Grace’s Latest Messages
Unity and Generosity: The Macedonians, the Messiah, and Me and You (Acts 20:1-6, 2 Corinthians 8 + 9)
This Sunday, as we continue our study on the theme of unity in the book of Acts, we’ll be considering how generosity toward our brothers and sisters in Christ promotes the cause of unity.
Do a little exercise with me.
Let’s take 2 minutes of uninterrupted time and think, “how might generosity promote unity in the body of Christ?” It’s not immediately obvious, I don’t think, so let’s think hard together for the full 120 seconds.
Are you ready?
The clock starts…now!
[2 minutes of uninterrupted thoughtfulness]
Alright. What did you come up with? What’s that? I can’t hear you. I have an idea. Join us on Sunday and you can tell me then.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Pastor Tim
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints - 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos: Unity Through Humility (Acts 18:1-11, 24-28)
This Sunday is the first week of public worship services for our friends at Branches Church of Humboldt, led by our former worship pastor, Justin Fox. We're so excited for them! Would you please pray for their launch this weekend?
Bringing a new church to a community should be a thing to celebrate, but too often it can feel threatening or invasive to already established churches.
That's why this week's passage from Acts 18 is so refreshing. In it, we meet Priscilla and Aquila, a remarkable ministry couple who have been through enormous difficulties for their faith. When we meet them in Corinth, they've already been exiled from Rome because of Christ, yet are continuing to serve and lead the church in Corinth - before, during, and after Paul's time there. Then, another charismatic leader rolls in - Acts 18 describes what happened when a brash and ill-informed minister named Apollos comes to town.
But rather than let envy or rivalry get in the way, Priscilla and Aquila delight in Apollos' success, help him to grow and advocate for him in the future.
It's amazing what can happen when we don't care who gets the credit.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday at Grace!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
- Acts 18:1-11, 24-28
Unity When You Don't Agree (Part 2) (Acts 15:36-41)
Last Sunday, we looked at the first part of Acts 15, where people strove for unity through dialogue, compromise, and prayer. It was a pivotal and magnificent moment in the history of the early church, when they stayed unified even through a massive cultural and theological shift.
This week at Grace, we're looking at the last part of Acts 15, where none of that happens, and the result is that two godly, mature Christians (Paul and Barnabas) separate from each other over something that seems so small in comparison.
How could unity be shipwrecked on such a small rock?
Looking forward to examining this short and sobering passage with you this Sunday, and learning from its example for us today.
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
- Acts 15:36-41
Unity When You Don't Agree (Part 1) (Acts 15:1-35)
If you've been around churches for a while, you've probably heard of congregations splitting over foolish and superficial things, like the color of the carpet, the start of the service time, or where items are on stage. Whether these stories are apocryphal or not, I'm not sure; I'm grateful to have avoided the first-hand experience of a church split like those in my lifetime. But the reason they ring true for many of us is that we know how selfish and petty people can be (and, if we're honest, how selfish and petty we can be).
Unity seems like an easy thing to be for, until it comes to giving up something for the sake of unity. When it's a preference for time, carpet, or arrangement, that seems like an easy exhortation to choose unity over personal preference. But sometimes unity involves deeper questions.
This week at Grace, we're continuing to look at the theme of unity in the books of Acts. In chapter 15 we come to an inflection point, where the move toward inclusion of the Gentiles will either be formalized or rejected. In this case, what the early church leaders decided was not worth dividing over was the necessity of circumcision, which had been the mark of the covenant for Israel for 2000 years.
Acts 15 is a significant passage for a whole host of reasons (it shapes our view of how the church is ordered, how to understand biblical and ecclesiological authority, and missiology, etc), but we're going to focus this week at seeing how the gospel created and maintained the unity of the church, both then and now.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday at Grace!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
- Acts 15:1-35
Fanning the Flames of Unity (Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3)
I was on a bike ride with my cycling club last weekend. As we were riding northbound on PCH, the pace started to pick up to what I'll describe as "spicy," and an impromptu race broke out. I found myself at the front of the peloton, a position near impossible to win from. But, I threw caution to the wind and committed myself to this inconceivable effort.
I stayed up front for what seemed like an eternity, mentally and physically fading. My friend noticed my wavering form, and rather than hurling judgments about my position in the race; he shouted encouragement to keep going. He stoked the fire inside of me that had begun to burn out.
I realize that a bunch of middle-aged men encouraging each other while wearing spandex might be trite - but what would happen in the body of Christ if we adopted my friend's attitude? That's what Barnabas did with a church in Antioch in Acts 11.
This week at Grace, we'll see Barnabas living up to his nickname, "Son of Encouragement," and how he fanned the flames of one of the most important churches in history.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Chris
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
- Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3
Unity Comes From the Heart (Acts 10:34-43)
This week at Grace we’re looking at Acts 10, where Peter is challenged by a vision from God to see all people without partiality, as God sees them.
I’ve been thinking about this passage in light of all that Peter has already been through - how Jesus interacted with kindness toward Samaritans and Gentiles, how the Spirit came at Pentecost with a variety of languages, and how the Spirit came on Samaritans (in chapter 8). It makes you wonder how much Peter's own views had already shifted. Yet, apparently, they hadn't shifted enough.
You've probably noticed the double standard we have as people: we tend to judge ourselves by what we meant to do, but others based on what they actually did. It's true in driving ("I didn't mean to cut him off, why is he mad?"), in reaching out to people in their pain ("I would have helped if they would have asked"), or in marital conflicts ("She knows how I feel about her"). I wonder if some of that is at play for Peter, too, excusing his lack of evangelism toward the Gentiles with an explanation of his heart rather than a sober analysis of his actions.
Let's talk this Sunday at Grace about both the heart and our actions, and how they can contribute to the unity Christ creates between us.
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
- Acts 10:34-43
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
The Value of Unity (Acts 4:32-37)
What is the value of unity? What would it be worth it to you to be a part of a unified community?
I can't give you a dollar figure, but I can tell you that a lack of unity (whether it is defined as active backbiting or passive apathy) is at the core of what drives many pastors out of ministry, missionaries off the field, and members away from churches.
So, if unity is that important, what value would we place on it?
This week at Grace, we're continuing our series in the book of Acts looking at the topic of unity and looking at how it expresses itself in the financial lives of the early church. Specifically, we'll look at Barnabas (nicknamed the "Son of Encouragement") and what drove his passion and practice of generosity with others.
And before you say, "Oh we're talking about money at church; I think I'll skip it," please think about it. Acts 4:32-37 isn't really a passage just about money. It's a passage about where our hearts, what defines our connections to each other, and what we give our lives to.
Looking forward to opening up the Scriptures with you this Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
- Acts 4:32-37
Practicing Unity (Acts 2:42-47)
Last Sunday at Grace, Pastor Tim challenged us with this question:
"Do you really want unity?"
(If you didn't hear Tim's message, you can find it on YouTube, Facebook, or on our sermon podcast).
"Do you really want unity" seems like an obvious question. After all, who wants to be a part of a church that's divided, distant, or cliquish?
But it's easy to look at the history of Christianity to see how rare unity is. And not only hundreds of years ago but in our own day and in our lives; we can all testify to the unfortunate rarity of unity.
It's tempting to give up the hope of unity as a good at all, choosing instead to focus on lesser goals that are more attainable.
So, why keep chasing unity? Because it glorifies God. That's what we see in Acts 2:42-47. It's an idealistic picture of the church - everyone is together, sharing, caring for each other, growing together, and reaching people for Christ.
When Christians function as we should, God is glorified.
So, how do we contribute to the unity of the church? What can you do to be a force for unity and the glory of God?
Let's talk about it on Sunday at Grace.
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
- Acts 2:42-47
Maintain What God Has Made (Acts 2:1-11)
In his great book, One Blood: Parting Word to the Church on Race and Love, Christian minister and civil rights leader, John Perkins, writes: “There is no institution on earth more equipped or more capable of bringing transformation to the cause of reconciliation than The Church.”
The Church is to lead when it comes to unity. In fact, because of God’s empowering we are, in the words of Perkins, more equipped and more capable than any other institution on earth. What a high calling we have.
This Sunday, as we continue in our series on unity, we’ll be spending some time at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11), then we’ll jump back 2,000 years or so earlier to consider a high tower that caught God’s eye in a place called Shinar (Genesis 11:1-9) and then we’ll jump forward, past Pentecost, to the city of Ephesus (Ephesians 2:11-22). We’ll be covering a lot of ground so read ahead if you can. My hope is that God will use this Sunday, and our whole series on unity, to fulfill the prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-23. That we might be one.
Looking forward to our time together!
Pastor Tim
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
- Acts 2:1-11
United by Jesus (Acts 1:12-26)
This week at Grace we're beginning a new series in the book of Acts. For the next three months, we're going to trace how the early church lived out Jesus' mission in unity. We won't cover every passage in Acts, but I think you'll see how often the tensions of ministry in a fallen world could have pulled Jesus' disciples apart in those early years and how significant it was for them to stay together.
This isn't to say Acts is an idealistic picture of unity. There are times prejudice, selfishness, and overlooking others created conflict among the early Christians. How they responded to those situations can help us today, too.
We'll begin in Acts 1 with an odd passage about the appointment of Judas' successor, Matthias (Acts 1:12-26). It comes between two of the most famous and impactful sections in Acts (Jesus' ascension and the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost), and sometimes is overlooked. But this passage has a lot to tell us about what it means to be unified in mission together, respond to disappointment in community, and live with humility before each other.
Looking forward to working through this new series with you!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
- Acts 1:12-26
Doubt in Light of the Gospel (Psalm 73:18-28)
What good can come out of doubt?
We often think of doubt as a problem to be solved. Maybe there are some instances where that is true. But I think Psalm 73 shows the opportunities that come from doubt.
This week at Grace, we'll be finishing our series in Psalm 73. The last half of the Psalm focuses on how Asaph's perspective (on God, on his neighbors, and on himself) changes as a result of his wrestling with doubts.
I hope that as we finish this wonderful Psalm you'll see how God desires for you to grow in faith during seasons of doubt.
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
- Psalm 73:18-28
The Impact of Doubt (Psalm 73:10-17)
How do our doubts impact one another?
I'd like to think that my faith is immune from the wanderings of people near me. My faith is based on a personal decision to follow Jesus, not the crowd around me.
I'd also like to make myself irresponsible for the ways my doubts negatively impact the faith of those who are impressionable. After all, don't they have to make their own decisions?
In some ways, this is true. But Scripture also shows how interrelated our faith is. This week at Grace, we'll be continuing our series on doubt from Psalm 73. We're going to talk about how Asaph handles the doubts of his neighbors and what he does (and doesn't do) with his own doubts.
Looking forward to talking about this important Psalm with you!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
- Psalm 73:10-17
From Doubt to Faith (Judges 6 + 7)
I probably don't have to tell you that the weather in Seal Beach, CA is nearly perfect all year. "Nice day, huh?" is almost always answered with a "Yep!" However, I've mistakenly elongated my answer with "Yep! This weather is how you know God loves us!" It's an answer meant to be funny, but it unwittingly implies that God doesn't love people in Fresno, CA, where it's above 100 degrees all summer.
That comment is a harmless mistake but reveals a more profound theological distortion we all fall into; "When life is good, God is present and for us. When life is bad, God is absent and against us." This train of thought was undoubtedly present for a guy named Gideon, recorded in Judges 6:1-13.
This week at Grace, we will continue thinking through doubt together. We'll pause Psalm 73 for one week and look at Gideon's life in Judges 6 & 7. He was a man filled with doubt, yet he received a commendation for his faith in Hebrews 11.
I hope we can answer these questions: What is God's disposition toward us when we doubt Him? How does God transform our doubts into faith?
Hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor Chris
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
32 …For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
- Hebrews 11:1-2, 32-34 (ESV)
Doubt and Comparison (Psalm 73:1-9)
For many of us, doubt is a persistent part of our spiritual lives. It is for me. And there are few passages of Scripture that I've found to be more helpful when it comes to doubt than Psalm 73.
Over the next few weeks, we'll work slowly through this beautiful and incisive passage of Scripture. It looks at doubt from a variety of angles - why doubt takes hold, how doubt impacts us, and what to do with doubt.
This week at Grace, we'll begin in Psalm 73:1-9, when the Psalmist (a worship leader named Asaph) describes how doubt almost wrecked him because of the envy he felt toward those who ignored God and yet still seemed to get everything they wanted in life.
Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday at Grace!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
- Psalm 73:1-9
The Gospel Sends Us Out (Acts 1, 2, 9, and 29)
This Sunday will be our final week in our current series, “What the Gospel Does.” So far, we’ve heard:
The Gospel Comes to Us
The Gospel Changes Us
The Gospel Brings Us In
And this week, we’ll hear:
The Gospel Sends Us Out
Evangelism (a.k.a. sharing our faith, witnessing, being on mission, living as ‘sent ones’) is often an intimidating thing for many of God’s people. There are, no doubt, many reasons for this. If you find yourself wishing you were better equipped to engage others or bolder in testifying to Jesus’ work in your life, you’re not alone.
In fact, if you’ll recall, you are part of a family. You have many brothers and sisters. You don’t live your Jesus-following life alone. It’s not just you and me who are sent out by God, but us.
Remember that when you have the opportunity to speak of God’s grace.
Remember how the Gospel came to you.
Remember how the Gospel changed you.
Remember how the Gospel has brought you into the church – gave you a family.
Remember all of that as you carry the gospel with you in your normal, rarely-flashy, everyday life. God is with you and He wants to be with others through you.
Believe that as the Gospel sends us out!
Grateful for my sent-out siblings,
Pastor Tim
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- Acts 1:6-8
The Gospel Brings Us In (Mark 3:31-35 & Mark 10:28-30)
There’s a letter that has been preserved from an early Christian leader named Cyprian who was the bishop of Carthage, Tunisia. He was writing to a fellow-Christian named Euchratius in about A.D. 250. The letter had to do with a theater actor who had been converted to Christ and was asking Euchratius whether it was alright to stop acting but still teach at the theater school because it was his only means of earning a living.
Because of the immoral nature of the theater and the challenge this would pose to this man’s new life in Christ, Cyprian advises that the man should also stop teaching theatre, but that the church there should supply his needs until he can find another job, or if this is not possible because of lack of funds, then the man will be financially helped by the church at Carthage, which is where Cyprian is at.
This is an amazing story when you think about it.
The church, echoing Jesus, said to this man, “Leave all to follow him!” And if he gave up his job, they wouldn’t just say to him, “good for you, brother, now you have Treasure in heaven…good luck and god speed!” No, were going to make up what was lacking. They called him to join a new family and then treated him as family. They were willing – like a healthy family – to sacrifice for one another. They put their money where they’re evangelistic mouths were. Amazing!
On Sunday, we’ll be considering how the gospel which comes to us (week 1) and changes us (week 2) also brings us in (week 3). It brings us into community. It incorporates us into the family of God. God’s work which is done in us individually is never meant to be lived out alone.
As Sister Sledge sang in the late 70s: “We are Family!”
That song might get you on the dance floor but what Jesus says about family will provide far more. Don’t miss it.
Many blessings to my many siblings,
Pastor Tim
31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
- Mark 3:31-35, Mark 10:28-30
The Gospel Changes Us (2 Corinthians 5:14-17)
Last week we spent some time talking about what the gospel is. We heard that the gospel is news.
Good News! The Best News!
This Good/Best News comes to us as a gift (we didn’t earn it).
This Good/Best News comes to us (we didn’t go looking for it).
This Good/Best News, we’ll learn this week, comes to us not to leave us “as is” but to change us.
As I considered this change the gospel intends for us a quote from my digital folder, “Quotable Quotes”
came to mind. Here it is and I hope to see you Sunday.
The gospel transforms us in heart, mind, will, and actions precisely because it is not itself a message about our transformation. Nothing that I am or that I feel, choose, or do qualifies as Good News. On my best days, my experience of transformation is weak, but the gospel is an announcement of a certain state of affairs that exists because of something in God, not something in me; something that God has done, not something that I have done; the love in God’s heart which he has shown in his Son, not the love in my heart that I exhibit in my relationships. Precisely as the Good News of a completed, sufficient, and perfect work of God in Christ accomplished for me and outside of me in history, the gospel is ‘the power of God unto salvation’ not only at the beginning but throughout the Christian life. In fact, our sanctification is simply a lifelong process of letting that Good News sink in and responding appropriately; becoming the people whom God says that we already are in Christ.
- Michael Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life
Many blessings,
Pastor Tim
"From the 31st chapter of Jeremiah and the 36th chapter of Ezekiel; Hear God’s Word…"
31 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more….
24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
The Gospel Come to Us (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)
"What is the gospel?"
Has anyone ever asked you that question?
If you've been through our membership class here at the church - Grace 101 - you might remember being asked that question near the beginning of the first class.
Some common responses are:
"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John" (those are the gospels and contain the message of the gospel, so in the ballpark)
"Good News" (yes that's what the word, "gospel," means)
"The redemption of mankind" (also a good response)
"A new mercedes, no sickness, and a bigger house" (nope - that's a different gospel)
"The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus" (very good)
Whatever the response, we typically think of the gospel in terms of what it "is" or what it "did" in our lives. Fine, but how about what it does…what it continues to do? The gospel's work is ongoing and present. The gospel has movement, intention, goals, an agenda.
What the gospel does is profound and to experience more of its profundity - with others - join us on Sunday!
Many blessings,
Pastor Tim
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
What Jesus Wants For You (John 16:25-33)
What do you think God wants for you?
No, that's not a typo. We usually think about what God wants from us. And that's worthwhile to think about. But in this week's message we're going to see Jesus describe what God desires for us through Christ.
This week at Grace we'll finish up our series on John 14-16. The last section (John 16:25-33) includes rich and thought provoking descriptions of what Jesus wants for his disciples, both then and now.
I'm glad we come to this passage this Sunday because it's Pentecost, the Sunday when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. As we've talked about earlier in these chapters, the Spirit is proof of God's presence with us and his being "for us."
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday at Grace!
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
- John 16:25-33