Amazing Grace Community Church

The Turtledove Offering

Mary and Joseph were simple people living in a poor rural village when God chose them to do something extraordinary.  This required them to follow the Mosaic Law—by Faith.  They ushered in the One who would bring Grace and Truth.  Ironically, they followed the Law to participate in removing the Law which would usher in Grace.

This was no ordinary run-of-the-mill event.

They presented baby Jesus at the temple where God would use two faithful servants to declare the beginning of this transition.

Scriptures: Matthew 1:17-25;  Luke 2:22-24.25-40;  Leviticus 12:1-8;  Exodus 13:1,2,11-16

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

Who Doesn't Love Receiving a Gift?

Christmas is about the giving of gifts.  To be specific, it is about one gift that has been given.  This gift continues to be received by new recipients every year.  While it isn’t restrained to one day each year, that specific day does come each year.  year in and year out.  It’s a day that fractured the calendar.  It’s a gift that has been opened each year for 2000+ years.

HOW DO WE EXPLAIN WHAT A GIFT IS?

Scriptures:  John 3:16-21

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

Simplicity births Extraordinary

Mary and Joseph were simple people who lived their lives doing the extraordinary—participating in God's plan for humanity.  Any one of us can do the same!  Like them, we too can usher in the spiritual principles into physical reality.  Healing is visible, forgiveness is invisible.  Forgiveness is eternal.  Healing is temporary.

Jesus lived in the spiritual realm and through divine conception was birthed into the physical realm through a woman and dwelt among us.  In the same way, God's written word can birth spiritual things into the physical realm.

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

Scriptures:  John 1:17; Luke 5:17-26; Hebrews 4:12

The Bible in 30 Minutes

This message gives the listener a big picture overview of the Bible.  Having this 30,000 foot view helps the disciple gain greater understanding of the pieces of the Bible.  

God initiated time and history and has communicated it to man—even up to the end of the world and beyond.  It is written down in this book we call the Bible.  

One cannot know American or World history without the Bible. It  provides critical historical, cultural, and literary context.

Scripture: Genesis 1:1,2;  John 1:1-18;  Revelation 22:12-17

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

Decisions

How to make them?  How to make good ones?  What is the impact of bad decisions?  How can you recover from a bad one?  We'll answer these in this message.

God uses the stories of His chosen people so that we learn and believe.  Let’s see what we can learn as we travel back to 627 B.C. and check in with Jeremiah.  

We'll find that the Jews committed two evils.  Have we as a nation done the same thing?  See what you think. 

There is a decision you have been holding off making.  God encourages you to Make A New Decision.  Today.

Scripture:  Jeremiah 2:9-12; 42

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

What Are We (AGCC) About?

As a church, we have a set of beliefs and behaviors that we promote, that we live, and with the purpose of drawing people in.  Call it a 'platform' if you like.  It’s what we communicate when we are out meeting with people for the purpose of joining them in.

May I introduce the “Gold Party”?   What Does this “Gold Party” stand for?  And, are the beliefs and behaviors something you might be interested in?  

Listen in as this message details the primary beliefs and behaviors of Amazing Grace Community Church in short order.

Scripture:  1 John

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

If My People

..who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways*, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

* They didn't and "We the People" haven't either.  This if/then equation is from the Mosaic Law.  

And herein lies the reason Jesus brought grace from heaven: Without the Holy Spirit dwelling within us we can't turn from our wicked ways.  The equation becomes If/Then/Didn't.  Israel's land is not yet healed.

God's New Covenant warning with a promise is aimed at individuals, forgiving them and giving them eternal life through Jesus. The New Covenant equation is:  If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, {Then} you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7

Preacher: Pastor Mark

Know Jesus Know Peace

 No Jesus, No Peace.   Jesus says, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  (Matt 5:9)   King David writes, Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!  (Psalm 133:1)  

Peacemakers do not go around sowing division, deception, and delusion.    How do we sow peace and what do If Peace in Christ is refused?  

One kingdom under God.  One church under God.

Scriptures:  John 17:17-26;  Psalm 16:7;  Genesis 26:12-33

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

Grace Moments

If our expression of Christianity causes outsiders to find the Bible distasteful, how will they want to seek Jesus?  To the unredeemed we might be the only bible they know.

Outsiders are much more demanding with their expectations of Christians.  They expect us to be perfect.  In part, because that’s what we’ve communicated.

The words we speak might be the only biblical words they hear.  If this be so, isn’t it of great importance how we conduct ourselves? 

Scriptures:  Colossians 4:5,6;  James 3:13-18, 4:13-17

Preacher:  Pastor Mark

Believers Authority

We are given delegated authority but we don’t have authority over God.  As believers, we serve each other and the Lord. We should do so with confidence and the authority that comes with knowing they are doing God’s work. 

We are not made gods equal to our Heavenly Father or above Him to command Him. Even Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

Believers have some authority over some things, not everything all the time.

We also discuss what Believer’s Authority isn’t and the blasphemy promulgated by the Word of Faith movement.

Scriptures: 1 Pet 4:11; Luke 9:1; 17:5,6,10; 22:42;  John 5:30; Eph 6:1; 5:22-24; Rom 4:17; 13:1-7; Acts 15:28,29; Matt 8:9; 17:19-21;  Hab 3:2; Jer 4:5; Ps 66:16; 19:1; 26:6,7

Preacher:  Pastor Mark