The Local Church

Be honest with yourself - are you living for comfort or a purpose worth giving your life to? Sunday's message explores Acts 20 - 21, where Apostle Paul chooses to continue his mission to Jerusalem even though he knows suffering and imprisonment await him. Through Paul’s example, Pastor Toran challenged us to consider whether we are living for comfort or for a purpose worth giving our lives to. Following God’s calling can be costly - not only for us, but also sometimes for the people around us. However, it ultimately leads to a life of deeper meaning and impact. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

What idols would you struggle to burn today? Influence, money, perceptions, convenience? In Acts 19, we see how the gospel that Paul brought to Ephesus challenged everything about the culture and its economy. As hearts were transformed and idols were left behind, opposition rose to reveal how deeply humans cling to the illusion of control when threatened. When Jesus truly becomes Lord, He doesn’t just tweak your life. He changes what you worship. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

--- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

Today we studied Acts 16 --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

Today Pastor Toran guided us through Acts 16, and what faith looks like on the front lines. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

Today Dr. Gary Burge joined us to explore Acts 15 and define grace. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

In Acts 13-14, we see that the gospel was never meant to stay in one place or with one group. Jesus's disciples knew this, and humbly took the gospel to others even when that path included rejection and suffering. Mission is learned, practiced, and sustained in community. It isn't hard because you're doing it wrong, but it is impossible if you're doing it alone. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

Acts 10 tells a story of a generous God who will stop at nothing to bring the good news of Jesus to people. In this instance, he uses two different visions sent to two men. One was incredibly clear, while the other was perplexing. God could have chosen to speak simply to them both, but instead asked for obedience even without a full understanding of the plan. This happens in our lives today, as well. Even when we don’t fully understand, God is breaking down barriers and using ordinary people to reach others with the good news of the gospel. When God calls you to take a step, clear or confusing, He promises to meet you there with His Spirit. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

In Acts 9, Saul has a dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and grace completely flips his story. Ananias was a quiet but crucial “hinge character” whose obedience, even when it was scary and didn’t make sense, helped change Saul’s life — and ultimately the world. God often works through ordinary people saying yes, not just big-name heroes of the faith. Who might God be calling you to be a hinge person for, and are you willing to reach out and trust Him with the outcome? --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

All of humanity has a "God-shaped hole in our heart" and nothing we try to fill it with - even good things - don't satisfy. Throughout scripture, Jesus is called the promised “branch” who brings real life and hope. Christian hope isn't wishful thinking — it’s confident trust in a future God has already promised and revealed in Christ. The way to translate this hope to others who might not yet know Christ is to overflow with generous, practical love.

Where are you? Are you far from God or living like you're one of His family? We often hide from God - especially when we’re ashamed, hurting, or overwhelmed - but God invites us back to Him. In our darkest moments, God is compassionate, gentle, and delighted to draw near to us. The promise of Immanuel, God with us, is that light is coming. No matter what you're carrying, God wants you to come close, not push away.

There are many types of suffering - physical, emotional, spiritual, relational. Some of us can name specific suffering we're going through, but there's also a general sense in the world that things are broken and not okay. Pain and suffering aren't proof that God has left us — it's often the place where He does His deepest work. Jesus understands our suffering and actually walks with us through it. We can shift our question from “Why is this happening?” to “What might God be doing in me through this?”

Does truly loving someone mean that we need to affirm all parts of them, including their sexual orientation? Today we look at what scripture says about same-sex attraction as well as how God loves and responds to his people (with all types of brokenness). Though TLC holds to a traditional sexual ethic, how we talk about this charged topic and live it out has deep implications for people that Jesus deeply loves. We believe that if we want to show what God is like, we must start with grace and truth. We show love by acting like Jesus.

What is the Bible? Even proclaimed Christians can have trouble constructing a definition, often because we come to scripture with our own opinions and doubts. But if we start with how Jesus understood and viewed God's Word, we can reach a new definition: The Bible is a library of books — both human and divine — that's trustworthy and authoritative, and tells a unified story that leads us to Jesus.

Can we really trust the Bible? Using history, archaeology, and critical literary research, we explore how Scripture was formed, copied, and preserved with remarkable accuracy. Compared to other ancient texts, it is unmatched in evidence and consistency. When we look at how God has faithfully preserved His Word through thousands of years, we can feel confident that the Bible is historically credible, spiritually inspired, and worth building our lives on. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care

Does God still speak personally and clearly today?

God loves to take the ancient truth of the gospel and breathe new life into it. In Acts 7 & 8, we read of the persecution and scattering of Christians as Jewish leaders tried to stop the spread of the gospel. But this physical movement of Jesus's followers to a new place ignited a bigger movement of the Spirit in people's hearts. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care

This Sunday was a Sacred Space Sunday, where we spent extended time in Acts 4:23-31 together in small groups. We examined the text for what it reveals about God's character, and prayed for the boldness to recognize and obey any invitation the Spirit has for us. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care

When faced with opposition, will you obey God or man? Acts 4–5 shows the early church wrestling with this question. Jesus’ followers had to choose between obeying men who threatened them or obeying God. Today, many believers still face severe persecution, while most of us encounter subtler tests—how we respond to gossip, integrity, anger, money, culture, and idols. Through the Spirit and the church, Jesus gave the apostles everything they needed to stand firm—and he’s done the same for us. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care

The early church in Acts gave generously and sacrificially. How? They devoted themselves to Jesus' teachings on the subject and those of the Old Testament. Today we looked at six Biblical principles of giving that believers can follow today. This message is part of our series in the book of Acts, which is like the "part 2" of Luke's writing, capturing the life and ministry of Jesus as it's lived out through his early church. --- Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM. Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected! If you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! - https://localchurchgr.org/care