Grace Community Church - Corning: Recent Episodes
Grace Community Church: Painted Post, NY
God’s sovereignty extends to all authorities, including political leaders, as they are established by Him. Christians are called to submit to these authorities, recognizing them as God’s servants, even in imperfect or oppressive regimes. This submission is not a passive acceptance but a call to live out one’s faith, countering evil with good and going above and beyond what is required. Christians should obey authorities unless it conflicts with their conscience and God’s commands. While rebellion is not God’s way, Christians can respectfully resist evil and advocate for justice through peaceful means like voting, protesting, and running for office. Ultimately, Christians should strive to be good citizens and witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Peter confronts the crowd about their guilt in crucifying Jesus, emphasizing that God raised him from the dead. He highlights that time, good works, and minimizing guilt cannot remove it. Repentance and baptism in Jesus’ name are the path to forgiveness and the Holy Spirit, cleansing us of all sin.
Genuine love, as taught in Romans 12, is authentic, generous, empathetic, humble, and persistent in doing good—even in the face of conflict—leading to healthy, God-honoring relationships.
A call to wholehearted, fervent service to the Lord that flows from genuine love, strengthened by enduring hope, patient perseverance, and constant prayer—even in the face of trials.
In view of God’s mercy, genuine love—rooted in the Spirit and expressed through moral clarity, affection, honor, and action—rejects evil, clings to good, and seeks the best for others by standing firm for righteousness and embodying Christlike compassion.
Living with a view of God’s mercy means daily orienting our lives toward the transforming power of Christ’s love, offering ourselves fully to Him in worship—not out of fear or legalism, but in grateful response to His unshakable grace.
“Life That Can’t Be Killed” proclaims the victorious hope of the resurrection found in 1 Corinthians 15, celebrating Jesus’ defeat of death and the promise of imperishable, glorified bodies for all who trust in Him.
This message explores the profound intersection where God’s redemptive plan to save humanity through Jesus' death met and triumphed over the darkest and most evil intentions of man, showing that even the devil’s schemes can be used to fulfill God’s sovereign and loving purposes.
“In Search of a Meaningful Life” explores Solomon’s honest and often painful quest in Ecclesiastes to find lasting meaning in a world that feels like vapor—ultimately discovering that true purpose isn’t found “under the sun,” but in remembering and revering God, who gives eternal significance to our fleeting lives.
God redeems and restores broken lives, transforming "burnt stones" into living stones for His kingdom, just as He used Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem's walls despite opposition and past devastation.
God walks with us through life’s fiery trials, refining our faith and removing the "smell of smoke"—bitterness, fear, and pain—so that we may emerge not only blessed but also as a blessing to others, spreading the aroma of Christ in a world filled with hurt.
n the message "From Burnt to Blessed Part One," Pastor Allen Snapp reflects on how David, after his city of Ziklag was burned and his family captured, found strength and encouragement in God, offering a model for overcoming life's trials, whether big or small, through faith and trust in God's guidance and power.
The message emphasizes that life's direction matters, but who we journey with—especially our relationship with God—is far more important, as true fulfillment comes not from reaching a destination but from walking closely with Him.
In Judges 16, after being captured and humiliated by the Philistines due to his betrayal by Delilah, Samson's hair begins to grow back, symbolizing the potential for renewed strength and God's enduring presence in his life.
The Pursuit of God is a profound exploration of the deep longing for a personal and intimate relationship with God, emphasizing that true faith is not just intellectual belief but an experiential communion with God.
“"The Momentum of Hope" explores how, through the unwavering faith and actions of Ruth, and Naomi's, their hopelessness transforms into confidence and hope, illustrating that hope begins with seeing God's kindness, risking faith, and patiently waiting for God's provision.”
In 2 Kings 5, Elisha's servant Gehazi, driven by greed, deceitfully accepts gifts from Naaman against God's will, leading to his punishment with leprosy.
When we feel spiritually dull or ineffective, like the prophet who lost his axe-head in 2 Kings 6, we must seek help, return to where we lost our passion, and stretch out our faith, trusting God to restore our cutting edge for His work.
God will not be propped up by human strength, but through Christ’s grace and obedience to His Word, we are made holy, upheld, and blessed to carry His presence in our lives.
"Monumental Moments: Remembering from the Middle of the Miracle!" is a sermon that highlights the importance of faith, prayer, and community in overcoming obstacles, drawing parallels from the story of Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan River to remind believers to trust God's presence and power in every stage of life's journey.
"The Power of Kingdom Priorities" emphasizes trusting God over anxiety, prioritizing His kingdom above all else, and aligning our lives with His purposes to experience peace, provision, and a greater capacity to love and serve others.
"3 Good Investment Tips for 2025" emphasizes spiritual growth through investing confidence in Jesus, finding value in both life’s highs and lows, and making daily strides toward a brighter, God-centered future.
In this reflection on Christmas, the "life" of Jesus is explored as the source of all creation, the giver of abundant life, and the means to eternal life, inviting us into a relationship with God that brings healing, belonging, and hope.
In this first part of the Christmas series, we explore how Jesus, the light of the world, pierces the darkness of fear, distress, and spiritual gloom, offering hope, peace, and the guidance of a mighty, everlasting Savior.
"God Never Gives Up on His People!" emphasizes that despite Israel's rejection of Jesus, God's promises to the Jewish people remain unbroken, and He continues to show grace and mercy to both Israel and Gentiles, calling us to stay humble in our faith and continue in His kindness.
In a world of bad news, the gospel offers the life-changing message that anyone who believes in Jesus and calls on His name will be saved, bringing hope, healing, and eternal life through faith in Christ.
In Romans 10, Paul expresses his deep desire for the salvation of his Jewish brethren, emphasizing that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through zeal for the law, and that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved," regardless of their background.
This is a profound and thoughtful reflection on Romans 9, delving into God's sovereignty in salvation, human responsibility, and the dynamic between divine grace and human response.
"The Sending Heart of God" emphasizes God’s passionate pursuit of the lost, tracing His mission from the Old Testament through the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, calling believers to live as 'sent' people, embodying and sharing God’s love and hope in the world.
Paul emphasizes that nothing—whether trials, spiritual forces, or anything in all creation—can separate believers from God's love, which is secured through the work of Christ, not by human effort.
The sermon "Walking Through the Valley of Lament" reflects on the deep emotional and spiritual experience of lament, acknowledging the pain and struggle it brings, but ultimately emphasizing that lament is also a path to hope, grounded in the steadfast love and faithfulness of God.
"Predestined for Glory" emphasizes God's sovereign plan to conform believers to the image of Christ, ensuring their ultimate glorification through His unwavering love and purpose.
"Groaning with Hope" reflects the tension between the present suffering of creation and humanity under the weight of sin and corruption, and the anticipation of future glory and redemption through the hope of Christ, where all pain will give way to eternal joy.
The title "God's Purpose In Your Suffering" based on 1 Peter 1:3-9 emphasizes that through trials and suffering, believers' faith is refined and strengthened, leading to praise, glory, and honor when Christ is revealed.
"Living Without Condemnation" emphasizes that because of Christ’s finished work, believers are fully freed from condemnation, empowered to live by the Spirit, and can walk in newness of life with no fear of guilt or rejection from God.
The message of "The Struggle is Real, the Savior is Real-er" is that while the ongoing battle with sin and human weakness is difficult and exhausting, through the death and resurrection of Christ, believers are freed from the condemnation of the law and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in the assurance of God's love, grace, and deliverance.
n Romans 6, Paul teaches that through Christ's death and resurrection, believers have died to sin and are called to walk in newness of life, leaving behind sin's hold and embracing the freedom and righteousness God has given them.
he message emphasizes the importance of planning in partnership with God's providence, teaching that while we make our plans, it is ultimately God who establishes the outcome, and thus we should commit our plans to Him, reflecting His nature as a planner and trusting in His guidance.
"Ask of Me and I Will Give You the Nations" reflects the dual nature of Christ's mission as both the Savior who reaches out to the broken with love and the exalted King who will one day judge those who reject Him, calling believers to share the gospel with compassion while recognizing His ultimate authority over all nations.
Psalm 91 assures believers of God's protection and sovereignty, encouraging trust in His power and presence through all forms of danger, whether physical or spiritual, and affirming that, while God may not always deliver us from trials, He will deliver us through them, providing ultimate safety and salvation.
Psalm 91 assures believers of God's protection and sovereignty, encouraging trust in His power and presence through all forms of danger, whether physical or spiritual, and affirming that, while God may not always deliver us from trials, He will deliver us through them, providing ultimate safety and salvation.
"Psalm 90 reminds us of life's fleeting nature and the wisdom in cherishing each moment, as we live under God's steadfast love while recognizing the inevitability of our time on earth coming to an end."
The sermon explores the concept of God as the supreme King over all the earth, delving into the genres of psalms, particularly kingship psalms, and emphasizes the need for personal surrender to God's lordship, recognizing His authority and love amidst a world of conflicting kingdoms.
Psalm 118 is a powerful expression of thanksgiving, reminding us to choose gratitude daily for God's enduring love (hesed), His ability to transform our struggles into blessings, and His acceptance of us through Jesus' sacrifice.
The text underscores the power of remembering God's deeds to inspire faith and trust in His ongoing faithfulness and provision.
Psalm 146 emphasizes the importance of self-directed praise to God, highlighting that while other emotions like fear or doubt come naturally, praise must be actively stirred, as it shifts focus from oneself to God, serves as a powerful weapon in adversity, and is due to God's unique ability to save, His greatness in creation, and His goodness in justice and care for the vulnerable.
"The Death of a Dream" explores the theme of enduring faith and trust in God's promises, illustrated through the story of Abraham, who faced long delays and seeming impossibilities before God's promises were fulfilled, emphasizing that God's timing often brings life from what appears to be dead.
The message titled "What’s Law Got To Do With It?" delves into the interaction between faith and law in the gospel, using the stories of Abraham and David to illustrate how righteousness is attained through faith rather than works, emphasizing that while the law is not abolished by faith, it is upheld and fulfilled through the grace of God.
"God’s Righteousness Received by Faith in Christ" is that despite all humanity being guilty and unable to justify themselves through their actions, the righteousness of God is made available to all who believe in Jesus Christ, as God Himself becomes both the just Judge and the justifier of those who have faith in Him, emphasizing that salvation is not earned but received as a gift through faith in Christ.
In Romans 2:12-16, Paul underscores that both those who have the law and those who don't will be judged based on their actions and the secrets of their hearts, emphasizing that true righteousness is not merely about hearing the law but about doing it, as God judges the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Paul's admonition in Romans 2 against hypocritical judgment; while faith in God's salvation through Christ doesn't negate the importance of good works, it ensures our safety from divine wrath, akin to standing on scorched earth where judgment has already fallen, thanks to Jesus' sacrifice.
In Romans 1:16-18, Paul emphasizes the revealing of God's wrath against ungodliness and unrighteousness, underscoring the desperate need for the gospel, which offers salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, showcasing God's righteousness and love in contrast to the consequences of sin.
The Resurrection Declares There Is More Beyond asserts the transformative power of Christ's resurrection, challenging limitations imposed by doubt, fear, and death, and offering hope of a reality beyond the confines of this world.
Seeing Palm Sunday from multiple perspectives: Jesus as a king but not of this world, the fickle nature of crowd support, and Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb, emphasizing a deeper understanding of his mission and our relationship with him beyond traditional celebrations.
Paul's letter to the Romans reveals that the righteousness of God, unattainable through human effort, is gifted to believers through faith in Jesus Christ, transforming the impossible climb of moral perfection into a journey of grace and redemption.
The obedience that comes from faith refers to a transformative adherence to God's commands that naturally flows from a heart transformed by trust in and acceptance of the grace and lordship of Jesus Christ, rather than a precondition for salvation.
The message explores Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 for believers to find their identity in the vast, unearned love of Christ, contrasting it with the performative, insecure identities shaped by contemporary culture, and highlights the transformative power of understanding and experiencing this love within the community of faith.
The transformative journey from passive observance to active participation in Christian ministry, emphasizing the use of individual gifts for communal service and spiritual growth.
This message emphasizes the importance of growing in spiritual maturity within the church through speaking the truth in love, guided by sound doctrine and unified in Christ.
"Come and See" is a sermon exploring the challenge of practically living out the church's mission to share the gospel, emphasizing authentic, personal witness and inviting others to experience Jesus for themselves.
"The Connection We Long For" delves into the human condition without Christ, the restoration of relationships through Jesus, and the call for believers to invest in deep connections within the church community, emphasizing a two-way street of encouragement, love, and reaching others.
Focusing on the foundational role of Jesus in building the church, the challenges it faces, and the need for believers to embrace challenges as opportunities for spiritual growth, emphasizing the importance of mutual support, love, service, and prayer within the church community.
The message delves into the intersection of faith and uncertainty in 2024, urging a faith-filled response to life's unknowns, drawing inspiration from the Apostle Paul's readiness to embrace uncertainties, emphasizing the certainty of the gospel and individual life courses, and concluding with an encouragement to confidently face the unknowns of the coming year by putting trust in God.
The significance of Jesus as the Word, emphasizing his role in creation, incarnation, and communication of God's love, truth, and the promise of eternal life, inviting individuals to respond in faith and experience the transformative power of Jesus in their lives.
The imperative to engage in mission and proclaim the gospel, emphasizing the inseparable connection between the concept of "Go" and the essence of the gospel message.
The message emphasizes that, despite their failures and shortcomings, individuals like Peter, Paul, and John Mark were used by God for honorable purposes, emphasizing the idea that one's past mistakes should not hinder them from being vessels for God's work. It encourages confession, repentance, and acceptance of God's forgiveness, highlighting the transformative power of faith and the ability to be set apart for good works.
Emphasizing the significance of Israel in biblical prophecies, the miracles surrounding its existence, and predictions about future events, including the return of Jesus Christ. It also encourages a deepening relationship with God, being prepared for the return of Christ, and engaging actively in life while following Jesus closely.
Join us as we begin focusing on the significance of Israel in a prophetic context, the challenges it faces, and the belief in God's faithfulness to the people of Israel.
This message emphasizes the dangers of disconnecting the understanding and experience of the Holy Spirit from the anchor of God's word and the need for a balanced approach that combines both Spirit and Truth in the Christian faith.
The text warns about untethering the Holy Spirit from the truth and provides three signs of this: 1) Focusing more on the Spirit than on Jesus, 2) Making the Spirit's work about emotion rather than mission, and 3) Being preoccupied with constantly seeking "new" spiritual experiences, emphasizing the need for a balanced and grounded approach to the Holy Spirit's guidance in Christian faith.
Dale Ingraham will be our guest speaker this Sunday. The title of his message is The Wrath of God and his passages will be Rom. 1:16-23 and 2:4-10.
Sowing to the Spirit involves recognizing the principle of reaping what you sow, where sowing to the Spirit through acts of goodness, love, and the use of spiritual gifts brings about a harvest of eternal life and positive impact on others, while sowing to the flesh results in corruption and decay in one's life.
The sermon by Allen Snapp at Grace Community Church on October 8, 2023, emphasizes the importance of both the Holy Spirit and the Truth (the Bible) in the Christian faith, highlighting that we need both for spiritual life, salvation, fulfilling the church's mission, and discernment in our walk with God.
Grace Community Church's 20th anniversary message, delivered by Allen Snapp, celebrated God's enduring faithfulness and emphasized the church's commitment to deepening faith, community, and service in the years to come.
Using the story of David and Saul from 2 Samuel 1 to emphasize the importance of refusing to embrace permanent victimhood, honoring those who have wronged us, and putting others in the best light possible, ultimately highlighting the transformation from victim to victor through faith and grace.
The message centers on the story of David's resilience in the face of devastating loss, emphasizing his journey of mourning, finding strength in God, seeking divine guidance, and ultimately fighting to recover what was taken from him.
The sermon centers on Psalm 84, highlighting the importance of persisting through hardships by maintaining a forward-moving mindset, symbolized by a journey through valleys, while emphasizing that these valleys are intended to be traversed, not inhabited, and urges individuals to draw strength from God in order to navigate challenges while keeping their ultimate destination of transformation and unity with Christ in view.
Psalm 46 assures that God is our refuge in times of crisis, offering strength, protection, and help, even amid chaos; reminding us to be still, anchoring our faith deep for future challenges, and recognizing His sovereignty and exaltation.
Understanding God's character from Psalm 103, finding hope and meaning through faith in Him
In Psalm 103, David reminds us of the benefits of believing in God: He forgives all our sins, heals our diseases, and provides redemption, love, and satisfaction. These blessings are available to those who believe in Jesus Christ, and they encompass past, present, and future aspects of our lives.
The passage centers on the theme of compassion and God's assistance towards those who care for the needy, expressed through Psalm 41's declaration, David's personal confession and lament, and thanksgiving for future deliverance.
The theme of Psalm 119 is the author's love for God's word, emphasizing its eternal nature and its role as a fixed point of truth and guidance, shining as a lamp to illuminate the path, protecting from impurity, broadening understanding, and assuring God's unfailing love and salvation for those who trust in His word.
The vastness and grandeur of the universe speak of God's glory, power, wisdom, care, beauty, and invite us to know Him through both general and specific revelations.
A providential interruption saves lives, as illustrated by a personal story of a life-saving interruption and the biblical account of Abigail intervening to prevent David from acting out of anger and sparing innocent lives.
When dealing with an abusive leader, don't retaliate, treat them with love, create distance, speak truth respectfully but firmly, distrust words without consistent actions, and trust God for justice.
In this sermon based on 1 Samuel 24 and 26, David refuses to kill his abusive leader, Saul, despite having opportunities to do so. David's actions teach us healthy steps to take when dealing with abusive leaders, emphasizing the importance of seeking wise counsel and support for healing and freedom.
In "God's Work in the Wilderness Part Two," David finds himself on the run, making mistakes and facing the consequences of his actions. However, he begins to shift his attitude, seeking God's guidance and looking outward and upward despite the challenges and betrayals he faces, ultimately growing into the person God has called him to be.
David's journey through the wilderness teaches him to trust God in loneliness, homelessness, and cruelty. It shapes him into a man after God's heart, emphasizing the importance of relying on Jesus as our refuge. The wilderness serves as a transformative experience to mold us into who God intends us to be.
Explore the loyal bond between Jonathan and David, their sacrificial friendship built on character, loyalty, and truthful communication.
Jonathan and David develop a deep friendship based on character and faith in God. Their friendship withstands adversity, as Jonathan remains loyal to David when he is in danger. The importance of true, loyal friendships and loving one another as Jesus commanded is emphasized.
Saul's jealousy torments him as David succeeds. Saul plots to kill David, leading to his own downfall. The story underscores the destructive power of jealousy and the importance of God's favor.
The story of David and Goliath teaches us that Jesus is our champion who defeated sin and death. We can learn from David's example to face our own giants with faith, run towards them instead of away, and use the weapons God has already given us. The battle is the Lord's, and with Him, we are more than conquerors.
"Open Windows, Open Doors" - a message about the importance of the church having open windows and doors to let in God's love and power, and to share it with the world. Pray, believe, and live with open hearts and minds.
The passage discusses the importance of starting with the inner person and writing the commandments on the tablet of one's heart to find favor and success in the sight of God and man. It also emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord, acknowledging Him in all ways, and turning away from evil, as this will be healing to one's flesh and refreshment to one's bones. All of life fits into one of two circles, and the passage encourages readers to consult those circles to add health and refreshment to their lives.
The story of David being anointed as king by Samuel reminds us that while humans tend to judge by outward appearances, God sees the heart and knows the true character of a person.
Jesus is the Risen Savior who walks with us in life and comes especially close as we walk through the dark valley of the shadow of death, promising that the light may be turned off for a time, but on the great resurrection day, that light will be turned back on, brighter than ever.
Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was a time of great hope and promise, but it was also a time of great sorrow and pain. It was the beginning of the end, but it was also the beginning of a new beginning.
"Succeeding Backwards" is a sermon on the story of King Saul, who failed because of his pride and disobedience. The sermon encourages listeners to avoid Saul's mistakes by putting their faith in Jesus and obeying God.
Man-driven success craves more and more and is never satisfied. When we’re driven to get more and more success (however we define it) we are seeking man-driven success. More money, a better job, a bigger home, a faster car, more respect and social status, more admiration, applause, people serving us.
There will always be despisers in our lives. People on the sidelines who judge and criticize anyone who attempts anything. There will always be critics who don’t enter the fray, don’t try to solve the problems, don’t have any productive contributions to make, but boy they sure know better than anyone else how it should be done.
Jesus died on the cross to cleanse us from our sin and restore us to deep, loving friendship with God, that we might be adopted as precious sons and daughters.
What’s important is what God says about you and what He says goes to our head, heart, and to the depths of our soul. Hear that through the filter of the gospel and what Jesus our King came to do for us.
The more we lose ourselves in the infinite love of God that is in Christ Jesus, the more we find what life is.
In The Days Of Uncertainty, We Must Turn To The King’s Word Rather Than Turn To The kings Of The World
Never count God out! He will glorify His name and He will deliver His people. Let’s draw near to God, turn from idols, and believe God for great things.
We don’t want our future to only be bright in eternity, we want it to be bright here and now
Sometimes honoring God means doing the right thing when it’s hard and there may be people who don’t like you for it, but in the end honoring God will help us have favor with both God and man.
Often God will use burdens to move us out of a “bless me God” mindset to a “help me to be a blessing to others” mindset. He will use burdens to bring about the best. The jumble of our lives can make sense when we trust that God sees the end from the beginning.
God’s blessing is over our lives but that doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges. Nothing clogs up the heart and stops up the well faster than bitterness, unforgiveness and resentment.
Weeping is real. The weeping of Christmas was real. It’s a part of life and God uses it. But Jesus came so that weeping isn’t the last word, joy is. Jesus is good news of great joy.
A big part of patience is being able to wait when we don’t want to wait. To live under the burden that waiting presses on our soul and trust that God knows best.
Overcome is a fighting word. Love hates evil, therefore love fights against evil. When we can fight against an evil, we should do so. If we can stand up for someone who is being bullied, or wronged, we should do it. When we can speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves, we should have the courage (rooted in love) to speak up.
Once again we stand in view of God’s mercy. We love because he first loved us. And because he loved us so freely we are free to love others, no strings attached. Let your love be genuine
A part of God’s will for our lives is that we use the gifts and talents He gave us for His purposes. To build up His church. To help those who don’t know Christ find Christ. ?
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That’s making God the center of all we do and as we do that everything else falls into order. We start to live more for God and His will than for ourselves and our will.
Put up a little sail. Lift up that need, but not just with words. Hoist some sail. Pray with faith. Ask with fervor. Don’t give up. And don’t focus your faith on what you want, don’t focus your faith on your faith, focus your faith on Jesus. The Author and Finisher of our faith.
Sometimes we turn our faith away from Jesus and towards the problem. I know something bad is going to happen. I know I’ll never be free from this snare. That’s faith, but wrong kind of faith. Look to Jesus and start confessing a different kind of faith: Jesus can set me free, Jesus has set me free.
Your past, as a church, with all of its struggles shapes us into who you are today. Which brings us to the present and informs us of our future.
Great serving doesn’t have to be big serving, just meet a need in Jesus’ name. Let God take it from there.
How is God using you? How might God want to use you? Maybe sharing Jesus with a co-worker or inviting a friend to church. Maybe leading a ministry or serving behind the scenes.
To belong to the Lord is as simple as believing in Christ as your Lord and Savior. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – you and your household. (Acts 16:31). All those who trust in Christ are saved. All those who don’t aren’t. Salvation belongs to the Lord.
We are in a spiritual fight whether we like it or not. The Bible says we don’t fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers – that is demonic powers, evil forces in the heavenlies.
God has given us the weapon of truth to fight the lies of the enemy. The truth of Jesus Christ has power to demolish strongholds. When the enemy accuses you and suggests that God has abandoned you, or that He won’t fight for you, speak God’s promises to your soul.
Here's a truth: Jesus said he didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. I think there’s too much judging going on in the church. We need less judging and more coming alongside. Not to coddle the sin.
There’s so much anger and contention out there. We see it on social media, we see it on cable news, we see it on the streets. I’ve seen people burn relational bridges simply because someone disagrees with them. Christians aren’t meant to fight that way and it’s sad when Christians add gasoline to that fire.
When we have sinned against God and devastated lives around us, repentance is the road to restoration. Repentance is getting honest with God. It’s turning away from the hardening effect that sin has on our hearts and turning towards a soft heart. A broken heart. A broken and contrite heart God will not despise.
God restores. The gospel is all about restoration: restoring sinful, lost mankind to a holy and loving God. Jesus came to give us devastating restoration – restoration that is extremely powerful and effective.
Wherever the Lord has you, whatever season the Lord has you, David tells us the way to peace and blessing isn’t found in fretting. It’s not found in the path of the wicked or godless even if for a short time they look like they’re flourishing. Peace and blessing and life is found in centering our souls and our lives on God.
God’s greatness is found not only in the transcendence of His glory, but it’s also found in the immanence of His presence. He is a God who draws near to the brokenhearted. He is a God who hears the cries of the weak, the helpless, the needy. He is a God who loves us.
Life produces growth. Living things grow. In Luke 8 Jesus tells a familiar parable and the main point of the parable is about growth…and lack of it.
What Jesus invites us into is abundant life, not death. He calls us to die to death so we can live to life. He calls us to loose our grip on trinkets so we can grasp true treasure. Jesus doesn’t just give us life, he is our life. Jesus doesn’t just give us treasure, he is our treasure!
Even if your faith is weak, turn that weak faith towards Christ. We may have weak faith but we have a strong Christ who saves us by his power and grace. We have a Savior who restores us to God by his obedience.
God can use our feeblest and most imperfect efforts but we need to give Him something to work with.
When you find yourself struggling with doubt, take encouragement, So did the disciples even with the risen Jesus standing before them. Jesus didn’t sideline them – just to opposite! – he revealed his greatness, commanded them to get busy,
The work of the Spirit to make us more like Jesus begins on the inside and works its way outward. He changes both our attitude and our actions because who Jesus is, he is through and through.
What’s the next step in the discipleship journey? We all should be asking that, not only for ourselves (growing), but for what we can do to help others take that next step (going).
If the Lord tarries, one day each of us will be put to rest, but the switch isn’t on “off”, it’s on “sleep” and at that last day the resurrection power of Jesus will course through us and we will rise up in newness of life never to die.
Maybe you’re in a season of victory and success. Good for you! Enjoy it! Thank God for it! Maybe you’re in a season of loss and failure, of suffering and sorrow and it hurts. And you feel disoriented – you can’t see how God’s promises help in this season. Let weakness be your superpower.
History (as we know it) doesn’t end on a dark note. The world doesn’t end in a cataclysmic explosion or a meteor killing everything or the oceans covering the world. History ends with Jesus coming back and setting everything right. It ends on the brightest note of hope, so we can live every day in that hope with simple faith.
Being ready and watching to me isn’t an intangible, sentimental, thing. It’s discipleship. Recommitting ourselves to rooting our souls deeply in the word of God. Jesus said abide in me – that’s being rooted and established in Christ. It’s letting God’s word feed and nourish our hearts, minds, and souls. Being ready is asking the Holy Spirit for transforming grace. To break sin’s hold, break worldliness, repent of hard-heartedness, and ask God for a soft heart. And taking the good news out into a world that needs it more than ever.
Are we living in the last days? Broadly speaking, yes, because the last days clock started ticking when Jesus died, rose, ascended, and gave us his holy Spirit. But are we in the last of the last days when Jesus is about to return? We don’t know. Therefore we should keep watch and be ready.
When God says no, that no is wrapped with love and wisdom and His knowledge of what’s best for us and we can trust Him, that He has something better in mind for us. And that kind of trust is believing for impact too.
The impact of community is accumulative. It’s not what you do. It’s not what I do. It’s not what the person next to us does. The impact is when you add up all those things together that the gospel ball gets moved forward. That’s the impact of community!
Jesus is the best king and obeying Jesus leads to the best life. To the life that stands when storms come. To the life that isn’t barren and empty and meaningless. To the life that isn’t demolished, the life that doesn’t have nothing to show for it, the life that has nothing left that remains. Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly.
The good news of the kingdom is that all who believe in Jesus and place their trust in him are freed from Satan’s grip, delivered from his dark, miserable, hellish domain, and transferred to the kingdom of the Son God loves.
Gospel impact isn’t just something God works through us, gospel impact is also something God works in us. Impact needs to flow outwardly and inwardly if we’re going to be healthy believers.
Impact is defined as the act or force of one thing hitting another, or a powerful influence or effect. The book of Acts is all about impact! In fact the impact of the gospel, and the Spirit, working through the church is so great that even their enemies had to admit they were turning the world upside down!
The trajectory of our lives have been affected so much more than we can even imagine by the impact others have had on us, and we have affected the trajectory of others in ways we may not even realize.
Jesus took our sin upon himself, and he gave us his precious Holy Spirit to empower us say no to sin and to live unto God. Jesus lived a scandal-filled life so that we might live a Spirit-filled life.
Jesus came not only to save our souls, he came to save our stories. Let’s believe Jesus, ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, and live our stories to the glory of God!
Those who believe in the promise of God to do what we couldn’t do, who trust in Jesus to save us from our sin and for eternity, those are children of promise.
As we eagerly desire the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, let’s remember that His passion is to lift up and glorify Christ in our midst – so that believers draw nearer to Christ and unbelievers might come to know Jesus and be saved.
The Holy Spirit gives believers gifts, but if we don’t know what those gifts are or what to do with them, they might sit unused in our lives. As we consider the gifts of the Spirit, my hope is that this message inspires us to use our gifts for the glory of God.
Through Christ we have been made children of God and citizens of the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is working in us every day to empower us to be who we are and live life, not out of the flesh but out of the new nature the Spirit has given us.
We want to pursue the gifts and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit. It’s the Spirit that gives us the gifts, it’s the Spirit that bears the fruit in us. But the Bible – and Paul – makes it clear that we are to pursue eagerly the gifts and allow the Holy Spirit to work on our character, cultivating love, patience, gentleness, joy, and other fruits of the Spirit.
Do you wonder, why am I here? What difference will my life make? God says, I want your life to make a difference, not just for time, but for eternity. I can do that through you! Keep in step with My Spirit by sowing to the Spirit.
We need to promote the truth by the power of the Spirit not by the power of the flesh. The flesh can say truth too, and in that moment the truth becomes a devourer of people, not a builder up of people.
With eyes of faith we begin to see God working in the ordinary moments of our lives. There’s no formula, life is messy. But we are coming at it from a different direction: the direction of faith. The direction of the Spirit.
Maybe you find yourself in what looks to be a hopeless place. You don’t see a way out. You don’t see a glimmer of hope. You think that loved one is too far gone to ever come to Christ. Your doctor called with news that has gripped your heart with fear. You have too much debt, you don’t have a job, your marriage is falling apart, you’re alienated from your kids. Whatever it is, it may look hopeless to you but it’s not hopeless to God.
God is very real and very much working in the world today. And no matter how put together people may look on the surface, we live in a broken world and there’s a lot of brokenness behind the curtains.
The book of Acts is all about the church filled with the power that comes from the Holy Spirit. Paul writes chapters about cultivating and pursuing the gifts of the Spirit. He writes to be filled with the Spirit, and he urges us to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.
God searches and knows us through and through. Inviting God to search us and know us doesn’t actually change anything about God’s searching or knowing, but it does change our heart position. Instead of trying to hide from God, instead of trying to cloak our sins, we ask God to shine His light on us, so that we live life His way rather than our way.
When Jesus receives us into glory, made possible through his death and resurrection, all the wrongs, all the pain, all the suffering, even all the stains and regrets of our own sin will not only be forgiven, they will be reversed.
Whether we know it or not, whether we believe it or not, what our hearts crave most is God and His great goodness.
How do we battle fear? Not by focusing on fear, but by focusing on our awesome God. The goal isn’t fearlessness, the goal is confidence in God. God-confidence. Then we can say, of whom, and of what, shall I be afraid?
God is still great and powerful! He is still doing great things! We can believe that with confidence and pray that with confidence.
A big part of a wise life is investing our lives in a work that will last forever. Eternal work. We need God’s help, but we need to do it. Establish the work of our hands.
Thirsts are powerful drivers in our lives. God created spiritual thirst to drive us to Him, the fountain of living water. Only Jesus can satisfy fully and forever the longing and craving and thirsting of our soul. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
Choosing the paradigm of praise means we see and interpret life through a framework that doesn’t deny the challenges we face, doesn’t deny the heartache and suffering all around us, isn’t afraid to be honest when we go through hardships and disappointments. We see those things, but we see God as bigger. Praising God isn’t about denying reality, it’s about seeing God as the biggest reality! The greatest reality!
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Draw near to Him. Draw near to God. He is generous. He is loving. He is life. As we follow him, he restores our soul, he protects us, he invites us, and he pursues us with goodness and mercy.
Guest speaker Jeff Simpson speaks about courage in the life of Benaiah from 2 Samuel 23:20-23.
The psalms are raw and honest covering the range of human experience and emotion and then connect all of that to God. The psalms are a blessed place to park our hearts.
God’s grace, love, and friendship energizing us to pick up hammers, paintbrushes, and circular saws to build broken lives in the name of Christ and do the work God has given us to do.
With our roots firmly and deeply planted in Christ and the gospel of grace, let’s make every effort to abide in Christ, rely on the Spirit’s power, be what we are, and do the good God has called us to do.
Jesus is for the weak and struggling. He goes after the straying lamb. Don’t examine yourself with a condemning eye, examine yourself in the light of Christ’s love and ask him to deepen the roots of your faith, and grow the fruits of your faith.
How can we minimize mess and maximize grace in the church? In our families? In our relationships? Three good lessons from Paul: don’t give up easily on relationships just because they get messy. Dial down the pride. Don’t keep score. Or, in one word, love each other.
There is a beautiful strength in weakness when it causes us to fall upon the grace and strength of Christ.
We were created to be reflectors of God’s glory, not projectors of our own glory. God’s goodness, God’s grace, God’s plan, God’s power becomes our glory. This doesn’t shrink us, it enlarges us.
No church and no believer is perfect. We can and should put up with a lot. Imperfect believers, imperfect churches, we should show patience, grace, and charity. We must not have a hair trigger reaction and call every imperfect situation spiritually abusive. But where we find spiritual abuse we must not put up with it.
Keep it simple saint. Is that leader, teaching, movement, friend, or impulse in your heart leading you to unfolded, simple, pure devotion to Jesus?
In Christ, by his word, and through His Holy Spirit we have power to demolish lies and build firmly on the truth of Christ. He is the rock who won’t roll, the foundation that lasts forever.
May we also see beyond the surface, even of people who criticize and treat us ill, and see what the power of God could do to them ??" building them up, not tearing them down!
Resurrection Sunday... Living hope redeeming our past, assuring our eternal future, and guarding us in the here and now. All through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a day! What a hope! What a Savior!
The cup of God’s wrath has been emptied. Our debt has been paid in full. We have been rescued from death and for eternal life. What blessed words: It is finished!!!
The saddest harvest is a life that’s all about us. That’s where the sinful map in our hearts wants to take us. Pride can make that feel pretty fulfilling for a time, but in the end, it’s empty. It’s vain glory, empty glory. The harvest of righteousness is seeing that it’s all about God. Our joy, our hope, our meaning, our life is God.
When we find our Christian experience feeling smaller and smaller, shrinking and unfulfilling, there’s a good chance that the answer isn’t getting more, it’s giving more.
We should never want to harm anyone. Paul says they were sorrowful the way God intended and were not harmed in any way by Paul. They were hurt, but not harmed. That hurt, began to work on their hearts and softened them towards God, they repented, did an about face, and began to press in towards God.
If we want to improve, we need correction. If we want our lives to grow in fruitfulness and godliness, we need correction. If we want to avoid danger, we need correction. If we want to love others well, we have to risk giving correction.
God has given us such great promises of loving, close relationship with Him, and we don’t want anything in our lives to block that fellowship or dishonor our Savior or our Father in heaven.
Don’t be unequally yoked, take that yoke off and put Jesus’ yoke back on, to serve and love and labor for his will. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Because here’s an important aspect of grace accomplishing: while the primary work of Christ is to reconcile sinners to God, and while the primary power of the Spirit is to unite our hearts with Christ in sweet fellowship, a vital by-product of that is to reconcile us to one another as well, and to unite our hearts together in Christ.
Don’t forget you are new a creation in Christ. And God gives His new creations new weapons to fight with. The weapons God gives us are weapons that counter the attack, not the imitate the attack. We retaliate against hate with love. Love is more powerful than hate. We retaliate against curses with blessing. We retaliate against cruelty with kindness.
Don’t let yesterday define today. Today is the day, now is the time. Let’s take the grace God has given us off the shelf.
The Appeal of an Ambassador Part One - People in need of change helping people in need of change!
What is God doing now, as we leave 2020 and head into the unknown waters of 2021? He is doing good, He is giving grace, He is calling people to trade empty, worldly hope for eternal, kingdom hope. What is God about? He’s about His people shining brightly in a dark world.
We long for a glory and a purpose and a meaning and a life that is attached to big and bold and glorious! The coming of Jesus, and the nature of Christmas provides both those things. He is God with us.
Far from making us detached from this earth, knowing that all men will face their Creator gives us a glorious mission: to persuade others. The fear of the Lord motivates us not to hide out, hang out, or give up. It energizes us to persuade others to believe and receive the salvation Jesus came to give. So we don’t lose heart. Rather, we are of good courage. Courage to go downward, outward, and upward.
What kept Paul’s heart in the game? What motivated Paul to soldier on in ministry when everything seemed to scream “give up!” Pastor Allen Snapp gave this message to All Saints at Grace Community Church, just off Victory Highway in Corning and Painted Post. Grace sees Baptist tradition.
Sometimes you’ll be the one who needs to be stirred up, sometimes you’ll be the one who stirs up someone else to love and good works. Let’s not be sidelined. Let’s not lose sight of why God put us together. And let’s believe God will do what only God can do. Pastor Allen Snapp gave this message to All Saints at Grace Community Church, just off Victory Highway in Corning and Painted Post. Grace sees Baptist tradition.
So often we can feel stuck in the same place day after day, year after year. How do we change? As given by Pastor Allen Snapp of Grace Community Church in Corning New York. Given to all the Saints at the church just off Victory Highway in Painted Post New York.
The Four Cs of Authentic Christian Ministry As given by Pastor Allen Snapp of Grace Community Church in Corning New York. Given to all the Saints at the church just off Victory Highway in Painted Post New York.
Forgiveness promotes the presence of Christ in the church, and it protects us from the schemes of Satan: so that we would not be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs.
Someone once said that ministry would be so much easier if there weren’t any people in the church. It’s kinda true! Where two or more are gathered in Jesus’ name, there Jesus is. But where two or more are gathered, there mess is also. There’s grace, and there’s mess. A message given to All Saints at Grace Community Church in Corning NY and Painted Post NY. Grace Community Church is near Victory Highway in Painted Post NY.
Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church is, to coin a phrase, complicated. Almost immediately after he arrived in Corinth, he met strong opposition and abusive treatment, and he must have been ready to throw in the towel because an angel appeared to him saying don’t be afraid, I have many people in this city.” Paul remained in Corinth preaching the gospel and planting the church for a year and a half.
So Paul writes this really messed up church a letter, what we know as 1 Cor. And that letter helped – a lot! The church took Paul’s rebuke to heart, repented of their arrogance, strongly addressed the incest, and as a church began to move in the right direction. Given to all Saints at Grace Community Church in Corning New York and Painted Post New York.
There are three places in Revelation where we see the title Alpha and Omega. We will be focusing our attention on the one found in Rev. 21, but we will touch on the other two references in this message.
In John 10 Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd and those who follow him are his sheep and it’s popular for preachers to then highlight how dumb, how stupid, sheep are and then draw a line from those dumb sheep to the congregation. I’ve done it. I was all set to do it this morning. But then I read a study on sheep and it maybe offers us a little different take on the poor, misunderstood sheep. And it offers some fresh insight into our relationship as sheep with Jesus, our Good Shepherd and insight into our humanity – with all its strengths and its weaknesses.
We’re looking at how Christ empowers us for kingdom living, and over the past couple weeks we talked about kingdom leading and kingdom character. As delivered to All Saints at Grace Community Church in Corning and Painted Post New York.
200823 Christ Alone Empowers Us for Kingdom Living (Part Two) - The good news of the kingdom is that Jesus came to make it possible for us to enter the kingdom of God, and to make it possible for the kingdom of God to enter us. Christ alone empowers us for kingdom living. Sermon given to All Saints in Corning and Painted Post New York.
Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming the gospel, but the question is, what gospel was there for Jesus to proclaim? We know the gospel is built on and centered on Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection three days later but those things hadn’t happened yet so what gospel – what good news – was Jesus was proclaiming?
Christ Alone Is the Savior is the message delivered to all saints at Grace Community Church in Corning NY and Painted Post NY just off Victory Highway.
I want to share two reminders for believers in this volatile time: seek wisdom and lift up Jesus. Lifting up Jesus is the point of this message, but I do believe a reminder about the value of wisdom is timely.
When someone hurts or wrongs us, damage is done to the relationship. Unless the wrong or hurt is minor, you can’t just pick up the relationship where it left off as if nothing happened. Something has to be done about the fracture.
Forgiveness. For the Christian there is no sweeter word. Our Christian faith is built on the forgiveness of sin. Jesus died to purchase our forgiveness. Our relationship with God is only possible because we have been forgiven. Heaven’s gates are open to us through forgiveness.
Don’t you wish life had an “undo” button? When you mess up, or do something you regret, just hit undo and try again. Said something dumb? Hit “undo”.
Never think that it’s somehow unspiritual to plan, or that it’s spiritual not to plan, like not planning is a way of trusting God. Follow Joseph’s example: trust God and plan.
The truth is, the only thing harder on our souls than things going bad, is things going good.
Disappointment has a unique ability to knock us down because of its relationship to hope. Disappointment is to hope what crashing is to an airplane. The higher the hope, the more devastating it is when that hope is disappointed.
There are times when we have to choose between good circumstances and good character, because one going up means the other goes down.
Some people are just more buoyant in how they live their lives too. The more life presses down on them, the higher they seem to rise. Bad things happen, but they end up in a good place. Life is spiraling downward…and they’re spiraling upward!
The Quiet Power of the Resurrection. An Easter message from Grace Community Church in Corning, NY and Painted Post, NY
Do Not Worry - The Bible has a lot to say about fear. In fact, the most frequent command in the Bible is the command do not be afraid. God says it a lot cause He knows that fear is a major struggle for most of us.
How to Respond When You’ve Been Dissed. Finding Gospel Opportunities in Disruption, Distraction, and Social Distancing