Micah: When Preachers Lie

GracePoint Church

Micah: When Preachers Lie

July 28, 2024 • Neil Montgomery • Micah 1:1–6, Micah 2:1–7, Micah 3:5–7, Deuteronomy 28:1–21, Romans 8:28

It's not unusual around Western North Carolina, to be driving down the road and come across a tree that has fallen. Have you ever wondered how that happened? A moment before the tree was standing straight and tall. Sometimes a storm will be strong enough to blow a tree over but even then, most trees have a strong trunk, and a deep root system enabling them to weather even the toughest storms. A tree never just simply "falls over."

What you don't see on the outside is happening on the inside. A tree has a root base that has been rotting. That root is the life of the tree and hence the tree itself is rotting. Left unchecked, the tree eventually falls to the ground.

We live in a world that is all about "looking good on the outside." Yet, the message of Jesus, and all of the Bible, is that God works from the inside. When our inside is healthy, we are told that glorious fruit is the result. There is a peace about us. We have a genuine love for others. Our hope is not focused on this world. We enjoy blessings, but endure hardship, trusting that God is working in us as we persevere. The list goes on.

Suffice it to say, a life...a soul uncared for, is a soul that is rotting. It's only a matter of time before the impact becomes devastating in our lives. Join us this Sunday as we unpack the message from the Minor Prophet, Micah, and learn how to care for our souls that leads to living a life of impact.

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.