Grace Community Church Podcast

Jesus said His house should be a house of prayer for all people. But what He found in the temple told a very different story. As we finish Luke 19, Pastor Doug Kempton challenges us to consider what our churches should look like—and what needs to change in our own hearts. Following Jesus means making room for Him to transform both.

Jesus entered Jerusalem to cheering crowds. So why did He stop and weep? In Luke 19, we see a surprising picture of Jesus' heart for people who failed to recognize Him. Pastor Doug Kempton explores the invitation to experience real peace, the danger of repeatedly ignoring God's voice, and why our response to Jesus matters more than we might realize.

How well do you really know God? In Luke 19, Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus and His parable about a returning king reveal something surprising: we can believe the right things about God and still struggle to trust Him when life doesn't go the way we expect. Pastor Doug Kempton explores how knowing Jesus more deeply changes the way we respond to difficult circumstances, treat other people, and live out our faith.

We've often heard the story of the Rich Young Ruler end with a man who refuses Jesus and walks away, but that's not actually what the text tells us. Pastor Doug Kempton takes another look at this familiar story and explores what it teaches us about sacrifice, sadness, the things we cling to, and an invitation from Jesus that is always offering us more.

Most of us want to believe we're good people. And one of the easiest ways to convince ourselves is to find someone we think we're better than. In Luke 18, Jesus tells a surprising story about two men looking for acceptance from God. Matt Mancinelli explores why the person who seemed to have everything right was actually the one who missed the point.

What does it actually mean to be ready for Jesus to return? Wayne Stapleton looks at Jesus' teaching in Luke 17 and argues that readiness isn't about watching for clues or predicting a date. It's about recognizing what God is doing right now—and being willing to join Him in it.