Grace Community Church Podcast

Sometimes, in order to get in on God’s plan for our life, we need a change of direction. Join Ron Edmondson as we challenge ourselves to be open to God’s plans for the coming year.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Luke 1, Change, New Year, Zechariah, Jesus

As we close out another year, let’s let go of the pain a year can bring and refocus our devotion to the Savior who is Christ the Lord. Pastor Ron Edmondson leads us in a fresh look at the hope of the Christmas story as we prepare our hearts for a new year.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Matthew 1:18-25, Genesis 6:22, Luke 2:13-14, Christ, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Focus, Christmas, Peace, Joy

As 2010 approaches, we look foward to a fresh start and new beginning.  Yet, this past year had some moments that we would do well to remember.  Let's re-live those moments one last time.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Luke 2:19, Luke 2:51, Remember, Reflect, Blessings, Memories, Moments

Being thankful is easy when we have things to be thankful for.  But what if thankfulness is not about the things we have?  In this message, we will look for a deeper understanding of what it means to give thanks.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Habakkuk 3:16-18, Thankfulness, Thanks, Thanksgiving, God, Emptiness, Despair

Join Ron Edmondson as he explores the ultimate way to satisfy the spiritual hunger for more.  Here’s a hint: It’s not in how hard you work to feed yourself!

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Mark 6:30-52, Surrender, Jesus, Trust, Faith, Will, Missions, Discipline, Disciple, Maturity, Spiritual Growth

In this second message in the Hunger series, Ron Edmondson explores the way a believer begins to grow spiritually, feeding the hunger for more in the Christian life.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Matthew 5:6, Hebrews 5:11-6:3, Disciple, Discipline, Maturity, Scripture, Bible, Growth

There is something almost sad about hearing the phrase "table for one."  Getting some me-time every now and then is a good thing.  But few of us prefer to eat alone.  When we have a hunger for the things of God, that principle is still true.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Hebrews 5:13-14, 1 Peter 2:2-3, Matthew 5:6, Acts 2:44, Spiritual Hunger, Thirst, Lonelines, Together, Unity

We are all curious about what’s next?  We all have questions about the afterlife.  In this final Hot Topics message, Ron Edmondson shares a few thoughts on this challenging subject.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Revelation 1, Mark 10:32-37, 1 Cor 2:9, Revelation 21:1-4, 1 John 5:13, Matthew 17:1-4, Afterlife, Death, End Times, Heaven, Hell, Eternity

Most of us want to know God’s will for our life.  We say we would obey His will if we know what it is, but discerning His voice among a crowded world of noise is hard to do. In this message Ron Edmondson attempts to help us learn some tips to discerning the will of God for our life.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Isaiah 55, Jeremiah 29, Isaiah 30:20-21, Jeremiah 33:3, Will of God, God’s Voice, Wisdom, Knowledge, God’s Heart

Dunked.  Sprinkled.  Adult.  Infant.  Which baptism is the real baptism?  Does it even matter?  In this installment of Hot Topic, we'll look for answers.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Matthew 3:11-12, Matthew 29:19, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3, John 3:22-26, Acts 2:38-39, Baptize, Baptism, Christening, John the Baptist, Jesus, Ordinance, Church

Sooner or later, we all experience this conflict.  The people in our lives do not share our convictions or beliefs.  How can we build and maintain relationships with those who have different value systems?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  1 Peter 2:16, Galatians 5:13, Romans 14, 15, 1 Corinthians 8:9, 1 Corinthians 10:23, Conviction, Belief, Morals, Friendships, Culture

 When it comes to the unseen, invisible, spiritual side of life, most of us are uncertain.  We have mixed together fantasy, truth, and wishful thinking.  The result is skepticism towards anything we cannot see with our own eyes.  Follow us as we look for answers to this hot topic.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Colossians 1:15-23, Ephesians 6:10-18, Romans 8:37-39, James 4:7, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Angels, Demons, God, Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Invisible, Unseen

What is it about the love of God that we find so compelling? Does His love really last forever?  Is it unconditional?  As we continue the Everlast series this Sunday, listen to Ron offer a fresh perspective on an old fashioned love story.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Luke 15, Love, Prodigal Son, Jesus, Father, Forgiveness, Risk

Hope is a common word.  But what is it?  And is it possible to give it to someone else?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  2 Kings 6:8-23, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Faith, Hope, Faith, Love, Elisha, Vision, Hopeless, Help

Faith is hard to explain.  Even harder to see.  Yet the Bible describes it as everlasting.  What makes it so important and how do we know if we have it?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  1 Corinthians 13, Hebrews 11, Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Faith, Everlasting, Eternal, Trust, Dependence, God

What is most effective way for the church and the home to partner with each other?  Most of the time, we both want the same thing for our families.  It makes sense that we should work together to reach that goal.  In "Go Orange," we will see the power of that combined influence.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Deuteronomy 6:4-12, Children, Parents, Investing, Family

This week Joe Sangl, author of the book "I Was Broke Now I'm Not" shared with us a vision of God's plan for money in our personal lives and in the Kingdom.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Money, Stewardship, Joe Sangl, Kindgom, Giving

Technical difficulties prevent us from posting the message delivered at GCC on August 23, 2009.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.  Thank you for your continued support of this podcast ministry.

We all think about our money all the time. But is our money really our money?  In this series, we will begin to re-think “our” money.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Mathew 6:21, Mark 12:44, Money, Finances, Faith, Treasure, Security

This Sunday we continue to explore the dream of Grace Community Church to reach our city for Christ.   In this message Ron gets a little more detailed with that vision and introduces some of the team players (staff) who will be leading us to new heights this fall. God is up to something and you do not want to miss what He is doing these coming weeks!

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Joshua 1, John 4:34-38, Vision, Dream, Grace Community Church, Staff

The best part of dreams is that they have no boundaries.   The possibilities are endless.  Maybe it’s time we all began to dream again.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Acts 10, Galatians 2, 2 Peter 3:9, Peter, Paul, Favoritism, Salvation, Vision, Dream

Fire is an important theme within the Bible, often representing God’s glory and His Word.  As we look at one of the more famous “fire” stories in Scripture we will learn valuable truths about God’s character, His heart and His love for all.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Deuteronomy 4:24, Hebrews 12:29, Jeremiah 23:29, Malachi 3, Exodus 13, Matthew 3:11, 1 Peter 1:7, Exodus 3, Fire, Moses, Burning Bush, Holy Spirit, Restoration, Forgiveness, God, Jesus

We all enjoy a cool breeze every now and then.  When that breeze becomes a hard wind, it loses it's appeal.  Life is the same way.  We often see nothing wrong with a little indiscretion here and there.  But it always grows into something more.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Judges 11, Matthew 7:24-27, Faith, Jephthah, Jesus, Trust, Commitment

We know the importance of wood to a fire. God says that our words have that same power. With them we can spread a fire or kill a fire. The choice is ours."

One of the most important jobs we do is to parent our children.  Parenting well does not happen by accident.  We need a strategy to raise godly children who perform well in society.  In the conclusion to our summer family series we look at a Biblical model of parenting.

The Bible says that two people in a marriage relationship should become “one flesh”, but making a marriage work is hard work.

Marriage is more than ceremonies, parties, sex, and babies.  The responsibility is more than we often realize.  Maybe at the altar, some of us really meant, "I think I do."

Sometimes on the Road Trip of life we fail to take Jesus to the one place where He should be most comfortable...the church.  This week let’s drop the pretense of church and encounter the Living God!

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 18:20,  Jesus, Church, Worship, Disciples

What is the meaning of baptism and why is it such an important symbol to followers of Jesus?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Baptism, Christianity, Symbols, Clean, Cleansing, Washing, Mark 1:40, 1 Peter 3:21, 1 John 1:9

As we consider our road trip with Jesus today we look at the workplace. This message looks at 3 principles the Bible teaches us about work. For the believer our work is an opportunity to introduce others to God's love. we must learn to use that opportunity wisely.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Colossians 3:17, 23,, Work, Labor, Missions, Jesus, Road Trip

Many of us have church friends.  And we have our party friends.  With the party friends, we play golf, listen to music, dance, eat, drink, etc... How do we take our faith with us when we go to the party?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Romans 14, Faith, Jesus, Party, Eat, Drink, Influence, Witness, Freedom

We are a people on the road all the time. We are in constant motion. What happens when we come back home? Will we bring God into our home life?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Luke 12:1-7, Authentic Faith, Home, Life

Every good story has a big finale.  The story of God is no different.  In this message, we close the book on the greatest story ever told.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Revelation 21, Revelation 22,Revelation, End Times, Redemption, John

In the continuing Epic series we move to the beginnings of the early church.  The early church grew out of a sense of urgency to spread the Gospel, but also out of fear, persecution and hard work. There are great parallels in their work in the 1st Century and in our work as a church today.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Acts Chapters 1-28, Acts, Church History, Church Vision, Grace Community Church, Jesus, Missions

The greatest act in human history and the thing that defines best what Christians believe is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It’s the meaning behind our Easter celebration.  Happy Easter!

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Scriptures and Keywords:  John 19-20, Luke 22-24, Matthew 26-28, Cross, Resurrection, Jesus, Easter

We love proof and evidence.  We desire instant rewards.  But true faith is found in the waiting.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Jeremiah 2:1-28, 31:32, Malachi 4:5-6, Luke 1:14-17, John 1:29, Waiting, Patience, Promise, Old Covenant, New Covenant, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Jesus

In the continuing Epic look at God’s story, this week we consider the law God introduced through Moses.  We are attempting to answer: What is the law?  Why do we have it? What difference does it make in my life today?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Exodus 3, Exodus 20, Romans 8, Galatians 1-5, Law, Ten Commandments, Moses, Promise, God, Jesus, Grace

In the continuing look at God’s story, this week we consider the movement of God’s people to a collective faith.  The life of Abraham, the father of our faith, is considered.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Genesis 12-22, Abram, Abraham, Faith, Promise, God

Stories take on a richer meaning when we get to know the author.  Not only is God writing the grandest story ever told, but in doing so, He allows us to get to know Him.  In this first chapter, the Writer introduces Himself.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Genesis 1-2, Creation, God, Creator, Adam, Eve, Meaning of Life, Purpose of Life, Existence

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It's one thing to be sick or broken.  It's another to trust the doctor and follow his plan for healing.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  John 5, Addiction, Sickness, Healing, Freedom, Jesus

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Feelings of depression can attack anyone. If you've ever wondered how followers of God can lose their joy or knows what it's like to be in despair, this message is for you.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Psalm 40, Depression, Anxiety, Loss of Joy

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When we find ourselves trapped in the darkness of fear and worry we can believe the lie that we are all alone in our struggles.  The hope of Christ helps us overcome the hold of doubt and rediscover our faith.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 18:35-43, Luke 19:26, Fear, Worry, Trust, Hope, Faith

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Addictions, such as pornography weigh us down with the guilt of sin keeping us from experiencing the joy and freedom Christ came to offer us.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Matthew 5:27-30, Mark 7:14-23, Colossians 2:13-14, Addiction, Pornography, Guilt, Recovery

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Sex is a gift from God.  So why does it cause so much trouble?  When it comes to intimacy, the fantasy never mirrors the reality.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  2 Samuel 13; 1 Corinthians 6, Sex, Intimacy, Amnon, Tamar, David, Absalom, Sexual Boundaries

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God's vision for the church is to reach the world with the truth that Jesus is the hope, truth and life and that through Him we find salvation.  Sometimes reaching the world though causes us to step outside of our own self-interests.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Jonah, World Missions, Missions, Vision

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Does our church exist in this community or for this community?  How we answer this question makes all the difference.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Nehemiah 4, Community, City, Church, Purpose, Mission, Nehemiah

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When church-people think church-vision, we usually think of blueprints, programs, and upcoming expenses.  It's so much more than that.  You might be surprised at what we consider a vision for a church.

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Philippians 2:12-16, Church, Vision, Future, Unity, Selfishness, Philippians 2

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Do you have a vision for your life?  How about starting the new year off with a plan guaranteed to make 2009 a better year?

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Scriptures and Keywords:  Joshua 24, Vision, Life Plan, Commitment, Christ, Goal

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