Gvf // Grace Valley Fellowship

Jesus identifies as the Jewish Messiah, but then overturns and redefines the expectations of the Messiah and his followers.  

Courage is when a stupid idea meets up with strong convictions and results in something amazing.  

Esther showed true courage when she approached the king in the face of near certain death to save her people. This came from a mindset, which produced action in the face of fear.  

When three courageous teenagers named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego risked being burned alive and refused to bow before a golden idol, they powerfully acknowledged God's ability to save them whilst not assuming knowledge of His will.  

Jesus leads his disciples into a storm so that he might enable them to see who and what he truly is. 

In Jesus, we are exposed to God’s furious love for us which is expressed in anger and grief because it is genuine love.

Jesus demonstrates his God-like authority when a paralyzed man is brought to him for healing.

Mark gives us a glimpse into God’s redemptive movement toward broken humanity and how we, as followers of Jesus, embody his love in action.

When Jesus appears preaching the arrival of the kingdom of God, he immediately sparks wonder and amazement as he speaks and acts in miraculous and unexpected ways.

The Easter story is not simply a story of faith. It’s also a story of doubt. Then and now, Jesus shows up in both stories.

Two people come before God. One is approved. The other is rejected. Which one are you? (Hint: It might not be the one you think.)

Suffering, evil, the manure of life does not nullify God’s goodness. In fact, Jesus suggests that sometimes God’s grace might just look like a big pile of manure.

Is freewill just an illusion? Do you really make choices or are your choices predetermined by your biology and your environment? Recent discoveries in neuroscience challenge some of our most basic (& cherished) ideas of human morality and autonomy.

What does my physical body have to do with my spiritual relationship with Jesus? In this message, we explore embodiment. You have a body, and you are a body.

You are made in the image of God. What does this ancient phrase tell us about why we exist & how to live well?

Is there reason to hold to human uniqueness or are we just complex apes who hit the evolutionary jackpot?

John H. Walton (Ph.D. Hebrew Union College) is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School where he has taught for almost twenty years. Dr. Walton has published nearly 30 books, among them commentaries, reference works, text books, scholarly monographs, and popular academic works. He was the Old Testament general editor for the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (NIV, NKJV, NRSV), and is perhaps most widely known for the “Lost World” books (including The Lost World of Genesis One, The Lost World of Adam and Eve, and The Lost World of the Flood). His areas of expertise include the importance of the ancient Near East for interpreting the Old Testament as well as the dialogue between science and faith.

Humans are unique in the animal kingdom in that we have the ability to be something other than what were created to be. We can be less than human, inhumane. In this ancient song, David reflects on what it means to be fully human.

How can a sinner like me experience the deep, rich, full life that Jesus promises?

This is a passage in which the Apostle Paul is almost too honest about his struggle with sin. He forces us to question how someone who loves God and wants to do good could keep doing things that they hate?