Grace City Church Ottawa
Episodes
345 episodes
Romans 7:1-6 // The End of Performance: Dead to the Law, Alive to the Spirit
Are you tired of running on the treadmill of "good behavior" just to please God? Many of us grew up thinking Christianity was just a long list of rules to keep—or things to stop doing. But what if the "good news" isn't actually about being good...
.jpg)
Grace City Church Membership // What We Believe About Gender & Gender Roles
When conversations around gender often feel like navigating a minefield of power struggles, how do we find a path that leads to flourishing rather than friction? In this sermon, we're continuing our series on church membership by exploring one ...
Grace City Church Membership // What We Believe About Sex & Marriage
Our culture hasn’t just drifted from God’s design for sex and marriage — it has inverted it, treating personal sexual freedom as sacred and God’s wisdom as the problem. This sermon looks at what’s behind that shift, what the Bible actually teac...
Grace City Church Membership // The Story of Grace City Church
What is the difference between knowing the language of Christianity and actually being surrendered to Jesus? In this sermon, and as part of our series on church membership, Rich and Natalia Crosby share the story of Grace City Church, including...
Grace City Church Membership // Why Membership?
The Bible pictures the church as a human body — many different parts, all belonging to one whole. This idea shapes everything about membership. When someone becomes a Christian, they are not only saved from sin - they are added to a community o...
1 Peter 5:1-4 // Follow the Leader: The Under-Shepherd’s Call to Courage and Sacrifice
The Bible calls church leaders to be shepherds—a rich, ancient image running through the entire biblical narrative—not CEOs, therapists, or entertainers. Leadership is a gift from God to His people. Good shepherding means knowing your people pe...
1 Peter 3:1-7 // The Quiet Revolution: Finding Strength in Submission
In a culture of self-promotion and competing rights, Peter calls for a countercultural marriage rooted in Christ. Wives are invited to a "quiet spirit"—not out of timidity, but as a bold trust in God that prioritizes inner beauty over outward a...
1 Peter 2:11–12 // Beloved Outsiders & Why We Don’t Fit In
Peter’s message in 1 Peter 2:11–12 is simple: because we are God’s beloved exiles, we should live differently. We are called to trade soul-crushing passions for a life of such visible goodness that our neighbours see Christ in us. Transforming ...
1 Peter 2:1-10 // Fault Lines & Foundations: Standing Firm in an Unstable World
In 1 Peter 2:1-10, we see that while the world rejected Jesus, God chose Him to be the "Living Stone" and the foundation of a new people from all nations: the Church. This message calls us to examine our own lives: Are we building on the solid ...
1 Peter 1:1-12 // A Living Hope
The church is not a "Jesus Memorial Club," but a Spirit-filled dwelling where his actual presence produces inexpressible joy. To prevail in exile, we must move beyond knowing his story to experiencing his glory.Due to technical issue...
Mary's Revolutionary Song: The Manger, the Cross, & Subverting the Strong
Most revolutions begin by beheading the king, but Mary’s revolution, shared through her song in Luke 1, introduces a new one. In fact, Mary’s song was once considered so subversive, it was banned from public singing. This "revolutionary anthem"...
Acts 5:1-11 // The Traitor Within: Rejecting a 'Victim' Mentality When Confronting Sin
Temptation doesn’t show up with horns and a trident; it arrives as desire. Drawing from Acts 5 and James 1, this sermon examines how the enemy uses our ordinary human desires as seemingly irresistible bait. Claiming to be a ‘special ca...
.png)
Acts 5:1-11 // The Young Men Rose: Courage, Integrity & Aware of Death
When a marriage becomes a conspiracy against God, who pays the price? The story of Ananias and Sapphira shows us the devastating consequences of deceit and the profound need for the fear of God in marriage and the church. The sermon also issues...
.png)
Acts 5:1-11 // Stop Editing God: Facing the Hard Truths about Ananias & Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira paid the ultimate price, not for holding back money, but for lying to the Holy Spirit about their motive. Did God overreact, punishing a “trivial offense” with death? This sermon on Acts 5 reveals how we must understand the...
.png)
Acts 4:32-37 // Two Foundations of Church Unity: God’s Truth & God’s Grace
An accusation sometimes thrown against the church is that doctrine divides. It shouldn’t. In fact, Acts 4 shows us how God’s truth is a unifying force when anchored by God’s grace. Without grace, even excellent knowledge can lead to spiritual p...
.png)
Judges 6:11-16 // The Triumph of the Unlikely
Feeling overwhelmed by life's chaos? Feel like God would never call you to an adventurous calling? Just like Gideon, who was hiding and fearful, God often turns up in the mundane of our lives to give us a valiant calling. Gideon’s story c...
Acts 4:32-37 // Not Just Nice People: Finding Gutsy Unity in Truth, Not Vagueness
Acts 4:32–37 reveals several features behind the radical unity enjoyed by the early church. Their 'oneness' was not a fluke, not vague, and not tribal. Acts reveals that people do not build unity by compromising doctrine or convictions. Instead...
.png)
Acts 4:23-31 // Holy hurt? Holy Healer, & how to respond to adversity
How do you respond to adversity? In Acts 4, the first action Peter and John took after being arrested and threatened for preaching Jesus was to gather with the church, and their second action was to pray. Why do we struggle with going to the ch...
.png)
Acts 4:5-31 // The Exclusive Cornerstone: Why the Church Can't Compromise on Jesus
Peter and John’s confrontation with the Jerusalem leaders in Acts 4 reveals how the early church clung to the exclusivity of Jesus (‘there is salvation in no one else’), yet did so with profound humility. This means Christians today can reject ...
.png)
Acts 4:5-22 // Uneducated, Common Men: When God Offends Your Preferences
Control, status, and fear—those are the enemies Peter and John faced, and they're the same enemies fighting for your heart today. In this sermon on Acts 4, Joel Virgo looks at the deadly traits of a hard heart and asks a compelling question: Ar...
.png)
Acts 4:1-4 // The cost and offence of the Gospel, and the danger of unchecked emotion
Feeling annoyed, disturbed, or maybe even grieved? The Apostle Peter's bold preaching in Acts 4 wasn't met with polite applause—it was met with annoyance, anger and a strong desire to shut it down by people who allowed their emotions to rule ov...
Acts 3:11-26 // Jesus is the answer to the problem you may not know you have
Is there a sense of something missing in your life? While that feeling might lead you to seek God, it may not be the root of your deepest need. In this sermon on Acts 3, Joel Virgo breaks down Peter's powerful sermon after the healing of the la...
Acts 3:1-11 // In the name of Jesus
In Acts 3, Peter tells a man who couldn't walk from birth, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" What is it about the name of Jesus that carries the power to heal, and can the name of Jesus still heal today? Names matter,...
