Word of Grace Church: Recent Episodes
Word of Grace Church
Listen to messages from Word of Grace Church in Chesterland, Ohio. As a community, we exist to love on God with all that we are and to share His Grace with everyone. You can find us on Social Media or at www.wordofgracechurch.com
We're having some fun this summer and looking at some of the awkward moments that happen with and around Jesus in the Gospels. Each of them holds a lot for us to chew on if we will lean in and allow the Spirit to teach our hearts. We begin with a particularly pungent moment.
The Birth of the Church. The reversal of Babel. The Empowerment we need. Celebrate Pentecost with us!
We had the privilege of hearing from Sara Barravechia this Mother's Day with a special encouragement for moms, and all of us!
Following on from our amazing time with Gary Spicer, we take a deeper look at what it means to be real with our stories, with God and with others.
Welcome Gary Spicer back with us to share for Word of Grace's 27th Anniversary! Gary taught us about stepping into God's Favor.
Following up on a reality we looked at on Resurrection Sunday, Pastor Ryan takes a look at the "Perfect Love" that drives out fear.
Dale joins us to give an update on his and Becky's work in Shanghai, and to encourage us from the Book of Acts.
In the aftermath of the Resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days coming and going among his followers, and there are some amazing keys for us in the moments that took place, as we live now awaiting His Return.
Join in on the greatest story of all with us! We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and look at what it means for us in this special Easter Message.
As we dig into the story of Jesus' Triumphal entry, it may be familiar, but we find it still speaks to our hearts today.
In preparation for Holy Week, we focus in on a theme from scripture to frame some of the actions and conversations of Jesus in a new, or maybe very old, light.
In this last look at Moses, we see him weary and in need of some help. Pastor Ryan challenges us to consider our limits and turn to one another.
Take off your sandals Moses, you're on Holy Ground. Today we turn our attention to the feet of Moses.
Looking at four tangible things from the life of Moses, we start with the voice of Moses.
Growing together in loving attachment shapes our identity and our character in Christ. It also helps us in a specific way that we sometimes don't like. Our shared identity makes space for healthy correction that we all need sometimes. Take a look at the Word with us and commit to building in relationship for Fruit That Lasts.
Following on last week's discussion, we take a look at what enriches the soil of our hearts. What adds into our lives the nutrients that God can use to grow fruit that lasts?
Why isn't information enough to guarantee transformation? Today we're taking a deeper (and nerdier) look at how God designed us for change.
When Jesus invites us to remain in Him, He doesn't mince words. "Apart from me you can do nothing," He said. One reality of Fruit That Lasts in our lives is that this connection to Him requires dependence. We're an independent people, and so often disconnected, but we need to recover this posture of coming to God and simply saying, "I need you."
As we launch into a new year, we don't just want more of the same. Jesus called us to produce fruit that lasts, and we look at the reality that His fruit in our lives doesn't come about with the methods of man, or business as usual, but with more of His Presence in us, and presence with one another.
As everyone shows off for Christmas, we remember that the greatest display was from God Himself, as He showed us the depth of His love and transforming power for us!
During our Kids' Christmas Takeover, our Children's Director Sharon Oliver shared a message with us on the hope of transformation that Christmas brings to us.
Friends from the UK joined us to bring refreshing all weekend, and Gary shared this message with out church about Divine Deliverance.
As we close our series, we take a look at Home, and our part to play until the Day of the Lord arrives.
This week we return to our key passage in Romans 13, and look at the higher calling we have to love our neighbor as ourselves.
With our youth students joining us this week, we took a look at a very important moment in scripture where young people led the way in faithfulness.
We continue to look at our calling to be different, Citizens of Heaven on this earth. In particular, we allowed James to talk with us about our talk. The hidden reality is this, we can only bring forth the words of life when we realize how God has always been speaking life over us!
As we represent Jesus in our daily grind, one of the things we're called to do is to be good listeners, but that is a dying art in our world. We look at some of the habits of our world, and the ways of Jesus, in this message. Finally, we remember that our God is a God who listens to us!
As followers of Jesus, we don[t get confused about where our power comes from. Jesus promises us something so much greater than anything in this world can.
When it comes to building our lives, we must consider the foundation first. Pastor Ryan shares with us about the reality of lordship, that we were made to properly attach to God Himself. God also gave us free will, and we have so many other would-be masters today. We're called to make an unpopular choice, and it is one that leads to unparalleled promise in our lives.
Brant talked to us about the disciples of Jesus and reminded us of how the Holy Spirit worked in their lives!
We launched into a new study this weekend on what it looks like for us to be citizens in this world, while being citizens of another... the Kingdom of God.
Dave shared with us about the importance of learning to war as part of a weekend where he poured into our church family.
Our final attitude from Ephesians comes from the famous passage of Paul on Spiritual Warfare. We are to Stand.
In the next section of our Three Part Overview of Ephesians, we look at the call to Walk. Paul returns to this over and over again, and get's really specific about how we walk with Jesus, particularly in unity with one another.
Pastor CJ brought a great illustration in three minutes for us to think about as we look at Spiritual Warfare.
The first of our three-part look at the postures in Ephesians, we explore the grace of God and our invitation to sit with Him.
As we continue looking at relationships in the life of a disciple, we come to the idea of authority, and Bill reminded us of a challenging passage of scripture on how we are to relate to authority.
As we see the unprecedented rise of anxiety in our moment, we want to remind ourselves, as Followers of Jesus, of our baseline. The Word calls us to lift up our eyes and look to God... He is our rock.
Wrap up our study in 2 Timothy with us. How do we stay faithful and burn bright for Jesus in a world with a lot of darkness? As Paul ends we see his unspoken answer in the way he lived his life: For Jesus and deeply committed to others.
Sandie shared some of her personal story and how she learned to talk to Jesus and lean on Him.
This week's Tribe Talk has an unexpected twist at the end! Lisa kicked off our month looking at relationships and you don't want to miss it.
Coming close to the end of this letter from Paul to Timothy, we take a look at Paul's final culture-shifting charge to the young leader, and it strikes close to home for us as well.
Becky recapped an important lesson for us all as we wrapped up the chapter in our study on the Disciples' Disciplines. She talked to us about guarding our hearts and living generously.
Guest Speaker Pastor Randy Young shares with us from a challenging passage in 2 Timothy 2.
We dive into chapter 2 of 2 Timothy and look at some practical advice from Paul in the form of three metaphors.
We're diving into 2 Timothy, the final letter of Paul to a young pastor whom he calls his beloved son. As we dive in, Paul warmly greets Timothy and then encourages him to keep the fire burning, and rely on the Spirit.
Lara shares with us about following the promptings of the Holy Spirit and how God used that in her U+2 Group.
Shari talked with us about hearing God's Voice and encouraged us that, even when we feel invisible, God sees us and knows where we are.
As we celebrated all the fathers, we took a look at the challenge and the calling of being a father.
As we continue our conversation from Matthew 13, we look at the final kind of unproductive soil Jesus reveals, before getting to the good studd. The soil is representative of the condition of our hearts, how receptive we are to God's truth. Every single day our hearts will be reflected in one of these types or more. Jump in with us and, when you feel God highlighting something in your life, don't miss the practical equipping at the end!.
In the first of our two-part conversation from Matthew 13, Pastor Ryan unpacks two of the types of soil Jesus reveals. The soil is representative of the condition of our hearts, how receptive we are to God's truth, and why. Every single day our hearts will be reflected in one of these types or more. Jump in with us and, when you feel God highlighting something in your life, don't miss the practical equipping at the end!.
Peter shares about how God's Grace has impacted his life and continues to lead the way.
Last minute... no problem. Pastor Ryan gave us the whirlwind tour of the garden narrative as we look at the human condition in this tribe talk!
Melissa nailed it this weekend for our Tribe Talk as we open up the fourth chapter of our Discipleship Journey.
On our 26th Anniversary, Pastor Ryan called us to live out and speak out a Testimony of Grace, both individually, and as a church family.
Our last part of this short conversation focuses on the Apostle Paul and the story of his transformation.
Bob challenged us with an important reminder... time here is short, let's get going on what God has called us to.
Part Two of our short conversation following the Resurrection, we're looking at the moment with Peter and Jesus on the beach.
There is one secret to getting more time for your tribe talk, and Melissa did just that, so her tribe talk was a minute long, but right on point! Don't miss it.
Over three weeks, we're looking at three familiar characters that had encounters with the Resurrected Lord, and how it changed everything. In every case, we see a turn, a notable change in them. This week we begin with Mary Magdalene.
He is Risen! We closed our series, The Crown, with a look at the Crown of Victory, the one which only Jesus deserves. He has overcome, and promises resurrection life to us as well.
On Good Friday, we took a look at the crown Jesus chose to wear for us. He bore our burden, and dealt with our real problem... sin. He became sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Zakhar invoked the elder bonus for his tribe talk, and got some extra time. We didn't want to cut him short as he shared his testimony of forgiveness.
As we begin our Easter Series with Palm Sunday, we looked at John's Gospel and the Crown of the Crowd. John also ties this moment to a more intimate setting with Jesus at the banquet of Bethany, where two familiar faces are wrestling with the same big question as the crowd of Palm Sunday: Who is Jesus? It's still the most important question for us today.
In our final session of the Transformed series on Romans 12, we look at the counterformational practices Paul calls us to in verses 17-21. We serve a God of Justice and Mercy who will fight our battles for us!
We're thankful for what God is doing and the stories we've been able to hear in our Tribe Talks. In this edition, Sara Barravechia shared some of her journey through tragedy and how the Lord has been present with her.
Loving in the way of Jesus looks a little different than the moving target that is "love" in our culture. Pastor CJ unpacks Paul's words in Romans 12:9-13.
Paul shared a personal testimony with us and reminded us on Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God."
We pick up in Romans 12:4-8 as Paul examines what it means for us to be the Body of Christ, diverse and yet unified, where every part has a purpose and gifting.
Packing a whole lot into three minutes, Pastor Randy refocused us on the two important questions from our Discipleship Journey and a new pattern of worship we've been putting in place.
Listen in as our surprise speaker encourages us in our prayer lives and shares his personal testimony.
With Tribe Talks, we're hearing from someone in our community every week for a short word of encouragement and wisdom. Tosin continued the tradition for us this week and packed a ton into three minutes!
Working our way through Romans 12, we come to verse 3, as Paul invites us to think of ourselves with sober judgment.
As we journey together in God's Word, we're hearing from someone in our community every week for a short word of encouragement and wisdom. Kyle kicks off this fun and uplifting practice for us!
Maybe the most quotable verse in Romans 12, and our title verse for this study, is Romans 12:2 which we unpack together in this message.
This message is the beginning of a new study in Romans 12, which is a pivotal point in Paul's letter to the Romans and where things become really practical for us as we live out our lives for Christ. But the passage begins with a therefore...
As we wrap-up our January series, Pastor Ryan reminds us of the desire of God for our lives, to draw us back to the place of delight in Him.
As we continue to look at the Journey Jesus calls us to, we talk about the tension in our culture of a public/private life of faith, and allow the Word to redefine it for us.
In January we're talking about the Journey of Discipleship to which Jesus calls each of us, and the first thing we're looking at is this: It's a journey we take together.
All of the miracles that happened surrounding the birth of Christ make it an impossibly long shot, unless this story is being told by the God of the Universe!
Kicking-off our Christmas series in 2022, Pastor Ryan looks at the variety of narratives in our world, the fact that we were made for stories, and calls us to live into the story God Himself is telling.
Pastor Ryan returns from Nigeria and brings an important reminder for us about where our contentment and fulfillment is found.
After 3 years, we were joined again by Gary Spicer from Coventry, UK, sharing testimony and challenging us to move forward as individuals and as a church.
After all this practical teaching, how does Paul end his letter to the church at Corinth? The same way he has talked to them the whole way through... with the Gospel front and center.
In this message we focus on one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture, Paul's poetic exposition of the Love we have in Christ.
Pastor Ryan dives into 1 Corinthians 12, as Paul discusses Spiritual Gifts and their purpose with the believers in Corinth.
Join us in hearing from Pastor Randy, one of the elders of our church as he shares with us about the next generation.
Moving into a new series of thoughts from Paul, we tackle the first two topics of what happens when we gather together in Chapter 11.
Before we move on from Paul's discussion on food, there is one more point that he makes that we should pay attention to. Blink and you'll miss it, but the significance is massive. Pastor Ryan speaks to us about the spiritual realities in our world that we sometimes ignore, but are so significant for us.
Every once in a while, we like to do something a little different. We bring back songs from across the generations of church life, and remember the heritage we have as members of God's Family. Pastor Ryan shared with us, on this Throwback Sunday, about valuing and passing along the heritage we share.
Return with Pastor Ryan to Paul's famous letter to the Corinthians. As they were looking for black and white rules, Paul teaches them instead to navigate the tricky gray areas of life together by a higher way of thinking!
Join pastor CJ as he looks into 1 Corinthians 8, where Paul talks about questions of our freedoms and how to put each other first in love.
Pick back up with us as Paul pivots his letter in chapter 7. Paul answers some key questions and addresses specific situations with care and practicality, and we would do well to listen today!
Psalm 107 begins the final book in the entire collection of Psalms, and reminds us that no matter where we've gone astray, God is mighty to save! More than that, in Him we find all of our longings satisfied!
As Summer draws to a close, we love celebrating with Water Baptism and our Church Picnic. Hear Pastor Ryan's message from Celebration Sunday here.
Psalm 84 reminds us of the incredible truth that there is nothing like being in the house of the Lord, and how those whose hearts are set on Him will be refreshed, even in those seasons where things seem dry and hopeless.
Paul takes a look at one of the big difficulties facing the church in Corinth - the culture of "anything goes" sexuality. He continually reminds them of who they are in Christ, and counters two axiomatic statements they were fond of with two Biblical truths of his own.
This week we look at David's heart on display. He is extraordinarily open in a moment of weakness, where he realizes he has something to confess to the Lord and teaches us how to do just that. Psalm 32, along with Psalm 51, are two of the great examples of a heart of repentance in the Psalms.
As we get into Chapter 6, Pastor Ryan looks at another issue going on in the church, but more importantly, the way Paul continually reminds us of who we are. Front and center of our priorities is our identity in Christ and our witness to the world.
Take a look at Psalm 121 with us and the wonderful reminder that God is our Help in all things!
This week in our study of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, we get into some touchy topics. Paul changes gears in chapter five and addresses some specific questions and situations. Just a heads up, this is not one to listen to with the little kids around.
The Final Psalm in the entire collection is unique and calls us to action! Come dwell in the Word with us and allow it to move you into an attitude of praise to the Lord.
Thank God the Apostle Paul doesn't just show up and deride the people at Corinth for their divisions and factions. Instead, he reminds them of who they are called to be together. He gets back to the heart of the issue with them and we would be wise to listen, and then commit our hearts to the Unity of Christ's Body.
An unbelievable source of comfort when things are challenging in life, Psalm 91 has been a watchword of God's People for generations, and we hope it will be a blessing to you! Jump in with Pastor Ryan and meditate this week on the promises of God.
Continuing in our series on Paul's First Letter to God's Church at Corinth, we look at the first big problem Paul addresses - Divisions in the church. Pastor CJ unpacks where this divisiveness comes from and how we need to be on guard as well.
Have you ever struggled with how life is just plain unfair? Have you ever turned to God and just said "Aren't you seeing this?" Psalm 73 is raw and honest, and refreshingly true to our own emotions. It is also a great reminder to keep our eyes off each other in a time of rampant comparison. When we fix our eyes on Him, we remember that our future is secure and His strength for our today is unlimited.
At the outset of the letter, Paul dives straight into an important distinction that we need to remember today: there is a difference between God's wisdom and man's. Join Dr. Noma Owens as he unpacks this theme at the beginning of this crucial letter.
We're going back to the start for this second episode, and looking at Psalm 1, which really focuses in on the most important choice that we can make on a daily basis.
Pastor Ryan kicks off our new series, looking at Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. This "cultural hot potato" letter speaks just as loudly to our time as it did to Paul's and we hope you will dive in with us!
It's always a good idea to start simple... and in this Psalm, David keeps things nice and easy for us, asking the Lord for just "One Thing." Psalm 27 shows us David in a situation where not everything is going perfectly. It's a situation he is well acquainted with as he has been on the run from enemies more often than not it would seem. But what would life be like if we met every challenging moment head on as David does here, and chose to remind ourselves that God is our true refuge and the one calling to us. What if our hearts responded as his does here, saying to the Lord, "All I need is one thing... to be with you?" Let's press in together.
As we celebrated Father's Day, Pastor Ryan looked at the call on fathers to deeper responsibility and process, and the promise of deeper joy.
Wrap up this study in 4 Key Relationships we need as we look at the dynamic character of Barnabas. We all need someone like Barnabas in our lives!
As we continue looking at four key relationships for followers of Jesus, we are joined by Randy Young. Pastor Randy unpacks for us the importance of allowing God to place a calling in our hearts for those we may not yet know and those who are lost.
This week we examined the second of four key types of relationships for followers of Jesus to cultivate in our lives. Pastor Ryan looks at finding a Paul, a mentor to challenge and encourage us to grow. Don't forget to check out the website to see how you can get involved in developing a new friendship centered on Jesus.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be invested in each other's lives and to make disciples. We are examining four key types of relationships for followers of Jesus to cultivate in our lives, and then we're asking you to prayerfully allow God to take you deeper in one of these types of relationship as we follow Jesus together.
As we celebrate our silver anniversary, we are reminded that God is ever refining us by His Spirit, and wants us to reflect His Heart of Celebration.
Celebrate Moms with us and look at the incredible story of a faithful mother whose genuine prayers changed more than just her own family.
Pastor CJ dives into the Ascension with our tribe, a pivotal moment that sometimes gets overlooked in the Easter story.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, the Risen King, with us as we look at the story of Resurrection Sunday through the tearful eyes of Mary Magdalene.
Continue with us in the story of Holy Week as we experience Good Friday through the eyes of Simon Peter.
As we come to the story of Palm Sunday, we look at the expectations of the crowd and even those in Jesus' inner circle.
Catch the wrap up of our series - Greater Than - as Pastor Ryan looks into Jesus' words to the Pharisees about "One greater than Solomon."
We're entering Phase Three of this study from Matthew 12, and looking at the story of Solomon. Pastor CJ digs into the story from 1 Kings that echoes though to our age and culture today.
We turn our attention to Jonah's story once again, but look at how Jesus is greater! Jesus entered into death for us and emerged victorious, and now we can have new life in Him!
We make our way through the story of Jonah, the prophet that Jesus singles out in his statement "One greater than Jonah is here."
In part one we looked at the meaning of the Temple as a cornerstone of the worldview and worship of the people, and in this second part we examine the way that Jesus really is Greater Than the Temple.
In Matthew 12, Jesus makes three statements comparing Himself to some pretty important things in the lives of those listening to Him. Just like it challenged them at that time, His statements continue to challenge us today. In each of these statements is a precious symbol for the people, but as symbols, they were all limited in some way, and pointing to something greater. With the arrival of Jesus, something greater has truly come. Join us as we dive in to Jesus' statement that He is "greater than the temple."
This episode wraps up our series called The Way with a look at our shared calling from the Lord Himself, to be His witnesses.
We continue our exploration in The Way of Jesus we see in the Book of Acts, and Pastor CJ unpacks the incredible boldness of God's People.
In this episode we're looking at the Spirit-empowered community that God is shaping in the church, and how we can go deeper in committed relationships.
Continuing our look into the early church known simply as "The Way" we look at their fellowship of radical generosity.
In the early church, united by the Spirit from many nations and backgrounds, they found unity in the ways of Jesus and once of the central practices they dedicated themselves to was prayer.
As we continue to look at the early church and the habits they adopted to form life-changing community, their commitment to the Word of God, and the teachings of the Apostles, became a vital, unifying daily practice. Pastor Ryan unpacks our relationship to God's Word and gives practical ways we can give it the proper place in our lives.
Pastor Randy shares with us about the early church's dedication to living in community, and the way we are called to be together for the Kingdom.
Jumping into a New Year, we remember the tried and true way of Jesus. Before we make any resolutions or change habits, we want to start with what matters most... the heart. Pastor Ryan examines a moment in scripture from the Life of King Solomon, and challenges us as we dream for a New Year.
After Christmas, there is still winter, but God's intention was for Christmas to carry on in our hearts and our lives. Pastor Ryan looks on the future that is promised to us because Christmas never ends.
Into our Darkness, on that First Christmas, shined the Light of the World. Come reflect with us on the wonderful coming of Jesus!
Pastor CJ looks at the story that runs just before the birth of Christ, the unexpected arrival of John and the way God works His perfection through imperfect people like us!
This Christmas, despite stories of supply chain issues and warnings to hurry up our shopping, we remember what the real heart of the season is, and we count on the story God is telling! We may see news of shortages, but with our God we Count on Abundance, because our God is extravagant in His love for us.
Randy Young shares with us about the interruptions of Christmas and the life of Christ, and personal stories of God turning those interruptions for His Glory, as he challenges us to be on the lookout for Divine Appointments this Christmas.
Jump into the Christmas Season with us in this episode, where we look at the coming of Christ as fully God and fully human, and what that means for us right here in our moment.
The final message of our Landscapes series looks at one featured landscape in scripture that can even connect them all, the River that appears time and again.
We keep rolling in our Landscapes series, and consider the Desert... the place where Jesus was led and the wilderness to which He returned and invites us to go with Him.
Our second look into the landscapes of scripture brings us to a place we all have a frame of reference for - the valley. The Word shows us several different valleys where the trouble lurks for God's people, but the same God of the mountain is the God of the valley. He is the one who transforms our valleys into places of growth and blessing.
We take a look at the significance of mountains in the ancient world and in scripture, and in particular, we look at the three stories around the Mountain of God and what they mean for us as we approach God's Presence.
Pastor Randy Young joins us to wrap up our Known series and examine the access to His Presence that God makes available for us!
Pastor CJ dives into one of the Bible's foremost focal points, the Love of God, and how we can be ambassadors of His Love.
The masterful creativity and brilliance of our God is on display in Creation, in moments in the Word and through the entirety of the Bible itself. Pastor Ryan helps us to consider God the Artist, how Jesus makes this part of God known, and how God has created each of us as His works of art.
In this message from our series, Known, we take a look at how Patient our Good Father has been with us, how Jesus embodied the patience of God, and how we are called to be patient with others as well.
In this message, we explore God's Father Heart toward us. We all bring our own experiences with earthly fathers to this conversation, but God is the perfect Father, and we look at some of the ways Scripture invites us to depend on Him and trust Him as our Good Father.
Dive in with us to the nature of God that He reveals about Himself, and the paradox of a God who is 100% Justice and 100% Mercy at the same time.
As we study the character of God that He chooses to reveal in scripture, we focus in on Jehovah Shalom - The God of Peace.
Our finite minds can't begin to comprehend our infinite God... except for the fact that He chooses to make Himself known to us, and that's what matters.
It's amazing what happens when someone with the vision and tools gets a hold of old film or original recordings of symphonies. With stunning clarity and beauty, these ancient artforms can be restored to their original intention and design. In the same way, with our lives, when we allow God to be the master, we see just how much He can do in our lives, but the question remains throughout all of scripture, who are we allowing to be the Master of our lives?
We are diving one last time into what it means to be created in God's Image, and the primary place where we step into this identity - in our Work.
Pastor CJ jumps in to share a special message with us from John chapter 13, as we model our lives after the Servant King.
Pastor Ryan brings us back into our discussion on what it means to be made in God's image, Royal Priests.
Pastor Ryan takes us back to one of the most important messages for the church in all of scripture, and reminds us of who we are called to be, together, as Image Bearers of God.
We've been on quite a journey with Jacob, and now we're coming into land. Join us as we wrap up our study - The Ladder - one last time.
We are all Jacob, and we have one final thing to learn as we look at the end of Jacob's life. God had blessed him indeed, but had yet to make him a blessing. Pastor Ryan unpacks how God put him in a place to fulfill the covenant.
Digesting the huge moment of God wrestling with Jacob causes us to really consider what God wants to wrestle with in us! Join Pastor Ryan as he mines this famous passage in Genesis 32, the turning point in the life of Jacob.
Pastor Randy Young joins us to talk about the moment that changed everything for Jacob - the wrestling match with God.
In our last Sunday message we unpacked a key turning point for Jacob, and not exactly a comfortable one! The actions of his brother Esau are a shocking example of the Grace and Mercy of God, and stand in stark contrast to so many of Jacob's actions. In this episode of the Ladder Sessions, we're taking a look at this story and our own and asking the question - "Who is the hero here?"
Just when Jacob has escaped the clutches of Uncle Laban, Jacob goes out of the frying pan and into the fire, with Esau, the jilted older brother, coming straight for him. Pastor Ryan unpacks for us how, when God gets involved, this moment of reckoning turns into an unprecedented reconciliation.
The thing about Jacob's Story is that you can catch glimpses of it throughout the Word of God. Sometimes it is just the pattern of the people that came from Jacob, or the heritage that the Lord sustains for them, but sometimes it is more blatant than that. Pastor Ryan looks at the echo of Jacob that comes straight from the mouth of the Savior himself, in perhaps the most famous story he ever told.
What happens when the trickster gets a taste of his own medicine? Pastor CJ unpacks a moment from the life of Jacob he would never forget!
Things are beginning to change in our study of Jacob. We've gotten a real dose of his nature over the first couple of moments we see with him in the Word of God, but now the hero of the story arrives on the scene. Pastor Ryan examines the drive within all of us for the next thing, the next frontier to explore or achieve, and the way God interacts with us... how He wants to give us more than we can imagine.
The story of Jacob reaches an amazing turning point as the real hero steps into the frame! In a special message for Father's Day 2021, Pastor Ryan looks at the moment God gives Jacob a Dream, and how God is still looking to step into our story as well.
As we continue our study in the Life of Jacob, CJ Hernandez guides us through a deeper dive on the comparison culture that we live in our latest Ladder Session.
In this message from our new series - The Ladder - we look at two episodes that happen between Jacob and Esau, and how Jacob's schemes affect his life.
Following our first Sunday message on the life of Jacob, we want to allow the Word to be a mirror into our own lives and families. Jump into the story with Pastor Ryan and consider your own Family of Origin.
We're finally jumping into something that has been on our hearts for the last six months. We want to slow down and study a story in the Bible that has huge implications for our understanding of all of God's Word, and it is centered around a man named Jacob... a man that would become known as Israel. He's not what you might expect, and Pastor Ryan helps illustrate how the patterns of this anti-hero may just be a mirror for us. But don't worry! There is a hero in the story!
Don't miss out on the rest of this series and the bonus podcasts, called The Ladder Sessions... grab a friend or LifeGroup and check out wordofgracechurch.com/theladder.
In addition to our new series on the Life of Jacob, we're going to release a short podcast episode every week for you to dive into with a close friend or your LifeGroup. We want to go deeper as we study the Word and we hope that these extra sessions and questions will be the perfect companion to allow the Story to follow you throughout the week.
The second part of our little mini series - But The People - shows us another situation where there was a choice to live by God's Way or the whims of others. In this extraordinary moment, we're given an example of what it looks like to live in the Fear of the Lord.
Jump into a short conversation about a huge concept in the Word of God - The Fear of the Lord. This is part one of two and centers on the role of others' opinions in our lives.
Have you ever noticed that names matter tremendously in the Bible? God even goes out of His way to change the name of some amazing people. Abram becomes Abraham… Saul becomes Paul… Jacob becomes Israel. Yet, there are times when we encounter long lists of names and genealogies, and all they get from us is an eye-roll and a turned page! This week we’re getting set to explore one particular moment where a name can clue us in on a greater thing happening, and it is a moment that we can almost guarantee you’ve never slowed down to consider.
Happy Mother's Day from Word of Grace! Listen in as Melissa Onabajo, our Worship and Creative Director, shares from her heart this Mother's Day.
Our church, like THE Church, is a big, messy family, but Pastor Ryan shares with us how Unity in the Love of God is our priority and some practical ways to be devoted to one another and to Jesus in a world that thrives on divisiveness.
Randy Young joins us again to bring an amazing message and encourage us all to exercise the authority we have in Jesus.
Join us as we take a look into a moment where Jesus flashes his righteous anger in John 2.
After the Resurrection of Jesus, everything changed, but for Peter there was still something off. Watch what Jesus does to remind Peter that our Living Hope is found in Him Alone.
In our Living Hope series we come to the moment that changed everything and continues to change everything for us... the Resurrection of Jesus!
Tune in with us for a special Good Friday message from Pastor Ryan. We take some time this Good Friday to share Holy Communion as a Church Family and to fix our eyes on Jesus as He made the choice to give His life for us.
CJ takes a look at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus that kicks off Holy Week for us in our Easter series - Living Hope. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus together!
Welcome to our Easter Series - Living Hope - where we dive back into the story of Easter. Pastor Ryan explores a moment with Jesus from Holy Week as we consider our expectations for Jesus and allow Easter to challenge our hopes.
The final episode in our Contact series, Pastor Ryan looks at a peculiar conversation between Jesus and John the Baptist.
Pastor Ryan lays out for us the kind of love that God shows us by looking at the story of Zacchaeus, who was the furthest thing from lovable. Keep going in our Contact series with us!
In this episode from our Contact series, CJ takes a look at an important moment with Jesus for one of Jesus' best friends.
We've been exploring moments in this series, Contact, where people seek out Jesus and their lives are never the same. In this episode, we are looking at two stories of people who didn't go looking for Jesus. Instead... Jesus goes looking for them.
In this episode from our series - Contact - we look at an incredible moment where Jesus interacts with a prominent teacher and totally reframes the way we relate to God.
In this episode from our series - Contact - we look at the very first story Matthew chooses to tell as Jesus is coming down from the Sermon on the Mount. After laying out this most unattainable standard of righteousness, Jesus does the unthinkable.
We continue in our series - Contact - looking at touchpoints of ordinary folks with the Master. In today's episode we look at the man who was lowered through the roof to get to Jesus.
Pastor CJ continues our discovery of moments with Jesus in our Contact series, unpacking the story of the blind man that Jesus healed in Mark 8.
As we continue looking at moments where Jesus made contact with ordinary human beings, there is an abrupt story of a scandalous woman interrupting a banquet where Jesus is dining with a Pharisee. What could go wrong?! Come see how amazing our Savior is in this moment of compassion.
Join us as we look at the importance of knowing who we are in Christ as we sit on the edge of a new season, full of excitement for what God will do in and through us as a community.
Our first encouragement in 2021, Pastor Ryan Young encourages us to take time and reflect on God's movements in the chaotic year of 2020.
This episode is from our 2020 deep dive in the Book of Galatians called Nothing Added. In Galatians 5, Paul gives us one of the most memorable passages in all of the New Testament.
This episode is from our 2020 deep dive in the Book of Galatians called Nothing Added. Pastor Ryan gets into the words of Paul in Galatians 4 where Spiritual Maturity is shown to be so important for us.
This episode is from a short conversation we had in March 2019 about Offense. Perhaps now more than ever we need to understand how we are called to live as disciples of Jesus in a time where taking offense, causing offense and holding offense are not only the norm, but the encouraged.
This episode is from a short conversation we had in March 2019 about Offense. Perhaps now more than ever we need to understand how we are called to live as disciples of Jesus in a time where taking offense, causing offense and holding offense are not only the norm, but the encouraged.
We wrap up our special five-part look into the Book of Ruth by focusing on who we are called to be, carriers of the Heart of God.
As we continue in our special five-part look into the Book of Ruth, the story keeps getting better and better. Perhaps no part of this story is more amazing than the actions of Boaz, who is a foreshadowing of the Redeemer we all need - Jesus.
In our special five-part look into the Book of Ruth, we dive into the titular character and her incredible steadfastness.
This is the first message in a special five-part look into the Book of Ruth, with some deeper mid-week studies available on our YouTube channel. We start by looking at the "Silent Partner" in the story...
This episode is from a short conversation we had in March 2018 about how we are called to be Neighbors, which is something we have to continually allow the Lord to help us with.
This episode is from a short conversation we had in March 2018 about how we are called to be Neighbors, which is something we have to continually allow the Lord to help us with.