Grace Chapel Knoxville Sermons: Recent Episodes
GraceChapelKnoxville
This week’s message focuses on the importance of having a heart open to God's vision, using the story of Nehemiah as an example. Nehemiah, upon hearing of Jerusalem's ruins, felt a weighty burden and acted on it, secretly inspecting the walls at night. He then shared his vision with the leaders, who responded positively. This message also highlighted the growing tension and inevitability of opposition when pursuing God's will.
Shawn preached on Nehemiah 2:1-10, emphasizing Nehemiah's role as a cupbearer to the king and the broader cosmic significance of his mission. He recounted the historical context of the Israelites returning from exile, the rebuilding of the temple, and the need to restore the city walls. Shawn highlighted the spiritual battle between good and evil, referencing the fall of angels and their influence over nations. He drew parallels between Nehemiah's actions and Jesus' role as the Comforter, urging the congregation to hold their influence for God's kingdom and to pray and act boldly when opportunities arise.
Nehemiah opens with the delivery of sad news. God’s people are in trouble, and the city is in shambles. Nehemiah is moved to pray and seek God on behalf of his people. Anyone can read the “news” and see the trouble around us. But will we find our hearts broken for the people of God, so that we are moved to seek the Lord in prayer? Will we allow Him to open our eyes to how we may participate in the answer to the very prayers we pray?
This week we wrapped up the book of Ezra by seeing how God’s people responded when called out for their compromise. Through godly sorrow, honest confession, and a holy sacrifice, we can undergo significant renewal when we have gotten way off course. May we posture our lives before the Lord in such a way that we can be corrected and changed when we lose our way.
Ezra is now confronted with the brokenness and sin of the people of God. Instead of blaming others, or ignoring the problem, he faces it head-on. Through this story, we get a powerful example of how we should deal with the brokenness in our own lives and in the church. May we all approach sin and repentance the way Ezra did with honesty, humility, and true godly sorrow, so that through the power and grace of Jesus we may be forgiven and changed.
Just as Ezra was called to journey from Babylonia to Jerusalem, the Lord will often call us to risky journeys of faith. May we learn from Ezra’s example to use wisdom to plan well in preparation, while ultimately trusting in the Lord and not our own strength. It’s tempting to just leap out in faith unprepared, or give ourselves a false sense of security by trusting our own wisdom and planning. But God would have us plan and prepare, and then in prayer trust Him to guide and protect us all along the way.
In Ezra chapter 7, we move into the period in Israel’s history when Ezra leads a new wave of returning exiles. He brings with him a sound anchoring in the Word of God and needed reforms to the people of God. All that Ezra will experience and accomplish comes through God’s good hand upon him, and his own heart posture to submit to the Lord's yoke, through his “skilled” study, application, and teaching of God’s Word. May we adopt a similar heart posture as we live under the gracious hand of God, whose yoke is easy and burden is light!
In Ezra chapter 6, we see the conclusion of this long journey of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. This leads to a time of dedication, being set apart as God’s people, and worshipping Him in joyful celebration. Now, because of the salvation we have through Jesus, God’s Presence resides with and in us. We are His Temple. May we be dedicated to Him - cleansed, set apart, and full of joy in His Presence!
In Ezra chapter 5, after a 16 year stoppage, God’s people obey His call to get back to the construction of the Temple. They face immediate opposition to this work, but due to God’s faithful presence and His word of assurance through Haggai the prophet, the people find the courage to continue the work. By God’s grace and through a surprising and often painful process, the obstacles we face become a compassionate gift that exposes our fears, sins, and idols. Our God will redeem and use these difficulties to help us realign in faithful obedience, so we learn to entrust the things we cannot see or control into the hands of the One who is always Faithful.
This week, Shawn Stutz teaches on Ezra 5: 1-5 and explored how the Israelites stopped rebuilding the temple for 16 years because comfort, distraction, fear, and spiritual disengagement slowly replaced obedience to God. Through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, God called His people to return to Him, reminding them that obedience is not about striving harder but about living a “with God” life empowered by His Spirit. True obedience flows from a relationship with God, affects the people around us, and becomes possible “not by might nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.”
This week, special guest Pastor Dave Buehring joins us and teaches on the pacing of Jesus. Jesus modeled a life that was purposeful, unhurried, and fully surrendered to the Father’s will. Rather than being driven by pressure, demands, or urgency, He lived from a place of secure identity, obedience, healthy rhythms of rest, and intentional investment in others. The message challenges us to compare our pace with the paceof Jesus and consider whether we are truly following Him. As disciples, we are invitedto slow down, listen to God, serve others humbly, and multiply the life of Christ in thosearound us.
This week, Krystal walked through Ezra 4 and the opposition the Israelites faced as they rebuilt the temple, showing that the resistance was not simply political but spiritual. Zerubbabel refused to let the surrounding pagan nations join in the building because God’s people were being called back to a life of holiness, devotion, and being set apart unto the Lord alone. She emphasized that God was not interested in outward success mixed with compromise, but in a purified people whose worship and lives belonged fully to Him. Just as Israel struggled under pressure from the surrounding culture, the church today faces the temptation to blend in with the world rather than remain distinct and shaped by Christ. Krystal challenged believers to examine where compromise, fear, influence, or divided loyalty may be shaping their lives more than devotion to God. Even though choosing holiness creates opposition and contested ground, God calls His people to trust Him as their protection and presence, just as He promised to be a wall of fire around Jerusalem. The message ended with an encouragement to live boldly set apart, displaying the love and glory of God in a world that desperately needs a true picture of Jesus instead of a reflection of itself.
This passage reminds us that God is not calling His people to admire the work, but to join it. As the foundation of the temple was laid, the people worshiped in the middle of uncertainty. While some grieved the loss of former glory, God was inviting them to release the past and step into the new thing He was building. In the same way, we are called to follow Jesus, be shaped by Him, and actively participate in His mission— trusting that what He is building now will carry a greater glory.
This sermon centered on what it means to put first things first as God’s people, using Ezra 3 to show that before anything else was rebuilt, the people gathered to build the altar. Even amid fear and uncertainty, and before the temple’s foundation was laid, they chose to prioritize worship, sacrifice, and the realignment of their hearts with God. The altar was not merely a physical structure but a picture of trust and dependence, and a reminder that what we prioritize is ultimately what we worship. Throughout Scripture, the altar points to both God’s provision and the need for atonement, ultimately leading to Jesus as the final and perfect sacrifice. That same idea carries over into the Feast of Booths, which reminded the people that God Himself is their true dwelling place, the one who provides for, protects, and sustains them. Together, these themes show that before anything is built in our lives, we are called to come back to God first, trusting Him in both fear and faith.
This week, Shawn Stutz walked through Ezra 2 to show what spiritual restoration really looks like. He emphasized that God’s restoration is personal, often difficult, but always purposeful. The return from exile was not just about a nation, but about real people, families, and generations being restored, making the story feel closely connected to everyday life. He highlighted that although people were free to return home, many chose to stay because it was more comfortable, revealing the tension between comfort and obedience. The message challenges listeners to consider whether they may be choosing what feels safe rather than stepping into what God is calling them to do. It ultimately points to the larger story of redemption in Jesus, who brings true freedom and restores people to God.
The opening message of the City of God series introduces the story of Ezra and Nehemiah as God’s work of restoring a people, a temple, and a city through His sovereign plan. It emphasizes that Israel’s exile was the result of rejecting God’s compassionate warnings, yet their return reveals His mercy, faithfulness, and initiative in redemption. God stirs both pagan leaders like Cyrus and His own people to act, showing that He alone is the source of direction, provision, and restoration. This message also calls believers to be a set-apart people—fully devoted to His kingdom.
Easter reminds us that the gospel isn’t just a good idea, it’s the announcement of something that actually happened. Jesus died and was raised, and that changes everything. If the resurrection isn’t real, then none of this matters, but because it is, it means new life is available to us right now. Paul describes our lives like seeds being planted. What looks like loss, weakness, or even death is actually the beginning of something greater. God is using those hard seasons to transform us, not abandon us. We’re learning to die to ourselves and come alive to Christ, trusting that what He’s growing in us will ultimately lead to victory over sin, brokenness, and even death itself.
Mark’s Gospel records the response of Jesus to an unfruitful tree and an unfruitful people as He comes into Jerusalem for his final days before going to the cross. Jesus offers us a life in Him that we can rest into that produces lasting fruit. We live in a world that needs to taste the fruit of the life found only in Jesus, that they too may find their place among His people. As the people of God, may we learn the lesson of the unfruitful tree and instead be rooted in the tree of life.
Today, we hear from guest speaker Steve Fry on the freedom of discovering dependence on God.
This past Sunday, we talked about the significance of the Sacrament of Water Baptism. Baptism into our new life in Jesus comes by faith as we repent and confess our sins and receive forgiveness. We are now a new creation, with a new identity and family, made to bear fruit as we submit our lives to King Jesus. May we faithfully live this out and share this freely with those who need Jesus.
This week, we had special guest, Joe Daltorio with us. Sunday's message centered on the contrast between the “spirit of adoption” and the “spirit of the orphan.” Joe emphasized that God’s desire is to bring people into family, not into performance. The world often feels like an orphanage where shame, fear, entitlement, and comparison distort our identity, but the Father’s heart is to restore sons and daughters. Through the Spirit of adoption, believers are given a secure identity that cannot be earned or lost. The prodigal son illustrates both rebellion and religious striving as forms of orphan thinking, while the Father’s response reveals a love that restores position, intimacy, and belonging. Joe challenged us to reject orphan mentalities like fear, offense, entitlement, working for love and to live instead from the secure identity of adopted sons and daughters.
In today’s message, we are focusing on the sacrament of Communion, and the powerful ways the Lord ministers to us as we partake together. Some of the key things we can experience through communion are remembering Jesus, seeing Him revealed in the here and now as He truly is active and present in our lives, and rejoicing for the hope we have in Him as we share in His abundance while He sees us through life’s storms. May we all practice more intentional communion with the Lord and each other!
This week in our yearly update message, Jake reminded us that the church is not a building, staff, or Sunday service, but a people called to actively participate in God’s work of making and growing disciples. He highlighted the importance of engagement over passive attendance, generosity rooted in stewardship, and a shared commitment to both local and global mission. While structure helps support ministry, true spiritual life happens as each person chooses to participate in relationships, service, giving, and discipleship. The call is clear: don’t just attend church — be the church.
Living on purpose was never meant to be done alone. In Acts 1, Jesus called His followers to stay together and devote themselves to prayer while waiting for the promise of the Father. Their unity, with one accord, positioned them to receive power, direction, and boldness from the Holy Spirit. This kind of unity required intentional, Christ-centered relationships marked by humility, patience, forgiveness, and love. Prayer was central, as they continually sought God together through both devotion and supplication. As they remained united in relationship, prayer, and purpose, God empowered them to move forward and fulfill their calling as His witnesses.
This week, Jake began a new mini-series, Living on Purpose, and today we discussed how before Jesus sent His followers into action, He commanded them to wait. After the resurrection, Jesus clarified their purpose: to be witnesses to all nations, but instead of giving a strategy, He promised power through the Holy Spirit and instructed them to stay, tarry, and abide in Jerusalem. This waiting was not passive; it was a posture of sitting, remaining, and abiding in God through devoted prayer. The disciples obeyed by gathering in unity and committing themselves to prayer and supplication, modeling how God’s direction, power, and peace come not from rushing into purpose but from patiently abiding with Him. Living on purpose, personally and as a church, begins with learning the posture of Jesus; sitting and abiding in prayer while waiting for God’s lead.
Following the birth of Jesus, we see a beautiful picture of what it looks like to be dedicated to God. Through the lives of Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna, we see what faithful and sacrificial worship of God produces in our lives. May we experience a growing love for God, and find our hope refreshed and renewed as we dedicate ourselves to Jesus.
As we come to the story of the birth of Jesus, we see a beautiful collision of faith and joy right alongside the difficulties that come with radical obedience. May the Lord renew and strengthen our faith in Him, as we embrace the precious things He entrusts into our hands as well.
In Luke chapter 1 we have the story of the angelic visitor Gabriel, delivering the news of the coming births of both John the Baptist and Jesus. This good news brings with it some very real challenges. Can Zechariah and Elizabeth hold on to hope after years of disappointment? Can Mary receive both the blessing and the incredible sacrifice that comes with the gift of being the mother of the Messiah? As we remember the good news of Jesus this season, may we be able to find fresh hope as we walk in the blessings of God, even in the midst of the great sacrifices that often accompany them.
This week, Jake explains that the Christmas story is really the story of God’s redemption that began long before Bethlehem. John teaches that Jesus, the Word, has always existed and is both fully God and the Creator of all things. He is the source of life, and His light continues to shine in the darkness. John the Baptist appears as the God-sent messenger whose purpose was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. Even though Jesus entered the world He made and came to His own people, many still did not receive Him. Yet those who do believe in Him are given the privilege of becoming children of God, born not through human effort but through the Spirit. In the end, the Word became flesh and lived among us, allowing us to see His glory, full of grace and truth, which is the heart of the true Christmas story.
As we conclude Mark’s Gospel today, may we respond to Jesus' call to live with Purpose, walk in Power, and share the Gospel by the grace of His Presence with us. The call to bring the Good News wasn’t specific to only the original disciples, but is the purpose of all those who believe. May we learn to rely upon the power of God and be sustained by His presence as we go into all the world.
In today’s message we are exploring the resurrection of Jesus and the reaction of his closest followers. Jesus’ resurrection, and our response to it, are of vital importance. Even before we explore all the implications of his death and resurrection and what it means for us, we must first just grapple with whether or not we believe this actually happened. May we all have faith to put our trust in Jesus and the boldness to share the gospel willingly with those around us.
In Mark 15, Jesus stands trial before Pilate, silently enduring false accusations and injustice as the true “King of the Jews.” While Pilate recognizes His innocence, he yields to the pressure of the crowd, releasing Barabbas, a guilty man, in place of the sinless Savior. Jesus is mocked, beaten, and crucified, fulfilling Psalm 22 with remarkable precision as He suffers rejection, scorn, and physical torment. His death is accompanied by divine signs, the tearing of the temple curtain and the confession of a Roman centurion who declares Jesus to be the Son of God. Amid widespread fear and betrayal, a few faithful followers, including Joseph of Arimathea and the women who had ministered to Jesus, demonstrate courage and devotion by caring for His body. This passage exposes the contrasting human responses to Jesus, fear, unbelief, and faith and invites reflection on how we respond to the crucified King.
In Mark 14:26–72 we follow Jesus from the Passover table to Gethsemane, the pressing place, where He faces the full weight of sorrow, betrayal, and denial. Despite the disciples’ confident words, their roots are shallow and they fall away under pressure. In the garden Jesus models both deep anguish and perfect surrender: “Abba, Father… not what I will, but what You will.” His obedience in the face of unanswered prayer becomes the foundation of our relationship with the Father. As Judas betrays Him, the disciples scatter, and Peter denies Him, the darkness deepens, but within it shines the steadfast love of God, who sent His Son to die for us while we were still sinners. In our own “pressing places,” we are invited to watch and pray, to strengthen our spirits through surrender, and to trust that God’s will, though costly, always leads to redemption.
In this week’s passage, Jesus and his closest friends gather around the table for two significant meals within just a few days of his trial and crucifixion. As we observe the various motives and conversations among Jesus’ friends and enemies during these two meals, let’s invite Jesus to reveal himself in a fresh way to us. May we be open to the Holy Spirit to convict and refine any broken motives in our own hearts, so that we too may worship Him with a heart like the woman from Bethany.
In today’s passage, we see Jesus spending time on the Mount of Olives with his inner circle of disciples. It’s an intimate conversation about the future and coming difficulties, yet Jesus encourages them to see beyond the coming struggle to His return and ultimate victory. Jesus gives a series of warnings so that no one leads us astray, and we don’t become alarmed when trouble comes. Instead, He calls us to stay awake, be on guard, and continue to learn and understand His Word, so that we may endure to the end.
In Mark chapter 12, the religious leaders are feeling threatened by Jesus' power and influence. So they conspired together to put him to the test, hoping to discredit him in the eyes of the people. However, it’s actually Jesus who flips this around and reveals truth by exposing their own broken thinking and flawed assumptions. If we surrender to him, Jesus will help us see our own places of brokenness and flawed thinking, living in the freedom of His truth and love.
In this week’s message (Mark 11:11-33), Jesus addresses the empty show of religion—like a fig tree with no fruit or a temple turned marketplace—and calls people back to prayer and real faith. His actions showed God’s authority and care, exposing what was false and opening the way to true life with Him. The question is simple: will we just nod in agreement, or truly give Him our allegiance and bear fruit?
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, He was showing the world what kind of King He is. He came in humility and peace, fulfilling a prophecy spoken centuries earlier, while the crowds welcomed Him with shouts of “Hosanna!” from Psalm 118. What they didn’t realize was that this moment also lined up with the choosing of the Passover lamb—a picture of Jesus offering Himself as the sacrifice for our salvation. The triumphal entry reminds us that Jesus is both our King and our Lamb, and like the donkey that carried Him, we’re called to bring His presence into the lives of those around us and turn over control of our lives to him.
This passage tells the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar who recognized Jesus as the Messiah even before he received healing. Despite being silenced by the crowd, Bartimaeus cried out all the more, and Jesus stopped, called him near, and restored his sight. Jake highlighted that Jesus not only heals but brings complete wholeness (sozo): body, mind, and soul. Bartimaeus moved from sitting by the roadside to following Jesus on the way, a reminder that true faith both saves and transforms. As believers, we are called to encourage others to “take heart” and not become obstacles for those who are desperately trying to reach Jesus.
As Jesus is making his final approach to Jerusalem, He engages in some important conversation with his disciples. He prepares them with full transparency of his coming arrest, suffering, his death on the cross, and ultimately his resurrection. This sparks several conversations with the disciples regarding their own coming persecution, for some their martyrdom, and the need for patient endurance among his followers. Jesus reminds them that in His Kingdom, there is no grasping for power and control. Just as Jesus lays down his life for many as the servant of all, His followers are also called to lay down the pursuit of power and control and live as his bond-servants here on earth.
This sermon from Mark 10:17–31 shows us that while the rich young ruler came eagerly to Jesus, he was unwilling to surrender the “one thing” that held his heart: his wealth. Jesus reveals that every person has something they may cling to that threatens to take His place, whether it’s possessions, pride, control, or comfort. Out of love, Jesus calls us to let go of whatever holds us back and follow Him completely. Though surrender feels impossible in our own strength, God makes the impossible possible through His Spirit. True life and lasting riches are found not in holding tightly to temporary treasures, but in releasing them to embrace a real and eternal relationship with Jesus.
In Mark 9:30–50, Jesus redefines true greatness for His disciples. While they argued about power and position, Jesus pointed them instead toward humility, servanthood, and purity. He embraced a child as an example of receiving the least and warned His followers to take sin seriously, guarding both their own hearts and the influence they have on others. Greatness in God’s kingdom is not about prestige or control, but about sacrifice, holiness, and living at peace with one another. True greatness looks less like power and more like purity, as we live as salt in the world for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.
In Mark 9:14–29, we encounter a desperate father, a suffering son, and a group of disciples unable to help. Jesus steps into the chaos and reminds us that the answer is always to bring our brokenness to Him. The father’s honest cry, “I believe; help my unbelief!”, is the kind of prayer Jesus honors; one that admits weakness yet trusts His power. Christ not only heals the son but restores the father’s shattered faith, showing us that prayer is not about our strength but about our reliance on His presence, compassion, and authority. True faith grows as we bring our doubts, struggles, and even our unbelief to Jesus in prayer, trusting Him to do what only He can do.
In Mark 9:1–13, we see Jesus transfigured before Peter, James, and John, giving them a breathtaking glimpse of His glory and confirming Him as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets through the appearance of Moses and Elijah. This passage reminds us that intimacy with Christ invites us into moments of revelation where His true majesty shines through, not to keep us on the mountaintop, but to strengthen us for the challenges of everyday life. Just as Jesus was transformed before His disciples, we too are called to be transformed—no longer conformed to the world, but renewed in mind and spirit, with unveiled faces reflecting His glory. In Christ, we dare to hope, believe, and live in the freedom of His Spirit, trusting that the light of His presence is far greater than anything this world offers.
In today’s sermon, we take a look at Jesus healing a man’s physical blindness, and we see Peter’s eyes opened to the reality of Jesus as the coming Messiah. The good news of Jesus' power and presence is essential for us, as we also learn the cost of following Him. The question for all of us is, who do we say that Jesus is? May we fix our gaze upon Jesus as he brings true sight to our eyes!
Jesus understands his purpose and has compassion on those in need. He has no patience for the pessimism, distraction, and attacks of his skeptics. As his disciples, will we learn to bring what we have in our hands and invite him to permeate our hearts? Or will we keep our eyes only on what we can see - like our limitations and our overwhelming challenges - and find our hearts hardened in the process?
In today’s sermon, we see Jesus healing two people in very unlikely and even controversial ways. In these two stories, we see Jesus' loving, personal touch to heal. We are also taught about the power of faith, not only in our own lives, but also learn how our personal stories of faith can grow and produce faith in others. May we all see Jesus’ touch in and through our lives as He does all things well.
Jesus wants to free us from false and external forms of justification that keep us from a genuine repentance and true purity and healing. In this passage, Jesus makes it clear that we should not substitute traditions and outward behaviors to keep us moral and pure. Instead, let’s allow the Lord to expose broken ways of living and thinking that keep our hearts defiled and in bondage, that we might come to Him for true purity of heart.
From Genesis to Revelation, God is described as a Shepherd to His people, and in John 10, Jesus Himself says He is, in fact, the Good Shepherd. Let’s look at the intimate bond between the Shepherd and his sheep, that we may claim as David did, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
We all feel the deep need for approval, security, and worth. In this Family Sunday message, we explore what happens when our identity is unsettled—and how the world’s solutions just bury us deeper. Drawing from Ephesians 3, we’ll see how being rooted and established in God’s love frees us from needing others’ approval, self-protection, and the drive to prove ourselves. It’s not about self-love—it’s about knowing whose you are and being freed to love from the overflow.
What does it truly mean to live out grace? In this week’s message, Kristen shares both personal stories and biblical examples that challenge us to go beyond mercy and embrace grace as a defining trait of our faith. From Mephibosheth to Peter, we see how God’s grace restores, uplifts, and transforms lives. Join us as we reflect on how we, as a church and as individuals, can be known by our love and grace in a world that desperately needs both.
The hows of church aren’t obligations; they are responses to something incredible being made available. In this message, we explore the stunning contrast in Hebrews 12 between Sinai and Zion—between fear and full access to God. Through the blood of Christ and the anointing of the Spirit, we can draw near. As an anointed people, we gather and we extend.
The Church isn’t just tradition—it’s the present-tense expression of a new world that’s coming. This message draws a straight line from Christian eschatology to why we gather now, showing how the Spirit-empowered Church can align with the coming Kingdom because our future has been defined, revealed, and secured.
This week, we hear from Pastor Jonathan Allen, who continued in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6.
This week, Diane Spencer brought such a beautiful message about motherhood and being seen by God. Through the examples of women in the scriptures, we were pointed to times where women who were otherwise unseen were valued and validated by God. Hagar, Hannah, and Mary show us that we are important to Him, and even when our circumstances are difficult, He cares. Whether it is a season of longing, loneliness, or despair, the Lord is with us and loves us right where we are.
This week, we discussed two stories in the life of Jesus that, at first glance, may seem unrelated, but as we learned, they were actually more alike than they appeared. We opened with the story of the disciples in the boat with Jesus in the midst of a raging storm. While they were panicked and feared for their lives, Jesus calmly spoke to the wind and waves, and they subsided. Then we read about Jesus meeting the demon-possessed man on the shore and freeing him from his torment. Though these stories seem different, upon closer inspection, we see that Jesus was calming storms in both, and the responses from those who witnessed them were similar. Now, all of these years later, we serve the same God who can calm the storms in our lives, but will we trust in his almighty power, or will we fall victim to the storm of fear within our own hearts?
He is risen! What a beautiful Easter service celebrating our risen savior! This week we looked at the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and what this, the most important day we celebrate as Christians, means to our faith. While our human nature may crave revenge and justice, Jesus came to bring a message of forgiveness and healing. His death and resurrection serve as reminders and mandates for us to be ever mindful of the forgiveness we received from his that we do not deserve, so that we can be living examples of that in our own lives. This forgiveness is not easy, but it is freedom. If we can follow the example of Christ, we can walk in a freedom that is unlike any other.
Jesus often taught large groups with short and simple parables. This week, we read the parable of the sower, but our discussion was about more than just this parable. We dug into the reason why Jesus spoke in parables that may have felt confusing to the large crowds and how as believers now we are invited (as the disciples were) to ask questions and learn the meanings behind why Jesus taught the way he did or to just take these stories at face value and pat ourselves on the back for reading them.
This week we were blessed to hear from Pastor Dave Buehring in a message on Jesus’ sermon on the mount from Matthew 5. We learned about the intentionality Jesus’ delivery as he spoke about the levels of spiritual maturity involved in a life following Christ with intention. As believers, we should be yielding to the Lord and allowing him to form us into people that live out each of these categories as we follow him in our daily walk.
As the ministry of Jesus grows, more and more people are becoming aware of him. There are many curious and needy people drawn to him, as well as a growing skepticism and opposition from religious leaders and even his own family. In the midst of this, Jesus focuses on what really matters - fulfilling his purpose and having others join him in life and ministry. He prayerfully identifies those who will be with him, serve alongside him, and be sent out on his behalf to minister. Living with Kingdom purpose and embracing our place in the Family of God was the role of Jesus’ disciples then, and remains our call today.
In today’s message, we look at the true purpose of the Law and Religious Tradition. In Mark's Gospel, we see that Jesus breaks from tradition and the “letter of the law” but never the heart of the law. In fact, he is restoring the true heart of the law. In our religious practices and traditions like fasting and practicing the Sabbath, let us consider the message of Jesus found in the scriptures we are exploring today - that the good thing that the Law anticipated and Tradition prepared us for is now here and present. Namely, God himself has come, bringing rest, freedom, healing, and new life!
This week, Pastor Jonathan taught on the story of Jesus calling Levi to be a disciple and the resulting dinner with sinners. The good news is we can all come to Jesus as we are, but when He calls us it’s so we will grow and change, becoming like Him. It’s so important that we take Jesus as He is, not as we want Him to be. Let’s resist the urge to try and make Jesus into the image we want. Instead, may we learn to follow Him, allowing Him to mold us into His image.
In week 4 of our study of Mark’s gospel, we discussed the story of the paralyzed man who was carried by his friends to see Jesus. The story of perseverance and courage displayed by his friends, as well as the clarity with which Jesus see’s the hearts of the people involved serves as a reminder that we follow a savior who recognizes the real eternal issues in our lives as well as having compassion for the temporary suffering that we endure. His forgiveness and grace gives each of us the opportunity to pick up the burdens we carried in the past and boldly walk with a testimony that only he can give.
This week, we finished chapter 1 of Mark’s gospel by discussing three miracles Jesus performed. Through these miracles, we can see and understand the authority and care with which Jesus handled different people and situations. While they are three very different situations, Jesus remains consistent. He deeply cares for the people in each scenario, but he also has unmistakable authority over the powers of darkness and disease. His authority is in each of us as believers, but it also serves as a refining fire for the dark places in our own hearts and lives. As we walk in His authority, consider if you are willing and able to accept the freedom He offers even when it feels difficult.
In Part 2, we continue diving into Mark Chapter 1 as Jesus begins his public ministry. Jesus’ primary message is sharing the Good News that the Kingdom of God is available to us. Jesus’ primary method is to make disciples so that God’s Kingdom grows in us and is shared with the world through us. The question is, will we respond to the good news of God’s Kingdom by submitting to Jesus’ leadership in our lives? Let’s embrace living as His disciples, according to His definition, not our own.
We kicked off a new series this week exploring the life and ministry of Jesus. In Mark’s gospel Jesus shows up “suddenly” and changes people’s lives. He comes to cleanse and purify us through the power of the cross and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let’s posture ourselves to respond to His presence and share His life with those around us.
This week was our Yearly Update. We discussed the heart of our church, our missions, and our finances. Our leadership values transparency and open dialogue, so this is a great check-in for our body to know the heart and plans as we enter a new year.
Last week Allison Allen taught on transitions and moving into new things and out of old. This week, Jonathan Allen taught us how God created new things and how the songs we sing are all important as we move out of the old and into the new.
This week, Allison Allen reminded us, as we enter a new year in a new building, why it is important to walk through seasons of transition with Jesus. Through the story of the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, Allison gave us some practical tools to use as we walk from one season to the next. Whether it be out of mourning or new life changes, scripture has plans that we can use to transition in a healthy way.
This week, we explored Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow found in Luke 18. Jesus teaches us that there is great power available when we are persistent in prayer. Despite all the challenges that could cause us to become weary and burdened, Jesus encourages us that when we draw near to God, we will find the strength we need to not lose heart.
Often, the week between Christmas and the New Year can be lost in a bit of a fog. But as we approach this New Year, let’s spend some time reflecting, looking back, and looking ahead. The journey of the Magi is a great guide to help us consider how we might treasure, trust, and hope in Jesus as we enter the year ahead.
Today, we finish our Remember series with a reminder of the vital importance of intentionally engaging in church community. The scripture gives some powerful examples of what a church community is like, may we all learn and embrace this truth and find our place in the family of God.
This week, we focused on the importance of living as disciples of Jesus. It’s vital that we understand what a disciple is, and that we live with intentionality in our personal lives and as a church community. Let’s commit ourselves to follow Jesus, be changed by Him, and live on mission with Him in our everyday lives.
Prayer is the foundation of our church and of our faith. Without prayer, we lose the intimate relationship we were gifted when Jesus died on the cross. In Matthew 6, Jesus taught us how to pray with the “Lord’s Prayer.” Prayer positions us to have the proper posture before the Lord, practice living in surrender to him, and rely upon his faithful provision and protection.
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s not just a yearly holiday; gratitude is such an important part of our daily walk with Jesus. The lesson we learn from the lepers in Luke 17 and 2 Kings 7 teaches us to express our gratitude, enjoy the presence of God, and move from grumbling to generosity. May we all grow in gratitude!
On Sunday, we celebrated that we passed our final inspection, and discussed plans for moving into the new building! We also continued in our Remember series discussing the Sabbath. The idol of busyness has become so ingrained within our culture that we now wear it as a badge of honor. God created us in His image, and part of our identity in him is rest. We are commanded to rest in the 10 commandments, but how often do we overlook that as a necessity for our lives? Instead of working to earn rest, let’s work from a place of rest, pacing ourselves to avoid burnout, and ultimately creating a church body that can be a place of healing and rest for others.
This week, we focused on the importance of not becoming isolated in just our local church life, but intentionally living with a greater awareness of the larger body of Christ. We are called to consistently pray for, refresh, love, and bless the church. Let’s look for ways to walk this out in our lives personally and as a local church body. Let’s pray for and encourage those who serve and expand the Kingdom of God all over Knoxville and around the world.
In part 3 of our series, we focus on the importance of each of us living with purpose as we go about our everyday lives. A big part of who we are as the people of God goes beyond our time of “gathering," as we are called to be intentional in our “scattering,” too. Let’s purpose to make disciples in our day-to-day lives right where we live and work.
This week we are continuing our Remember series, by going through Deuteronomy chapter 8. Moses encourages the next generation to intentionally remember the Lord and his faithfulness to them through the wilderness years before they enter the promised land. As we prepare to move into our new church home, it’s important that we reflect on key moments from our time together meeting in various places to worship God over the years.
On Sunday, we kicked off a new series called, Remember. Over the next few months, we’ll be going through scripture and exploring the importance of remembering God’s faithfulness, what he has done for us, and remembering who we are called to be as his people. Throughout this series, we will share stories and memories of our church history and key characteristics of who we are called to be as the people of Grace Chapel.
This week we had the privilege of hearing from Mark McComas as he spoke on some very big questions: Who am I? And why am I here? It is human nature to question our purpose on earth, but what information and sources are we using to answer these questions? We are created to bear the image of God, and through beholding him, being ourselves, and being in communion with other believers, we can fully embrace the life and plan that God has for our lives.
As we enter the election season, it is crucial that we remind ourselves as believers where our true loyalties and faith should lie. It is easy to get caught up in the panic and emotions that get so intense when politics are discussed, but as we discussed this week, our hope is with the one true King, so let us pray for our country, vote with intention, and integrity, but remember that he is in control.
Today we celebrated as a church family with several people who were water-baptized. In Luke 15, Jesus tells several stories highlighting the celebration in God’s Kingdom when he redeems people. We are all invited to return to Jesus no matter the extent of our sin and separation from God. Jesus also calls his people to participate with Him in inviting, welcoming, and celebrating when the lost come home to Him. Let’s respond to Jesus’ invitation to live a life of celebration!
This week Pastor David taught us the values of the fruits of the spirit as he learned them from a childhood friend, his neighbor’s dog Prince. Sometimes the Lord teaches us the most valuable life lessons from the most unlikely places.
This Sunday, we wrapped up our series in First John by looking at John’s final warning that the church guards herself from idols. At first glance, this might not seem like a modern problem, but our hearts and our eyes are very easily enticed by the idols that permeate our culture. May we learn to be careful not to comfort ourselves with idols, get drawn into complacency, or allow ourselves to compromise. Instead, may our hearts be pure, and in love with Jesus.
Prayer is vital to our walk as Christians. Through prayer, we grow our relationship with the Lord and strengthen our faith. John encourages us in these verses to come to the throne with boldness; not because of our own merits, but because we can trust the sacrifice that Jesus made for us to give us the gift of intimacy with him. While prayer can seem intimidating at first, we are assured through his example that we can bring our requests to the Father, but we can also trust that whatever the outcome, he has our best interest at heart.
In today’s message, we reflect on John’s words of encouragement to the church that we can have great confidence in knowing we are secure and victorious in Jesus! The water, blood, and spirit testify in a powerful way to who Jesus is, what he has uniquely done for us, and the life we now live in him. We have these sacraments of the water and the blood as an anchor and reminder of the reality of the spirit life we now live! Our lives are to be a “living” sacrament. The outward visible “us” revealing the inner grace of the Holy Spirit.
This week we continued our discussion of 1 John in part 16 of our series. Kristen Panella shared from 1 John 5:1-5 on the part that we are called to play as we live in the light that John is calling us to. By using the example of Jesus’ life, we looked at three categories of neighbors that Jesus loved in his time on earth. Looking at people around us who are different from us through the eyes of Jesus is how we can love like he loved and therefore carry out his commands. If we can do that, these verses tell us that we will live in victory over the world.
As John concludes this portion of his letter on the love of God, we see the wonderful power of God’s love to defeat fear. While fear can be a great source of torment in our lives, God’s love is the ultimate source of power to defeat fear. Praise God that we can be set free from the bondage of fear, as we are immersed in receiving and sharing His great love.
Today as we continue exploring the Love of God, we see the Holy Spirit’s unique and active role in helping us abide in God’s love. The gift of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives gives us confidence, speaks powerful truth, and pours the love of God into our hearts through all the circumstances of this life. May we all be anchored in the abiding presence of God as we rest in what he has given us of His Spirit.
In John chapter 4 we return to the topic of God’s Love and how we are to live this out. God’s Kingdom is all about love. The King is the very essence of love, and we are meant to be living in that love. As we receive from Him, we respond back in love by loving one another well.
This Sunday we heard from our dear friend and worship leader Krystal Hawkins as she shared a strong word on the importance of knowing and discerning the spirit of truth. We hope you are strengthened and encouraged as you hear her testimony on the power of wielding the truth to break strongholds.
Today we hear from our friend Allison Allen as we continue through 1 John. We hear about who our real enemy is and how we lose the hold that habitual sin has on us.
As John wraps up chapter 3 of his letter, he puts great emphasis on the condition of our hearts before God. The good news he shares is that we can be free of trying to navigate the confusing and muddy waters of our hearts. Instead, we can entrust our hearts to the Lord and as we abide in Him, he will transform our hearts through His abiding joyful love.
Pastor Jonathan brought an encouraging word on loving one another. He highlighted how John uses a musical quality in his writing to reaffirm key themes with repeated phrases that work like a chorus. In this passage, John repeatedly affirms the power of love and the destructiveness caused by the absence of love. This truth anchors us in the importance of abiding in God’s love. When we live like that, we can truly be “loved people, who love people."
In today’s message, we are discussing the incredible significance of what we consistently put into practice in our lives. The truth is that the habits we form, form us. We are either conforming to the patterns of a broken world leading to death, or we are growing in the way of Jesus which is life. May we all discover the power of practicing the righteousness of God, as we become more and more at home with Jesus.
This week Mark McComas teaches through 1 John 3:1-3 and challenges us not to read scriptures through our modern framework of Christianity, but by beholding the truth of who God is, and that we can know him and be known by him.
Today we explore John's warning about antichrists and false teaching. He gives us clear direction on avoiding these errors, and a firm foundation of Spirit and Truth to stand on that we may abide in the truth of Jesus. We don’t have to be fearful, but we should be prepared. Let’s purpose to abide in truth so that we may remain anchored in Christ.
This week, we discussed 1 John 2:12-17. John is encouraging readers to remember what anchors them, and how vital they are to one another. When the enemy comes to tempt us with desires of the eyes, flesh, and pride, John says we should find all that we need in God, and to link arms with one another so that we aren’t fighting the battles alone.
This week we honored mothers by remembering the story of Jesus, his mother, and John in John 19:26-27. Jesus honored his mother, even in his suffering, by acknowledging her suffering and entrusting John into her care. Jesus recognized that John needed a spiritual mother and Mary would be blessed by being able to pour into John. Spiritual mothers and fathers are a vital part of the walk of every Christian, and so we should be eager to step into that role for someone else and find that spiritual parent for ourselves.
This week, Bob Spencer spoke about the commandment from 1 John 2:7-11. This commandment is a simple one that is throughout the Old and New Testament. John reminds us of the commandment to love one another. There is a temptation to create categories for people we deem “unloveable” to excuse ourselves from following this command fully, but the commandment and example from Jesus are clear, love one another without abandon.
In our discussion of 1 John, this week, we discussed chapter 2 verses 1-6. In these verses, we learn that Jesus fulfills many roles in our lives if we allow him to. He is our advocate; his sacrifice allows us to walk in the freedom that he promises us. He is our commander; his commandments come from a heart that is full of love for us, and if we can follow those commands, (or try to) he can pour his love into us so that we may pour that love into others. Finally, he is our guide; when we follow in his footsteps, ask him for guidance, and go where he guides us, we can be in the light and free from the darkness.
This week Krystal Hawkins taught us from 1 John chapter 1 about walking in the light. Where there is light, there cannot be darkness. The light that comes from being in a relationship with Jesus includes our relationship with him, but it also includes our relationships with one another. Being in the light is a reflection of our walk with the Lord, and if we are walking in the light, it is impossible for his glory to not radiate from us. We have to be willing to take an active part in letting his light into our lives to renovate our hearts and shine into the dark places, but if we are willing to embrace that journey, with Him in control, we can step into a life full of his glorious light.
Following Resurrection Sunday, we continued our discussion on the clothing that Jesus wore during His death and resurrection, but also what we are clothed in once we decide to become His followers. This week we reflected on how we are clothed from above, with new life, wisdom, and power. The garments that the Lord has for us are good and perfect, but we often try to just choose the pieces we want or think we need. Our savior was clothed in humility so that we may be clothed in new life and power. May we step into those garments and leave behind the rags we have been wearing.
This week we celebrated our risen, Savior, Jesus, and explored what his clothes told us about him and his character. We see the humility and sacrifice of Jesus, as he lays aside his garments to wash his disciples’ feet. Through the story of the woman who is healed by touching his garment, we see that Jesus uses his power and authority, not for his own gain, but to love and serve humanity. And, as Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes, as a child, we see the creator of the universe wrapped in the frailty of humanity, that he might lay down his life for us. Jesus took on the garments of humanity, laying aside his divinity, in order that we might be clothed with salvation!
As Jesus began his journey towards Jerusalem and ultimately the cross, he had several significant encounters along the way. May we see Jesus inviting us into his true riches, glory, and healing. As followers of Jesus let’s be purposeful to engage in what might seem to be interruptions, in order to share Jesus with people in need.
Pastor Dave Buehring joined us this Sunday and delivered a great word based on Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. We walked step by step through this encouraging and challenging passage found in chapter 13 that defines God’s love and how we ought to love one another. May we all open our hearts to the Lord and allow him to reveal, reconcile, and redeem our love for Him and one another.
As we wrapped up our series this week, we spent some time reflecting on how important it is for the church to live on mission with Jesus. In the book of Acts, we have many wonderful examples of people being present and intentional to minister to others, attentive and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and willingly facing their fears and life’s challenges to bring the hope of Jesus to a world in need. May we learn from their examples and embrace a lifestyle of living on mission!
As followers of Jesus, discipleship should be a part of our everyday life. When Jesus first called Andrew and Peter, he gave them three simple instructions that still apply to us today: follow, change, and mission. It can be tempting to choose one or two of these instructions to live out, but without all three, we are missing out on the full life that we are promised in Him. As individual believers and as a church body, may we be actively choosing to follow him, allowing him to change us, and staying on mission with him.
Fellowship is a common word in the church world. We normally use it to describe the fun and easy meals we enjoy together after service or a Wednesday evening hangout, but what does real fellowship actually look like? When we are really sharing our lives with other believers in the body, we need to be open to the difficult and challenging times that sometimes will occur. Luckily, we have a God who promises us the help we need to love others well which leads us to the blessings that come when we live in true fellowship with one another.
This Sunday we discussed the importance of God's presence in our church. Jesus' primary message to the disciples in John chapters 14-17 was that they learn to abide in him, being rooted in a loving, healthy relationship with God. This is such a vital part of a healthy, mature church body, that we must rely upon the presence of God. This will produce healthy fruit in the life of the church, and empower us to reproduce the life of Jesus in others.
This week Jonathan Allen spoke about the familiar parable of the houses built on the sand and on the rock. He discussed the three characteristics of the wise man: coming to Jesus, hearing from Jesus, and doing what he says. As Christians, we should be making all decisions by going through all three steps in this process, but too often, we neglect one or more of these crucial pieces. As a church body, we want to build our house on a strong foundation, so when the inevitable floods of life come, we can be a safe space for our community to take shelter.
This Sunday we returned to our Built Together series and focused on using our Treasure to build up the church. There is a key mindset shift that Jesus invites us into in Luke 12, calling us to move from striving to stewarding. The Lord is our generous provider, and we can learn to trust Him for provision and lean on Him to help us use all that is in our care well.
This week, we spent time celebrating the previous year, looking ahead to some plans for this year, and sharing an update on church finances and the remodel project for our new church home. We hope this is encouraging and equipping for all of us as we step into this next season together. As a church family, let’s humbly and prayerfully submit our plans and our ways to the Lord in this new year!
In part 2 of our mini-series on the book of Haggai, we shift our focus from the prophet’s call to self-reflection, to an exploration of who our God is. His ways are so good, from His faithful presence and commitment to fulfill His promises, to the cleansing, protection, and provision we have in him. May our prayer be, “Oh Lord, we look to you and consider your ways toward us.”
This week we discussed the first chapter in the book of Haggai. The people of Israel had finally been allowed to return to their homeland after many years of exile and rebuild God’s temple. Almost immediately, the people encountered opposition, and the project was halted. At the beginning of Haggai, the Lord is encouraging his people (through Haggai) to consider their ways. How they had spent their time and money on their own homes, but His temple lay incomplete and neglected. As our church is entering a new season with our own building project, we want to make sure we are always considering where our priorities and attention lie.
This week we explore Psalm 90, a psalm of Moses. As we begin the new year, it’s a great time to reflect and seek the Lord regarding our need for help, deliverance, and guidance. As Moses reminds us, we have a loving and faithful God whom we can call on and trust. May you be blessed this new year as you seek and submit your life to Jesus.
In week 4 of our Advent series, we explore the incredible gift of peace that is available to us in the person of Jesus. Peace isn’t the absence of conflict or difficulty, but the presence of Jesus bringing freedom from inner turmoil by setting us at one in him. May we all learn to hold our peace, as we are prepared in advance for the trials to come, sustained amid the storm, and set at peace as we walk forward in freedom.
In week 3 of our Advent series, we spend some time meditating on Luke 2:8-20 as the shepherds receive good tidings of great joy. As we explore the gift and power of joy, let’s pause to consider what the Lord has made known to us, so we may in turn make known the joy of our salvation to others.
This week, we take a journey through the lives of several characters from the Advent story: Joseph, Simeon & Anna, Mary and the Wise Men. We see how, in each of their stories, faith was absolutely central to their discovery of the Messiah.
This week we began the Advent season focused on the Hope we have in Jesus. The hope that is offered by the Lord is meant to comfort us, give us a clear path forward, and remind us to rely on Him and His promises not our own strength. May we find hope in this season, and be intentional to encourage one another by sharing the hope we have been given.
Today Pastor Jonathan teaches us about thanksgiving and worship. We take a fresh look at Psalm 100 and we see that every act of worship and thanksgiving is a response to the God who first loved us. He always initiates and we respond.
As humans, we are born with a finite amount of time and individual gifts and talents. It is important for us to identify our gifts and talents and also to steward them well. This week, by looking at the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, we learned about the importance of rest, tending opportunities to love well, looking to Jesus for solutions, and participating in the miracle that God is doing in and around us. We may feel inadequate, but he doesn’t measure us by how much we have; we are measured by how we use it. If we take our talents to Him, he is the great multiplier and can do things that we cannot even ask or imagine.
This week we finished up our exploration of the spiritual gifts by focusing on the gift of speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues. While often a controversial topic, the scripture encourages us to seek this gift and gives clear direction on how to handle it in a healthy way that encourages and builds us up individually and corporately. May we always remember that God himself is the gift. Therefore we grow in Him as we cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we walk in love with one another, and we eagerly desire and pursue the spiritual gifts for the purpose of building up the church.
This week we are continuing our exploration of the Spiritual Gifts as we work through Romans 12 and 1st Corinthians 12. We pray you are encouraged and the whole body is built up, as you discover, use, and grow in the gifts that the Holy Spirit so graciously imparts into our lives.
This week we begin a new section in our series as we continue learning how to operate in love to build up the Body of Christ. We will spend the next several weeks exploring the spiritual gifts. Let’s respond as Paul encourages us in his 1st letter to the Corinthian church, not to be ignorant of these gifts, but open to the Spirit of God and how he chooses to equip us so that we may walk in His Power, motivated by His Love, in order to build up and encourage others!
In this week’s message, we heard from our good friend Mark, as he unpacked the vital importance of having a healthy, biblical view of the Church. Often, we can have subtle, broken thinking that skews how we view the church and our role within it. One of our primary issues is how individualistic we have become in our reading of scripture and our understanding of our relationship with one another in the church. May we all have our mindset renewed to understand the crucial role of being in a community of believers who are being built up in love.
In this week’s sermon, we spent time reflecting on the healing that comes when we live in awareness of the other members of the body of Christ and choose to cooperate with the work Jesus is doing to restore his body. In Romans 12:12-18 Paul gives us a very practical application for how we can love well through our contributions, hospitality, and actively sharing in the lives of others. Let’s purpose to live in full awareness of the body of Christ, and love each other well.
Building a community of believers is an endeavor that can feel intimidating at first glance. There is some difficulty that can come when people are doing life together. However, John 15 tells us that there is great joy when we love each other well. As we are moving towards our new physical building, let us also work to build a community that enjoys the gifts of diversity, love, and perseverance, working to outdo one another in showing honor.
This week we explored several key aspects of how the Bible describes the church community. We need to understand our nature as the church and live out this truth. It gives us clear direction on how to live in relation to our Father in heaven, and with one another. We are an interconnected body, a building that needs the structure and support of constant gathering, a family that gives us a place of love and relationship, a flock that receives care, nurture, and support from one another and ultimately from the Good Shepherd.
This week we explored how important it is as the body of Christ to have our hearts aligned with the Lord and each other. The primary way we can grow in this is to be a worshipping community. We are called to worship God sacrificially with our whole heart for who He really is. The bi-product of this kind of worship produces renewal in our lives individually and unites us in community centered around the purposes of Jesus and a growing love for the family of God.
This Sunday, Pastor Jake kicked off a new series exploring how we can participate in the church God is building. It is primary to remember that God is the true builder. Our role is to recognize that, and then humbly submit to His plan, and cooperate with the work He wants to do. The actual church is the people of God, not a building. Therefore, it's vital that we continue to recognize this and grow into who God is calling us to be as individuals, as a local church, and as participants in the Church in Knoxville and beyond.
Today you’ll get a glimpse of our BBQ & Baptisms event, where we celebrated God’s faithfulness and his provision! You’ll hear from Pastor David, of the Lord’s Chapel, and from Pastor Jake.
In His presence, there is fullness of joy. As we are being drawn into this amazing miracle, let’s dream about all the things the Lord is going to do and wait expectantly, full of joy as we see him move.
This week Diane Spencer wrapped up this series by sharing about the women who served Jesus. Throughout the gospels, women who had life-changing encounters with Jesus would then minister to him from their “substance.” Our substance is not about the amount we have, or focusing on what we lack. Instead, it is about seeing what has been placed in our hands, and then being willing to give it to the Lord in order to serve Him.
This week in Part 3 of our series, Krystal Hawkins shared about Mary of Bethany. At three key moments in her life, Mary positioned herself at the feet of Jesus, and as a result, grew in her intimacy with Christ, received hope in her darkest hour, and ultimately learned the value of pouring out her life in sacrificial worship. May we all learn from her beautiful example, and find ourselves at the feet of Jesus.
In today’s sermon, Allison Allen brings a powerful message about the healing hope of Jesus. In Luke 13:10-21 we are invited to behold the tender love of Christ as he sees the condition of a woman tormented for 18 years, and he calls her out to receive healing and freedom. There is life-changing hope that transforms when Jesus sees our need and touches us with his power and love.
This Sunday we kicked off a 4-week series all being taught by women in our church - each of them focusing on women in the Bible who had life-changing encounters with Jesus. Our dear friend Kristen Panella started the series by sharing the power and freedom that comes when our identity is based on who we are in Christ above all else.
Today we explore the story of the Fall of Jericho. God’s plan seems to defy logic, yet Joshua, the people of Israel, and Rahab all take big steps of faith as they trust God to deliver them. The true measure of success isn’t about getting the outcome we think is right, but walking in faith trusting God’s plan and timing no matter how foolish it may seem or we may look.
On Sunday, we heard from Bob Spencer on how important the Father’s presence is to His children. This applies to our earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father. We learned that one of the key roles of a father is to teach his kids in all things.
In today’s sermon, you’ll hear the incredible story of how God is providing a more permanent home for our local church body. As we explore Joshua chapters 3-5 there is much to learn about stepping into God’s promises! We pray you are blessed by this message and will join us in ongoing prayer for this journey, praise for what God has done! May we all be prepared for radical obedience as we follow Him in the days ahead.
This week, we are looking at a key moment in Joshua’s life, as Moses is passing the baton of leadership on to him. While it is a pivotal moment, it is rooted in a long-term relationship where Moses invested in Joshua, and Joshua learned from and served his mentor. May we all learn to invest, serve, and embrace the key relationships the Lord has placed in our life so we may be the people we are called to be in our generation.
Sermon Description: In today’s sermon we focus on the story found in Numbers 13-14, when 12 spies go into the promised land to bring back a report. God has given clear instruction that the land is good and He is giving it to them, yet an entire generation misses out on stepping into their heritage as a result of their response to the bad report they receive. May we learn to walk with our eyes fixed upon our faithful God and His promises, even when the obstacles appear overwhelming.
This week we took a brief break from our Joshua series, as Pastor Dave Buehring brought a challenging and encouraging word about how to walk in a season of waiting. God wants to use these times to strengthen our dependence on Him, align our hearts in unity around His purposes, and teach us to trust in His perfect timing. We pray you will be encouraged by this message from our dear friend Pastor Dave.
In Part 2 of our Joshua series, we see the crucial role that spending time in God’s presence played in Joshua’s life. Before Joshua was ready to lead, he first learned to follow Moses’ example by cultivating his own walk with the Lord. It is essential that we prioritize time in the Lord’s presence, and one of the great gifts we have is learning how to do this from each other. Let’s purpose to draw near to God, with full assurance that He will draw near to us.
There is great power in confession, but what is true confession? What does it sound like to truly confess and why is it important? This week we discussed the importance of being a confessing community, the great value of pursuing righteousness, and how we can facilitate confession in others by pursuing them in love. In order for us to encourage confession, we must be willing to confess ourselves, but also be a safe place that creates an environment free from gossip or judgment.
In Sunday’s message, we explored some key verses in James 5 on the role of prayer and faith to bring healing and wholeness to those who are suffering. One of the biggest issues in our culture is how individualistic it is, and therefore in our reading of scripture, we often apply them as individuals instead of in the context of community. James writes to a community of believers on how they can pray and care for the suffering among them. May we all come to understand and operate in the great power that is available in a prayerful, caring community of faith & righteousness.
He has Risen! What a beautiful weekend to remember the death and resurrection of our savior, Jesus. On Easter Sunday we look at the everlasting joy that is received by beholding the face of God when we turn away from the distractions and hindrances of this life and look to him.
Patient endurance is a difficult topic. It is easy to want it to end when we are enduring difficulty. James challenges us though to establish hearts that are steadfastly focused on the Lord and waiting on him instead of seeking control or turning to idols. How do we do that though? Deuteronomy 11 gives us detailed instructions that include actively seeking the Lord and studying his words. Being in a season of waiting isn’t easy, but as believers, we have a hope that our struggles and waiting have a purpose, and a God who wants to walk closely with us as he invites us into his plans for our times of waiting; we need not worry, He is coming.
This Sunday, we had the great privilege to commission our dear friends and ministry partners Andrew and Dira Soreano, and their beautiful family, as they move to Indonesia. We spent lots of time and tears as we shared words and scriptures and prayed over them. If you were unable to join us in person this week, we pray that you are blessed by this service and ask that you join us in ongoing prayer and support of the Soreanos.
In this week’s sermon, we tackle the all-important topic of our finances. James shares some strong words on this subject that are meant to challenge us to pause & consider who is really in charge of our money. We are called to have a Kingdom perspective in how we prioritize, earn, and spend our money. Ultimately all that we have belongs to the Lord, and He wants us to learn to be faithful stewards of what He gives us. While this may seem very difficult and restrictive at first glance, the reality is that God is inviting us into a deeper walk with Him. Jesus longs to provide us with real security and satisfaction that earthly wealth can never fully give.
In Part 8 this week, we pause to consider James’ challenge to us regarding how we manage our time. In light of how uncertain, fragile, and short life is, we can often struggle to trust the Lord. Instead, we settle for taking the reins of life ourselves or getting overwhelmed with anxiety and fear as we try to manage it all. In this passage, James reminds us of the beautiful invitation to walk in freedom from our pride and our fear, by walking daily in the fear of the Lord.
In our study of the book of James, we have heard over and over ways that we should be relating to one another. This week we discussed the importance of being peacemakers. Our society is full of people judging one another and the American church is not exempt. We put ourselves in the place of God and think that we know what is right and wrong, but James tells us that when we do this, we are opposing the law of God, which is the law of love. As Christians, we should be stepping down from the role of judge and instead work to love people where they are.
This week, Krystal brought us a message from James chapter 3 about the importance of our tongues. The tongue holds great power in our lives, but it is something that we often forget to control. Our tongues have the ability to keep our lives on course, steer us into the rocks, lift up our brothers and sister, or destroy someone’s self-esteem. The tongue is small but holds great influence, so let us seek to use our tongues to glorify God and lift up one another.
In this week’s study of James we discuss the central role that faith and works play as we grow in maturity. The scripture makes it clear that we do not work for our salvation, it is a precious gift from God. However, we are called to an active faith that co-operates with the work Jesus is doing in our lives and the lives of those around us. May we never settle for mere belief in God, instead let’s embrace an active faith that says yes to the work He wants to do in and through us.
As Christians, we are supposed to be welcoming and loving towards everyone we encounter, but it is in our human nature to show partiality or favoritism towards certain people. We make snap judgments based on appearance, but Jesus calls us to love everyone the way he loves them. How do we let go of the skewed lens through which we perceive strangers and gain his perspective on our fellow humans? This week, we discussed James 2 and how the law of love instead of the prison of partiality allows us to look like Jesus in our relationships as individuals as a church body.
James instructs believers to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. However, that is the opposite of how the Church looks in America today. We are quick to identify when we are wronged or believe that someone should be doing something differently, and we are slow to realize how we should be modifying our own behavior to look more like Jesus. This week we discussed the value of slowing down, looking into ourselves, and allowing Jesus to be in control of how we react to those around us.
Growing in faith and maturity is crucial to our walk as Christians, but the steps to get us there can be painful and scary sometimes. In the first week of our discussion of James, we discuss the need for struggles and trials in our lives to help foster and grow our faith. We also learned that there are sometimes obstacles that hinder growth if we divert our gaze and belief from the one true source of stability in Christ. Most importantly, we are reminded of the hope that we always have in Christ Jesus, and that throughout any hardships that come in life, we can always look to our firm foundation in Him.
On Sunday, we did our yearly church update and spent time looking back in gratitude and looking ahead in anticipation! Join us as we prayerfully commit this year to the Lord and humbly submit our plans to His will. May we all walk in awareness of His guiding presence and live in joyful obedience to Jesus this year.
This Sunday, we finished our year-long discipleship journey by reflecting on three key ways we can intentionally make disciples. Our prayer for the church is that we would embrace disciple-making as a way of life.
This week we had the privilege of hearing from Valerie Bellamy with Compassion First about the powerful work they are doing to care for precious people impacted by trafficking in Indonesia. This is the organization that our own Andrew and Dira Soreano will be serving with as they head out on the mission field in early 2023. Valerie encouraged us to follow our Good Shepherd Jesus in pursuing the one lost sheep; may we all be attentive and responsive to who Jesus is calling us to pursue with his love!For more information visit: www.gracechapelknoxville.net/sermons
Discipleship is something that Christians often compartmentalize into an optional or occasional thing. However, God’s heart for his people is to be in a constant state of being disciples and disciplining others. Through working with others in the body, and prayer we can begin our discipleship journey. While this will be messy and challenging at times, we need to remember that failure isn’t final, there will always be an opportunity to learn and grow.
The gifts from the Holy Spirit seem shrouded in mystery and can be very intimidating. They can also carry scars from people misusing them. However, they are not meant to be a burden, they are truly gifts from God. These gifts are meant to be used to help us as believers to love God and love others well, but it is vitally important that we search scripture to ensure that they are used properly and the way that the creator intended them.
This Sunday we had the privilege of hearing from Pastor Dave Buehring as he shared on how we can discover and use the gifts God has given us. We also had a great discussion as Pastor Dave created an opportunity for some Q&A related to walking in the gifts of the Spirit.
God wants to give us spiritual gifts out of His great love for us so that the church can be strengthened and His Kingdom can be advanced. In today’s sermon, we discuss how important it is to be grounded in love so that we can live with purpose and do the work God has uniquely called and gifted us to do. May we all be open to the gift of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, and use the gifts He has given, so that we can love other’s well and bring glory to God.
Follow your heart, chase your dreams, live your truth… these are all mantras that the world encourages us to live by, and they all sound very tempting, but what does the Bible tell us about finding purpose for our lives? God designed each of us with a unique purpose and gifting, and he desires for us to walk in that purpose. However, it is not found in adventure or within our hearts, that purpose is found in him. He created you with great intention and care, and his plans for you are greater than what you could ever plan for yourself.
Sharing your faith can feel intimidating. We often imagine scenarios where we are ill-prepared for hard questions or rejected outright, but Jesus taught the disciples how to spread the gospel. He encouraged them to first be people of prayer. He also advised them to be and approach people of peace building relationships while sharing his good news. Finally, he challenged them to be people of power and purpose, to go boldly, in his name, and proclaim the truth with all authority of heaven.
The great commission calls us to make disciples of ALL NATIONS, but as believers and as a part of the American Church, do we have the heart for the nations that God calls us to have? It is tempting to get overwhelmed by the vastness of the world and the staggering number of people groups that are still unreached by the gospel, but all that is required of us is to say “yes” to God and allow him to work great wonders in and through us. We cannot do it alone, but with Him and with a community of like-minded believers, the Lord can and will do great things.
This week Krystal Hawkins brings a message about what it means to share the kingdom with our neighbors. May we all purpose to be more intentional to recognize the opportunities to love people around us well. This powerful and practical message can have a real impact in our lives and community if we will be intentional to consistently apply this in our lives.
The Kingdom is of great value & importance; the unique solution to the brokenness of this world. Because of Jesus it is now present and available - will we repent & participate in Kingdom life now? Advancing the Kingdom is first about its Expansion in my life!
The kingdom of God feels like some magical place that is floating in the sky, but what Jesus preached to his disciples and others is that the kingdom of God is present and available for us on this side of heaven. He wants us to be a part of his kingdom by allowing Him to be the ruler of our lives. It means that we must give up control of our own tiny kingdoms where we think we have control and turn that power over to Him. The kingdom of God is all around us, but it is up to us if we want to participate in His kingdom and give him the authority in our lives that he deserves.
Today we heard from two beloved ministries: Donna Boone & Julio, from Josiah's House, shared an update from the Dominican Republic and Andrew & Dira Soreano shared their upcoming opportunity to serve in Indonesia with Compassion First.
In the Old Testament, the presence of God dwelled in places built by humans who were given very specific instructions by God. His temple was sacred and holy and could only be entered by a select few people who had to go through very particular and detailed instructions to bring sacrifices on behalf of the people. However, that was never the way we were created to know God. He always intended his people to be in intimate fellowship with Him. When Jesus came and died, the veil in the temple was torn allowing us to have access to God the Father through the Holy Spirit, and Jesus did the work of creating that sacred space so that we can enter His presence at any time or place. This amazing gift allows us to carry His presence with us, to bear his likeness, and to wield His power in ways that we cannot even ask or imagine.
Today we are excited to start a new series titled, “The Church in Acts.” When we look back to its origin we see that, from the very beginning, there was a very clear mission for the early church. We also see that there was a very clear message they were to carry to the rest of the world. All of this, powered by the Holy Spirit, is what we are being called into today as Christ followers. We must understand our roots and commit ourselves to this ministry!
The enemy uses many methods to attack us, so it is important for us to be aware of his tactics and ready to stand firm. Distortion, distraction, discouragement, deception, and division are all tools that the devil uses against believers in our daily lives. If we are unprepared, these, often subtle, strategies are able to derail us from the life that God intends for us. This week, we discussed the ways that these schemes can creep into our lives and minds, and some of the tools that we have at our disposal to fight back.
Jesus holds the ultimate victory against the enemy, however, while we are living in this fallen world, God invites us to participate in spiritual warfare against the forces of evil. When we are going into this fight, it is important to remember that our battleground is on a spiritual level, not among flesh and blood. We must identify strongholds that the enemy may hold in our lives and work to replace them through the healing power of Jesus. We also need to be aware of the weapons that we have at our disposal. He has fully equipped us with everything we need to fight a winning battle, but we must be willing to put on His full armor so that we do not fall victim to the schemes of the devil. Jesus is fighting battles on our behalf, so let us join with Him to defeat the enemy and topple the strongholds that we cannot bring down on our own.
Spiritual warfare seems so intimidating and overwhelming, but it is really just about truth and lies. The enemy has convinced the world of so many lies and many of them are very tempting to believe. We want to make spiritual warfare about the “big sins” in the outside world, but that is how the enemy gains a foothold in our lives. He is able to convince us about lies in our own lives and distract us with shame or self-righteousness, but the good news is that Jesus was able to defeat his lies in the desert and then ultimately with his death and resurrection. Now it is up to us as believers to choose whether we want to choose to live within the truth that Jesus offers or succumb to the lies that can entangle us.
This week we are kicking off a new series on spiritual warfare. In today’s sermon, we focused on Satan, who he is, and how he works. He is real and powerful, primarily working through deception & lies, but thank God he is ultimately defeated in Christ. Therefore, we should be aware and sober-minded regarding his activity, but not afraid because our victory is sure.
This week, we had a family meeting focused on the importance of investing in relationships in church community and the significance of water baptism. We also gave several important updates regarding our Kid's Ministry and key ways we can participate as we grow and reach our community.
In this week’s sermon, we discuss the vital role of living “in Christ” so that we can truly experience healthy relationships. Through the power of Jesus, we are able to live free of our broken demands to find deep fulfillment and have all our desires met in our relationships with each other. Instead, He empowers us to love sacrificially, to find freedom through submission, and to live out committed God-centered relationships.
Today, we are continuing our series on Relationships, specifically focusing on several more pillars for healthy relationships. We will explore the importance of generosity, faithfulness, honor, and blessing as we learn to love one another. May we ultimate honor God as we learn to treat his image bearers well.
Today we had the privilege of hearing from our good friends Andrew and Dira Soreano as they shared their opportunity to serve in Indonesia. May we all faithfully pray for our friends as they pursue serving on the mission field, and be encouraged to invest our lives in God’s Kingdom purposes.
Relationships are an essential part of the life of a disciple of Jesus. He prioritized people, and so should we. As we learn to walk in healthy relationships, there are many challenges along the way and much room for needed growth! Thank God that he has given us grace, invited us into humility, and pours out his love so that we may learn to love one another well.
In Part 3 of this series, we discuss the all-important topic of prayer. God has given us an incredible gift, an invitation to spend time in his presence. As we become more aware and attentive to His Presence, we learn to care about what he cares about and our faith grows as we dare to entrust our hopes into his care.
Today we explore the spiritual discipline of worship. The scripture invites us to practice regularly worshipping God by engaging our hearts in adoration, responding in love, and leading an obedient life. Let’s purpose to focus our hearts to see God for who He really is, and then walk rightly aligned with Him in love and service.
In this week’s sermon on Hearing God’s voice, we focus on the need to cultivate a responsive heart. As we see in the story of Peter and Cornelius found in Acts 10 - awareness and obedience are essential to hearing God’s voice and seeing the fruit of His work in and through our lives. May we purpose to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and discover the joy of a vibrant relationship with God!
God wants to speak to each of us. Relationship with us is His desire, and so He can use many ways to communicate. Through the story of Jesus’ conception, we are able to see some of the ways that He communicated with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and others. He still wants to speak to us in similar ways, but we must use discernment, and His Word, and be actively seeking His voice in order to receive the messages He wants to send us.
Hearing God’s voice can seem intimidating, “out there” and reserved for mystics and spiritual leaders. And yet our Creator designed each of us for a communal relationship with him. He calls each of us by name and desires to speak into our lives in a deeply personal and intimate way. In this teaching, we explore what it means to answer His call and make space to commune with our heavenly Father.
Most people who have spent time in church know the story of Zacchaeus and maybe even the song, but the story of Zacchaeus tells us a deeper story of repentance and acceptance by a man who was considered deeply flawed by his peers. Jesus was not ashamed to dine with Zacchaeus, in fact, He openly exclaimed his excitement in front of a crowd, and in return, Zacchaeus eagerly offered to restore anyone he had wronged in the past. Jesus’ love and forgiveness should motivate us to joyfully repent and restore our earthy relationships just as He restores and forgives us.
Jesus came to Earth on a mission from God the Father to become the sacrifice that would lead to redemption. The Old Testament had predicted his life, death, and resurrection, and Jesus Himself spoke of his fate. He was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb, but that was not the end of His story. After three days, He rose again and restored the holiness of the temple which He now represented. Because of this, death, sorrow, and grief are now temporary for his followers, but joy and peace are eternal.
It can be easy to cast judgment on Adam and Eve when reading the story of the Garden of Eden. We act shocked that Eve was so easily tempted and quick to follow the guidance of the serpent, but what we should realize is that we fall into sin and temptations in the exact same ways. The enemy uses seeds of unbelief, which leads to pride, and ultimately disobedience. However, Jesus’ ride through the streets on Palm Sunday was an invitation from a humble king to lay down our pride, restore our relationship with Him, and live in the freedom and joy of His love.
This week we wrap up our series on God’s Grace by considering the power that His grace brings in our lives. God’s gracious power is at work by giving us a new identity and destiny, strengthening us in all circumstances, and pouring out His gifts in our lives. While there will always be opposition to God’s Grace, let’s remember that where Grace is, there is power!
As limited earthly beings, it is easy to let our view of our earthly father translate into our view of our Father God. However, Abba Father is our perfect heavenly Father, and if we can let go of the small and limiting box that we try to force Him into, he has so much that He wants to pour out onto us. He wants to free us from the loneliness of being orphans and the shackles of being spiritual slaves into the glory of being His sons and daughters and co-heirs with Jesus.
In Part 2 of our series, we consider the action of God’s Grace to pour out undeserved love and favor in our lives. Through the powerful interaction, we find in chapter 8 of John’s Gospel, we see the grace of Jesus on display as he calms the chaos, disarms the enemy, and extends true freedom for all who will receive him.
In today’s sermon, we begin a month-long exploration of the “immeasurable riches” of God’s Grace. As we examine Paul’s personal letter to Philemon, we have a powerful picture of how grace operates - inviting all of us into reconciled relationships with God and one another. May we all recognize, respond and grow in the gift of God’s grace.
As we took time to reflect on the life of our church for the past 6 years, we are reminded that through our ups and downs, God has always provided. Grace Chapel Knoxville has gone through many stages and changes, but God always remains faithful. Therefore, as we look ahead to what the Lord has next for our body, we remember what the Psalmist said in Psalm 25; we want to take refuge in Him, be preserved by our integrity, and keep our eyes ever toward the Lord.
To walk in obedience can sound or feel restrictive at first glance. As humans with sinful natures, we want to control our lives and choices, but as Christians, we are invited to the life that God has for us. He wants to grow and stretch us in ways that will enrich and enhance our lives, but part of that journey includes active obedience to Him. If we can separate obedience from legalism and its negative connotations, we can be opened up to walk in the freedom of the joy, peace, and countless other blessings He has in store for our lives.
Forgiveness is costly. The ability to forgive and receive forgiveness can feel inconceivable when we are wounded or feel like we haven’t done anything to need forgiveness, but if we are looking to Christ as our example, then we must look at how He forgave. Even while he was suffering on the cross, Jesus looked at the faces of those betraying him and forgave them. How different would our churches, families, and friendships be if we forgave wholeheartedly like that? True forgiveness is costly, but Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we can forgive freely.
This week we launched into the next section in our discipleship journey - exploring the all-important topic of Jesus’ call to discipleship. Being a disciple is about becoming like our master in character and purpose. There are unique conditions involved in that relationship, that come with great cost, but ultimately result in life-giving characteristics in our lives. May we all count the cost, and answer the call to be disciples of Jesus!
This week we had the privilege of hearing from our friend, Pastor Dave Buehring. Often, as followers of Jesus, we have learned how to love, worship, obey and serve God, but we don’t know simply how to enjoy Him. We hope you will be blessed and encouraged by this message as Pastor Dave shares some practical ways we can learn to enjoy God.
The depths of the knowledge of who our God is are something that our earthly minds cannot understand. However, He invites us to explore His many attributes, to partake in who He is, and grow who we are by understanding Him a little more each day. Aligning who we are with God’s character, takes effort and intention, but the rewards enrich our lives in ways that are beyond what we can ask or even imagine.
Today we are joined by Bob Spencer and look at knowing God in the scriptures. God is in the scriptures and He wants to reveal himself through the Word and for us to experience Him.
Today we look at what it is to know God on a personal level and how to resist the lies of the enemy as we pursue intimacy and union with God the Father.
As we begin a new year and a new study together, we look back at the importance of the word discipleship. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus, and why is it so significant to work together as a body of believers to become true disciples? The life that we are called to is costly, but the rewards are priceless, but we must be willing to take up the cross of Jesus and invite his revelation and change in order to fully enjoy the gifts He wants to give us.
Enjoying Jesus is not only the message and invitation of Advent but the very heartbeat of the church. We have been welcomed into the family of God, and the Father’s heart for us is that we would enjoy Him now and forever. As we spend some time together unpacking Psalm 16 today, may we discover the same joy David experienced. Let’s respond to Jesus’ invitation to walk with Him, enjoy His presence daily, and embrace our future that is secure in Him!
In today’s sermon, we explore the powerful work of Renewal that Jesus works in the lives of those who receive Him. Let’s choose to participate in that process individually and collectively as He builds His church into a place of renewal. Let’s respond to His call to remove the grave clothes, that we all might freely experience His resurrection life.
In this week’s message, we reflect on the coming of Christ, and how this season of Advent reminds us of the beautiful call that we now have to carry our Savior to a world in need. Sharing Jesus is one of the greatest opportunities for the church, and also one of our most difficult challenges. May we adopt the same mindset we see in Mary to say yes to this adventure, believing that the joy of carrying the light of Christ far outweighs the darkness we face along the way.
In this week’s message, we explore how to walk in the gifts of the Spirit. May we all have increased awareness to see the needs around us, and be ready and willing to share what we have instead of focusing on what we lack. God cares deeply about people, and we can trust the Holy Spirit to give us what’s needed to love others well and share the life and hope of Jesus!
For additional resources on the gifts of the Spirit, follow the link to check out parts 13-17 of the Abide series at www.gracechapelknoxville.net/abide
A healthy body needs all of its parts to function at full capacity; the Body of Christ is no different. The Holy Spirit was sent to the first church at Pentecost in order to bring the presence of God to the followers of Jesus who were meeting there together. They had joined together with a unity of mind that allowed for peace together. While their gifts were different, their goals were the same. The Spirit is our gift from God, but in order to fully receive that gift, we need each other; we need to live together in peace and unity to be built up fully as a healthy functioning body.
Being in community is something that is emphasized throughout the New Testament. Jesus challenged his disciples and followers to live life together. We all know that community is important, but when the realities of life set in, we have the tendency to pull away from people and try to go it alone. However, community offers us some really important gifts that can enrich our lives in ways that we may never expect; rest for the weary, food for the hungry, shelter from the storm, and a place to be challenged, to wrestle, and ultimately to grow, so let’s embrace the hard things and get in each other’s boats.
This week we discussed the importance of fellowship. Does being a Christian require being a part of a community of believers? While having a relationship with Jesus does not require that we are active in a body of believers, it does enrich and enhance our faith in ways that we may not even realize we need. Life is full of difficulties and battles that can be overwhelming alone, but if the body is functioning in a healthy way, we can bare each other’s burdens and journey through life in a way that brings glory to the Father and blessings to us that we aren’t even expecting.
The word doctrine is one that, as Christians, we don’t always jump at the opportunity to discuss. It can feel oppressive and limiting, but the doctrine of Jesus is freedom and joy. He teaches us about love and freedom, but we have to be willing to receive, live and practice His doctrine under his perfect authority to fully live out the potential He has for us.
Today we look at what it is to truly worship God. Both, as individuals and as a church body. It starts by letting God show us what he wants from us in this area. He has made himself known to us and now, through Jesus, we have access to the throne room
Prayer is essential in our walk with God, but what does it really mean to live a life of prayer and how do we become people of prayer? This week Andrew spoke to us about developing prayer habits and the incredible changes that can happen in our lives when we prioritize prayer as individuals and in community.
Church is not just gathering to hear a preacher on a Sunday morning. The church is the people of God and should be a part of our lives every day. Doing life together as a body isn’t always easy, but our continued effort to grow in Christ together allows a depth and new level of building in love that we can not accomplish on our own.
Sunday we are joined by special guest speaker, Karen Ellison. Karen shares with us her testimony and the wonderful story of her ministry, Deeper Still, that brings the hope and healing of Jesus to people's lives who have been touched by abortion, and how we can develop a culture of life and a culture of healing.
Daniel’s devotion to God was his defining feature. It was such a part of who he was that his enemies knew it would be the best way to trap him. By choosing to cultivate a life that was committed to God, Daniel was able to enter the lion’s den without fear. He was also able to tame his tongue and use it to pray and praise God. Daniel chose to entrust his life to God and was rescued through adversity and danger.
Today we look at the story of the “writing on the wall” found in Daniel Chapter 5. Daniel finds himself in the midst of a kingdom that is falling apart. Daniel stands out in his response to this crisis situation - he neither ignores the problem by getting caught up in distractions nor does he panic and become devastated in the midst of the storm. Instead, Daniel trusts God and remains faithful during this time of great upheaval. May we learn from Daniel’s godly example how we too can navigate life in the midst of inevitable times of crisis and turmoil.
The book of Daniel is an incredible story of faith and self-control by God’s devoted servant Daniel and his friends, but there is another person’s story woven through the book. The story of God’s pursuit of Nebuchadnezzar is filled with reminders and lessons for our lives; reminders of how no one is exempt from God’s perfect judgment or His unending mercy.
Today we are spending some time reflecting on the importance and benefits of living in community with the family of God. In Water Baptism we are identifying ourselves with Christ’s family by making a bold public declaration of our commitment and obedience to Jesus. And in our Lifegroups we are committing ourselves to live life among the family of God thru loving Jesus-centered relationships. May we all find our lives enriched by the glorious grace of Jesus through communion with Him and His family!
We continue in our series today by exploring the story of Daniel’s friends and the fiery furnace. Let’s pray for clarity to recognize the idols we worship, for the courage to take a stand for our true King only, and for help that we may be saved and purified in the midst of the fiery trials we are sure to face.
In Part 3 of our series, we explore the impact that devotion to God has on our perception of what’s taking place around us. God is calling us to shift our focus to Him, and through prayer we can do just that. As we develop real intimacy with God by spending consistent time with Him, we learn to hear His voice and gain insight into even the most difficult circumstances of life.
In today’s message, we take a look at Daniel’s first steps toward remaining devoted to the Lord, which is in stark contrast to the world around him. The challenges he faces are immense, but the invitation to remain faithful comes with its own unique rewards. May we all consider the challenges we face when choosing a life of faithful devotion, and respond with a committed yes to the Lord’s invitation!
This week Pastor Jake kicks off a new series on the life of Daniel. Let’s resolve ourselves to learn from his example of devotion even when living in the midst of the most difficult circumstances surrounded by an ungodly culture.
Special Note - We apologize for the poor audio quality this week due to some technical difficulties with Sunday’s audio recording.
Today we hear from Andrew Soreano and take a look at the life of Joesph and how he lived in ‘the waiting' of God’s promises being fulfilled, and what we can learn in our own times of waiting.
Today we hear from Krystal Hawkins, who shares about cultivating our spiritual life, the life the Lord has given to us, and bringing beauty into it.
Today Pastor Jake walks us through 7 different ways of how God fathers us and loves us. May God’s character be the aim & anchor of our lives, and so permeate our hearts to change our homes, our church, and our community.
Today we hear from Alex Hawkins, who shares a word on the ministry of encouragement and life-giving power our words and actions have on one another.
As we wrap up our series on contentment, we turn to one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives - our finances. Jesus invites us into a new way of living, that when properly understood and received from him will produce freedom and joy where there has previously been bondage and anxiety. May we find joy and satisfaction in the generosity of God.
In today’s message, we explore the vital role that church community plays in helping us grow in godly contentment. Being anchored in our identity in Christ is meant to produce peace in our hearts, and a place in God’s family. Though our relationships in church community can be messy and difficult at times, it’s exactly where God has placed us in order to learn to walk in peace. May we learn to rest in Jesus, and be refreshed by His family.
This week as we continue our series on godly contentment we spend some time reflecting on Paul’s ministry to the Philippian church. May we find encouragement from his example to be strengthened by the Lord Jesus at all times, so that we may experience His peace in even the most difficult circumstances of life.
Today we kicked off a new series on godly contentment. Often we long to experience a sense of peace and satisfaction yet it seems elusive or short-lived. We read in the scripture that God offers us peace, yet it is often just a wish and not a true experience for many. The reality is that God’s gift of peace is available for us, if only we can face the idols we too often turn to for peace, and instead learn to receive it from Jesus. May we experience the grace and peace that He offers!
In today’s sermon, we wrap up this series by considering Jesus' parable of God's Kingdom being like leaven. Let’s consider what truly has a ruling influence in our lives - is it Jesus’ kingdom or something else? May we discover how to be aware of what is truly influencing our lives, and have the ability to see clearly enough to help others bound by the false kingdoms of this world.
This week, we explore the difficult topic of loving our enemies. One of the most challenging things Jesus calls us to do is to walk in forgiveness and love our enemies. Let’s learn from him how to have steadfast love, to experience the power of forgiveness, and to learn how to pray for those who hurt us. May God grant us the faith we need to love others well, and to grow more like our perfect Father as a result.
Jesus is the light of the world, and he invites us all to experience the life-changing power of his light. May we all find the courage to step into the light that exposes things hidden in the dark, calls to life seeds Jesus wants to grow in us, and ultimately may we find our place with Jesus as a light to a world lost in darkness.
In this week’s sermon, we discuss Matthew chapter 10 when Jesus sends out the 12 disciples to share the good news of the kingdom. Jesus gives them some very practical instructions on how to be intentional in sharing the gospel that we would do well to learn from. Jesus calls us to be carriers of the gospel of peace and to spend time investing in those whose lives are open to us. May we learn to be safe and wise as we pour into the lives of others.
In this week’s message, we explore the parable of the soils that Jesus told in Matthew 13. Jesus describes several ways that we can be ripped off from truly understanding the life-giving words of His kingdom, Instead, He offers a way forward that will produce a fruitful life if we purpose to truly integrate His words into our lives. May we all gain a true understanding of His Kingdom’s power and availability to set us free from the empty kingdoms of this world.
It’s Resurrection Sunday! In this week’s sermon, we consider the risen Jesus through the eyes of Simon Peter. After a long night of fishing with nothing to show for it, Jesus calls out to him from the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the same place where Peter was first called to follow him, where Jesus calmed the deadly storm, and where Peter joined his Master for a walk on the water. May we have eyes to see our risen savior Jesus, and faith to take the plunge as he calls us into resurrection life.
In this week's sermon, we focus on one of Jesus primary concerns between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Jesus spent time with his followers emphasizing the need for them to be ready - ready for his second coming, ready for the challenges they would face while they waited, and ultimately the call to be ready to minister to a world in need. May we all be ready to participate in Jesus present activity while we receive strength and patience from him as we await his victorious return!
As we continue our journey exploring the hidden nature of God’s Kingdom, we spend time focusing on how important it is to develop a healthy sense of curiosity in our relationship with Jesus. The biggest difference between Jesus' disciples, and all the other folks who witnessed His life, miracles, and teachings - was that Jesus' followers were hungry to understand what he was all about. Many people had good news right in front of them but missed it because they were unable to truly understand what Jesus had to offer. It wasn’t about their level of intelligence or even their spiritual acumen - it just boiled down to where they focused their attention. Will we purpose to behold Jesus and discover the riches of His kingdom?
In today’s sermon, we explore the important role that prayer plays in helping us to participate in God’s Hidden Kingdom. Jesus lived his life fully grasping the purpose of prayer and therefore giving it a high place in his daily life. Thankfully we can learn from his example, and receive the wonderful gift he has given us so that we can experience the power of a life connected with God.
In today’s sermon, we explore Jesus’ call for us to live on mission with Him. In Matthew 28 we see Jesus' final words to his followers where he gives a clear directive of his plan for us to live with purpose, awareness, and power to reach the world with the good news of the kingdom. May we all be intentional as followers of Jesus to live on mission with Him!
When Jesus calls us to follow him, he intends for us to change and grow as we walk with him. Throughout the gospels, Jesus makes it clear that this will be a difficult process, but that it's exactly what we need. Let’s purpose to answer love’s invitation to change, by embracing truth and learning to co-operate with the growth and change we all need!
The parable of The Good Samaritan is familiar to most people who have spent time in church, however, this week, Andrew helped us take a deeper dive into what it really means to love your neighbor as yourself. The true and generous love from the Father flows out of us when we meet Him with a heart of total devotion, and with that overflow, the inconvenience of helping others becomes the most convenient thing because love becomes our highest priority.
God made us to live and rule in a wonderful environment, enjoying the benefits of a good life with him as our guide. Now in our sin-soaked world, his plan still hasn’t changed, but the way to this kind of life is hidden from many of us. In today’s sermon, we explore Jesus as our way back home and discover the awesome power of living life to the fullest even in a hostile world. May we purpose to follow him and discover the kingdom of God in our midst.
We kicked off a new sermon series this Sunday exploring Jesus' primary message to us “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In this series, we will be exploring what it means to live in the kingdom of God. Jesus told us it was a narrow path that few find, and yet it was open and available to all. Today we discuss Jesus' role as our master - teaching, guiding, and empowering us to live as his apprentices in life!
This week Pastor Jake gave a State of the Church update. It was a time of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year ahead. We are believing for the Lord’s continued direction and empowerment, and that we all may find our place in this church community!
In light of the events at the Capitol this week and the overall turmoil of this last year, we do well to remember our eternal king Jesus and his unshakeable kingdom. Let’s purpose to fear God and not men, align our lives with his kingdom instead of investing our hope in temporary security, and realize that being spiritually minded empowers us in practical ways to live lives of peace and purpose no matter the circumstances around us. "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)
This Sunday we completed our year-long series of walking through the Bible together. As we dove into the Book of Revelation, we focused on the primary message of this letter from John - beholding Jesus. In past, present, and future Jesus stands as our reigning King, may we faithfully endure and worship Him at all times in every season.
Hi Beloved, As we move towards the close of 2020, we come in our reading to the Book of Revelation. I’m praying that in the midst of a hard and isolating year, that we can take comfort in this beautiful picture of our eternal King Jesus! As you read the words of this book may you see Him present with you in all circumstances, carrying with Him a message of hope and endurance as He speaks to your heart in a personal way.
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17b-18)
In this strange and difficult time, we have a living hope and His name is Jesus. We have been given the power to overcome all the power of darkness. One of the ways we can overcome is by using our words to create life.
This Sunday we dove into the book of Hebrews and explored how Jesus as our perfect and eternal High Priest has provided rest for us. So much of our life can be wrapped up in striving - to face our own sin and struggles, to grapple with the difficulties of the world around us, even just to maintain and endure during hard seasons. Yet, Jesus offers us peace and hope in the midst of the storms of this life. As Hebrews 6:19-20 says, Jesus has gone before us into the holy place as an anchor for our souls - may we find comfort and rest in the presence of God now and always!
Thanks for joining us this week as we explore Paul’s second letter to Timothy. There is a great need in the church for people to step into their God-given areas of influence with real purpose. In this letter, Paul emphasizes some key aspects of leadership that we would do well to walk in. We are all called to have Kingdom influence in our lives, so let’s purpose to tend our faith, pour into others, and be rooted in gospel truth.
Merry Christmas!
Today we are discussing the important and challenging issue of reconciliation. Paul writes to encourage his brother in Christ Philemon to see the power of love, forgiveness, and fellowship to help bring about healing in a broken relationship. I’m believing that during this season as we remember and celebrate Jesus coming to earth to reconcile us to God, that as his disciples we would participate in the process of reconciliation in our relationships with one another.
“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” (Philemon vs. 7)
Our world is in desperate need of hope. Not some pie in the sky wishful thinking in order to cope in a hard world, but instead something solid and lasting that can offer real hope in the midst of life’s difficulties. As we discuss in today’s sermon, Jesus is the only source of true lasting hope. We can discover this hope as we trust in the promise of heaven, believe in the glorious work Jesus is doing in us, and cooperate with Him to live a fruitful life sharing this hope with a world in need.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dear friends, as we gather to celebrate this week let’s all purpose to voice our gratitude. Take time to open your heart to the Lord and thank Him for His faithfulness, and be purposeful to speak encouragement into the lives of your friends and family as you express your love and gratitude for them. May we all be filled with courage as we embrace thanksgiving and give it its full expression in our lives!
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3)
This week we explore the Power of Grace as we dive into Paul’s letters to the Galatian and Ephesian churches. All that Jesus is calling us into and longs fur us to enjoy are possible because of His Grace. God’s Grace is directly accessed through a personal relationship with Him. His very presence in our lives brings Grace that empowers us to be free, to grow and be fruitful, and to walk in victory. Let’s not settle for anything less than Amazing Grace!
Thanks for joining us today, as we discuss the important issue of receiving godly correction. My hope is that we can learn how to position ourselves to receive the hard things we need to hear from time to time. Let’s always emphasize gospel truth, prioritize gentleness and love, and then purpose to allow our Jesus-centered relationships to be a source of godly correction in our lives.
“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16)
This Sunday we are exploring the power of living in Christian Community. In our churches today it has become common to love the idea of being in “real relationship" and yet we hold each other at arm's length, approach relationships from a selfish mindset, or walk away as soon as things get tough. Paul offers us an alternative perspective in his letters to the Corinthian church. He contends that we are too easily influenced by the culture around us and our own immaturity, and that living as ministers of reconciliation is the pathway to healthy relationships and our own spiritual growth as followers of Jesus.
Hi Beloved,
Today we are going to spend a little time talking about comfort in affliction. Paul, in his second letter to the church at Corinth, begins by encouraging them regarding times of difficulty and suffering. He reminds them that we have a God who brings comfort in all seasons and that we are called to love and comfort each other as well. May we all become conduits of the love and comfort of Jesus.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3)
This week we explore the ever-important topic of God’s Love. It’s so essential for the church today to define love the way God does, and then to grow and mature into the people of love God is calling us to be. The health of the church; and the hope of a world in need are at stake, so let’s purpose to love God and love people as Jesus taught us!
In the midst of a long week of waiting for election results, let’s consider what Jesus calls us to in the waiting of this life. Paul encourages us in his first letter to the Corinthians to keep our eyes set on our future hope in Christ, and therefore to live a life that is steadfast, immovable, and purposeful in working for God’s Kingdom!
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
This Sunday we started a series that will last several weeks as we begin to read through the NT letters to the church. There is a huge need in our day for the church to rediscover the power of God in our midst. This week as we work through Paul’s letter to the Romans, we explore the power of the gospel - how we have gotten off track, and how we ought to respond to God and see hope come to a world in desperate need.
Beloved, This week we are spending some time in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Early in this letter, Paul expresses his desire to spend some time in person with this church, and he shares the importance of mutual encouragement. My prayer for you today is that you would consider how the Lord is calling you to both give and receive encouragement in your relationships with other members of his body.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do . . . ” (Hebrews 10:25)
This week as we explore the second half of the book of Acts, we have a lot to learn from Paul and how he used his platform to spread the message of Jesus' Kingdom. Whether in the voting booth, interacting on social media, or just in private conversations, our political stance should always be dictated by our allegiance to our eternal King. May we all learn to use our voice and influence to focus on faithfully living and sharing the Good News of Jesus our Lord!
Thanks for joining us today as we spend a little time considering the example of some early followers of Jesus found in the book of Acts. May we all learn to be more and more at home in the family of God, eagerly receiving instruction from others, and spending regular time in His Word ourselves!
“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
This Sunday we begin the book of Acts and spend some time exploring the essential role that the Holy Spirit has in our lives. May we all be bold enough to step into new territory, experiencing the power and presence of God’s Kingdom in our lives, and choosing to share that life with a world in need.
This week we are exploring a short passage from Acts 8, where the Holy Spirit leads Philip on an adventure of faith. I’m believing that we can all learn to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice in our lives and grow in faith as we learn to trust and follow him daily!
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I (Jesus) go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
Today we explore a couple of stories found in John’s Gospel and see the powerful role that faith plays to bring healing and growth in our lives. Through moments of crisis - like suffering, loss, doubt, and failure - Jesus works to produce grace and peace in our hearts. May we experience Jesus as our anchor in the various seasons of this life, and may we grow in faith to receive life and healing in Him!
Today we are joined by Pastor Dave Buehring, who shares Part-2 of his sermon in the Gospel of Luke on the Kingdom of Heaven.
In this week's Letters to the Beloved in Knoxville, we hear from Pastor Alex, who shares from Romans.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. (Romans 8:5-7)
I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
This week we welcome our friend and mentor, Pastor Dave Buehring, from Franklin, TN, to share a 2-part series from the Gospel of Luke. This week, Pastor Dave shares from Luke 4 on the temptation of Jesus. We will look closer at the temptations and their context, and how we might walk in freedom from the threats of temptations from the enemy, just like Jesus.
Thanks for joining us as we explore a couple of stories from Luke chapter 5. This passage makes it clear that the love and power of Jesus is available to all who are in need and willing to come to Him. Let’s not settle for being passive observers, instead, let’s step into the presence of God and experience His healing touch!
“The power of the Lord was present to heal them” (Luke 5:17)
Today we explore the cross together. Not the cross of Jesus (that only he can carry), but the cross He calls us to take up. In 3 successive chapters in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that He is about to be killed and that he will rise again 3 days later. Their reaction may be at first surprising to us, but upon further reflection reveals some of the very challenges that we face. Friends, may we hear Jesus calling us to come and die, that we may truly live!
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
Grace and Peace to you Beloved!
We are going to spend a little time together today exploring Jesus’ words from Matthew 4:19 as he called the very first disciples. A simple and clear definition of a disciple is given in just a few short words - may we gain some perspective, and have a concrete understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus!
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
This Sunday we spend some time reflecting on Matthew’s Gospel, and Jesus as the promised King who has come. Throughout Jesus' life, he shows us what his kingdom is like through both his words and actions, and he invites us to participate in this Kingdom. May we discover the beauty of life in the Kingdom of God, as we allow his life to permeate our own!
Thanks for joining us today as we explore a “boring” portion of scripture - the genealogy of Jesus found in the opening verses in the Gospel of Matthew. The surprising truth is that this passage is far from boring as it tells the story of our God who brings redemption and purpose to even the most broken of us! As we explore these names may we remember that God knows our name too, and we are welcomed into his eternal family by the power of Jesus.
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:16-17)
As we wrap up our time in the Old Testament, we look back to see the significance of the OT scriptures - that they are reliable and authoritative, and they are essential for revealing the character of God and our great need for a Savior. Thank God that through the story of the life of Abraham’s family that became the nation of Israel, we can see God’s ultimate plan of redemption to rescue all who will follow Him. May we all have faith like Abraham and Habakkuk of old - to live a life filled with God’s vision of hope and enjoy a reconciled relationship with Him!
In this week’s message, we explore the story of Jonah, as he goes through the ups and downs of life as the prophet of God. As we take an honest look at this man and his struggles, may we be open to our struggles with God’s grace, and receive correction and encouragement where it’s needed. Above all may we see the heart of our God who is “gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”
Thanks for joining us this week as we explore the life of Daniel, and see his faithful devotion to God! May you be encouraged and challenged to include prayer and fasting as a regular part of your personal walk with Jesus. Our hope today is that you would learn from Daniel's example, see the biblical needs and reasons for fasting, and receive some practical instruction on how to grow in the area of prayer and fasting.
In this week’s sermon, we explore Ezekiel chapter 34 and Jesus' role as the Good Shepherd of our lives. He wants to warn and protect us from false shepherds, and to encourage us as His sheep not to trample and abuse one another. Instead, if we will learn to recognize His voice, we can faithfully follow Him and learn to help care for His flock, so that we all may find good pasture even in desert places.
This past Sunday we had a "Family Meeting" to discuss important updates on what the next couple of months will look like for our church body. Starting Aug 2, we will meet Online-Only for our Sunday Morning services. It's vital for us to stay connected to Jesus and to each other right now and to navigate this season together.
As we explore Jeremiah’s lament over Jerusalem, it’s important that we realize that mourning is a very real part of the life of God’s people. Thankfully Jesus shows us that we can come to him in our grief, that he bears our burdens and heals our hearts. May we all discover the the hope and redemption that we have in Jesus in the midst of even the most sorrowful times.
This week we dive into the book of Jeremiah and discover the powerful connection between Prayer and Purpose. May we all understand the wonderful invitation, and the essential business of our time in prayer, and the unique impact it has on finding purpose and direction in life.
In today’s sermon, we are continuing our mini-series on the Armor of God. As we go through Ephesians 6 today, we see the central role that faith plays, how important it is to have our minds guarded by the security of our salvation, and the power of knowing how to handle God’s Word in the midst of the battles we face. May we all be encouraged to stand our ground, because in the midst of the evil day we can trust in the everlasting victory that Jesus has won for us!
In this Sunday's message, we explore how God’s presence empowers us to be equipped to deal with the inevitable battles we face. This is part one of a two-week series exploring the armor described in Ephesians 6 through the lens of the prophet Isaiah’s beautiful depictions of God’s truth, justice, and the perfect peace that He alone can provide.
This week we explore Isaiah 6 and the impact of spending time in God’s presence. Being in God’s Presence is always essential, but especially in painful, difficult, and transitional moments. We take a look at how His presence is revealing, purifying, and inspiring.
In today’s sermon, we discuss the nature of our citizenship. We are members of the human race, and as Christians, we are ambassadors of a heavenly kingdom. How can we learn to live in a broken world without becoming bitter, indifferent, or overwhelmed? By the power of Jesus in our lives, we can learn to hate what’s broken in this world and love it enough to help change it.
This week we discuss the book of Proverbs, and the wisdom God offers us. Now more than ever we need the wisdom to live well, love others, experience hope, and discover real solutions for a world in need. Jesus is the ultimate source of wisdom that changes lives and helps us navigate even the most difficult circumstances in this life. Let’s embrace wisdom as a life long journey of growth and discovery, and may we receive the Spirit of wisdom from our God who offers it willing!
This Sunday we take a look at the life of Job and discover his uncommon faith in the midst of both suffering and success. We pray that you will be challenged and encouraged this week as we look to Job’s example for guidance on how to walk through even the most difficult seasons of life with Jesus.
In today’s sermon, we explore the story of Queen Esther and take a look at the importance of recognizing God’s providence in our lives while making choices to live with purpose. Often, the issue of God’s Sovereignty is viewed as being in contrast with whether to not we have the ability to make free will decisions, but the truth is that in Jesus these two work together in beautiful unison. The question is - will we choose to trust God and live with courage in "such a time as this”?
Special guest and friend, Pastor Dave Buehring, shares from the book of Ezra (Chp 7 & 8).
This Sunday we explore the life of King Jehoshaphat, and a couple of important battles he found himself in. Whether he made a mistake in forming a wrong alliance with King Ahab, or he faced the enemy that came to his doorstep, we see his faithful heart towards God, and the grace of God to deliver him from trouble and bring peace, even in the most difficult circumstances. May we all learn to fight the real battle God is calling us to and see Him move strongly on our behalf as we walk with Him!
In this week’s sermon, we take a look at King David who ran a faithful yet imperfect race over the course of his life. He was a man after God’s own heart, but also made several huge mistakes that had devastating consequences. Today we explore a key moment of failure in his life so we can learn from his mistakes and his humble repentance. May we all have David’s perspective to recognize our God who, in our moment of failure, is full of mercy and offers the grace of His abiding presence.
This week we take a look at a difficult yet important story found in 2 Kings chapters 6-7 about a really brutal time in Israel’s history. The northern kingdom of Israel is in trouble, their capital city Samaria is under siege, and things are getting incredibly desperate. What can we do when we are stuck, surrounded by an enemy and we can’t seem to escape? In today’s sermon, we discuss how the Lord wants to speak truth, inspire hope, and fill us with courage so we can find freedom.
Today we explore several Bible prophecies that Jesus fulfilled on Palm Sunday about 2,000 years ago. Let's consider the impact and relevance for us today when we truly appreciate the accomplishment of such specific and powerful promises. God’s past faithfulness should encourage us that we can trust in Him during our present circumstances and the seemingly uncertain future that is in His more than capable hands.
In this week’s sermon, we explore a key difference between King Saul and King David as it relates to worshipping God. How can we become people for whom worship is a way of life, instead of an occasional experience when we gather together? We pray that the Lord will speak to you through this message and that we could hear His invitation into a meaningful life of worship.
In today’s message, we take a look at the time of the Judges and the terrible tragedy that marked this season of Israel’s history. May it serve as both a warning for us and a reminder that we have a great Deliverer and Redeemer who provides for us in all seasons.
This past week we read through the Book of Joshua and on Sunday we took a look at Caleb's life.
As Moses neared the end of his life, he challenged the people of Israel to look ahead to their time in the promised land and to look up by trusting God and the promises He made to them. Moses began His adventure with God crippled by fear, but as his life came to an end, we can see how his trust in God had changed his outlook on life completely. Moses chose to take on the life that God offered him and, in the end, declared to his people that their God was worth knowing and fully trusting.
We are all on our own personal journeys of faith, and often we forget that we are a part of a bigger picture of God’s plans. In the beginning of Deuteronomy, we learn about Moses’ time as the leader of Israel coming to an end. His journey with these people was a difficult and rocky road, but Moses wanted to remind the people of the legacy left by the generations before them, how to navigate the obstacles ahead of them, and how to maintain success and avoid complacency. These are lessons that Jesus also restates when He is tempted in the wilderness. This week, we learned about these lessons and why it is so important to run our own race with intention and diligently looking to the Lord for our guidance.
The Israelites had been promised a land over flowing with milk and honey, and it was time for them to send spies into the land to prepare to take it, but when the report came back, all but two of the spies did not believe they would be able to secure God’s promised gift. However, Caleb and Joshua trusted God’s abilities and plans were greater than the obstacles they faced. Faith takes courage; we must be willing to face the reality of our situation, see the opportunities, and trust God for the victory He has promised to us.
This week Pastor Jake gave a State of the Church update. It was a time of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the things that God is bringing for GCK in 2020.
God is holy. We say that a lot, but do we really grasp the meaning? His holiness means that He is set apart and unique; He is unlike any other. God’s holiness deserves perfect holiness in return, but we are unclean because of our sinful nature and the presence of death in our world. However, God calls us to be holy. This week’s reading in Leviticus shows us how seriously God takes being unclean, but it also points us to the great work that Jesus did for us on the cross. It reminds us that apart from Him is death, but with Him, we can be a part of the holy presence and family of God.
At first glance, the story of the Israelites in the desert can feel distant and difficult to relate to our current situations, but if we take a step back, we can see that the issues that the Israelites struggled with are still pervasive in our culture. However, by openly expressing our gratitude, surrender, and striving for purity, we can shape our lives and stories into lives that are in communion with God instead of constant grumbling against Him.
We had the privilege of hearing from our dear friend Pastor Dave Buehring this week as he explored the life of Moses and the story of the Exodus. God is constantly revealing His character to us, with a heart to turn us towards Him and bring redemption. As we look at the life of Moses, we can see how the Lord saves us, shapes us, and sends us to accomplish His purposes.
Through Abraham and his family, we see God working to pour out blessing on the entire human family. While we continually fall short in our journey of faith, God’s faithfulness toward us remains steadfast. In Genesis 15 we see a picture of how committed God is to bless us, and in Jesus we see the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant to bless and redeem mankind. If we put our faith in Jesus, we become members of the family of God and heirs of the promise.
While the story of Noah and the ark is familiar to most people, it is easy to forget the magnitude of its implications. God, in His perfect love for mankind, couldn’t bear to allow His creation to continue to destroy itself. The flood is a hard story, but if we look a little deeper, we can see our need for grace and another reminder of the importance of Jesus’ work on the cross for each one of us.
In today’s sermon we are launching our year long journey through the Bible together. We spent some time casting some vision for spending a year focused on God’s Word, and then discussed some practical ways you can participate. We are believing for God to do great things in our midst as we get to know Him better. Let’s take time to hear and understand God’s Story.
As we wrap up our series Fathered by God and look towards Christmas, we see the lengths that God is willing to go in order to welcome us into His family. Jesus became a part of our human community so we could be welcomed into His heavenly family. Now, we can be assured that there is a place for us in the family of God, and answer the call to join in on the ultimate redemption story.
Life is a journey; at times we are in the valley, at times on the mountain tops, but most of the time, we are just hiking along the trail. While we are traveling, we can become weary, injured, or feel defeated, but our heavenly father promises to recharge the weary, repair the injured, and renew the defeated.
Today we discuss how to navigate seasons of peace and victory in our lives, when we are on the mountain top and all is well. We can learn a lot from how David’s reflections in Psalm 30 about how to remember and celebrate all God has done for us, while also being aware of the potential for pride and complacency to creep in and rip us off from enjoying our Heavenly Father. May gratitude become our default posture, as we learn to recognize the presence of God in our lives in every season.
This week, we are continuing on the theme of being stuck in a valley, specifically the ones we create for ourselves through our own sin and struggles. Our tendency can be to hide from God out of guilt and shame or remain in denial by minimizing our sin and its consequences. The reality is we can come honestly to God calling out for his help, because his heart toward us is merciful and kind and always for redemption. He wants to restore our souls and lead us in the path of righteousness.
Spending time in communication with our heavenly Father can feel like an obligation or item to check off our daily list, but if we look to the perfect example of Jesus, we see that His communication with God was constant and refreshing. God uses his word, the Holy Spirit, and His people to speak to us, but we must do our part to listen and obey instead of requesting and expecting.
In today’s sermon we take a look at the relationship between Paul and Timothy, in order to gain some insight into the importance of “Spiritual Parents” in the life of a believer. One of the key ways that God helps us to grow and mature as his children is through the impact spiritual father-figures have in our lives. It is just as important for us to understand that we are meant to grow by pouring into the lives of others as well. We all need to have not only “Pauls” in our lives but “Timothys” as well.
On Sunday, Oct 13th we had the honor of worshipping with our home church Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Pastor Jake joined Senior Pastor Steve Berger (Franklin, TN) along with other fellow Pastors - Rob Rogers (Franklin, TN), Ian Gilchrist (Fairview, TN) and Brian Ray (Navajoa, Mexico) to reflect on the legacy and impact Grace Chapel has had in their personal lives, and to share stories of the Lord’s faithfulness over the years. We hope you are encouraged and inspired as we reflect on the past and look ahead to all God has in store for our future.
Centuries later, the wisdom of Solomon is still frequently discussed in and outside of church. He was the wisest and most blessed king of Israel, but where did his wisdom come from and how can we achieve it? This week, Pastor Jake discussed the exact same wisdom that Solomon had and how it is available to us. God wants to give us great wisdom, but it is important that we do our part. It is not enough that we just become obese in our knowledge; we must use that knowledge to receive His wisdom and live a life of wisdom.
In today’s message we take a look at what it means to come to God as a child. We are called to approach our Father in the “fear of the Lord” because it is the foundation for knowledge and growth. May we all learn to humble ourselves as we grow into the sons and daughters He is calling us to be.
No matter what age you begin your spiritual journey with Jesus, it is important to remember that there are stages we all must grow through to follow Him well. He wants to help us grow where we are planted, to pour His knowledge and wisdom into us, and to be in communion with us. It is up to us, however, to learn from the Father, immerse ourselves in His family, and embrace the life He has for us as a part of His house.
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love, but do we really believe that? Often, we fight God’s correction and redirection in our lives. We downplay and minimize our sin, trying to shift blame or judgement, and even so, God approaches us in love to correct us for our own benefit. For we cannot live life to the fullest, if we are living outside of His love.
This week, we begin a new series on God as our Father. Too often, we allow our baggage from our relationships with our Earthly fathers to cloud our view of our heavenly Father, but Jesus tells us that God the Father wants us to know Him, to be in His family, to be loved by Him, and to be at home with Him. Even from the beginning of mankind, God the Father shows his people how much He loves and pursues us even when we mess up, and He is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to cover us and to be in relationship with us.
We are joined today by our dear friend Pastor Dave Buehring as he shares a timely and timeless message about how we can live with purpose. Pastor Dave encourages us to begin our day, our relationships, our next project, and ultimately our life journey as disciples of Jesus always with the end in mind. He then lays out three practical ways we can walk this out. Let’s purpose to hear and apply this word today!
Church Family - please listen if you missed this service, and feel free to follow up with any questions you may have!
This Sunday we had a mid-year update discussing topics like the re-launch of our life groups which are starting soon, a review of our church finances, and an explanation of our leadership structure. We also received some encouraging updates from the local and foreign ministries we partner with and support, and encouraged our church body to keep doing what we are called to do - be a welcoming house of grace, grow as disciples and disciple-makers, and have an outward focus to love our community well.
In this message we hear from Zack Blevins as he shares his testimony. As he teaches how he found his identity, we explore how to find our own identity as children of God in Christ.
As we wrap up this series, we turn once again to the Lord’s Prayer and discover what is available to us when we determine to allow Jesus to de-clutter our hearts. His invitation to give and receive forgiveness, and be delivered from temptation is a challenging yet rewarding way of life - leading to healing, freedom, and peace.
In Part 2 of our Remodel series we explore the first few verses of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus teaches us the importance of understanding our position, giving God permission to be in charge, and looking to Him for daily provision. Our prayer life should be rooted in humble adoration that leads to a life of surrender and devotion so we can be filled, sustained, and strengthened by the daily bread God has for us.
We begin a new series this week exploring the important role that prayer plays in the development and growth of our relationship with God and the transformation of our lives. Today we look at several passages that teach us that we are the true temple in which God longs to dwell, and are warned about potential obstacles that can keep us from inviting His presence into our lives to do as He pleases. May we all be committed to meeting God in the prayer closet, and giving Him the keys to the rest of the house!
This week, Krystal and Alex share some thoughts on worship and living in the presence of the Lord. These two things are absolutely tied together. With King David as our example, we see that when the Lord becomes our one true desire, we are truly able to worship Him and when we truly worship Him we get the blessing of living in His presence. This is “One Desire”.
God has given us Sabbath Rest, and its ultimate fulfillment is found in him. Time with Jesus is not a matter of ridged ritual devotion, but needed joyful communion. May we learn to find rest in him by consistently practicing Sabbath Worship in both the Solitude of a private prayer life, and worshipping with the family of God in his Sanctuary.
In Part 4 of our series, we get really practical, discussing the importance of scheduling time to rest. God commanded Sabbath rest for his people, but as we see throughout Israel’s history, they rarely followed his directive and suffered as a result. Let’s be intentional to learn how we can Sabbath, and use our calendars to help create the margin needed to care for one of our most basic needs.
In part 3 of our series, we reflect on the tension between work and rest. God always intended for us to work, but because of the fall of man, work has become a constant struggle. If we are to find rest, we have to have a proper perspective on work. We are made to live a life of meaning, and we are called to provide for, tend to, and enjoy all God has given us. May we learn to live in the rhythm of work and rest that Jesus longs to teach us.
In today’s sermon we focus on the fact that apart from Jesus there is no true rest. Therefore, we must learn to become "Un-Busy" by spending unhurried time with Jesus, so that we can allow space for His Life to penetrate us with truth that brings rest. A good place for us to start is to reflect on how Jesus Accepts us, Sustains us, and gives us inherent Significance. Let’s take up his easy yoke and find rest for our souls!
We begin a new series today focused on the importance of getting proper rest. We live in a fast-paced, over-busy, over-burdened, distracted, and anxious culture, but Jesus offers a gracious cure “come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” In today’s message we take a look at our great need for rest, and then look to the One who is our source of rest. May we all “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”
As we wrap up our series on Faith this week, we tackle the difficult obstacles that fear presents in our journey of faith. Reality and our perception of reality have a huge impact on how we view the challenges we face, and a broken view of reality can cause crippling fear in our lives. But Jesus offers us freedom and victory over fear as we learn to fear God, surrender to Him as King, and open our hearts to receive all His kingdom offers.
Faith without works is dead, but we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. This Biblical paradox has divided and confused people for many years, but the woman who touched the hem of Jesus garment and was healed teaches us that faith calls us to action, but actions do not save us. When faith is striving and based on human effort, it’s wrong; faith is a gift, and He is inviting us to participate with Him in the journey.
This week as we honor and celebrate our moms, we remember the life of Mary the mother of Jesus. As we explore some stories from her life, our hope is that we will be able to see a picture of the love of our perfect heavenly Father. Let’s have faith to believe in God’s love towards us, and then learn to love like He does!
Perhaps the most controversial thing that Jesus did in His life on earth was to forgive the sins of others. It was the most powerful and important miracle he performed. He gave His disciples and us that power, but it takes faith and the Holy Spirit to forgive the way that Jesus forgave. Often, we feel that we deserve immediate forgiveness, but are slow to give it to others. Through faith, we are able to look like Jesus with the way that we give and receive forgiveness.
In this series we have focused on the role that Faith plays in our daily walk with Jesus. We are all on a journey towards home. In today’s message we see that we are meant to help others along the way. Faith isn’t just about “my” journey; it’s “our” journey together. I’m called to provide hope, giving a helping hand, and invite outcasts into the love and presence of Jesus. So, who am I called to help lift up today?
The resurrection of Jesus is the reason we are able to have our own resurrection stories. God offers us total forgiveness and welcomes us with open arms, no matter how we betray Him, but we fall into the lies that His mercy isn’t available to us or we don’t need it. Judas and Peter’s stories teach us the importance of our response to guilt and that God’s love for us is available in every situation.
As Christ followers, we are given the gift of daily relationship, but too often, we are bogged down in the mundane. Jesus is ready and willing everyday to join us in the seemingly boring and annoying parts of our lives and wants to turn them into something great. Even when we have been neglecting Him for the petty insignificant parts of life, He takes us back and wants to be involved with us. Let us be aware of our inherent ability to settle and coast, and instead, embrace daily life with Him by our sides and make Him ever present in our thoughts.
In our journey of faith, we will encounter difficulties as we navigate life in a broken world. In today’s sermon we take a look at the example of Moses to help guide us as we learn to have faith to endure even in the most difficult circumstances.
Too often, we get caught up in trying to achieve on our own, but Jesus told his disciples that they only needed the faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. God wants to include us in His great plans and all he asks is that we have faith that He will do what He promises. Mustard seed sized faith can grow if we are rooted and grounded in Christ.
In this series on Faith we are exploring how faith enables us to walk on our journey towards home. In today’s sermon we discuss the importance of having an aim in life, a vision of where we are heading. Thank God that He has given us His word and His presence to not only give us an aim, but also be our road map. The question before us today: Will we accept God’s Word by faith and let it be our ultimate guide in life?
We are called to walk by faith and not by sight. We sometimes believe that faith is an action that we have to initiate between us and God, but we need to remember that the first step of faith is recognizing that God has a plan for us. He is looking at us, ready to wrestle though our doubt and grow our faith through His abiding presence.
Every person has a God initiated desire to have a lasting impact on this world. However, we are often held back by comparison, control, and fear. We forget that the calling that God puts on our lives is not something that we have to achieve, but we just need to be willing to abide in Him and trust that He will fulfill His purpose.
The Holy Spirit wants to be an active and integral part of our day to day lives. However, we have a tendency to minimize Him to a doctrine instead of a person. If we are willing to embrace a relationship with Him, He wants to enhance and enrich our spiritual lives through His gifts, fruits, and an active relationship with God through Him, but we must be willing to be vulnerable and give ourselves over to His control.
Some of the Spiritual gifts are more comfortable than others to discuss and utilize, but God has things for us that are beyond what we can even comprehend. This week, we discuss speaking in tongues and prophesy, why they are important to the body, and how we can dive deeper in our walk with the Holy Spirit by praying to receive them.
This week we finished our overview of the Spiritual gifts, and we discussed the roles that God uses to build up the body of Christ through His gifts. As members of the body, we can get comfortable with a gift or role that we feel like we have been designed for, but are you willing and open to ask God what He has for you? The Holy Spirit has so much more for us than we can every imagine, but we have to be willing to let go of our own skepticism and trust that His plans are greater than our own.
The Holy Spirit’s gifts are diverse and exciting. He wants to equip us for our daily interactions and circumstances, but it is important to understand what the gifts are, how we can pray for them, and what they look like in our lives, so that we can recognize His hand at work in us. This week, we continue our discussion of the spiritual gifts with giving, leadership, administration, mercy, faith, and healing.
The Holy Spirit has valuable gifts that He wants to give us, but fear or ignorance can hold us back from receiving them. As Christ followers, we have a responsibility to be open and earnestly seeking each of the gifts of the Spirit to follow His path for our lives and to minister to the rest of the body.
This week we kicked off the New Year as Pastor Jake gave a State of the Church update. It was a time of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the things that God is bringing for GCK in 2019.
We open the new year by exploring the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah. May we all be open to personal reflection and repentance so we can experience times of refreshing in the presence of Jesus.
In today’s sermon, we finish out the year by reflecting on the life that is available to us in Jesus. Using imagery from the Last Supper, we discuss the power of being chosen and blessed by God in the midst of our brokenness, and the resulting gratitude and generosity that can change our lives.
This week we began a short Christmas series by looking at Jesus as our Humble, Hidden, and Heavenly King. We are invited to approach Him this Christmas with the same mindset as the Wisemen of old, bringing our treasure, our prayers, and our eternal hopes to Him in worship!
The Holy Spirit desires to give us gifts for the purpose of touching lives around us with His love. In Romans chapter 12 we see the way God is calling us to use the gifts He gives. He invites us to walk in humility, step up and take responsibility, and choose to be a part of a community that honors diversity while living in unity.
In this weeks sermon we take a look at each of the fruit listed in Galatians chapter 5. We discuss what the fruit look like in our life and how they all work together to form a fruitful and satisfying life in Jesus.
This week as we explore the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23, we see that God desires for us to experience His love in great abundance. The fruit of the Spirit is a description of who God is, a list of benefits he invites me to enjoy, and growth in virtues he wants me to share with others. The purpose of the fruit is to taste God’s goodness, to satisfy our hungry hearts, and to spread the gospel of Jesus to a world in need.
The abiding fruit that Paul describes in Galatians 5 is a beautiful picture of what life in the spirit produces. The fruit of the Spirit offers fulfillment for the deepest longings of the human heart, yet is so often missed by many of us. If we can have ears to hear it, Paul outlines the two basic approaches to life that can so often derail our ability to experience the life and freedom that Jesus intends for us to find in Him.
At the fall of mankind, our eyes were opened to our nakedness and inadequacies apart from God, but they were also shut to fully behold his incredible glory and goodness. However, like the blind man in John 9, Jesus wants to open our eyes and heal the blindness of our hearts through salvation and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Hosea 6:6 tells us that the Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice, devotion to God rather than burnt offerings
The Spirit wants to cultivate a relationship with us, but to grow that relationship with Him, we must be listening to His voice and willing to follow where He leads. There are many times when we are distracted by the normal day to day hustle, or fear, but He has an adventure He wants to take us on right where we are, but are we willing to listen and follow where He leads?
Like a farmer, the Holy Spirit wants to cultivate a relationship with us, but in order for things to grow, the conditions must be right. To be the good soil that He calls us to be, we must be willing to slow down, seek relationship, let go of control and desires, and earnestly strive for relationship with Him. Are you willing to listen to what He is saying to you and let go of the control that you hold onto so tightly?
In week 6 of Abide, we begin discussing how to cultivate a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Learning to hear his voice in our life is vital to knowing him and walking with him daily. Thankfully, we have several ways to grow acquainted with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let’s purpose to live with the expectation that God wants to speak with us, by positioning ourselves to listen and respond to him daily.
God has prepared wonderful things for those who love him, and our teacher, the Holy Spirit loves to reveals them to us. However, our reliance on the wisdom of men, and our own pride and arrogance, often keep us from being humble enough to learn from him. The Holy Spirit longs to teach us all that we need, if only we will move from immaturity and pride, toward maturity and humility so we can position ourselves as learners.
Life sometimes become heavy and discouraging, and on our own, we can become cynical and forget the joy that comes from salvation, but the Holy Spirit is our comforter. He refreshes and restores us like water; he brings joy and celebration like wine, but we have to be wiling and open to accept His comfort, and let go of the chains that we sometimes hold as treasures.
Learning to abide in Jesus requires help, and lots of it. That’s why Jesus promised to send us a Helper – his Holy Spirit. In today’s message, we reflect on two key ways the Holy Spirit help us, with power to change and grow, and power to make an impact in the lives around us.
Without connection, being a part of a family is just a title. The Holy Spirit is the connector that gives us identity, affirmation, and peace in God’s family. Surrendering to His power can seem scary, but He allows us to be a part of an adventure that is greater than we can imagine, and the assurance that we are safe in His hands.
This week Pastor Jake starts a series on living in the presence and power of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can seem like an intimidating part of our Christian walk. While the idea of a Holy Spirit is easy to shy away from, due to fear or lack of understanding, we can miss out on the depth of relationship that God has for us when we practice daily, intentional intimacy with the Helper He sent for us.
This week Pastor Jake gives a short teaching on the heart and purpose of our Lifegroups at Grace Chapel. We look to Jesus as our example. In the book of John, chapter 6, we see what it is to do life with Jesus and His disciples.
This we week we had a GC family meeting. Pastor Jake shared stories about the things the Lord is doing in and through our body, both here in Knoxville and internationally. We also spent some time learning about water baptism leading into our Summer Celebration, where we celebrated with those who decided to get baptized! Jesus is so good and we are so thankful for all He is doing!
This we week we had a GC family meeting. Pastor Jake shared stories about the things the Lord is doing in and through our body, both here in Knoxville and internationally. We also spent some time learning about water baptism leading into our Summer Celebration, where we celebrated with those who decided to get baptized! Jesus is so good and we are so thankful for all He is doing!
In the conclusion to our series on the book of Deuteronomy, we see the importance of passing on to others what we have received from God. Our legacy isn’t what we do at the end of our life; it’s the story we tell with our life. As followers of Jesus, we are called to give our life away to Jesus, pass the baton to others, and trust Him with an unseen future.
Trials and troubles come into our lives for different reasons, and it is tempting to blame God or turn from Him during those difficulties, but God wants to use those times to deepen our relationship with Him. Jesus was tempted by all the same types of things that still tempt us, but the foundation of scripture and his relationship with his father carried him through, as it still can for us.
Today we had guest speaker, Jereme Jeane, with us and share a reflection of the life of Moses.
In week 4 of the Linchpin series, the backstory of the Good Samaritan parable gives us some understanding into how God views us, and why it is so important for us to intentionally love others. God’s love for us is not a passive emotion, it is active and living and so should our love be for all others around us, no matter how busy we make our lives.
In week 3 of “Linchpin” our study through Deuteronomy, we discuss how the love of God is on display through his law! Often the Law can feel controlling, restrictive, and outdate, yet as Moses taught and Jesus affirmed God’s Law is a reflection of His love towards us. Let’s give God’s Law a second look, and see how it may serve to benefit us and glorify Him.
In week 2 of Linchpin: “Grab the Baton” we look at the importance of learning from the past. At the age of twelve Jesus was already asking important questions from the leaders of his parents generation. If we are to grow into the people God has called us to be, we have to be willing to learn from those who have gone before us. An honest look at history, with an attitude of humility will give us a firm foundation to run our race well.
This week we started a new series on the Book of Deuteronomy called “Linchpin.” In this series we will be taking a look at Moses' parting exhortation through the eyes of Jesus. In week one we discussed the importance of legacy, as our lives fit into a larger story of what God is doing across human history. To run our leg of the race well, we have to know what anchors our lives, and live accordingly. As we embark on this journey, may the words of John Maxwell be true of us, "Deuteronomy brings the power of the past to bear on the present, with an eye to the future. When this happens, Deuteronomy should come alive and breathe spiritual renewal into the personal histories of its readers."
In week 12 of “Startled by Grace”, Pastor Jake wraps up the series. This week we hear that God’s grace is for everyone, the outsider and the insider. We look at two examples from King David’s life. We all are in need of God’s grace and he openly invites us all to partake.
In week 11 of the series “Startled by Grace” we hear a message from our good friend and local pastor of The Calling, Jereme Jeane. In this sermon Pastor Jereme teaches about the House of Grace we are all invited to live in. As the forgiven and loved children of God, we are now called to pass along this grace by practicing radical forgiveness, because that’s exactly what we have received.
This week in our series “Startled by Grace” we hear a powerful testimony from our friends David & Katie Kelley of hope, victory and practicing gratitude while in a hard season and waiting on God to fulfill his promise. We pray you are encouraged and blessed through their powerful story and journey.
This week in our series “Startled by Grace” we hear from our friend Vikas Mehta about how the grace of Jesus redeemed his life, and how God has guided him from India, to Hong Kong, and ultimately to Knoxville. We are praying you will be blessed through this powerful testimony of the love & grace of Jesus!
There are times in life when grace is immediate and obvious, but there are also times when difficulties seem to last longer than we think we can endure. God’s grace allows us to make it through those difficulties, but it is up to us to pray His word in the Spirit in order to gain strength and maturity in our faith.
In week 6 of the series “Startled by Grace” we heard a powerful story from our dear friends Grant and Christina Marshall. They did an incredible job sharing how the Lord brought them comfort and joy in the midst of hardship and loss. We hope you are encouraged by this story of God’s Grace!
In week 5 of the series “Startled by Grace” we discuss living in and enjoying daily grace. Being startled by grace is waking up everyday to the good news that God’s never-ending grace offers us. He wants to join us on our journeys and provide grace, but it often (always) requires us to step out in faith.
As we continue in our series “Startled by Grace” we will have several members of our church family share their personal stories of grace. This week our friend Manuel Bento shared about God’s love and grace in his personal life in Mozambique, and through the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. We hope you are encouraged by this story of God’s Grace!
In week three of the series “Startled by Grace” we look at how God’s grace brings us resurrection life in Christ. He invites us to worship Him and enter into the adventure of life with Him, and when we receive that gift of life, we are able to pour His grace out to others.
In week two of the series “Startled by Grace” we explore the importance of having a full picture of the gospel of grace, and the massive role that humility plays in experiencing the grace of God in our lives. While it is tempting to only think about the joy and peace that comes with the gift of grace, it is important to remember the real impact that sin and death have. If we can keep these real and damaging consequences in mind, we can fully share the depth of the importance of the gift of grace, and how it should be a part of our daily walk.
Week one of the series “Startled by Grace” is a reminder of the overwhelming compassion and love that our creator has for us, and through a familiar story, we see the first demonstration of God’s grace in Scripture. Often we are so quick to become numb to the most awe-inspiring things around us: the mountains, a sunset, and the face of a child. Just as we can become calloused to those incredible things, if we aren’t careful, we can also forget how incredibly awesome the grace of God is.
Entering the Holy Week, we discussed the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree on his way into Jerusalem. At first glance, this story seems odd and unrelated to our everyday lives. However, upon further investigation, we can see (as we always do) that He is teaching us even in this interaction how we are to be engaged and active in our own lives to bear fruit.
Concluding our series “Just Give,” we are reminded that Jesus calls us to give Him our talents, so we can learn to love and serve others with them. We are often tempted to think that we are insufficient and don’t have what it takes, but Jesus reminds us that all we need is willingness, and he will fill in the places we may think are lacking.
In week 6 of the series “Just Give,” Pastor Jake discusses the importance of being generous with our time. By examining Jesus’ life we are able to see that some of the most important moments for eternity can come when we are willing to slow down and be open to the people and situations that God brings into our path.
In week five of our series on giving we discuss the topic of “Stewarding our Time.” Our time is a gift from God, and a finite resource of this life. If we are not intentional about how we spend it, we can squander the limited amount that we have. God calls us be thoughtful and purposeful in allocating our time towards the things that are eternal and not the fleeting busyness of this world.
In week four of our series on giving we discuss the topic of “Stewarding our Treasure.” God has called us to steward all He has given us with faithfulness and wisdom. In this message, we discuss the importance of making the decision to live as a steward, and then managing that decision everyday by obeying Jesus, and learning all the wisdom God has to share about managing our finances and possessions well.
Week three of “Just Give” is about "the tithe." Tithing is discussed throughout scripture, and consistantly we are shown that God is not interested in our money, but in our hearts. Giving is not about God’s need for our money, but about our need for God to be allowed into every aspect of our lives.
As we continue to discuss the topic of giving, this week we turn our hearts and minds to the topic of stewardship. Remembering that everything in this life is a gift from God, we are given the freedom to invest all that we have towards our heavenly future.
In week one of the series, Just Give, we learn that God is a giver. Giving can be one of the most difficult topics in the church to discuss, but once we are able to adjust our thinking and give for the right reasons, God can use our resources to accomplish amazing things including healing our selfish hearts.
In the final week of the Welcome Home series, we discussed why membership is an important part of being part of a church family, and what being a member of Grace Chapel Knoxville looks like and means.
In week three of the “Welcome Home” series, Pastor Jake gave his State of the Church address. It was a time of reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the things that God is bringing for GCK in 2018.
For the month of January we will be reviewing who Grace Chapel is, what we believe, casting vision for 2018, and providing an opportunity for membership in the church. In part 2 of this series, Pastor Jake explains who we are as a church, what our mission is, and how that is walked out in a practical way.
For the month of January we will be reviewing who Grace Chapel is, what we believe, casting vision for 2018, and providing an opportunity for membership in the church. This sermon is part one, focused on our core beliefs and why we practice the sacraments of communion and water baptism.
Today we are wrapping up the “I AM” series where we have been exploring the identity & mission of Jesus through the eyes of the apostle John. In this week’s sermon we reflect on Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If we will choose to make Him our King it will lead to an abundant and eternal life. However, if we aren’t careful, we can become like the church in Laodicea. We can find ourselves leading a bland and empty life when we settle for anything less than a real, vibrant relationship with the only One who holds all the keys.
In week 7 of this series on the mission and identity of Christ, Pastor Jake teaches on the role of Jesus as The Door. Anyone who will enter by him is welcome, and when Jesus invites you into his kingdom, there is ultimate protection and glorious freedom.
Part 6 of the series on Christ's mission and identity is a discussion of Jesus as the good shepherd. As his sheep, we are called to a nomadic life, but He promises to lead us if we will follow His voice.
In week 5 of this series on the mission and identity of Christ, Pastor Jake discussed Jesus' role as the light of the world. Just like the church in Thyatira, we live in a world full of darkness, but Jesus has the answer for us, and He wants us to step out of the darkness into His light.
In this fourth week of the series on the identity and mission of Christ, Jake discussed how Jesus is the bread of life. The church in Pergamum was compromising their standards to conform to their culture, but Jesus offered them a lasting gift that He still offers all who will accept!
Part three of the “I AM” series discusses Jesus’ role as the resurrection and the life. Pastor Jake described the interaction between Martha and Jesus shortly after Lazarus died as well as the words that John sent to the church at Smyrna, and the life altering truth that comes from having a Savior that is the Resurrection and the Life.
In part two of our discussion of the mission and identity of Christ, Pastor Jake discusses Jesus’ role as the Vine, his followers as the branches, and God as the vinedresser, and how Jesus’ love pouring into his followers is the true source of life.
In the first sermon of a new series: “I AM”, Pastor Jake lays the groundwork for a 7-week discussion about the mission and identity of Jesus. As we look forward to the Christmas season, we will discuss the importance of who Christ is, and how his attributes should impact our daily lives.
Guest speaker Bill Spencer teaches on the importance of understanding our Identity in Christ. In this sermon we explore the discrepancies in Ruth and Boaz’s views of who Ruth was, and how these differences mirror how we see ourselves in contrast to how God sees us.
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Jake finishes the study through the Book of Ruth with Part 6 “Hold Fast to the Redeemer.” As we finish this series, we see the importance of holding on to our redeemer with open hands. We also take a look at the redemption found in the story of Job, to better grasp the unfailing and unending hope and grace that our redeemer gives to us even in our most difficult times if we allow Him.
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Jake continues a study through the Book of Ruth with Part 5 “Hold Fast to the Promise.” Today we are exploring the first several verses of Ruth chapter 4, as Boaz gets to work redeeming Naomi’s land and arranging to take Ruth as his bride. In this passage we see a picture of Jesus’ love for us, and how He works to redeem our lives in the midst of a broken world.
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Jake continues a study through the Book of Ruth with Part 4 “Hold Fast to Rest.” We explore the story of Naomi instructing Ruth to seek the covering of Boaz. We learn that the way to receive the rest Jesus has for us is to walk in humility by listening, obedience, vulnerability, boldness, and trusting.
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Jake continues a study through the Book of Ruth with Part 3 “Hold Fast to Grace.” We explore the story of Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz, and learn how it is a reflection of God’s grace in our lives, as His providence, protection, and provision are made available to us
This week Pastor Jake continues a study through the Book of Ruth with Part 2 “Hold Fast to God’s People.” In today’s sermon we will explore three characters, Naomi and her two daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah, and what we can learn from them about friendship. Enjoy!
This week Pastor Jake starts a new series titled “Holdfast” a study through the Book of Ruth. In Part 1: “Holdfast to the King” we will explore what happens when we find ourselves in a season of famine. We need to watch out for the temptation of trying to get fed apart from God’s place and God’s people, because when we do it can lead to much loss and bitter disappointment. However, when we do find ourselves lost along the way, the good news is that Jesus will go to great lengths to bring us back home again.
Pastor Jake starts a short series on Life Groups as we get ready to launch the next round. This week we learn about 5 principles central to our Life Groups. This is "Breaking Bread". Enjoy!
This week we celebrate! We look back at the things the Lord has done and we look forward to the things that are to come. We hear from Brian and Rochelle Ray about Grace Chapel Mexico. http://www.gracechapelnavojoa.net/
Pastor Jake shares some stories from this year and some vision for the future. Also, there is a short teaching on water baptisms!
Let's Celebrate!
This week we learn that when Jesus corrects us its Personal, Practical, and Powerful. This is Love & Hate - Part 5: "Rich Young Ruler". Enjoy!
Pastor Jake continues in the series "Love & Hate". This week we learn what it means to be corrected by the Father and that His correction is a reflection of his unconditional love for us. This is part 3 , "Correcting Love". Enjoy!
Pastor Jake continues in the series "Love & Hate". This week we see how Hate is defined, defended and defeated. Enjoy!
Pastor Jake kicks off a new series titled, " Love & Hate : Learning to Live and Love in a world gone Mad ". We will learn about God defined love & hate. We look at the story of the loving father found in Luke 15 to set the foundation for the new series. Enjoy!
Pastor Jake teaches through 2nd Timothy where we see Paul's final instructions for Timothy. We see 3 key exhortations: 1. Run your Race, 2. Pass the Baton and 3. Preach the Truth . . . No matter what! We will look at what it means to walk these things out in our own lives. This is "Living a Legacy".
Special Guest, Rick Meyers takes us through Acts 17 as we look at the differences between the Athenians, Thessalonians and Bereans. We see how real faith causes us to obey, seek and trust Jesus in a way that effects everything in our lives.
Rick is the creator of e-Sword, one of the most widely used Bible software programs in the world. It's been downloaded over 35,000,000 times and is used in 235 countries across the planet! Go check it out: http://www.e-sword.net/
Pastor Jake teaches about Communion and Baptism. The reasons we partake in the sacraments and the role they play in our lives, both as reminders of the Cross and an outward expression of our relationship with God. This is "The Sacraments". Enjoy!
Behold! “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Revelation 1:18 NKJV
Pastor Jake takes us through the prophecy laid out in Daniel 9 of the coming messiah. We see through the Bible and other historical facts that Jesus rode through Jerusalem on the exact day predicted in Daniel, the day we refer to as Palm Sunday. This message is titled, " This Your Day ". Enjoy!
Pastor Jake wraps up our Experiencing God series. This is Experiencing God Part 11: “When to Pray”.
Pastor Jake continues in the prayer portion of our Experiencing God series. This is Experiencing God Part 10: “Teach us to Pray”.
Pastor Jake kicks off the prayer portion of our Experiencing God series. This is Experiencing God Part 8: “The Please Stay of Prayer”.
In Part 6 of Experiencing God, we have a group conversation about Worship and the personal role it has played in our lives.
Experiencing God Part 4: “Worship – special guest Jonathan Allen” by GraceChapelKnoxville
Pastor Jake starts a new series titled "Experiencing God". This week we look at what it means to position ourselves in God's presence, listen for God's voice and respond to God's word.
Pastor Jake starts a new series titled "Beholding Jesus". In part one we look at the birth of Jesus.
Pastor Jake continues in the series titled "Following Jesus". This week we look at Jesus and Nicodemus.
Pastor Jake kicks off a new series titled "Following Jesus". This week we look at the baptism of Jesus.
Listen as Pastor Jake wraps up the series "Life Together". This a very practical teaching on what Lifegroups will look like and the purpose they serve here at Grace Chapel. We can't wait to see what God does in and through our Lifegroups!
Pastor Jake continues in the series “Life Together.” This is part 6 - "Choose Community."
Pastor Jake continues in the series “Life Together.” This is part 3 – “The Discipleship Process.”
Guest Speaker, Pastor Jimmy Harris kicks off a new series titled "Life Together". We explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and how to disciple others as we do life together.
Pastor Jake starts a series sharing the heart of Grace Chapel, "Equipping People to be Passionate Disciples of Jesus Christ." This is part one: "Sinners, Skeptics and Saints"
Colossians - Part 6: “Plausible & Captivating or Delusional & Empty” by GraceChapelKnoxville
Pastor Jake continues our study through the book of Colossians. This is part 4, "Christ In Me".