Grace South Bay

Grace South Bay
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Sermons from Grace South Bay in San Jose, CA

  1. 16h ago

    Living Ebenezers - 1 Samuel 7

    And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. 3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only. 5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. 15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.  After twenty years of loss, Israel finally turned back to God, weeping and holding onto him. When life falls apart or plans don't work out, what do you instinctively reach for to feel better? How well does it actually work?Israel kept other gods around "just in case," hoping they might bring a good harvest or children. What "just in case" things do people rely on today for security, worth, or control? Is there one you'd find especially hard to let go of?Samuel set up a stone and called it Ebenezer, meaning "stone of help," so Israel would remember how they'd been rescued. Is there an object, place, or moment in your life that reminds you of a time you were helped through something hard? Who or what do you credit for that help?Michelangelo carved the David from a block of marble that other sculptors had given up on. God does something similar with people, taking the flawed and written-off and making them into lasting testimonies of his faithfulness. What's appealing about that idea? What makes it hard to believe, either about people in general or about yourself?

  2. Sep 27

    From Ichabod to Immanuel - 1 Samuel 4-6

    4:3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”… 10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God…And he said, “How did it go, my son?” 17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. 19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel…for the ark of God has been captured.” 5:1 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. 6 The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”… 11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. 6:1 The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.”… 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8 And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”… 12 And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh… 19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.” And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. Sermon Questions 1.     Where are you most tempted to run a technique on people instead of knowing them? Where in your life do you rely on your management skills or leverage?  2.     Have you ever caught yourself trying to manage or leverage God? Falling back on technique and competence? What was the outcome of that for you and others? 3.     If God doesn’t need you to win, is that good news or bad news? Which way does it land for you — freeing, or unsettling — and why? 4.     How does it change your sense of being loved by God to know he's never cornered into it? Does free love feel more secure to you, or less? 5.     Everywhere the ark goes, people die. Does seeing the danger of God's holiness deepen what the cross actually accomplished for you? 6.     Can you point to a time you came to the end of yourself and found you wanted God himself, not just his gifts? Where do you most need to "receive him on his terms" right now — trusting you can't manage or leverage him, but you can have him?

  3. Sep 21

    Don't Be Mad, Bro! - Jonah 4

    Jonah 3:10 - 4:11 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that 3he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. 4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Sermon Questions Read Jonah 4:1-4. Jonah's surface anger was at Nineveh, but the real anger was at God ("for I knew..."). When you get angry, what is usually underneath it? What did you snap at this week, and was it really about that?God asks Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry?" and doesn't hand down a verdict. Why might God have chosen a question? When has a question, not a rebuke, exposed something in your own heart?The sermon said anger is like a root that becomes a shoot and then a tree, and that we tend to dismiss it as a small flesh wound. Where have you seen your anger grow over time, and how has it affected people you love?Who are your "Ninevites," the people you've decided don't deserve grace? What makes it hard to want mercy for them?The sermon said that "you will never give grace to your Ninevites until you realize that, before a holy God, you were a Ninevite yourself." Jonah rested on a hill to watch judgment, while Jesus was lifted up on a hill to take it. How does the cross change the way you see the people you're angry with?Optional challenge to close: Name your Nineveh this week, and do one small, deliberately kind thing for them, not because they've earned it but because you didn't earn what Jesus gave you. Check in on how it went next time you meet.

  4. Sep 13

    Listening For God - 1 Samuel 3

    Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” 15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.” 19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. 1.     Have you been through a season (or perhaps your whole life) where God felt silent? Looking back, what did you assume that silence meant about you? 2.     If you have ever heard from God, what was that like, how did you experience it? 3.     What tends to drown out God's call in your life — the buzz of busyness, the fog of scrolling, the race to succeed — or where do you catch yourself hearing his call but crediting it to "somewhere else" (your appetites, hurts, goals)? 4.     "Do you want to hear what God has to say?" Is there something you suspect God might be asking of you that you've quietly avoided asking a follow-up question about? 5.     Do you see in yourself more of an Eli posture or a Samuel posture? 6.     Do you see Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as a full and sufficient word from God?

  5. Sep 7

    Hannah's Song - 1 Samuel 1-2

    1.20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” 21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young…  21 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord;      my horn is exalted in the Lord.  My mouth derides my enemies,      because I rejoice in your salvation. 2  “There is none holy like the Lord:      for there is none besides you;      there is no rock like our God.  3 Talk no more so very proudly,      let not arrogance come from your mouth;  for the Lord is a God of knowledge,      and by him actions are weighed.  4 The bows of the mighty are broken,      but the feeble bind on strength.  5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,      but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.  The barren has borne seven,      but she who has many children is forlorn.  6 The Lord kills and brings to life;      he brings down to Sheol and raises up.  7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;      he brings low and he exalts.  8 He raises up the poor from the dust;      he lifts the needy from the ash heap  to make them sit with princes      and inherit a seat of honor.  For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,      and on them he has set the world. 9  “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,      but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,      for not by might shall a man prevail.  10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;      against them he will thunder in heaven.  The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;      he will give strength to his king      and exalt the horn of his anointed.” 1.     The sermon contrasts Odysseus — take back what's yours, make your name known — with Hannah, who gives away the one thing she has. Which of those impulses do you feel more in yourself, and in what area of your life? 2.     Is it believable that Hannah, or anyone, could take the one thing they longed for most and give it over to God in worship, finding ultimate joy there? Can we be satisfied in giving to God? 3.     Hannah's song says God lifts the humble and brings down the proud. Do you believe that for your life and this world?  4.     How easy is it for you to know and own your need before God? What gets in the way? 5.     Can you see the Great Reversal of the death and resurrection of Jesus in Hannah’s song? Does that help you be willing to be low and humble that God might lift you high? 6.     What would our relationships and culture look like if they ran more on Hannah’s song and less on the Odyssey’s value system?

  6. Aug 31

    Hannah's Prayer - 1 Samuel 1:1-18

    [In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.] There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” 9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” 12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. 1.     Have you ever been in a season where something you deeply wanted felt completely out of reach — and everyone around you seemed to have it? What was that like? 2.     The sermon described Hannah's worst torment happening at the feast — the very place meant for worship. Have you ever found that church or spiritual community has been a painful place for you? What did that do to your relationship with God? 3.     Is there something you are being silent with God about? 4.     Do you believe that God can change/refine/elevate your deepest desires? Do you want him to? 5.     What makes resting in God difficult for you? 6.     Do you allow people to speak God’s truth into your life? Does it make a difference?

  7. Aug 24

    Faithful Through Fear - Matthew 14:22-33

    And after Jesus had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” 1.     What fears are actually driving your decisions and habits right now — the mundane ones and the deeper ones? 2.     In hard or scary situations, what can you do to better see and hear Jesus say to you, “courage, I am, no fear”? 3.     Do you agree that what Jesus calls you to is like being called to walk on water? Could that change how you approach various aspects of your life? 4.     Where do you feel most pulled to look at the waves right now — news, finances, relationships, health? What does "looking to Jesus" actually look like for you in those moments, practically? 5.     "Jesus rescues before he rebukes." Does that match your picture of how Jesus responds when your faith fails? What picture do you tend to carry instead? 6.     The sermon suggests that what gets your ultimate fear is what controls you — and that the solution isn't to eliminate fear but to redirect it toward God in worship. Does that reframe anything for you about a fear you've been trying to manage or overcome on your own?

  8. Aug 17

    Nothing Left To Say - Lamentations 5

    Lamentations 5 1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;      look, and see our disgrace! 2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,      our homes to foreigners. 3 We have become orphans, fatherless;      our mothers are like widows. 4 We must pay for the water we drink;      the wood we get must be bought. 5 Our pursuers are at our necks;      we are weary; we are given no rest. 6 We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria,      to get bread enough. 7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more;      and we bear their iniquities. 8 Slaves rule over us;      there is none to deliver us from their hand. 9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives,      because of the sword in the wilderness. 10 Our skin is hot as an oven      with the burning heat of famine. 11 Women are raped in Zion,      young women in the towns of Judah. 12 Princes are hung up by their hands;      no respect is shown to the elders. 13 Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,      and boys stagger under loads of wood. 14 The old men have left the city gate,      the young men their music. 15 The joy of our hearts has ceased;      our dancing has been turned to mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head;      woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 For this our heart has become sick,      for these things our eyes have grown dim, 18 for Mount Zion which lies desolate;      jackals prowl over it. 19 But you, O Lord, reign forever;      your throne endures to all generations. 20 Why do you forget us forever,      why do you forsake us for so many days? 21 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!      Renew our days as of old— 22 unless you have utterly rejected us,      and you remain exceedingly angry with us. Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you had nothing left to say — just a raw, wordless cry instead of a "proper" prayer or thought-out response? What did that feel like?The sermon points out that in Lamentations 5, the writer prays "remember" to God — not because God is forgetful, but as a way of asking God to act on what he's already promised. How does God’s track record of faithfulness help you face your suffering and difficulties?The sermon describes belonging to God's people as having "no gatekeeping" — you don't need to be successful, educated, from a good family, or a good person to be included. Do you find that idea appealing, hard to believe, or maybe even suspicious? What makes an offer like that easy or hard to trust?The sermon claims Jesus fully identified with human suffering — not staying distant from pain, sickness, or grief, but entering into it. Does that affect how you think about him? Does it draw you to him or repel you? Does it seem believable, appealing, hard to accept — or something else?The sermon says true peace isn't the absence of suffering or having it all figured out, but confidence that suffering doesn't get the final word because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Where in your life right now could you use that kind of peace — not answers, but confidence that the story isn't over?

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About

Sermons from Grace South Bay in San Jose, CA

Information

  • Creator
    Grace South Bay
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    644
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Grace South Bay
  • Show Website
    Grace South Bay

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