Grace Fellowship Sermons

The human heart rarely rejects Christ all at once; it hardens through one excuse and one refusal at a time until only apathy or accusation remains. Today, Luke gives us a front-row seat in the operating room, where Jesus exposes the terminal condition of unbelief: a heart that refuses to surrender to Christ will reinterpret even the clearest evidence to justify its rejection.

Over the past several weeks, we've explored the marks of a discipled life. Today, we see how every mark ultimately leads us to join Jesus in His mission of pursuing those who are far from God. It’s simple: Since Jesus came to seek and save the lost, His mission becomes the mission of everyone who follows Him.

Worship is so much more than what happens on Sunday morning or singing songs to God. For the Christian worship is to be the posture and general tenor of their entire life. It’s not based upon good gifts God may (or may not provide) but is based simply upon who God is - the perfection of beauty!

Credible sources show a significant gap between Biblical truth and the beliefs of many of today’s evangelicals. This indicates that generational discipleship is not as strong as it should be. In Titus 2, Paul instructs Titus how the church in Crete was to be sanctified - the same principles apply to us today.

Submission to authority is deeply out of step with the spirit of our age. Yet Scripture teaches that God uses our posture toward authority to shape us into the likeness of Christ. Today we’ll explore what the Bible says about God‑ordained authority, especially within the church, and why living under that authority is not a burden but a blessing. It is one of the ordinary means God uses to mature us as disciples of Jesus Christ.

GraceTalk is a time for our Leadership Team to take a given Sunday to address questions or issues asked from the church body. This Sunday Pastors Dan, Larry and Zach provide responses to:1. I have recently become more bold in sharing the Gospel (thanks, Pastor Dan). In the process, I discovered something I need help sorting through: How do I faithfully love someone whose lifestyle or beliefs are opposed to God's Word without compromising biblical truth?2. In the Old Testament, when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, where did their grain sacrifices come from since they were transient? I know they had livestock when they came out of Egypt, so why would they complain that they had no food in some instances? Did they alsonot have animals or grain to sacrifice at those times?3. How do I encourage another believer who is drifting from the Lord without sounding judgmental or self-righteous?

Since God is the creator and sustainer of all things, every life is intrinsically dependent on him. However, disciples of Christ embrace that truth and find that giving up everything to trust in God alone is true satisfaction.In this message, we see how Paul's message in the letter to the Ephesians helps us to embrace that truth and enjoy that satisfaction.Link to translation Pastor Zach is using:https://forgloryandjoy.org/ephesians/

Prayer is one of the clearest indicators of spiritual health because it reveals whether we are depending upon God or ourselves. This week, we will examine how a disciple of Christ develops a prayerful lifestyle that expresses a consistent pursuit of Him and humble dependence on His provision.

One mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is that he or she “holds to” or “abides” in His word. This is more than merely being a student of the Bible. The Pharisees were excellent students of the Bible but they completely missed the target. Today, we will see what it looks like for a disciple of Jesus to hold to or abide in His word.

Everyone aims at something, and our lives naturally move toward whatever captures our hearts. A life not aimed at the right target can be busy and even “successful”, yet still miss what really matters most. Today, we will uncover the target Jesus sets before His followers and why understanding that target changes everything about how we live and experience life.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely the foundation of our hope, it is the power that fuels our lives as disciples. Because Jesus is alive, we are not left to follow Him in our own strength; rather, we are empowered to live as His people, trusting and relying upon the Father as Christ Himself did, displaying the unmistakable marks of a changed life.

We value asking questions to better understand how to live life in a God-centered, Christ-exalting way. We believe that church should be the best place in which people can get solid answers to life’s questions from God’s Word.1. (1:38) What should I do when my immediate family rejects my faith? I live with them, and the way they live makes it hard to enjoy being in the home.2. (21:15) How do I stay close to God when I don’t feel anything spiritually. Shouldn’t I feel close to God if I am living a spiritual life?3. (33:04) What does it look like to “walk worthy” (Ephesians 4:1) in my current season—at home, work, and in unseen moments? How should I live to be confident that I am doing this?

Most Christians know they should pray, yet many struggle with what to say, or even why they should pray at all if God already knows their needs. In Luke 11:5–13, Jesus reminds His disciples that prayer is not about perfect words or polished performance, but trusting a good Father who gladly welcomes His children to come to Him again and again.(Luke 11:1-13)

Prayer is one of the most familiar practices in the Christian life, yet often one of the most misunderstood. In Luke 11:1-13, Jesus teaches His disciples that prayer is not merely about saying the right words, but about an outlook shaped by His Glory, Kingdom, and grace for daily life.(Luke 11:1-13)

Today, we watch Jesus confront and reframe a man shaped by a religious mindset—one that seeks limits to preserve comfort and maintain control. If we desire true freedom and an authentic walk with Christ, we must pursue the good of others—even when it becomes personally costly.

Humans have an innate desire to improve their lives. Self-help gurus and Prosperity Preachers will give you simple rules for your best life now. In today’s passage, Jesus encounters a man who has spent his career studying and compiling simple rules that will ensure “eternal” life.

History’s greatest figures - prophets, kings, and God-seekers - all lived and died longing to see the redemption we now see in Christ. Jesus reveals that what they wanted was not just delayed by time alone but directed by God to humble hearts who were given eyes to see.(Luke 10:21-24)

We seem to understand that we should plan and act with a particular end in mind. If we have an idea of where we are going, we know it makes sense to plan and act in such a way that best prepares us to be most satisfied upon arriving.In this message, Pastor Zach encourages us to look where we are all heading in view of where we have all come from and how the Resurrection of Jesus Christ impacts our journey there.

We live in a culture that treats truth as a matter of perspective. But when it comes to the truth Jesus taught, rejection is never casual, it is spiritually consequential and eternally weighty. Today, we'll see the cost of rejecting Christ and how trusting Him reshapes our joy, identity, and what ultimately matters.(Luke 10:13-20)

Our community in Forsyth County is changing—new neighborhoods, new families, and people from many backgrounds. It’s as if God is bringing the nations to our door! As Jesus taught, the harvest is ready, and our mission to make disciples continues.

Becoming a Christian is incredibly easy considering Jesus did all the work. However, following Jesus is quite challenging and difficult. He demands of His followers everything in their pursuit of Him; but, at the same time He offers them everything - the Kingdom of God. True followers of Jesus seek to set their face like flint, as Jesus did, in their pursuit of representing Him well in their lives.

How should we respond when the enemies of God reject Him or speak against His name? As Jesus and His disciples travel from Galilee toward Jerusalem, He prepares them for life and ministry after His departure. In today’s passage, the disciples learn a crucial truth: God does not call His people to defend Him with force, but to represent Him faithfully before those who oppose Him, praying that they might turn from their sin and trust in Christ. The kingdom advances not through coercion, but through witness, patience, and the sovereign work of God in the hearts of sinners.(Luke 9:51-56; Gen 3:15; Matt 4:17; Matt 5:17; Matt 9:13; Matt 16:23; John 7:30; Isa 50:5–7; Heb 12:2; Rom 5:3–5; John 4:20; 1 Kings 12; 2 Kings 17; Luke 6:22–23; Luke 6:26; 2 Kings 1:10–12; Matt 17:18; Mark 4:39; Mark 8:33; Amos 3:12; John 4:3–4; Luke 9:5; Heb 9:15; John 3:17; 1 Pet 2:21–23; Phil 3:19; 2 Cor 10:3–5; Acts 8:14–17; Acts 8:25; 2 Pet 3:7; Rev 20:9; 2 Cor 6:2)(Luke 9:51-56)

Greatness is a word our culture celebrates and relentlessly pursues, but what does Jesus say makes someone truly great? In this passage, as the disciples begin to measure themselves by performance, status and rank, Jesus redirects their ambition toward a radically different kingdom perspective. Here we discover that in God’s kingdom, the path to standing tall always begins on bended knee.

The teaching of Jesus baffles the world because it cannot imagine any allegiance greater than self- preservation. The Kingdom of God reorders our thinking and priorities around the surpassing value of Christ, producing a life that challenges the world’s assumptions about success, security, and self-fulfillment because all of life is bound up in following Him.(Luke 9:23-27, 4:18-19, 9:1-2, 10:1-12, 9:62, 9:18-22)

Today Jesus confronts His disciples with a defining truth: what He does always flows from who He is. This is critical, because when His identity is misunderstood, His mission is distorted. And when His mission is distorted, disciple-making collapses. In the end, if we get Jesus wrong, we get life itself wrong.(Luke 9:18-21, 2 Sam 7:12–13; Isa 11:4; Deut 21:23; Matt 16:13; Luke 4:18–19)

We value asking questions to better understand how to live life in a God-centered, Christ-exalting way. We believe that church should be the best place in which people can get solid answers to life’s questions from God’s Word.1. (01:15) Many people talk about Adam being in glory, but does the Bible indicate he was in a state of grace? While he was covered with the skins of a sacrifice, the New testament frequently compares Jesus as the second/different Adam. Because of the frequent references to sin and fallenness, is it possible that Adam did not place faith in the Lord's redemption?2. (11:35) We are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, so would you say that some Trinitarian viewpoints (such as modalism that openly denies God exists in three persons) presents God as someone other than who He truly is and is therefore a form of idolatry?And if that constitutes idolatry, would you say that the Arminian system of belief is also a form of idolatry?3. (25:50) How do I remain faithful to Christ without withdrawing from the world or conforming to it? Tension between engagement and separation is persistent. Looking for the right line.

Faith is often formed in uncomfortable spaces where responsibility feels heavy and resources feel insufficient. Why is this true? Because Jesus does not avoid tension—He creates it. In our text, Jesus deliberately leverages the moment of need to shape the citizens of His Kingdom, teaching His disciples to trustfully distribute what only He can supply.

Herod Antipas appears between the mission of the Twelve (9:1,10) as a warning against spiritual exposure to Christ without saving trust in Christ. Herod had been informed about Jesus, unsettled by Jesus, and yet remained curious to know more. Herod shows what the twelve (and us) will face on the mission to make disciples — that knowledge, proximity, and interest about Christ do not save apart from genuine

Luke 4:43 clarifies that Jesus was sent for the purpose of proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Today we will see that the privilege of fulfilling this purpose was always something he intended to share.

Every follower of Christ will meet moments that feel impossible. A life-changing diagnosis. A crisis in the home. A financial collapse. A deep disappointment. These are the moments that test our theology, stretch our emotions, and expose where our trust truly rests. Yet in Scripture and in our lives, these are the very places where Jesus does His deepest work.

Life has a way of pressing us into corners we never expected -- moments that feel desperate, powerless to change circumstances. Today, we will see Jesus meet two people in crisis and turns their desperation into a divine appointment that reveal His nearness, His compassion, and His unmatched power. If you feel far from Christ today, we urge you to trust Him anew today.

In our passage for today, Jesus steps onto Gentile soil and meets a man whose life has been led into ruin. The scene reveals both the depth of human bondage and the unmatched authority of Christ to restore what the enemy of our souls takes. Today we will see how Christ breaks chains and transforms a man from ruin to being a witness.

What one believes can never be hidden because what one does always reveals his or her belief. Today we will see how a missing belief produces deficient action, but we will also be reminded that what is missing can indeed be found.

God has a 100% harvest rate on every seed he plants in his children. This morning we will see how Jesus makes this clear in his definition of what makes a true member of God’s family.

Light is never neutral—it always acts, either guiding the way forward or exposing what’s been hidden. And everyone responds to God’s light: some shine it, others ignore it, and still others try to hide it. But Jesus insists the lamp of His Word belongs on a stand, visible to all, and the way you handle that light now will determine what God does with you later.

We value asking questions to better understand how to live life in a God-centered, Christ-exalting way. We believe that church should be the best place in which people can get solid answers to life’s questions from God’s Word 1. (01:20) I have some seasons where it gets extremely hard to resist certain sins, and I feel as though I’m stuck. It feels like lifting mountains at times to resist. What do I do? 2. (14:40) How do you release and turn over control to God for your adult children? It’s difficult to watch them struggle and/or make bad decisions and not want to come to their rescue. As a parent of more than one child, you see one making all the right decisions and the other seeming to flounder. They need to learn to stand on their own two feet and reap the consequences of their action, but how does a parent manage this? 3. (25:38) We heard at a recent event that Charlie Kirk's wife forgave his killer. I’ve recently heard that forgiveness is only when the person comes to you and asks for forgiveness. That it is transactional. Therefore, you cannot forgive someone until they have come to you with repentance and asking for forgiveness. Is this true? I know you can be in the Word and pray to not be bitter or angry toward the person, but is that forgiveness?

Jesus tells a simple story—a farmer, some seed, a field. Yet through this ordinary scene, He exposes the condition of the human heart. The issue is not the life within the seed but the condition of the soil. Jesus’ parable drives home this truth: what you do with God’s Word now determines what God’s Word will do in you later.

What one does or does not do is always a reflection of what one sees and believes Today, we will consider how one's response to Jesus shows what he or she sees when looking upon the savior.

Though we may have eyes to see, we don’t all see the same things. Today we will consider the implications of the reality that not all who look upon Jesus, and even recognize his greatness, end up seeing who he truly is.

We live in a culture quick to criticize. If the message feels too harsh, we dismiss it. If it feels too soft, we mock it. That's exactly what Jesus saw in His generation-they rejected John for fasting and Him for feasting. The issue wasn't style but stubborn hearts. Today, we'll see the folly of demanding God play our tune, and how wisdom is revealed in changed lives.

We live in a culture addicted to applause. "Success" is tallied in likes, followers, and a polished image that pleases everyone. But Jesus does not measure success by applause-He measures it by faithfulness to the Father. Today, we will explore a radically different definition of how to be great.

Doubt is not the opposite of faith—it is the very place where faith is tested and proven. In today’s text, John the Baptist, though bold and faithful, wrestled with questions about Jesus. Christ’s response shows us that faith isn’t measured by having no doubt, but by what we do with doubt.

Today we will watch as Jesus stops a funeral procession and turns a moment of deep sorrow into one of new life. In raising a widow’s only son, He reveals both His tender humanity and His sovereign divinity. This passage points toward the ultimate truth that in Christ, death will never have the final word.

What kind of faith makes Jesus marvel? You might expect it from a prophet, a priest, or someone raised in a home where trusting God was second nature. But in Luke 7:1–10, it comes from the most unlikely place—a Roman soldier—whose confidence in Christ’s authority shocked the crowd and even astonished the Lord Himself. Today, we will consider what amazing faith looks like.

Why doesn’t Jude’s letter finish with a simple closing remark? Because our future doesn’t rest on our fragile grip on God, but on His mighty hand that holds us fast. The ending of Jude is a soaring doxology of assurance and adoration—written to anchor the authentic church in God’s keeping power. And this truth doesn’t just steady us in the struggle—it fuels our worship.

Mercy received from Christ compels us to run toward the mess in others’ lives, risking comfort for the sake of rescue. Like Jesus, we move toward the endangered with His saving compassion, steadfast discernment, and a love that calls for transformation. Today, we’ll explore how to live this out with urgency and grace.

As we've journeyed through the book of Jude, we've seen his urgent warning against false teachers who had crept into the church, distorting truth and sowing division. But Jude's concern goes deeper than exposing threats—-he calls believers to personal vigilance, urging them to guard their own hearts so they don't drift into the very deception they're resisting. This morning we'll focus on verses 17-21 which one commentary called "guidelines for avoiding apostasy." In these verses, Jude provides practical wisdom for staying anchored in the faith and finishing well.

Today we trace the spiritual lineage to infamous rebels — Cain, Balaam, and Korah — whose hearts turned from God to self. Jude exposes their corrupt character through vivid metaphors and warns of their inevitable judgment. We hope our time today will help you contend for the faith.

False teachers rarely appear as threats—they often look spiritual, persuasive, and even helpful. Yet Jude 11–13 reveals that beneath the surface lies a pattern of rebellion, corruption, and certain judgment. In our time today, we’ll examine the historical roots, recognizable traits, and eternal destiny of those who twist truth for their own gain.

What was pointed to and hinted at in the Old Covenant was actually fulfilled in the New Covenant in the person and work of Jesus. In addition to having forgiveness and being fully cleansed, Christians are provided a new nature which means hope and power to live a life that honors Christ!