Gracelife Sarasota

Have you ever wondered if God is really on your side? Is His presence truly felt in your life? These questions may seem preposterous, but they arise when we observe others seemingly having an easier journey. Yet, as followers of Jesus, questioning whose side He is on becomes irrelevant. Our focus should shift from expecting God's alignment with our plans to embracing a different perspective. In the midst of the daily battle between evil and righteousness, we must abandon our own side and wholeheartedly follow Jesus. For followers of Jesus, there is only one side that leads to victory – His side.

A sermon preached at Celebrate Recovery in Sarasota FL on 6-25-2023

Are you desperate for a fresh start? Do you long for lasting change in your life but find that your individual efforts always fall short? The truth is, we need more than just ourselves to bring about true transformation. We need a community of believers, unified in their obedience to God's commands. The Israelites in Joshua 5 knew this firsthand as they followed God's lead as one body. In today's passage, we will explore two important symbols of this unified obedience: baptism and the Lord's Table. Through these sacraments, we can strengthen our bond with Christ and His people. Together, we can accomplish great things for God's kingdom. So let's dive in and discover how we can experience true transformation as a community of believers.

As humans, we are prone to forget the goodness of our Lord, especially in the hustle and bustle of daily life. The reality is that we all need reminders of God's faithfulness to keep our faith anchored and our hearts filled with gratitude. Luckily, God knows this about us and has given us various ways to experience His presence and build monuments of remembrance. One remarkable example of this is the story of Joshua and his use of stones to build a physical monument of God's faithfulness. Beyond that, God has also given us the gift of living stones, His people, to be a testament to His grace and love. As we continue on in our journey of faith, it is crucial to teach and share with future generations the stories of God's faithfulness, so that they too may experience His unforgettable presence in their lives.

Believers today must hold to the unity of their faith in Jesus Christ and His Word, especially in a world plagued with divisiveness and strife. Drawing from the Word of God through the story of Israel crossing the Jordan River, we learn to trust in God's authority and provision that leads to the Promised Land. By focusing on Christ, we can remain steadfast on the mission God has set before us, and we can be inspired by the Holy Spirit to experience miracles throughout our own journey. So let us unite as brothers and sisters in Christ under one mission: unity through Christ, for Christ as we "Go Into The Land."

Have you heard the story of Rahab and the spies in Jericho? It's an inspiring example of the importance of remembering what matters most in life. Rahab lived a life of social marginalization, but God had a plan for her. He strategically placed her in the perfect position to help the spies and protect her family. When the spies gave her a scarlet rope, it became a covenant sign and a powerful reminder of God's protection during the siege. As Christians, we also have a scarlet rope: Jesus. We should never forget His sacrifice and promises. Let's commit to remembering what truly matters in life and trust that God has a purpose for us too. Just like Rahab remembered her covenant with the spies, we should also remember Jesus' sacrifice and His promises to us. Let's commit ourselves to remembering what matters most and trust that God's plan for us is perfect.

Have you ever heard a “God Story” about divine intervention in someone’s life? It could be a tale of miraculous circumstances or unexpected transformation, where someone hostile to the Gospel begins to follow Jesus. Maybe it’s a story of faithfulness in the face of persecution or how, through God’s mercy, someone overcomes earthly obstacles. At GraceLife, we're blessed with powerful and inspiring God stories. In today's sermon, we'll delve into Rahab's story - a marginalized woman who was an unexpected part of God's redemption plan. Be reminded through her story of how God can use anyone to fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives. This story is just one example of countless instances of God's work in His people. That's why sharing personal transformation stories is a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel and demonstrating God's love. So, let's celebrate and inspire each other with our own redemption stories in our church community. Share your accounts of God's acts and l

Have you ever wondered what true obedience as a follower of Jesus looks like? It might surprise you to learn that while individual obedience is critical, it's not the most important aspect. God has called us to something much greater: unified obedience. While personal integrity, morality, and regular attendance at church and giving can be parts of obedience, our focus on individual obedience alone will not lead to true prosperity. Instead, we need to come together as a community, loving one another relentlessly, and following the Lamb wherever he goes. Solely focusing on individual obedience resembles a man-made religion, and there's no power in that. Only by building a community based on loving one another and following God's will can we achieve true obedience and prosperity as believers. In today's passage from the book of Joshua, we see the importance of such a community.

Our new sermon series "Go Into The Land" recounts the story of Joshua's faithful leadership in leading Israel to the Promised Land against formidable opposition. Through the mentoring of Moses, Joshua gained the courage and strength to face the challenges ahead and trusted in God's promise to never leave or forsake him. Similarly, as Christians, we too face difficult situations and enemies, but with God's spirit, we are equipped to fulfill our calling and succeed in venturing into our own promised land with the Gospel. This story will inspire us, and teach us powerful, meaningful theological & personal truths we desperately need as we seek to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

As we end our Letters From Heaven study in Revelation we were privileged to have a Q&A session with Pastor Joseph Davis where the congregation got to ask some burning questions. He shares his insights and observations on issues ranging from the symbolism in Revelation to the role of the Church in these trying times. We are reminded that while the book of Revelation is often challenging and enigmatic, it contains powerful messages of hope, love, and redemption. Let us be encouraged to continue studying this book and to let its Truths shape our lives and faith. As we conclude this series, we are reminded of the timeless message of hope and encouragement that Revelation offers to all of us as believers in Christ.

Have you ever received important parting words from someone you love or admire? Can you relate to the curiosity of wanting to know the last words of someone you love?" What did they say? Maybe it was critical, final instructions for an important task you would face alone, & they wanted you to be prepared. Maybe someone you’ve relied upon was about to move away, & you wouldn’t see them for a long time, maybe never. How would you treat those words? Would you be on your phone, checking social media, texting, take a call? Or would you cherish them? Would you feel honored to receive them? Would you take notes, preserve them? After the moment has passed, would you disregard those words, or continue to cherish them, revisit them often? Would you keep them to yourself, or would you tell others about them, who might need to hear those words? That’s what we have here in Revelation 22. Jesus’ final words to His followers until the day He returns. Compared to any other, you would think Jesus'

For better or worse, the allure of prophecy has long captivated the hearts and minds of followers of Jesus. Since the 1st century, many have claimed to be prophets, carrying God's fresh, new, divine message But what if all that is wrong? What if God has delivered 1 final prophecy to humanity, and has nothing else to say to us? What if this final prophecy was intended to be divisive, promising grace to some & inescapable judgement to all others? Would you struggle to accept it? Or if I convinced you, would you agree this prophecy would be incredibly important? If that is the nature of God’s final prophecy, don’t we need courage & wisdom to proclaim it with love, humility, and boldness? Would you be equipped & willing to proclaim both its promises & its judgment without hesitation, in its entirety? Well, there is a final prophecy from God. He is done speaking. Everything He needs to reveal to us has been revealed. He has in fact given that prophecy that promises grace for His people & judgement fo

Acts 16:29-34 "The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household."

Young people have coined a clever term for someone's relentless pursuit or desire for something or someone: "thirsty". This label implies you’re a person who goes to great lengths, even if it' risky or embarrassing, to satisfy your craving. But isn't it hypocritical to single out individuals when, in fact, every one of us is "thirsty" and & "hungry"? This universal thirst & hunger stems from an intense yearning, a spiritual craving, is something we all desperately seek. We all long for true satisfaction, a sense of purpose, success, and peace of mind in our lives. Our profound desire for fulfillment drives us to explore every corner, leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit. It is not wrong or sinful to yearn for satisfaction; after all, we were created this way by God. But this world is filled w/enticing propositions & false promises that will never satisfy, only leave us hungrier & thirstier. The enticements of success, religious achievement, material possessions, philosophical wisdom, influential p

Imagine being part of the perfect church, one that meets every expectation of Jesus. What would it look like? Does church perfection start with its theology & teaching, or its ability to be loving and accepting? How big an emphasize would the perfect church place on living righteousness & holy or on a strong evangelistic focus? Would the perfect church have massive diversity, filled with different kinds of people, or would it prioritize generosity? What does the worship or music look like in the perfect church? What about its other programs? Children, youth? I have breaking news for you this morning...it's not GraceLife, just in case you were wondering. GraceLife is a wonderful place, but we are far from perfect. What if I told you there is a perfect church? What if I told you there is one, we can learn from, be inspired by as we continue to grow as a family? There is no perfect church today, but today’s passage describes exactly what a perfect church would look like. It describes what God sees, what

Have you ever been captivated, comforted, or awestruck by the beauty of God's creation? Maybe it was a serene mountain vista, a cascading waterfall, a majestic canyon, or a spectacular Siesta Key sunset? Everyone has experienced these moments. Even people who don’t believe in God appreciate the beauty of this world. However, anyone can see our world is far from perfect, plagued by natural disasters, extreme weather, earthquakes. Anyone can see how humanity has left permanent scars on the natural beauty of creation over thousands of years. We have inflicted damage on creation in the name of survival, conquest, greed, and even carelessness. Anyone, even those who don’t believe in God, can also observe the spiritual impact of human evil in the world. As beautiful as creation can still be in those moments, its full of spiritual chaos, immorality, violence, deception, etc. For the unredeemed, this fallen world is sadly all they have and the best they can hope for. This is as good as it gets. But for

Clothes are great, aren’t they? We desperately need them. The right clothes cover a multitude of dietary sins. Clothes can also communicate who or what we identify with: Ethnic groups, nationalities, sports teams, music genres. Clothes can also be a statement about what we believe, they can have slogans, like our GL t-shirts. Its important you wear the right clothes for your destination. You don’t wear a tuxedo to meet someone at Starbucks. You’re not going to wear beach shorts and flip-flops to a formal wedding, that would be disrespectful. There are types of clothes for different events: formal clothes, work clothes, beach clothes, dating clothes, court clothes. Have you ever worn the wrong clothes that lead to a miserable experience, too hot, too cold, to tight, too loose? Have you had the wrong clothes or had a wardrobe malfunction that made you the center of attention for all the wrong reasons? Underdressed? Overdressed? Button popped off? Zipper broke? Have your clothes ever offende

Although you cherish the precious promises of Jesus, do you ever feel drawn towards promises of this world? I personally struggle with this. But the worlds promises always seem to come w/a caveat, straying from God's people. It seems the world constantly beckons us w/enticing offers, like Satan tried to do with Jesus in the wilderness. But those promises usually require us to spend more time gathering with the world rather than with God’s people. It’s why followers of Jesus struggle, wandering away from the flock, scared we’re missing out we are lured away by this world. So, we try to split the difference. How can we gather with the world AND with God’s people? Best of both maybe? But my personal experience informs me, this time splitting has never gone well and it won't end well in the future either.

The 1,000-year Kingdom of God is an idea not found anywhere else in scripture, only here in Revelation. There are 4 main interpretations of the 1,000-year Kingdom, we won’t name them all here. A Rev Grace Group maybe? Sadly, these differing interpretations have led to significant division & conflict within the church. That is unacceptable. Some go so far as to brand those who disagree with them as heretics. I would imagine this grieves our Jesus. This passage, as the rest of Revelation is supposed to be a blessing, bringing joy & unity among us. So, when studying this passage, those should be our primary objectives. We must have humility & clarity. Have you ever felt powerless over something you can’t control, watching as a scenario plays out You know it will end badly, but you can’t do anything about it? That’s how Satan feels about God’s Kingdom. Even with all his power & rage, He is watching the Kingdom of God advance, spreading throughout this age. He helplessly watches

As a follower of Jesus, would you say you believe in the power of God's Word? If you do, why do you believe in it? If our primary desire, our main goal is to be faithful followers of Jesus, we must understand the power of God’s Word. As a Christian, you likely have some theoretical knowledge of the power of God's Word. You may be familiar with its claims of power in creation, salvation, revelation, conviction, transformation, healing, prophesy, and yes even judgment. When hearing about it, you likely affirm its power with a resounding YES & AMEN! However, have you truly embraced this power in practical ways? Is it more theoretical than impactful in your daily life? If God's Word is as powerful as it claims, shouldn’t it have a significant, undeniable impact on our daily lives? How can we move beyond theoretical understanding to an inspirational, actionable understanding? How can we visualize the power of God's Word, in a way that strengthens our understanding & confidence in it? Today's passage