Grace Fellowship Clanton: Recent Episodes
Grace Fellowship
God, by His grace, has given every member a gift to be used in service to one another for His glory.
God, by His grace, has given every member a gift to be used in service to one another for His glory.
Each person is responsible for their own sin, and the LORD is just in all his judgments, so repent that you may live.
Each person is responsible for their own sin, and the LORD is just in all his judgments, so repent that you may live.
God gives Ezekiel a vision of His glory that leaves him in awe and strengthens him for his mission.
God gives Ezekiel a vision of His glory that leaves him in awe and strengthens him for his mission.
Jesus is raised from the dead to assure His followers that they too will conquer death.
Jesus is raised from the dead to assure His followers that they too will conquer death.
For Jesus, and those who follow Him, the road to glory is marked by obedience and suffering.
For Jesus, and those who follow Him, the road to glory is marked by obedience and suffering.
The Lord’s Supper is a picture of God’s grace to us in the sacrifice of Jesus and it is meant to feed our faith until we get to heaven.
The Lord’s Supper is a picture of God’s grace to us in the sacrifice of Jesus and it is meant to feed our faith until we get to heaven.
As the enemies of Jesus prepare to kill him, Jesus is anointed for His Messianic mission
As the enemies of Jesus prepare to kill him, Jesus is anointed for His Messianic mission
Faith enables the follower of Jesus to do amazing things while unbelief leaves us frustrated and powerless.
Faith enables the follower of Jesus to do amazing things while unbelief leaves us frustrated and powerless.
The church is a community built by Jesus on the apostles governed by His truth and following His lead.
The church is a community built by Jesus on the apostles governed by His truth and following His lead.
The church is a community built by Jesus on the apostles governed by His truth and following His lead.
The church is a community built by Jesus on the apostles governed by His truth and following His lead.
Following Jesus demands complete loyalty, but if He is Lord then he's going to take care of you.
Following Jesus demands complete loyalty, but if He is Lord then he's going to take care of you.
"The hands of the king are the hands of a healer and so will the rightful king be known." - J.R.R. Tolkien
"The hands of the king are the hands of a healer and so will the rightful king be known." - J.R.R. Tolkien
We close our summer in the Psalms by looking at the very purpose for which everything was made.
We close our summer in the Psalms by looking at the very purpose for which everything was made.
We cry out for God to making things right in the world and he answers by sending His Son.
We cry out for God to making things right in the world and he answers by sending His Son.
Christ fulfills the law and shows us what true righteousness looks like in relation to our anger.
Christ fulfills the law and shows us what true righteousness looks like in relation to our anger.
Jesus is the Son of God & Suffering Servant who identifies himself with his sinful people.
Jesus is the Son of God & Suffering Servant who identifies himself with his sinful people.
Christianity tells the story of a God who comes down the mountain to rescue His people.
Christianity tells the story of a God who comes down the mountain to rescue His people.
The Christian life does not consist in carefully following the rules, but in being led by the Holy Spirit.
The Christian life does not consist in carefully following the rules, but in being led by the Holy Spirit.
Christ frees us from the burden of the law so that we can fulfill the law by loving our neighbors.
Christ frees us from the burden of the law so that we can fulfill the law by loving our neighbors.
Through Christ, we are no longer slaves under the law but God’s adopted sons & daughters.
Through Christ, we are no longer slaves under the law but God’s adopted sons & daughters.
The power to live for God is not found in keeping His law, but in being united to His Son.
The power to live for God is not found in keeping His law, but in being united to His Son.
God accepts us through our trust in Christ, and we should accept each other on the same grounds.
God accepts us through our trust in Christ, and we should accept each other on the same grounds.
Because Jesus has suffered and risen again, we have hope to share in the midst of unjust suffering.
Because Jesus has suffered and risen again, we have hope to share in the midst of unjust suffering.
Death comes to us all. Life is unpredictable. Therefore, we should enjoy the life God has given.
Death comes to us all. Life is unpredictable. Therefore, we should enjoy the life God has given.
Hear from a few of our parents as they share their experiences raising Christ-centered kids in a changing world. Feel free to submit questions via the livestream as well via Facebook.
Hear from a few of our parents as they share their experiences raising Christ-centered kids in a changing world. Feel free to submit questions via the livestream as well via Facebook.
Jay Shaw, pastor of youth ministry at Briarwood PCA, guides us on how to think about media and technology when raising our kids.
Jay Shaw, pastor of youth ministry at Briarwood PCA, guides us on how to think about media and technology when raising our kids.
Guest preacher James Williams joins us this Sunday to share about the priority of worship.
Guest preacher James Williams joins us this Sunday to share about the priority of worship.
We can become all things to all people so that we can share the good news with all kinds of people.
We can become all things to all people so that we can share the good news with all kinds of people.
When we wisely master the anger in our hearts, we can speak good news to an angry world.
God creates our sexuality to be enjoyed within the relationship of marriage. Join us this morning as we explore Proverbs 5.
God creates our sexuality to be enjoyed within the relationship of marriage. Join us this morning as we explore Proverbs 5.
Wisdom and Folly may look the same on the front end, but the end result is far different.
Wisdom and Folly may look the same on the front end, but the end result is far different.
Visit us online at graceclanton.com or @grace_clanton on Facebook and Instagram!
ForChristForClanton
Visit us online at graceclanton.com or @grace_clanton on Facebook and Instagram!
ForChristForClanton
Join us for our annual Seder service where we take the traditional Jewish Passover meal and discover how God was pointing His people to Jesus centuries before He came. This service will be led by Mark Travers of Turning Hearts Ministries. For inquiries go to https://www.turningheartsministries.com/
Join us for our annual Seder service where we take the traditional Jewish Passover meal and discover how God was pointing His people to Jesus centuries before He came. This service will be led by Mark Travers of Turning Hearts Ministries. For inquiries go to https://www.turningheartsministries.com/
As Paul goes on trial for his life, he shows us how to defend Christianity in a hostile setting.
As Paul goes on trial for his life, he shows us how to defend Christianity in a hostile setting.
Jesus leaves his sheep in the hands of shepherds who will lead his people with humility, love and courage.
Jesus leaves his sheep in the hands of shepherds who will lead his people with humility, love and courage.
Sometimes, even people who earnestly follow Jesus disagree. How do we navigate those conflicts? And how does God use them?
Sometimes, even people who earnestly follow Jesus disagree. How do we navigate those conflicts? And how does God use them?
Join us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Merry Christmas from our Grace family to yours!
Join us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Merry Christmas from our Grace family to yours!
We can confidently draw near to God in prayer because of Jesus' work as our High Priest.
We can confidently draw near to God in prayer because of Jesus' work as our High Priest.
The gospel breaks down barriers and tells us that Jesus is the Savior of all kinds of people.
The gospel breaks down barriers and tells us that Jesus is the Savior of all kinds of people.
The gospel breaks down barriers and tells us that Jesus is the Savior of all kinds of people.
The gospel breaks down barriers and tells us that Jesus is the Savior of all kinds of people.
The Gospel dethrones us by removing us from the place of power and influence and placing the focus on Jesus. Simon the Magician's jealous attempt to buy God's grace to gain power and influence runs counter to God's free gift in the Gospel.
The Gospel dethrones us by removing us from the place of power and influence and placing the focus on Jesus. Simon the Magician's jealous attempt to buy God's grace to gain power and influence runs counter to God's free gift in the Gospel.
Experiencing the forgiveness of Jesus frees us to live a life of lavish worship towards Him.
God is not confined to a place - He goes out into the world to seek and save broken sinners.
Seven men are chosen to help with ministries of service so that the primary work of word and prayer is not neglected.
As opposition increases, with confidence that God is working His perfect will in the world, we can ask for the power to persevere and live a life of Gospel purpose.
While we stand unable to help ourselves, Jesus moves towards us to heal and refresh us.
Luke gives us a description of what a Spirit-filled community of Jesus followers looks like.
God gives every human inherent dignity because they are made in His image. He calls His people to act accordingly and "do justice." In this sermon we look at what exactly He calls us to and how the Gospel enables our obedience.
Because of our sin, you and I are responsible for the death of Jesus. If we are willing to accept that painful truth and trust in Jesus' work on the cross, God grants us forgiveness and new life.
Jesus sends His Holy Spirit into the hearts of His people to empower them to share the Gospel.
Jesus is at the center of human history, scripture, and our lives. Seeing this will reshape the way we see everything.
Jesus had to experience suffering and death in order to experience joy and resurrection. This not only saves us, but it also provides the pattern we should expect for our own lives and sanctification.
At the cross Jesus faces darkness and the cup of God's wrath so that you and I can be ushered into God's presence and experience His love forever.
Jesus endured a sham trial and false accusations because he trusted in the love, plans, and promises of his Heavenly Father.
Greatness is God's eyes is measured by humility, and is only achieved through seeing Jesus.
Jesus is the Lamb who takes the blow of God's judgment so we can be set free from slavery.
If we want Jesus, we must embrace the whole Jesus. And when we do, we find that he is what we really needed all along.
Jesus reveals that God's kingdom has already come in Him, but that He has not yet full revealed it.
God's work is slow but sure. Jesus was no stranger to futility and struggle. But through His suffering, God brings light to the nations.
In contrast to powerless idols, God presents his servant as the only hope of the world.
Jesus must expose our hearts as he radically re-orients us away from ourselves to find a better reward in Him.
God's kingdom has come and is growing. The way in is through Jesus and the time to enter is now.
True security is found not in our wealth but in Jesus Christ himself. Because He has made us His treasure, we can hold our treasures with an open hand.
We can pray boldly and persistently because we have a good Father who gives what is best to His children.
Prayer is the needy child talking with His Father. Jesus shows us what it looks like to approach God as our Father and shape our prayers according to His Fatherly care.
Jesus calls us to focus the one thing that is best before we pursue the many things that are good.
Love for God for expresses itself in love for your neighbor. But when we start trying to pursue a life of love, we are confronted with our own tendencies to justify ourselves and the need to rest in the work of Another.
Jesus' road to victory runs through suffering. He will bear the crown, but He must first endure the cross. Any who would follow Him must embrace the same.
Not only is Jesus more powerful than the evil forces at work in the world, but He has also come to deal with them decisively.
If you have true faith. you will see the greatness of your sin and you will see that Jesus is even greater.
We can only produce what we are, so real change must come from the inside and work its way out.
Jesus calls us to love those who have done nothing to deserve it, and to be more aware of our sin than that of others.
In healing physical diseases, Jesus shows that He has come to heal our deepest need: our sin and separation from God.
Jesus shows that God's kingdom has come by pushing back the effects of sin and evil in the world.
The Gospel is nothing less than a total rescue that is available at this very moment to anyone who will believe.
Jesus' first words reveal that He is committed to the His Father's course whatever the cost may be.
The very moment that evil seems to have one its greatest victory, is actually the moment of its greatest defeat.
When Jesus is presented as the temple, he is recognized as the One who comes to bring light and comfort to the world.
John's birth and ministry point to a salvation that is far better than anything Israel, or we, could have ever imagined.
God begins his rescue mission by breaking the long silence. He promises an old, childless couple that they will have a son who will pave the way for the coming Lord.
The Gospel of Luke is an orderly, comprehensive, and accurate account of the the life and ministry of Jesus, aimed at showing us how He fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament.
Elders work for Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by knowing, feeding, leading and protecting God's sheep.
Bad leadership is self-serving and neglects to feed, lead and protect the people under its care. Thankfully, God provides a better shepherd for His people.
God loves His people so deeply that He cares for them completely. The LORD's shepherding care of his people can be described in 4 ways: He knows His sheep; He feeds His sheep; He leads His sheep; He protects His sheep.
What does it look like for the church to be an embassy of God's grace to a fallen, sinful world? We have to understand our message, understand our audience and rest in the power of God to rescue sinners.
Those who have been reconciled to God are now ambassadors of that same reconciliation. The church is an embassy of the Kingdom of God.
Community is the second aspect of church life that makes up our mission. The gospel creates a new group of people who are helping each other to imitate Jesus as they grow.
The church is a community of people who are learning from Jesus what it means to pursue the "one thing necessary." Worship is pursuing and giving our lives to know and follow Jesus.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus models for us some of the key elements of genuine, Biblical prayer.
God’s mission for His church is to make and shape followers of Jesus, who are learning from Jesus how to live.
Paul closes his letter to the Corinthian church with some diverse but important words about Christian giving and service.
The last act of God's great story of redemption is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. What Jesus begins at his first coming, he will finish at his second.
The Good News is that God has broken into history to rescue His people and build His kingdom.
The next chapter in the Kingdom story brings us to the Fall of humanity into sin. It is human sin breaks the peace of God's kingdom order. Sin begins with rebellion and plunges humanity into shame and judgment.
God's kingdom is revealed at creation when God's people are living in God's place under God's rule.* Not only does God create and rule by His word, but He is also good and loves what He has created.
*Credits to Graeme Goldsworthy and Vaughan Roberts for this helpful definition.
The Resurrection means that we will be changed into something better, that we will see the end of death and that we can stand firm in the present.
When the Holy Spirit came and filled the lives of the early church, they modeled church life for us by devoting themselves to scripture, to fellowship, and to evangelism.
God governs how his people worship through His word. We can discern several principles for worship from this chapter.
God gives gifts to His church to build it up, not tear it apart. To that end, spiritual gifts must be used in love and for the good of the whole body.
When we come to the Lord's Table we celebrate what Christ has done and we celebrate it together.
Both man and woman are equally made in God's image, and yet both have distinct roles before Him. This is the second part of our look at how man and woman complement each other in marriage and in the church. This sermon focuses mainly on our identity as image bearers of God.
Both man and woman are equally made in God's image, and yet both have distinct roles before Him. This is the first part of our look at how man and woman complement each other in marriage and in the church. This sermon focuses mainly on both men and women are different in their roles.
Because of our freedom in Jesus, we are free to lay down our "rights" and run with abandon for the sake of the gospel.
In the midst of a disordered and broken world, the good news of Jesus Christ comes in to rescue us and make us whole.
Unresolved conflict kills relationships. Since God has made peace with us so we can strive to make peace with others.
Jesus gave his life to forgive sin and purify His people. We should therefore fight sin when we see it and engage those outside with grace of the gospel.
Gospel-shaped churches need servant leaders who follow Jesus Christ and give us an example to strive after.
Real teachers of the gospel are servants, faithful to the word, and free from the fear of man.
True wisdom is measured by humility, and true humility only comes from understanding yourself in relation to Jesus.
Christ and Him crucified was the eternal plan of God to save His people. This is what Paul calls the "wisdom of God."
Boasting in man, or pride, destroys the church. Therefore, we must learn humility by boasting only in the cross of Jesus Christ which magnifies the grace and glory of God.
God and His good news are the foundation and fuel of His Church. God changes the way we understand ourselves. God changes the way we understand community. God changes the way we understand our story.
In Jesus, God has given His Church all the gifts she needs to grow in maturity and service to others.
God's generous grace moves us to overflow in generosity. God has drawn near to us in Christ, so now we give our time, talents and treasure to draw others to Christ.
God himself is the greatest we could ever receive. Sin creates a great divide between us and God, and His grace is the only thing that can cross it.
Israel's sin with the golden calf reveals our own tendency to fall back into sin when the going gets tough. We would rather have false gods we can control than the true God control us. And when we fall we need a mediator who will approach the wrath of God on our behalf.
The goal of salvation is in life with God. God saves His people so that they can live with him forever. This is what the Tabernacle pictures for us - the presence of God living in the heart of His people.
The law against coveting reveals how deep our sin goes, but God's grace runs deeper still. He rescues us and restores our desires to a right order.
Believing in the God who is true transforms us into people who live the truth our world so desperately needs. 1. Speak the Truth 2. Live the Truth 3. Trust the Truth
If your God is a giver, then you must no longer be a taker. When trust in the gift of God's Son, it changes how we view everything we own and what we do with it.
The second part of the 10 Commandments shows us that our love to God is played out in our love of others.
God gives the Sabbath so His people can cease their busy-ness and delight their hearts in Him. This points to our ultimate rest in Jesus.
God has saved us to bring us to Himself. His law show us that He alone is our God and we can love Him with my mind, will and words. To love God only and above all gives meaning to the rest of life.
God's holiness is so good we can't live without it, and yet so lethal that we cannot approach it. We need a Mediator.
Christmas means the arrival of our great consolation, the Lord Jesus Christ. His humble obedient sacrifice brings God's rescue to the lost world.
From the world's perspective, a nobody was born to a nobody family in a nobody place. But in reality, heaven hadn't broken into earth in that feeding trough. And the world would never be the same again.
At Advent, we celebrate that God keeps His promises by rescuing the people that He loves.
Having seen God's work to save them, God's people must now learn to trust His work to keep them. In providing water from the rock, the LORD gives us a foretaste of what Jesus will do to rescue us.
God's glory alone gives driving purpose to your life, and is the source of your greatest joy.
Our salvation comes to us as a gift, by God's grace as a gift, and not all our striving or working.
We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. There is no need for us to try and justify ourselves because the wrath of God has been completely poured out on Jesus.
We are made right with God only through faith - through trusting in Jesus' finished work - and not by anything we can add to it.
Believing Scripture Alone means believing that the Bible is our ultimate source of authority because it is God's word to and for us.
God shows repeated grace to His people, even when we doubt Him. 1. Unbelief responds to God's grace with grumbling. 2. God responds to our grumbling with more grace.
As Christians, we become complacent when we begin to rest in anything other than God's grace to save and sustain us.
God's mercies may be mysterious, but He is always trustworthy. Through long roads, kept promises and His own presence, God proves He is a guide we can trust.
Through the Exodus, God shows that He is keeping His promises, providing for His people and defeating His and our enemies.
The Passover is the great sign of God's gracious rescue, and it points us forward to the rescue to come.
God's word is both judgment and grace. It judges hard hearts and sets the captives free.
God continues to encourage his reluctant deliverer by promising His power, presence and speaker.
God provides the rescuer for His people when all seems lost. And He often does so in completely unexpected ways.
True contentment is illusive and fleeting. Generosity is often pegged to those who have a lot. In Christ, we can learn a contentment and generosity that is free of our material circumstances.
Jesus continues to work for His Church, reigning and ruling over the world for the good of His people.
By God's grace, we will continue to be a community of Spirit-powered, Christ-exalting witnesses seeking to reach the ends of the earth with the good news of Jesus.
By nature we tend towards division and strife. But the gospel calls us to fight for unity in Jesus as His redeemed community.
A life lived resting in the work of Jesus is far better than a life lived trying to earn God's favor.
When Jesus is your chief love, and His good news your driving aim, all of life is put into perspective.
God's overflowing grace to us meets our needs and causes us to be channels of overflowing grace to others. By God's grace, we go from being stingy, begrudging givers into cheerful givers who aim to support the needy and expand God's kingdom.
God owns all things. God is gracious Giver. We are called to be stewards of His abundant grace.
Christmas tells us that King Jesus is worthy of worship from all the nations, but there are many who are unwilling to bow the knee.
Jesus is born into a broken humanity so that He can keep God's promises and rescue us out of our brokenness.
In this last episode from John's Gospel, we see what happens when a person meets Jesus. Jesus takes sin-sick sinners, restores them and gives them a new start.
Jesus goes into the grave and takes on death so that all who trust in Him will be free from death and take on life.
Jesus finishes His greatest work on the cross by bearing the shame and guilt of all His people.
Jesus, as the True King, enters into the upside down world to rescue it make things right-side up.
Jesus is the one King who gives himself up so that those who deny Him can be paid for and restored.
Jesus prays that scattered people may be brought together to taste and see the glory of God.
Jesus prays that His disciples would be a protected, holy and engaged people. This is what brings joy to the Christian and joy to the world.
When Jesus prays, He seeks the glory of God and He seeks it in the cross of suffering. Through the glory of the Son, sinners come to know God and have eternal life.
The Holy Spirit comes to bear witness to the truth of Jesus to the world and for the Church.
The only hope we have for living a fruitful, God-honoring life is to abide in Jesus. He is the True Vine that replaces the broken, dead vines of old.
The only way to live like Jesus is to be connected to Jesus' life. Bearing fruit for Jesus is the inevitable result of abiding in Jesus.
Jesus comforts His disciples by sending another Helper to walk with them as they follow Jesus.
Jesus is leaving, but He doesn't leave His disciples alone. After promising them a place with Him, He goes on to promise that they will follow in His footsteps and have access to Him through prayer.
The only hope of reconciling our tendency to pride, racism and violence is to trust that Jesus has already killed the hostility by shedding his own blood on the cross.
Jesus calms troubled hearts with Himself because He is the only way home, and the only way to know God.
Jesus may not be the king that you expect him to be, but He is the King you really need. You must come to Jesus through the cross and the tomb in order to really know Him and grasp Him.
Mary reveals what true worship of Jesus looks like, while the false worship of Judas and the religious leaders is exposed.
God's plan is to rescue his lost children through the atoning death of his One and Only Son, Jesus, and all the best laid plans of God's enemies cannot stop Him.
God takes the worst of circumstances and uses them to bring glory to himself through the Son.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the life, and he enters into the havoc and destruction wreaked by the Fall, so that those who believe in Him can triumph over the grave.
Because Jesus is one with the Father, He can make good on all His promises to all His people.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He is the only one who can give abundant life to His Sheep. He does this by laying down his own life.
Jesus, as the Light of the world, opens the spiritual eyes of many, but confirms the spiritual blindness of others.
Our works reveal what family we belong to, and none of us comes from very good stock. We need Jesus, Abraham's greater Son, to bring us into His Father's family so we can hear and obey His word.
The resurrection means that all the dashed hopes of humanity are restored in Jesus. The empty tomb is both shockingly unexpected and even offensive. But it is also a great comfort to those who mourn and long to be restored to God in heaven.
This disputed story gives us an accurate portrayal of what the New Testament says about Jesus and the way he deals with all kinds of sinners. In it we see the hypocrisy of the self-righteous, and the stunning grace of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus is the true water from the Rock who offers himself to quench the thirst of His people forever.
Jesus' words are life-giving, but hard and they only way to hear them is to love Jesus more than anything else.
Jesus is the bread of life that satisfies forever. We can stop striving for bread that does not satisfy and come to him.
Jesus is the Savior we need, but He is not always the Savior we want. Jesus provides food for the masses but they want to use Him for their own ends. He provides comfort for the disciples and they gladly receive Him. What is our response to Jesus?
Jesus is the Shepherd King who brings ultimate peace to the people of God through laying down his own life to kill the hostility that exists between God and man.
Advent begins with the longing that God would act and make right what is wrong with the world.
Jesus is the true Son of God the Father in heaven. He gives life, He judges and is worthy of all worship
Jesus works to bring healing to people disabled by sin. Jesus is better than man-made superstition. Jesus is better than man-made religion. Jesus is better than Judgment.
Jesus is the satisfaction that meets us at our deepest point of need. He quenches our real thirst and cleans up our moral messiness. He does this by being the only remedy for sin, and our greatest source of satisfaction.
We will find the true meaning of our lives only when we look outside of ourselves to the matchless worth of Jesus, the Son of Man who comes from above.
God spends His greatest treasure, His One and Only Son, to rescue a world of hostile sinners because of His great love.
New Birth is necessary if you want to enter God's kingdom. The only way to get it is from the Spirit himself.
When Jesus comes as the true husband, he makes all things new by providing the good wine of His blood and covering our shame.
The end of the Lord's Prayer - the doxology - reminds us that the confidence in all our praying rests on the power, the majesty and the goodness of God.
We need protection from the evil inside of us and the evil outside of us. Lead us not into temptation tells us we cannot trust ourselves. Deliver us from evil tells us we cannot trust our enemy. Our only hope is the true Hero, Jesus himself, who defeats our enemy and our fallen nature at the same time.
Praying for God's will to be done, is praying that your will would be subdued and made to love His.
The Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, that we are all sinners and that the good news of what Jesus has done is the only way to deal with sin in all its forms.
We have the privilege of approaching God as our Father 1. The God of Heave is Our Father 2. Our Father is the God of Heaven
Our approach to God in prayer must be true and trusting 1. Don't pray like the hypocrites; they're not true 2. Don't pray like the Gentiles; they're not trusting
The Day of the LORD is coming, and you're going to need a hiding place.
- The Day of the LORD means wrath for those who do not seek the LORD
- The Day of the LORD means rejoicing for those who seek refuge in the LORD
1) Our path and direction must come from God 2) Our love for others must come from God 3) Our holiness must come from God
1) If Jesus is still dead, then we have no hope 2) Because Jesus is alive, everything will be made right.
The gospel does a special & unique work of unifying people now and for eternity. 1. The reality of unified hearts 2. The reunion of the second coming 3. The glory and joy of your people
In the face of increasing sin, your only hope is an Incomparable God 1. What God sees 2. What God wants 3. How God saves
The value and sacredness of every person is Biblically recognized and affirmed, and certainly in the womb.
1) The work of God in the womb 2) The work of the Evil One in the womb 3) Policy alone will fail us
God's electing love is inseparable from Gospel Power
- Faithfulness in affliction
- The Message is spreading forth
- Fruit of Repentance and Faith
Even though God's enemies triumph now, the LORD will ultimately bring down His enemies and restore His kingdom.
- Those who exalt themselves will be brought down
- The humbled will be exalted.
Every year after Christmas, we take some time to explain what we celebrate when we participate in the Lord's Supper.
Jesus, as the mediator of God's covenant, has secured our place with God. 1) Mediation Revealed 2) Mediation Fulfilled
The Coming Messiah represents brokenness, humility and conquering peace. 1. Where does this Messiah come from? 2. How is He recognized? 3. What does His coming accomplish?
In order to believe that God will dwell with man we must trust in God's cleansing judgment and his covenant grace. 1. The Judgement of Baptism 2. The Grace of Baptism
Main Idea: God WILL punish injustice and He WILL save the people called by His name. 1. Injustice begins with a rejected Word and a rejected Lord 2. Injustice happens when idols reign and people become expendable. 3. Divine justice will bring an end to injustice 4. God will save the people called by His name.
When our treasure is Christ, we will have new eyesight. 1. The reality of what we treasure 2. The blinding power of this reality 3. The freeing clarity of treasuring a generous Savior.
God provides leadership to the Church to carry out the ministry of Word and deed modeled by Christ. 1. Church leadership is Designated 2. Church leadership is Plural 3. Church leadership is Reproductive 4. Church leadership is Spiritual
God Restores Us Through Repentance 1. Repentance leads to a frightening form of honesty 2. Repentance leads to restoration 3. Repentance leads to the repentance of others
Repentance is not simply a one-time decision that we make but it is a mark of a new life that changes the way we think and live. 1) Repentance begins with being found by the Shepherd 2) Repentance involves being tended by the Shepherd 3) Repentance leads to identifying with the work of the Shepherd
The way we pray reveals how we view God, and how we think He views us. 1. Positional Prayer 2. Instinctive Prayer 3. Hopeful Prayer
God's voice must lead Grace Fellowship, or we will only be left with our own. 1. A Commitment to the Authority of the Word 2. A Commitment to the theme of the Word 3. A Commitment to the expression of the Word
Is your King the fallen Adam or the risen Christ? 1. The Adamic Picture of Saul 2. A Warning to the World 3. The Philistine Gospel
In a life that experiences the ebb and flow of successes and disappointments, we need the ministry of others.
- The problem with success
- The problem with disappointment
- The success and disappointment of David
Because the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world, we need a different kind of shelter.
The Lord is relentless in protecting His people and His promises.
- Our God of promise
- Our God of sorrow
- Our God of certainty
God's provision for us is granted through our faith in Him, never through faith in ourselves.
- The Discontinued Kingdom
- The Forever Kingdom
When the LORD is your king, you are the servant of a giver rather than a taker. 1. The sinful approach 2. When God is not your king 3. A kingdom of plenty
There is only one true, sovereign God 1. Our dangerous desire to be gods 2. Getting God out 3. His faithfulness to come back to us.
The Resurrection is a revelation of promises. 1. A Revealing Resurrection 2. A Physical Resurrection 3. A Redemptive Resurrection 4. A Sending Resurrection
The glory of the Lord resides in the presence of faith & repentance
- God does not forsake his judgment
- Superstitious solutions
- The surrender and return of God's glory
The Word of God does mighty things through the lives of His listening servants. 1. His personal call 2. The coming of His word
God will provide His word to those who believe 1. Opportunities within barrenness 2. God's faithfulness to His promises 3. A solution to the problem
Giving our faith back to God leads to worship and knowledge
1 The Call to Faith is the Call for Faith
2 Generosity and Sacrifice
3 The gift of knowledge
We want to give ourselves away 1. Jesus gives himself away for a rich harvest of glory 2. We give ourselves away for a harvest of life 3. The gospel and giving
We want to equip every member as a minister 1. Some are equippers 2. All are ministers 3. As saints minister, the body grows
Our sin runs deep, but God's grace runs deeper still.
- Coveting is desire gone wrong.
- Coveting is an inescapable sin.
- Coveting can only be replaced with true love.
We can rest because God finished His work.
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We can rest because God has finished His work of creation.
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We can rest because God has finished His work of redemption.
We worship the true and living God, rather than idols and images of our own making.
- God is the Creator, not the created
- God is not found in what we make with our hands
- God provides his own image
When Jesus opens our eyes, we are restored to joy.
1) Blindness leads to frustration. 2) Revelation leads to joy.
Lives transformed by grace face outwards (not inwards).
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They face upwards to God in persevering prayer (vertical).
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The face outwards towards others in wise walking (horizontal).
When Jesus is Lord, it redefines how I live all of my relationships.
- The Lord redefines husbands and wives
- The Lord redefines children and fathers
- The Lord redefines slaves and masters
In light of what Christ has done, we can live a new life to God's glory. 1. The Christian has a new identity. 2. The Christian must put on a new character. 3. The Christian must walk a new walk.
The Christian life is fight against sin.
- We must fight the sin our bodies.
- We must fight the sin in Christ's body.
We can strive for holiness in this life, because Jesus Christ holds our life forever.
- Keep your eyes on the prize. 2.The prize is yours now and forever.
In Christ alone do we find maturity and strength
- Earthly man-made, regulations cannot help you.
2.Real life and growth only come from holding on to Jesus
Continuing to live IN CHRIST will keep you from being captured.
- The truth that sets you free is the truth that keeps you free (6-7)
- What the enemy has to offer is empty (8)
- What you have in Christ is so much better (9-15) a. The fullness of God b. A new life c. Full forgiveness d. Defeated enemies
The richness of God's glory is ours in Christ alone.
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Paul's ministry of the mystery
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Paul's ministry to the Colossians
If your God is a giver, then you can no longer be a taker. 1. We are all takers by nature. 2. God is a giver by nature. 3.Takers are transformed into givers by the Great Giver Himself.
The Good News (gospel) is that God reconciles hostile sinners to himself.
- You were hostile to Christ.
- You've been reconciled by Christ.
- Cling to Christ and his gospel.
God's grace comes before God's law
1) God give us His name 2) God gives us His salvation
Jesus Christ is Lord of Creation and Lord of our Salvation. He is our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer.
Since we have been reconciled by Christ, we should worship only Christ. Since Christ is reconciling to God all things in heaven and on earth, we should dissolve the wall between sacred and secular and engage a broken world in need of reconciliation.
God grows and matures those He has redeemed.
- We thank God for what he has done.
- We ask Him to continue His good work.
- We thank Him for the redemption that makes growth possible.
Our only hope for enduring and finishing the race is to set our eyes on Jesus.
We must look to Jesus to run with endurance
We must consider Jesus to keep from growing weary
We need to know the background of the letter before we really dig in. So, we answer two basic questions: 1) Who is Paul? 2) Who are the Colossians? Message of Colossians = Jesus Christ is an ALL-sufficient Savior.