Grace Chapel Church Podcast | Franklin, TN

This morning Pastor Rob kicked off the Life on Mission series by talking about the greatest commandment Jesus has given us from Mark 12:30-31 which says “...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Jesus is telling His followers this simple truth: Your love for God is revealed by your love for people. God wants you to express your love for Him by loving your neighbor, serving your neighbor, telling your neighbor about Him. If you’re a follower of Jesus, His desire is that you would be intentional about living on mission. You don't have to go to Africa to be on mission–God put you where you are for a reason, and we all have people around us who need to hear that they have purpose, and that are seen by a God who loves them and wants to be in relationship with them. Challenge yourself this week–simply begin to pray for your neighbor!

This morning Pastor Rob finished out The Transformed Life series by talking about the power of transformation. When God calls us to share with others about what He’s done in our life and you obey Him in the call of disciple-making, it’s not just for others–it’s for you too! It is like pouring jet fuel on your own transformation journey because not only will you witness life change and transformation in others, but you’ll see yourself being made more and more into the image of Christ in the process.

In our fourth and final week of talking about being changed by Jesus, Pastor Dave taught on The Purpose of Transformation. God transformed us not only for our benefit, but so that we could make an impact by advancing His Kingdom, and bringing glory to His name. Advancing the Kingdom is the mission of the Church–it’s why we’re here on Earth. We should be about telling people about Jesus, making disciples, and living in such a way that enhances the reputation of God in the eyes of others.

This morning Pastor Dave broke down the expressions of love found in 1 Corinthians 13 because the way that we love others is how we and the world around us can know that we have been transformed by Jesus.

The Transformed Life // The Priority of Transformation

The Transformed Life // The Process of Transformation

We're all growing, we’re all in desperate need of being discipled, and we’re all called to make disciples. When we recognize where we are in the process of spiritual maturity, we can begin joining the Holy Spirit on the journey to get where He wants us to be. The fruit of a gospel-centered life is growth in spiritual maturity, which comes when we Abide in Him and center our lives on the Rock that will not move.

Talking about money at church can be kind of awkward sometimes, but it shouldn't be because Jesus actually talked about money quite a bit. He said in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." When hard times come, is your first thought, “it’s okay, I’ve got money” or “it’s okay, I’ve got Jesus.” See, we often look to money to give us value, security, meaning, and control, but when we do that we're focusing on the wrong kind of wealth. Jesus Christ emptied Himself of all His rights and privileges, His wealth and possessions, even His own life, so that you could be spiritually rich with a true wealth that will never fade away – no amount of money on earth could ever compare to that.

Ever wondered how you can make a difference in the next generation? Bob Lenz brought an incredible word that challenged us to fulfill our part of the great commission by coming alongside parents and pouring into our youth because they are so valuable. You don't have to have the gift of evangelism to share the gospel. Show them you love them and see their worth with your time, treasures, and talents.

How do you have a satisfying marriage or relationship with your kids? It’s gotta be through Jesus Christ. If you look to a spouse or children to be satisfied you'll ultimately crush them under the weight of your demand that they meet all your needs or expectations of them, which can lead to your disappointment or unhappiness. Having the gospel at your center is the only thing that gives you the ability to be a consistently humble, loving, and joyful person because you acknowledge that everything you’ve ever needed and desired is fully satisfied in the person of Jesus Christ.

Throughout this series we're going to be talking about how the gospel affects every aspect of our lives. This morning Pastor Rob explained that the gospel changes the way that we approach our work. Often times we view our jobs as simply a means to provide for our needs, or a way to find purpose and value rather than realizing that we already have value in our identity in Christ. We are more than what we achieve or what we accomplish. This is why the gospel should change the way you view your work. It changes the reasons that you work. It’s not about earning a salary or obtaining an identity, it’s about fulfilling a calling given to you by God to bring glory to His name in everything you do. Not because you’re earning something from God, but because God has already given you everything you need in the person of Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to work to serve the people around us and to be an example of Jesus by doing great work out in the world.

This morning Pastor Rob kicked off this new series focused on what it looks like to live a gospel-centered life, and how that fits into our mission of being a disciple-making church. When we say gospel-centered, what we’re saying is that your whole life–your actions, your life decisions, your family, your marriage, your wealth, and relationships–are all informed, and completely shaped by your understanding of the gospel. Over the next 5 weeks we're going to walk through what it looks like to truly make the gospel the center of your life as a follower of Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26 Jesus is saying here “if you trust in Me, my resurrection life will live in you!” In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the power of death has been broken forever. The invitation is extended for anyone to receive new life through Him. It's not about being good enough, or ready enough because it's not about how good you are–it's about how good He is. In fact, God already knows more about you than you even know about yourself. Before you were in your mother’s womb, God knew everything about you! He knows your sins, He knows your failures, and He brought you to this very moment anyway. He came because He loves you. He died because He loves you. He rose because He loves you. And today, right now, He wants you to know, He didn’t come to condemn you, He came so that you wouldn’t perish, but have everlasting life. Resurrection life.

On this Palm Sunday, Pastor Rob led us through Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus came humbly, and lowly riding on a donkey. The people laid down their cloaks and palm branches before Him, they worshipped Jesus as the King of Heaven and Earth, and He didn’t stop them, He received it. The crowds were shouting, “Hosanna in the highest!” and the word hosanna means to save. The people thought Jesus was coming to make everything right for them, but Jesus was coming to make them right with God.

On this Vision Sunday, we celebrated what God has done in and through the Grace Chapel family, we talked about where we currently are, and Pastor Rob shared where we're going as a church body. Together, we're going to focus on one thing–making disciples. If we’re going to impact the world, we have to start by investing in a few! Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing more details about what it means for us to follow Jesus, be changed by Jesus, and be on mission for Jesus.