[Sunday] Day 3 - Sprout, The Week

We often settle for the mere "leaves of religion" by simply going through the motions, yet the third day of Creation reveals our design to sprout and bear fruit.

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Questions for the Week: The Week: The Week: Day 3 - Sprout

1. We are often tempted to just show the "leaves of religion" (showing up on Sunday, knowing the songs) and mistake them for the actual "fruit" of faith (loving neighbors, patience, genuine repentance). What are some ways we easily mistake having "leaves" for actually bearing "fruit"?

2. Read Matthew 21:18-22.  Have you ever experienced a season in your spiritual life where you looked fine on the outside but felt completely "fruitless" and disconnected from God on the inside?

3. Read Amos 5:21-24.   Why is God so opposed to religious routine that doesn't actually result in loving people or seeking justice?

4. Where have you seen genuine spiritual fruit in the lives of the people around you recently?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

Job | Lent Wednesday Services

Wednesday Lent Services
5:30 Dinner
6:30pm Service & Stream

March 4th

Click the Image to Watch Live Stream

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Reading Plan

• February 25th | Job Chapter 2

• March 4th | Job Chapter 3

• March 11th | Job Chapter 19

• March 18th | Job Chapter 38

• March 25th | Job Chapter 42

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March 4th
Job Chapter 3

Feb 25th
Job Chapters 1-2

[Sunday] Day 2 - Flipping Water, The Week

When we are drowning in anxiety and noise, Jesus steps in to flip the tables, pushing back the chaotic waters like on day 2 of creation, so we can finally catch our breath.

• Sermon Summery (click to Expand

  The Week: Day Two — “Separation of the Waters” (Holy Week and Creation Interwoven)

  Series Context

  • Ongoing sermon series: “The Week,” interweaving Holy Week with the seven days of Creation.

  • Last week: Day One of Creation aligned with Palm Sunday—“Let there be light” as Jesus, the Light of the World, enters dark Jerusalem.

  Scripture Read and Framing

  • Primary text: “And God said, ‘Let the vault between the waters separate water from water.’ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault sky. And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.” — Highlighted as from Genesis Day Two (see NIV rendering).

  • Translation note:

    • The pastor affirmed “vault/expanse/sky” (NIV) as a strong translation.

    • He critiqued translations that render it “heaven” in a way that confuses it with God’s dwelling; insisted this is the sky where the birds fly, not the heavenly throne.

    • Emphasized the value of consulting multiple translations to see the full sense.

  Theological Thesis

  • Day Two is not trivial meteorology; it is profoundly theological.

  • God is pictured as establishing boundaries that restrain chaotic waters, creating breathable, safe space for life.

  • Parallel in Holy Week: Jesus enters the Temple to push back chaos and create a place of prayer and restoration.

  Cultural and Personal Illustrations: Water in Its Place vs. Out of Bounds

  • Personal love for water: tranquil scenes at Daytona Beach as a “slice of heaven.”

  • When water exceeds boundaries, it becomes terrifying:

    • 2022 hurricanes in Daytona Beach: seawall breaches; pools hanging or eroded; concrete stairs torn off and buried ~15 feet under sand.

    • St. Louis flooding near Interstate 44: concrete barriers wrapped in plastic sandbagging the freeway; water overtopping the road—an image of destructive chaos.

  • Universal human instinct: fear of the deep (e.g., dangling toes while treading water after falling off skis); myths of monsters (Leviathan) in the deep.

  • Hebrew imagination: “the deep” as chaotic, destructive, unpredictable.

  Biblical-Theological Development: From Tohu Vavohu to Breathed Space

  • Creation language: God confronts tohu vavohu (formless and void) by bounding chaos.

  • Day Two: God separates waters and names the expanse “sky,” granting a breathable space—humanity comes up out of chaos for a gasp of life.

  • This is a pattern: God orders chaos into life-giving environments.

  Holy Week Parallel: Jesus Clears the Temple

  • Text alluded to: “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling… ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” — Highlighted as from the Gospel accounts of the Temple cleansing (e.g., Matthew 21:12–14).

  • Temple design: The Court of the Gentiles intended as the place where the nations, the lame, and the blind could approach God.

  • Problem: Chaotic “waters” of commerce, greed, noise, animal bleating, and market scales flooded the space meant for the vulnerable.

  • Theological action: Jesus did not lose His temper; He enacted Day Two—forcefully pushing back the waters of chaos to create a safe expanse for prayer and healing.

  • Immediate fruit: “The blind and the lame came to Him…and He healed them.” The vulnerable, previously “drowned out,” re-enter and find life.

  Who God Is and How He Responds to Humans

  • God is the Creator who:

    • Sets firm boundaries against chaos.

    • Creates spaces where humans can breathe, pray, and live.

  • Jesus reveals God’s character in action:

    • He confronts and restrains dehumanizing systems.

    • He makes room for the vulnerable and heals them.

    • He transforms acts that appear destructive into new-creation moments of order, peace, and restoration.

  Who You Are in God and How to Live

  • Identity:

    • In Christ, you are intended to be a temple—a house of prayer (see 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 implied). You are made for peace and rest in God’s presence.

  • Calling:

    • Invite Jesus to separate the “waters” in your life—allow Him to push back anxiety, greed, noise, and idolatry.

    • Protect the vulnerable; ensure your “courts” make space for those in need.

    • Practice rhythms that sustain a house-of-prayer life: Scripture, prayer, forgiveness, and love of neighbor.

  Self-Examination: Our Hearts as Courtyards

  • Modern chaos floods in:

    • Constant noise, overloaded schedules, pursuit of wealth, social media churn, simmering anger and anxiety.

  • Consequence:

    • The “marketplace of worry” squeezes out prayer, Scripture, forgiveness, and neighbor-love.

    • We regress into darkness and drown in chaos of our own making.

  • Gospel hope:

    • Jesus does not convene committees; He clears the courts. He confronts and removes what drowns us.

    • His cleansing is an act of creation, not mere destruction.

  Cross and Resurrection: The Ultimate Separation of the Waters

  • Crucifixion as drowning:

    • In Roman crucifixion, death occurs by asphyxiation—Jesus “drowns” under the chaotic waters of our sin: greed, anxiety, idolatry, rebellion.

  • Baptismal imagery:

    • Jesus descends into the waters of judgment and chaos on our behalf.

    • The Father fulfills the Day Two word—He holds back the waters; Jesus breathes again on Easter.

  • New life:

    • Jesus’ breath becomes our breath; His Spirit our spirit.

    • In baptism, we go under the waters and rise into new life with Christ.

  Application for Today’s Culture (American context)

  • The news cycle, work pressures, family tensions, even neighborhood conflicts can feel like hurricanes and floods tearing apart established places of peace.

  • God’s word to drowners: “Let the waters be separated”—come up to the expanse of grace where you can breathe again.

  • Practical implications:

    • Create intentional “expanse” daily: a quiet, tech-free space for prayer and Scripture.

    • Name and remove “money changer tables” in your life: practices or patterns that monetize or instrumentalize relationships and worship.

    • Re-center on those pushed out by noise and busyness: the vulnerable in your community, family, and church.

    • Receive Jesus’ cleansing as mercy, not condemnation—His goal is your life and breathing room.

  Key Texts Highlighted in the Sermon

  • Genesis Day Two: “Let there be a vault/expanse… God called the vault sky… evening and morning, the second day.” — Highlighted as from Genesis 1:6–8 (NIV emphasis on “sky”).

  • “My house will be called a house of prayer… but you are making it a den of robbers.” — Highlighted as from Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–46 (Temple cleansing).

  • Themes referenced:

    • “Tohu vavohu” (formless and void) — Highlighted as from Genesis 1:2.

    • Leviathan (sea monster imagery) — Highlighted as from Job 41; Psalm 74:14; Isaiah 27:1.

    • Temple as a house of prayer for all nations — Highlighted as from Isaiah 56:7, echoed by Jesus.

  Practical Steps for the Week

  • Morning and evening “breath prayers” to mark your own “evening and morning”:

    • Inhale: “Lord Jesus Christ” — Exhale: “Give me Your peace.”

    • Inhale: “Holy Spirit” — Exhale: “Make me a house of prayer.”

  • Identify one “table” to overturn this week:

    • Examples: a social media habit that stirs anxiety; an overpacked schedule; a financial pursuit overshadowing generosity; a harboring resentment.

  • Re-open the Court of the Gentiles in your life:

    • Make space for someone on the margins—invite, listen, serve, or pray with them.

  • Recommit to Scripture and prayer:

    • Read Genesis 1:1–10 and Matthew 21:12–17; journal where God is separating waters in your life.

  Closing Exhortation and Prayer

  • Exhortation:

    • When chaos rises like sea billows, hear God’s creative word: “Let the waters be separated.” Come up and breathe in Christ’s peace.

    • “And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.” This is good news for those gasping for breath.

  • Closing prayer (themes):

    • Thanksgiving for gathering.

    • Petition for God to bind up chaos, keep us from returning to tohu vavohu, reveal His peace and love, and let us breathe again in His rest.

    • Amen.

  Closing Song (Selected Lines)

  • “When sorrows like sea billows roll… it is well with my soul.”

  • “My sin—not in part, but the whole—is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, O my soul.”

  • Assurance: Christ has died for my soul; it is well with God.

  Summary Takeaways

  • God bounds chaos to create life-giving space; Jesus enacts this in the Temple and in our lives.

  • You are God’s temple—made for prayer, peace, and welcome to the vulnerable.

  • Let Jesus overturn the tables that drown your soul; rise to breathe in the Spirit’s life.

  • The cross is Jesus’ descent into our drowning; the resurrection is the Father’s separation of the waters so we can live.

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Questions for the Week: The Week: The Week: Day 2 - Flipping Water

1. Read Genesis 1:6-8.  What is your favorite memory of being near the water, and have you ever been in a storm that kind of scared you?

2. Read Matthew 21:12-17 The Temple was supposed to be a place of peace, but it became a chaotic marketplace that drowned out the vulnerable. What are the "chaotic waters" (anxiety, schedules, social media, etc.) that currently flood your own mind and squeeze out your peace and the peace of others?

3. To the moneychangers, Jesus driving them out of the temple looked like an act of destruction. To the blind and lame, it was an act of creation that gave them room to breathe. Has there ever been a time in your life when God "flipped the tables" on your plans, which felt destructive at the time but ultimately brought you peace?

4. Jesus drowned in our chaos on Friday so we could breathe anew on Sunday. When the news, your job, or life pressures make you feel like you are going under, how does remembering that Jesus has already conquered the depths help you find rest?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Sunday] Day 1 - Triumphal Light, The Week

The Triumphal Entry shows us the difference. We chase the 'wins' of this world; Jesus rides into the darkness of this world. We look for success; He brings the Light that saves.

• Summery of Sermon (click to open)

  This is an AI Summery, some things may be incorrect.

  Overview

  • Sermon series title: “The Week”

  • Concept: Interweaving the seven days of Creation with the days of Holy Week.

  • Focus for this sermon: Day 1 of Creation (“Let there be light”) aligned with Palm Sunday.

  • Aim: To show how God’s creation theme—bringing order and light out of chaos—runs through Scripture and culminates in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, His passion, death, and resurrection.

  Opening Context: Reading Creation as Theme, Not Only Timetable

  • Pastor reflects on moving from a strictly literal “six 24-hour days” view to noticing Scripture’s deeper themes.

  • Key theological insight: God creates by bringing order out of chaos—out of “tohu vavohu” (formless and void).

    • Example threads across Scripture:

      • Israel’s journey from Egyptian slavery through the wilderness to the tabernacle/temple—God reorders chaos into worship and presence.

      • Jesus’ Passion described with cosmic darkness—creation “rolling back”—then resurrection as new light.

  • Application: Reading Scripture for its patterns helps us see God’s consistent work to bring light out of human and cosmic darkness.

  Palm Sunday: Jesus as the Light Entering Jerusalem

  • Jesus enters Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week; He is the true Light.

  • Crowd response: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” with cloaks and palm branches (public acclaim of Messiah and Light).

  • Key question: Are people actually holding the Light—or mistaking their own “lanterns” (agendas) for it?

  Artistic Illustration: Rembrandt’s “The Adoration of the Shepherds”

  • Style note: Stark contrast of light and dark (chiaroscuro).

  • Theological observation:

    • The baby Christ is the source of light in the painting.

    • A lantern is present but contributes little light—suggesting humans often think their light originates from themselves.

  • Application: We frequently try to be “lantern-bearers,” mistaking our own influence, plans, or righteousness as the source of light rather than Christ.

  Contrast with Jerusalem and the Pharisees

  • Jerusalem’s self-image: “shining city on a hill,” self-assured, believing themselves to be the light for the nations.

  • Pharisees’ posture:

    • Authority figures insisting they define and control the light for others.

    • Response to the crowd’s praise: “Teacher, rebuke your disciples” (desiring to silence witness to Jesus).

  • Jesus’ reply: If praise is suppressed, “the rocks will cry out.”

  • Application:

    • Warning against spiritual pride and gatekeeping—confusing stewardship of truth with self-centered control.

    • Even the enthusiastic crowd can misread Jesus by projecting their agendas onto Him.

  Historical Expectation: Judas Maccabeus vs. Jesus

  • Background: A century earlier, Judas Maccabeus (“the Hammer”) led a rebellion against Greek rule; celebrated with palms and “Hosanna,” entering Jerusalem on a warhorse.

  • Crowd’s mistaken hope: Jesus as a new Maccabeus—political liberator who will expel Rome and elevate Jerusalem’s status.

  • Jesus’ actual mission:

    • Enters on a donkey (sign of humility; fulfills messianic peace rather than war).

    • Comes not to conquer Rome but to suffer, die, and rise—conquering sin, death, and the grave.

  Human Agendas vs. Christ’s Light

  • Examples of modern “lantern” agendas:

    • Political victories (“If we win this election, light will come”).

    • Life scripts (marriage, children, promotions, retirement) treated as salvation.

    • Seeking control, status, and personal validation.

  • Outcomes of agenda-driven living:

    • Division, mistrust, hurt, and darkness rather than true life and peace.

  • Application:

    • Recognize where we equate our plans with God’s light.

    • Repent of idolatry of self, success, and power; receive Christ as the true source of light and peace.

  Jesus’ Heart for a Dark City

  • As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, He weeps over it.

  • Quotation from Jesus: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace…”

  • Identity of Jesus:

    • The Prince of Peace who stands before them, unrecognized.

    • The Light who enters Jerusalem’s darkness, and ultimately the tomb’s darkness, for our sake.

  • Christ’s peace:

    • Not delivered through force or triumphalism, but through His broken body and shed blood—true reconciliation with God.

  Creation and New Creation

  • Day 1 of Creation: “Let there be light.” Evening and morning—the first day.

  • Holy Week pattern:

    • Good Friday’s darkness transitions to Easter morning’s light.

    • Resurrection as God’s “new creation” spoken into the void of death.

  • Application:

    • The light of Christ shines into our hearts despite our idolatrous agendas.

    • He dies and rises for all, bringing order and life into our chaos.

  Who God Is, Who We Are, and How We Live

  • Who God Is:

    • Creator who speaks light into darkness and order into chaos.

    • Faithful Redeemer who enters our darkness, weeps over our lostness, and brings peace by sacrifice.

    • The true source of light—Jesus Christ.

  • Who God Says We Are:

    • Beloved yet often misguided people prone to self-reliance and idolatry.

    • Recipients of His light, mercy, and new creation life through Christ’s death and resurrection.

  • How We Are to Live:

    • Humble dependence on Christ as light, not on our “lanterns.”

    • Pursue peace shaped by Christ’s cross rather than power and agendas.

    • Worship and witness that point to Jesus’ light, even when others try to silence it.

  Scripture References Highlighted

  • Genesis creation theme: “Let there be light.” — Genesis 1:3

  • Jesus’ Triumphal Entry: — Matthew 21:1–11; — Mark 11:1–10; — Luke 19:28–40; — John 12:12–19

  • Jesus’ weeping over Jerusalem: — Luke 19:41–44

  • “Hosanna” acclamation: — Matthew 21:9; — Mark 11:9–10; — John 12:13

  • “The rocks will cry out”: — Luke 19:40

  • Darkness at the crucifixion: — Matthew 27:45; — Mark 15:33; — Luke 23:44–45

  • Christ’s resurrection and new creation theme: — Matthew 28:1–10; — Mark 16:1–8; — Luke 24:1–12; — John 20:1–18

  Key Applications and Examples

  • Art as theology: Rembrandt’s baby Christ illuminating the scene versus the dim lantern—our tendency to replace Christ’s light with our self-made light.

  • Cultural examples:

    • Corporate ladder in Arkansas: promotions pursued as salvation, yet leaving emptiness.

    • Retirement disillusionment: expecting rest to save, discovering we never learned to rest in God.

  • Church life example:

    • The shift from praising to condemning within days—mirrors the crowd’s move from “Hosanna” to “Crucify,” exposing how quickly agendas supplant faith.

  Closing Gospel Assurance

  • The Light of Christ is for you.

  • The empty tomb is for you.

  • Hosanna—God saves. Evening gave way to morning; the first day concludes with light.

  • Good news: Jesus, the true Light, has come, and He brings peace by His cross and resurrection.

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Rembrant

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/research-papers/close-examination/the-adoration-of-the-shepherds

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Questions for the Week: The Week: Day 1 - Triumphal Light

1. In the Rembrandt painting, Adoration of the Shepherds,  the man holding the lantern thinks he is bringing light, but the real light comes from Jesus. In what ways do we, like that man, think we are "bringing the light" to the world, when we are actually just holding a dim lantern compared to Jesus?

2. Read Luke 19:35-44.  Why is it often disappointing when God answers our need for peace instead of our desire for victory?

3. We sometimes turn good things (like wanting a happy family, doing well in school/work, or politics) into "idols" that take the place of God. How can we make sure we are following Jesus' light rather than carrying around our own lanterns?

4. Jesus conquered sin and death not by fighting back but by letting Himself be broken on the cross. How does Jesus’s humble victory change the way we think about "winning" or "being strong" in our own lives?

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

[Ash Wednesday] Tohu Va Vohu, The Week

God speaks light into our wilderness waste, and ash.

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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

The Week | Lent Teaching Series

From 'Let there be light' to the light of the empty tomb

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Reading Plan
Read around the readings for Sunday

• 2/18/26 - Ash Wednesday - Formless and void

  • Genesis 1:1-2
    2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10
    Luke 4:1-13

• 2/22/26 - Palm Sunday Let there be Light

  • Genesis 1:3-5
    Ephesians 5:6-15
    Luke 19:35-44

• 3/1/26 The Temple and the separation of the waters

  • Genesis 1:6-8
    1 Cor 14:26-33a
    Matthew 21:12-17

• 3/8/26 - The fig tree and land from waters

  • Genesis 1:9-13
    Colossians 1:9-14
    Matthew 21:18-24

• 3/15/26 - No one knows the hour and Sun, Moon, Stars

  • Genesis 1:14-19
    Matthew 24:29-31
    Matthew 25:1-12

• 3/22/26 - The Birds of the Air and the Fish of the servants waters.

  • Genesis 1:20-23
    Colossians 3:12-17
    John 13:1-11, 31-35

• 3/29/26 Created from the ground and returned

  • Genesis 1:24-31
    Colossians 2:9-15
    Matthew 27:45-54

• 4/5/26 - Easter Rest

  • Genesis 2:1-4
    Colossians 1:15-20
    Luke 24:1-12

• 4/12/26 - The New Creation

  • Genesis 2:15-25
    Revelation 21:1-7
    John 20:1-18

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