Grace Raleigh

The Treasury of Isaiah – King, Servant, Conqueror

A critical facet of Biblical prophecy are the prophecies about Jesus Himself. No book has more to say about the coming Messiah than the book of Isaiah. This week we look at the sweeping prophecies of Jesus found in Isaiah.

The Treasury of Isaiah – Going Through the Motions

In the opening chapter of his book, Isaiah presents the gospel in 9 extremely powerful verses.

Final Thoughts – Turning Grief to Joy (Easter at Grace)

Final Thoughts – Unity (part 2)

This week we cast a vision for Grace to walk in harmony with the unity prayer of Jesus found in John chapter 17.

Final Thoughts – Unity (part 1)

In John 17 we get the gift of the High Priestly Prayer, in which Jesus prays for the church. His single petition to God on our behalf is unity. How can we pursue this unity, and what are the biggest threats to this goal?

Final Thoughts – New Command

John 13:34-35 are some of the most profound and compelling verses in all of scripture. This week we dive into this passage and all of its implications.

Final Thoughts – Abide (part 2)

Last week we talked about the importance of abiding in Christ. This week we ask how we can practically do that amidst the chaos and confusion of life.

Final Thoughts – Abide (part 1)

The invitation to abide is a gift of simplicity in a world of confusion and chaos.

Final Thoughts – The Holy Spirit

How is it possible that Jesus going away was good news? This week we will take a closer look at a promise Jesus made to comfort His disciples.

Final Thoughts – The Way

In this opening sermon of the series, we discuss the import of the upper room discourse and the implications of the invitation of Jesus.

Grace is Going Home – Update Sunday

A very important update on the status of our building campaign, as well as a few thoughts on the spiritual discipline of giving.

Rooted – Knowing God

This week we arrive at the climax of the prayer and the main petition Paul makes for the church in Ephesus and, in turn, us. The desire of Paul is quite simple – that we would know God.

Rooted – With All the Saints

This week we dive deep on one of the implications of the great Ephesians prayer, reflecting on why Christianity was never, ever intended to be a solo exercise – and what we should do in light of that reality.

Rooted – Rooted in Christ

The concept of being rooted in Jesus’ love is the concept through which the rest of this wonderful prayer flows. So what is so important about being rooted in the love of Christ?

Rooted – Salvation

We are starting the new year with one of the great prayers in scripture and making that our prayer for Grace for the year. This week we look at Paul’s first priority for everyone he encounters.

'Twas the Night – The Joy of Mary (Christmas Eve at Grace)

The Christmas story in Luke ends with Mary treasuring things up in her heart. What was she treasuring, and how can that lend a deeper meaning to Christmas?

'Twas the Night – The Obedience of Joseph

Though there are no recorded words of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, I believe there are profound lessons to be learned from his quiet, humble obedience.

'Twas the Night – The Wisemen

In the Christmas story, the wisemen beautifully encapsulate and demonstrate what it means to be a Christian.

'Twas the Night – Simeon & the Inn Keeper

In Luke 2, we see two people with two very different responses to the arrival of the Messiah – the Innkeeper and Simeon. This week, we will ask what we can do to be more like Simeon and less like the Innkeeper who didn’t make room.

The Songs We Sing – O Come, O Come Emmanuel

As we enter into the Christmas season, we understand that Christmas and holidays are not always easy for everyone all the time. So if this Christmas isn’t easy, then this Sunday is for you.

The Songs We Sing – Battle Belongs

This week we look at the power and wisdom of prayer through the stories of the praying kings of Israel as we learn more about the great song “Battle Belongs”.

The Songs We Sing – More Like Jesus

More Like Jesus is a song with ties all throughout Philippians. As we explore those ties, we are rewarded with a precise insight as to how we may pursue a life that is lived more like Jesus.

The Songs We Sing – The Blessing (Morning of Worship)

A series called The Songs We Sing wouldn’t be complete without a morning dedicated to worship. We hope your heart is moved to praise by this service. (You can view the service in its entirety on Grace Raleigh’s YouTube channel or via this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/edUYJ54g2Ng?si=34AfmsQEVwM494-b)

The Songs We Sing – Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great Is Thy Faithfulness comes straight out of the book of Lamentations and has stood through the decades as an anthem of defiance against the attempts of evil to break our faith.

The Songs We Sing – Tell the Story

You can’t possibly do a series on the songs the church sings without focusing on the songs found in the book of Psalms. This week, we focus on a quintessential psalm of praise, Psalm 8.

The Songs We Sing – Why We Sing

All churches for all of history have sung. Why is it important to God that His people are a singing people?

Transformed – Conditional to Reckless

What does it mean when we sing that God’s love is reckless? And how can this recklessness possibly create a safe space that enables us to offer the same kind of love to others?

Transformed – Convenience to Compassion

Have you ever wondered what keeps us from being as compassionate as we’d like? How different would our relationships look, and how much of a difference would we see in the world around us, if we began to reflect the compassion we see in Jesus? This week we’re taking a look at how Jesus overcame the same challenges we face and showed the compassion we hope to.

Transformed – Member to Partner (Service Team Sunday)

Most churches have Members, but Grace has Partners. Why? We'll learn more about one of the ways that you can partner with us – through volunteering on a Service Team!

Transformed – Comparison to Contentment

We live in a culture that wars on our contentment. But what happens when we allow Jesus to fight for us and take us to a place of true contentedness?

Transformed – Coasting to Chasing

The big reveal! We are sharing our hopes for the building we will build, as well as what we believe God wants to build in and through Grace.

27 – The Book of Jude

In the small book of Jude, we have a great depiction of how the Bible remains both remarkably deep and yet easy to to approach and apply.

27 – The Books of 1, 2, & 3 John

The three letters of John to the churches are only a combined 7 chapters long. And yet in this brief collection, John reiterates a singular idea 12 times! Why? What is the idea and why is it so important?

27 – The Books of 1 & 2 Peter

Peter was one of the disciples closest to Jesus, as well as one of the most influential leaders in the early church. What did he have to say to the saints at the end of his ministry?

27 – The Book of Hebrews

Hebrews goes to great lengths to explain the supremacy of Christ by highlighting the different ways in which Jesus is superior to differing elements within the Hebrew culture. But why does the superiority of Jesus still matter to us today?

27 – The Book of Acts

The book of Acts serves as a telling of the great work of the Holy Spirit that links the two great works of Jesus. Further, it shows us that the Spirit is still working today.

27 – The Book of 2 Thessalonians

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul writes to clear up some misunderstandings the Thessalonians had about the Second Coming of Christ. Paul's ultimate goal is to remind the Thessalonian Christ-Followers that the Lord had placed them exactly where they were, on purpose, and had a plan for them in their normal lives, for as long as they were still on earth. And that is a truth worth reflecting on and celebrating!

27 – The Book of James

Have you ever wished for an instruction manual for living your life in light of your faith? Well, you have come to the right place, as we unpack the book of James and his practical tips for living a life for Jesus.

Ministry Partner Sunday 2023

This week we take a break from our current series to learn more about the ministries we partner with outside the walls of the church, and to hear from a special guest speaker – Ru Sen.

27 – The Book of Colossians

If Paul’s heart behind the letter to the Colossians was to tell us how a Christian is supposed to live, why did he start with what a Christian is supposed to believe? How different would our lives look if we focused on the simple belief and life that Paul is pointing out in this incredible letter?

27 – The Book of 1 Thessalonians

What stands out in 1 Thessalonians is the way Paul goes about teaching and ministering to the people of Thessalonica. As we unpack this letter together, what will be revealed is a genuine, relational love between Paul and the people of Thessalonica that reflects the love of Christ and offers an open door to speak the truth of Jesus.

27 – The Book of John

John is the most unique of the Gospels and beckons us to know Christ, that we would find life in Him.

27 – The Book of Luke

Why did Luke craft an entire Gospel with the intent of displaying the humanity of Christ? The answer is what separates Jesus from all other gods.

27 – The Book of Mark

The Gospel of Mark depicts Jesus as a servant, which, when we think about it, runs counter to all we would expect of a person seated in a position of maximum power.

27 – The Book of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jewish community to show them Jesus actually was the Messiah. They needed this Gospel because they were prevented from seeing Jesus due to their unfair expectations of Him. What expectations do we have of Jesus that could potentially blind us?

Big Emotions – God’s Confusing Jealousy

God describes Himself as a jealous God, which feels counterintuitive to the Christian who also knows that God condemns jealousy. So how can we reconcile God’s jealousy for us with His warnings about our own jealousy?

Big Emotions – You Matter

Sometimes life can make us feel like we don’t matter. Elijah, one of God’s greatest servants, felt that way. But God showed up for him the same way He shows up for us and reminds us of how much we really do matter to the Creator of the Universe.

Big Emotions – The Receiving End

What should you do when someone blows up on you? To answer this, we look at a story from the life of David that highlights three crucial New Testament practices.

Big Emotions – Peter's Denial

What do you do when you’re constantly reminded of the one moment you would like to forget the most? What can we learn from Peter so our most regretful memories don’t shape our tomorrow?

Big Emotions – Jesus in the Garden

What is God’s response when our emotions are so big that our prayers become cries?