We get caught up in our limited ways of thinking when we feel defeated and overwhelmed. God gives us visions that are deliberately jarring and non-literal to shake us out of our ruts and stimulate our imaginations. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Open to Truth - sermon March 19, 2023
It's one thing to be shown the truth, but if you are afraid of the consequences of it being real, you're unlikely to change your mind, even if the evidence is right before your eyes. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Woman at the Well - sermon March 12, 2023
When a Samaritan woman encounters Jesus waiting by a well in the middle of the day, she ends up getting a new life of acceptance, value, and respect. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Wilderness Rebirth - sermon March 5, 2023
When we go into the wilderness, both literally and figuratively, we move outside of our areas of expertise, and into a new place where we have to start over, unlearn and relearn, and let go of being the expert. This is what Jesus is talking about when he tells us we need to be reborn in the Spirit - to let go of being the expert about God, and letting God teach us. By Pastor Lars Hammar
The Wisdom of Not Using Power - sermon Feb 26, 2023
The big temptation for Jesus is to use his power instead of embracing weakness. There is wisdom on knowing when you can't force things, and when you need to take time to detox from life and listen to God. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Listen - sermon Feb 19, 2023
Listening means being open to being changed or converted to the views of the other. Listening to God means being open to God in your heart, for both challenge and comfort. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Maturity - sermon Feb 12, 2023
We can understand the deeper mysteries of the Spirit when we are not preoccupied with gossip and social positioning. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Inspiration - sermon Jan 5, 2023
Inspiration comes from God, as a gift from the Holy Spirit, when we open our hearts. By Pastor Lars Hammar
The God of Losers - sermon Jan 29, 2023
What if we have it all wrong, when we look at the cross, and our minds skip over it, as a blip along the way to resurrection and victory? What if the whole point of the cross is that it's not the path to winning, but the path to losing? Maybe Jesus wants us to embrace losing and weakness, and reject the whole idea of gaining at other's expense? By Pastor Lars Hammar
A Great Light - by Cindy Stein January 22, 2023
Lord of Grace member Cindy Stein sharing the word, Jauary 22, 2023.
Psalm 40 Revisited - sermon Jan 15, 2023
Walk through Psalm 40 part-by-part and pray with it. The Psalms are not intended to always be uplifting, but more like prayer journals showing people's real life struggles and doubts and problems with God. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Jesus is Enough for This Life - sermon Jan 8, 2023
If there was no heaven to reward you, and no hell to fear, and you knew that after you died you would just sleep in the dusty *sheol* of the Old Testament, would you still follow Jesus? Odds are, you probably already do, because Jesus is worth it even if this is the only life. Sermon January 8th, 2023 by Pastor Lars Hammar
Reflections on the Blessings - sermon Jan 1, 2023
Reflecting back on the blessings and experiences of 2022. Preached at the combined service of Lessons and Carols on January 1st, 2023
God's Unexpected Good News - Christmas Eve sermon 2022
God brings great news to us in unexpected ways. Christmas message from Pastor Lars Hammar.
Soul Healing – sermon Dec 18, 2022
The soul is the deepest part of our selves, the seat of our deepest longings, desires, and joys. Rather than being a separate entity inhabiting a body, a shell, the Bible teaches that the soul is inseparable. When we have lack in the good things we desire, the soul is empty, and God brings healing by meeting our deepest desires with his greatest good.
On the left is how most of us view the soul, like Plato, a spirit in a shell, a ghost in a physical body. But in the Bible it’s an inseparable part of our selves, and the part that is most connected to God in the Spirit.
The Divine Council
Using the image of a council of heavenly beings, seated before God, getting a lecture about what is right and good, the Psalmist shows that what matters to God is protecting the weak and the needy, and upholding their rights. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Healing of the Body - sermon by Sue Justis
Hear Sue Justis tell her story of finding healing for herself and others through the power of God. December 11, 2022
Healing the Mind - sermon Dec. 4
Second in a series on healing for Advent 2022, we explore what it might mean to find healing in your mind through finding peace and calm through being in God’s spirit. By Pastor Lars Hammar
Healing the Body - sermon Nov 27, 2022
Healing the body is about the whole self, and that view has been in the Bible for centuries. Miracle cures are actually fairly rare, and occur mostly when either a prophet, Jesus, or one of the twelve disciples comes around. Instead of debating miracles, we should be looking to God for the healing of our whole selves, body, mind, soul for true health and renewal.
Because I got covid again, I had to pre-record this sermon and have it played back on Sunday to keep everyone safe, hence why it's not a live recording during the service. - Pastor Lars Hammar
First Sunday in Advent. November 27, 2022.
Perfectly Loved - sermon Nov 20 by Cindy Stein
The love of God is constantly with us. When you think you are alone, you are not.
Lord of Grace member Cindy Stein shares the word on Christ the King Sunday.