Grace 242

Title: What Weapon Are You Reaching For? Scripture Reading: Acts 4:23-31 Series: Be Bold! When being bold for Christ backs you into a corner, what weapon are you reaching for? Following the release of Peter and John from the temple council, the early church provides a masterclass in responding to opposition. This message explores the 'weapon' of prayer through the P.R.A.Y. acronym, beginning with the need to Partner with other believers to overcome isolation and fear. We are encouraged to Re...

Title: The Bold and the Beautiful Gate Scripture Reading: Acts 4:5-22 Series: Be Bold! Are you willing to slay your reputation for the sake of boldly doing the Lord’s will? Drawing inspiration from the life of William Wilberforce, this message explores what it means to speak the truth regardless of personal risk. By examining the account of Peter and John before the temple council, we see that true biblical boldness is modeled through three specific pillars. First, we must take Bold Action t...

Title: How to Trade Legends and Infuriate People Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:19-20 Series: Be Bold! What if the boldest moves you make for God are met with the fiercest opposition rather than immediate triumph? Drawing from the high-stakes decisions of the Green Bay Packers' front office, this message explores why we shouldn't be surprised when following God leads to friction. By looking at the life of the Apostle Paul and the story of Moses, we examine the true Cost of standing firm. Rat...

Title: Shema Part 2: Hearing Without Heeding Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Series: Shema Why is hearing God's word often easier than truly obeying it? Chaplain Bob Turner explores the deep command found in the Shema: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." Using the tragic 1986 Challenger disaster as a stark parallel, Bob's message contrasts simply hearing a critical warning versus actively heeding it, which had fatal consequences. The scripture commands us to love God co...

Title: Boldly A-Veil-Able Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Hebrews 10:19-22 Series: Be Bold! How can we truly be bold in our faith? Our boldness is only unlocked by the perfect boldness of Jesus. This message explores two major covenantal contrasts. The first contrast addresses Moses and the veil. Jesus removes the veil so we can boldly reflect His glory to others horizontally. The second contrast addresses the Most Holy Place in the Temple. Jesus's sacrifice tore the curtain wide o...

Title: How to Be Bold Scripture Reading: Joshua 1:6-9 Series: Be Bold! How do we move from cautious faith to courageous action? We learn the answer from Joshua, who was commanded to be strong and courageous. True boldness is born out of trust in God. To be bold, we must first "Take Hold" of the unique calling God has placed on our lives. Next, we must "Take Heed" of God's Word by internalizing it through study and conversation. Finally, we must "Take Heart." We never go into a moment of bold...

Title: Wisdom Scripture Reading: Job 28:1-3, 23-28 Guest preacher Adam Brill joins Grace 242 to explore the concept of wisdom as presented in Job 28, which acts as an "interlude" within the book of Job, bridging historical narrative and poetic dialogue. It contrasts human efforts to acquire valuable material possessions with the unattainable nature of true wisdom through human means. Wisdom ultimately comes solely from God, found in fearing the Lord and shunning evil. Adam leaves us with an e...

Title: A Better Worth Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:3-7a, 2 Corinthians 8:9 Series: A Better Story Painting: https://ibb.co/wv0YyXH In this episode, Peggy and Pastor Bill discuss the Peggy's painting which you can view here. Peggy's painting vividly contrasts worldly wealth and possessions (depicted in black and white) with the true riches found in Jesus Christ (represented in color). Peggy shares her personal journey from believing worldly success was the ultimate goal to realizing i...

Title: A Better King Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11 Series: A Better Story In this special Christmas Eve episode of A Better Story, guest Taylor Englund joins us to explore the cosmic magnitude of the Christmas story. Moving beyond the traditional narrative, we dive into the fascinating historical theory that Jesus was actually born on September 11, 3 B.C., aligning with the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. Tune in to discover the true identity of the Magi, the astronomical evidence behind t...

Title: A Better Family Tree Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:1-2, 16-17 Series: A Better Story In this episode of A Better Story, co-host Katie Hartline joins the discussion to unpack the surprisingly messy family tree of Jesus found in Matthew 1. We explore why God chose to include outsiders, deceivers, and even a king who practiced human sacrifice in the lineage of the Messiah. Discover how this "unsanitized" genealogy proves that God doesn't just fix the past—He redeems it, offering hope to e...

Title: A Better Announcement Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-20 Series: A Better Story We're celebrating Advent at Grace 242 with podcast-style sermons on the theme: A Better Story. God's plan to send His Son on Christmas was a far better story than any of us could have possibly written. Today Kathy Rosen joins Pastor Bill to explore the God's plan to announce the birth of His Son to an unlikely group of shepherds.

Title: Legation Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus The final "L" fruit of Jesus is legation, meaning disciples are called to act as Christ's ambassadors to the world, a concept explored through four "ships." This identity begins with Citizenship, as we represent the Kingdom of Heaven while living here on earth, stepping into the divine Partnership God established with humanity from Adam onward. Since history shows that humanity repeatedly failed to fulf...

Title: Lavishness Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:7-8 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus The 1986 "Hands Across America" generosity event fell short, but how does God's abundant generosity prove that His plan for us is truly **lavish**? This sermon explores the concept of lavishness as an essential fruit of a follower of Jesus, illustrating the profound generosity of God through the metaphor of hands. True discipleship begins with The Receiving Hand, recognizing the immense, abundant grace, merc...

Title: Level-Headedness Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:21-24 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus Notice: This message interviews one of Grace 242's covenant partners about the sketch he made of Jesus. View those images here. Like the character Riley in the movie Inside Out , every human has emotions, feelings, and attitudes; they are part of the human experience. But how do we ensure these emotions are healthy? This sermon, part of "The L Fruits of Jesus" series, explores the fruit of leve...

Title: Lowliness Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:3-11 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus Have you ever had a social situation where you had to deal with a one-upper? One-upping, or pride, is the way of the world, but the way of Jesus is the exact opposite: lowliness or humility. Disciples of Jesus are instructed to have the same attitude as Christ. This message explores the "L" fruit of lowliness through three questions: 1. What is Humility? Humility is not thinking more of yourself (overt pri...

Episode Title: Learning Scripture Reading: Romans 12:2, John 8:31 ESV Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus Disciples of Jesus are learners—the learning never stops! This week, we dive into the second "L" fruit of Jesus, the fruit of Learning, and explore the two ways disciples are called to learn and grow in Christ. Romans 12:2 gives us two ways of learning, both starting with the letter "I": 1. Information: This method, associated with Hellenism, focuses on the renewal of your mind. Disciples ar...

Title: Love Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:35-40, Matthew 7:17-20, Matthew 7:13-14 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus When observing the lavish lifestyle of a televangelist, it’s easy to question the "fruit" of their ministry. Jesus Himself said we would identify people by their fruit. So, what fruit should we expect to see in the life of a disciple? This sermon kicks off a new series, "The 'L' Fruits of Jesus," by focusing on the most foundational fruit: Love. We explore the two critical axes o...

Title: Utility Closet – Prayer Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42, Ephesians 6:18-20 Series: The 242 Blueprint In the 1970s, Xerox invented the future of computing with the graphical user interface (GUI) and the mouse, but failed to realize the gold mine they were sitting on. They squandered their best resource, which Apple and Steve Jobs eagerly capitalized on to revolutionize the world. Christians often treat prayer the same way Xerox treated the GUI—as our most powerful, yet least utilized, weap...

Title: Dining Room – Sharing Meals Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42, Luke 7:34 Series: The 242 Blueprint The third component of the church's blueprint found in Acts 2:42 is the sharing of meals. Jesus provides the model for how we should approach the table, teaching us how to E.A.T. E - Example of Jesus: The early church shared meals because Jesus constantly shared meals. He was so often at the meal table that his accusers called him a glutton and a drunkard.A - Accepting the Outsider: A k...

Title: Living Room – Fellowship Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42, Ephesians 5:30, John 13:35 Series: The 242 Blueprint This message is the second in the series "The 242 Blueprint," which examines Acts 2:42 as a foundational model for the church. This week's sermon focuses on the topic of fellowship, using the analogy of watching football in a living room to explore what it means to be part of the Christian community. The message outlines three biblical facets of fellowship: The Player: Recognizin...