Grace Baptist Santa Clarita: Service Podcast

This weekend, we see the final trial of Jesus before Pilate and the final betrayal of Jesus by His own people. The Messiah is rejected by those who claimed to be waiting for Him, as pain, mockery, humiliation, and condemnation, move the story to the foot of the cross.

As we finish John 18, we come to see the third betrayal of Jesus. First, there was Judas, and then Peter. But now we see the betrayal of the people. Faced with the choice between a robber and the Savior, they say “We’ll take Barabbas!” Their disastrous choice stems from their inability to see Jesus rightly, as Heaven’s King who brings a Kingdom, not of this world, but endued with the truth of eternal life.

Having been arrested, Jesus now faces interrogation from three officials. Annas, Caiaphas, and Pilate, all have the opportunity to question Him. And while it may appear the Jewish officials and the Roman government are in charge, the fact is Jesus is controlling every step on His path to the Cross. And along the way, we see the Savior as the Sovereign King, the Unapologetic Teacher, and the Courageous Shepherd.

This weekend, we continue our walk through John’s Gospel and encounter Peter, the leading disciple, as he denies any association with Jesus three times. This tough fisherman had boasted he would give his life to protect Jesus only hours before, yet, his bravado was no match for his deep seated commitment to self. This weekend, we learn the simple truth that there is a good amount of Peter in us all.

As we prepare to re-enter our study of John’s Gospel next weekend, we spend this weekend reminding ourselves of where we’ve been, and what we’ve learned. Think of it as riding in a hot- air balloon that slowly travels over the landscape of John’s writings about Heaven’s King, Jesus the Christ, who is God the Son.

Change is hard. And lasting change can, at times, seem impossible. It’s easy to make steps towards change, it’s another thing entirely to begin to faithfully walk in new rhythms. But we need more than willpower and more than determination. This isn’t a program problem — it’s a worldview problem. For real lasting change to happen, we need to reinforce and reinform what we believe, and then we need to form habits that are reflective of those beliefs. One is not enough without the other.

Years ago, Becky Pippert wrote a book on evangelism entitled, “Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World.” Now that’s an arresting title, and even a bit intimidating. As salt, we really like the salt shaker. It’s home. It’s comfortable because everyone is like us, and likes us. Outside, the world is just waiting to “a-salt” us, or so we think. Whatever the case, the whole idea is that our relationships are actually opportunities for the Savior, who means everything to us, to become everything to those around us. Well, too often, we just don’t realize the privilege that is ours in living the Gospel consistently and sharing the Gospel strategically. But, since that is the reason Jesus rescued and reformed us in the first place, let’s give it another try.

Cross-shaped love is the essence of Biblical engagement in the life of our faith family.

Everyone agrees. There is a big difference between a spectator and the person who is in the game. When it comes to church life according to the Bible, every Christ-follower is in the game with an essential part to play. In fact, the health and maturity of the Body of Christ depends on each of us giving our best to the team, engaging one another in life, truth, and service. We’re all in the game, and to win we’ll need what every member of the team contributes, to the glory of Christ.

This weekend we continue our consideration of Gather. Our goal is to build on the foundation of last week and pray for continued growth. Lots of people have their own understanding of what the Gathering should be, what it should look like and how it should feel. We all have preferences, but ultimately, Christ followers ask, “What does the Bridegroom think? What does He want my motivation to be?” We’ll consider all these things in Part 2 of our Gather, Engage, Reach series.

This weekend, we begin a new series meant to help us make the most of our partnership with Grace Baptist Church. Have you ever asked the question “Why should I go to church?” The Biblical answers may surprise you, but they are sure to make you think and, hopefully, remind you of the privilege that it is to be a beloved member of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

As we bring our Advent series to an end, we rejoice that the child born at Christmas is God the Son, sent by God the Father, to be the Savior of the world!

In the Ancient Near East at the time of the prophets, the label “shepherd” was combined with that of king to describe the actions that a good king took to rescue, restore, provide, and protect his people. Against the backdrop of the predatory leaders of Judah, the prophet Ezekiel declares God’s promise that one day, God Himself will arise and shepherd His people providing all they need perfectly and eternally.

Once again, we ask the question: What child is this? In Isaiah 52 and 53, we find an answer: He is the Servant who suffers in our place and for our benefit. This text walks us through the career of the Servant, from exaltation to humiliation and then back to an exalted position once again. And we must ask: Who is the Servant serving? The answer is two-fold: First, the Servant is serving the Triune God in carrying out the plan of redemption. But He is also serving us. His humiliation, sacrifice, and present intercession serve up a salvation and eternal acceptance before the throne of God that we could never have gained ourselves.

Today we begin the season of Advent, which comes from the Latin for “coming.” We celebrate the coming of Messiah, the Promised One, whose coming brought the light of salvation to a dark world. This year, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we will spend 4 weeks answering the question, “what child is this?” The first of many correct answers is found in Isaiah 9: He is the Sovereign Son who alone will bring peace to our souls, and eventually to all creation.

We all agree gratitude is an essential element in the well-lived life. No one enjoys an ingrate. But for the Christ-follower, being thankful is more than a social skill. It is the natural response of those who have been chosen by God and adopted into His family! As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us realize the privilege that is ours to live out the Love, Peace, and Word of Christ with abundant thankfulness.

This weekend we begin a two-week series on the Biblical privilege of gratitude. Throughout the Bible, the thankful heart is seen as the joyous response to the greatness of our God, and His love for us. As we enter the season of Thanksgiving, we are reminded that as redeemed and beloved children of God, we always have a reason to be thankful.

In this final section of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, we grapple with the overarching evidence of the believing community’s sanctification: the unity of the church. But what does this unity look like? What is its source, nature, and purpose? Fortunately, we are not left to our own imaginations or desires in answering these questions. Jesus gives us all the answers as He calls us to a unity that flows from our maturity.

In this second section of His High Priestly prayer, Jesus prays for His followers. In the first section, we saw Jesus as the pattern for our identity. Here we see His disciples as the pattern for our spirituality.