Text: Romans 8:28 | Listen to Message One of the most common questions in pastoral counseling (a.k.a. friendship) goes something like this: If God is so good, then why did he allow this bad thing in my life? As soon as the question is asked, many Christians act as if they’ve said something wrong – almost blasphemous – and they try to backtrack. I mean, I know this is actually good but I just don’t understand how. It sure seems bad. And it hurts. Let be clear: bad is bad, and good is good, and we don’t have to pretend like […]
Text: Matthew 18:20 | Listen to Message Jesus told his disciples, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.” If ever there were a promise to be claimed by every poorly-attended prayer meeting, small group, and Christian marriage, this would be the one! Jesus is right here with us, amen? It’s commendable that we want a God who’s near, and not far off, whenever we gather in his name. But is that what this verse is really saying? Think about this: What are you unintentionally saying about one believer praying alone, whether by choice […]
The Plans I Have for You
Text: Jeremiah 29:11 | Listen to Message Got a Christian friend graduating from college, getting married, or interviewing for a new job? Then you’ve probably seen this verse dropped into a greeting card, email, or social media meme, wishing them well: I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Let me make three quick observations about this verse: One, we read this as if the “you” here is us. Two, the health and wealth, “prosperity gospel” interpretation of this verse simply doesn’t hold […]
Where There Is No Vision
Text: Proverbs 29:18 | Listen to Message It’s a popular verse at pastor’s conferences around the globe: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” It’s a little melodramatic, right? Pastors, if you don’t cast vision for your churches, people are literally going to die! Well, no, they’re not. But leaders love making sensational claims that sell books and that sell out conferences. Even if it means taking the Bible out of context. Now, I’m not against vision; I’m all for it. I’m a big believer in leaders setting the vision for the people and organizations they lead. People need a […]
The Desires of Your Heart
Text: Psalm 37:4 | Listen to Message It’s one of the favorite verses of the Prosperity Gospel crowd: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Think of all the desires you have! Think of all the things you want! Just believe in God, and he’ll make all of your wildest dreams come true! I dunno, sounds more like a “Vote for Pedro” t-shirt than a sound interpretation of Psalm 37. If your prayers treat God like a Magical Sky Genie or a Cosmic Vending Machine, if your religion makes life all about God […]
Heal Our Land
Text: 2 Chronicles 7:14 | Listen to Message It’s the verse of choice for the National Day of Prayer: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” What a hopeful verse! We should just call on God and step back and watch as he fixes everything wrong with our country! “God bless America!” Well, sort of. See, 2 Chronicles 7:14 isn’t about America. It’s about Israel. God is speaking to King […]
Friend of Sinners
Text: Matthew 9:9-13 | Listen to Message When’s the last time someone accused you of having serious character flaws because of the type of people you spend time with? Jesus had to deal with this. The religious didn’t. See, religious people avoid “sinners.” And, by “sinners,” they mean people who do the bad things on the naughty list. People who sin the sins they’d never think of sinning (and they’d never admit it if they did). The religious make two piles of people: “sinners” and us. They separate from sinners and condemn them. On the other hand, Jesus gravitated toward sinners […]
A Song of Joy
Text: Psalm 126 | Listen to Message Everyone wants to be joyful. But wanting and experiencing joy are two different things – especially when you consider that many of our instincts and intuitions ultimately undermine the very joy we seek. God wants us to be joyful. In fact, he commands us to be joyful! But God knows better than anyone that the journey to joy requires the right perspectives on our past, our present, and our future 1. Remember the past. Psalm 126:1-3 – When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth […]
Adios, 2018!
Dear Grace City family and friends, The one word that best describes 2018 for me is the word transition. God faithfully led us through some major changes this year, and I’m so grateful for all the ways you’ve embraced unity, curiosity, and sacrifice through the midst of this season of change. Some have characterized this year as taking a little step backward so we can make a giant leap forward next year. And maybe that’s true. I like to think of it as taking the time to lay a solid foundation before we go vertical. Or, to use the Boot […]
A Song of Kingship
Text: Psalm 96 | Listen to Message The Psalter has a collection of songs known as “the Royal Psalms” that extol the virtues of a great king. While some of these celebrate a human king like David or Solomon, many of them point to a divine King with ultimate authority. Psalm 96 speaks of such a divine King. A King whose greatness surpasses the greatness of all other kings and gods. A King who is both beautiful and powerful. A King who is worshipped by all creation. A King who is returning one day to judge the world. The psalmist seems […]
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