Jonah: You Can Run But You Can’t Hide

GracePoint Church

Jonah: You Can Run But You Can’t Hide

July 14, 2024 • Neil Montgomery • Deuteronomy 29:29, Hebrews 12:5–7, Jonah 1

As a little boy sitting in Sunday School, I loved the story of Jonah--the idea that some huge fish swallowed a living man! Wow! For years, whenever I thought of Jonah...I thought about this incredible picture.

Perhaps by now, like me, you have learned that this book is about so much more. In fact, it's really not about a "whale" at all. The prophecy of God through His prophet Jonah is, once again, an object lesson of what happens when we walk away from the clear direction that God has given to us.

For those of us who have placed our faith and trust in Jesus, the Bible has given us a very clear path on HOW to walk with God through His Spirit. So often, we want God to answer the WHAT and WHERE. This is where so many of us get bogged down. I hope you'll join us as we dive in the depths (pun intended) of Jonah and look at the answer to God's direction in our lives.

Malachi: Love the One You’re With

November 10, 2024 • Neil Montgomery • Malachi 2:10–12, Malachi 2:13–15, Malachi 2:16, 1 Corinthians 13:4

Well...it's over. The election. Most of us likely gave it more attention than was needed. It can be quite a distraction from what God tells us is important. We come by it honestly, because our leaders tend to have a lot of say on the day to day experience of our lives. The same thing was happening when God spoke through His prophet Malachi. His people were forgetting what was important. They began to build a camp out of the created things rather than build a relationship with the Creator Himself and look to the eternal things. But God has a plan for us to experience deep meaningful lives filled with peace and a hope for the future. God tends to use "people" to accomplish His purpose. So, it's critical for His people to stay close to Him if we hope to max out our impact as we go about the work He gave for us to do. Malachi brings out the idea (truth) that God's vehicle for His message to be passed on, was the family. It's no surprise that our enemy, Satan seeks to go after breaking down the family. And it begins with marriage. Malachi says, "God made man and woman one in marriage. We are His in body and Spirit. And what does He want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth."

Malachi: Stuff God Cares About

November 3, 2024 • Neil Montgomery • Malachi 3:5, Malachi 3:16, Proverbs 9:10, Malachi 4, Luke 1:11–19

Do you remember your first job? How about the day you got married? What about that first house you moved into? My guess is that those were some pretty amazing days. I'd also guess that...after a while...the joy faded. Like a fire that is not tended will go out, so many things in life fade if we don't work on them. A couple needs to remember to keep dating. A house needs upkeep. This weekend, we come to our final book of the Minor Prophets series. Malachi reflects on the fading relationship that God's people have with Him. It has been close to a hundred years since Haggai and Zechariah led Israel back to a thriving relationship to God. Now, the intimacy has cooled...to the point that they are drifting back...back to seeing God as a religion...someone to appease rather than love. Malachi's message will be a shot in the arm to remind God's people to keep the fire hot and to stay close to God. His way of "how" to do that, may come as a surprise to some of you.

Zechariah Part 2: Same God

October 27, 2024 • Canaan Chapman • Luke 11:11–13, Zechariah 7, Zechariah 8, Romans 12:18, Galatians 5:22–23

I get fascinated with how time works. Do you ever think about it? One of the latest things I've been pondering personally is the time span between our family's move to Asheville, and Helene being almost the amount of time as Helene was to now–it simply blows my mind! How is that possible?! When I think of longer spans and how it works also with matters of faith, I have similar conniptions. How is it possible that an Old Testament prophecy still be relevant today? How can that have meaning to the disciples 2,000 years ago? How is it that what we believe about Jesus matters still and will matter... forever? This weekend, we'll explore this idea. I'll be preaching from Zechariah about how the God who was worshiped then is the same God we worship today. His promises were made good, and He's still making good on them; His character is as loving as it was, as forgiving as it was, and as jealous as it was. The prophet's messages are as pertinent as they've always been. Will we have eyes to see and ears to hear? Read up, and let's dive in together.