Grace Chapel Podcast | Leiper’s Fork, TN

Whether you're wresting with fear, shame, or discouragement, Hebrews 2 points us to our true hope—Jesus, the Champion of our salvation. He stood in our place, defeated death, and now calls us His family! When we fix our eyes on Him, our lives are transformed, bringing freedom, victory, and abundant life.

The book of Hebrews is a powerful letter that reveals Jesus Christ as the final and complete Word of God. In a world full of uncertainty. Hebrews calls us to fix our eyes on the glory, supremacy, and unshakable truth of Jesus, who invites us into relationship with Him.

What if our biggest obstacle to faith isn't intellectual—but personal? This week, we tackle the deeper reason so many resist Jesus: not because He hasn't proven Himself, but because if He is who He says He is, it means we're no longer in charge. It's not just about answering our questions—it's about surrendering our autonomy. Whether you're a skeptic, a seeker, or a longtime believer, it's crucial to confront the deeper issue behind unbelief and consider what it really means to trust Jesus with your whole life.

Are science and religion incompatible? With the advancement of technology and science, some would argue that science has disproved Christianity. But while science can observe and describe what we are, it cannot answer who we are—we must look back, look within, and look up.

If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world? If you've asked this question, you're not alone. We live in a fallen world where sin has broken into the fabric of every good thing God has created. But here's the good news—the Bible tells us that God is not indifferent to our suffering. He responds to it with His presence, purpose, and a promise to ultimately make all things new.

Why is God so violent in the Old Testament? This is one of the biggest questions that people wrestle with when it comes to the Bible. But God's character is the same across both the Old and New Testament. God is never against people, He's against evil.

Easter Sunday is a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus who rose from the grave—defeating death and offering new life to all who believe in Him! But did Jesus really rise from the dead? Is Christianity just a myth? The resurrection of Jesus is not just a story, but is rational, powerful, and personal.

One of the biggest questions people wrestle with is: How could a loving God send people to hell? But the better question is: Why would God die to save me from it? In Luke 16, Jesus' teaching on the reality of hell isn't just a warning—it actually helps us to better understand ourselves, live at peace in a broken world, and truly receive God's love.

If you're exploring faith, you may be wrestling with the question: Hasn't Christianity caused injustice? Hasn't it promoted slavery and violence, like during the Crusades? But when we dig into Scripture, we see these actions do not reflect God's heart. The truth is, not everything done in God's name is of God.

As universalist statements have become increasingly popular, it leaves us asking the question: Is there only one way to God? How do we know if Jesus is the only way to God or if there are many paths? But what seems exclusive in the person of Jesus is actually the most widely inclusive invitation and worldview in human history.

One of the biggest rejections to Christianity today is simply, “Can I trust the Bible?” How do we know that it wasn't made up, or that the stories didn't change over time? Asking the hard questions is imperative, and this week, we dug into the historical accuracy and authority of the Bible.

Even in the most painful and difficult situations, God can transform what was meant for evil into something good. Whether your marriage and relationships are flourishing or struggling, God relentlessly pursues to redeem the lost and broken. 

God designed marriage as a sacred covenant, but in a fallen world, what does Jesus say about divorce? Even in the midst of the most painful circumstances, God has grace and redemption for every one of us. He can transform our greatest trials into testimonies of His grace.

God created both men and women in His image, His character, and His nature, designing His children with intrinsic value. The Bible holds both male and female, masculine and feminine, as distinctly different but unbelievably important and equal in value.

Singleness is a gift from God, and it is a noble calling—one that is given for the purpose of serving Jesus and advancing His Kingdom. Biblical singleness, or celibacy, goes far beyond abstinence. It is about fully dedicating one's time, talents, and resources to serve God.

There are two common worldviews of sex: that it's just physical, or it is something to be ashamed of. But the Bible tells us that it is deeply spiritual and a sacred gift, designed to be enjoyed within the confines of marriage. When we align our lives with God's design for relationships, it brings life, healing, and freedom.

How did God design the marriage relationship to function? How do healthy marriages thrive? By growing in our love for God and looking to Him to meet all of our needs, we are then able to show Christlike love to our spouse and center the relationship on biblical values.

Just as the disciples were apprentices of Jesus, reflecting His way of life, we are called to do the same. The question isn't just “What would Jesus do?” but “How would Jesus live His life if He were me?”

In John 15, Jesus invites us to abide in Him — but how do we live this out? By cultivating spiritual practices such as prayer, reading Scripture, and building community, not only does our outward behavior change, but our character is transformed and made new.

Like Simon Peter, in Luke 5:1-11, we are called to surrender our plans and follow Jesus, trusting Him even when it doesn't make sense. Jesus invites us into a new, transformative life that is set free from the power of sin.

Today marked our first official Sunday as Southall Church! As we step into this new season, Pastor Rob shared about how we, as Christians, embrace and enter a new chapter with a renewed commitment, as a new creation.

In the midst of darkness and despair, God answered by sending His son, Jesus, bringing light and hope to a weary world. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus offers redemption and victory over sin to anyone who receives Him.

1 Peter 5:1-11 tells us that by trusting God's timing, humbling ourselves before Him, and resisting the enemy, we can hold onto the hope that Christ will restore and strengthen us, no matter what we are facing.

In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter calls Christians in “fiery trials” to remain sober-minded, rejoice in the glory of God, and resist the devil's tactics by standing firm in their faith.  

Are you focused on things that truly matter? We want to live radically different lives—lives that are armed with the mind of Christ, lives that swim against the current, and lives that are focused on the return of Christ!

How do we find strength, hope, and courage to preserve in the midst of the disappointments, toil, and pain of life? In 1 Peter 3, Peter says to respond to these difficulties through seeking peace, standing firm, and celebrating the Gospel.

How do we patiently and persistently show up in a way that is pleasing to God in our work, our homes, and our relationship to the government? How do we honor Christ in all of our complex and difficult circumstances? We are to look to the founder of our faith and follow the example He set for us in 1 Peter 2:22-24.

As exiles and sojourners, our role is to engage faithfully, endure patiently, persevere through injustice, and know that Jesus is the King.

1 Peter 2:4-10 tells us that God is the builder, Jesus is the cornerstone, and we are living stones. We are being fashioned together by the master builder to become a dwelling place for the Spirit of God!

In Christ, you don't have fading life. You have everlasting life. For the rest of our time here on earth, as exiles, waiting for our true home, we are invited into a life of grace and growth.

In 1 Peter 1:13-16, Peter gives us five commands in light of a purified faith, salvation, and the inevitable return of Christ: Prepare your mind, be sober-minded, set your hope, don't go back, and be holy!

How do we navigate the days in which we're living? What does it mean to be faithful citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven while living in the empires of men? One simple fact remains: Empires come and go, but the Kingdom of God remains forever.

In the good and difficult seasons of life, how do we know that we're making progress as followers of Christ? How do we know what our next steps are? The Discipleship Pathway lists the five stages of spiritual growth in which we can identify where we've been, where we are, and where we want to go.

Centering on the Gospel, bridging generations, building strong families, and living beyond ourselves are our values that keep us focused on the mission to follow Jesus, become like Jesus, and live as Jesus lived.

In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” From this passage comes our mission statement and the definition of a disciple—someone who is following Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and living as Jesus lived!

 This Sunday, Pastor Rob kicked off our Vision series and clarified the vision that is taking us into the good future that God has for our church! 

Why is it that we're not more courageous in sharing our faith with others? What's keeping us from speaking up about Jesus? If we want to grow in our boldness and willingness to share our faith with others, we must 1) Be with Jesus and 2) Ask for courage.

We've all experienced the grace of God, and sharing our story has the power to change lives! Even though we might be timid about sharing our story when the doors open to conversations about our faith, let's step out of the boat and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in those moments. 

We serve others because God served us! He laid down His life for us before we knew Him or even believed in Him. By serving the people around us, we are building an incredible relational bridge that God uses to open the door to conversations about Jesus.

What would happen if we prioritized loving our neighbors in the same way that Jesus modeled? If we take ownership and personal responsibility to “love our neighbors as ourselves” by breaking bread with those in our community, it will open doors for Biblical conversations and remove obstacles so that people far from God can come to know Him.

How do we fish for men? Jesus alone can give us a perfect picture of how to navigate difficult conversation with people in a way that shows the love of God to a hurting and broken world.

We can love the lost, serve, be a blessing, carry burdens, and overcome obstacles, but we must start with prayer because God is ultimately the only one who can change the human heart! So, we follow Jesus' example in Acts by praying for open eyes, open doors, and open hearts.

This week, Pastor Rob kicked off our Fishers of Men series. When we recognize that Jesus came for the lost and broken, and when we recognize who He is and what He's done for us, our only reasonable response is to give our whole lives to Him and His mission to make disciples of all nations, to do whatever it takes to carry burdens, and overcome obstacles to get people to Jesus, and to become fishers of men.    

This morning, Pastor Rob ended our Faith that Works series by preaching on James 5:13-20 and answering questions like: What is the prayer of faith? Does the prayer of faith guarantee healing? Why do we use anointing oil?

 In James 5:7-12, James gives three examples of how to patiently wait for the coming of the Lord: The endurance of a farmer, the long suffering of the prophets, and the perseverance of Job. 

Today, Pastor Dave Buering guided us through the Sermon on the Mount and recited Matthew 5-7 to create an intentional moment to reflect on the words of Jesus. 

 In James 5:1-6, James warns against greed because it leads to hoarding, self-indulgence, and injustice. But the antidote to greed is intentional financial generosity. 

In James 4:13-17, James says that human life is like a mist, here for a moment and gone the next. Knowing this, how do we approach the future? By trusting in the providence of God.

Today, Pastor Dave Buehring preached on James 4:1-12. In this passage, James is addressing Jewish believers on the war within themselves, their friendship with the world, and the importance of submitting to God.

In James 3:13-18, James tells us there are two types of wisdom: heavenly wisdom and worldly wisdom. Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, fruitful, impartial, and sincere, and God invites us to pursue it!