choices. Why do some people possess heavenly wisdom while another seems trapped in foolishness? The kind of wisdom you consistently display has little to do with intelligence, talent, or resources. Instead, it reveals how much you trust in God’s sovereign power & plan, perhaps more than you’re willing to admit. Esther 5 presents a powerful contrast between these two kinds of wisdom and the inspiration behind each. Let's explore how Esther's wisdom differs from Haman's foolishness and what that means for us today.…
Have you ever been so distraught, anxious, distressed and distracted you couldn’t eat or sleep? Maybe you were worried about your bills or you lost your job, or a huge costly catastrophe that came upon you. Maybe it was a legal decision from the judge, a medical diagnosis from your doctor, or other potential, looming bad news. Maybe it was just immense grief and sorrow over losing someone you love, a spouse, or a parent, or a child. All of us have faced devastating events in our lives, leaving us feeling helpless, that exposed our frailty or vulnerability. But these heavy moments provide the most stark of contrasts between the faithful & rest of the world. Without eternal hope, life is pretty much about grabbing what you can, and enjoying peaceful moments between bad news. But for followers of Jesus, these moments present an opportunity for our greatest expressions of worship to God.…
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as it's own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." - John 15:18-19 Have you noticed the world seems to hate Christianity? Does this hostility towards Christianity frustrate you? Are you easily discouraged, or enraged when culture or government seems to conflict with the Kingdom of God? No matter the political persuasion, there are American Christians who are confused, perplexed & angry at society. As a pastor, I observe an American church infected with a destructive, spiritual pandemic of anxiety, fear, and even anger. Christians on both political sides are anxious, even angry at the prospect of who might be president in 6 months. Outraged or confused by SCOTUS decisions ranging from gay marriage on one side, to overturning Roe v. Wade on the other. We get worked up in culture wars, like the reenactment of Da Vinci’s Last Supper by drag queens in the Paris Olympics. How should we respond to things like this? Is anxiety, fear, or anger helpful to the cause of the Gospel & the Kingdom? Does the direction of culture and government make you fearful or anxious? Where does peace & Joy fit into this equation? Should we stand up and fight, argue, condemn, and debate? Should we double down on our political activism? Are our anxieties about the present circumstances justified considering God's sovereignty? How should we respond? I think today’s story from Esther is pertinent to this topic, especially with what’s ahead of us in the next 100 days!…
Do you know what these are? Call it what it is. Ugly. Just look at them! This “art” is at best “questionable!” Everything is out of proportion. They are stick figures. Coloring outside the lines. Some don’t even resemble anything! But someone somewhere thought they were precious enough to take a picture and put it on the world wide web! These are obviously posted by people who love the kids who made this refrigerator art. To them these are beautiful. They love them, cherish them, and put them up for everyone in the house to see! To anyone else, these are worthless. Now before you say, “Pastor Joe that is mean!”, how long would you keep it up on your fridge if you didn’t love the kid? The story we will look at today in Esther is like this analogy of a parent loving ugly refrigerator art. We’ll learn that we can be grateful for how God used Esther & Mordecai without ignoring their terrible choices.…
Do you know what these are? Call it what it is. Ugly. Just look at them! This “art” is at best “questionable!” Everything is out of proportion. They are stick figures. Coloring outside the lines. Some don’t even resemble anything! But someone somewhere thought they were precious enough to take a picture and put it on the world wide web! These are obviously posted by people who love the kids who made this refrigerator art. To them these are beautiful. They love them, cherish them, and put them up for everyone in the house to see! To anyone else, these are worthless. Now before you say, “Pastor Joe that is mean!”, how long would you keep it up on your fridge if you didn’t love the kid? The story we will look at today in Esther is like this analogy of a parent loving ugly refrigerator art. We’ll learn that we can be grateful for how God used Esther & Mordecai without ignoring their terrible choices.…
(DEUTERONOMY 27:4-8) When you’ve crossed over the Jordan, use these stones & some plaster to build an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord your God. Don’t use tools, build it with your hands! You shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, make peace offerings, & have a feast there. You shall rejoice before the Lord your God. And you shall write on the stones all the words of the Law.…
What kind of church would GraceLife be if everyone was like Ganon or Chris? Stunning, good-looking, great personality? Would our church be bigger, and more appealing? Would more people be drawn to Mt Lockwood Ridge? Listen, people like Chris, Gannon & myself, we are so tired of carrying that burden of being who everyone loves. Obviously, joking about Chris, But seriously, have you ever thought about how diverse & creatively God has made us all? There isn’t another person in our church close to a Raz, or Curley. There’s only one Jen, Brent, or Bob Cluckey. There’s nobody like Todd, Cean, or Jackie. No two GraceLifers are alike at all! Yet we are united under one Gospel. We need each of them, each of you, with every quirk, oddity, peculiarity, and diversity, to be what makes GraceLife so special. God’s creativity in our church is critical. We can’t accomplish His plans on Mt. Lockwood Ridge without each one.…
Raise your hand if you have ever made an unwise, foolish, or just downright sinful decision. Have you experienced earthly consequences from those choices so severe that you felt there was no way back? Have you ever wrestled with the potential earthly, spiritual, and eternal impact your own free will has had on others? When we make bad choices, can our choices disrupt God’s plan of salvation not just for us, but for others? This concept has been one of the most polarizing, controversial theological debates within the church for 2,000 years. The human heart has this natural desire for independence & autonomy. But free will comes with a cost as well, right? We all cherish human free will don’t we? The right to make our own decisions, to choose our own path. Every follower of Jesus has struggled with the burden of how our decisions bring consequences on us and others. It’s the tension of trying to grasp how human free will can exist within the framework of God’s sovereign grace. Today’s passage from Esther can be a comfort to every believer who has made bad choices. Yes, even you Scotty!…
How many of you have ever played chess? What are the two most important pieces on the board? The King & Queen. These two pieces are all-important; everything centers around them, and where they are dictates the flow of the game. These two pieces on the chessboard are controlled by the players, who move, direct, & use them for their own strategies. But outside the game, off the chessboard, they are pointless trinkets with no power or value. Imagine playing Monopoly, trying to use the queen to move to whatever property you desired, without the dice. It would be absurd, right? Your opponent wouldn’t allow it because the queen has no power in the game of Monopoly. Do you realize that’s exactly what earthly power and authority are really like? Like a chess piece under God’s control? Just as the queen is powerless in Monopoly, earthly rulers have no ultimate power outside their own realms. Earthly rulers like the one we will learn about today, may seem powerful within their own kingdoms, but their power is limited and doesn't extend beyond their specific context. Like chess pieces on a board are controlled by the players, Even in their own realms earthly rulers are controlled by God. They are all subject to God’s plans, purposes, and the orchestration of His sovereign plan for our redemption!…
Have you ever felt like God was missing? You believe in God, you have faith, but you can’t see Him in your situation? We have faith, but we can’t help the fact that we feel this way as if God has gone silent & He’s nowhere to be found. We’ve all been there. We’ve been perplexed, suffering, frightened, in pain, and maybe even devastated by loss & pain. It’s one of those moments in life you just can’t see what God is doing. Even praying doesn’t seem to help ease it. Usually, because we cannot see the big picture, God is doing things beyond our comprehension. But we also know from God’s Word, He IS there! He knows how every detail is part of His grand plan of redemption. That’s the essence of the Book of Esther, a cherished story in Jewish history that’s overlooked by church leaders. There is a profound message of God's presence, hidden, but working behind the scenes to ensure His will is fulfilled. It’s a story about the precious fabric of our faith, woven by a God who’s always in control, even when He seems silent. We will learn that being faithful requires us to know there is far more going on than what we can see at any given time. We will learn how God's hand is always at work, guiding us, protecting us, and fulfilling His purposes through us.…
Before we begin our new series in Esther, I wanted to take a week to talk about GraceLife’s stance God’s Word. With so many new faces, I think it’s important to take one week to explain why we do what we do here. A biblical church is characterized by unwavering confidence and trust in the Bible as the ultimate source of truth. A biblical church, which there are several in Sarasota, believes God’s Word is supernaturally inspired and infallible. Any good, biblical church will declare that they believe scripture is inspired, reliable, accurate, and preserved by God. But our belief and trust in God’s Word should be based on more than just blind faith. After all the stakes are high. If we’re going to have complete trust in God’s Word, shouldn’t we understand why? This isn’t the Easter Bunny There are compelling reasons why God's Word is reliable, miraculous, and worthy of our hope, trust & reverence. In fact, the Bible, the Word of God we have today, is just as miraculous as the resurrection of Jesus!…
Look at the person next to you. Imagine for a moment you saw real signs this person was clearly drifting from God. Maybe you became aware of obvious signs of sin or immorality. Maybe gathering with us had become sporadic. If it's someone in recovery, perhaps you are seeing evidence their recovery is shaky or wobbly. Maybe you have witnessed very inappropriate conversations or relationships with members of the opposite sex. Maybe you’ve had theological discussions with them where it seems they are drifting away from the one true Gospel. Most of us would act one of 2 ways....we mind our own business, or we get arrogant and respond too strongly. My question for you is this. How far would you be willing to go to try to bring your wandering brother or sister back? How committed would you be to help them be restored to obedience & full community with God’s people? Did you know your willingness to help restore a wandering brother or sister is a critical test of your ropes of faith? Restoring straying Christians is one of our highest priorities because we are, in fact, our brothers’ keeper. In fact, even if your ropes of faith pass every other test in James we’ve studied, if it fails this one, it’s a serious problem.…
Do you know people who just seem to have a special gift and commitment to pray for other people? If you’re like most of us, like me, several names quickly come to mind, and one of them isn’t your own! These are people we turn to, because it just seems they take prayer seriously. Their prayers seem to have power. They always seem to be much more interested in praying for others before they pray for anything for themselves. Why are some people better than others at prayer? Are they just special, more spiritual, more godly than the rest of us? I have never met someone who has this gift of praying for others that was always angry or fighting with other Christians. I’ve never heard “He/she really loves praying for other people, but man they sure are mean when they aren’t praying!” I haven’t met many people like this who were cocky about their prayers, bragging about how powerful their prayers are. People like this just seem to understand how their prayers don’t start with them. They seem to give God that credit. People with this kind of prayer life are critical to building up the church and healing relationships. We need them! So, what does James have to say about this? How can we all tap into a powerful prayer life? In chapter 5:16-18, James addresses the power of prayer and its connection to our relationships with one another.…
(JAMES 5:13–15) IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SUFFERING? LET HIM PRAY. IS ANYONE CHEERFUL? LET HIM SING PRAISE. [14] IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SICK? LET HIM CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH, AND LET THEM PRAY OVER HIM, ANOINTING HIM WITH OIL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. [15] AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH WILL SAVE THE ONE WHO IS SICK, AND THE LORD WILL RAISE HIM UP. AND IF HE HAS COMMITTED SINS, HE WILL BE FORGIVEN.…
Have you ever wondered if your faith is strong enough to endure real persecution & suffering because you follow Jesus? I’m not talking your garden variety 1st world American “bad day”, I’m talking about real suffering. Do you have what it takes to be faithful to Jesus no matter what circumstances life might visit upon you? Have you ever come to a place where you just weren’t sure that your faith was strong enough? Do you wonder if you personally have what it might take if your loyalty to God & His church was really tested? The answer is, no! No, you don’t. In fact, no human who has ever lived has had that kind of faith. So, wait, now what? Yet all through scripture, we’re commanded to have that kind of durable, steadfast faith, no matter what we face. So, what does this mean? What do we do with a seemingly unreasonable command, that’s humanly impossible to keep? That’s precisely the question we’ll wrestle with together, as we explore the next test of our ropes of faith in James. (JAMES 5:7–11) BE PATIENT, THEREFORE, BROTHERS, UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD. SEE HOW THE FARMER WAITS FOR THE PRECIOUS FRUIT OF THE EARTH, BEING PATIENT ABOUT IT, UNTIL IT RECEIVES THE EARLY AND THE LATE RAINS. [8] YOU ALSO, BE PATIENT. ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS, FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD IS AT HAND. [9] DO NOT GRUMBLE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, BROTHERS, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT BE JUDGED; BEHOLD, THE JUDGE IS STANDING AT THE DOOR. [10] AS AN EXAMPLE OF SUFFERING AND PATIENCE, BROTHERS, TAKE THE PROPHETS WHO SPOKE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. [11] BEHOLD, WE CONSIDER THOSE BLESSED WHO REMAINED STEADFAST. YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE STEADFASTNESS OF JOB, AND YOU HAVE SEEN THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD, HOW THE LORD IS COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL. [12] SO ABOVE ALL, MY BROTHERS, DON’T SWEAR, EITHER BY HEAVEN OR EARTH OR OTHER OATH, BUT LET YOUR “YES” BE YES & YOUR “NO” BE NO, SO YOU MAY NOT FALL UNDER CONDEMNATION.…
I want to start off today with a warning to any & all the KC chiefs fans out there who may hear this sermon. Something’s been bothering me. I've had enough of your constant bragging about Patrick Mahomes & all your winning. This is a firm warning to all of you, to tone it down, and depart from your arrogance before it’s too late. You always boast about how good your quarterback is, and your Super Bowl rings. You think you’re the king of the NFL. But let me tell you about another group of people who once felt invincible like they owned football—Patriots fans. With Tom Brady & Coach Belichick, they were unstoppable, winning Super Bowls even bending the rules—allegedly. In the end, what happened? Judgment day arrived. Brady left New England, and suddenly, the dynasty crumbled. And where did Tom end up? That's right, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team with the worst all-time winning % in history. And what happened? Oh yeah…. WE WON THE SUPERBOWL THAT YEAR! So, listen up you pompous, smug Chiefs fans. One day, it will be Mahomes jetting off to Tampa, and we'll be the ones celebrating. So, you should prepare for it now. Dispense with your arrogant cheering, and let it turn to weeping and mourning. Judgement day is coming. Your trophies will tarnish. You’ll join Patriots fans in bitter sorrow & jealousy when in the end, we prevail. What you just heard is a modern-day example of a literary tool used often in Jewish wisdom literature, called a diatribe. In a diatribe, the author addresses a hypothetical 3rd -party directly & forcefully to teach a principle to his real audience. My diatribe was directed towards Chiefs fans who aren’t in the room, designed to encourage righteous Bucs fans, like me, to stay loyal, stay faithful, because in the end we will win another Super Bowl. James uses a diatribe to expose the seductive power of wealth & why the faithful can’t allow money to become an idol. (James 5:1-6) Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.…
"Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" - Psalm 90:12 Even though Moses tells us to number days. We get comfortable, coast, and we assume our lives will be long, full, & lasting. But really, even a long life is short, maybe 70 years, more if we’re lucky. Many lives are much shorter than that. We don’t have an endless supply of days. Our lives are a vapor. Often, when we make plans, we don’t act like a vapor. Instead, we operate as though we are some kind of immovable concrete pillar. Do your most ambitious plans, personal, professional, or financial, consider the cost or impact on the Kingdom of God? Are most of your professional or financial decisions driven primarily by a spreadsheet? Or do the values Jesus taught in the SOTM have an equal impact on your calculations as the numbers do? Do you constantly forge ahead with plans, big or small without wise counsel from those within your church family? When you pray, are your prayers primarily that God would pave the way smooth for your plans to be successful? Are you more focused on your comfortable retirement plan than how to be sure you can relentlessly serve God in your community of believers until the very end? Today’s passage deals with this constant tension between our plans & God's plans, & the humility necessary to honestly pray “your will be done” and truly mean it.…
Has someone ever unfairly judged, slandered, or gossiped about you? How did that make you feel? I remember as a member of a church staff being publicly slandered with false accusations. It was devastating for me and my family in ways you can’t even imagine. To this day I still carry baggage from it. Even when someone slanders or gossips about something you actually did wrong, it’s still painful, and makes it even worse. Ok, here’s another question. Have you slandered or passed judgement on a brother or sister in your church? Sadly, I must confess, even though I went through that pain… I have been guilty of doing the same thing. Looking back, I am embarrassed by my hypocrisy. It’s very humbling when this reality hits you isn’t it? If we are all being transparent, we’ve all both given and received slander. Its painful, that moment when you realize you are no better than your accuser, or the one who has accused you. But our willingness to recognize this is an important test of your ropes of faith. So must go there together today. It’s important for us to understand where this all comes from, so that we can be on guard against it. And as we do, it will be easy to think of someone else. Don’t. Focus on yourself…. Ok are we ready? (James 4:11-12) Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver & judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?…
Have you ever felt like you are going the wrong direction in life, like you’re on a road you aren’t supposed to be on? As followers of Jesus, this is what it feels like, what happens, when we put too much hope in earthly things. When we’ve let our passion for earthy things become our primary desire, our primary hopes. Throughout the Bible, we’re warned that earthly hope always overpromises, and without fail, always, underdelivers. And all of us have been there. All of us have been led astray, and disappointed when earthly hope fails us. Earthly hope can convince you to make a wrong turn, down the wrong road, toward the wrong destination. Earthly hope always seems to cost more than you anticipated, leaving you disappointed & sometimes devastated. But the Bible also describes another kind of hope, it’s the opposite of earthly hope, it’s called Resurrection Hope. Resurrection hope is everything earthly hope is not. Resurrection hope is reliable, inspiring, healing & transformative. Unlike earthly, false hope, Resurrection hope doesn’t mislead you. It keeps you on the right path. What kind of hope is your primary hope today? I think Easter Sunday is the perfect day to answer that question. Today, we will look at a story that contrasts the difference between false hope and Resurrection Hope.…
Last week was a hard sermon, as James taught us to look within ourselves for the cause of fights within the church. Our selfish, individualistic, arrogant pursuit of our own desires & passions put us at odds with each other, and with God. It was a tough message, but James provided a beautiful, soft landing, reminding us that God gives MORE GRACE! Have you ever experienced the joy, the liberation that comes when God answers our humble prayers for more grace? It’s something the unredeemed can’t understand; joy (supernatural satisfaction) flowing from our humble repentance. Because genuine, humble repentance at cross, is the only place where that harvest of righteousness can begin. Many people seek that experiential bliss with God, those moments where his presence is unmistakable. Scripture teaches nothing brings us closer to God than when we draw near to Him in humility to pray for more grace! In fact, humble repentance provides more intimacy w/God & is more powerful than anything else in a Christian’s life. Humble repentance brings us closer to God than any earthly blessing, worship song, or spiritual experience. That’s why understanding what true humility & repentance looks like is an important test of our ropes of faith. In fact, the most powerful repentance isn’t personal induvial repentance, but corporate, community repentance. (James 4:6-10) But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hangs, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.…
Have you ever witnessed, or been part of a fight in church? Maybe not fists, but words? I’ve seen church fights over some pretty crazy things, sometimes over little things, and other times big things. I’ve seen church fights over what version of the Bible should be preached from, even what time the service should start. I’ve seen church fights, people even leaving a church family because it wasn’t “woke” enough or “MAGA” enough. I’ve seen church fights over carpet color, drums, coffee pots… I’ve even seen fights over communion, and apple fritters! There’s lots of reasons church people fight, but did you know, these things aren’t the actual reason we fight? In fact, even if all these things met your criteria, if everyone agreed on all these things, there would still be fights. Those are just excuses, things we blame, manifestations of a much bigger problem that starts deep within each of us. The real cause is when we are sitting on the fence, when we want it both ways, we want to love God & love this world. When our internal desires & passions make us double-minded, unstable, putting us in conflict w/each other & w/God. Every one of us has been here, in arrogance gotten angry when a brother or sister interferes w/our agenda or passions. How we respond when we’ve forgotten how much we need grace is another important test of our ropes of faith.…
Wisdom is the guiding force, directing our decisions. The kind of wisdom we embrace determines the choices we make. In its simplest form, there are only 2 kinds of wisdom. There’s earthly wisdom and there’s Heavenly wisdom. Earthly wisdom starts off ok. It's alluring, promising, satisfying. Even people in churches are drawn to earthly wisdom. But earthly wisdom’s cunning is inspired by our own selfish, sinful lusts that draw us away from following Jesus. The consequences of earthly wisdom vary from small stupid choices, all the way to destructive, vile, evil. Heavenly wisdom is the opposite. It’s inspired by a desire for humility, peace, mercy, & a harvest of righteousness. It seems like it should be easy to tell the two apart. But most people can’t tell the difference until it’s too late. What makes it difficult is earthly wisdom doesn’t start out looking demonic, if that were true it would be easy to spot. But that’s where it ends up if you can’t spot earthly wisdom soon enough & know how to deal with it. These two kinds of wisdom couldn’t be more different & being able to tell them apart is an important test of our faith. (JAMES 3:13–18) WHO IS WISE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG YOU? BY HIS GOOD CONDUCT LET HIM SHOW HIS WORKS IN THE MEEKNESS OF WISDOM. [14] BUT IF YOU HAVE BITTER JEALOUSY AND SELFISH AMBITION IN YOUR HEARTS, DO NOT BOAST AND BE FALSE TO THE TRUTH. [15] THIS IS NOT THE WISDOM THAT COMES DOWN FROM ABOVE, BUT IS EARTHLY, UNSPIRITUAL, DEMONIC. [16] FOR WHERE JEALOUSY AND SELFISH AMBITION EXIST, THERE WILL BE DISORDER AND EVERY VILE PRACTICE. [17] BUT THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE IS FIRST PURE, THEN PEACEABLE, GENTLE, OPEN TO REASON, FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUITS, IMPARTIAL AND SINCERE. [18] AND A HARVEST OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS SOWN IN PEACE BY THOSE WHO MAKE PEACE.…
Can you remember the most hurtful things people have ever said to you? I can quote them perfectly. I remember many, where I was, who said it, their exact words, and how I felt, decades later I can remember every detail. Some of these things were 20, 30, 40 years ago. Isn’t it amazing how easily we can remember these things? I am 56 years old, and some of these moments still run around like ghosts of discouragement in my head. What about the opposite? Can you remember what quite literally is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you? What is it about words? Why do they have such a massive impact on us? Have you ever hurt someone with your words? Has your tongue ever exposed you as a hypocrite? Have your words cut someone like a knife in the past. In that moment, when you knew your words caused the pain you wanted them to cause… did you enjoy it? And long after we forget what we said, our words linger, and our victim remembers them each time reopening that wound. Have you said really nice things to those in your church family & with the same mouth said hurtful things? All of us have used our tongue this way, as both a blessing and a curse. Isn’t that messed up? It’s so hypocritical! Even when we say something nice, is it nice? Or are we deceiving & manipulating others to get what we want? Do you trust your mouth? Do you even know how many times its caused damage? Every mouth is a problem right?…
A few weeks ago, I highlighted some popular spiritual phrases that are cheap, pointless, and powerless. Phrases like “follow your heart”, find inner peace, sending positive vibes, adjust your okra… I mean Chakra, etc. These are non-biblical phrases spoken by those who think they’re spiritual but are powerless & useless. But Christians also have phrases that are useless when there’s no action behind them , especially on social media. We use them when we feel like we must at least say something or to soothe our conscience, but we do nothing. "I’ll pray for you” offering to pray for people in crisis without any commitment to help when you know you could. Often, we don’t even really pray! This lack of action makes what could be a good thing worthless. “Its all in God’s hands” saying this to someone in crisis, and then leaving them to suffer alone is cold hearted. Especially if God has put you in a place to be His hands, but we don’t even care enough to even lift a finger. “The Lord works in mysterious ways" 1st , how do you know the hardship they’re suffering is the Lord’s work? Couldn’t it be because of evil in this world? 2nd , what if you’re supposed to be part of the Lord’s mysterious work, the part that provides relief in their suffering, but you don’t want to be bothered. What good are those words to anyone? "God will make a way!" Now you can say this one with passion! It's super religious! But saying it with no intention of trying to be part of the “way’ God might be making, well that’s just nice sounding, useless, cheap talk. God won’t ever give you more than you can’t handle.” For personal reasons this is the worst one. I won’t go into it. If we just speak religious phrases to fellow brothers & sisters, especially those in our church family, but aren’t willing to help in earthly, tangible ways, James says this is an important warning sign about our ropes of faith.…
I find it painful and embarrassing when my own hypocrisy is exposed. Yet, there's a part of me that takes a peculiar satisfaction in identifying hypocrisy in others. Especially the hypocrisy of those who have accused me of hypocrisy. I am very good at spotting your hypocrisy. In fact, as a good pastor should... I keep a spreadsheet. Now of course you might ask, where does Pastor Joe end up on this list… well, I’m not on the list. Keeping track of everyone else’s hypocrisy is a big job, I just don’t have time to track mine. Hypocrisy is a problem, a constant struggle for all of us, correct? So, we need to know how to deal with it. We think of hypocrisy as accusing someone of something we are guilty of as well. But it goes much deeper than that. Our hypocrisy can manifest itself in many different, overt, and subtle ways. Today we are talking about a specific kind of hypocrisy that James says is an important test of our faith. It’s the hypocrisy of discrimination, specifically within the church, showing favor to those who seem more desirable.…
"Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God." Acts 18:8-11…
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m not religious, but I am very spiritual”? What does being spiritual even mean? And what makes them spiritual? I guess it’s because they say they are. That’s really all you need to do to be spiritual. For many, that’s the extent of religion or spirituality, Its what we say. I came up with a list of modern spiritual phrases people use, and provide what they really mean… Follow your heart. I don't want the responsibility of giving you any type of real advice. Do what you think is best. Find your inner peace. You need to calm down…. You’re being too loud. (notice my very hip Taylor Swift reference) Prayers. As a substitute for actually, physically coming along side, I will pretend like I am praying for you. Everything happens for a reason. Man, that really stinks what happened, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Good luck! Sending positive vibes. This one is more complex. Man, I really hope it all works out, but I’m keeping my distance. I’m super busy with my own life anyway. Besides, I don’t really have any answers or solutions for the problems you face. These popular spiritual phrases are nice enough, but they are powerless to change or transform lives. I see these as worthless, throwaway lines, that are actually kind of selfish. They don’t require any real spiritual action. You can say stuff like this to people without doing anything to help them. They aren’t spiritual, they just sound spiritual. They provide false hope to the hearer. The one saying them can feel better about their actual spiritual condition. They don’t provide lasting transformation, they don’t change sinful hearts, & they certainly can’t provide eternal life. They are just a way for people to say they spiritual like things, just not the kind of spirituality Jesus teaches. How can we know if we are truly spiritual? How can we make sure we aren’t victims of fake spirituality or religion? (James 1:26-27) "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows while they are suffering in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."…
How do you think the American church is doing with providing opportunities for people to hear the Gospel? Can you think of any other time in church history with more creative, engaging, resources of biblical content. We have thousands of conferences & seminars offering fresh perspectives on how to connect with God on a deeper level. We have seminaries online & in person. Amazon carries books on every topic, subject, or book in scripture. Over the last few decades, we’ve platformed world-class speakers in ways that have made them ubiquitous. We have YouTube, podcasts, and bible apps, we gather, download, press play, & hear the Gospel multiple times a day. And what about our worship experience in the American church compared to any other time in church history? At any time, you can press play on highly skilled, highly produced incredible songwriters who make great music. We’ve mastered ways to provide engaging, comfortable, convenient opportunities for people to hear. Yet the vast majority of those who hear what we produce come, enjoy, feel great, but leave unchanged, w/out doing. Is that the church’s fault? Is it the hearer’s fault? "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For in anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing from the world." (James 1:22-25)…
Have you ever heard someone claim their anger is “righteous”? I’ve got an example of my righteous anger this week. Last Wednesday, driving to church down Tuttle, I came to the best-designed intersection in human history. You know the one where there’s a red light for Ringling, then 26 inches further is a red light for Fruitville Road? A beloved fellow motorist cut me off at Ringling, He made it through the light, forcing me to wait on red. I prayed, “Heavenly Father, don’t let Fruitville turn green before, so I may pull up beside to instruct in righteousness.” God answered my prayers. I pulled up, directing the driver to roll down his window so I could declare my truth. With GraceLife hat in full view, he complied. For the full 90-second light cycle I preached truth, and demanded repentance! After revealing the severity of his moral failure. He apologized and was grateful for my anger. He repented right there. But I felt the need for one more memorable object lesson, On green, I sped in front & cut him off before the next light. In my rear view, I saw him give me one of these & mouth “Thank you for making me a better, righteous person”. None of that happened, except for being cut off at Ringling. The rest is how it played out in my heart & mind. I can’t ever remember my road rage making people better drivers. Can you? That’s the problem with human anger. James 1:19-21 "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls."…
"You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48) This verse from the Sermon on the Mount seems so out of place w/everything Jesus said about grace, mercy, & forgiveness, doesn’t it? Is this verse one of those verses you piously acknowledge, but secretly think… “ok I hope it means something else?” People make nice memes of Phil 4:13, John 3:16 & other verses on social media all the time, but not this one! You won’t see football players put this reference under their eyes. You won't see people say “This is my favorite verse!” There was a time when this verse was very troubling for me. How can I be perfect? I am everything but perfect! It seems completely contradictory to what Paul says about our human righteousness being like disgusting rags right? We know none of us have a chance of being perfect right? We can’t even believe perfectly. We all struggle. Can we all just admit, at one time or another, this verse is at the very least puzzling; at worst, frightening? Standing by itself, it is a troubling verse. Even though people do this all the time, that’s not how you read the Bible. I hope to show you how this verse can become quite comforting as we test our faith in this study of James. "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:16-18)…
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."…
This won’t be comfortable, but its good for us to squirm sometimes, as we test our ropes of faith, right? What would life be like if you were given everything your heart desires? What if all your dreams come true? Would it make you happy? Would you be fulfilled? Would you be completely satisfied? Or would it be a disaster? I’m not talking about just the standard desires of a beautiful family, a good job, great friends. What about all the hidden desires of your heart? What about what your heart desired when you were angry? What if all those desires became reality? Every thirst for revenge, justice? Would your life be better? What if you could fulfill every desire for material things? All the clothes, cars, houses, gadgets… would that be good? What if every lustful desire you ever had was fulfilled? Would that complete you, or would it kill you? What if every person who ever lived got everything their heart desired? How would that work out? When you think about it, I bet 95% of what we desire, if we followed those desires, would be catastrophic. But we can know our ropes of faith are secure by how we are able to handle those desires.…
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”…
Have you ever heard someone described as “fearless”? Well, I am here to tell you, that that person doesn’t exist. From our first breath until our last, fear, big & small, is a relentless part of everyday life on earth that never goes away. Have you ever been afraid to ask someone a question, scared you might not get the answer you want? Have you ever experienced FOMO, afraid your life won’t be fulfilling, exciting, or pleasurable, or meaningful enough? Do you know what it’s like to be afraid of failure, failing yourself, or worse, someone you love & care about? Have you ever seen a certain number flash on caller ID, fearful it's likely going to be heartbreaking news? Have you ever experienced the fear of a real life-or-death choice? What about fear, what happens when you die? Have you ever wondered, if you had to choose between Jesus & death, if your faith would stand that kind of test? It’s a heavy topic I know, but this is exactly where today’s passage in James takes us, so we have to go there.…
For over a decade, my lawn was 85% weeds and 15% grass. It was green, but man was it nasty. So over a year ago, we decided to get a real lawn & sprinkler system and got the whole yard sodded. My neighbors all told me how impressive my new lawn was, it was the best lawn in the neighborhood. It was expensive sure, but now I had both treasure and prestige. My lawn was beautiful, the envy of the neighborhood. It was lush, green, and clean with no bugs....one day when Laura was gone, I rolled around on it. I had become a lawn Pharisee! I looked at my neighbor’s lawn with a judgmental eye. Shaking my head! Fix your lawn! This summer was brutal though, no matter how much I watered or fertilized it, the summer sun withered big swaths. My exalted status of number one lawn was gone! For a year, it was better than all others, but now it’s just another yard. In today’s passage, James exposes the folly of putting our hope in withering grass. It's another test of our ropes of faith.…
Do people celebrate wisdom? It’s a kind of yes and no. Wisdom is not fun, exciting, sensual, or anything like that. People don’t usually celebrate wisdom like they do good news or sports. People don’t throw “Wisdom Parties”. On the other side, some people worship wisdom like a god, like it’s a key that unlocks untold insight and success. If I forced you to define it, could you? Is all wisdom the same? Or is some wisdom more important than others? The world is filled with many things that claim to be sources of wisdom, so how can you determine what real wisdom is? What about spiritual wisdom? How is that different from material wisdom? And which is more important? What does wisdom look like? How can you know if you have it? What are the symptoms of wisdom, or a lack of it? More importantly, how do you get wisdom? Where does it come from? What will it look like?…
You know I never really understood mountain climbing, not talking walking up a mountain, I’m talking cliffs & stuff. Who in their right mind puts their trust in a rope, fed through a clip, nailed into a rock 1,000 feet off the ground? How can you be sure the ropes & clip are reliable? How can you know if you hammered it in right? What about those tents where people sleep on the side of a cliff? Like the mountain is so high it takes two days? But Pastor Joe, the views are breathtaking… umm. It's 2023… Drones… hello? Seriously though, what is wrong with these people? I think it’s the same with how most people walk through life, believing they’re ok w/God, that their faith will get them where they need to go, without testing their faith to make sure. If you insist on doing something so reckless as mountain climbing, you will at least test your equipment, right? You’ll make sure your pack has all the equipment you’ll need. You don’t want to discover while hanging over a cliff that you are one hook short, one rope short. You’ll inspect the ropes, grappling hooks, your GPS thingy, & your hammering while hanging by a rope at 1,000 ft skills. You are going to make sure everything is in order, otherwise, it's too risky, and you are playing with fire. If you’re climbing a cliff, you won’t take shortcuts w/your equipment… “eh, that’s good enough”. It must all be perfect. But we do it all the time with our faith! James will teach us, “that’s good enough” really isn’t good enough. Over the next several weeks, we’re making sure our faith is tested, perfect, ready for anything.…
As we conclude our Go Into The Land series, we explore the theme of legacy and the practical test of faith for the church. Drawing parallels between Joshua's leadership and the challenges we face as we go into the land, Pastor Joe prompts reflection on the kind of legacy both we as the church and individuals are leaving behind. With a seamless transition into our upcoming series on James, titled "Test Your Faith," we are reminded of the importance of a faithful journey as we are called to actively participate in the Great Commission.…
In today's message, Pastor Joe draws parallels between missing a road exit and wandering off the righteous spiritual path. The Israelites' recurrent drift from God's ways, despite His faithfulness, serves as a powerful example of how we can often drift away from God within our own lives. The good news is that Jesus has built a monument for us through His work on the cross, represented by the Lord's table. This monument reminds us that our standing with God relies on Christ's finished work, not our strength. Join us to recommit to Christ and find your way back, whether you've missed your spiritual exit or seek a deeper connection with God. Celebrate the monument of grace that Jesus has provided—an invitation to remember, recommit, and walk faithfully with God.…
As our congregation grows at "Mt Lockwood Ridge," we are confronted with a significant mission. The presence of natural subgroups within our community can inadvertently lead to divisions that impede our mission. The solution is clear: older generations must mentor and educate the younger ones, equipping them to continue spreading the Gospel. This responsibility extends beyond parent-to-child teaching and applies to anyone willing to further the mission. Join us as Pastor Joe draws inspiration from lessons found in Joshua and Paul's teachings to Timothy. These teachings stress the significance of passing on the faith to the next generation and standing firm against compromise when faced with challenges.…
Guest Pastor Brian Yost encourages us to cultivate a heart postured with the love, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus in the midst of a fallen world as we go about proclaiming the Good News. Discover how embracing the mission of Christ can bring light and hope to our lives and the world around us.
Have you ever seen or been part of a church conflict? A church with no conflict in fact isn’t a healthy church. But obviously if a church has too much conflict, that’s a sign a church isn’t healthy either. Often, Christians lack courage to deal with conflict. In fact, most chose to deal with it in anger, or just walk away. We prefer silent or slanderous judgement, we cut people off, avoid them, look right past them, or just leave the church. Others “courageously” confront, in anger or self-righteousness. They don’t want reconciliation, they want retribution. As a pastor, I’ve had a front row seat to conflict. I’ve seen it destroy lifelong friendships, families, even split churches. My wife & I have personally experienced consequences of conflict handled incorrectly. It’s costly & painful every time. When conflict is handled properly, its an incredible opportunity for love & unity, & brings a smile to God’s face. How a church handles conflicts provides a window into the spiritual maturity of a church’s leadership & its members. These are some of the reasons, dealing with conflict, protecting unity, is one of God’s highest priorities.…
***APOLOGIES FOR QUALITY*** Let's ponder this paradox: Despite the church's historical flaws and human imperfections, it has effectively spread the Gospel globally, impacting countless lives. Is there more at play than just human effort? Our message today delves into the foundational truth that sustains the faithfulness of Jesus' followers, even in the face of human weakness and imperfection.…
*APOLOGIES FOR QUALITY* Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be in a position where you were forced to run for your life?** It's a scenario that often plays out in our minds, reminiscent of the old western movies where they'd form a posse and chase someone down, seeking vigilante justice. The closest I can relate to this feeling is when I was young, playing a game called “Capture the Flag.” But what if this weren't just a game, and it were real life? What if you were truly running for your life, with no refuge or safe zone in sight? The sheer exhaustion and desperation would be overwhelming. Here's the remarkable truth: this is the spiritual condition of everyone ever born, whether they realize it or not. Spiritually, we are all running from something, searching for refuge from a very real threat. Today, we're going to delve into our desperate need for refuge and where to find it.…
As followers of Jesus, it's crucial to guard against complacency in our faith journey. We must resist the temptation to be passive consumers of God's grace and, instead, be fervent proclaimers of the Gospel. In the biblical account of Israel's shift from conquest to complacency, we witness the dangers of spiritual decline when comfort becomes our companion, and excuses replace obedience. Today, we delve into the story of Caleb, whose unwavering faith serves as an inspiration to avoid the pitfalls of complacency. Together, let's seek wisdom to remain steadfast in our calling, committed to sharing the Good News with others and continuing our journey into the land.…
Why do we join a church? What expectations do we, especially as Americans, bring when we walk through those church doors? For many, it's the hope of finding a recipe for a 'blessed' life, a path to recovery, the keys to building strong families, and the secrets to peace of mind. These desires, while valid, often take center stage in our minds. But here's a perspective shift: did you know that these aspirations aren't even among the top five missions of the church? It's time to recognize that the purpose of the church extends far beyond the pursuit of earthly blessings. Your time within the church is just a small part of God's grand plan of redemption. He didn't create His church solely for your benefit; it was designed with a transcendent purpose that goes beyond our individual agendas. Today, let's delve into the deeper mission of the church, one that involves our active participation in a battle that spans the history of redemption—a battle against the forces of evil. So, get ready, because in love, we want to implore and encourage you to become a true part of God's church in this ongoing battle.…
"We are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed...for we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9,11 Have you ever felt the weight of opposition to your faith, from skepticism to outright hatred? The world's hostility toward the Gospel can be overwhelming, and it's in these moments that we may question how to persevere in our journey of faith. By examining the experiences of the Gibeonites in Joshua chapters 9 and 10, we seek to find guidance and inspiration in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Join us as we explore how, even amidst opposition, the life of Jesus can shine brilliantly through us, providing strength and purpose for our continued faith journey.…
When you first approached God, did you have all the answers? Were you instantly a master of repentance, knowing precisely how to pray and what steps to take? It's not just newcomers; even the church, often led by long-time believers, can stumble in their approach to God. Sometimes, we all seek shortcuts to gain favor with God, hoping for self-serving blessings. We may misuse prayer, even venturing into requests for personal vengeance or political gain, when we should know better. Given the mix of newcomers' ignorance and the flaws within the church responsible for teaching them about Jesus, it's reasonable to wonder how anyone finds God and learns to follow Him. Yet, amidst all these imperfections, God's grace intervenes, overcomes, and weaves our shortcomings into His story of redemption.…
In the aftermath of Jesus's resurrection, Jews worldwide converged to celebrate Shavuot, commemorating the Torah's reception at Mount Sinai. This pilgrimage, marked by diverse languages and a united purpose, connected devotees with their hometown rabbi. He guided them through a cleansing ritual before Temple worship. The day the Holy Spirit descended, the Apostles spoke in foreign tongues, addressing a crowd with awe and skepticism. Peter seized the opportunity in this moment, recounting Jesus's life, miracles, and resurrection. Prompted by the Spirit, he urged the travelers to embrace Jesus as Messiah. Peter's sermon led 3,000 to publicly affirm their faith, undergoing baptism in Jesus's name—a declaration of resurrection belief. Today at GraceLife we have people who came to us from different places, declaring that Jesus is their rabbi and have chosen to be baptized in the name of their rabbi Jesus, the same way the travelers in Acts 2 did.…
The journey of Joshua leading the Israelites to the valley near Mount Ebal is a remarkable story of obeying the commandments of God. After building an altar, Joshua reads the law, and the people worship with a sense of holiness and faith. But what's even more amazing is that among those worshipping, there are also sojourners from other nations who chose to abandon their old lives to become a part of God's covenant people. This shows that God is patient in bringing people under His wings, and He calls all His beloved chosen sojourners into His family. This invitation is not just reserved for the Israelites but for everyone. Throughout the Scriptures, we see that strangers are invited to become part of God's covenant family through repentance and belief in Jesus' Gospel. Here at GraceLife, we extend the same invitation to all who need redemption to be a part of our Covenant community by embracing what Jesus has done on the cross.…
As followers of Jesus, we often experience moments of personal failure that can leave us feeling embarrassed, discouraged, and unworthy of grace. These "Ai moments," are a common occurrence in our spiritual journeys and while the impact of these moments can range from annoying to devastating, true followers of Jesus understand that they are opportunities for us to become more intimately connected with God and His people. Let's explore how Christians should respond to their own Ai moments as we look at the story of Joshua, who had an Ai moment that was both discouraging and devastating. Despite the setback, God did not allow Ai to be an excuse for Joshua to quit. Instead, He used the moment to make Joshua a better leader and more reliant on God than he had ever been before. Through Joshua's example, let's discover how we can learn, grow, and become better followers of Jesus in the face of our own Ai moments and see that for true believers, these moments are not the end of the journey but rather a stepping stone to greater intimacy with God and a stronger commitment to His Kingdom.…
As believers in Christ, we may sometimes fear the consequences of our secret sins, wondering if God will judge us harshly like He did with Achan in the Old Testament. However, as we study Achan's story and other examples throughout scripture, we see that God's handling of evil among His people is not just a warning but also a comforting promise of redemption. While God takes evil seriously and will not allow it to derail His grace, He also patiently corrects and shows mercy to His covenant community. As followers of Jesus, we can take comfort in knowing that we are chosen and protected by God's unwavering love and mercy.…
The story of Achan may seem like a harsh punishment to some, but it's meant to be an encouragement that God keeps His promises to His people. When Israel expected an easy victory at Ai, they did not know that a sin had been committed, and the consequences of the sin would impact the entire community. However, God's correction is an act of love, guidance, and protection that reflects His deep, enduring commitment to His people. As followers of Jesus, we never want to be outside of God's blessing and protection, but we may feel like God withholds blessings because of our sinful choices. The story of Achan reminds us that processing God's correction should be done in a community that fosters vulnerability, love, and accountability. Ultimately, we need to view God's correction as a blessing that brings us back into covenant with Him and always reflects His deep commitment to us. We must never see God's correction as judgment or rejection, but rather as an expression of our Father's love guiding us back to Him.…
The story of Jericho is one that is filled with warnings of judgment, invitations to mercy, and the ultimate will of God to bring about justice for the wicked. For centuries, the people of Jericho had ignored these warnings and persisted in their unrepentant ways, delighting in their worldly pursuits and rejecting their Creator. This defiance ultimately led to their demise when God commanded Israel to lay waste to the city, sparing only Rahab and her family. The events of that day are not only a historical account of a long-forgotten city, but also a prophetic message that points to the end times as described in the book of Revelation. For believers, Rahab's experience serves as a powerful reminder that the grace and power of the gospel can overcome even the deepest of shame and that the day of judgment will be marked by shouts of joy and gratitude from those who have been redeemed. In today's sermon, Pastor Joe dives deeper into the context and significance of the story of Jericho and its relevance for believers today.…
Long ago, trumpets were the loudest manmade sounds and were used strategically to intimidate enemies before battles. Despite their potential annoyance, they carried hope and symbolized victory like in the story of Joshua and the Israelites. Similarly, as followers of Jesus, we are called to proclaim the Gospel unconventionally. In the book of Revelation, the first six trumpets serve as warnings to abandon earthly hope. While the sound of trumpets can expose humanity's mess it also serves as a guide toward redemption. So, the next time you hear a trumpet, listen closely – it might be God calling you to something greater.…
Have you ever wondered if God is really on your side? Is His presence truly felt in your life? These questions may seem preposterous, but they arise when we observe others seemingly having an easier journey. Yet, as followers of Jesus, questioning whose side He is on becomes irrelevant. Our focus should shift from expecting God's alignment with our plans to embracing a different perspective. In the midst of the daily battle between evil and righteousness, we must abandon our own side and wholeheartedly follow Jesus. For followers of Jesus, there is only one side that leads to victory – His side.…
Are you desperate for a fresh start? Do you long for lasting change in your life but find that your individual efforts always fall short? The truth is, we need more than just ourselves to bring about true transformation. We need a community of believers, unified in their obedience to God's commands. The Israelites in Joshua 5 knew this firsthand as they followed God's lead as one body. In today's passage, we will explore two important symbols of this unified obedience: baptism and the Lord's Table. Through these sacraments, we can strengthen our bond with Christ and His people. Together, we can accomplish great things for God's kingdom. So let's dive in and discover how we can experience true transformation as a community of believers.…
As humans, we are prone to forget the goodness of our Lord, especially in the hustle and bustle of daily life. The reality is that we all need reminders of God's faithfulness to keep our faith anchored and our hearts filled with gratitude. Luckily, God knows this about us and has given us various ways to experience His presence and build monuments of remembrance. One remarkable example of this is the story of Joshua and his use of stones to build a physical monument of God's faithfulness. Beyond that, God has also given us the gift of living stones, His people, to be a testament to His grace and love. As we continue on in our journey of faith, it is crucial to teach and share with future generations the stories of God's faithfulness, so that they too may experience His unforgettable presence in their lives.…
Believers today must hold to the unity of their faith in Jesus Christ and His Word, especially in a world plagued with divisiveness and strife. Drawing from the Word of God through the story of Israel crossing the Jordan River, we learn to trust in God's authority and provision that leads to the Promised Land. By focusing on Christ, we can remain steadfast on the mission God has set before us, and we can be inspired by the Holy Spirit to experience miracles throughout our own journey. So let us unite as brothers and sisters in Christ under one mission: unity through Christ, for Christ as we "Go Into The Land."…
Have you heard the story of Rahab and the spies in Jericho? It's an inspiring example of the importance of remembering what matters most in life. Rahab lived a life of social marginalization, but God had a plan for her. He strategically placed her in the perfect position to help the spies and protect her family. When the spies gave her a scarlet rope, it became a covenant sign and a powerful reminder of God's protection during the siege. As Christians, we also have a scarlet rope: Jesus. We should never forget His sacrifice and promises. Let's commit to remembering what truly matters in life and trust that God has a purpose for us too. Just like Rahab remembered her covenant with the spies, we should also remember Jesus' sacrifice and His promises to us. Let's commit ourselves to remembering what matters most and trust that God's plan for us is perfect.…
Have you ever heard a “God Story” about divine intervention in someone’s life? It could be a tale of miraculous circumstances or unexpected transformation, where someone hostile to the Gospel begins to follow Jesus. Maybe it’s a story of faithfulness in the face of persecution or how, through God’s mercy, someone overcomes earthly obstacles. At GraceLife, we're blessed with powerful and inspiring God stories. In today's sermon, we'll delve into Rahab's story - a marginalized woman who was an unexpected part of God's redemption plan. Be reminded through her story of how God can use anyone to fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives. This story is just one example of countless instances of God's work in His people. That's why sharing personal transformation stories is a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel and demonstrating God's love. So, let's celebrate and inspire each other with our own redemption stories in our church community. Share your accounts of God's acts and learn from the stories of others to encourage each other as we walk out our own faith journeys.…
Have you ever wondered what true obedience as a follower of Jesus looks like? It might surprise you to learn that while individual obedience is critical, it's not the most important aspect. God has called us to something much greater: unified obedience. While personal integrity, morality, and regular attendance at church and giving can be parts of obedience, our focus on individual obedience alone will not lead to true prosperity. Instead, we need to come together as a community, loving one another relentlessly, and following the Lamb wherever he goes. Solely focusing on individual obedience resembles a man-made religion, and there's no power in that. Only by building a community based on loving one another and following God's will can we achieve true obedience and prosperity as believers. In today's passage from the book of Joshua, we see the importance of such a community.…
Our new sermon series "Go Into The Land" recounts the story of Joshua's faithful leadership in leading Israel to the Promised Land against formidable opposition. Through the mentoring of Moses, Joshua gained the courage and strength to face the challenges ahead and trusted in God's promise to never leave or forsake him. Similarly, as Christians, we too face difficult situations and enemies, but with God's spirit, we are equipped to fulfill our calling and succeed in venturing into our own promised land with the Gospel. This story will inspire us, and teach us powerful, meaningful theological & personal truths we desperately need as we seek to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.…
As we end our Letters From Heaven study in Revelation we were privileged to have a Q&A session with Pastor Joseph Davis where the congregation got to ask some burning questions. He shares his insights and observations on issues ranging from the symbolism in Revelation to the role of the Church in these trying times. We are reminded that while the book of Revelation is often challenging and enigmatic, it contains powerful messages of hope, love, and redemption. Let us be encouraged to continue studying this book and to let its Truths shape our lives and faith. As we conclude this series, we are reminded of the timeless message of hope and encouragement that Revelation offers to all of us as believers in Christ.…
Have you ever received important parting words from someone you love or admire? Can you relate to the curiosity of wanting to know the last words of someone you love?" What did they say? Maybe it was critical, final instructions for an important task you would face alone, & they wanted you to be prepared. Maybe someone you’ve relied upon was about to move away, & you wouldn’t see them for a long time, maybe never. How would you treat those words? Would you be on your phone, checking social media, texting, take a call? Or would you cherish them? Would you feel honored to receive them? Would you take notes, preserve them? After the moment has passed, would you disregard those words, or continue to cherish them, revisit them often? Would you keep them to yourself, or would you tell others about them, who might need to hear those words? That’s what we have here in Revelation 22. Jesus’ final words to His followers until the day He returns. Compared to any other, you would think Jesus' farewell message would be more important than any other, correct? It's ironic, the most important person in history provides parting instructions in this passage, but it might be among the most overlooked in scripture. Shouldn't we cherish these words, give them more significance than we do? Well today, in this last sermon in a yearlong series on Revelation, we will try to give them the attention they deserve.…
For better or worse, the allure of prophecy has long captivated the hearts and minds of followers of Jesus. Since the 1st century, many have claimed to be prophets, carrying God's fresh, new, divine message But what if all that is wrong? What if God has delivered 1 final prophecy to humanity, and has nothing else to say to us? What if this final prophecy was intended to be divisive, promising grace to some & inescapable judgement to all others? Would you struggle to accept it? Or if I convinced you, would you agree this prophecy would be incredibly important? If that is the nature of God’s final prophecy, don’t we need courage & wisdom to proclaim it with love, humility, and boldness? Would you be equipped & willing to proclaim both its promises & its judgment without hesitation, in its entirety? Well, there is a final prophecy from God. He is done speaking. Everything He needs to reveal to us has been revealed. He has in fact given that prophecy that promises grace for His people & judgement for the rest, it’s the Gospel.…
Acts 16:29-34 "The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household."…
Young people have coined a clever term for someone's relentless pursuit or desire for something or someone: "thirsty". This label implies you’re a person who goes to great lengths, even if it' risky or embarrassing, to satisfy your craving. But isn't it hypocritical to single out individuals when, in fact, every one of us is "thirsty" and & "hungry"? This universal thirst & hunger stems from an intense yearning, a spiritual craving, is something we all desperately seek. We all long for true satisfaction, a sense of purpose, success, and peace of mind in our lives. Our profound desire for fulfillment drives us to explore every corner, leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit. It is not wrong or sinful to yearn for satisfaction; after all, we were created this way by God. But this world is filled w/enticing propositions & false promises that will never satisfy, only leave us hungrier & thirstier. The enticements of success, religious achievement, material possessions, philosophical wisdom, influential power, addiction, and even the solace of human connections all whisper tantalizing promises of satisfaction. But ask yourself: what has been your experience? Have these things ever truly and fully quenched your hunger & thirst? Have they provided the enduring peace & purpose your hearts so deeply craves? Or... are you still searching? Hoping? Followers of Jesus know something the rest of the world doesn't know that only Jesus can satisfy that hunger & thirst…
Imagine being part of the perfect church, one that meets every expectation of Jesus. What would it look like? Does church perfection start with its theology & teaching, or its ability to be loving and accepting? How big an emphasize would the perfect church place on living righteousness & holy or on a strong evangelistic focus? Would the perfect church have massive diversity, filled with different kinds of people, or would it prioritize generosity? What does the worship or music look like in the perfect church? What about its other programs? Children, youth? I have breaking news for you this morning...it's not GraceLife, just in case you were wondering. GraceLife is a wonderful place, but we are far from perfect. What if I told you there is a perfect church? What if I told you there is one, we can learn from, be inspired by as we continue to grow as a family? There is no perfect church today, but today’s passage describes exactly what a perfect church would look like. It describes what God sees, what God is building, what we will ultimately become one day. As we read this passage, watch how its symbols & images reveal the qualities of what a perfect church looks like. John describes New Jerusalem’s stunning beauty that inspired His readers in their churches & it can do the same for us.…
Have you ever been captivated, comforted, or awestruck by the beauty of God's creation? Maybe it was a serene mountain vista, a cascading waterfall, a majestic canyon, or a spectacular Siesta Key sunset? Everyone has experienced these moments. Even people who don’t believe in God appreciate the beauty of this world. However, anyone can see our world is far from perfect, plagued by natural disasters, extreme weather, earthquakes. Anyone can see how humanity has left permanent scars on the natural beauty of creation over thousands of years. We have inflicted damage on creation in the name of survival, conquest, greed, and even carelessness. Anyone, even those who don’t believe in God, can also observe the spiritual impact of human evil in the world. As beautiful as creation can still be in those moments, its full of spiritual chaos, immorality, violence, deception, etc. For the unredeemed, this fallen world is sadly all they have and the best they can hope for. This is as good as it gets. But for the redeemed, there is hope for a new world, where we live in perfect harmony w/nature, each other & with God.…
Clothes are great, aren’t they? We desperately need them. The right clothes cover a multitude of dietary sins. Clothes can also communicate who or what we identify with: Ethnic groups, nationalities, sports teams, music genres. Clothes can also be a statement about what we believe, they can have slogans, like our GL t-shirts. Its important you wear the right clothes for your destination. You don’t wear a tuxedo to meet someone at Starbucks. You’re not going to wear beach shorts and flip-flops to a formal wedding, that would be disrespectful. There are types of clothes for different events: formal clothes, work clothes, beach clothes, dating clothes, court clothes. Have you ever worn the wrong clothes that lead to a miserable experience, too hot, too cold, to tight, too loose? Have you had the wrong clothes or had a wardrobe malfunction that made you the center of attention for all the wrong reasons? Underdressed? Overdressed? Button popped off? Zipper broke? Have your clothes ever offended someone? For the event we are studying today, your wardrobe choice will be the most critical of your life. Everything rides on it..…
Although you cherish the precious promises of Jesus, do you ever feel drawn towards promises of this world? I personally struggle with this. But the worlds promises always seem to come w/a caveat, straying from God's people. It seems the world constantly beckons us w/enticing offers, like Satan tried to do with Jesus in the wilderness. But those promises usually require us to spend more time gathering with the world rather than with God’s people. It’s why followers of Jesus struggle, wandering away from the flock, scared we’re missing out we are lured away by this world. So, we try to split the difference. How can we gather with the world AND with God’s people? Best of both maybe? But my personal experience informs me, this time splitting has never gone well and it won't end well in the future either.…
The 1,000-year Kingdom of God is an idea not found anywhere else in scripture, only here in Revelation. There are 4 main interpretations of the 1,000-year Kingdom, we won’t name them all here. A Rev Grace Group maybe? Sadly, these differing interpretations have led to significant division & conflict within the church. That is unacceptable. Some go so far as to brand those who disagree with them as heretics. I would imagine this grieves our Jesus. This passage, as the rest of Revelation is supposed to be a blessing, bringing joy & unity among us. So, when studying this passage, those should be our primary objectives. We must have humility & clarity. Have you ever felt powerless over something you can’t control, watching as a scenario plays out You know it will end badly, but you can’t do anything about it? That’s how Satan feels about God’s Kingdom. Even with all his power & rage, He is watching the Kingdom of God advance, spreading throughout this age. He helplessly watches as the church, who he hates, has authority from Jesus to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations.…
As a follower of Jesus, would you say you believe in the power of God's Word? If you do, why do you believe in it? If our primary desire, our main goal is to be faithful followers of Jesus, we must understand the power of God’s Word. As a Christian, you likely have some theoretical knowledge of the power of God's Word. You may be familiar with its claims of power in creation, salvation, revelation, conviction, transformation, healing, prophesy, and yes even judgment. When hearing about it, you likely affirm its power with a resounding YES & AMEN! However, have you truly embraced this power in practical ways? Is it more theoretical than impactful in your daily life? If God's Word is as powerful as it claims, shouldn’t it have a significant, undeniable impact on our daily lives? How can we move beyond theoretical understanding to an inspirational, actionable understanding? How can we visualize the power of God's Word, in a way that strengthens our understanding & confidence in it? Today's passage offers powerful insights and inspiration to help us visualize the full power of God’s Word. With a fresh understanding & confidence in the power of God's Word, It can transform how we live in this fallen world.…
You ever been invited to a party or event so special to the host, you felt honored just being included on the guest list? The occasion is special, the venue is beautiful, the food will be great, the people attending are precious to you. Maybe it’s a wedding celebration for a close friend or family, a celebration of a milestone, or the gift of tickets for the Superbowl of your childhood team in our home stadium, to see your fav player of all time Tom Brady win another ring. You just know it’s gonna be a great day, a moment in life where treasured memories are made, a day to anticipate. It’s so exciting, so important, you want to be ready so you can enjoy it to its fullest, so even months away you prepare. But your preparation isn’t just about you, its also a way to honor the person who loved you enough to invite you! You want them to know you know you are honored by the invite; you wouldn’t miss it! You make sure you’re ready! You don’t wait till 24 hours before. Maybe you decide to lose some weight, buy the right outfit, book your travel plans. As the day gets closer, excitement builds, you’re filled w/gratitude, you check, double check everything. You are ready! That’s how I was feeling this week as I studied today’s passage & wrote this sermon. You ready? Let’s go!…
Can you think of moments in recent history where it seemed like the world system was on the verge of collapse? Can you relate personally to the anxiety of those events or at least empathize with those directly impacted? 9-11 when the WTC towers collapsed, people thought how can we recover from that? But we did. The GFC in 2008, the global banking system was on the verge of collapse. It was bailed out & came back. Just a few years ago we had a global crisis because of Covid-19 and all the lockdowns. In Turkey this week, an earthquake killed 18,000 so far. Turkey will rebuild. But the world won’t rebuild from Revelation 18. As with these and all systemic catastrophes in world history, somehow humanity was able to pick up pieces, move on. Is it possible one day the world system will face a global crisis so broad & destructive it will never recover or rebuild? If it is possible, would that be a good day or a bad day? Is it a frightening thought or a comforting one? Today’s passage is a prophecy about the day the world mourns the eventual catastrophic collapse of every world system that has been built by human hands, under the control the father of lies.…
As a Jesus follower, do you ever face conflicting voices, calling you in two different directions? One voice invites you to come out of the world, & the other urges you to stay comfortable, within the world’s system. I am not talking about the struggle between righteousness & wickedness. Its more subtle than that. Which would you rather be? One who grapples with the tug-of-war between Jesus and the world every day? Or someone who can live in this world without any kind of tension between following Jesus and loving this world? Some never hear the call to come out of the world. Their whole life devoted to getting the most they can out of it. Others hear some echoes of a call to come out of the world. They do for a while, but always seem to run back. True followers of Jesus will always be caught in this daily fight. That tension is exhausting, but can also be a comfort. It’s a struggle we are called to embrace, and be prepared to face and fight every day. This struggle is some of the best evidence you are a follower of Jesus. It’s a sign of spiritual life.…
Couldn't join us for worship this week? Life happens! Luckily you can catch the latest sermon or go back and check out any of our past sermons on our weekly GraceLife Sarasota podcast.
Some of you may not know this about me, but sometimes…I can be a little bit….dramatic, and hyperbolic. Not too long ago, Laura and I were driving to meet some friends and 41 was a parking lot. As bad as I ever remember. I huffed, shook my head, and verbally expressed my frustration w/the other drivers who don’t drive as good as me. I said to Laura… “We are gonna miss dinner. We’re never gonna get off this road, we’re gonna be stuck here forever.” She looked at me with that wife look. She says “Joe, that's a little bit dramatic, don’t you think?” But do you know the feeling? Have you ever been in a miserable situation that felt like it had no end? We all have felt that sometimes it was annoying, other times it's real suffering that seems to have no end in sight. Compared to the tribulation John’s readers were living through, I can tell you it makes our stuff look different. There’s no doubt the tribulation they suffered under Roman rule probably felt like it had no end in sight. If they were going to endure, they desperately needed to be blessed & encouraged, with fresh wisdom from God. They needed be able to see beyond the living hell of life for a Christian under Roman rule, and see the bigger picture.…
I want to start off with a small disclaimer, there is some descriptive language here today. The last 2 weeks we learned there’s a diff between struggling with sin & being fully committed to wickedness. We live in a fallen world; many people suffer from choices they regret, choices many are forced into. God’s purpose for this passage isn’t to shame or condemn people who’ve been sucked into bad situations. This passage's descriptive language is a metaphor for why evil has such seductive power. It pulls back the curtain on that seductive power so followers of Jesus can know what’s really going on in the world. Don’t you ever marvel at this world constantly fighting against your desire to follow Jesus faithfully? Does it seem like this world never tries to make it easy, to help you stay faithful when all it does is make it harder? Doesn’t it seem like the world constantly beckons us to fall in love with life on this earth more than we love the savior? The world system IS seductive. It does feed the lust of the flesh, eyes, & pride. It’s all the unredeemed have to live for. We’re going to need lots of wisdom if we want to resist this world’s seduction. That’s what today’s passage is.…
What do you think of when someone mentions “Armageddon”? Is it an ominous, unsettling reaction at first listen? For most people, Armageddon has been assigned a flawed connotative meaning, much like they have with Apocalypse. In our very 1st message, we learned Apocalypse means revealing, not a metaphor for the end of the world. Similarly, most people use Armageddon as a metaphor for a cataclysmic ominous clash between 2 opposing rivals. In sports when 2 great teams are about to face off in a big game, people say, “Man that is going to be Armageddon”. The world uses the term geopolitically to describe a potential massive military conflict between powerful nations. A future global nuclear war, or massive military conflict that threatens global peace or economic prosperity. A war with an outcome in the balance, a conflict that could go either way. We hope when it happened good guys win. As we learned with the word Apocalypse, the world doesn’t understand what Armageddon really means. Armageddon is a symbolic Hebrew word, original to the book of Revelation. It’s a biblical, spiritual, theological concept. Armageddon isn’t merely a future earthly war between 2 sides, an ominous battle whose outcome is in doubt. It’s an act of God. It’s the day God uses His wrath to flush out all the forces of wickedness out of hiding into plain site. It’s something that could happen at any time, an event the redeemed should hope for, long for, anticipate.…
Do you ever get frustrated with how the world seems so stubbornly commitment to wickedness & evil? Does it ever seem like the world in general takes pleasure in its relentless rejection of God, and the Gospel? Even if they don’t reject God, they are relentlessly committed to redefining Him in their terms? One example is God’s judgement. Most of the world, even some Christians, want to cancel the idea of the wrath of God. How could God be a God of love and judge people? Why does Evil seem like an uncontrollable weed popping up everywhere, constantly needing to be rooted out? There is a reason for this. The wicked aren’t just wicked because of sins they commit. Aren’t the righteous sinners too? The difference between the righteous & the wicked isn’t sinlessness; it's a full, devoted, passionate commitment to evil. That’s what wickedness is, a relentless commitment to what is untrue, what is evil. That’s what we see in this passage.…
Why are we going through Revelation? What are we hoping to learn when we take all this time to study it closely? Should we treat it as sort of a manual for end times things to watch for to know if Jesus’ return is close? How many predictions, from well-meaning people, about the return of Jesus, based on Revelation have been right? True, Revelation reveals beautiful, inspiring truth about the return of Jesus. But it’s purpose isn’t to help us predict it. In fact, Jesus warned about the folly of trying to predict His return. He said no one except the Father knows. So, if predicting when Jesus will return shouldn’t be our motivation to study Revelation, what should be? In chapter 1, the Spirit revealed those who read it will be blessed. The word means encouraged, inspired to endure and press on. Revelation should be seen as a powerful, inspirational guide, filling in the gaps of what we are waiting & hoping for. Revelation should inspire us to endure this fallen world. Paul says creation itself is groaning for its own redemption. Revelation teaches us how to live with the joy of anticipation so we with joy & confidence, can follow & worship Jesus.…
Isn’t Christmas just the coziest of all the holidays. Its cozier than thanksgiving, July 4, Labor Day, New Year’s. What makes your Christmas cozy? How many of you wear matching pajamas? How many of you drink egg nog? How many of you think egg nog ruins Christmas? How many of you have the cozy ugly Christmas sweaters? Do you put one of those YouTube Yule log videos on constant loop on the TV? What is it about Christmas decorations? They make us feel cozy too, right? The tree, the lights, tinsel, the wreaths. No other holiday has its own music! Have you ever heard any Labor Day Carols! What is your favorite Christmas music? Raise your hands: Jazz? Disco? top 40? Rock-n-Roll? Country? What about Christmas rap? Is that your favorite? We like the gifts and what they say about who we give them to, and who gives them to us, it says someone is special. These are some of the reasons Christmas is the most merry, warm, cozy, blingy, musical, worshipful Holiday of them all. Of course, as followers of Jesus, we love Christmas for the real reason, a celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus. But the 1st Christmas wasn’t any of those things. Christmas is so coo, we often forget how hard the 1st Christmas was. The 1st Christmas didn’t start merry, warm, blingy, musical or cozy. In fact, it was the exact opposite of all those.…
Starting today, the next several weeks are going to be some of the toughest parts of Revelation to read. They are filled with ominous, graphic, & violent symbolism describing the wrath & judgement of God against evil. I believe the purpose of these descriptions of God’s judgment are to encourage believers, not scare unbelievers. I don’t believe John’s motivation was to preach hell fire & damnation, but to say, “Hang in there, Our Jesus is coming!” For some, God may use these sermons to call you, mark you as one of His own. He may do that, and I welcome it. But for the next several weeks, I won’t be trying to “Scare people into heaven”. I want to encourage & comfort you.…
In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His church to go into all the world, preaching the Gospel He taught us. That Gospel is a precious message of grace & mercy, but it’s also a warning of judgment for those who reject it. God’s people have always battled temptation to soften the Gospel’s warnings of judgement, just focusing on mercy. The church is under constant pressure to truncate the Gospel, just make it about grace & mercy. That’s because the world doesn’t want to hear what the Gospel says are the consequences for those who reject it. The world will tolerate our proclamation of God’s mercy, but it hates any proclamation about God’s wrath. “I thought God is a God of love? We are all God’s children! I don’t want anything to do with that kind of God” But we can’t be silent about judgement! It’s what convinces us we need the grace & mercy, we love so much! Today’s passage gives us insight into how followers of Jesus should handle this dilemma.…
Have you ever heard the phrase “I have good news, and bad news, which do you want first?” Which one do you usually want to hear first? For me, I always say “give me the bad news”. I want to get it out of the way to process it emotionally, physically, and spiritually then hear something hopeful. That’s how chapter 13 & 14 lays out. Its good news and bad news, and John gave his readers the bad news first. Chapter13, revealed how Satan wages war on this earth against the woman’s offspring, God’s people, the church. He weaponizes every government, religion, philosophy, and economic system throughout this tribulation age we live in. In the grand scheme, no earthly government, philosophy, or religion is worthy of our hope, obsession, or our primary allegiance. That’s why chapter 13 was bad news. It reveals that no matter your political preference, its all 666, it's all part of the beast. I confessed a few weeks ago I had too much hope & obsession w/politics, & many of you confessed the same to me. GraceLife has many recovering Republicans, Democrats, Obama-ites, Trump-ites, conservatives, liberals, all kinds. Chapter 14 is the “but here’s the good news”, revealing what Jesus is doing the same time the Dragon dominates this world. It reveals how we will survive this tribulation we’re in and how we ultimately will overcome this corrupt world system.…
Reading Revelation the wrong way makes it a horror movie. Reading it the right way makes it an encouraging blessing. Bad interpretation of today’s passage is one reason people see Revelation as scary, ominous, & intimidating. It contains 2 of the most talked about symbols in Revelation, the mark of the beast and the number of the beast. From vaccines to computer chips to bar codes and social security cards fear of 666 can randomly show up in any setting. Both have been misinterpreted so often, by so many, it would be comical, if it weren’t so dangerously misleading. So why does John put these images in Revelation? How is this “blessed is everyone who reads this”? What if I could show you as followers of Jesus, whenever we see that number pop up it should bless us? What if I John wanted his readers to reflect on 666 more often? What would you think?…
It’s a bit of a turn of providence that this passage comes the Sunday after election day, though I didn’t plan it. Also, many of you know I don’t like talking politics during sermons ever, but Revelation sort of demands it. It's full of encouragements and warnings about being too invested in this world, it's treasures, it's powers, it's system. Let me start today with some vulnerability about my personal political journey over the last decade. As recently as 8 years, I was too distracted by American politics. My obsession with our government could have become an idol. I had allowed my politics, who I voted for & policies I wanted to get conflated with my view of Kingdom work. Through others, God began to show me how political obsession was compromising my Kingdom loyalty. Passion & energy for the Great Commission was being sucked away by passion & energy for elections & headlines. I confused patriotism with Godliness. I made politics a frontline spiritual battle instead of the Great Commission. No matter your politics, don’t make the mistake of confusing politics with loyalty to the Kingdom of God. There is nothing wrong with loving America, political engagement, or working in government but you must keep it in it's place. Here’s why: while government is subject to God’s sovereign plan, NO government makes Gospel it's priority, except one. Today’s passage reveals a sober truth: every government since the fall of Adam & Eve is influenced by evil. Even ones you like.…
Let’s set a visual scene here for you with a couple pics. This what Israeli wilderness looks like. Over 20 years ago, Laura and I were given with a trip to Israel. It was such a formative 14 days. One night, our guide arranged a wilderness camping experience in Bedouin tents, that looked just like this. Our tents were very comfortable. Our Bedouin hosts provided everything we needed, food, water, electricity. I remember our Bedouin hosts warned about 25 of us, “Don’t wander off in the wilderness alone, stay with the camp. There are dangerous animals that come out at night in the wilderness, along with deadly scorpions & snakes. At night, stay in your tents. You have everything you need until the morning when we come get you." I remember one 18-year-old kid didn’t stay in his tent, we heard a shriek right outside, our hosts sprinted to his aide. They killed this huge scorpion, apparently the deadliest species in Israel. When we heard, all 25 of us moved our cots into a 4 square foot area in the center, content to wait for morning.…
Have you ever been embarrassed by someone making a loud, public accusation against you? Have you ever made a mistake and had someone who seemed to enjoy telling everyone about it? Has someone secretly, anonymously gone behind your back to make an accusation? That’s never fun is it? In my 1st full time job, I had a person like that, who seemed constantly joyful over carrying a torch for accusing me. I remember how they came after me aggressively, publicly, full of hypocritical self-righteousness, the reveled in it. I also remember when a mentor, in a very public meeting becoming my advocate. I still remember his words. “Joe came to me immediately when he realized his mistake, asked for forgiveness, & my help resolving it.” “We began the process weeks ago. Joe has done everything asked of him. The matter has been fully resolved." “Is there anything else?” My accuser kept going back. “We aren’t discussing that anymore, anything else?” I felt humbled & loved when my friend/mentor, my advocate stood up for me, & shut down my accuser. Today’s passage pulls back the cosmic veil on the failure of our greatest accuser. It’s a beautiful, uplifting passage.…
So far, Revelation is full of symbolism around the suffering of God’s people in this period we’re in called the tribulation. Are you ever troubled or perplexed by the terrible things throughout human history, and even today? Do you get weary of a seemingly relentless struggle against evil? War, genocide, violence, famine, cultural decline? What about personally? Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, this struggle just keeps coming in waves? Do the realities of this existential battle with evil ever leave you discouraged, overwhelmed, depressed? Do you ever feel like you’re wandering in the wilderness, hoping for a sign, some sort of definitive direction? No doubt our struggle with evil is real. Its so bad sometimes Christians struggle with victimhood. That’s tribulation! Its especially difficult if we don’t understand why evil & the suffering it causes seems so loud, so strong, so ubiquitous. As followers of Jesus, it’s important to zoom out of the day to day, get our heads around the bigger picture. God knows we need that from time to time in this tribulation, so He gives us Aha passages, just like today’s. It kicks off a powerful 3-chapter section as a summary introduction to everything that’s about to be described.…
In this Revelation series, I’ve made many references to government while not advocating for one political side or the other. It's clear one of the themes in Revelation is don’t put your hope in earthly government....that won’t end well. For Christians in America, I think that misplaced hope is more tempting & prevalent than Christians in other countries. America is an amazing country and I’m a proud American but even our nation is not worthy of our hope. As great as America is, we are flawed and depraved no matter who’s in power. I won’t go into the list. Can a nation ever be “righteous”? Should churches make transforming government part of our core mission? Israel had a direct, special, tangible relationship with God, manifested in so many ways, they couldn’t even do it! Of course, you can love your country, be patriotic, active politically, but the Kingdom of our God is our only true hope. Today’s passage, the 7th trumpet, gives us important insight into how God’s people should see earthly government, even ours.…
We’ve preached through Genesis (twice), Philippians, 2 Cor, Psalm 119, 1,2, & 3 John. The Life of Joseph, Mark, Jonah, 1 & 2 Peter, and now we are slowly working our way through Revelation, within half a year, w/likely 20 more sermons to go. Recently someone new to our church asked me why we do such long series at GraceLife, months to months??? 90 minutes later (JK), I defined one of our core values, Biblical, meaning we let the bible dictate what I preach not the opposite. Being Biblical has many legitimate perspectives, but for us at GraceLife, it's one of our greatest passions, if not # 1. With so many new people coming, I thought it important to take a week to explain how we teach God’s Word at GL. This sermon will either get you all fired up or bore you to tears, but it's critical to understand this GL distinctive.…
Have you ever seen a complicated mural telling a story? You have to interpret each image in order. This is a mural of the history of Mexico, to understand it, you would need guide who has studied it. That’s today. This passage is a verbal mural of the story of the church proclaiming the Gospel throughout church history. Last week at the end of ch11, John was commanded to eat the scroll & prophesy the bittersweet Gospel to nations. (REVELATION 10:11) I WAS TOLD, “YOU MUST AGAIN PROPHESY ABOUT MANY PEOPLES, NATIONS, LANGUAGES & KINGS.” The Gospel would be both sweet as honey, mercy & grace to those with ears to hear what the Spirit says. But it would also be bitter, with words of judgement & condemnation for those who don’t believe & repent. Proclaiming the unfiltered, bittersweet Gospel puts us at odds w/ a world that just doesn’t want to hear it. Today’s passage describes the entire age of the Gospel, the church… the past, present, and the not yet. This passage, at the very center of Revelation, is like a halftime pep talk, preparing us for what is to come. Its full of powerful symbolism of the Gospel’s power, blessings, &a consequences as it is proclaimed in a hostile word. It’s a mural telling our story as God’s witnesses throughout the age, lets uncover the mystery one at a time shall we?…
Have I ever said anything in a sermon that made you cringe? Not a Joe Davis cringe, my wife knows that feeling well. I am talking something cringe-worthy in God’s Word, some kind of clear warning, correction, or judgement. The parts of God’s that taste bitter, seem to condemn, harsh, cutting to the heart, words that leave no wiggle room. Have you ever heard something, sweet, promising, encouraging from God’s Word? You like that? Me too! How do we know what to say, and when, and to who? It’s a hard job, and we need some guidance, right? Especially in a world that is primarily hostile to anything God’s Word says, particularly in the area of sin. That’s what Rev 10 is about. How the church has everything it needs to successfully, faithfully proclaim both the bitter and sweet words of the Gospel, no matter what happens in the world around us.…
Do you remember the 1st time you ever saw pictures of Auschwitz and images of the Nazi’s 7 mill genocide of Jews? Do you remember when you first learned about Joseph Stalin killing 20-30 million people during His reign in Russia? Mao Zedong, killed an estimated 65million Chinese in his attempt to create a new socialist, communist China. Pol Pot killed 2million in His attempt to create a Communist society in Cambodia. These are just 20th century examples. This doesn’t even count WW1, WW2, and dozens of other wars fought by both “bad” countries, and “good” ones. Since the 1st century, we’ve seen an exponential rise in humanity’s ability to kill unlike any other period in history. If I could chart it for you, you would see a stark, steep line going up and up. Yet we have mostly normalized it. Today’s passage, the 6th trumpet explains this phenomenon of evil’s impact in the last days.…
How do you feel about some of the insects we have in FL? Massive flying cockroaches, horse flies, prehistoric moths? Deep woods mosquitoes, hornet’s nests, I hate them, I run from them always, and if they are swarming? Child please! If anything, bigger than a small raisin flies around my head, I want to be out of that general area or I want it dead! Last week doing yardwork a massive bug chased me, w/the speed of an Olympian I dashed fully clothed into the pool. I have especially always despised the thought of locusts. Frightening! Flying, leaping, huge, massive swarms! If one landed on me now I would jump off stage, running, waving arms, like some of our Pentecostal brothers & sisters. I can’t even imagine being caught in a swarm! But there is a horrible spiritual reality that isn’t so funny. Today we will learn about the swarm of evil spiritual forces around us, what they’re capable of, and their limits. Also how followers of Jesus should view them, what we should do in response to them, where we go for safety.…
2 years ago, I watched in person in our home stadium, my childhood team Bucs beat KC in the Super Bowl. Being there in person in the stadium during COVID was amazing. An elevated perspective watching it all play out! Surrounded by a multitude, watching, celebrating, cheering every act of judgement from the Bucs visited on the Chiefs. Driving home, I listened to the radio, thirsty for expert analysis of how thorough the judgement was on the field. I got home around midnight… immediately I turned on the tv to watch the recorded game. I wanted every detail up close from the field cameras of all the plays I cheered for, I cried tears of joy (don’t judge). I saw things on TV I couldn’t see in the stands, like the Chiefs futile attempts bring order back to the game, bitterness. I saw a repeated cycle, whenever they made a first down or something, BAM! More judgement from the Buccaneers! Closeups of the joyful Bucs sideline, celebrating a total victory, like being there all over, but from a different angle. This is how you read the cycles of judgements in Revelation, the same events from different angles and perspectives. Last week we saw the 7 trumpets come out of the 7th seal. Later the 7 bowls will come out of the 7 trumpets. This is a Jewish literary device within apocalyptic literature to describe the same events from a different perspective. This week we are only looking at 1-4 today, because 5 & 6 are so unique & descriptive we will study them separately.…
Prayer is a fascinating human pastime. Prayer is a widely practiced spiritual discipline in America & across the world. According to Pew Research, 55% of Americans say they pray every day, 21% say they pray weekly or monthly, 20% of people who consider themselves unaffiliated with any religion say they pray daily. 65 and older are far more likely than adults under 30 to say they pray daily (65% vs. 41%). Prayer is easiest thing a follower of Jesus can do. It’s also the easiest thing to neglect, easy to abuse, or misunderstand. What things do you pray for most often? Healing, especially for friends & family are a big % of our prayers for sure. Are there types of prayers God loves more than others? Do you ever wonder if God likes or hears your prayers? Do you ever worry if you are praying the right way? Are there things we should be praying for that we don’t?…
Last week part 1 of the answer is the church in battle on this earth, this week: “THE CHURCH IN VICTORY!" As a Christian, do you ever feel lament about the direction of America or the world? Do you ever get frustrated when it seems like evil always wins, injustice is rampant, culture & society seem depraved. Every human wants to celebrate victory over their perception of evil or injustice, long for some sort of win. That’s why people develop obsessions with politics, culture wars, social movements, hoping for a victory somewhere. Christians don’t need to hope in these things, for we know there is only one way evil will be defeated. Revelation is written to encourage Christians to look to Jesus but are you too obsessed w/this world to be encouraged? Yes, we wrestle w/darkness & evil, daily, yes, it’s hard, but there’s a great day coming, and the evidence is everywhere! Even when life seems as far removed from heaven as it can get, evidence of the Kingdom of Heaven is everywhere. If you’re struggling w/hope in the wrong kind of victory, to see the evidence, today’s passage can help!…
Ever been in an argument, someone asks a hypothetical, accusatory question you’re supposed to be unable to answer? Laura asked me yesterday: “Did you change the air filter like you promised?” “Actually, yes” (Man that was so fun) That’s what Ch 7 is, an answer to a hypothetical question, “Well, actually this is the group that escapes judgement.” What are some of the most important things the Holy Spirit does for us as followers of Jesus? The Holy Spirit certainly at times prompts us to specific actions, words, or choices we otherwise wouldn’t engage in. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit provides intangible, experiential, spiritual moments prayer, prophesying, tongues, etc. Many different perspectives on frequency, purpose, and specifics, but certainly the Holy Spirit is active. These experiences can be powerful emotionally, spiritually, sometimes they are life changing. But there is something else the Holy Spirit does for each follower of Jesus, the first, most critical act for our survival. The Holy Spirit places a seal on us, marks us, so that we are preserved protected, given the ability to escape judgement.…
When you preach systematically through scripture w/out skipping passages, you’ll have to preach judgement sermons. I’ve had to preach a few of these sermons, and I must tell you I don’t enjoy them. Yes, there is the Jesus who for us represents mercy, grace, & forgiveness. As comforting as His grace & mercy are, there’s also another the side of Jesus just as frightening. When I was younger in hard core fundamentalist circles, I heard men preach fiery sermons on God’s judgement. It almost seemed as though they found pleasure in preaching on judgement day, like they enjoyed it. They were emotional, dramatic, & effective in inciting emotional responses especially from younger people. How does it make you feel, know wrath is part of who Jesus is? That He’s not just the gentle Lamb of God? But what if a passage on the wrath of God isn’t intended to be scary at all? What if the wrath of the Lamb is intended to be encouragement, affirmation for those who follow Jesus?…
Have you ever been frustrated with God? Why does God allow His children suffer at the hands of evil in this world? I’m not talking about suffering because of our own choices, that’s not suffering, that’s consequences. I am talking about paying a price for identifying with Jesus, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of Heaven. Globally, there are over 90,000 people killed each year because of their faith. Mostly in Africa, Asia, & the middle east. Paul says we should be joyful when we suffer because of Jesus or the Gospel (though Americans can’t really relate). This is one of those truths in scripture we all nod w/a serious face & say “Amen”, but secretly hope we are spared. Why can’t the prosperity Gospel be a real thing? Why can’t we just expect blessings to flow when we follow Jesus? And what is a proper response to real persecution? Just smile, remain stoic, strong, brave, act unphased? Why is this kind of suffering even necessary? Why doesn’t Jesus just come back and take care of evil already?…
I hear many calls these crazy times! Covid, Trump, Biden, China, Inflation, Russia & Ukraine, Roe v Wade, etc. But are they really that crazy? Are they different from all the rest human history? I say its not even close. Many people suffer from what I call “Apocalyptic narcissism”, thinking we endure something unique in our day. Previous generations have endured “crazy times”, most of them far “crazier” than our times. For 6000’s years, human thirst for political, economic, cultural, military conquest caused suffering, pain, and death. Just the last 800 years in Europe, War of the Roses, 100 years war, Napoleonic wars, French/Indian war (1st real WW). From an American perspective, we had the civil war, WW1, WW2, the Cold War, Viet Nam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq. Human thirst for conquest has subjected humanity & all creation conflict, famine, disease, economic ruin, & death. How do we reconcile living by faith, as part of the Kingdom of Heaven, when the world we live in is like this? How can we place hope in the One who’s opened the scroll of redemption when humanity is permitted to be this way?…
One of my favorite moments each Sunday is Megan’s prayer right before I come up to preach. Why do we do that? Is it just some sort of mystical activity we hope sprinkles good fortune into our service? Or is it something more? Why do we do things the way we do? Where does GraceLife get its liturgy, its order of service? It would be a lot less work & stress if it was just Megan on the keyboard, then me just preaching. But for some reason, music is a huge part of what we do on Sunday mornings, and not just here, almost every church. What we do on Sunday morning is the biggest portion of our budget and requires much time & effort every week. Why do we believe its so important to have skilled musicians, high quality sound, lights, projection? Why did we spend so much money and time getting this worship space right before our grand re-opening? From an earthly perspective, it sure seems like a waste of money… if you don’t understand the scriptures. There’s a deep, biblical reason we put so much effort & money into each Sunday, way beyond we just like good music.…
What does the phrase “End of times” mean to you? Does it invoke anxiety? Feelings of reticence? Is it something you associate w/headlines some associate with the possible coming of the “anti-christ? Does it cause a mindset of Christians needing to hunker down for an onslaught of darkness? If are at all up to speed on our study, you know Revelation is about the already, right now, and not yet. What if I told you the “End of Times” is glorious, joyful… and the “right now” part of Revelation? The book of Revelation primarily is Not about warnings, but comfort. This is how it should be approached. Revelation is not about preparation for some sort of tribulation end times scenario, we know evil is here already. It’s the fulfillment of the plan of God for redemption and the relentless expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven! It explains the troubling mystery of our conflict between good & evil nobody understood until it was written!…
Have you ever had a worship experience where you sensed something? a greater awareness of God’s presence? What are the things that make those moments happen? How can we experience these moments more often? Worshipping together always been an important characteristic of church community, from the 1st century until today. Throughout church history, the church has put great effort, thought, & resources into corporate worship. When we first started at McCurdy’s we built stage pieces, bought good equipment, recruited talented musicians. Members of our team arrived every Sunday 4 hours early to prepare, because worshipping in community is a priority. As we renovated this facility, getting this space ready for community was a major focus, much time & resources. We do all these things because know worshipping in community is the most distinguishing act for a church. We learned last week, when we gather together, Jesus promises to open a door to Heaven we can enter with Him. Today’s passage gives the perspective of what that looks like, what it sounds like, right now, in the throne room.…
Today at GraceLife we celebrate the official opening of our doors on Lockwood Ridge to the community. It’s a special day in the history of our young, little church, and we are so glad for everyone here to celebrate with us. What does the phrase “Grand Opening” mean to you? What exactly we are celebrating as a church? Yes, we celebrate the accomplishment, we’re excited, but it must be more than that, It is just a building after all. We don’t celebrate brick and mortar, We are celebrating a new door of ministry Jesus has opened for GraceLife. Future opportunities to be a lampstand, to preach the Gospel, which we know is power of God for salvation. That’s the grand opening we celebrate, & what’s on other side of the door Jesus has opened for us, His mercy, grace, majesty & glory. That’s the topic we are studying in our series on Revelation the next few weeks, starting with today’s passage. It should be read as an epilogue to the letters to the 7 churches, something EVERY church should read in community.…
There was a time not too long ago GraceLife was growing a little complacent, it was right before COVID. Attendance was up, cash flow was the strongest ever. We were comfortable @ McCurdy’s, 1900, & Swift Road. I had just started preaching through Mark, and our core ministries: GL Food Pantry & GLR were booming. We had it all handled with not many uncertainties. But GraceLife was growing complacent becoming a little self-reliant & didn’t even realize it. Then COVID hit; money got tight, we couldn’t meet & some left because of it. Then grief hit us, more than once. You know what these last 2.5 years taught us? GraceLife cannot be self-reliant. We need to cling to Jesus each day.…
Does God have a special place in His heart for the American church? Can the Bible be read as Americans? We tend to interpret scripture from an American perspective, I understand its easy to do because…we’re Americans. Sometimes that’s ok, but reading scripture as Americans doesn’t serve us well. The American experience is so atypical. We easily slip into flawed interpretations, missing out on something much bigger than the mere 246 years of America. Today’s passage requires us to put aside our American citizenship, in exchange for our Kingdom of Heaven citizenship. It’s a prime example of how we must read Revelation over the next several months to learn all we can from it. First, with our American experience put aside, and with the O.T. in one hand, and John’s letter in another.…
What if GraceLife received a letter from Jesus saying “GraceLife is dying! Repent, return to the Gospel, or be judged!”? Is GraceLife a living, vibrant, faithful, obedient church? IF Jesus wrote us a letter, would He list any good works? I worry about this continually. Then I see God use our church for His Kingdom, and my anxiety fades just a bit…for maybe an hour… then I worry about it again. Why do I worry so much? Do any of you ever think about this? If you’re emotionally, spiritually, financially vested in GraceLife, you should ask these questions also. We’re not perfect, no church is, but are we alive? I believe right now, today, we are (More later). Can we stay alive? And What does a dying church look like? Low attendance? No money? Lots of conflict? Are those the proper metrics? Just because a church has lots of people, lots of money, a good reputation in society, looks vibrant, it can be dead. We will see that today in week 8 of Revelation. We will also learn how to assure GraceLife doesn’t become like that.…
Every person desires a community that embraces their personal values, enhances opportunity for success or happiness. It’s a natural to desire to live in a world that affirms your core values, protects what’s important, family, faith, success… Its why people move, change jobs, chose a church, become passionate about politics, volunteer, donate to charity. People of all faiths (even atheist), cultural backgrounds, political leanings, (big gov or small) moral values (pro-life or pro-choice) economic philosophy (capitalist or socialist), have passionate opinions for what society should look like. For true followers of Jesus, the gift of faith gives us a desire for a culture that embraces our Kingdom Values. We advocate for them, fight for them, vote for them, proclaim them, hopefully we can change the culture. But one thing 1000’s of years of human history tells us. The world isn’t interested and won’t be until Jesus returns. Until then, this world will constantly pressure us to compromise how we live or what we believe & in exchange for success & acceptance. So, what are we supposed to do, what does Jesus want us to do until He returns?…
(REVELATION 2:12–17) “AND TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM WRITE: ‘THE WORDS OF HIM WHO HAS THE SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD. [13] “‘I KNOW WHERE YOU DWELL, WHERE SATAN’S THRONE IS. YET YOU HOLD FAST MY NAME, AND YOU DID NOT DENY MY FAITH EVEN IN THE DAYS OF ANTIPAS MY FAITHFUL WITNESS, WHO WAS KILLED AMONG YOU, WHERE SATAN DWELLS. [14] BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST YOU: YOU HAVE SOME THERE WHO HOLD THE TEACHING OF BALAAM, WHO TAUGHT BALAK TO PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE THE SONS OF ISRAEL, SO THAT THEY MIGHT EAT FOOD SACRIFICED TO IDOLS AND PRACTICE SEXUAL IMMORALITY. [15] SO ALSO YOU HAVE SOME WHO HOLD THE TEACHING OF THE NICOLAITANS. [16] THEREFORE REPENT. IF NOT, I WILL COME TO YOU SOON AND WAR AGAINST THEM WITH THE SWORD OF MY MOUTH. [17] HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES. TO THE ONE WHO CONQUERS I WILL GIVE SOME OF THE HIDDEN MANNA, AND I WILL GIVE HIM A WHITE STONE, WITH A NEW NAME WRITTEN ON THE STONE THAT NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT THE ONE WHO RECEIVES IT.’ Imagine a letter like this from Jesus being read aloud in Pergamos, in earshot of those who compromised the Gospel...Can you imagine Jesus starting off by calling your city the place where Satan’s throne is? Imagine Jesus writing a letter to the church in Sarasota, “Repent or I will war against you, I’ll bury you in that quartz white beach sand, I’ll drown you in the Gulf of Mexico.” Would that get your attention? Jesus introduced himself to Ephesus as the one who holds the seven stars & stands among 7 lampstands. Jesus introduced himself to Smyrna as 1ST & the last, the one who died & rose again, sovereign over the faithful. Jesus introduces himself to Pergamos… He has a two-edged sword in His mouth, & He’s not afraid to use it. We often forget there’s two sides to who Jesus is. Yes, He’s the great shepherd, holding the church in His hand...It's true He will never leave or let go of His people. But there is another side to Jesus, the two-edged sword Jesus.…
Every follower of Jesus has wondered if they would have what it takes to stand up to real persecution. We imagine scenarios of being forced to choose between our faith or our life, or family & friends lives. It’s a hypothetical situation Americans can’t really answer since we don’t face that kind of persecution & likely won’t. That’s what makes today’s passage so difficult to preach, it’s a situation none of us are ever likely to face. Its much easier to preach about sin in the church, we relate to that! But Jesus doesn’t do that in His letter to Smyrna.…
For nearly 6 years GraceLife has lived in a comedy club, an office building, & a strip mall. We were forced love people before a building or the organization, to be Mobile, Organic, Biblical, & Generous. In this way our humble beginnings have been a blessing. They helped us find, and maintain our first love. That first love has been to relentlessly serve hurting people in our community thru love, generosity, & truth. Now with all the exciting things happening, there’s a challenge for GraceLife, as we discuss carpet, paint, chairs, cameras, lights, GLK for our families, parking lots, & everything else… could we be tempted to lose our first love? Let’s go further, If GraceLife closed its doors, would our community even feel the impact? Would anyone even notice? This week starts a section in Revelation containing personalized letters for each of the representative 7 churches. Each letter lists things a church did well, and things that church failed in, all of which are relevant for every church.…
Traditionally the picture of Resurrected Jesus in our minds goes back to a 1st century image of Jesus. The stone rolled away, the empty tomb, the women informing the other disciples about the angle & Jesus is missing. We imagine Peter running to confirm it for Himself, we see Jesus, not yet full glorified appearing to His disciples. It’s a glorious image held dear in our hearts, but what if it isn’t the last image of Himself Jesus gave us to remember? This week, Revelation helped me realize I need to upgrade the image of Resurrected Jesus in my heart & mind. A new revelation of who Resurrected Jesus is, what He looks like, what He’s doing right now, & what He will do. This picture of Resurrected Jesus unveiled for us is meant to change how we see Him, even on Easter Sunday.…
Lets read this passage written by a 90-year-old man in an isolated, 1st century prison, no plumbing, no electricity, no medical care, no heating or cooling, bad nutrition...(REVELATION 1:4B–8) JOHN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES THAT ARE IN ASIA: GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM HIM WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME, AND FROM THE SEVEN SPIRITS WHO ARE BEFORE HIS THRONE, [5] AND FROM JESUS CHRIST THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD, AND THE RULER OF KINGS ON EARTH. TO HIM WHO LOVES US AND HAS FREED US FROM OUR SINS BY HIS BLOOD [6] AND MADE US A KINGDOM, PRIESTS TO HIS GOD AND FATHER, TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN. [7] BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, AND EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM, EVEN THOSE WHO PIERCED HIM, AND ALL TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL WAIL ON ACCOUNT OF HIM. EVEN SO. AMEN. [8] “I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA,” SAYS THE LORD GOD, “WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY”.…
Historically, Revelation has been not only the most intriguing book in the Bible, but also the most intimidating. Yet somehow, even though its talked about a lot, in many ways it’s also the most neglected by individual believers. My experience is most Christians aren’t nearly as familiar with Revelation as they are other books in the Bible. Most have probably, for example red Genesis or the letters of Paul more often than Revelation. As a result, what most people know about Revelation, they have relied on what others say about it. Many have been taught Revelation is about codes, riddles, clues, puzzles, like a Christian version of Nostradamus. I suspect most Christians consult google about Revelation more than reading it for ourselves, or in community. As a result, there’s perhaps more innocent misunderstanding of Revelation than any other book in the Bible. Many Christians can’t resist the urge to collate its images alongside of current events, world news headlines. Each generation of the church has tried to infuse contemporary news & world events into the pages of Revelation. People have inserted everything from presidents, to popes, to governments, to wars, to pandemics, to famines. People try to interpret the images in Revelation literally, others approach it as if it were a sudoku math puzzle, some use it as inspiration for doomsday preparation, a manual for surviving an inevitable future global catastrophe. Many have used Revelation to elevate themselves, claiming special prophetic insight to unlock its “hidden” secrets. Revelation has been unrightfully used to divide and splinter the church based on erroneous end times interpretations. None of these was the purpose or intention of John when he wrote Revelation, so what is the purpose? It’s to reveal Jesus in ways we’ve never seen Him before! Shouldn’t that be more compelling than this other stuff?…
“…SINCE YOU ARE WAITING FOR THESE, BE DILIGENT TO BE FOUND BY HIM WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH, AND AT PEACE.” What are “these” we are waiting for? When Jesus returns, He will gather His church, then expose & remove evil. Obviously, followers of Jesus are supposed to be “waiting for these”, but what should our waiting look like? What does Peter mean when He says we should be found without spot or blemish, and at peace? What’s harder, believing in Jesus’ return, or being diligent to be found by Jesus w/out spot or blemish and at peace? What does without spot or blemish and at peace even mean? Is living like that even possible? How far does that go? How many of us right now can say, “I am waiting without spot or blemish and at peace? I call it “Perfect waiting” How should “perfect waiting” impact priorities, choices, our relationships with one another & the world around us? How do we know if we’re perfectly “waiting for these”, ready to be found without spot or blemish, at peace? Would a checklist be helpful? Or an example of perfect waiting to follow so we’re found w/out spot, blemish at peace?…
Are there things about this world you believe should change? Things that if there was justice would be wiped away? War? Human trafficking? Racism & bigotry? Violent crime? Murder? Rape? What about Economic injustice? Corporate greed? Government corruption & evil? What about things like natural disasters that cause so much pain? What about cancer? COVID? What about other moral issues like abortion, euthanasia, on and on…Most people have some sort of vision or hope for what the world should be, including strong opinions on solutions. The human heart naturally longs for all things to be made right. We hope for a better world, a better tomorrow. We hope for that personally, for our family, our community, our country, the world. We long for eutopia. We advocate for those issues and solutions, with great passion, as we should as part of our royal priesthood. Sometimes we make a real difference, but it’s never enough, no matter how hard we try, we can’t have total success. There is only one event that will make this world everything we hope, that will fulfill our desires, God’s Judgement.…
Waiting for the return of Jesus can be frustrating for some, a cause for anxiety in others, I mean it’s a big event! Have you ever heard people attempt to predict when Jesus will return? I’ve seen so many predicted days come & Go. Ironically, we want to know even though Jesus specifically says nobody will know the day or the hour He will return. One of the passages often used, in conjunction with others in Daniel & Revelation is today’s passage in 2 Peter 3. Its natural though, to scour scriptures, for clues, signals numbers, elaborate prophetic formulas that might tell us. Why do we want to know so bad? So, we aren’t caught off guard? Would following Jesus be easier if we knew? Let me tell how I think it would go: “I’ve got another 25 years before Jesus comes; today’s not special.” Followers of Jesus know His return is a reality that should impact how we live each day, but is that practical? We’ve been waiting our whole lives; the church has waited for 2,000 years. Is it possible to develop “Return Fatigue”? Let’s go there, its ok to admit it. Does waiting for the return of Jesus ever become out of sight out of mind for you? What if there was a way practical way to live in expectation of His return as a part of our everyday life?…
“STILL A MAN BELIEVES WHAT HE WANTS TO BELIEVE, AND DISREGARDS THE REST” – SIMON & GARFUNKEL, “THE BOXER” Have you disagreed with someone who refused to acknowledge important obvious points in your argument? We have all been on both sides of this equation though. Every human in history has been. Sometimes stubbornness starts with ignorance, in that situation there’s hope information & persuasion will help. But what about when someone knows the information but still refuses to acknowledge obvious truth? Can you relate? The problem there isn’t education, lack of knowledge, Its morality, human nature. Information can’t cure our depravity. This might be the saddest quality of human depravity when we willfully reject obvious truth. Why is that? Sometimes truth can be humiliating, troubling, requiring costly changes, courageous choices, humbling acceptance. Sometimes truth is so frightening we chose ignorance, even willing & ready to risk the inevitable consequences. The cost of willful ignorance is particularly high when it comes to spiritual truth, those are permanent, eternal.…
What is your first reaction to the phrase “the last days” or the return of Jesus? There is the churchy answer “Oh man what a glorious day that will be”, but all of us have a little anxiety right? Do you think biblical prophecy, signs that point to the possibility that the end is just around the corner? The topic is a little intimidating theologically, it makes you anxious. It should be the most comforting. Since the first century, one of the critical non-negotiables in Christian theology was that Jesus taught He will return. Apostles & early church fathers were all in agreement: We are in the last days & the return of Jesus was imminent. Early on, it was held as one of the most precious, comforting apostolic teachings. It was also the most attacked. It’s not surprising the enemy would target it. It’ll be his worst day, his worst moment, when evil is wiped out. We’ve seen an entire range of false teaching: Failed predictions, already happened, outright rejection, adding stuff. It’s been used for centuries for manipulation, fear mongering, financial gain (like in 2 Peter). Fast forward to today, it's still one of the most mis-taught, misunderstood teachings in the church.…
My wife Laura grew up in NY, she used to always tell me how bad chain restaurant pizza was, but I dismissed that. Then, we moved to NY just outside of Queens, a couple block away was Angeleto. It’s the best Sicilian pizza you’ll ever eat. The perfectly tangy sauce, fresh cheese, crunchy edges… transformational. In the city, on the corner of Spring & Mott was Lombardi’s (PIC) the best thin crust fired oven pizza ever. I could never settle for Pizza hut or Domino’s again. I can’t go back, I won’t. Why? Because I tasted the real thing. Have you ever experienced something made the old ways dissatisfying because you’ve experienced real version? If we have truly experienced the joy of His grace and His community, that’s how following Jesus should be, I don’t know how anyone could ever go back to life without Jesus, if they’ve really tasted Living water…
Have you ever had someone you care about wounded, misled, or taken advantage of by someone or a group? How did that make you feel? What did you want to do? What did you want to say to those who did it? Did you play scenarios in your head what you would say, how it would go if you had a chance to unleash? When people we love are victimized, it’s fertile ground for outrage or anger, sometimes justified. Here’s another question. Have you ever wounded, misled, or taken advantage of someone else’s loved one? Were you confronted? Were you embarrassed? Did you lash back? Were you humbled, ask for forgiveness? If you think about it, all of us, intentionally or not, have wounded someone else’s loved one. Certainly, evil should be called out, it should be dealt with… but how do we do that without seeming to be hypocrites? It’s a hard balance, isn’t it? Managing our righteous anger toward those who hurt our loved ones. Then on the other hand, maintaining humility over the fact that outside of God’s Grace, we’re all capable of it?…
Do you ever wonder why God sometimes seemingly lets evil have its way? Why doesn’t He judge it immediately? We know evil is caused by sin, perhaps even our own… but why does God even allow sin to be a thing in the first place? Wy must we even tolerate false teaching? Didn’t’ Christ suffer on the cross to defeat evil? Will evil ever get what it deserves? We grapple with these questions today, same as the 1st century church. We are even more exposed to false teaching than the 1st century church. Internet, locally, nationally. You can’t escape the reality that God’s people will always be plagued by evil of false teaching around us. it’s easy to lose heart, give up. Where do we turn? Where do we get the motivation, inspiration to wait patiently? How can we get the confidence & assurance we need, that God knows what He’s doing? And we can rest easy?…
What is the problem with false teaching? Why is it so bad? Why is it so important? You may not realize it but without your church family & constant reminder you are very vulnerable to false teachers. Why are people so susceptible to false teachers? What makes false teaching so attractive, so alluring? It has Something for everyone… atheistic, deistic, philosophical, theological. It can be radical, subtle, or in between. False teaching is the fertilizer that causes overgrown depravity throughout human history. A framework for redefining morality (or rejecting it all together) and elevating it above God’s law & priorities.…
Why do we follow Jesus? Why do we go through the trouble of living in accordance to His commands? - Why do we put our faith and trust for eternity in His promises to the degree it changes how we live on earth? The reason? You have been convinced the words of Jesus are true, reliable enough to devote your life to Him. That makes sense, right? We follow Jesus, trust in Jesus because we’re confident He is the Way, the Truth & the Life. If that is true for you, are you able to articulate the reasons? Could you pass those things on to others?…
What if, I told you God says its ok to indulge the flesh with anything we want for the next 30 days? Eat or drink whatever, whenever, don’t worry about health repercussions, they aren’t important for this month. Don’t worry about sexual purity, integrity, or any biblical righteousness… for 30 days, none of that matters. Likely, if you are a follower of Jesus,, you know this is a bad idea. Even with a promise of no spiritual or earthly consequences, a follower or Jesus is repulsed by this idea, or should be. What would be the impact if we did the opposite? Intentionally pursued a list of things to make our faith stronger?…
When your faith is challenged, by friends, family, or the world, how competently, confidently can you recall those things? Are you able to give a reasonable summary & defense of teachings of Jesus, & why they are reliable, trustworthy? Can you remember important things to enlighten those who don’t know truth, and encourage those who do? Of course, one person alone can’t know it all, but here are some things every follower of Jesus should remember. Things critical to our confidence, our ability to be Royal priests in a hostile world. That’s what 2 Peter is about.…
Have you ever had the privilege of spending significant time with Christians in other parts of the world? Several years ago, I went on a missions trip to a mountain village in Peru, mostly native south American Indians. I spent 10 days with precious believers who loved the same Jesus I did, read the same scriptures, embraced the cross. My experience with this little mountain village church started a transformation of my understanding of the church. Those memories have helped me as we have worked through 1 Peter, I think you’ll understand why today.…
A Christmas Eve message: - Did you ever receive the perfect gift? Can you remember your favorite Christmas gifts ever? For each person, the gift of faith from Heavenly Dad is unique, with exceptional circumstances, meaning, special revelation. -Sadly, over time we can forget how precious that perfect gift is, we begin to forget that very 1st day we opened it.…
Imagine you’re in a burning building, & firefighters show up to rescue you, would you question their orders or direction as they tried to get you away from danger? Would you say, I don’t need trained firefighters to get out of this. All I need is God! He and I can handle anything! NO of course not, because as the heat and flames intensify, you’d be fully aware of the danger & do what they say. What about a different type of danger, what about evil? Most Christians seem oblivious to evil, ignoring or neglecting those responsible to shepherd their souls. How acute is your awareness of the forces of darkness? How can you determine if you’re living dangerously?…
Have you ever heard the term “Sheeple”? What does that mean? Is it a compliment or an insult? Ever hear phrases like “dumb sheep”, or “led like sheep”? Nobody likes to be called a sheep. Sheep are very useful livestock, providing wool, protein (delish), keeping fields from being overgrown. But sheep are high maintenance, the get lost easily, and they can’t find their own way back home.- Why does Jesus call us sheep? Spiritually we’re just like sheep, easily distracted, lost, vulnerable, we need shepherds…
How many sermons have you listened to in your life? Is there a way to measure how you are applying the things we learn from God’s Word into our lives? The only way to know how strong our faith is, is to play a game. We need to be tested. The problem is, too many of us are content with just practicing, rarely getting on the field to play.…
Do you ever struggle with doubt about your faith in Jesus. Is heaven real? Is all this Jesus stuff legit? Is the promise of eternity w/God worthy of the sacrifices necessary for us to be a true disciple of Jesus? What if there was a way we could be reassured, even in moments of doubt, that our Jesus is reliable? What if that assurance is tied to real suffering, not suffering because of our sin, but suffering tied to Jesus? What if struggling with doubt is directly tied to how we handle suffering?…
#16 in our series on 1 Peter: Preparing for future trouble is particularly important for many people. What about apocalyptic predictions or theories? Are you the person who takes them seriously? -What about biblical warnings like the “end of all things”? Should we take them seriously, or leave them for tomorrow? When it comes to preparation it’s important to know what the priorities are and make those your first focus. Related Sermons: https://tinyurl.com/MarkNo61-HopeOnAHillside https://tinyurl.com/MarkNo62-HopeInTribulation https://tinyurl.com/MarkNo63-HopeNow…
Do you ever get discouraged about how often earthly passions get in the way of you Kingdom passions? How can we make sure our first priority is the Kingdom of God? Thats the question we seek to answer in week 15 of our series on 1 Peter
In this weeks sermon from 1 Peter 3:18-22, we learn about demons, the cross, Noah & the Ark, and how all of that together provides a beautiful picture of being immersed in the transformational promise God has made to redeem us. There's alot here this week, so grab a snack and settle in!
Have you ever been so passionate about something it drives you to fight for what you believe is right? Is that always the right thing to do? Are there times we should chose peace over conflict, even if we are 100% on the "right" side? We study that concept in this week's sermon from 1 Peter
Have you ever heard someone say, “I am blessed”? or “Life is good” What do they mean when they say that? Maybe it’s a job you love, financial security, a material goal like your dream car, dream house… That’s good stuff, right? In this week's sermon from 1 Peter we learn how Peter defined blessed, how to live a life "full of good days"…
In this sermon from 1 Peter 3, we take a deep dive into what Peter meant when he told 1st century wives to submit to & honor their husbands and 1st century husbands to honor & cherish their wives. It's probably not what you think!
In this week's sermon from 1 Peter, we are commanded to be willing to put aside even our passion for earthly justice, for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the priesthood we have been called to.
This weeks sermon from 1 Peter focuses on Peter's command for followers of Jesus to be obedient to government, even governments we disagree with. The reason? So we can make serving the Kingdom of God our priority before anything else.
Pedro is president & founder of Urban Youth Justice, a dynamic outreach to teens across the southeast in the juvenile justice system. A member of GraceLife Sarasota, Pedro has a compelling redemption story and a powerful message about the importance of discipleship, especially among society's most neglected.…
In week 8 of our series on 1 Peter we learn about the new "priesthood", how all followers of Jesus are called to relentless service, and to be a conduit of God's mercy and grace to those around us
In an emotional week for GraceLife, we start ch 2 of 1 Peter, where Peter describes God's people as "living stones" used to build a "spiritual" house of God. Its a powerful truth about loving God's people more than buildings.
The concluding verses of ch 1 of 1 Peter are some of the most beautiful, complex verses in all the New Testament. In them Peter teaches the miracle of how the Gospel has the power to purify our souls, and how the evidence of that purification is the relentless love of His church.
In our third sermon in 1 Peter, we learn about the greatest story ever, the story of our salvation. We also learn why its the story the angels in heaven cannot get enough of!
In our second week in 1 Peter, we learn about how important it is for our faith to be tested by heaviness, so others can be inspired to believe and remain faithful
Week six in our series on the story of Jonah, are you mad at God? Are you sure you even know? What does being mad at God look like? How do we get there?
Part 4 on our series of Jonah, we study the difference between Jonah's first confession in chapter 1 and his real confession in chapter 2. How often do you engage is false confessions? How can you know if your confession is genuine?
In week three of our series on Jonah, we study the contrasting reactions to Gods presence between the pagan sailors and the prophet Jonah. Why were the pagan sailors more excited about grace than the prophet?
Week one in our new series on the book of Jonah, where we learn how Jonah tried to be selective in what parts of God's Word he would follow. That never works out well for any of us, including Jonah.
Our final sermon in our series on the Gospel of Mark where we study the controversial last 12 verses and learn 100% verifiable reasons why we can implicitly trust our New Testament as reliable and authoritative.
We begin Mark 16 with the story of the resurrection of Jesus, and how even the most loyal and faithful of Jesus' followers, still needed help from God to believe the resurrection was true.
When Jesus died on the cross there were significant consequences. Some where immediate but temporary. Others were eternal. In fact we are still experiencing consequences of the cross today. This sermon seeks to reveal those consequences, the good and the bad.
We begin chapter 15 of the Gospel of Mark with the story of Pilate and Barabbas, and how Jesus was condemned to be crucified and a murderous revolutionary was set free.
This week's sermon from the Gospel of Mark falls on Easter Sunday 2021, where we learn about the Ultimate Easter, and the total fulfillment and satisfaction it will bring.
In this week's sermon from Mark on Palm Sunday, we study what drove Judas to betray Jesus and Peter & the disciples to abandon Jesus. In that, we learn how we aren't much different from them.
This week we study the passage where Jesus predicts the disciples will fall, but promises to restore them after the resurrection. Its a powerful story that ironically will provide you with immense comfort.
This week in Mark 14, we learn the two most important ingredients in the Lord's Table, remembrance, and hope. We learn how Jesus replaced the old Passover with a new one!
This week we study the story of Mary, sister of Lazarus, and how she drew the ire of the disciples for "wasting" a whole flask of expensive oil on Jesus. Jesus said what she did wasn't a waste, it was beautiful.
In message #56, we study the very familiar phrase from Jesus "Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and render to God what belongs to God". What does that mean for us today? Is this really a lesson about paying our taxes?
Brian Yost from City Commit Sarasota, fills in for Pastor Joe, shares a story about the very beginning of GraceLife and how he sees our church living out the commands of Jesus.
Week 51 of our series on the Gospel of Mark, we learn about Palm Sunday and all the ways Jesus was in complete control. We also learn how that is so important for us today.
Today we celebrate our 4th anniversary as a church family. Join us for video messages from our leadership, Megan, and Joe as we thank God for the GraceLife!
Week 33 of our series on Mark, we learn about how Jesus responded to "very spiritual" people that wanted Him to provide a sign of His power and authority.
Week 31 of our series on the Gospel of Mark, where we discuss the story of how Jesus healed a deaf, mute man, and for the first time in his life, he had a voice.
In week 30 of our series on the Gospel of Mark, we study the story of the Gentile woman, who's faith & wisdom surpassed the Pharisees, and even the disciples.
This passage in Mark teaches us about the vanity of trying to worship God through selfish and self-righteous religion, and also about a nasty spiritual virus called "Corban"
This is a sermon about how Jesus fed the 5,000. What do you think is the number one takeaway from this story for us today? It may not be what you have always assumed.
On this Easter Sunday, 2020 we learn about how there are two sides to every resurrection story, and how you dont want to be on the wrong side of resurrection power.
Week 20 of our series on the Gospel of Mark, breaking down the story of how Jesus traveled across the Sea of Galilee, just to meet with a gentile demonized man.
This week we dive into the final section of this most crucial teaching of Jesus (by His own words), where we learn about how His Kingdom is both massive... and intimate
Week 11 in our series on the Gospel of Mark, Worship Director Megan Mooney discusses the sabbath, and how Jesus challenges conventional thinking about religions rules.
The first in our series on the Gospel of Mark, where we learn why its crucial for us to learn who the REAL Jesus was. We will do it through a systematic study of the Gospel of Mark.
The final message in this series on the life of Joseph, learning how God's promise of something greater motivates us to press on, no matter what Egypt may bring.
In week 25 of our series on the Life of Joseph, we learn about how Jacob saw past his own family to the real promise to Abraham and Isaac, that his family would be a blessing to ALL nations.
This week's message on the Life of Joseph gives is a practical, working definition of wisdom and how desperately we need it if we are going to be effective in a world spiritually starving.
in week 23 of our series on the Life of Joseph we learn how a flawed, dysfunctional, dying Jacob is used by God to bless Pharaoh and connect him to the God of Abraham.
This week we begin two weeks of studying the amazing relationship between Joseph and Pharaoh, and how their friendship changed the course of human history.
in week 21 of our series on the Life of Joseph we learn about how children of God should always desire reconciliation and restoration more than personal revenge and justice.
In week 16 of this series on the Life of Joseph we start a 3 part section on how Joseph had to learn to deal with bitterness and un-forgiveness as he he reunited with his brothers
Week 15 on the Life of Joseph, with a unique twist on how Joseph's impact on Egypt during the famine and how it relates to what Jesus taught us about being "salt and light" in the world.
Continuing a series on the Life of Joseph, studying that moment when Pharaoh realized the source of truth he had relied upon his whole life had failed him.
Week 8 of our study on the life of Joseph, we learn about the richness of the majestic Hebrew word CHESED, and how it kept Joseph no matter what Egypt brought into his life.
After 4 weeks looking at family dysfunction, week 5 in our series on the life of Joseph starts a new section where we look at the role of grace in the life of Joseph and his family
Week 3 of our series on Joseph, the story of how Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, and how it relates to our own depravity and need for redemption
This week's sermon is now available on our YouTube channel as well as our audio only podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PB2bicfk_A&feature=youtu.be
Week 2 in 2 John, teaching us about how the command to love one another must be guarded from those that seek to take advantage of it for the wrong reasons.
Apologies for the error in formatting with the slides. This is the next in our series on 1 John, an encouragement to trust the simplicity of the Gospel
The next in our series on 1 John, Taking a look at why the ancient commandment of love brings fresh love and transformation while the philosophies of man cannot
Week 16 of our series on 2 Corinthians. This week the topic is what Paul teaches are the church's responsibilities related how the generosity of its people is collected, managed, reported, and spent.
Week 15 of our series on 2 Corinthians, following up with a mini series within the series about Generosity. This week how Generosity is a result of being connected to God, His Kingdom, and His people
An Easter sermon focusing on how Jesus was in control over every aspect of Holy Week, and was not a victim, but was our Sovereign Savior
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Fr. Larry Richards is the founder and president of The Reason for our Hope Foundation, a non- profit organization dedicated to ”spreading the Good News” by educating others about Jesus Christ. His new homilies are posted each week.
The Village Church exists to bring glory to God by making disciples through gospel-centered worship, gospel-centered community, gospel-centered service and gospel-centered multiplication.
Welcome to the Enjoying Everyday Life TV podcast with Joyce Meyer. To learn more, visit our website at joycemeyer.org or download the Joyce Meyer Ministries App. By supporting Joyce Meyer Ministries, you can help us reach hurting people around the world. To find out more, go to joycemeyer.org/donate
Love God, love people, and change the world. We believe the life and lessons of Jesus aren’t just good advice, but are Good News for us here and now. As a church, we are all about following Jesus and know there’s no end to that journey—we’re more about becoming than arriving. We are committed to becoming a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multiplying movement of Christ followers, equipping and empowering our kids and students to not only be the church of tomorrow, but the church of today.