To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9–14 (NIV)
What makes prayer exciting?
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
James 5:13–18 (NLT)
I will experience God’s _________________________.
For centuries during the Christian season known as Pentecost, followers of Jesus have focused on the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Father sent the Son and the Father and the Son sent the Spirit. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit sends the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ to re-present Jesus in the world. During this nine-week series, we will consider how the Holy Spirit energizes the people of God to be the exciting church.
Kevin Griffin grew up attending church, but it wasn’t until a painful period in his teenage years that he encountered the grace and love of God in a profound and life-changing way. This marked the beginning of his transformation into a grateful and fully devoted follower of Jesus, a journey that led him from his hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Lexington, KY, where he attended college and worked as a youth pastor for several years. Along the way, he discovered a deep joy in helping other people experience the peace and presence of God, especially people who are unwanted, unseen, and unloved.
Kevin is passionate about making disciples of Jesus, helping adults and children understand the Bible, caring for people in poverty, racial reconciliation, team-based ministry, and building cross-cultural ministry partnerships. He is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and served under appointment for six years in the Kentucky Conference, until he was appointed to Grace Church in 2013 and transferred to the Florida Conference. At Grace Church he has served as Pastor of Connect & Form, Pastor of the Grace Community Center, and currently serves as Pastor of Transformation.
In his current role, he provides leadership and support to all ministries with adults at the Cape Coral Campus, as well as serving on the Grace Church Teaching Team with ongoing responsibilities for preaching and teaching. Kevin received a bachelor’s degree in English and Music Theory from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. He is married to Ashley, and they live in Cape Coral with their three children.
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The Exciting Church - Part 4 - CC | Sermons | Grace Church
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9–14 (NIV)
What makes prayer exciting?
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
James 5:13–18 (NLT)
I will experience God’s _________________________.
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