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"So, what do you want to be when you grow up?" This is one of the most common questions adults like to ask kids in our culture. And I get why - it can be fun to hear their answers. It gives us a glimpse about what they care about and how they see the world. But we all take kids' answers with a grain of salt. We know that their desires will change, opportunities won't develop the way they hope, and the marketplace doesn't have the space for another Batman. Life doesn't go according to our plans, at all age. How many times have you said to yourself: "I never thought I'd be in this situation." When life doesn't work out the way you thought - what do you do with that disappointment? There are very few of us who are living out the profession we thought we would at 8 years old, not to mention other significant aspects of our life - geography, family status, physical well-being, etc This week at Grace we are in James 4:13-17. James warns his readers of the danger of thinking that we can know and plan our future, as if we are God himself. I'm eager to get into this passage with you as we consider how to live out of a trust in the will of God together. See you Sunday! In Christ, Pastor Bob   👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

What's the problem? Nothing I'm saying about her isn't true!" If you had a teenager make this excuse to you about her words, what would you say? If we're saying what is true, can we say anything we want about another? This week at Grace, we're covering a very brief but immensely practical passage from James 4:11-12. In these couple of verses, James lays out the reason why slander reveals a lack of understanding about the gospel and it's role in our lives. My hope is that this passage will help us become the sort of people (individually, in families, and as a church) for whom slander becomes utterly foreign and strange, because we learn to love our neighbors as ourselves. In Christ, Pastor Bob 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

In CS Lewis' second book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, Prince Caspian, the title character finds out he is descended from pirates who found their way to Narnia generations before he was born. Caspian's response: "I was wishing that I came of a more honorable lineage." "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan. "And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content." In this quote, Lewis captures one of the great gifts of Christian theology to our understanding of human nature, and how understanding our humanity rightly brings healthy humility. This Sunday, we're going to talk about James 4:1-10. In this passage of Scripture, James explains why humility is a reasonable response to our own observations of human nature, and what humility results in as a Christian. Looking forward to talking about it with you this Sunday at Grace! In Christ, Pastor Bob   👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

Have you ever tried going somewhere new without using GPS? Every once in a while, my family and I will be getting ready to go somewhere—a restaurant, a park someone told us about, or a party at a friend’s house. And when I hear what city it's in, I'll think to myself, “Yeah… I know how to get there!” But instead of putting the address into the GPS, I'll say something silly like, “I'm just gonna follow my heart.” And off we go. The funny thing is… we usually make it there! Sometimes it's because I eventually tap out and put the address into my phone. Other times, we arrive much later than we needed to because apparently my heart doesn't always know the fastest route. And in most cases, I've come to find that my GPS woes are attached to my own pride. Sometimes I am so convinced that I know where I am going that I don’t want to admit that maybe… I have no clue. I've been thinking about how easy it is to approach life in a similar way. We can become so convinced that we know where we're going—or that our way is the right way—that we don't stop to consider what is actually guiding us. This Sunday, as we continue through James, we'll look at James 3:13–18 and two very different kinds of wisdom: the wisdom of the world and the wisdom that comes from God. James helps us take a closer look at the wisdom we're following—and what that wisdom looks like when it gets lived out in our everyday lives. Looking forward to seeing you Sunday! -Pastor Jason

James 3 is about the tongue - how powerful our tongues are, what they're capable of, and how difficult they are to tame. A couple of weeks ago, I challenged you to complete a "Tongue Test," and observe how often you engage in each of the following:   1. Complaining 2. Boasting 3. Gossiping 4. Running another down 5. Excusing yourself 6. Silence instead of encouraging another   How did that "Tongue Test" go? This week's sermon is designed to pick up where we left off after the tongue test. In light of what this test helps us recognize about our own tongue, what should we do in response?   Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday at Grace. In Christ, Pastor Bob   👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

When is the last time you said something foolish? If your answer is further back than "An hour ago," you're a better person than me. This week at Grace, we're looking at James 3:1-5. I like how The Message paraphrases verse 2: "We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life." While we are quick to admit that we have said things we wish we could take back, I wonder how much we think it matters. We all recognize how powerful the words of others are. Our parents' words shaped our world when we were young. The words of friends and peers stick with us for years. And the words of Jesus are the most powerful of all. So why do we discount the power of our own words? We tell ourselves that we're "just joking" or "telling it like it is," and in the process let our tongue run rampant over others and ourselves. Let's reflect on how to tame our tongues as Christians together this Sunday. In Christ, Pastor Bob 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

One of the great rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation was: By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Theologians like Luther and Calvin helped Christians see the beauty, truth, and goodness of this message throughout the Scriptures, and especially in books like Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. But there's one New Testament paragraph that has caused hesitation in many to embrace the doctrine of salvation by grace alone: "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:17) This week at Grace, we're going to talk about this important and sometimes misunderstood section of Scripture. We'll talk about how to integrate it wisely, fairly, and faithfully with the rest of the New Testament, as well as what to do with James' warning for us today. I'm excited to be back in the pulpit with you this week after my sabbatical this summer, and looking forward to digging into this important passage together. In Christ, Pastor Bob 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

Have you ever had someone tell you they were going to do something—and then they just… didn’t? Maybe you heard the words “I’ll be there” from a friend you were supposed to meet for coffee, only to find yourself sitting there waiting. Maybe you cleared your schedule for someone who was supposed to come work on your home, but they never showed up. Or maybe someone said they’d take care of a task, or get back to you… and it just never happened. The frustrating part isn’t necessarily what they said. The words “I’ll be there” may have been exactly what you wanted to hear. It’s what didn’t happen afterward that can be so troubling. In some sense, a promise was made—but when it came time to follow through, there was nothing to show for it. This Sunday, as we continue through the book of James, we’ll look at James 2:14–16, where James asks us to consider a similar disconnect when it comes to our faith: What happens when the faith we say we have never takes shape in what we do? Join us this Sunday as we consider what it looks like for our faith to be more than words! -Pastor Jason 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

We're excited to welcome Florent Varak, one of our twelve supported missionaries, as our guest speaker this Sunday! Florent serves with Encompass World Partners, where his work centers on international church development and equipping and training pastors and church leaders throughout French-speaking Africa. Before this role, he spent 25 years as a pastor in Lyon, France, and he continues to teach at the Geneva Bible Institute and has authored several books on preaching and ministry. We're grateful for this opportunity to learn from him and to hear firsthand about the work God is doing through his ministry! 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

What makes one person seem more important than another? We may not consciously rank the people around us, but I think it's pretty easy/natural for us to make judgments about others. For instance... we notice what people wear, how they speak, who they know, what they believe — and sometimes, almost without realizing it, we decide in our hearts who deserves attention and who doesn’t. This is something that we'll be looking at this weekend in James. In James 2:1–7, we'll look at how the church responded to two specific people who entered the room: One was welcomed with attention and offered a good seat. The other was told to stand off to the side or sit on the floor. And James asks this pertinent question: “Doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?” (James 2:4, NLT) This Sunday, we'll take a look at the sin of partiality and favoritism and will be challenged to consider the perspective of Christ towards those who are poor and powerless. I'm looking forward to getting into this passage together with you! Also, this Sunday is FAMILY MINISTRY SUNDAY at Grace. We are encouraging families to come together for worship services and this is a great opportunity to help others participate in and understand the different parts of our worship service: why we sing songs of praise, why we pray together, why we read scripture publicly, and why we sit under the preaching of God's Word. Our hope is that our children will not only see what we do when the church gathers on a Sunday morning, but that they also grow to understand why we do it and what it means to be a community of faith! Our nursery will be open for our younglings, while our elementary-age children will join us in the worship services for the morning... Looking forward to Sunday! - Pastor Jason 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

“Don’t deny in the darkness what God has revealed in the light.” These were the wise words my professor once shared to me in a moment where I was going through a really difficult time. Trials have a way of challenging what we know to be true, don't they? When circumstances change, we can easily begin to question the goodness of God, look elsewhere for answers, or even loosen our grip and lose sight of what He has promised. James reminds us that while our circumstances may change for the better or worse... there is something that you and I can hold on to... the character of God does not change. His love for us does not waver with each passing day. God's promise of giving wisdom generously to all (as James 1:5 says) remains just as steadfast. This Sunday, as we continue through James 1:16–21, we'll look at how God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and He has given us His word to anchor us when life feels uncertain. We’ll consider what it looks like to persevere by holding fast to the goodness of God and learning to “receive with meekness the implanted word”—allowing what God has spoken to shape how we live when trials come. Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday! - Pastor Jason 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

As a science teacher ready to get back into it, I recall one of my own first chemistry labs in middle school. The ol’ litmus test checking for the presence of acid in something like vinegar. Remember? It was blue litmus paper turning “magically” and instantly into red when I brought them together. Exciting! If it was a base (alkaline) or any other substance – no change - boring. The paper doesn’t make the vinegar an acid, it simply reveals what’s already there. The liquid determines the color of the paper—not the other way around. You know, I think there’s something here we can apply to our study of James this coming Sunday. God's Word can function like spiritual litmus paper. James in chapter 1 vv. 26-27 says that genuine faith leaves observable evidence. In this case, good works. This week at Grace we’ll be looking at two ways to respond to hearing the word of God: Hearing its instruction and walking away unchanged or one of hearing and being changed by it. Like that litmus test, the results will reveal what’s already there in the person. I’m looking forward to our time together on Sunday, with the book of James! -Greg Bartleson | Elder board Chairman 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

In a few weeks, students head back to school, and every student learns the same thing: hard work and study only make sense when there is something at the end. Take away the diploma and the motivation begins to wane. But put a real goal in front of you, something you can actually picture, and everything changes. That is what James does for us in chapter 1 v.12. To a people worn down by trials, he holds up a finish line to fix our eyes on: the crown of life. But there’s a tension. Even with the crown in view, something pulls against us, and it's closer than we think. Our own desires lure us off the path, away from life and toward the grave. This week at Grace we'll look at the two roads set before every one of us: the road to the crown, or the road to the grave. Excited to be together on Sunday! -Pastor Chris 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

We're excited to welcome back Justin Fox as our guest speaker this Sunday! Many of you will remember Justin from his years serving here at Grace as our Worship Pastor. For those of you who may not know him - I can't wait for you to meet him! Justin has a genuine love for Jesus, a tender heart for people, and a creative spirit that naturally draws others in! Over the years, God had been nurturing a vision in Justin and his wife, Heidi, to plant a community-minded and outreach-focused church in Justin's hometown of Arcata. This ultimately led Justin to plant Branches Humboldt - a church committed to helping people connect with Jesus, the source of life, and to reach their community with the hope of the gospel. T his Sunday, Justin will continue our series in James with a message from James 1:9–11 entitled "Treasure That Lasts." The treasures we seek in our lives show where our heart is, what we value, and what we cling to in times of trial. Are we clinging to God? Or are we clinging to our self-made securities? 👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

I remember the feeling of being a new parent so vividly. When we brought our kids home from the hospital, I remember one of the first memories I had was waking up at different intervals in the morning and thinking to myself, “This is what 3am looks like!” As my little babes cried at different hours of the day – it felt like such an honor to know that our little ones would look to us as a source of comfort, care, and provision. Even as they grow older – I find it a tremendous honor to know that my children can come to my sweet Annie and I as a source of help and support regardless of what is bothering them! This Sunday, James continues to teach us how to respond when life is difficult. Rather than leaving us to figure things out on our own, he points us to a God who delights in giving wisdom to His children. Together we'll consider both the encouragement and the challenge of what it means to come to God with trusting hearts when we don't know what to do. -Pastor Jason   👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach