Grace’s Latest Messages
Alone with God | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 32
For the past few months, we’ve been following the life of Jacob—a man whose story could be summed up in one word: striving.From the moment of his birth, Jacob was grasping for something. First it was his brother’s heel, then his birthright, then his father’s blessing, and later his uncle’s approval and wealth. Every season of Jacob’s life has been marked by struggle. This week at Grace, we come to Genesis 32, where all of those struggles come to a head. This story isn’t just about Jacob’s transformation; it points us to Jesus, the One who wrestled sin and death on our behalf and emerged victorious so we could be made new.
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Genesis 32
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.[b] 3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lordEsau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[c] and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[d] the group[e] that is left may escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac,Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”
17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’” 19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles With God
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone,and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
Blessed and Kept | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 28:10-22
A.W. Tozer once wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” What we believe about God shapes how we worship Him, how we see His work in the world, and how we live in relationship with Him. That’s why it’s so important to ground our view of God in Scripture rather than in our own assumptions.
This week at Grace, we’ll be in Genesis 28. After the “birthright heist” and all the deceit that tore his family apart, Jacob is on the run when he has a life-changing encounter with God. In that moment, God reveals His covenant promises and shows Jacob who He truly is.
As we study this passage, we’ll see not only how God met Jacob in his failure, but also how it shapes what should come into our minds when we think about God today.
Looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday at Grace.
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Genesis 28:10-22 | Jacob's Dream
10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder[a] set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it[b] and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel,[c] but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
Reflection
1. In what ways do you try to “climb” toward God through your actions, performance, duties—and how might faith in Jesus shift that paradigm?
2. What difference does it make to your spiritual life knowing God’s presence is not confined to church buildings or special moments, but is everywhere—even in ordinary, fearful, or wilderness places?
Standing Before the Lord | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 18:16-33
Have you ever tried praying for someone who hurt you? This week at Grace, we’re diving into Genesis 18:16–33, where Abraham has a bold, heartfelt conversation with God about justice, mercy, and compassion. It’s one of the most powerful pictures of intercessory prayer in Scripture—where Abraham dares to ask God to spare a city for the sake of just a few righteous people. We’ll explore how prayer connects us to the heart of God, invites us to speak boldly, and challenges us to care deeply—even for those we struggle with. Come ready to be stretched and encouraged.
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Genesis 18:16-33 (ESV)
16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen[a] him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether[b] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
REFLECTION:
As you consider your position as a member of the royal priesthood of believers, for those who have put their faith in Christ, you stand before the Lord on behalf of others. Like Abraham, how can you seek justice and righteousness as you, through prayer, advocate for those who are lost and wicked?
The Tragedy of Second Chances | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 9:18-28
This Sunday at Grace, we’re looking at a moment like that in Genesis 9:18-28. Noah, the man once called righteous and blameless, stumbles into sin after the flood. And his family's story takes a dark turn as well. It’s a heavy reminder of how quickly we can go from walking with God to wandering off course. But even in this tough passage, there's real hope. Come join us as we unpack what it means to fall, to fail, and to still be pursued by a faithful God.
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Genesis 9:18-28 (ESV)
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.[a]
20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.[b] 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,
“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
26 He also said,
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth,[c]
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
and let Canaan be his servant.”
28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
Reflection Questions:
What does it mean for you that even your best efforts can’t erase your sin? (see Galatians 3:10-14 for help)
Our passage today reflects on the nature of sin being a problem for every generation. What patterns of sin have you seen in your family and how can God’s grace help you move towards repentance/forgiveness/reconciliation in these areas?
The Rest of God | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 2:1-3
What does it truly mean to rest in God? In Genesis 2, we see that after six days of creation, God rested—not because He was tired, but because His work was complete and good. His rest is a gift for us.
Just like a child enjoys vacation without worrying about the details, God invites us into His rest, trusting that He has already taken care of everything we need.
Join us this Sunday as we unpack Genesis 2:1-3 and explore what it means to truly rest in Him.
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Genesis 2:1-3
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Why We Gather | Jason Ricafranca | Hebrews 10:19-25
Why do we gather as a church community? This Sunday, we’re concluding our short series by exploring the work of Christ as our great high priest and how it shapes the purpose of our gatherings as believers.
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Hebrews 10:19-25
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near
Proud of My Work for God | Jason Ricafranca | Romans 15:14-21
Is there someone in your life where you’ve posed the thought, “I can’t imagine where I’d be if it weren’t for you”? I sometimes think of impactful teachers, pastors, friends, and especially my wife when I think about how I would answer this question.
There’s something special about having someone so impactful in our lives that we can’t even begin to imagine what our life may look like today without their involvement.
This Sunday we’re continuing our slow wind-down of the final couple chapters in the book of Romans. In Romans 15, the Apostle Paul shares about the specific calling he has received in life that was tied to the grace that was shown him by Jesus. Because of the grace of God that brought Paul to faith in Christ, Paul found his calling to minister, evangelize, and share the good news to people from all over the world!
I can’t imagine what my life would have looked like if God hadn’t used loved ones and friends to not only share the gospel, but disciple me in my faith growing up as a young man (and even today)! My hope and prayer is that this Sunday, as we dive into Romans 15, that we are reminded of the salvation we have received from Christ and feel compelled to share this good news to others around us!
Looking forward to hearing about your Thanksgiving holiday and opening up the word with you all this weekend!
Blessings!
- Pastor Jason
Romans 15:14-21
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,[a] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”
Love and Perspective | Jason Ricafranca | Romans 13:8-14
In the movie adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ book, The Count of Monte Cristo, there’s this
scene where the main character, Edmond Dantes, has to fight to the death against another man
named Jacopo. Both of these men are prisoners and only one is supposed to survive.
During the epic battle, Dantes bests Jacopo, but instead of taking his life he shows mercy and
persuades the captain to spare both of them. The captain agrees and Jacopo, upon realizing
that he has been set free, offers his life to serve Edmond. In a beautiful exchange, Jacopo
whispers to Dantes, “I swear on my dead relatives – and even the ones who are not feeling to
good – I am your man forever!”
I love this line! Throughout the course of the movie, you see just how loyal and loving of a
friend Jacopo is to Edmond as he offers advice, adopts a role as caretaker, and even protects
Edmond’s family from danger!
Jacopo (a really fun name to pronounce) realized what he had been freed from, and even
though he was free to do whatever he wanted – he committed his life to serving Edmond…
This Sunday we will be looking at Romans 13:8-14 and we’ll be making the connection that you
and I are in a similar situation – we have been freed from the penalty of sin and death, and
Paul’s imperative from Romans is powerful… “Owe no one anything, except to love each other,
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” – How do we go about doing this? Join us
this Sunday to dive deeper into this passage!
See you soon!
- Pastor Jason
Romans 13:8-14
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Salvation: Yours in Christ Jesus (Romans 10:5-13)
Growing up I had a habit of tinkering with things. If our house phone wasn’t working, I’d grab a screwdriver and open it up. If a door or a piece of furniture seemed off, I might try to deconstruct it and figure out what was wrong.
This lead to many headaches for my parents growing up – and it wasn’t until I had tinkered around and messed something up for the umpteenth time that my aunt had affectionately and empathetically told me, “You have the Cardenas touch”. She was alluding to something that my family on my mom’s side had historically done… sought out to fix something and in return, we’d make it worse.
It reminds me of the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
This Sunday in Romans we’re going to be looking further into the way the Israelites tried to fix something that didn’t need help at all – our salvation in Christ! In our message we’ll spend time looking into how a works-based righteousness kept Paul’s listeners from seeing and savoring the beauty of the gospel message, namely that Christ is our RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Looking forward to being with you all this Sunday!
- Jason
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:5-13
The Spirit at Work in Our Lives (Romans 8:26-28)
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were either asked or felt lead to pray for someone else and you couldn’t think of the right words to say?
Or maybe you felt lead to pray for something that’s been troubling you in your life and have been at a loss for words.
One of the topics that we’ll be jumping into this weekend will bring us to the realization that we have the Holy Spirit actively involved in empathizing and even praying with us!
My hope is that this knowledge that we have in God will bring us encouragement in our everyday lives. However, I also want to preface this… our passage this week can be tremendously encouraging as we look into one of the more popular verses of the Bible (Romans 8:28). But, one of the challenges that we’ll find is that trusting in God to work things together for good requires us to know a couple of things: (1) who God is and (2) what makes us apt to trust Him when things don’t seem to be working out for “good”?
I am looking forward to getting into this passage with you all this Sunday!
See you soon!
Jason
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
- Romans 8:26-28
O How He Loves You and Me (Romans 5:6-11)
This week I read about a painting from the Dutch Artist, Rembrandt entitled The Raising of the Cross. In reflection of Holy Week there was something beautiful, sad, and beautiful [again] about this image.
In the image you see Jesus being raised on the cross, and there’s no shortage of paintings like these as many artists have responded and painted powerful depictions of the Passion of the Christ. Rembrandt’s work was different in that he had painted himself into the work of art.
If you take a look at the image, the man at the feet of Jesus, with the blue beret is said to be Rembrandt himself participating in the crucifixion of Jesus.
The work of art in and of itself is beautiful.
The work of art is sad because it communicates a truth that, though this happened many years ago… still Jesus died for OUR sins (something Rembrandt seemed to have understood).
The work of art is beautiful in that, while we were still sinners… Christ died for us. He not only paid for the penalty of our sins… but he did so willingly (John 10:17-18).
O how He loves you and me!
This Sunday we are going to be taking a look at Romans 5:6-11 and swim around in this concept of God’s great love for us!
Hope to see you there!
Jason Ricafranca
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
- Romans 5:6-11
God's Judgement and Ours (Romans 2:1-11)
Have you ever sat through a sermon and heard a really good point that made you think about a certain friend who could use that advice?
I remember growing up in the church and every once and a while the pastor would preach on a message that my parents REALLY wanted me to hear. Any time the messages spoke about: honoring your father and mother OR doing everything without complaining or arguing…
I could count on my mom or my dad nudging me in the pews… or my favorite reaction was my mom leaning in my periphery to lock eye contact with me to make sure I was listening!
It seems silly to think about it these days, but how awkward would it be if the message transitioned to a topic like the sinfulness of humanity and I nudged my parents back?
Well, I know my parents would not appreciate that… but this is what we’re going to be getting into this weekend. Romans 1 focuses on the Gentiles and their blatant ungodly and unrighteousness. It was easy for the Jews in the community, those who had been familiar with moral and religious traditions to look down on those whose sins were perhaps more glaring or obvious than their own.
And get this… whether blatantly flagrant or not… God’s wrath still falls on our sinfulness. This is heavy and difficult topic to process and I hope that you’re present this Sunday as we dive more into the text of Romans chapter 2:1-11!
Hope to see you there!
Jason Ricafranca
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.
- Romans 2:1-11
How Deep the Father's Love (Mark 15:16-32)
Do you enjoy watching reality tv shows?
Perhaps one of the reasons why I find myself fixated on clips from reality tv is that every once and a while you see an instance where someone’s having a meltdown, or things just go horribly wrong… and I can’t help but feel tremendous encouragement thinking to myself… “at least I don’t have it as bad as this person!”
There’s a temptation to read through the final days of Jesus’ life in the book of Mark and think to ourselves… “Judas… what a horrible guy!” or “Look at these Pharisees and Jewish leaders who are so objectively unfair to Jesus… what a bunch of bozos!”
Maybe the temptation is to read through passages like Mark 14 and 15 and think to ourselves, “I would never do that to Jesus.”
This weekend we are going to take a deeper look into the suffering of Christ and my prayer is that we can humbly approach such a weighty passage and consider: In what ways are our sins connected to Christ and this historical event of the crucifixion?
Furthermore, my hope is that we can look to Jesus as the silent and sacrificial lamb who goes willingly to death so that you and I can experience a gift of love that is emphatically unmatched by any experience we’ve ever had!
Looking forward to starting off this final month of 2023 with you all!
Blessings!
Jason
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
- Mark 15:16-32
Soils and Sowers (Mark 4:2-20)
At several points in my life, my sweet Annie has made different recommendations to me. She’s said things like, “you’ve got to try sushi, it’s delicious” or “maybe you should take a day off or two, you’ve been working really hard.” I have this uncanny ability to somehow shut off ‘hearing’ and put aside what she says – and typically, it’s only a matter of time until a close friend reiterates Annie’s advice in some form or manner… when the message registers in my mind:
“I should try sushi!”
or...
“Maybe I need to take some time off… I AM exhausted!”
On a more serious note – I wonder how many of us who have grown up in a church setting have ever wondered to ourselves… “I’ve heard this message before” or “I get it, the message of the story is Jesus loves me” – how many of us hear a message from the Bible or worship songs and have just tuned out and walked out of church on a Sunday without a thought towards what we’ve just received.
This week we’ll be continuing our series in Mark talking about the parable of the soils and how each of us at different times in our faith will find ourselves challenged with the notion of not only hearing the word, but accepting and responding to it in light of many different challenges and distractions that come our way.
Looking forward to breaking open the Word with y’all this Sunday!!
Blessings!
Jason
2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
- Mark 4:2-20
For the Sake of Others (Acts 6:1-7)
I remember a random season in my life where it felt like my minivan was always breaking down. It felt like every week there was something new to repair and after fixing whatever problem was ailing our vehicle, it was only a matter of time before that dreaded “check engine” light turned on. We then proceeded to head over to the mechanic for yet another costly repair.
The ironic thing about the whole situation was that one of my best friends is a mechanic, and when he had heard about all of the woes that our family went through having to do repair after repair, he told me, “I wish you asked for help!”
“I didn’t want to inconvenience you or take advantage of you” I replied rather embarrassingly.
“Jason, we’re friends, I want you to inconvenience me… I know how to fix cars… I wish you would take advantage of our friendship!”
Not everyone may have a friend like this, but when we think of the church as a family and as a group of believers who are united under the life and example of Christ… how do we present our needs to one another? Are we willing to be inconvenienced in order to help a friend or loved one in our church family? Are we willing to listen to and address the needs of those who feel marginalized within our community?
This week we’ll be looking at Acts chapter 6 and how a group of people with a tremendous need that went unmet ultimately lead to a boiling point. In our message this weekend we’ll be taking a look at how we can posture ourselves as a family of believers to commission one another to care for the needs of those in our community who are hurting, feel unseen, or left out.
Looking forward to breaking open the Word with y’all this Sunday!!
Blessings!
Jason
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
- Acts 6:1-7
We the Redeemed (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
