Grace 242

Grace 242
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We don't go to church, we are the church. Listen in on a church plant striving to be the church who make disciples of Jesus.

  1. A Better King

    12/25/2025

    A Better King

    Title: A Better King Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11 Series: A Better Story In this special Christmas Eve episode of A Better Story, guest Taylor Englund joins us to explore the cosmic magnitude of the Christmas story. Moving beyond the traditional narrative, we dive into the fascinating historical theory that Jesus was actually born on September 11, 3 B.C., aligning with the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. Tune in to discover the true identity of the Magi, the astronomical evidence behind the Star of Bethlehem found in Revelation 12, and how the heavens themselves heralded the arrival of the King of kings.

    18 min
  2. A Better Family Tree

    12/21/2025

    A Better Family Tree

    Title: A Better Family Tree Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:1-2, 16-17 Series: A Better Story In this episode of A Better Story, co-host Katie Hartline joins the discussion to unpack the surprisingly messy family tree of Jesus found in Matthew 1. We explore why God chose to include outsiders, deceivers, and even a king who practiced human sacrifice in the lineage of the Messiah. Discover how this "unsanitized" genealogy proves that God doesn't just fix the past—He redeems it, offering hope to every broken family and individual today.

    31 min
  3. A Better Announcement

    12/14/2025

    A Better Announcement

    Title: A Better Announcement Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-20 Series: A Better Story We're celebrating Advent at Grace 242 with podcast-style sermons on the theme: A Better Story. God's plan to send His Son on Christmas was a far better story than any of us could have possibly written. Today Kathy Rosen joins Pastor Bill to explore the God's plan to announce the birth of His Son to an unlikely group of shepherds.

    32 min
  4. Legation

    11/23/2025

    Legation

    Title: Legation Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus The final "L" fruit of Jesus is legation, meaning disciples are called to act as Christ's ambassadors to the world, a concept explored through four "ships." This identity begins with Citizenship, as we represent the Kingdom of Heaven while living here on earth, stepping into the divine Partnership God established with humanity from Adam onward. Since history shows that humanity repeatedly failed to fulfill this role, the core of our message must rest on the Lordship of Jesus, the perfect legate who secured reconciliation through the cross. Finally, our ultimate Worship as legates is expressed through urgency, embracing our authoritative mission to advance Christ's agenda today, right now.

    33 min
  5. Lavishness

    11/16/2025

    Lavishness

    Title: Lavishness Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:7-8 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus The 1986 "Hands Across America" generosity event fell short, but how does God's abundant generosity prove that His plan for us is truly **lavish**? This sermon explores the concept of lavishness as an essential fruit of a follower of Jesus, illustrating the profound generosity of God through the metaphor of hands. True discipleship begins with The Receiving Hand, recognizing the immense, abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness God has lavished upon us through Christ. This received forgiveness establishes a necessary pattern for us to follow. We are called to extend the same mercy to others through The Forgiving Hand, remembering that forgiven people must forgive people, thereby reversing the curse of cyclical revenge. Finally, we express lavishness through The Giving Hand, sharing our finances, resources, and time, confident that if God cares for the birds and lilies, He will supply all our needs, allowing us to live the abundant life Jesus promised.

    28 min
  6. Level-Headedness

    11/09/2025

    Level-Headedness

    Title: Level-Headedness Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:21-24 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus Notice: This message interviews one of Grace 242's covenant partners about the sketch he made of Jesus. View those images here.  Like the character Riley in the movie Inside Out , every human has emotions, feelings, and attitudes; they are part of the human experience. But how do we ensure these emotions are healthy? This sermon, part of "The L Fruits of Jesus" series, explores the fruit of level-headedness. This message examines Level-Headedness through three "L"s: The Lordship of Level-Headedness: This explores what it means to place our attitudes, feelings, and emotions under the lordship of Jesus Christ. It examines the two "ditches" churches often fall into: replacing scripture's authority with feelings or removing emotions from discipleship entirely, which can lead to being spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. The Likeness of Level-Headedness: Looking at Ephesians 4:24, this "L" discusses what it means to be "created to be like God." While God has emotions, He is impassible (His state doesn't change). Jesus, however, fully shared the human emotional experience to redeem and restore the image of God in us. In this section, Pastor Bill contrasts depictions of emotionless Jesus with a sketch that Bob from Grace 242 did. Those images may be viewed here. The Labor of Level-Headedness: This section provides practical application based on Ephesians 4:22-24. We are to "throw off" the old nature, "put on" the new, and let the Spirit "renew our thoughts and attitudes." The key question is whether we are submitting our emotions to the Master or letting our emotions master us. The goal is not to be emotionless , but to direct our emotions for God's glory.

    36 min
  7. Lowliness

    11/02/2025

    Lowliness

    Title: Lowliness Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:3-11 Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus Have you ever had a social situation where you had to deal with a one-upper? One-upping, or pride, is the way of the world, but the way of Jesus is the exact opposite: lowliness or humility. Disciples of Jesus are instructed to have the same attitude as Christ. This message explores the "L" fruit of lowliness through three questions: 1. What is Humility? Humility is not thinking more of yourself (overt pride/vain conceit) or thinking less of yourself (covert pride/selfish ambition). Rather, humility is thinking accurately and truthfully about yourself. 2. How to Practice Humility? We practice humility by having the same attitude as Christ Jesus and making ourselves of no reputation. Jesus made Himself of no reputation by serving, obeying, and dying. We are called to serve others (taking the position of a slave), obey God's plan, and die to ourselves—to our name, reputation, plans, preferences, and desires. 3. Why Value Humility? Disciples of Jesus value humility because it is the fruit of life. Pride is the fruit of death, as seen in Adam and Eve's rebellion to spread their own reputation. In contrast, Jesus's perfect humility is our life and our salvation.

    28 min
  8. Learning

    10/26/2025

    Learning

    Episode Title: Learning Scripture Reading: Romans 12:2, John 8:31 ESV Series: The “L” Fruits of Jesus Disciples of Jesus are learners—the learning never stops! This week, we dive into the second "L" fruit of Jesus, the fruit of Learning, and explore the two ways disciples are called to learn and grow in Christ. Romans 12:2 gives us two ways of learning, both starting with the letter "I": 1. Information: This method, associated with Hellenism, focuses on the renewal of your mind. Disciples are called to be faithful learners by meditating on God's Word, looking for a daily God nugget, and internalizing media that is pure and commendable. 2. Imitation: This method, associated with Hebraism, focuses on not being conformed to this world, but imitating Christ. Just as an apprentice learns by observing and patterning their life after their rabbi, disciples learn by apprenticing themselves to Jesus, who says, "learn from me". Ultimately, disciples don't conform to the world; we conform to Christ by renewing our minds and apprenticing ourselves to the gentle Master, Jesus

    28 min
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About

We don't go to church, we are the church. Listen in on a church plant striving to be the church who make disciples of Jesus.

Information

  • Creator
    Grace 242
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    277
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Grace 242
  • Show Website
    Grace 242