Grace and Forgiveness

Pastor Daniel Goulding · Sep 22, 2024

In Matthew 19, Jesus refuses to answer the Pharisees' question about the grounds for divorce and instead points them back to God's original design in Genesis: marriage between one man and one woman, supernaturally forged into a single new entity by the Holy Spirit, was always meant to be permanent. Because divorce attempts to undo what God has made one, it carries devastating consequences for everyone involved. Yet because Jesus frames it as a sin issue, it is also a forgiveness issue — and the grace that covers all sin is available to everyone who has walked through the pain of divorce.

Pastor Bill Bush · Jun 24, 2019

Drawing on the Parable of the Two Sons in Matthew 21, Pastor Bill argues that genuine Christian faith is not measured by church attendance, biblical knowledge, or outward religiosity, but by a heart that continually repents — that is, turns away from self-directed living and back toward God's mission of loving and pointing people to Jesus. Like the first son who initially refused but later obeyed, real faith means honestly owning our disobedience, whether driven by fear, distraction, or comfortable tolerance, and choosing to turn wholeheartedly toward the Father's vineyard today.