Sermons at Granite Creek Community Church

Today we are going on a New Journey and Talking about The Life Of Paul. Come with me on this journey. Paul was actually born as Saul. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around A.D. 1–5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern day Tersous, Turkey. He was of Benjamite lineage and Hebrew ancestry. His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from “contamination” from the Gentiles. Anything Greek was despised in Saul’s household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household spoke Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul’s family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city. The pivotal passage in Paul’s story is Acts 9:1-22, which recounts Paul’s meeting with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, a journey of about 150 miles. Saul was angered by what he had seen and filled with murderous rage against the Christians. Before departing on his journey, he had asked the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for permission to bring any Christians (followers of “the Way,” as they were known) back to Jerusalem to imprison them. On the road Saul was caught up in a bright light from heaven which caused him to fall face down on the ground. He hears the words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He says, “Who are you Lord?” Jesus answers directly and clearly, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (vv. 4-5). As an aside, this might not have been Saul’s first encounter with Jesus, as some scholars suggest that young Saul might have known of Jesus and that he might have actually witnessed His death.

Today we are taking a break from our journey and going to honor someone and his name is Billy Graham. We are also going to be talking about Doubt. So we are leaving exodus but we will be back on our journey.

Today we are continuing with Exodus and Pastor Meko is finishing what she preached on last week. Pastor Josh is going to continue on with Exodus. So please come on this journey with me.

Come with me on this journey and lets stop and look at the book of Exodus.Today we are starting a new series on Exodus. Come as we hear about moses.

Today we had a guest Speaker Will Hart and he had 2 parts to his sermon. Here is Part 1 and if you want to know more of what he talked about you have to go and watch part 2 and you will be changed by watching these sermons. So come on this journey with me today.

Today we had a guest Speaker Will Hart and he had 2 parts to his sermon. Here is Part 1 and if you want to know more of what he talked about you have to go and watch part 2 and you will be changed by watching these sermons. So come on this journey with me today.

Today we are going on our journey from the power of praise and worship to walking in hope in a faith lifestyle. What does hope and faith mean though. We define faith as “unquestioning belief, complete trust or confidence.” Hope is defined as “a feeling that what is wanted will happen; desire accompanied by expectation.” When you look at Webster’s definition of both words, one deals with a belief while the other is a feeling with an expectation. I especially like the second definition of hope, “desire accompanied by expectation.” The Hebrew and Greek words for hope also means to have an expectation. It’s a concept involving trustful anticipation, particularly with reference to the fulfillment of the promises of God. By definition, we can see that hope works with faith, but it is not faith. Paul says in Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Paul describes God as being a God of hope in that He placed the hope within us. I believe that God also has hope. His Word says He desires that all should be saved, although we know this is will not be the case. Hope involves having a confidence and a desire and that is what leads us to exercise our faith. When we are walking in faith, we actually abound in hope because our “feelings” are aligning with God’s Word and our desires are now accompanied by an expectation with confidence. When that expectation is materialized, we know that God has acted on our behalf and we start the process of fully exercising our faith. Remember I told you earlier that you cannot walk in faith if you are not expecting God to do anything for you. You must have an expectation and this is where hope comes in.

Today we are still on our journey through the Faith Lifestyle Series. We are learning about the Power of Praise and Worship through faith. Here are 7 words on how to praise. So lets learn them today. 1. Yadah - Hands to God. 2. Towdah - Extend the hands while speaking the same thing. 3. Shabach - Loud adoration; testimony to what God has done. 4. Barauch - Expressing an attitude of love and trust by kneeling or bowing. 5. Zamar - Singing while using instruments. 6. Halah - Rave upon the Lord and act foolishly (and where the word hallelujah comes from). 7. Tehillah - Speaking and singing praises to the Father. Here are the most common words for Worship. 1.Hishtachavah - Bow down, kneel, give honor; an outward physical stance usually done during times of giving an offering or making a sacrifice

Today we are starting a new series Living in God's Balance. Come join me on this new journey and lets learn about Living in God's Balance. As a woman, are there days when you feel that your life has gotten out of balance? Between working long hours at the office, rushing to get the children off to school, or writing your latest novel, have you felt that there are just not enough hours in the day to get it all done? You are not alone. Many of us feel the pressures of everyday life more and more these days. Many women are especially sensitive to how full their days have become and how little they seem to accomplish during “normal” waking hours. If you are feeling this way, then it’s probably a good time to take inventory of your life so that you can get back on track. We’ve all heard the old adage that life is a “balance of mind, body, and spirit.” Hearing that phrase is one thing. Living that principle is quite another in our often hectic world. Many people, both men and women, seek this balance in their lives. The solution can often feel elusive once our lives have gotten off a healthy path. There are many paths to living a balanced life. A Christian perspective to having a balanced life begins by examining your relationship with God. How close are you to God? Do you seek His wisdom often or are you trying to go through life on your own? We can often feel alone when life becomes overwhelming. A relationship with God means that you are never alone (Romans 8:35; Psalms 91:10-11). The more intimate your relationship with God the more faith you have that He will help you through even the toughest times. Knowing someone is always there who understands what you are going through is a major component in the process of healing and getting our lives in balance. Often we are plagued by a need to “control” our environment and our lives. Looming deadlines at work and conflicts with our spouse, our families, or people with whom we work are just a few examples of circumstances that can cause our lives to feel “out of control”. In turn, feeling “out of control” increases our anxiety and causes us to search for an end to our frustrations. Left unchecked, anxiety can lead to depression, further complicating our desire for balance. A relationship with God does not require any special knowledge. Nor must you be anyone other than yourself. Everyone can have a relationship with God. All that is required is that you have a desire to foster your relationship with Him. God can then begin to assist you in receiving what you need in order to live life more fully and more balanced (Luke 11:9-13; 1 John 5:14-15). Reading the Bible on a daily basis is another way to grow your relationship with God. Your faith in allowing God to help you through all aspects of your life will expand as you begin to understand God’s wisdom and His plan for you. As your faith grows, you will begin to experience a positive change in your life. Once the change occurs, you will begin to recapture the “balance” you’ve been missing.