spiritual disciplines

  • 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

    The Virtues of Spiritual Soldiering.

    Last week, we looked at the first two of four virtues found in 2 Corinthians 10:1-6. Passion is seen in calling others to work alongside oneself for Gospel progress. Being principled requires courage to be godly rather than worldly.

  • 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

    Our Freedom to Be Bold in Spiritual Growth.

    2 Corinthians 3:17-18 teach us about the power, boldness, and freedom we have in Christ to grow in Christ-likeness.

  • Joshua 23-24

    The Lord Desires Us to Maintain the Pillars of Sustainable Faithfulness.

    As we prepare to "re-enter" society following shutdowns on a national and international level, we are preparing ourselves for more change. Though the natural rhythms of life remain the same, they may look different from what we were used to before the pandemic. But we will be okay by God's grace. Our circumstances and cultures may change, but God's beauty and order do not. Some of our spiritual habits should never change either.

  • Ecclesiastes 6

    Eternal Purpose in the Midst of Apparent Injustice.

    The next section of Ecclesiastes we will study is Ecclesiastes 6:1-8:15. The beginning of chapter 6 instructs us how to navigate life's apparent divine inequalities. The message of the book is consistent: God's people must persevere in enjoying God and His blessings, even when God seems unfair.

  • Psalm 1

    Psalm 1.

    As humans, we need to understand the axioms of existence. What is the big picture? What are the fundamental presuppositions of the universe? As we read the book of Psalms, what is the underlying galvanizing reality that underpins them all?

    Independence Day weekend is filled with national interest, with many looking to our government for happiness. Psalm 1, however, identifies the individual and their relationship to God's Word as the true source of happiness. Your relationship to God’s Word determines your state of being.

  • Luke 18

    Maturing our personal fellowship with God.

    The whole person includes a spirit, soul, and body. Our summer study seeks to understand each part and apply biblical principles to how we grow in each aspect. This will give us confidence that we are doing what we can to please the Lord.

    The spirit is the image of God in a person (Genesis 2:7). It is what makes us an individual. This includes our moral ability, our rationality, our spirituality, and our personality. All of these can be pleasing to God. Jesus said we must worship with our spirit (John 4:23-24), and Paul personally worshiped God in his spirit (Romans 1:9). The development of our spirit is a necessity (Malachi 2:15).

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23

    God Has a Plan for That!

    Our theme this year is "A Zeal for the Church." We at Grace Church want to have an all-consuming desire for this local body to succeed spiritually. Anyone God has saved, He has a plan to use in the church. Our heart, soul, mind, and strength are to be utilized in living for His purposes. Paul calls this being sanctified "entirely" or completely.

  • Selected Passages from Acts

    Discipleship Lessons from the Life of Barnabas.

    Before leaving earth, Christ left a task for each believer in the church: to make disciples as a way of life (Matthew 28:19). We flesh out what it means to love God and others through disciple-making. As we exercise our own spiritual gift, each believer is also to be teaching truth from God's Word.

  • Selections from Acts

    Pastor Kent Hobi: Where Do We Go from Here?

    After the high excitement of Easter, a natural question arises: What now? After the resurrection, what does Jesus want His church to focus on until He comes back? He has clearly laid out our mission and given us the resources to determine the specific way to fulfill it. How does the church discern God’s personal will for a local body of believers?

  • Ephesians 2:1-10

    Living Contrasts: From Death to Life in Christ

    Paul often describes our lost state to set up a contrast with our new life in Christ.

    The structure of this passage reveals its main points. The Greek only contains 2 sentences (verses 1-7 and verses 8-10) but three sections. This week we will look at the first sentence, which outlines two different states of being: lost and saved, dead and living.