Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

What makes one person seem more important than another?
We may not consciously rank the people around us, but I think it's pretty easy/natural for us to make judgments about others. For instance... we notice what people wear, how they speak, who they know, what they believe — and sometimes, almost without realizing it, we decide in our hearts who deserves attention and who doesn’t.
This is something that we'll be looking at this weekend in James. In James 2:1–7, we'll look at how the church responded to two specific people who entered the room: One was welcomed with attention and offered a good seat. The other was told to stand off to the side or sit on the floor. And James asks this pertinent question: “Doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?” (James 2:4, NLT)
This Sunday, we'll take a look at the sin of partiality and favoritism and will be challenged to consider the perspective of Christ towards those who are poor and powerless. I'm looking forward to getting into this passage together with you! Also, this Sunday is FAMILY MINISTRY SUNDAY at Grace. We are encouraging families to come together for worship services and this is a great opportunity to help others participate in and understand the different parts of our worship service: why we sing songs of praise, why we pray together, why we read scripture publicly, and why we sit under the preaching of God's Word. Our hope is that our children will not only see what we do when the church gathers on a Sunday morning, but that they also grow to understand why we do it and what it means to be a community of faith!
Our nursery will be open for our younglings, while our elementary-age children will join us in the worship services for the morning...
Looking forward to Sunday!
- Pastor Jason
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

“Don’t deny in the darkness what God has revealed in the light.”
These were the wise words my professor once shared to me in a moment where I was going through a really difficult time. Trials have a way of challenging what we know to be true, don't they? When circumstances change, we can easily begin to question the goodness of God, look elsewhere for answers, or even loosen our grip and lose sight of what He has promised.
James reminds us that while our circumstances may change for the better or worse... there is something that you and I can hold on to... the character of God does not change. His love for us does not waver with each passing day. God's promise of giving wisdom generously to all (as James 1:5 says) remains just as steadfast.
This Sunday, as we continue through James 1:16–21, we'll look at how God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and He has given us His word to anchor us when life feels uncertain. We’ll consider what it looks like to persevere by holding fast to the goodness of God and learning to “receive with meekness the implanted word”—allowing what God has spoken to shape how we live when trials come. Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday!
- Pastor Jason
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

As a science teacher ready to get back into it, I recall one of my own first chemistry labs in middle school. The ol’ litmus test checking for the presence of acid in something like vinegar. Remember? It was blue litmus paper turning “magically” and instantly into red when I brought them together. Exciting! If it was a base (alkaline) or any other substance – no change - boring. The paper doesn’t make the vinegar an acid, it simply reveals what’s already there. The liquid determines the color of the paper—not the other way around.
You know, I think there’s something here we can apply to our study of James this coming Sunday. God's Word can function like spiritual litmus paper. James in chapter 1 vv. 26-27 says that genuine faith leaves observable evidence. In this case, good works. This week at Grace we’ll be looking at two ways to respond to hearing the word of God: Hearing its instruction and walking away unchanged or one of hearing and being changed by it. Like that litmus test, the results will reveal what’s already there in the person. I’m looking forward to our time together on Sunday, with the book of James!
-Greg Bartleson | Elder board Chairman
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

In a few weeks, students head back to school, and every student learns the same thing: hard work and study only make sense when there is something at the end. Take away the diploma and the motivation begins to wane. But put a real goal in front of you, something you can actually picture, and everything changes. That is what James does for us in chapter 1 v.12.
To a people worn down by trials, he holds up a finish line to fix our eyes on: the crown of life. But there’s a tension. Even with the crown in view, something pulls against us, and it's closer than we think. Our own desires lure us off the path, away from life and toward the grave.
This week at Grace we'll look at the two roads set before every one of us: the road to the crown, or the road to the grave. Excited to be together on Sunday!
-Pastor Chris
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

We're excited to welcome back Justin Fox as our guest speaker this Sunday! Many of you will remember Justin from his years serving here at Grace as our Worship Pastor. For those of you who may not know him - I can't wait for you to meet him! Justin has a genuine love for Jesus, a tender heart for people, and a creative spirit that naturally draws others in! Over the years, God had been nurturing a vision in Justin and his wife, Heidi, to plant a community-minded and outreach-focused church in Justin's hometown of Arcata. This ultimately led Justin to plant Branches Humboldt - a church committed to helping people connect with Jesus, the source of life, and to reach their community with the hope of the gospel. T
his Sunday, Justin will continue our series in James with a message from James 1:9–11 entitled "Treasure That Lasts." The treasures we seek in our lives show where our heart is, what we value, and what we cling to in times of trial. Are we clinging to God? Or are we clinging to our self-made securities?
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

I remember the feeling of being a new parent so vividly. When we brought our kids home from the hospital, I remember one of the first memories I had was waking up at different intervals in the morning and thinking to myself, “This is what 3am looks like!”
As my little babes cried at different hours of the day – it felt like such an honor to know that our little ones would look to us as a source of comfort, care, and provision. Even as they grow older – I find it a tremendous honor to know that my children can come to my sweet Annie and I as a source of help and support regardless of what is bothering them!
This Sunday, James continues to teach us how to respond when life is difficult. Rather than leaving us to figure things out on our own, he points us to a God who delights in giving wisdom to His children. Together we'll consider both the encouragement and the challenge of what it means to come to God with trusting hearts when we don't know what to do.
-Pastor Jason
 
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

Trials have a way of revealing what we truly believe. They can deepen our trust in God, expose the places where our faith is weak, and shape us into people who look more like Christ. This Sunday we begin our journey through Book of James, a letter that calls believers to a faith that is lived, not merely professed. James challenges us to grow through trials, resist temptation, seek God's wisdom, care for others, guard our speech, and live with wholehearted devotion to Christ. Join us as we begin this practical and transformative study through James.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

After six months in 2 Corinthians, we’ve reached the end of Paul’s letter. His final four verses may be brief, but they bring together many of the book’s central themes and leave the Corinthians with a lasting vision for life in Christ.
Join us as we reflect on what 2 Corinthians has taught us about following Jesus, living by grace, enduring hardship, and growing in faith. Together, we’ll consider how this letter continues to shape our lives and what it means to carry its message forward.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul gives the Corinthians a challenging but important invitation: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” As Paul closes his letter, he calls them to consider how their lives and responses reveal their trust in Christ.
Self-examination can bring up different reactions. It can lead to anxiety and shame, or it can be misunderstood as unnecessary or self-focused. Through the lens of the gospel, examining our hearts is not about proving ourselves worthy but an opportunity to experience the freedom, joy, and peace that come from knowing Christ. Join us this Sunday as we explore how biblical self-examination can deepen our faith and draw us closer to Jesus. Come be part of the conversation.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach

In every generation, people have looked for spiritual guides who claim special visions, hidden knowledge, or a unique message from God. But in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul presents a different picture of spiritual maturity and authority.
Paul shares both his greatest spiritual experience and his deepest struggle: the “thorn in the flesh” that reminded him of his dependence on God. Rather than pointing to his visions as proof of his spiritual strength, Paul shows the Corinthians that his weakness was the place where God’s grace and power were most clearly displayed.
Join us this Sunday as we explore how God works through our limitations, why humility matters in the spiritual life, and how Christ’s strength is revealed through our weaknesses.
👉 Want to get more involved? Explore some of the ways you can connect with our community here: https://linktr.ee/gracesealbeach