Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

A Forgiving Community | Jason Ricafranca | 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea—until we have something to forgive.” It’s easy to admire forgiveness from a distance, but much harder when we’re the ones who have been hurt. Stories like the Parable of the Prodigal Son show the beauty of extravagant mercy—the father running to embrace a son who had wronged him. But would we be able to do the same? Or would we be tempted to hold back grace? In this message from 2 Corinthians 2:5–11, Paul calls the church to forgive someone who had sinned against them. We’ll explore what real, gospel-shaped forgiveness looks like in a community of believers and how the grace we’ve received from Christ empowers us to extend grace to others.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

God's Will and Our Plans | Bob Wriedt | 2 Corinthians 1:12-20

Have you ever been misunderstood in a way that really hurt? Not just a simple miscommunication, but a moment when people assumed the worst about you. When motives were questioned, rumors spread, or silence was interpreted uncharitably. It’s especially painful when those misunderstandings come from people you care about—and even more painful when they’re completely wrong. That’s the situation behind this week’s passage in 2 Corinthians. Paul writes to address false assumptions about why he hasn’t visited the Corinthian church. But instead of responding defensively, he models something far better. In correcting their misunderstanding, Paul shows us how the gospel reshapes the way we interpret others, speak truth with grace, and examine our own hearts. This passage invites us to consider how trust, love, and humility should guide our relationships as followers of Christ. We’ll explore all of that together this Sunday at Grace.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

Comforted by God | Bob Wriedt | 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

This year at Grace, we’re beginning a new sermon series in 2 Corinthians, a deeply personal and pastoral letter from the Apostle Paul. Many familiar Christian phrases come from this book—phrases we often quote without fully understanding their context or meaning. Ideas like God’s comfort, joyful generosity, jars of clay, new creation, freedom in the Spirit, and the ministry of reconciliation are all woven throughout 2 Corinthians.
In this series, we’ll slow down and explore what these expressions actually meant to the original church and how they shape a mature, resilient Christian life today. This isn’t just about learning theology—it’s about growing in faith, endurance, humility, and hope as followers of Jesus. Whether you’re new to the Bible or have read it for years, 2 Corinthians invites us into an honest, grace-filled vision of life with Christ.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

God Meant it For Good | Jason Ricafranca | Genesis 50

This week at Grace, we come to the final chapter of Genesis. In Genesis 50, Joseph reflects on God’s ability to take what was meant for evil and use it to accomplish His good purposes. It is a fitting conclusion to both Joseph’s story and our journey through Genesis, reminding us that God is sovereign over every chapter of our lives. As we close out our series and this final Sunday of 2025, we are invited to rest in the hope that we worship a God who can turn sorrow into joy and mourning into dancing. Even when the story feels painful or unfinished, God is faithfully at work, bringing redemption and hope. We look forward to finishing Genesis together and celebrating the faithfulness of God as we step into a new year.
 
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

What's Next? | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 48-50

What would you want your last words to be like? As people near the end of their lives, their final words often reveal what mattered most to them. Some are tender, some memorable, some even humorous. In Scripture, last words often carry deep theological weight. This week at Grace, we’ll look at Jacob’s final words to his sons in Genesis 48–50, the closing chapters of the book of Genesis. These passages bring the story full circle, gathering together many of the themes woven throughout the book. Jacob’s blessings do two things at once. They look back, summarizing the major movements of Genesis, and they look forward, pointing ahead to the future of God’s people and ultimately to Jesus Christ. In particular, we’ll focus on the promise given to Judah about a coming king, a lion whose robe would be stained, a powerful foreshadowing of the Savior we celebrate at Christmas. Thank you for journeying through Genesis together this year. We look forward to reflecting on how this final section points us to God’s faithfulness, both past and future.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

The Reconciliation of Joseph and His Family | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 45-47

“That’s your perspective.” In our culture, that phrase often signals disagreement. But in Scripture, different perspectives can deepen our understanding of the same truth. This week at Grace, we’ll look at the reconciliation of Joseph and his family through four perspectives: Joseph, his brothers, his father, and the generations of Israel that follow. Each viewpoint reveals something unique about what reconciliation costs, what it requires, and what it restores. Together, these perspectives help us see more clearly how God reconciles us to himself today. Looking forward to a meaningful Sunday at Grace.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

Joseph Tests His Brothers | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 42-44

Earlier in Genesis, Joseph’s dreams of his brothers bowing to him sparked resentment, violence, and ultimately his slavery in Egypt. Years later, God has raised Joseph to power in Egypt, and those same brothers come to him for help—bowing just as the dreams foretold. But Joseph doesn’t take revenge. Instead, he puts his brothers through a long test to answer one key question: Have you truly changed? This passage invites us to ask the same things today. How do we know if real repentance and growth have taken root in our lives—and in the lives of those around us? I’m looking forward to exploring these questions together on Sunday.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

The God of Pits and Palaces | Chris Howard | Genesis 40-41

Joseph’s life in Genesis reads like a dramatic swing between extremes. One moment he is honored and elevated, the next he is thrown into circumstances he never would have chosen. His story is filled with high highs worth celebrating and low lows that test the limits of faith and endurance. Most of us know what that feels like. Life can lift us up one day and drop us the next, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. This week at Grace, we’re going to watch Joseph move from the lowest low to the highest high. As we study his story, we’ll look for what we can hold onto when life’s momentum carries us in directions we didn’t expect.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

Resist Temptation | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 39

Who are you when no one is looking? In Genesis 39, Joseph is far from home, betrayed, traumatized, and living as a slave in Egypt. Yet even in those hidden places, God’s presence and blessing rest on him. When temptation comes aggressively and fast through Potiphar’s wife, Joseph’s integrity is tested in the dark—where no one else sees.
But this isn’t just a story about moral choices. Joseph does the right thing and still suffers for it. His faithfulness leads not to applause but to injustice. And in that way, Joseph points us beyond himself to Jesus, the One who remained faithful, resisted every temptation, and suffered for sins that were not His. Join us Sunday at Grace as we explore how Genesis 39 both challenges and comforts us today.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

When Dreams Become Nightmares | Bob Wriedt | Genesis 37

This week at Grace, we begin the final major section of Genesis—the story of Joseph. His life will eventually land on one of the most hope-filled lines in Scripture: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” But before Joseph reaches that breathtaking conclusion, he walks through years of rejection, injustice, and isolation. That tension between deep despair and resilient hope makes Joseph’s story feel surprisingly close to our own.
As we spend the remaining weeks of the year with him, my prayer is that his journey strengthens your faith in the God who sees the whole story even when we don’t. Join us this Sunday as we step into Genesis 37 and begin Joseph’s remarkable path from suffering to redemption.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach