Sermons from Grace Baptist Hutto

Jesus is preparing the disciples for His departure.  He's preparing them for ministry – bearing fruit. He's preparing them for community – love one another. He's preparing them for the response of unbelievers – prepare to be hated. He encourages them with the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The "Helper" will come from heaven and aid Jesus' followers in our mission. John 15:26-27 (ESV) “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”  

Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure.  He's preparing them for ministry – bearing fruit. Preparing them for community and leadership – love one another. Preparing them for the response of unbelievers – prepare to be hated!  As Paul wrote, All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. The history of the church beginning in Acts is a story of persecution and hatred by the world.  Why do they hate us and what do we do in response?

Jesus spoke about love more than any other topic or doctrine.  What is the greatest commandment? Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. In John 15, Jesus tells us to love other Christians even more than we love ourselves.  Jesus commands His followers to love one another in the same way that He loves us.

As Christians we are called to bear spiritual fruit for Jesus' kingdom.  This may seem like a hurculean task, but Jesus says that we can bear a lot of fruit for Him if we will abide in Him.  He is the Vine providing all the spiritual nutrients that we need and the Father is the Vindedresser who prunes us to make us even more fruitful.  Our role is to ask, abide, and live like Jesus.  By His grace we can do it.  Apart from Him we can do nothing.

On of my favoite Easter songs is Because He lives by Gloria and Bill Gaither.   The song proclaims that because Jesus lives, believers can face the future without fear, knowing He holds their future and that life is worth living. Verse 1 says, "God sent His son, They called Him, Jesus; He came to love, Heal and forgive; He lived and died To buy my pardon, An empty grave is there To prove my Savior lives!"  The empty tomb is part of the evidence that Jesus is truly risen from the dead. 

Christianity - A strange religion to the rest of the world.  Your leader and founder killed as a criminal. Easter – a strange holiday – celebrating the death of the Savior. Why is it called "Good Friday" when it seems like one of the worst days in history?1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.What sounds like foolishness is actually God's wisdom.  What appeared to be weakness was actually God's power.  What looked like defeat was actually victory.

Jesus gives His followers hopeful and helpful promises: All who come to me I will never ever cast out.I will never leave or forsake you.And here, in John 14, "I Will Not Leave You As Orphans.  I will come to you."The promise of the Holy Spirit is the very presence of God in our lives.

Jesus is leaving.  He's returning to heaven.  He’s preparing His disciples for life after His departure and for what is about to happen. One of you will betray Me.  Peter will deny me.  Where I am going you cannot go now. Troubling.  Discouraging.  Confusing.  Jesus speaks words of comfort and explains why His leaving is a good thing.

Jesus predicts His betrayal and the betrayer.  Even more shocking than one of the inner circle betaying the Son of God, was the truth that this was the path to glory!  

Who will wash the feet? Jesus and His disciples had been walking in sandals on dirt roads.  Their feet were dirty (perhaps smelly) and they were about to recline to eat.  Someone needed to wash their feet, but who would stoop to such a lowly job. None of the disciples wanted to do it.  Afterall, it was a task for the lowest slave, not an exalted follower of Jesus. Jesus had taught them that to be great you must become the servant of all. Now He would show them what that looks like in His kingdom.

Scott Adams, the creator of the satirical comic strip Dilbert, died on January 13, 2026, at the age of 68.  Shortly before his death, he wrote this: "many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go. I'm not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for doing so looks so attractive to me. So here I go: I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won't need any more convincing than that. I hope I'm still qualified for entry.”His message has caused a lot of discussion about death-bed confessions and what it means to have saving faith.  In John 12, Jesus gives a warning against unbelief, superficial faith, and the judgment that is coming for those who reject Him.

Jesus enters Jerusalem hailed as the King of Israel and its long awaited Messiah.  His entrace was the fulfillment of prophecy and the beginning of the week of crucifixion.  He came in humility to be humbled on the cross. 

Is you love for Jesus genuine?  If so, there should be evidence that it is real.  John 12 gives us examples of those who loved Jesus and those who were just pretending.

The Jewish leaders were upset at the growing popularity of Jesus after He raised Lazarus from the dead.  They were afraid that Jesus' followers would make Him king and the Romans would come and take away their temple and thier power.  What would they do to stop Him?  Kill Him to save the nation.  What they intended for evil, God meant for the greatest good!

In John’s gospel there are 7 miracles and 7 “I am” sayings.  The 7 "I am" sayings are claims to divinity.  In John 11 Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life”. Only 1 being can make this claim truthfully: God. Jesus proves that He is God and that He is the resurrection and the life by raising Lazarus from the dead.

In John 11 we find an enlightening conversation between Jesus and His friend Martha.  Martha is grieving the death of her brother and is questioning why Jesus did not come to heal him.  Jesus reminds her of who He is and asks her the most important question in history: Do you believe this?  Her response is one of the greatest confessions in all of the Bible and an example of how we can cling to Jesus even in the midst of suffering.Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”What do you believe about Jesus?

Elisabeth Elliot wrote in A Path through Suffering:  “The hand of the Gardener holds the knife. It is His glory that is at stake when the best grapes are produced so we need not think He has something personal against us, or has left us wholly to His enemy, Satan. He is always and forever for us.”When we are going through a trial, it can be diffiicult to believe that God is for us or that He truly loves us.  In the story of Lazarus' illness and death we see how God was working through their suffering and that He was working while they were waiting.  God is always working even when we cannot see it or do not feel it.  We can trust that He loves us and is always for His children.

God is a promise maker and a promise keeper.  He promised that the Messiah would be human (the offspring of Abraham and David) and that he would suffer as a human.  Daniel had a vision that one like a Son of Man would be victorious and receive an eternal kingdom.  Jesus is the fulfullment of all of these prophecies and promises.

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Psalm 89:3–4 (ESV) You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” God made a covenant promise to David to establish his throne forever and put one of his offspring on that throne.  Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords!  Let earth receive her king!

God is a promise maker and a promise keeper!  He made a promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth through him.  Jesus, the Son of Abraham, is the fulfillment of that promise!

Jesus is the Son of God!  In this passage, He makes one of His clearest claims to divinity: I and the Father are One.  The Jewish leaders who were questioning Him understood what He was saying: I am the Son of God.  They responded by gathering stones to stone Him.  How will your respond?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He knows His sheep and loves His sheep.  He came to lay His life down for His sheep.  Through His death on the cross, Jesus delivers us from all our enemies.  Through His resurrection, He gives us eternal life!Isaiah 40:11 (ESV) He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Jesus uses an agricultural metaphor to tell us we are sheep in danger from thieves who would destroy us.  He is the Shepherd who protects us and the gate through which we have access to greener pastures.  Through Him we can be freed from sin and it's consequences and live a life of spiritual abundance!

Why did many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day reject Him?  Why do people today reject Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world?  The Bible tells us that it is because they are spiritually blind.  In this chapter, Jesus uses the healing of a blind man to show our need for His healing and His ability to heal not only physically but, more importantly, spiritually.

Who's to blame?  That was the question of the disciples as they encountered a blind man.  Did he sin or his parents?  Jesus' answer shocked them and should be an encouragement to us as we deal with suffering. What is the relationship between sin and suffering?  What is God ultimately doing in and through our suffering?

How should we respond when people hate us, persecute us, and slander us?  Jesus said to expect it and gave us the example of how to endure it and answer it.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Jesus is the Light of the world!  He is the hope for people walking in darkness.  He is the Light that leads us into God's truth.  He came to show us our sinfulness and the way back to God.  He gave us the promise that He can deliver us from the domain of darkness:  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

John 8:1-11 is a controversial passage  Some of our oldest copies of John's gospel don't have this story.  Others place it in Luke's gospel.  Should it be in the Bible?  Further, what Jesus does or doesn't do in the story is controversial. Did Jesus change the law on adultery?  Was He against capital punishment? Was Jesus a social justice warrior? Did He neglect justice in favor or mercy because of the woman's situation?  Let's examine the passage and learn from Jesus what true justice ought to look like.

Division occured among the people concerning Jesus' identity.  Is He the Christ?  Is He the promised Deliverer that God's people have been waiting on?  Does Jesus meet the criteria of the Messiah?  Does He fulfill the prophecies? Does He Have the right lineage?  

Jesus cried out to the crowd then, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” He still cries out today to anyone who will listen.  His offer to satisfy your thirsty soul and give you the Holy Spirit is still available for anyone who believes on Him.  Come to Jesus and find rivers of living water for your soul!

In light of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, people are disturbed both by the ruthless act and the heartless response of some.  How did our society get this way?  What is the cause and what is the cure?  Jesus dealt with a similar situation where He was the object of hate and violence.  He shows us how to respond and, more importantly, that He is the cure.

Who is Jesus?  The most important question in the history of mankind and one we must answer.Was He a false teacher and phony Messiah?  Was He the real Messiah and the Son of God?  Was He a deceiver? demonic? a decent fellow? or Divine?

Some people in our day are "deconstructing" their faith.  Calling themselves “Exvangelicals” as they walk away from Jesus. THey are leaving because they are offended by His words.  They think He is not modern enough for our times.  His teachings are too restrictive: not enough liberty and only one way to salvation. This is not new.  People were offended by Jesus’ words in His day. In John 6 it says,  When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” They were offended so they walked away. Where were they going?  What hope could they find elsewhere? I would ask the Exvangelicals the same question: Where are you going?  If you walk away from Jesus, what are you walking towards?  Jesus alone has the words of life.

The hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas O. Chisholm (1923), says this in the third verse:Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.Do you have a peace that endures? Do you have strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow?This is what Jesus promises to all who have faith in Him.  Have you believed His promises?  Are you resting in the faithfulness of God for your salvation?

What do you want from Jesus?  The crowds of Jesus' day were looking for free food and temporary healing.  Jesus offered them something greater: spiritual food that gave eternal life!  Sadly, they walked away.  What about you?  Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.  Have you come to Him by faith?

Chad Macy teaches us the why and how of extending the grace of Jesus to those around us.Reaching the lost is not as complicated or scary as we often think.  We simply need to: pray, care, and invite.

How do we know that Jesus is the Son of God?  He did things that only God can do.  Jesus is the Creator and in John 6 He creates food for thousands.  Jesus is Lord over creation and He demonstrates it by walking on water.  No mere mortal can do what Jesus did!

Jesus answers a charge of blasphemy by bringing forward witnesses to prove that He is the Son of God: John the Baptist, the miracles He was doing, and the Scriptures that He fulfilled.  Why were they refusing to believe in Him when the evidence was overwhelming?

The deity of Jesus has been challenged since the beginning of Christianity.  In our day, many are trying to present a different Jesus than the one found in the Bible.  Islam says that Jesus was a great prophet, but not God.  Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is a god, but not THE God.  The Da Vinci Code, a novel by Dan Brown, presents the idea that Jesus was viewed as a mortal prophet before the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, where his divinity was supposedly established through a vote.  Who is right?  What did Jesus say?  Did Jesus actually claim to be the Son of God?  We must get this right because our very eternity hangs in the balance. We'll examine John 5:17-29 to help answer the question.  It is one of the clearest statements from Jesus on this crucial issue.  

God is a merciful God.  Not only does He have pity for us and demonstrates compassion towards us, He actually delights in extending mercy.Micah 7:18-19 (NKJV) Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.  He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.We can look at the compassion of Jesus at the pool of Bethesda as an example of God's mercy and look to the cross of Jesus as proof that God delights in showing mercy to sinners.

Jesus takes a risk to offer living water (salvation and eternal life) to an unlikely person: an immoral woman.  Jewish men did not talk with women in public (especially not this kind of woman).  Jewish rabbis did not teach women.  Jesus ignores those customs in order to offer grace to a sinner.  He shows that He is the Savior of the world.  In doing so, He turns a scandalous outcast into a bold witness.  He can do the same for any who believe on Him.

God is seeking worshippers throughout the world. Jesus' coming changed worship. He brought reformation. Worship is no longer centered around a temple on a mountain in Israel.  It is not about ceremonies and sacrifices.  The shadows and types of the Old Covenant have given way to something better.  The living water of Jesus will produce living worship in His people.

Topics in this passage: the nature of God (Spirit), the providence of God, God’s sovereignty and free will, the deity and humanity of Jesus, Jesus is the Messiah, the mission of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, grace and mercy for sinners, God’s holiness, salvation and faith, evangelism, baptism, worship, truth, the dignity of women, the sanctity of marriage, divorce and remarriage, the sin of immorality, etc. What is the main theme of the passage?  What is the Holy Spirit primarily trying to communicate? John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is that Son.  The woman in the story is the “whoever”.

A desperate dad cries out to Jesus for the life of his son.  How did Jesus respond?  What did Jesus do?  What can we learn from this story about Jesus and about being a godly father?

John 3:16 is an amazing verse of hope and should be a source of joy.  God so loved the world...Sadly for many today it is a source of confusion.  It was confusing to the one who first heard it.  God loves all of mankind?   I can't save myself?  The Son of God came to die?Let's unpack this important verse and hopefully remove any confusion.

John 3:16 is one of the most famous Bible verses.  What is the context?  Who is Jesus talking to and what does he tell him?“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”      

What makes you angry?  Injustice? Being wrongly accused/convicted, Human trafficking, abortion, corruption in government, abuse? Blasphemy?  False teaching?  Perversion of the worship of God? We tend to be angrier about affronts to humans than we are about sins against God. Jesus got angry.  What made Him angry?  Was it justified?  Was it righteous anger?

John records Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine!  He also notes the disciples response: believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God!!