Grace United Family Church

In the message today, we make a side by side comparison between the gospel that Jesus and the Apostles preached, and gospel that is preached in our day. Is there a difference, and if so, what it is? Are there false gospels proclaimed in our day, and if so, what are the talking points of the so-called modern gospel? Come with the Grace United crew, …

When Jesus preached the gospel, what was it that he told people to believe? Was it a prediction of his own death and resurrection, or something else? John the Baptist preached the gospel and part of his proclamation included "hell fire". Jesus also preached that people needed to repent of their sin. Belief in the gospel was not enough according to …

Gabriel told Zechariah, "Your barren wife will have a son and you shall call his name John"-"God is gracious." Indeed, God was gracious to this couple who were way past childbearing age. What would John be like? Did he have a special mission from God? After all the Lord was about to perform a miracle, much like he did with Sarah and Abraham thousan…

Do you realize that the Bible is an overwhelmingly Jewish book? It is a collection of 66 documents of stories, poems, prophecy . . . and gospels. 64 of these writings were penned or compiled by descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were written by a Gentile. This alone makes these 2 books significant. As a…

Luke was a Gentile. He was not an apostle. His gospel, along with the book of Acts are the only 2 writings in all of the written word of God which were written by a non-Jew. Given these facts, who was Luke? How did his writings about the Jewish Messiah, "make the cut" to be included as part of inspired Scripture, on the same level as the other 64 w…

"The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay." Don't you love Christmastime? Baby Jesus. Mary Joseph and the wise guys--and don't forget the shepherds! All serve to bring into focuse "the reason for the season." But we know that Jesus didn't stay a baby. He grew up, spent time as an iternant preacher, did miracles, trained disciples. The Jesus died. Cr…

Christmas is a time to celebrate baby Jesus. But Jesus is "all growed up!" He is called various things in Scripture--metaphors which depict the Lord Jesus as someone far more than a man, for he IS far more than a man. He is the Son of the Living God. Scripture also refers to him as "The Lion of the Tribe of Judah". Why is Jesus pictured as a Lion? …

Join the Grace United crew as we continue in our Christmas series for 2022 as we explore and appreciate Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and how that profound truth applies to our lives today.Grace United Family Church

"Christmas time is here", so the kids sing the opening song of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." A holiday favorite. Along with many other holiday favorites. But is it possible that what we look forward to the most this time of year are all the trappings of Christmas? The lights. Tinsel. Non-stop Christmas songs. And of course, Santa at the tail end of …

Another Thanksgiving Day observance has come and gone. Traditionally, another round of stuffed bird with which we stuffed ourselves. Family and friends around the table, and for some, the first time since last Thanksgiving. Football for many. We know the story of the First Thanksgiving--or have we forgotten it? Pilgrims arriving in new world to esc…

As Grace United, we have a tradition: when we finish a book of the Bible, we review the entire book in one message. Today's message reflects our tradition, for today we finish Deuteronomy. Come with the Grace United crew as we step back and attempt to take in the entire "Gospel According to Moses."Grace United Family Church

When you pass away, what would you want on your headstone at the cemetery? How would you want your obituary to read? At your funeral, what would you desire the minister to say in your eulogy? Now, what you want the Lord to say in your eulogy? What do you think he will say? When it comes to Moses, we don't have to guess. It's all right there in God'…

With all the unhappiness in the world, does the Lord want us to be happy? If so, what does that mean? We have billions of people on the planet, each with their own idea of what happiness is. So, what is God's definition, his description of happiness? Come with the Grace United crew as we discover "Torah happiness" and how both Moses and Jesus besto…

Christians are familiar with the last command the Lord told them before he went back to heaven after he was crucified for the sins of the world and then raised from the dead: "Make disciples of all nations". This is consistently referred to as "The Great Commission." There is another "great commission" but it is found in Deuteronmy. Joshua was gett…

The words of the Spiritual come to mind: "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho." We all know him as a mighty, God-infused warrior. But there is so much more to Joshua than his ability to wield the sword. Joshua was not only the commanding general who led Israel to dispatch the pagans from the Lord's land, Joshua had taken the place of Moses, for the Lo…

The Scripture is book of life. The Lord through Moses tells his people that he is their life. Fast forward thousands of years. The Lord Jesus tells his disciples the same thing. In Christ is life. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." Jesus also said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ…

Exactly how can "repentance" be beautiful? Perhaps we need to ask a more fundamental question: What exactly does repentance mean? Does it mean we get a second chance from God--as in he will forgive "this time" but never do it again? Is it the same as "penitence" or even "pennance"? And what does repentance have to do with God and his Old Testament …

The central issue of Christianity is the cross, for it was upon the cross that Jesus died. All sin of all people, from Adam to the last person to pass through a birth canal was placed on the heart and shoulders of the Lamb of God. What was it that motivated Jesus to do such a thing? It had everything to do with the heart relationship he had with hi…

The Scripture is full of the goodness of the Lord. He greatly desires to bless everybody--and he has! But the same book which reveals his blessings also reveals his warnings to his people who live in persistent rebellion against his almighty authority. The Lord gives a massive, devasting list of curses, couched as warnings to his people. But what a…

What comes to mind when you think of God's blessings? Spiritual ones? How about material ones? How about an overabundance of material blessings? This is what the Lord promised to give to Israel. But if the Lord is the same, yesterday, today and forever, why does the Lord not promise material blessings today? A bigger question seems to be, Why does …

The Psalmist proclaims "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" The Lord encourages, even demands his people to proclaim his goodness, and as his people, our holiness--that we are set apart unto him: called out from the world. This is especially true in a corporate way. God told his people numbering more than a million to loudly proclaim they were hi…

Generosity. It's a good word. But it seems to have achieved buzzword status in the church--a word that currently means "financial resources", In that we need to give more to God. After all, we are the richest country in the world. Also, God told his people in the Old Testament to tithe. What is a Christian to do with all this? Come with the Grace U…

Grace United celebrates Ten Years as a church: an ekklesia! This past Sunday, Grace United spent a lot of time in prayer, and confession of sin. And discussing some "Family Business" in relation to major issues pertaining to what is now our former denominational affiliations, The Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of…

Honor. Shame. These words carry a lot of weight. Regardless of time. Regardless of culture. In Israel, the Torah is to be the "sourcebook" to discover what actions are to bring honor to the Lord and to his people. The other side of the coin is what behaviors would bring shame, not only to the Lord but his people as well. Moses speaks of 4 shameful …