Grace Clarksville

In my mission to follow Christ, I will be asked by God to deny myself through both temporary inconveniences that help me draw close to Him, and through permanent practices that help move me towards service to others. Letting these rhythms of self-denial challenge my own sense of entitlement and preferences is a fight worth fighting for; because it is through these challenges, that I can find joy and freedom in following Christ.   Scriptures: Mark 8:34-38 Keywords: service, sacrifice, self-denial, fasting, preferences    

We are never more like God than when we're generous. In this sermon, we look at how we can become more generous in light of God’s generosity to us.   Scriptures: Acts 20:32-35   Keywords: giving, generosity, money, service, forgiveness, spiritual growth    

Every human heart was created to worship. In this sermon, we see why God asks for our worship and how he changes us when we put him at the center of our existence and meaning.   Scriptures: Revelation 22:1-5 Keywords: worship, singing, sacrifice, spiritual growth  

One of the rhythms of grace God offers us is really difficult, Community. Community doesn’t sound too difficult, but those of us who have lived long enough know that community is hard to be a part of. Many of us would rather exclude ourselves from community instead of embrace it, but believe it or not we were made for community. But why? And how do we embrace it? Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 Keywords: community, rhythm, Grace, habit, vulnerability, Paul, 1 Corinthians, body, image, give, grow    

Pulling away to be alone with God has the power to change us like nothing else. In this sermon, we look at the rhythm of solitude and why we need to practice it regularly. Scriptures: Luke 5:12-16 Keywords: solitude, alone, silence, stillness, prayer, spiritual formation  

The Bible is central to our growth with God. Too often, however, we avoid reading it. In this sermon, we will look at what the Bible actually is, why we need to understand it, and how can better practice the rhythm of reading it. Scriptures: Luke 4:1-13 Keywords: spiritual formation, growth, bible, word, story

How do we make real progress in our relationship with God? As we begin our new series on spiritual growth, we look at how prayer is the foundational practice by which we come to know God, and ourselves.   Scriptures: Romans 12:9-21 Keywords: prayer, spiritual growth, disciplines, rhythms, knowing God  

Healing and Real Change Can Only Come from Being Known Scriptures: Psalm 139:1-16, 23-24 Keywords: Healing, Change, Known, Loved

When Jesus was born, King Herod felt threatened by the arrival of the true king. In this sermon, we look at how Herod’s insecurities led him to try to get rid of the very person he needed most - and how we can avoid doing the same. Scriptures: Matthew 2:1-4, 8-12, 16 Keywords: Christmas, Advent, Herod, Jesus, idols, fear, anxiety

 In our second week of our Christmas series, we look at how Jesus’ lonely, poor, and humble birth created the foundation for the Kingdom of God. Scriptures: Luke 2:1-7, 21 Keywords: humility, manger, Christmas, advent, baby, Jesus

As we begin our Christmas series, we look at one of its most important details - the virgin birth. In this sermon, we’ll see what the virgin birth means and why it matters to us today. Scriptures: Luke 1:26-38 Keywords: Christmas, advent, Jesus, virgin, incarnation, grace

Won’t you be my neighbor? It’s a question many of us were asked growing up by a good television neighbor, Mr. Rogers. But this was a question that Jesus was calling His neighbors too long before it became popular by Fred Rogers. Jesus, Paul, and over and over again throughout scripture we’re called to be good neighbors, but what does it look like to be a good neighbor? Why is it so important? How can being a good neighbor remind us of our greatest neighbor Jesus, and lead others to know Him? Scriptures: Matthew 22:36-40 36 Keywords: Neighbor, Jesus, John 4, Fred, Rogers, Love, Welcome, Impact, Encourage, Grace, Clarksville, TN, Community, Church

As Paul closes his letter to the Philippians, he encourages his readers to look to God for their needs — including their greatest need of all: their need for grace. Scriptures: Philippians 4:14-23 Keywords: grace, provision, prayer, trust

Life is uncertain, but Paul describes a “secret” to living that enables us to face uncertainty. In this sermon, we see how Jesus can give us contentment in any situation. Scriptures: Philippians 4:10-13 Keywords: contentment, satisfaction, happiness, joy, strength

When Jesus ascended back into heaven, he told his followers to wait for his return. In this sermon, we see how we are supposed to live while we endure our waiting. Scriptures: Philippians 4:2-9 Keywords: gentleness, anxiety, worry, prayer, peace

When Jesus ascended back into heaven, he told his followers to wait for his return. In this sermon, we see how we are supposed to live while we endure our waiting. Scriptures: Philippians 3:17-4:1 Keywords: waiting, citizens of heaven, end of the world, suffering, glory

After his conversion, how did Paul see himself? In this sermon, we see that Paul saw himself as not perfect, but still loved by God, and on a journey to become more like him. Scriptures: Philippians 3:12-16 Keywords: perfection, freedom, chosen by God, self-righteousness, Philippians

We all want to experience joy. We all want joy in our lives. We live for it, want to achieve it, and are looking to be marked by it. For many of us we are deep in the pursuit of joy. But what if the reason we are still pursuing joy instead of experiencing it is because we’ve been searching for joy in the wrong things? What if we have missed, forgotten, or lost what allows us to be marked by joy? Paul explains how we can be people that not only experience joy daily, but can fully be marked by joy, and not only the pursuit of joy.  Scriptures: Philippians 3:1-11 Keywords: Joy, Philippians, Paul, Happy, Happiness, Rejoice, Jesus, Christ, God, Life, Living

The humble life called for in Philippians is not impossible. It is proven in the examples Paul gives us of Timothy and Epaphroditus and they ways they both poured their own lives out in sacrifice and service. We are challenged to choose personal sacrifice over our own personal security, when we live with the mind of Christ. Scriptures: Philippians 2:19-30 Keywords: sacrifice, service, Timothy, Epaphroditus, humility

God’s gift of salvation is not just about spending eternity with him. It is also about deep, lasting, and significant change in our character. In this sermon, we look at how God’s saving grace inspires us towards a daily pursuit of growth. Scriptures: Philippians 2:12-18 Keywords: growth, salvation, justification, sanctification, power, grace