GraceUnlimited

Exhortations to a new church: Apply the gospel to your daily life

Exhortations to a new church: Prioritize the Gospel

All for One and One For All

The gospel of Jesus Christ really changes all our relationships. Not only are we united to Christ, but we are also united in Christ- God can take people who are radically different and make them one person in Him. But there are threats to this new unity we have-Paul shows us that the same issues he had to deal with, still threaten our unity today. Race, social class and gender issues prevail in our society, but what about in the church- Instead of putting up division, we should embrace what m...

What are you Wearing?

Christians get excited about Easter because this historical event changes our entire future. But not just our future, the historical person named Jesus changes our lives today- What is your connection to this man Jesus- Paul shows us that being a son of God means that you are so connected to Jesus, that you died with him, you were raised with him, and you are now wearing him- And being clothed in Christ has practical implications for our everyday lives-join us today to find out how God looks ...

Who am I?

What do you think God thinks about you right now- People get the gospel wrong when they forget who they are in relation to God as their Father. This results in either legalism, where people go back to rely on their own efforts to fix the relationship with God, or some think they have a license to keep doing whatever they want. The book of Galatians helps us to get the gospel right and to know who are in Christ by faith. Join us to see the important status we receive once we have trusted in Je...

Exhortations to a new church: Be United

Truthful Speech

The 9th commandment reminds us that God hates lies and deception because His very nature is Truth. It is the truth that sets us free from living a life of deception. As we consider the 9th commandment, we are looking at how we lie and give false witness against others today, what motivates that kind of falsehood and how we can rather use our words to edify others and be a faithful witness of the gospel. The gospel we have been entrusted with to the ends of the earth-

Stealing

The 8th commandment helps you evaluate if you are a generous person- One of the realities of being a new person in Christ is that you don't take what does not belong to you but rather you look for ways to be generous with what God has given you. Stealing reveals our lack of trust in God's providential care. But what does that look like today- The Bible shows us what a converted thief looks like, being someone that has been made free to be generous toward others, working hard to provide for ot...

Evil Spirits in Africa

The Bible encourages us as we talk about evil spirits. They are powerful and have caused damage throughout the world and history. They fell with Satan and will finally be destroyed by God. They cannot marry people or live in Christians. Christ's atonement destroys their evil attempts. They cannot read your mind or know the future. Their final target is God, his truth and his people. They cannot damage God's purposes because they are limited by God's character and purposes. Christians who are ...

Why Give to Kingdom Work?

Every time we think about church planting, we are reminded of the mission of the church. It helps us see the real needs around us and to look at how we are helping to meet those needs in reaching other people. Paul is helping us see why it is an absolute privilege and opportunity to support the work of the kingdom...You will be surprised in what he says...join us in finding out how you can partner in kingdom work...

Trusting God's Plan for Purity

God has made us for relationships...and he wants us to trust him for His good design...Marriage is so much bigger than just waking up to the same person in the morning...it has a glorious purpose. But we recognize that we live in a time where the world is opposing God's good design for purity. Join us today as we explore what God says about adultery and the importance of trusting Him with our relationships.

Killing Image Bearers

The 6th Commandment- God has made humans uniquely in His image. This makes being a human being different from any other created creature on the planet. We are the only ones who will one day share in the glory of Jesus. This means we are to protect the sanctity of life- But the murderers are not just out there in the world...Jesus says that just look in your heart, the anger and hatred you carry also makes you a murderer. So where does this leave us- Join us today as we consider the implicatio...

Honour Your Father and Mother

Honor your father and mother. Sounds like a simple command, but we all naturally resist authority in our lives. Today we explore what it means to honor your parents, why its so important and how we can do it. Join us as we continue our study of the 10 Commandments and God's unchanging moral law.

God's Word is Hospitality Central

God's Word is Prayer Central

What does your prayer life look like- Are you tired of saying the same things about the same things to God- Do you struggle to get through one prayer without drifting into other thoughts- Well there is a solution-today we are looking at 3 motivations for why we should pray the Bible-Because we see the example from others in the Bible, because it helps us know what is most important to God and it helps us pray truth as we learn to follow His will. Join us today as we look at this important sub...

God's Word is Life Central

What are you aiming for in 2022- We need to get more specific if we are going to hit the target- Our first target is to make God's word the centre and priority of our lives-but why- Why make such a big deal about the Bible- Paul is going to help us see that its because of what the Bible is, what it can do and what God wants to do through it. Our attitude toward the Bible impacts everything we do. God wants to equip us for every good work. So let us make the most of the Lord's day as we come t...

Escaping Despair

Like Christian and Hopeful, you can fall into despair by failing to deal with personal sin properly, minimizing your sin, failing to trust God, talking about your despair. You need to to depend on hopeful and truthful Christian friends who will bring you back yo God's promises, prayer and personal discipline in godliness. Once you have escaped despair, you need to encourage other struggling Christians.

The Millennial Christ

The millennial kingdom is a 1000 year kingdom where Christ will reign as King. You, Christian, will reign with him over nations in a renewed paradise, in wealth and full joy in interpersonal relationships. God will show the intended glory of his original creation. At the end of that time Satan will try to destroy it all again and will be completely defeated forever. Heaven and earth will then be joined and we will live with God forever.

Why is Jesus Worship-Worthy?

Behold Your Saviour

Breathtaking, holy, glorious and beautiful- Isaiah's glimpse of the preincarnate Christ-

Who Should Jesus be in Africa?

Throughout the world people create their own Jesus. Africa is no exception. This sermon overviews and briefly critiques four predominant views on who Jesus should be in Africa, before touching on the moralistic, therapeutic deism sweeping the west. The sermon concludes with a contrasting biblical view of Jesus- the same Jesus of whom Gabriel spoke to Mary and Joseph before Jesus' birth.

Christmas Means Change

How much have you changed- God's grace is at work in peoples lives. It is good to stop and reflect how much He has changed you and Christmas is the reminder of the reality of change, the message of change and the agent of change. Because of Jesus, there is hope for anyone to be changed and for any believer to keep on changing- Jesus came to save sinners...thats us- Let us go into this Christmas season worshipping God for the gift of His Son who makes all this possible.

Rest in Grace

Life is busy- There are so many things to do and so little time. But God's solution to this is giving us a weekly rhythm so that we can stop, reflect and find true rest in His grace. God gave the Sabbath to Israel to be a witness that there is a greater rest coming- Jesus is that greater rest- He invites us to come to Him and Him alone to find that eternal rest. How important is it for you to rest in God's grace-

Worship God Alone

The 2nd Commandment- Keeping our worship pure. Exodus 20-4-6. God wants us to worship Him according to what His word says, not according to what we think. We are therefore not to make any idols or images of Him because no image in this world can capture the majesty of who He is. Rather God saves us through Christ so that we can be His image in this world, showing people His love and grace through how we worship Him in our daily lives.

The Name of God

Names are important to us, but how much more is that true of God. If people use God's name in the wrong way, then they show what they really think of God. But God does want us to use his name, but in the right way- God is serious about his name because its the name that brings us salvation-- Let us learn how to defend the honour of His name by living faithful lives that represent our new family name in Christ.

Knowing God: Ten Commandments

Who do you really worship- Do you know what God expects- His moral law has not changed because God has not changed-In this short series we will try to discover who God is through his law and how we can serve him freely as believers in Jesus. But first we have to remember that God does not share the stage with anyone or anything else-He demands exclusive worship-

Why the Law?

Have you ever wondered what we are suppose to do with the law of God- It was given to Israel for a purpose...but what is that purpose- One of the most important things we need to understand is the relationship between the law and the gospel. Paul has been arguing how the law cannot justify anyone, its only faith in Christ that justifies. So why then the law- Today we look at 5 aspects of the law to help us understand its purpose.

A Promise is a Promise

What is your attitude toward the law of God- Paul explains in this text how the promise God made to Abraham is superior to the covenant he gave to Israel through Moses. Because a promise is a promise and the Mosaic covenant did not change what was promised to Abraham. But Paul goes on to explain that the promise was actually made to Jesus and it can only find its fulfilment in Jesus. The promise does not change, but the implications changes everything- We are under grace and not under the law...

Is Your Life Cursed?

Imagine the world without laws. Clearly every person is born with a desperate need for law. Our brokenness is contrasted, in Scripture, to the perfect law of God. God's law, however, shows us how far we fall from his faultless standards. God's grace, therefore, accomplishes in the hearts of broken sinners what the law could never do- produce a heart that desires to do what is right.

Taking God at his Word

Taking God at His Word. We believe many things in this life so easily. We even believe some remarkable things as Christians. Why- Because of faith in God and what He has promised. Abraham is a great example of someone who trusted God for the impossible and as a result, he was given the righteousness he needed to be in a right relationship with God. That is why Paul uses Abraham to defend justification by faith alone- And we need faith like Abraham to be a son of Abraham...but more importantly...

Sharing in the Blessing

Do you want to be blessed by God- God has made a promise to Abraham that indicates that he has one plan to bless all people and nations in the world. God is the evangelist who preached the gospel to Abraham in the Old Testament, showing us that if you want to share in Abraham's blessing, you have to look to Jesus by faith. It has always been through faith.

Your Response in Suffering

Suffering righteously by honouring Christ as holy.

The Glory in Your Suffering

Why are we stirred by a hero story- Because there is glory in suffering. Why are we stirred by Jesus humiliation and exaltation- Because in God's world there is glory in righteous suffering. Why can you have joy in suffering- Because as a Christian, there is glory in your righteous suffering.

Every Knee Will Bow

God is calling you to be his ambassador to confront the world with the glory of Christ. This will require both the right attitude and focus. Jesus humbled himself before he was exalted. Believers who serve as Jesus did in humility also look forward to exaltation as Jesus was exalted. This, however, is not a casual opportunity that can be easily declined. Christ will return as Lord to judge the living and the dead. Is he your Lord or your Judge-

Living by Faith

The danger exists that you can become bewitched or deceived through mental laziness. This is what Paul accused the Galatians of. They were not thinking properly. Have you been taken in by error through your laziness- Your solution is exactly the same as Paul's solution for the Galatians. get back to the cross. Discover it's reality. Depend on the Spirit of God to help yousee the cross of Christ as beautiful. Remember how you experienced this in the beginning. This will require you to make a m...

Painfully Naked

The experience of nakedness can be far more than the state of being unclothed. It involves shame and a sense of failure at a deeply personal level. Man lost so much in Eden when he disgraced himself before God. He also gained a whole world of misery. The glorious gospel is that God is giving everything back and far more through Jesus nakedness and shame for his people.

Living by Justifying Faith

Are you living each day by faith in what Jesus has done- Paul tells us this is the reality for the true believer. To live by faith each day because of what Christ has done, we need to understand how dead we are to the law and sin, how united we are to Jesus Christ and how alive we are. We have a new nature with new motives....but the old person has to die in order for us to live...How are you living out the realities of your justification-

Faith in Christ

What Have You Thrown Away?

God has been overwhelmingly merciful to you. This is the only and most powerful motivation to serving him joyfully with a renewed mind rather than being trapped in a morbid cycle of godless and self-destructive living.

Confession and Happiness

How is your walk with God now- Is it joyful- Is it real- Is it marked by confession and forgiveness- The confessing life is a happy life. the confessing life is also an open and transparent life. It is a motivated and confident life. It is a life in which obedience toward God is easier.

Living Biblical Convictions

At Home in God's Hand

Extending Grace

There are possibly no issues in the world that have caused quite as much friction and misunderstanding as access to resources. Facing the disparity of access to resources has led people to think that if they had more they could be more effective in their faith. This, of course, is disproved by the effectiveness of the early church and Jesus himself. Yes, Christians are encouraged to give according to their capacities, but this is giving that exceeds monetary giving. A generous heart is a beau...

Seeing Grace

We talk about grace a lot. but so many misunderstandings of grace about. Do you have a clear understanding of what grace is- In Paul's view, grace is evidenced in the sharing of the true gospel and the related mentorship that goes with it. This togetherness in the gospel overflows boundaries of age, gender, ethnicity, culture, and any other. God often does unexpected work in this way through unexpected people. Look at the way God sent Paul, the educated Pharisee to the gentiles while he sent ...

Protecting Grace and Unity

Do you seriously believe there is only one way to be saved- Paul certainly did. He even defended it against Peter's error. Every Christian is saved by faith alone through grace alone through Christ alone. Every truly saved person is truly unified through this reality. False teachers who oppose this truth are sneaky and slippery. They want to cramp true believers' freedom in Jesus and make them slaves to self-helpism. True believers fight against this destructive heresy and cling to the gospel...

I Want to Change

You may be longing for the ability to change. So many people desire it. The good news is that god is currently changing people by grace. This what God did for Paul. God's work in people glorifies God. On the way to Damascus, Paul was one way, but on the way back he was dramatically different. God crash-coursed him with direct teaching- As a result, Paul shared the gospel wherever he went- By the time returned to Jerusalem some time later, it was obvious that his gospel was the same as that of...

Authentic Transformation

Radical transformation is at the heart of Paul's story and his gospel. It is a story of hope for you and me because it is a story of hope for you and me because it is a story of how God saves his people by grace. He cultivates our past in order to show the greatness of his grace in our future. God calls his people according to his own pleasure and he calls us to eternal pleasure. This is unspeakable grace that carries us through every challenge and into his very glory. This gives life now pur...

Salt and Light

A man responded to an online advert for a job. They asked for an admin fee. After paying, they let him know he had secured the job. He resigned from his old job and arrived for his first day at work to discover he had been scammed. More tragically, countless people consider themselves true believers but have deceived themselves into thinking they are safe when they are not. To consider yourself saved without true repentance is to deceive yourself. If this repentance does not lead to a changed...

A Graceless Life

Escaping the Fear of People

The gospel sets you free from the slavery of pleasing other people. One of the most significant moments of history--Pilate's trial of Jesus--was swayed by Pilate's fear of man. And it was Jesus' conviction and enduring of Pilate's condemnation that sets Christians free from this very fear. You cannot be both a man-pleaser and a servant of Christ. Paul's boldness in the gospel clearly offends many people. His motive is clear-he wants to see the gospel rescuing lost souls, which is a far cry fr...