Grace Church Abu Dhabi Sermons
How does knowing Christ make us commandment keepers?
Fellowship with God is for those who walk in the light. 1 John 1:5-10
Fellowship with the God of Life is offered to those who trust the historical Jesus.
Psalm 16 beautifully expresses a heart of humble submission to God as our refuge, Lord, and treasure. In this psalm, David proclaims that only by trusting in God as our Savior, Lord and Treasure, can we experience full security, lasting joy and deep pleasures found in Him alone.
Psalm 84 declares that the joy of being in God's house is greater than anything else. Those who dwell permanently in God's house, as well as those who are on pilgrimage to his house, are blessed forever. For us as Christians, Psalm 84 is a reminder of our final destination of dwelling in God's presence forever and that our lives even now are to be marked by joy as we journey through this present evil age up towards eternal glory in Christ.
How do we trust God through pain and suffering?
We can have the greatest treasure in the universe, if we know the risen Jesus.
In this sermon we start with Colossians 2:13-14, which shows that God has already forgiven all the sins of all who trust Christ, and then learn from Psalm 51 that the reason we confess sin is to confirm to us that we are already forgiven, and to cleanse and fill us with God's forgiving love in Christ.
God blesses his people that that he may be worshiped joyfully among all nations.
When we are threatened by wicked people, Psalm 36 reminds us to meditate on God's love and faithfulness and to pray that we may experience God as a refuge and treasure.
God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence reveal His greatness, yet Psalm 139 shows He is not distant. He knows us completely, is with us always, and loves us faithfully.
Psalm 22- Jesus says in Luke 24:44 that everything written about him in the Psalms must be fulfilled. Psalm 22 is referred to often in the New Testament, particularly in relation to Jesus' crucifixion. Seeing such connections help us to treasure Jesus, rejoice in our salvation, and learn how to suffering well in faith with Christ to the glory of God.
In Psalm 19 David's aim is to help us feel the value and pleasure we have in God's Word, so we will devote ourselves both to God's Word, and to prayer that God will use his Word in our lives.
This psalm teaches us how we should respond when we're trusting Christ, walking in obedience, but have been feeling far from God for a while.
If God is your shepherd, you can trust him to give and be everything you truly need.
Psalm 1 presents a striking contrast between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. This sermon explores what it means to delight in God's Word, remain firmly rooted in Him, and avoid influences that lead us away from His truth. As we reflect on this psalm, we are challenged to evaluate our walk with God and commit to a life that flourishes under His guidance.
To effectively battle temptation, we must understand the root cause of temptation, and focus on that root cause. In this message we learn from Scripture that the root cause of temptation is unbelief, since unbelief blinds us to the superior joy we have in Christ. We also discover that the way to overcome unbelief is by strategically using God's word, since "faith comes by hearing" (Rom 10:17).
The fact that God has attached promises to every command in the Bible shows that God wants all of our obedience to be helped and motivated and empowered by his promises. In this sermon we see this truth taught in 2 Peter 1:4, and illustrated in the life of Moses (Heb 11:24-26).
In Romans 8:28 Paul tells us that God promises that every trial that comes our way is planned by God to bring us good, and vv.29-30, along with 2 Corinthians 3:18, help us see what that amazing good is.
Some people think we start the Christian life by faith, but then continue by our own efforts. But in this message you will learn why it's so important to live by faith, and how that means trusting all that God promises us in Christ Jesus.
As we begin our annual Week of Prayer, we dig into Ezra 8:21-23 and ask (1) why should we fast, (2) how should we pray, and (3) why should we pray. This passage gives motivating and encouraging answers to each question.
In James 4:1-10 we learn what causes quarrels, why this cause is so serious, and how God in his grace can free us from this problem.
Matthew 1:18-2:12. In this passage Matthew tells us why Jesus' birth is so important, and gives us three reasons we can be confident that Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.
Isaiah 9:6-7. This sermon explores the Old Testament prophecies foretelling the birth of Jesus, highlighting the anticipation and fulfillment of God's promises through the arrival of the Savior. It emphasizes the significance of Jesus' birth as the ultimate realization of divine prophecy and the hope it brings to the world
In this sermon we learn from Acts 2:14-21 that God is still giving the more supernatural spiritual gifts like prophecy, and that in the New Testament prophecy is an encouraging gift from God, but it is not equal to Scripture. It must be judged by Scripture.
In this passage Paul says that for the sake of loving others, and because God is still giving the more obviously supernatural spiritual gifts, we should earnestly desire them, especially prophecy.
The Word of God, both the preaching and hearing of it, must be central in our worship if we want to truly enjoy God's presence. In the example of Josiah in 2 Chronicles 34 we see what it looks like for the Word of God to be central in our worship as the church.
In John 4 Jesus explains that true worship must be in spirit and truth, and in this message we dig into what those each mean, and why they are so important.
Because each church family is to be God's temple, God's dwelling place, our purpose in gathering is to meet God together. This sermon shows where that's taught in Scripture, and gives practical ways we can pursue this amazing purpose.
In 2 Corinthians 3:12 - 4:6 Paul describes how the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant, and answers three crucial questions: (1) if the New Covenant is superior, why do some not believe? (2) If Satan blinds people, why do some end up seeing? (3) What does this mean for how we do ministry?
This message summarizes Colossians' main point, which is that Christ's infinite worth motivates us not to drift from him, but instead to walk in him. It also unpacks the last 12 verses of Colossians to show some ways that Christ's infinite worth transforms us.
How do we live faithfully toward outsiders as believers? Paul calls believers in Colossians 4:5-6 to live and speak faithfully toward outsiders with wisdom
Paul calls us to be make prayer a regular part of our lives, to pray against temptations we face, to pray with thankfulness to God for all he has done, and to pray for the advance of the gospel.
In this passage Paul helps believing bondservants and their believing masters know how God wants them to relate to each other.
In these two verses the Apostle Paul calls on children and parents to fulfill their familial roles as those who have been renewed in the image of their Creator through faith in Christ. Through the power of Christ and his Spirit both parents and children can please the Lord and bring glory to him by obedience, discipline, and love!
As we see in Colossians 3:18-19 and Ephesians 5:22-33, God calls husbands and wives to different roles in marriage, because these roles will give the world a beautiful picture of Christ's love for the church.
In this passage Paul tells us what we can do individually and together to grow in love, and provides four powerful reasons that the Holy Spirit will use to empower us to obey.
In this passage Paul gives his readers challenging commands regarding sins like sexual purity, covetousness, and anger. But he also gives us reasons that God will use to help us obey these commands -- reasons which all connect to the fact that Christ is our only source of true life.
Paul urges his readers to seek our life in Christ by beholding him as supreme over all, and gives four powerful reasons to motivate us to persevere in this.
This sermon examines Colossians 2:16-23, challenging believers to focus on Christ as the substance of their faith, rather than getting sidetracked by religious rituals, worldly pressures, or human-made rules that cannot stop the indulgence of the flesh.
Here Paul urges these believers to keep receiving all they need from Jesus Christ, and not to be taken captive by anything else, because of six powerful truths about our Savior.
In this passage Paul gives four reasons from his own life for why we should not let anything draw us away from Christ -- because his joy in suffering shows the reality of Christ, because Christ dwells in believing Jews and Gentiles with the hope of glory, because in Christ we will receive encouragement, a community of loving believers, full assurance, and wisdom and knowledge, and because Christ gives us good order and firm faith.
In this passage Paul counters the false teachers who tried to draw believers away from Christ, by giving seven reasons why we should keep our hearts glued to Christ.
In this passage Paul counters the false teachers who tried to draw believers away from Christ, by giving seven reasons why we should keep our hearts glued to Christ.
In this passage we see that Paul was devoted to prayer for other believers, and that the focus of his prayer was on believers' spiritual growth.
Baptism is a powerful picture of how, when we trust Christ, we are united to Christ in his death and resurrection. In this sermon we explore what it means to die and rise with Christ, why this is so important, and how baptism pictures this wonderful transformation.gful.
As Paul describes his thankfulness for the church at Colossae, he teaches us that God uses our future hope to strengthen our faith in Christ and our love for each other.
Looking at Hebrews 1:1-4 to discover the supremacy of Christ above all things
As Paul concludes his letter to the church of Rome, he warns them of the danger of false teachers, equips them to resist false teaching, and encourages their hearts in the Lord.
In these 16 verses Paul commends and greets over 30 people, and shows us five essential characteristics of Christ-centered community.
As Paul explains to the believers in Rome why he has not yet visited them, we can see six aspects of his life that God would want us to imitate.