Thank you for stopping by, we love you already. Here are some recent sermons from Griggs Memorial Baptist Church. Always from the Bible. Always about Jesus. Let us know how we can have your back at griggschurch.com
Genesis 1:26-28 A sermon series about life in Jesus' church.
Colossians 1:21-29
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For some of you, you need to switch up your paradigm. You have come to this podcast thinking that God is not so great with communication. He says he is. He gives us both general and special revelation. He even sends to us Jesus, the ultimate revelation. Perhaps we're not as good at listening as we assumed we were. We have many inside and outside of the church wondering why God has never shown up and given them a sign or a miracle. Or why he won't make it obvious where to work, or where to move, or who to marry, or what their next step is. While the Psalms welcome those questions, acknowledge those feelings, and even encourage us to pray those notions back to God, the Psalms say these feelings are not to be believed. When you feel that God is silent, acknowledge it but don't trust it. Believe something else. Believe that God communicates and communicates perfectly. Then, learn to respect and respond to what he says from the heart.
When we truly stare up at the absolutely vast universe above us, we are humbled. With all the planets and stars above us why is God even interested in having a relationship with us? David is marveling at that question. But notice, that though David recognizes and embraces his smallness, he doesn't go to a place of despair. He doesn't worry about being abandoned or forgotten in this Psalm. He feels small, but he doesn't say “ I don't even matter.” Or "God has bigger things to do than help me out." He embraces his smallness, but he also embraces his significance. He moves on to talk about how God is mindful of us and God visits us. God gives us dominion over the rest of creation. It's this balance of small but significant that puts David and us in the proper position for blessedness and worship. The very place we were created to be.
On this side of the New Testament, we know the king foretold in the Psalms is Jesus, the son of David. In this sermon, we discuss how this understanding transforms our experience of chaos and makes it much more tolerable.
Psalm 1 is a unique psalm. It lacks a stated author or a corresponding event in its preface. Unlike other psalms, there are no commandments like "go and do this or that." It is simply a reflection of the author's observations. What has the author observed? Possibly the entirety of the Psalms. Many scholars believe that Psalm 1 was written after most of the Psalms were collected and was intentionally placed first in the book. It's as if someone meditated on the majority of the Psalms and, like an explorer who first enters a new land, returned to the border to set up a grand, glorious sign marking the territory, indicating what you will find as you explore further. Psalm 1 serves as a grand, glorious gateway to the Psalms. It's similar to driving into Disney World. If you ever visit Orlando, you will drive through an entrance to the Disney property where there is a giant Mickey and Minnie sign. Above them, it says, "The most magical place on earth." We went to Florida a couple of months ago and didn't tell the kids where we were going. But as soon as we drove through the Disney entrance, they knew exactly where they were and what they would find. They screamed for joy, and my ears are still ringing. As we drive through the gate of Psalm 1, we pass under a sign with a few observations that let us know where we are and what we will find as we enter the land of the Psalms. The observations are these: It's a land of two options. One of these options is good news. These options don't play out quite like you'd think, but their endings are certain. That's what's on the sign, the gateway of Psalm 1. Although Psalm 1 doesn't tell us to pick an option, it leaves us wondering which one we will choose. The essence of the Psalm is to choose wisely.
Many people have a favorite Psalm, including myself. Even more people have a favorite verse from a single Psalm. That's great. However, focusing in on a single Psalm, or a single line from a Psalm is great in the way having a sea shell is great. It's beautiful, it's special, you can make jewelry out of it and wear it wherever you go. But when we behold the entire book of Psalms (The Psalter), understanding the reason these poems, songs, and prayers are ordered the way they are, and how the various sections of the Psalms work together — it's like we have the whole ocean along with the entire shoreline. We understand our favorite Psalms more richly when we see that it's just one chapter of a book (The book of Psalms). And that book has a message. That message is the good news that God is with us when the waves are raging or when the sea is calm and tranquil. Not only is he with us, he is bringing us through the waters. He turns disorientation into reorientation. He turns our burdens into blessings. He does this through prayer and he does this through a king like David (JESUS!) who conquers the enemy and reigns with mercy and justice.
Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Titus 2:1-10 We're all trying to follow Jesus, but Lifestage plays a part in how we do this. So as a Father, I have to follow Jesus by correcting my children even when I dont feel like having a fight. As a teenager, following Jesus might be trying to care about school, even though you don't…but that's where God has you. Both mean following Jesus by mimicking his selflessness and endurance, but it plays out differently based on Lifestage. The point of the text we're going through here is this: The church is at its strongest when we're all following Jesus according to the life stages that we're individually in and when we help others do the same. www.griggschurch.com
John 19 on Palm Sunday Thank you for learning alongside us. Let us know how we can pray for you. We are a revitalizing church in the Poe Mill neighborhood of Greenville, SC. Our mission is to make disciples that transform our neighborhood with the gospel of Jesus. Our vision is to see Jesus-centered living, church revitalization, and neighborhood-based missions happening in Poe Mill, West Greenville, and beyond! If you have any questions for us, email us at info@griggschurch.com. Come by any time. If you'd like to partner with us go to griggschurch.com/give
John 15 Thank you for learning alongside us. Let us know how we can pray for you. We are a revitalizing church in the Poe Mill neighborhood of Greenville, SC. Our mission is to make disciples that transform our neighborhood with the gospel of Jesus. Our vision is to see Jesus-centered living, church revitalization, and neighborhood-based missions happening in Poe Mill, West Greenville, and beyond! If you have any questions for us, email us at info@griggschurch.com. Come by any time. If you'd like to partner with us go to griggschurch.com/give
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