Grace Hill Church - Collierville, Tn

THIS EPISODE: Because we can trust God for what he's done, we can trust him for what he will do. God promised to fix what is broken. He also promised us his mercy. But the heaviness of circumstances in our life can often make God's promises feel impossible. The truth is, God's promises are solid, they are for now, and for later too. “God has a way of letting things get so bad until the only way you can look is up.” —Tony Evans Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Genesis 15:1-5 (CSB) After these events (encourage you to go back and read chapters 12-15 to see the whole context this week), the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great. 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” 4 Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one wil

THIS EPISODE: Consider: Grace is receiving something that we don't deserve, while mercy is withholding what we do deserve. And mercy always involves sacrifice on the part of the merciful. Today we revisit the great mercy God showed Noah in not only sparing his family, but promising to, “never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward.” This story gives us a glimpse into the state of humanity, and also a glimpse of Jesus. Each of us needs (and receives) mercy every day. Are we moved by God's mercy towards us to extend mercy to others? Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Genesis 8:15-9:17 (CSB) 15 Then God spoke to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, those that crawl on the earth—and they will spread over the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah, along with hi

THIS EPISODE: God created us so he could love us. Then we turned our back on him, and he responded, “Now, I’m really going to love you.” When the first humans disobeyed God, he responded to their shame with surprising grace & provision. And he's done the same for you in your life. God promised to fix what is broken. Because we can trust God for what he's done, we can trust him for what he will do. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXTS: —Genesis 1:26-30 (NLT)— 26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that sc

THIS EPISODE: Facing “storms” in life is inevitable... “There are many Christians who have been taught that once they have faith everything ought to flow smoothly. Acts replies: you have not yet considered what it means to take up the cross.” (N.T. Wright) But what's not forgone is how you'll contend with life's storms, where you'll find Jesus in them, and the true meanings (or miracles) waiting for you within them. The presence of the storm does not equal the absence of God. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Acts 27:27-44 (NLT) The Shipwreck 27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria,[a] the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep.[b] 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship an

THIS EPISODE: Are your are hardwired doer? ⇢ Are you constantly "doing" right things for God, but seem to struggle with just "being" with him? You sound like Martha, who learned that doing things for God can't replace time with God. Jesus didn't ask Martha to change the way she was as a person—he just rearranged her priorities. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: John 11:1-44 (NLT) The Raising of Lazarus 11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.[a] Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed whe

THIS EPISODE: “Do not have other gods besides me.” ⇠ Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? There's only One who's almighty & sovereign over all. The only One who can be counted on to work all things out for his glory and ultimately our good, and to whom we should turn when things seem chaotic, confusing or even desperate. But if it's so simple, then why did God's people seem to struggle so much with abiding in this great truth? And why do we, as God's people in 2020, continue to struggle with this even today? Let's unpack this and more in today's very timely message… PRIMARY TEXT: Deuteronomy 32:1-39 (Christian Standard Bible) Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words from my mouth. 2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. 3 For I will proclaim the Lord’s name. Declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteou

THIS EPISODE: Jesus serves undeserving people. ⇢ In Jesus, the form of God wasn't exchanged for the form of a servant—it was revealed in the form of a servant. Jesus did something he didn’t have to do, for people who did not deserve what he did. And the evening before the torture of the cross, Jesus didn't think of Himself. He thought about His disciples. He showed his deep love to them in a profound way, and then painted a beautiful picture inviting us into that story with him. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: John 13:1-17 (CSB) 1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. 4 So he got up from supper,

THIS EPISODE: How will you respond? ⇢ When Jesus’ story intersected with one man’s, he responded by enthusiastically telling everyone he could find how Jesus changed him. When Jesus’s story met with others, they were moved to begin deliberately teaching others about Jesus's story. And when Jesus’s story converged with some, they responded by turning him away from their story altogether. How will you respond when Jesus meets your own story? Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: —Acts 3:1-10— 3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.[a] 2 A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. 4 Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I

THIS EPISODE: To help our own faith grow, we revisit the familiar story of a paralytic man suddenly lowered through a hole in the roof so he could connect with Jesus for a few minutes. And we consider this highly unusual event through the eyes of the four men willing to do this faithful and courageous act for him—people so committed to their friend they're clearly willing to do whatever it takes for him. As we continue discussing “Spiritual Habits” in this session, let’s consider how and why we need such people as this in proximity to us who are persistent in their own faith, and how our hope in this is to cultivate a sincere outpouring of praise. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Mark 2:1-12 2 When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they

THIS EPISODE: “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow.” —James clear atomic habits Our hope over the next 4 episodes is to encourage you in taking steps towards starting, re-starting or improving some profoundly meaningful spiritual habits in your life. Spending time with God is our first habit to consider together—a simple choice with a profound & lasting impact. Let's unpack this and more in today's message as we look at the "right choice" for one woman that made all the difference... PRIMARY TEXT: Luke 10:38-42 (CSB) 38 While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sis

THIS EPISODE: People all around us are facing crisis of some sort right now. How should we see this—how should we respond? As Christ-followers, we're called to (i) see these things through the lens of Jesus, and (ii) to step into them—to engage them as Jesus would, be a blessing, carry each other's burdens and advance the gospel of Jesus in doing so. Today we visit the early Church to see what we can learn about how to do these things for the people facing crisis around us today… PRIMARY TEXT: Acts 6:1-7 (NIV) In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility

THIS EPISODE: We were all created to worship. And we absolutely will. The question is not will or won't we worship, but who are what will we worship? Today we're dropping into perhaps one of the most awkward places in scripture. But it's also a beautiful place we get to see an example of pure, raw, unadulterated worship of Jesus. We also get to see the gospel on full display in response. It’s truly beautiful and there’s much we can take away from a better understanding of it. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Luke 7:36-50 (NIV) 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pha

THIS EPISODE: CRISIS ⇢ It has a unique way of revealing so much about our lives, doesn’t it? No one’s immune to it, and when life suddenly goes sideways you find yourself suddenly fact to fact with your deepest fears, core values & character. Crisis has a way of revealing unseen motives, anxieties & core beliefs you may not even be aware of yourself. And yes, crisis can even bring doubts in your faith...and that's OK. Who we get answers from in the midst of crisis may be more important than the answers we’re seeking. In this episode we'll explore John the Baptist’s struggle with doubt in the face of deep, personal crisis, and draw powerful truths from Jesus' response to him in his pain. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Matthew 11:1-5 (NIV) 1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Ar

THIS EPISODE: Are you using your strength to serve others? ⇢ As we continue exploring our calling to live a life “on the contrary”, let's consider for a few minutes Paul's challenge to us, that we cultivate the same mindset toward each other that Christ Jesus had. As we do, we can see immense peace and joy in store for us when using our strength to serve others, and serving others to God's glory. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Romans 15:1-13 (NIV) We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same at

THIS EPISODE: Don't major in minors ⇢ Yes, there are some “closed hand” matters indisputably central to our faith that we should never lose sight of. But there are also many “open hand” matters that are disputable matters of conviction—things we should be approaching with immense grace, compassion and humility. Today we dive into Romans 14 to gain understanding of Paul's insights about how we should handle disputable vs. indisputable matters. We see many, rich takeaways for our church engaging today's culture. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Romans 14 (NIV) The Weak and the Strong 14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone els

THIS EPISODE: Last time we talked about God and government—a lighthearted little sermon. ;-) This time we continue with Paul in Romans 13 as he shares an important metaphor in shaping our lives as Jesus followers: WEARING CHRIST. “Every believer has put on Christ by virtue of trusting in who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Yet we are also called to put on the character qualities and virtues that reflect our identity as children of God.” —Matthew Harmon Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Romans 13:8-14 (NIV) 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, understanding th

THIS EPISODE: Imagine this ⇢ A government so corrupt & convinced of its own power, that the administration has elevated themselves to a god-like status. Imagine a leader so brazenly drunk on his own power that he's willing to commit some of the most heinous acts in human history, and do whatever it takes to accomplish it’s own agenda. This is the precise context in which Paul is writing the book of Romans—and the place from which we can draw two very powerful conclusions for ourselves today: Government has been established by God to remind us that it isn't our God. Our relationship to our government is actually a gospel issue, whether we recognize it or not. Scripture speaks into our hearts & lives even when it's through uncomfortable truths. Let's unpack this and more together in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Romans 13:1-7 1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God

THIS EPISODE: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” ⇠ There's more to this statement than seems apparent at first, in how deeply it impacts the brokenness, sin, and death in our world. Looking deeper into this, we can see three salient, life-changing truths: When we're lost in our brokenness & cutoff from God, Jesus provides the way back for us. When we're completely trapped in our sin, Jesus defeats Satan's lies by speaking truth into our lives. When we're sentenced to death & hopelessness, Jesus gives us life. These things are worth our time & attention to understand them on a deeper level. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: John 14:1-6 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You kn

THIS EPISODE: As we continue reflecting on how modeling Jesus means living life “on the contrary”, we consider how being consistently considerate of others fits into this, what it really looks like, and a sobering reality that 'love' is ultimately more about what you do than what you feel towards another. Then we look at the deep work of overlooking the personal offenses around us, and how you can exchange outrage, bitterness & revenge for peace, humility & love. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Romans 12:9-21 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[a] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[b] 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute y

THIS EPISODE: As we turn our attention to chapter 12 of Romans, we see Paul describing 5 things that are important dynamics for a Christ follower's life lived “on the contrary”: 1: Humble Evaluation 2: Gracious Cooperation 3: Faithful Participation 4: Consistent Consideration 5: Extreme Condonation Starting with the first 3 of these, we begin to see a core truth that we were made to need each other. And we need each other now more than ever. Let's unpack this and more in today's message… PRIMARY TEXT: Romans 12:1-21 (NIV) 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has