Word of Hope Sermon Series Podcas‪t‬ Grace Family Church of Rhode Island

Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-13  It was a story of sex, intrigue, conspiracy, and the interplay of lust with power that would seem to be made for modern movies. But it was life, real life, and not too different from what we witness today. The biblical narrative is a didactic narrative, written, as the apostle Paul pointed out, "for our instruction." It is important, then, for us to understand how the events in king David's life apply to us all, and how they illustrate how love, lust and power played a role, then and now, in the fall of otherwise godly leaders.

Reading: Mark 1:29-39  What is most important in our lives? Is it serving and helping, acquiring knowledge, becoming famous? Is it family, health, possessions, prestige? Looking at Mark 1, this message helps us address this question from Jesus' perspective, looking at what was most important for Him, and how He called us to participate in it as well.

Reading: Mark 1:21-28  We live in a confusing and scary world. Where do we turn to find meaning and make sense of it all? How do we process what we see around us, and what we feel inside? It is in times like this that the Lord's words echo in our ears as He invites us to come to Him to find the needed rest. But how? Where? This message will point you in the right direction, as it invites us to consider what happened in Capernaum. 

Reading: Mark 1:14-20 Why would Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, choose mere fishermen to be His disciples, and later His ambassadors to the world? Why would He choose us, the little ones of the world, to be "fishers of men"? The answer is important, and it makes a radical difference in the way we respond to His calling: personally and as His church.

Proverbs 7:1-27 - It's like sweet honey, glittering, inviting, promising, and appealing, but as soon as you welcome it in, it will kill you! That is the nature of temptation, a nature that Scripture does not ignore but warns us about, giving us important clues to come out of temptation's deadly grip and resist it. Embedded in the ageless wisdom of Proverbs we can find exposed the five great triggers of temptation, as well as tips to effectively defuse them.

Romans 12:9-21 - We are created for relationships: yet, since the very beginning of human history we find that our relationships are broken or altered by sin. It is sin, ultimately, that is the enemy of every relationship. But what happens when a relationship is disturbed or broken by our sinful nature? Where do we go from there? Although the entire Bible can be said to be a book about relationships, this passage gives us important clues into what it takes to restore relationships that have been distorted or altered.