Grace Hills Church Podcast

Perhaps you've heard of Christian Orthodoxy, but how about Christian Orthopraxy? What is Christian Orthopraxy? As we continue our We Know... series through 1 John, today we discover how sound biblical living follows from sound biblical doctrine. After all, as John Calvin put it, "Righteousness is not merely buried in our hearts; it also occupies our feet, hands, eyes and tongues."

If you've ever studied end times in the Bible, you've probably heard the term Antichrist. But have you ever heard the term "antichrists"? Yes, antichrist as in lower case "a", and plural. As we continue our journey through the book of 1 John, the author, John, wants us to know truth, lies, and the antichrists. In doing so, you'll be equipped to know who the antichrists are and how to be prepared and know truth from lies.

The Apostle John is often referred to as the "Apostle of Love" since in his gospel account and epistles he often speaks of love - how God loves us and how we're to love God and others. But did you know that John also speaks about what not to love? He does! In this message from 1 John 2:15-17, we learn what not to love as believers in Christ and why this matters so much.

We live in a world where the word "love" is used to describe how we feel about a lot of things. But what is love? How would you define it? Is it more than a feeling? In this message from 1 John 2:7-14, we discover the answers to these questions and more. If fact most importantly, we discover that Christian love is a way of life.

In 1 John 2:1-2, John writes, "My children, I am writing these thing to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Believers in Christ, rejoice! Be encouraged! Be thankful! For we know we have an advocate... Christ Jesus the righteous One.

God is light. You've likely heard this statement before. But what does it mean? Why does it matter? In today's message from 1 John 1:5-10, we discover answers to these questions so that we may better understand who God is and therefore worship Him with a new reverence.

We know...fellowship. What is fellowship? Fellowship is the act of sharing in the activities or privileges of an intimate association or group; especially used of marriage and churches. In 1 John 1:1-4, John writes about fellowship - fellowship that he personally enjoyed with Jesus. And as we'll see, this changed everything for him. It's this fellowship John speaks of that is available to us through a personal relationship with Christ. Do you know fellowship?

Have you ever tried to stop the wind? How about rain or snow from falling or even the sun from shining? That's crazy, right? These forces of nature are unstoppable. Well how about the Gospel of Jesus Christ? As we'll see from Acts 5:17-42, no matter how hard some people try to stop it, the Gospel is an unstoppable force. And if you're a believer in Christ, you're living proof!

What happens when the believers in the church are unified? What happens when the power and glory of God in the church are magnified? From Acts 5:11-16, we see that new believers are multiplied! Hallelujah! May this narrative be true of Grace Hills and may this be among our prayers in 2022.

Are you serious? We've all asked this question or been asked this question before. What if you were to ask God this question? About sin. What would He say? How would He respond. As we continue our series in Acts: The Church that Jesus Builds, from Acts 5:1-11 today, we have a very definitive answer!

Who would you turn to if you were in need? A family member? A close friend? How about Christ and specifically, His church? From today's message from Acts 4:32-37, we learn that those who were in need turned to the church! To fellow believers in Christ. Why? Because the early church was generous to one another? How might you continue this generous story of Christ's church?

Got peace? Peace is something we all desire to have in our relationships, work place, neighborhood, nation and around the world. But what is true peace? Who gives it? How can I have it? In this message from Ephesians 2, we explore these questions and discover that that peace is possible for those who know the Person who gives it abundantly.

It has been said that fear is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world. How can we be bold in facing our fears? How can we be bold in sharing Christ despite the threat of persecution? From Acts 4:23-31, the early church gives a great example in how to be bold. In this message we explore the steps they took and the difference it made for them and the world around them... all because He lives!

Persecution for being a Christ follower. Can you imagine? Why would someone do this to another? Since Acts 4, persecution is what many Christ followers have encountered. Why? When you make the claim that salvation is found in no one else but Christ, some will disagree, some will reject you, and some will do worse. What's your claim about Christ? Are you prepared for their response?

What if you lived during the time of Christ and one of his disciples proclaimed that Christ was the long awaited Messiah? Would you believe him? What if all the prophesies about Christ and who He is came true? What would you think then? In this message from Acts 3:11-26, we are presented the case for Christ - that He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. What do you believe about Christ today? Whatever you believe, know that the prophets have spoken!

Imagine you were crippled and couldn't walk. How would you survive? What would you do? As we continue our series in The Church that Jesus Builds, we come to Acts 3:1-10 and an encounter that Peter and John have with a crippled man. What will he say to them? How will Peter and John respond? This scene portrays something much greater than one's physical needs - a need we all have that only Jesus can meet? Have you had this need met, or are you still crippled?

Learning. Fellowship. Worship. Witnessing. What does this sound like to you? When we look at Acts 2:42-47, it sounds like a church. God's church. It's the church we're called to be!

When you think of hearing good news, what comes to mind? A job offer? The birth of a baby girl or boy? An answer to prayer? When we read Acts 2:13-41, we see that the good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is what is preached by Peter - it is received by 3000 people and as a result, the church birthed.

Wind and fire - natural powerful forces we've encountered in our lives. But what if a day came when the wind and fire was a supernatural power? As we continue our series in Acts - The Church that Jesus Builds, we come to Acts 2:1-12 and the Day of Pentecost. It is on this day the promised coming of God the Holy Spirit arrives... like wind and fire. What a day! A day for the birth of the New Testament Church.

Liminal n. - relating to a transitional or initial stage of the a process. As we continue our series in the book of Acts - The Church that Jesus Builds from Acts 1:12-26, we come to a church that is liminal. As the early church awaits the promised Holy Spirit, what do we find the people doing while they wait? In this passage, we find the church engaged in five practices - practices that are just as applicable to Christ's church today.