Grace Chapel Knoxville Sermons

This week we were blessed to hear from Pastor Dave Buehring in a message on Jesus’ sermon on the mount from Matthew 5. We learned about the intentionality Jesus’ delivery as he spoke about the levels of spiritual maturity involved in a life following Christ with intention. As believers, we should be yielding to the Lord and allowing him to form us into people that live out each of these categories as we follow him in our daily walk.

As the ministry of Jesus grows, more and more people are becoming aware of him. There are many curious and needy people drawn to him, as well as a growing skepticism and opposition from religious leaders and even his own family. In the midst of this, Jesus focuses on what really matters - fulfilling his purpose and having others join him in life and ministry. He prayerfully identifies those who will be with him, serve alongside him, and be sent out on his behalf to minister. Living with Kingdom purpose and embracing our place in the Family of God was the role of Jesus’ disciples then, and remains our call today.

In today’s message, we look at the true purpose of the Law and Religious Tradition. In Mark's Gospel, we see that Jesus breaks from tradition and the “letter of the law” but never the heart of the law. In fact, he is restoring the true heart of the law. In our religious practices and traditions like fasting and practicing the Sabbath, let us consider the message of Jesus found in the scriptures we are exploring today - that the good thing that the Law anticipated and Tradition prepared us for is now here and present. Namely, God himself has come, bringing rest, freedom, healing, and new life!

This week, Pastor Jonathan taught on the story of Jesus calling Levi to be a disciple and the resulting dinner with sinners. The good news is we can all come to Jesus as we are, but when He calls us it’s so we will grow and change, becoming like Him. It’s so important that we take Jesus as He is, not as we want Him to be. Let’s resist the urge to try and make Jesus into the image we want. Instead, may we learn to follow Him, allowing Him to mold us into His image.

In week 4 of our study of Mark’s gospel, we discussed the story of the paralyzed man who was carried by his friends to see Jesus. The story of perseverance and courage displayed by his friends, as well as the clarity with which Jesus see’s the hearts of the people involved serves as a reminder that we follow a savior who recognizes the real eternal issues in our lives as well as having compassion for the temporary suffering that we endure. His forgiveness and grace gives each of us the opportunity to pick up the burdens we carried in the past and boldly walk with a testimony that only he can give.

This week, we finished chapter 1 of Mark’s gospel by discussing three miracles Jesus performed. Through these miracles, we can see and understand the authority and care with which Jesus handled different people and situations. While they are three very different situations, Jesus remains consistent. He deeply cares for the people in each scenario, but he also has unmistakable authority over the powers of darkness and disease. His authority is in each of us as believers, but it also serves as a refining fire for the dark places in our own hearts and lives. As we walk in His authority, consider if you are willing and able to accept the freedom He offers even when it feels difficult.

In Part 2, we continue diving into Mark Chapter 1 as Jesus begins his public ministry. Jesus’ primary message is sharing the Good News that the Kingdom of God is available to us. Jesus’ primary method is to make disciples so that God’s Kingdom grows in us and is shared with the world through us. The question is, will we respond to the good news of God’s Kingdom by submitting to Jesus’ leadership in our lives? Let’s embrace living as His disciples, according to His definition, not our own.

We kicked off a new series this week exploring the life and ministry of Jesus. In Mark’s gospel Jesus shows up “suddenly” and changes people’s lives. He comes to cleanse and purify us through the power of the cross and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let’s posture ourselves to respond to His presence and share His life with those around us.

This week was our Yearly Update. We discussed the heart of our church, our missions, and our finances. Our leadership values transparency and open dialogue, so this is a great check-in for our body to know the heart and plans as we enter a new year.

Last week Allison Allen taught on transitions and moving into new things and out of old. This week, Jonathan Allen taught us how God created new things and how the songs we sing are all important as we move out of the old and into the new.

This week, Allison Allen reminded us, as we enter a new year in a new building, why it is important to walk through seasons of transition with Jesus. Through the story of the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, Allison gave us some practical tools to use as we walk from one season to the next. Whether it be out of mourning or new life changes, scripture has plans that we can use to transition in a healthy way.

This week, we explored Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow found in Luke 18. Jesus teaches us that there is great power available when we are persistent in prayer. Despite all the challenges that could cause us to become weary and burdened, Jesus encourages us that when we draw near to God, we will find the strength we need to not lose heart.

Often, the week between Christmas and the New Year can be lost in a bit of a fog. But as we approach this New Year, let’s spend some time reflecting, looking back, and looking ahead. The journey of the Magi is a great guide to help us consider how we might treasure, trust, and hope in Jesus as we enter the year ahead.

Today, we finish our Remember series with a reminder of the vital importance of intentionally engaging in church community. The scripture gives some powerful examples of what a church community is like, may we all learn and embrace this truth and find our place in the family of God.

This week, we focused on the importance of living as disciples of Jesus. It’s vital that we understand what a disciple is, and that we live with intentionality in our personal lives and as a church community. Let’s commit ourselves to follow Jesus, be changed by Him, and live on mission with Him in our everyday lives.

Prayer is the foundation of our church and of our faith. Without prayer, we lose the intimate relationship we were gifted when Jesus died on the cross. In Matthew 6, Jesus taught us how to pray with the “Lord’s Prayer.” Prayer positions us to have the proper posture before the Lord, practice living in surrender to him, and rely upon his faithful provision and protection.

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s not just a yearly holiday; gratitude is such an important part of our daily walk with Jesus. The lesson we learn from the lepers in Luke 17 and 2 Kings 7 teaches us to express our gratitude, enjoy the presence of God, and move from grumbling to generosity. May we all grow in gratitude!

On Sunday, we celebrated that we passed our final inspection, and discussed plans for moving into the new building! We also continued in our Remember series discussing the Sabbath. The idol of busyness has become so ingrained within our culture that we now wear it as a badge of honor. God created us in His image, and part of our identity in him is rest. We are commanded to rest in the 10 commandments, but how often do we overlook that as a necessity for our lives? Instead of working to earn rest, let’s work from a place of rest, pacing ourselves to avoid burnout, and ultimately creating a church body that can be a place of healing and rest for others.

This week, we focused on the importance of not becoming isolated in just our local church life, but intentionally living with a greater awareness of the larger body of Christ. We are called to consistently pray for, refresh, love, and bless the church. Let’s look for ways to walk this out in our lives personally and as a local church body. Let’s pray for and encourage those who serve and expand the Kingdom of God all over Knoxville and around the world.

In part 3 of our series, we focus on the importance of each of us living with purpose as we go about our everyday lives. A big part of who we are as the people of God goes beyond our time of “gathering," as we are called to be intentional in our “scattering,” too. Let’s purpose to make disciples in our day-to-day lives right where we live and work.