Grace Baptist Santa Clarita: Service Podcast

On this last weekend of Advent, we look at the final word that a child might use to describe the majesty of Christmas: love! And to understand the connection between Christmas and God’s love, we turn to the disciple known as the "Apostle of Love" - John. John speaks of love more than any other biblical writer, and in our text he shows that at the very core of God’s love is to be found the sending of God the Son into our world so that we might live through Him. From John we learn the simple yet essential truths that love is who God is, and love is how God acts. And nothing displays it more than the Person and Work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Those who come to see this and embrace its significance will display it in the way they love one another. John’s whole point is that we who have come to know the love of God in Christ are privileged to model God Himself in the way we love one another. And there is no Christmas gift better than that!

The story of how God kept His promise to send the Savior - the Christmas story! - has always had joy at its core for this was God’s intention all along. If joy is the surge of happiness that takes over the soul when the long-anticipated is at last experienced, then the arrival of the long-promised Messiah surely qualifies as the greatest joy of all time. What the world had long hoped for, dreamed of, clung to, was at last reality. And yet, the stuff of great joy is more than just the experience of the hoped for. Great joy comes when what is now seen and known so overwhelmingly exceeds expectation as to create a whole new level of ecstasy. Thus it was when the angelic choir informed the shepherds that the Christ was born that such a happening was one of “great joy.” No normal joy was this, for what God had given was much more than what the world, in its darkened understanding, had hoped for. They wanted a human, Davidic king who would raise the prospects of an Israelite kingdom once again. What they got was Go

As Christmases come and go, it is often the case thatthe wonder of the story seems to fade. Christmas can become justanother hurried season filled with obligations and tasks that used tobring joy but now just tire us out. Sadly, too often the paceoverwhelms the joy, and the wonder and beauty of Jesus’ birtheludes us. But it wasn’t always this way.Remember when you were a kid? Remember all the things youlooked forward to and enjoyed? Now, perhaps, you’re the one doingall the extra things to make Christmas special for others. And therecertainly is a joy that comes from putting smiles on little faces. Butwhat if we could recapture our child-like anticipation? What if wereally could "come as a child" and once again be filled with a sense ofbeauty and wonder?Jesus was very careful when He declared that the "child-like" way ofseeing and honoring Him was to be the model for us all, for all of life.And it certainly applies to the way we recognize the beauty ofChristmas and allow our hearts to once again be filled wit

One of the most beloved stories in the Old Testament is the battle between young David and the giant Goliath. For years Israel had cowered in fear before the might of the Philistine army. Now their champion, Goliath, was taunting them again. Against all reason, God chose a youth - David - and through him demonstrated His power in an astounding victory.  David’s hope was focused on the Lord, and he placed his security in His hands, resting in the expectation that the Lord would do great things. Many years later, David - now a wise and experienced King - wrote Psalm 131. Here we see that childlike hope once more awakened as he encourages his people to hope in the Lord.Today as we begin Advent, we are reminded that David’s victory over Goliath was a preview of Jesus, the Son of David’s victory over the greatest giant of them all on the cross. The hope in God that strengthened David in battle is the same hope we have today as we celebrate the birth of our King. Our hope is in the Lord, and we rest in the promise

One of the first things a good parent tries to form in a child is a consistent attitude of thankfulness. And yet we understand as adults that there can be a huge distance between the action of saying "thank you" and the heart attitude of thankfulness. Thanksgiving is simply the giving of thanks. But true thanksgiving is really much more than mere external expression. It is also the sincere state of the heart as we revel in the joys of unfettered appreciation and adoration overflowing to our great God. The idea of a day set aside to thank God for who He is and what He does is not new. In fact, it might be said that the origins of Thanksgiving can rightly be traced back to the days of King David. As the Ark of the Covenant was finally returned to a place of honor among the Israelites, David called for a day of thanksgiving and even assigned particular musicians to play as the people gathered to express their thanks to God. As well, David gave the people a script - a thanksgiving roadmap - that will prove to be

Last week we saw how Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His day with the fact that, in order to keep their own rules, they had set aside the commandments of God Himself. Today we ask the question: Can the same thing be said of us? Are we prone to make more rules than the Bible contains and then to measure ourselves and others by those man-made rules? The painful answer is "yes." We are by nature given to self-promotion and self-righteousness, and making our own rules allows us to succeed in both areas! But this isn’t best for us or for Grace, and it certainly is not best for the mission of Christ.So let’s admit our tendencies and together bring ourselves to the mirror of Scripture to see, understand, and then repudiate the dangers of legalism in our lives today.

In my many years being part of the Christ-following community in the United States, I have yet to meet someone who claims to be a legalist. Seems we all believe our own set of man-made rules are actually God’s rules, as well. But frankly, that just isn’t so, and we need to talk about it. I confess that I am both allergic to legalism - and a legalist! My heart is constantly setting up standards by which I measure myself and others, and I do it so that I can feel spiritually mature. Can you identify with that?Over the next two weeks we’ll take a close, hard look at what legalism is and the dangers it brings. Today we have a front row seat on the dialogue between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day. They wanted Him to conform to their rules, while He wanted them to quit setting aside God’s commandments in favor of their system. What we’ll find is this: God cares about our hearts: what they harbor, what they manufacture, and what they export! True spiritual standing is based solely on the death and righteo

When, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 statements on the door of the University Church in Wittenberg, Germany, the fires of reformation were kindled throughout the medieval church. That flame soon spread and became known as the Reformation. This turned out to be a tidal wave of truth that washed over the church, restoring it to a more authentic stance as the Bride of Christ. The Reformation, of which we are joyful children, was really a recovery of two things: The Bible as God’s Word, and the Gospel as God’s way of rescue. Today we look at the Reformation dogma known as sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone. Simply put, this is the belief that the Bible, and the Bible alone, can be known surely as God’s Word. As such, it carries the supreme authority of God to man and is the only authority that has the right to bind our consciences and demand our obedience. Other sources of truth may be helpful, but the Bible alone carries the authority of God.

When, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 statements on the door of the University Church in Wittenberg, Germany, the fires of reformation were kindled throughout the medieval church. That flame soon spread and became known as the Reformation. This turned out to be a tidal wave of truth that washed over the church, restoring it to a more authentic stance as the Bride of Christ. The Reformation, of which we are joyful children, was really a recovery of two things: The Bible as God’s Word, and the Gospel as God’s way of rescue. Today we look at the Reformation dogma known as sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone. Simply put, this is the belief that the Bible, and the Bible alone, can be known surely as God’s Word. As such, it carries the supreme authority of God to man and is the only authority that has the right to bind our consciences and demand our obedience. Other sources of truth may be helpful, but the Bible alone carries the authority of God.

One question we have as we watch Jesus’ disciples live with Him in the Gospel of Mark is this: How come those guys were so slow in coming to understand just who Jesus was and what He was bringing?In Mark 6:51-52, on the heels of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish, the disciples are "astonished" when the wind and waves cease in the presence of Jesus. We wonder: Why were they astonished? They had just seen Him multiply the bread, and they had watched Him heal the leper, raise a girl from death, walk on water, and a whole host of other miraculous displays of divine power? Why were they so blind? This question must have been in Mark’s mind as he wrote, for he provides the answer: "... they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened."Today we look at the peril of allowing our hearts to "harden," to grow hard to the influences of the Spirit, to be increasingly closed against God’s call to obedience. We’ll also see God’s provision for reversing the hard

The pull and passion of unrighteous sexuality has become the wallpaper of our society. It is all around us, and we have largely come to the place where we as Christ-followers hardly recoil at it. Sexual promiscuity is rampant within the Church, within the realm of evangelicalism, within families that fly the banner of Christian. And the price of ignoring this unwelcome situation is skyrocketing. Crisis pregnancy centers across the country report that 60% of those seeking counseling for unplanned pregnancies claim to attend evangelical churches. And we have long been dismayed at the fact that marital infidelity and divorce within the Church are statistically on par with the rest of society. As our society with its all-consuming desire for selfish fulfillment has re-defined, re-imagined, and re-packaged sexual activity, all too often Christ-followers have gone along with the crowd, and the results are more and more devastating. What shall we do? Our only righteous course of action is to get back to the basics o

In the past two sections Mark has given his readers a preview of the climactic element of the story of Jesus. Like John the Baptist, Jesus will be falsely accused, arrested, and brutally executed. Death is coming, but the result will not be a failed mission but the provision of eternal life for His sheep, as previewed in the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 who were like "sheep without a shepherd." The Great Shepherd will never leave the sheep to fend for themselves; rather, He will lead and feed them, and they will be satisfied!In this text for today we come asking an important question: Did Jesus’ disciples understand what God was revealing through Jesus? Did His miracles and His teaching lift the veil from their eyes so that they could see the truth of God in Jesus? Sadly, the answer is "no." And it is this startling fact that makes this story so important. While having a front row seat on the life and work of Jesus, His disciples did not respond in faith, but in confused astonishment. On the other hand, ma

In the past two sections Mark has given his readers a preview of the climactic element of the story of Jesus. Like John the Baptist, Jesus will be falsely accused, arrested, and brutally executed. Death is coming, but the result will not be a failed mission but the provision of eternal life for His sheep, as previewed in the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 who were like "sheep without a shepherd." The Great Shepherd will never leave the sheep to fend for themselves; rather, He will lead and feed them, and they will be satisfied!In this text for today we come asking an important question: Did Jesus’ disciples understand what God was revealing through Jesus? Did His miracles and His teaching lift the veil from their eyes so that they could see the truth of God in Jesus? Sadly, the answer is "no." And it is this startling fact that makes this story so important. While having a front row seat on the life and work of Jesus, His disciples did not respond in faith, but in confused astonishment. On the other hand, ma

With the picture of self-serving King Herod fresh in our minds, Mark now portrays the great contrast found in Jesus, the compassionate King who miraculously protects and provides for His people.The story of the miraculous feeding of 5,000 men - plus women and children! - serves as another important milestone in Mark’s telling of the story of Jesus, God’s sovereign Son. In contrast to Herod - the king who provides for himself and preys on the sheep - Jesus provides for His sheep and will one day lay down His life for them. He fulfills the dual Old Testament images of the Good Shepherd and the Great King, demonstrating once again that He is the One who will bring about the rescue of Creation long promised by God.And yet, as we will see, the people respond in a materialistic way. Even His disciples fail to understand the meaning of what they have just experienced. Today the situation is much the same. Many enjoy Jesus and the church because of what such a relationship offers them in temporal joy and satisfaction

Anyone familiar with the Gospels recognizes that their focus is the Passion of Jesus Christ. But in Mark’s Gospel, there are two passions, or death stories: John the Baptist, and Jesus.In the plan of God, John the Baptist played the role of forerunner. He was the designated advance man for Jesus the Messiah. He came announcing, and Jesus came fulfilling. We often think that John’s role ended when Jesus appeared, but it is clear in Mark’s Gospel that John’s life continued to be a "preview" or "foretaste" of what would come to characterize Jesus’ earthly mission. Today we look at the circumstances that culminated in the execution of John at the hands of Herod Antipas. And we will see that Mark intends us to recognize in John’s death a preview of the death of Jesus, through which the law of God was satisfied, the wrath of God turned aside, and the forgiveness and saving grace of God made our present possessions.

Anyone familiar with the Gospels recognizes that their focus is the Passion of Jesus Christ. But in Mark’s Gospel, there are two passions, or death stories: John the Baptist, and Jesus.In the plan of God, John the Baptist played the role of forerunner. He was the designated advance man for Jesus the Messiah. He came announcing, and Jesus came fulfilling. We often think that John’s role ended when Jesus appeared, but it is clear in Mark’s Gospel that John’s life continued to be a "preview" or "foretaste" of what would come to characterize Jesus’ earthly mission. Today we look at the circumstances that culminated in the execution of John at the hands of Herod Antipas. And we will see that Mark intends us to recognize in John’s death a preview of the death of Jesus, through which the law of God was satisfied, the wrath of God turned aside, and the forgiveness and saving grace of God made our present possessions.

In chapter 5 Jesus found faith in the most unusual circumstances among those one would hardly suspect of desiring to follow Him. Even more surprising, Jesus didn’t find faith in His hometown of Nazareth! But this did not derail the mission of the Kingdom. In fact, following the rejection in Nazareth, Jesus initiates a new phase in the ministry of the Kingdom by entrusting the message and heavenly authority to the 12 who have been with Him, and now are ready to go out as His representatives. As we listen to Jesus’ instructions to the 12, we recognize that even though centuries separate us, we share with them the privilege of partnering with Christ in the rescue mission of God. And even though we are not apostles and have not been entrusted with the abilities connected with that office, we still have the apostolic message, and we have the Spirit of God who can use that message to open blind eyes, deaf ears, and bring new life to hearts that have been deadened by sin. We are committed to teaching and modeling th

In chapter 5 Jesus found faith in the most unusual circumstances among those one would hardly suspect of desiring to follow Him. Even more surprising, Jesus didn’t find faith in His hometown of Nazareth! But this did not derail the mission of the Kingdom. In fact, following the rejection in Nazareth, Jesus initiates a new phase in the ministry of the Kingdom by entrusting the message and heavenly authority to the 12 who have been with Him, and now are ready to go out as His representatives.As we listen to Jesus’ instructions to the 12, we recognize that even though centuries separate us, we share with them the privilege of partnering with Christ in the rescue mission of God. And even though we are not apostles and have not been entrusted with the abilities connected with that office, we still have the apostolic message, and we have the Spirit of God who can use that message to open blind eyes, deaf ears, and bring new life to hearts that have been deadened by sin. We are committed to teaching and modeling the

Today we are back in our study of the Gospel of Mark. The first half of this book showcases Jesus as the Sovereign Son who has come bringing the kingdom authority and power of Heaven to bear on all creation. Jesus has demonstrated in both teaching and miracles that He is the promised Messiah, the One who will rescue all that sin has stolen. You would think that, given His amazing teaching and displays of miraculous power, everyone would recognize His Messianic office, and gladly follow Him. But in that day as in ours, many just don’t see the truth. They overlook Jesus! And we who have found real life and purpose and gracious forgiveness of our sins wonder: Why do people overlook Jesus? The answer has everything to do with their hard hearts. They come looking for something Jesus doesn’t offer while being blinded to all that He does. They refuse to give up their expectations, and as a result, they miss the hand of rescue that is so very near to them in Jesus Christ, the Savior of souls.

Being a Conspicuous Church1 Thessalonians 1:2-10Over the past two weeks we have seen that the church is a recognizable group of Christ-followers who are distinguished by their experience of the Gospel, their commitment to theological understanding, to authentic worship, and to the mission of Christ in the world. Today we unpack just what it means to be about the mission of Christ. Just what is this "righteous influence" that Jesus Christ intends to extend through His church? Are we on the earth to bring about external morality, or internal, eternal change through the Spirit and the Word? Today we return to inspect the church of Thessalonica and see through Paul’s description of them a strategy for today. This group of recognizable Christ-followers was conspicuous in their holy living, their doctrinal convictions, and for the way the word of the Lord "sounded forth" from them. Like the apostles before them (see: Acts 5:28), they were filling their world with the teachings of Jesus Christ, preparing the way wit