Flourishing Grace Church

What does God do with a broken spirit? As we make our way through the book of Exodus this summer, Pastor Benjer walks us through chapters 5 and 6. Moses and the Israelites discover that the road to freedom and God doing what He's promised often go through a deeper disappointment. Yet it's in the middle of their grief, and Moses complaints to the Lord that God reminds them who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised. Ultimately this story points to Jesus, who invites every weary and burdened soul to come to Him and find the rest our hearts have been searching for.

Worship with us 9 + 11 AM 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010. For more information or to get connected, please visit: www.flourishinggrace.org/plan-your-visit. What is the story of Exodus really about? Is it simply a story about Moses, the plagues, and the parting of the Red Sea, or is there something much deeper taking place? In this opening message of our Exodus series, we discover that the book of Exodus is ultimately not a story about human heroes. It is the story of a faithful God who draws near to rescue His people and claim them as His own. Throughout Scripture, God consistently reveals Himself as a God who takes the initiative. He is the one who pursues, rescues, and restores. The story of Exodus begins by introducing us to this central truth. God draws near to Israel to rescue them and claim them as His own. This theme not only shapes the entire book of Exodus but also reveals the heart of the gospel and the story of the entire Bible. In this sermon, we trace the origins of God’s covenant people through the promises made to Abraham. God called Abraham out of his homeland and promised to make him into a great nation through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. Despite impossible circumstances, waiting, uncertainty, and generations of challenges, God remained faithful to His promises. Even when His people could not see what He was doing, God was working behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes. The message then takes us into the opening chapters of Exodus where we encounter a heartbreaking reality. The descendants of Abraham have multiplied just as God promised, but they are now living under oppression and slavery in Egypt. A new Pharaoh rises to power and begins to fear the growing population of Israel. What follows is one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history as God’s people suffer under brutal oppression and experience unimaginable loss and suffering. As we examine these difficult chapters, we are confronted with an important question. What happens when God’s promises seem impossible to reconcile with our circumstances? Many believers have experienced seasons where they know God is faithful, yet life feels overwhelming, painful, or confusing. Exodus reminds us that God is still working even when we cannot yet see the rescue He is preparing. This message also introduces us to Moses, one of the most significant figures in Scripture. Born into impossible circumstances and rescued from death as an infant, Moses grows up with a complicated identity. He is born Hebrew but raised in the household of Pharaoh. He belongs to both worlds and yet feels at home in neither. His struggle with identity becomes a powerful reminder that lasting identity can never be found in status, success, background, accomplishments, or earthly labels. As Moses attempts to take matters into his own hands, he discovers the limits of human strength and self reliance. His efforts to bring justice through his own power lead to failure, isolation, and exile. Yet even in Moses’ mistakes, God is preparing him for a greater purpose. The story reminds us that God’s plans are not dependent upon our perfection. God often works through flawed, broken, and unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. One of the most encouraging moments in this message comes as we see Moses wrestling with God’s calling. When God invites Moses into His rescue plan, Moses immediately focuses on his weaknesses, failures, and limitations. His response is one many of us can relate to. “Who am I?” Yet the story of Exodus continually points away from human ability and back toward God’s faithfulness. The focus is never on what Moses can accomplish. The focus is on what God will do.

Worship with us 9 + 11 AM 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010. For more information or to get connected, please visit: www.flourishinggrace.org/plan-your-visit. What does it actually look like to follow Jesus in everyday life? Not just during the big spiritual moments, but in the ordinary rhythms of work, family, uncertainty, relationships, and daily routines. In this powerful message from John 14 and Romans 8, we begin the Ordinary Time series by exploring one of the most important and often misunderstood realities of the Christian life. The Holy Spirit grows our intimacy with God. As Jesus prepares His disciples for His death, resurrection, and ascension, He tells them something shocking. It is actually better for them that He goes away because the Holy Spirit will come. For the disciples, this would have been difficult to understand. They had walked with Jesus face to face. They had watched Him teach, heal, perform miracles, and transform lives. Yet Jesus promises that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will now dwell within His followers and continue His work in them. This sermon unpacks what it means to live with the Holy Spirit in the ordinary seasons of life. From graduations to career changes to moments of uncertainty, life often moves from anticipation into reality very quickly. We all experience moments where we realize, “This is my life now.” The question becomes, how do we continue following Jesus faithfully in those ordinary moments? One of the central themes of this message is intimacy with God. Many believers are comfortable seeing God as authority, leader, or boss, but struggle to experience Him as Father. Through the work of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit, believers are adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters. Romans 8 reminds us that we have not received a spirit of fear or slavery, but the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” This sermon also addresses several common misunderstandings about the Holy Spirit. Following the Holy Spirit is not reserved for elite Christians or spiritual experts. There is no secret formula, advanced level, or hidden knowledge required. Every believer receives the Holy Spirit at salvation, and the Holy Spirit works in every follower of Jesus to increase intimacy with God, illuminate Scripture, and shape us into the image of Christ. Throughout this teaching, we are reminded that the Christian life is not sustained through human effort alone. The fruit of the Spirit is not the result of self improvement, achievement, or performance. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are produced through the Holy Spirit working within us. God has a vision for our lives, and through the Spirit He lovingly shapes us as His children. This message also offers hope for those carrying wounds, especially wounds connected to fathers, authority, shame, or fear. Many people struggle to trust God because of painful experiences in earthly relationships. Yet through the Holy Spirit, God patiently teaches His people what it means to truly know Him as a loving Father whose acceptance and love are secure through Jesus Christ. If you have ever felt distant from God, unsure how to grow spiritually, confused about the Holy Spirit, or exhausted from trying to earn God’s approval, this sermon will encourage you. It points back to the truth that intimacy with God is not something we achieve. It is something God grows in us through His Spirit. Join us as we begin the Ordinary Time series and discover how the Holy Spirit helps us follow Jesus faithfully in the everyday moments of life.

Worship with us 9 + 11 AM 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010. For more information or to get connected, please visit: www.flourishinggrace.org/plan-your-visit What was Jesus’ vision for His church and why does biblical community matter so much? In this powerful message from Ephesians 4, we continue the Why Church series by exploring one of the most important and challenging callings for followers of Jesus. Unity in the body of Christ. In a world shaped by division, isolation, and individualism, this sermon reminds us that Jesus did not design His people to follow Him alone. He calls us into deep spiritual community centered on Him. This teaching begins with a profound question. Is the version of Christianity we are living closer to Jesus’ vision for His church or closer to a private and isolated faith shaped by culture? Drawing from Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and Paul’s words in Ephesians 4, this sermon reveals that God’s desire is not simply individual spirituality but a people united together in Christ. Throughout this message, we see that unity is not something we create through personality, preferences, or agreement on every issue. True biblical unity is rooted in Jesus Himself. There is one body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father over all. This changes how we see one another and how we live together as the church. This sermon also addresses the tension many believers feel when they hear about unity. It can seem impossible. People are different. Relationships are difficult. Pride, fear, selfishness, and hurt often stand in the way. Yet Paul reminds us that the Christian life is impossible apart from the power of God. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is at work in His people, making possible what feels impossible to us. As the message unfolds, we are challenged to examine our posture toward others. Are we living with humility, gentleness, patience, and love? Are we eager to maintain unity or are we allowing culture to shape the way we relate to people? This teaching honestly confronts the reality that many Christians have unknowingly embraced an individualistic faith that stands in contrast to the vision Jesus prayed for. One of the central themes of this sermon is that the church is not meant to be a performance or a weekly event. It is a people being formed together into the likeness of Christ. God uses community, prayer, worship, communion, Scripture, and shared burdens to shape His people. Spiritual growth was never intended to happen in isolation. This message also provides practical encouragement for how believers can move toward deeper community. Read Scripture together. Pray with others. Invite people into your life. Move toward relationships instead of withdrawing from them. As believers gather together around Jesus, the church becomes a powerful witness to the world of God’s love, grace, and reconciliation. You will also hear powerful reminders about identity in Christ. Followers of Jesus are chosen, redeemed, forgiven, adopted, and filled with grace. Before any role, career, title, or achievement, believers are sons and daughters of the Most High God. This truth reshapes how we live, work, love, and serve. If you have ever felt disconnected, isolated, frustrated with church, or unsure of where you belong, this sermon will encourage you to rediscover God’s design for His people. Jesus is not building isolated individuals. He is building a united family that reflects His love to the world. Join us as we continue the Why Church series and discover the beauty, challenge, and hope of unity in the body of Christ.

Worship with us 9 + 11 AM 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010. For more information or to get connected, please visit: www.flourishinggrace.org/plan-your-visit Why does the church exist and what is its purpose in our lives today? In this opening message of the Why Church series, we explore Matthew 4:18–22 and uncover the heart behind Jesus’ call to His first disciples. This sermon challenges us to rethink what the church truly is and why it matters, not just as a place we attend, but as a people called into a shared mission. As Jesus walks along the Sea of Galilee, He calls ordinary fishermen to follow Him. With just a few words, everything changes. They leave behind their nets, their livelihoods, and their plans to step into something far greater. This moment is not just a historical event. It is a picture of what it means to follow Jesus today. His call is not simply to believe something, improve our lives, or participate in a religious routine. His call is to Himself. In this sermon, we unpack three powerful phrases from Jesus’ invitation. First, follow me. This is a call into relationship, not performance. Jesus does not ask for credentials or perfection. He calls people as they are and invites them to walk with Him. This reminds us that the foundation of the church is not built on what we do for God, but on being with Jesus. Second, I will make you. This is a promise of transformation. In a world that constantly tells us we must earn acceptance through achievement, success, or self improvement, Jesus offers something radically different. He takes responsibility for our growth and change. Transformation is not something we manufacture. It is something we receive as we surrender to Him. This is the heart of the gospel. Third, fishers of people. This is a call to purpose. Jesus does not separate following Him from living on mission. He gives His followers a new identity and a shared calling to invite others into relationship with Him. This is not a task reserved for a few. It is a defining part of what it means to be the church. As we follow Jesus, we help others encounter Him as well. This message also clarifies what the church is and what it is not. The church is not a building, a program, or a weekly event. It is the community of people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus across all time. When we understand this, everything changes. Church is no longer something we attend. It is who we are. Throughout this sermon, we are reminded that God’s mission is to draw people to Himself, and He has chosen to work through His people to accomplish that purpose. This includes both our individual lives and our life together as a church family. Whether it is through everyday relationships, serving others, or creating opportunities for people to encounter Jesus, we are invited to participate in what God is already doing. If you have ever wondered why church matters, struggled with feeling disconnected, or questioned your purpose as a follower of Jesus, this message will challenge and encourage you. It calls us to move beyond passive faith and step into a life of intentional discipleship and mission. Join us as we begin this series and rediscover what it means to follow Jesus, be transformed by Him, and live on mission together as His church.

Worship with us 9 + 11am 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010 https://flourishinggrace.org/plan-your-visit This sermon from Flourishing Grace Church centers on Luke 18:18–30 and the encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler, a passage that confronts one of the most common spiritual questions people carry beneath the surface of everyday life: Am I okay. Preaching from the Gospel of Luke, Josh Brown explores how this question often drives us toward self validation, performance, and control rather than toward true surrender and faith in Jesus Christ. The message challenges listeners to examine the subtle ways we seek reassurance through morality, success, comfort, wealth, or religious activity instead of trusting fully in God’s grace. The rich young ruler approaches Jesus with what sounds like a sincere spiritual question about inheriting eternal life, yet Jesus exposes a deeper issue of the heart. Rather than asking how to be saved, the ruler is seeking confirmation that he is already good enough. Jesus responds not by offering affirmation but by calling for allegiance. This sermon explains how Jesus lovingly disrupts self confidence and exposes whatever sits on the throne of our lives, whether money, control, family, identity, or comfort. The call to sell possessions and follow Christ is not a universal command to poverty, but a targeted invitation to release false saviors and trust Jesus as Lord. Throughout the message, the sermon highlights the difference between wanting Jesus to reassure us and wanting Jesus to rule us. Drawing from Luke’s narrative, it shows how wealth and self sufficiency can function as rival saviors that promise security but leave us spiritually bound. Jesus’ words about the camel and the eye of the needle are not meant to offer a clever solution, but to shut the door on pride and self reliance. Salvation is impossible through human effort, moral achievement, or religious performance, yet it is fully possible through God’s power and grace. The heart of the gospel is clearly presented as a gift, not a wage. Eternal life is not earned by those who perform well, but given freely to those who come empty handed, repentant, and dependent on Christ. This sermon emphasizes that Jesus not only calls for surrender but also pays for our rebellion through the cross and resurrection. The statement that what is impossible with man is possible with God is presented as a declaration of salvation, not motivational advice. The message also addresses the cost and reward of following Jesus. While allegiance to Christ may involve real losses in comfort, approval, or control, Jesus promises a greater gain both now and in the age to come. Following Jesus brings a new family, a new identity, a new purpose, and participation in the kingdom of God. This is not a call to misery, but an invitation into freedom, life, and lasting joy. This sermon invites listeners to reflect honestly on what they run to when Jesus feels insufficient and to allow God to expose and heal misplaced trust. It is a call away from striving and performance and toward repentance, faith, and rest in the grace of God. Whether you are new to church, exploring Christianity, or have been following Jesus for years, this message from Luke 18 challenges and encourages believers to lay down false kings and trust fully in Christ, the only one who can save, heal, and give eternal life.

This sermon walks verse by verse through Luke 18:1–8, the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge, and centers on Jesus’ clear purpose for telling the story: that God’s people should always pray and not lose heart. Rather than presenting prayer as a way to wear God down or manipulate outcomes, this message reframes prayer as the means by which God sustains the hearts of His people in a broken and unjust world. In a cultural moment filled with discouragement, injustice, and unanswered questions, Jesus invites His church to persistent prayer as a safeguard against spiritual resignation and hardened hearts. The sermon explores four distinct hearts found within the text. First is the heart that does not pray, represented by the unjust judge, a man created for justice who lives turned inward on himself. His self talk replaces prayer, illustrating how worry and self reliance often masquerade as strength while quietly hardening the heart. The second heart is the desperate heart of the widow, a woman with no power, status, or leverage who continues to cry out for justice. Her persistence is not about success or comfort, but about refusing to believe that God has forgotten His promises. Her prayer becomes an act of faith that keeps her heart open rather than closed by despair. The sermon then addresses the heart that needs praying for, drawing from Jesus’ warning to Peter that Satan sought to sift him, but Jesus Himself was praying that Peter’s faith would not fail. This highlights a sobering truth: prayer does not always remove trials, but it sustains faith within them. The message connects this reality to personal suffering, long seasons of unanswered prayer, and the temptation many believers face to quietly lose heart over time. Prayer is presented not as a one time event, but as many short acts of faith practiced day after day. Finally, the sermon reveals the heart of God in this parable. God is not like the unjust judge. He is not reluctant, annoyed, or distant. Jesus contrasts God’s willingness with the judge’s indifference, reminding listeners that God invites what the judge resents. Scripture shows a God who welcomes persistent prayer, who tells His people to give Him no rest, and who delights in being reminded of His promises. The message culminates in the assurance that Jesus is alive, reigning, and actively interceding for His people even now. This sermon is a pastoral call to examine the condition of our hearts, whether hardened, weary, or under attack, and to respond by returning to prayer. It offers hope to those who feel exhausted by long seasons of waiting and reassurance to those questioning whether prayer still matters. Rooted deeply in Scripture and applied to real life suffering, this teaching encourages the church to persevere in prayer, trust God’s justice, and cling to faith until Christ returns.

Worship with us 9 + 11am 390 N 400 E Bountiful, UT 84010 https://flourishinggrace.org/plan-your-visit Sermon: One Returned | Luke 17:11–19 In this message from Luke 17:11–19, we encounter a powerful and searching story as Jesus heals ten lepers while traveling toward Jerusalem. All ten are cleansed. Only one returns. This passage invites us to examine not only what Jesus gives, but how we respond to him. As Jesus passes through the border region between Samaria and Galilee, he meets ten men whose lives have been defined by isolation, suffering, and loss. Bound together by shared pain despite deep cultural and religious divisions, they cry out from a distance, asking Jesus for mercy. Jesus responds by sending them to the priests, and as they go, they are cleansed. Their obedience is real, and the healing is complete. They receive exactly what they asked for. But the story does not end there. One man, a Samaritan, recognizes the significance of what has happened. He turns back, praising God with a loud voice, and falls at Jesus’ feet in gratitude and worship. While all ten were cleansed, only one is described as being made whole. Jesus’ words to him are striking: “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” This healing is not only physical, but spiritual. It is the difference between receiving a restored life and receiving new life. This sermon presses us to consider an important distinction. It is possible to experience the goodness of God, to receive his gifts, and yet return to life as it was before. The nine did nothing overtly wrong. They were obedient. They were healed. They went on their way. But the one who returned understood the source of his healing and surrendered himself fully to Jesus. The message challenges us to reflect honestly on our own posture toward Christ. Are we content with being helped by Jesus, or have we fallen at his feet in surrender? Are we hearers of the word without allowing it to shape our lives? Do we limit following Jesus to an hour on Sunday, or does our faith carry into the ordinary and difficult moments of the week? Is there evidence of transformation, not perfection, but fruit that flows from abiding in him? This is not a call to earn God’s love. Scripture is clear that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Rather, it is an invitation to receive salvation fully, not merely relief or improvement, but new life rooted in relationship with Jesus. Gratitude alone is not the same as surrender. The gospel calls us beyond thank you into trust, obedience, and transformation. As a church, this message also calls us to look past the many good gifts God has given and continue pursuing the Giver himself. Growth, joy, and blessing are meaningful, but they are never the destination. The heart of faith is found at the feet of Jesus. Whether you are exploring faith for the first time or have followed Jesus for many years, this message invites reflection. What would it look like for you to turn back? What would surrender look like in your life today? Jesus is a gentle and faithful Savior, and he welcomes all who come to him. Scripture Reading: Luke 17:11–19 Speaker: Pastor Benjer McVeigh Church: Flourishing Grace Church We pray this message encourages you to look beyond the gifts and find life at the feet of Jesus.