Grace Chapel Podcast | Leipers Fork, Tn

Throughout this series we’re going to be talking about how the gospel affects every aspect of our lives. This morning Pastor Rob explained that the gospel changes the way that we approach our work. Often times we view our jobs as simply a means to provide for our needs, or a way to find purpose and value rather than realizing that we already have value in our identity in Christ. We are more than what we achieve or what we accomplish. This is why the gospel should change the way you view your work. It changes the reasons that you work. It’s not about earning a salary or obtaining an identity, it’s about fulfilling a calling given to you by God to bring glory to His name in everything you do. Not because you’re earning something from God, but because God has already given you everything you need in the person of Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to work to serve the people around us and to be an example of Jesus by doing great work out in the world.

This morning Pastor Rob kicked off this new series focused on what it looks like to live a gospel-centered life, and how that fits into our mission of being a disciple-making church. When we say gospel-centered, what we’re saying is that your whole life–your actions, your life decisions, your family, your marriage, your wealth, and relationships–are all informed, and completely shaped by your understanding of the gospel.Over the next 5 weeks we’re going to walk through what it looks like to truly make the gospel the center of your life as a follower of Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26Jesus is saying here “if you trust in Me, my resurrection life will live in you!” In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the power of death has been broken forever. The invitation is extended for anyone to receive new life through Him. It’s not about being good enough, or ready enough because it’s not about how good you are–it’s about how good He is. In fact, God already knows more about you than you even know about yourself. Before you were in your mother’s womb, God knew everything about you! He knows your sins, He knows your failures, and He brought you to this very moment anyway. He came because He loves you. He died because He loves you. He rose because He loves you. And today, right now, He wants you to know, He didn’t come to condemn you, He came so that you wouldn’t perish, but have everlasting li

On this Palm Sunday, Pastor Rob led us through Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus came humbly, and lowly riding on a donkey. The people laid down their cloaks and palm branches before Him, they worshipped Jesus as the King of Heaven and Earth, and He didn’t stop them, He received it. The crowds were shouting, “Hosanna in the highest!” and the word hosanna means to save. The people thought Jesus was coming to make everything right for them, but Jesus was coming to make them right with God.

On this Vision Sunday, we celebrated what God has done in and through the Grace Chapel family, we talked about where we currently are, and Pastor Rob shared where we’re going as a church body. Together, we’re going to focus on one thing–making disciples. If we’re going to impact the world, we have to start by investing in a few! Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing more details about what it means for us to follow Jesus, be changed by Jesus, and be on mission for Jesus.

We had the honor of having Pastor Jim Putman from Real Life Ministries share with us the topic of relational discipleship. The Church is called to be and make disciples not converts, and Jesus’ method for making disciples was through the context of a real relationship with others. Jesus gave us a definition for a disciple, which is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus. Every command God gives promotes and protects relationship and maturity in Christ is your ability to love well in difficult situations and with difficult people.

In the final week of our ACTS series, Pastor Rob spoke on how the book of Acts is an invitation to live on mission, carry the Gospel, exemplify Jesus, and make disciple-makers, as we receive power from the Holy Spirit to make an impact in Middle Tennessee, the Southeastern US, and to the ends of the earth.

For ACTS // Story 40, we have the honor of having Pastor Chris Whitney from One Generation Away speak to us out of Acts 27:13-44. He gives us five lessons out of this passage for going through the storms in life: baggage, hearing, lives tied to our obedience, honor, and favor. Ultimately, circumstances do not change who God is and the plan He has for you.

This week Pastor Rob and Pastor Jimmy discuss Paul sailing for Rome in Acts 27:1-12.

In ACTS // Story 38, Pastor Rob preaches out of Acts 26:15-32 where after being accused of multiple crimes, Paul gives a defense to King Agrippa II. While Paul was speaking, Governor Festus interrupts to tell him that he is out of his mind, and King Agrippa asks if Paul is trying to convert him. Paul doesn’t respond to them by throwing a tantrum or becoming arrogant. He remains poised by answering them kindly and respectfully. Nothing proves the sincerity of your beliefs like your willingness to patiently suffer for them. Paul endured suffering for years through many interrogations, beatings, being unjustly imprisoned–and yet instead of defending himself before these powerful men, he seizes the opportunity to preach the gospel and point them to Jesus.

This week Pastor Rob and Pastor Jimmy discuss Appeals to Caesar in Acts 25:1-12.

We’re honored to have Pastor Don Finto with us for ACTS // Story 36 and he shares on finding peace, joy, and optimism amidst difficult circumstances – a posture the Apostle Paul was well-acquainted with throughout his ministry as recorded in Acts. Pastor Don says the pathway to these things is to obey Jesus’ commands, embrace His promises, pay attention to Holy Spirit promptings, and be aggressively and Godly persistent to lay hold of the promises of God in scripture.

This week Pastor Rob and Pastor Jimmy discuss Paul before the Roman Tribunal in Acts 22:22-23:11.

In story 33 and 34 of our ACTS series, Pastor Rob speaks on Acts 21:37-22:22 where a riot has just broken out in Jerusalem because of the word that Paul was teaching. In the midst of being beaten, placed in chains, and his life threatened, Paul courageously shares the Gospel regardless of the consequences. What we do in moments where courage is required, even in the smallest, seemingly most insignificant moments, matters. We may never know the impact we leave on someone’s life. It’s a beautiful picture of the reality that our words and our actions matter, and can make an impact that we may never know this side of heaven.

This week Pastor Rob and Pastor Jimmy discuss Paul in Jerusalem in Acts 21:1-26.

In ACTS // Story 31, Pastor Rob preaches out of Acts 20:17-37 where Paul is about to give his farewell address to the Ephesian elders and overseers and depart for Jerusalem. This speech is the only place in the entire book of Acts where a public address is specifically targeted toward Christians and leaders of the church. What we see is that the Apostle Paul teaches on what it means to be a Gospel-centered church, which means that everything we are and everything we do is based on, informed by, and permeated by everything that King Jesus has accomplished, modeled, commanded, and empowered us to do. Paul sets some healthy benchmarks on what it means to be a Gospel-centered church: Preaching & Teaching, Persistent & Profitable, Public & Private, Insiders & Outsiders, and Repentance & Faith.

This week Pastor Rob and Pastor Jimmy discuss Acts 19:21-41.

ACTS // Story 29 is out of Acts 19:11-20 where the sons of Sceva were trying to mimic the power of God that operated through Paul by trying to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits. These guys witness the miracles that God is doing through Paul and they tried replicating what Paul did without the authenticating power of God! One of the core lessons in this story for us as followers of Jesus is to know who we are in Christ and the spiritual authority given to us by and through Jesus. We are not to walk in spiritual timidity, or spiritual vanity, but the spiritual authority that has been given to us by the grace of God. This same grace has allowed us to have a brand new identity as a son or as a daughter of the King. Spiritual authority is not about what you can do, it’s about who you are in Christ.

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