Grace City Church Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ok Series Part 5 Apr 21, 2024

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In Part 5 of our "OK Series: Ananias Said It," Pastor Andrew encourages us to see each other through the eyes of Jesus and choose to belive

Ok Series - Part 4 Apr 14, 2024

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As we continue our OK Series: Part 4: Moses Said It, Pastor Christina challenges us to trust in God's power knowing when He calls us, He will always provide for every step we take.

Ok Series: Part 3 Apr 07, 2024

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As he continues in his OK series, "Abram Said It," Pastor Andrew encourages us that, although the path may be completely unknown, as we walk in obedience to God, it will become clearer.

Ok Series - Part 2 Mar 31, 2024

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Pastor Andrew preached part two of our OK Series, Jesus Said It, on Easter weekend. In his message, he taught on Jesus' surrender and obedience to the Father as He faced the cross. He reminded us that Jesus drank his cup to empower us to drink ours.

Ok Series - Part 1 Mar 24, 2024

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In part one of our OK Series, Pastor Andrew teaches about Mary's obedience to God's call on her life to birth the savior of the world. In his message, Pastor Andrew teaches the significance of her obedience and her trust in God to do what He said He would do through her.

Identity Feb 25, 2024

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Pastor Christina spoke on the topic of Identity. In her message, she reminded us that our issues don’t define us, but our identity is to be found in who God created us to be.

Self-Inflicted Part Six Feb 18, 2024

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Pastor Andrew concluded our series, Self-Inflicted, with his message "It's In My Hands where he teaches about choosing a healthy mindset and Godly outlook on life.

Pastor Andrew concluded our series, Self-Inflicted, with a profound insight: The power of choosing a healthy mindset and Godly outlook on life. He emphasized the importance of guarding our perception, cautioning against the self-deception that can occur when we view reality through distorted lenses. It is easy to adopt false beliefs, deceiving ourselves with narratives that do not align with God’s truth.

To navigate this, we must identify what is true and what is false. We do this by what the bible calls “testing.” Ultimately, this process of testing is pivotal in determining our worldview. Will we see ourselves as victims of circumstance or as stewards of the diverse grace bestowed upon us by God?

In exploring the concept of grace, Pastor Andrew illuminated two distinct types of grace: the universal grace extended to all and the unique, varied grace of God. He cautioned against overstepping our bounds by attempting to manage the lives of others, which inevitably leads to frustration and fear. Such actions are caused by operating beyond our designated grace zone, hindering our personal growth and development.

It is a common misstep, Pastor Andrew noted, to covet another's grace zone without acknowledging the accompanying responsibilities. Instead, he encouraged us to embrace stewardship of our own gifts and talents, striving for fruitfulness rather than succumbing to frustration. We must recognize that we hold the keys to our own lives and empower us to take ownership and responsibility. In moments of doubt or uncertainty, Pastor Andrew reminded us of our spiritual authority over all things bestowed upon us by God. Through this lens of faith, we find reassurance and guidance, affirming our capacity to shape our destinies and fulfill our divine purpose.

Big Idea: Let’s be grateful that we are not victims of our circumstances while staying on guard to not become a victim of our outlook.

Reflective Questions:

• Are you stewarding well the things that God has given you?

• What kind of outlook do you have over your life? Discuss this in-depth with a trusted mentor or City Group Leader.

• What could you do this week that would help you operate in more of a Godly mindset/outlook on your life?

Statements to Declare Over Your Life:

• God has given me all that I need to be successful.

• I will be a good steward of all the things that God has given me.

• I believe God has good plans for me.

Self-Inflicted Part Five Feb 04, 2024

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Pastor Andrew continued our series Self-Inflicted with a message called Pride Is The Setup. Pride is often a contributing factor to self-inflicted wounds. The deception of pride is that it romanticizes selfish desires. Pride will intoxicate you, which will lead to a path of destruction. The word of God is very clear. Proverbs 16:5 states, “The Lord detests all the proud of heart.” This is a powerful and often painful scripture to read as it challenges our lives in many ways. God is attracted to genuine humility and a posture of heart that fully relies on the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Operating in pride tricks our thinking and decision-making into patterns and behaviors that lead to deep wounds of regret and destruction. The solution Pastor Andrew encouraged is to choose humility and surrender before the Lord.

Listed below are three simple yet profound ways Pastor Andrew challenged our church to grow in humility:

• Keep the guard rails up even when you're good.

• He gave you the exact thing you take pride in.

• Daily repentance.

Scriptures:

• Proverbs 16:18

• Jeremiah 9:23-26

Additional Scriptures:

• Ephesians 4:2

• Luke 14:11

• Proverbs 11:2

• Proverbs 15:33

Big Idea: Pride is a mirage that projects current strength at the cost of future gains.

Reflective Questions for the Week:

• What are some areas in your life you carry pride in?

• How has pride affected your relationships?

• What is one thing you could do this week to foster more humility in your life?

Statements to declare over your life:

• I am a humble servant of the Lord.

• Jesus is the Lord over all areas of my life

• I will use what God has blessed me with to build His kingdom, not my own.

Self-Inflicted Part Four Jan 28, 2024

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Pastor Christina continued our Self-Inflicted series and spoke on the topic of addiction. No matter where you find yourself as it pertains to addiction, we can find freedom as we take the courageous steps forward to acknowledge and become aware of where we currently are. What started as a longing for pleasure can easily turn into a coping mechanism for pain. There are two types of addictions: behavioral addiction and substance addiction. Whether it’s behavioral or substance, addiction can cause us to go on a search to numb the pain and discomfort of our lives rather than searching for what can fill the void that only Jesus can fill. Certain life-altering events can lead us to ease the pain. There are three categories of people as it pertains to addiction:

• They are in bondage but don’t know it.

• They are in bondage and know it.

• They are in bondage and want to be free but feel paralyzed in the healing process.

We have a choice to make. Do we seek God and professional help? Or do we run to numb the pain? We cannot heal if we conceal. A powerful and strategic process to help us overcome and move forward in our healing is to confess, respond, expect, and declare. Jesus came to set the captives free! We can all find freedom as we seek God and seek professional help! Now is the time to stop allowing our past to dictate our present. What’s on the other side of freedom is a life of healing and redemption. Listed below are five keys to your freedom, additional scripture readings, and declarations to speak over your life and healing.

5 Keys to Freedom:

• Presence of God

• Prepare

• Ask for help

• Know your triggers

• Protect the rules for recovery at all costs

Sermon Scriptures:

• Romans 7:15-23

Additional Scriptures:

• Galatians 5:1

• Romans 6:7

• 2 Corinthians 3:17

• John 8:32

• 1 Peter 2:16

Main Point: You can’t receive freedom until you first recognize you are in bondage.

Reflective Questions for the Week:

• In what areas of your life do you see addiction?

• What are the triggers that lead to you engaging in these addictions?

• What is one thing you can do this week to help you start your recovery process?

• What would your life look like if you were free from addiction? *Journal this, see this, feel this.

Statements to declare over your life:

• I am free from the bondage of addiction over my life.

• My family is free from the bondage of addiction.

• Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.

• God is the only way to fill the voids of my heart.

Self-Inflicted Part Three Jan 21, 2024

Show notes

Pastor Andrew delivered a profound message on recognizing self-inflicted wounds that we may foresee in our lives. Often, throughout our journey, it becomes tempting to downplay these wounds due to external success and performance. It's easy for us to believe we're thriving more than we truly are. Success can blind us to the impact of self-inflicted wounds in our personal and spiritual growth. We must be careful not to allow the fruit in our lives to fool us and not recognize the hidden dangers of compromise.

The scripture Pastor Andrew shared was from John 12. As he dissected the story, Pastor Andrew unveiled how Judas compromised his integrity, his relationship with Christ, and ultimately his influence. Despite being one of the twelve disciples and having a front-row seat to Jesus’s ministry, Judas, entrusted with leadership alongside Jesus, failed by betraying him. He traded eternal success for the illusion of external success.

The places where we're most trusted often become the arenas where we can cause the greatest harm. Significant self-inflicted wounds don't appear out of nowhere. When we are honest with ourselves, we can trace back and identify the self-inflicted wounds from our past. Today, we are challenged with the question: How do we recover from these self-inflicted wounds? The journey begins with honesty, self-reflection, and taking personal inventory of our spiritual growth.

Judas had the power to hit the brakes, pause, and course-correct. We cannot be so committed to the things in our lives that are clearly not working. He allowed his choices to become his identity, leading him on a path of destruction. We usually arrive at these choices by compromising our integrity. The good news is that your story doesn't have to end there! Recovery is possible by accepting responsibility and repenting. In turn, you will discover that God loves you and is for you. It's time to grow, mature, and course-correct the areas of our lives that are not bearing fruit.

Sermon Scriptures:

- John 12:1-6 NIV

- Matthew 26:14-16 ESV

- Matthew 26:20-25 ESV

Additional Scriptures to Explore:

- Mark 14: 3-8

Big Idea: The self-inflicted wounds that you can see coming can be both the most damaging and the most easily avoided.

Reflective questions for the week:

- What areas of your life do you see self-inflicted wounds coming?

- Where are you possibly compromising your integrity and relationship with Jesus?

- Take some time this week to write down a few areas of your life that you need to take personal inventory of.

- What is one spiritual discipline you could do this week that will allow you to connect with Jesus at a deeper level?