Grace Point Baptist Church's Podcast

He is Risen!

In 2019 we were all struck by the spectacle of the fire that destroyed the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The world seemed to be in anguish over the destruction of an 860-year-old building. Why were we so caught up in the destruction of a building most of us have never even seen in person? 

One reason is that we, as God’s created beings, desire transcendence; we have a desire for something that endures beyond our lives. ...

Do you know who Jesus is?

In Matthew 21, the religious leaders of the day didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and they questioned his authority, challenging,

“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ( Matthew 21:23).

Jesus took control of the conversation by returning their question with one of his own,

“The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25).

Jes...

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful concepts in the Bible.

In Matthew 18, the apostle Peter asks Jesus for some guidance with regards to forgiving a brother who seems to have offended him frequently.

Within the church family, there will always be people who offend or hurt one another, hence there will be opportunities for forgiveness to be practiced.

While it is hard, forgiveness is powerful because it removes the authority of the...

“When I get to Heaven I shall see three wonders there. The first will be to see many people there whom I did not expect to see, the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see, and the third and greatest wonder of all, will be to find myself there” John Newton.

The great hymn writer understood that it is all about grace, the unmerited favor of God shown to those who believe in the name of Jesus for salvation.

W...

The Parable of the Talents is one in a set of parables focused on the return of Jesus. Jesus was preparing his followers for his departure and the formation of the Church.  

This parable is about the Kingdom of Heaven. What does the king expect of his people? Or more directly, what does Jesus expect from us?

The Talent

The Greek word translated as “talent” is the word “talanton”, which was an ancient weight of currency. The master ent...

From time to time, Jesus would address a small group of people when he was teaching. This parable in Luke 18 was one of those occasions. We read in verse 9, “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.”

It would seem that this group had two primary character flaws:

1: They trusted in their own righteousness. They thought that their actions gave them right stan...

We live in an age when people avoid the inevitability of death. We don’t like to talk about death. When someone dies, often their body is quickly cremated, and those who are grieving try to move on as quickly as possible, avoiding pondering on the destination that we all face:, heaven or hell.

Jesus spoke a lot about heaven and hell, in particular the parable of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16.

Without getting too caught up...

If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that there are people that we would not be concerned about being outside of the grace of God. We all have a line.

This is part of our fallen human nature. During the time that Jesus walked the earth, the nation of Israel had people that they hated so much they declared them to be beyond the hope of redemption.

A Question for a Question

Jesus confronted this way of thinking and ch...

Once upon a time…

We all love a good story, don’t we?

Jesus was the greatest storyteller when he walked with his disciples. He taught many things in what we call parables, which are simple stories that reveal a deeper meaning. Jesus spoke in parables not simply to teach moral lessons in a way people would remember but to reveal the kingdom of heaven. There are multiple layers to every parable that Jesus taught, but each one shows us ...

September 11, 2001. A horrific attack shook the world, affecting countless lives. It was traumatic for the survivors and those who lost loved ones. It was a doorway that everyone had to go through.

Only the Lord knows the doorways of grief and trauma that potentially await us this year.

From Successful to Suffering

The biblical figure Job had to endure terrible and painful doorways. He was blameless and upright according to Job 1:8, y...

As we stand on the brink of a new year, I want to spend the next two weeks focusing on the prospect of changes that we all will be facing in the coming year.

Changes can be likened to doorways. Sometimes doors open to us, and we have the choice to step through them into a life change. It may be a new relationship or a job, or even a new home. Some people will graduate or receive a promotion. Others will retire. New doors can be stre...