Ephesians 4:29-30 Our words carry more power than we realize—they can wound deeply or bring life, and they always reveal what’s truly happening in the heart. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores why we can’t blame our mouths for our sinful words, shows how our speech exposes the true condition of our hearts, and challenges us to trade harmful talk for words that give grace and build others up. The post Words That Give Grace appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 11:1-18 Every culture draws invisible lines between “us” and “them,” treating some people as unclean, inferior, or unworthy of a seat at the table. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton unpacks Peter’s defense before the Jerusalem church, revealing why the Holy Spirit—not ethnicity, ritual, or tradition—is the true mark of belonging to God’s family. The post Peter’s Defense: “God Has Granted the Gentiles Repentance unto Life” appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:28 Old habits don’t vanish the moment someone’s life changes—so what do you do when the same struggles keep resurfacing? Pastor Rod Bunton explores why remaining sin persists even in genuine believers, unpacks what stealing really looks like in everyday life, and shows how honest work becomes the pathway to generosity rather than self-interest. The post Steal No Longer appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 10:34-48 For centuries, deep-seated barriers of culture and prejudice kept two groups of people from ever truly welcoming one another — until God stepped in and broke them down for good. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton unpacks the historic moment when the gospel crossed from Jew to Gentile, showing how God’s impartial love, the finished work of Christ, and the call to genuine fellowship dismantle every man-made wall. The post No Respecter of Persons: The Gospel Comes to Cornelius appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:26-27 Anger isn’t always sin — but most of the anger we carry has nothing to do with God and everything to do with wounded pride. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores the difference between righteous, God-centered anger and selfish, fleshly anger, and shows why believers are called to deal with their anger quickly before it gives a foothold to the enemy. The post Be Angry and Do Not Sin appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:25 Lying is so woven into daily life that most people do it without even noticing — but what if a community was defined instead by truth? In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores why honesty is one of the clearest marks of a transformed life, unpacks the hidden motives — fear, pride, self-protection — behind why people shade the truth, and shows how truthful speech builds up rather than damages the people we’re connected to. The post Laying Aside Falsehood: Truth-Telling in the New Self appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:20-24 What really happens the moment a person becomes a Christian — is it a decision, a feeling, or something far deeper? In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton unpacks the radical transformation of salvation, showing how the old self is put to death and a new self is created in righteousness, and why believers still wrestle with sin even after being made new. The post Putting Off, Putting On: The Transformed Life in Christ appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:18-19 Why does society seem increasingly unashamed of behavior it once considered shameful? The answer lies not in outside forces, but in the hardened human heart, which grows numb to sin the longer it resists the truth. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton unpacks the biblical doctrine of total depravity, explains how a callous conscience leads to unrestrained sensuality, and points to the only remedy — the transforming grace found in Christ. The post The Hardness of the Human Heart appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 8:26-40 Sharing your faith can feel intimidating, but what if the hardest parts of the conversation aren’t actually up to you? This message traces the story of an unlikely roadside encounter to show how faith takes root when ordinary people simply point others to Jesus. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores how God orchestrates divine appointments, uses everyday believers as His instruments, and lets His word do the transforming work in a person’s heart. The post The Ethiopian’s Road to Faith appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:18 Something has gone deeply wrong with the human mind — not by accident, but by willful choice — and it shapes everything about how people see the world, themselves, and God. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores how spiritual blindness leads to a futile worldview, why suppressing the truth about God is never innocent ignorance, and why only God can restore the life and light the soul was made for. The post Darkened Minds and Lifeless Souls: An Autopsy of the Unregenerate Heart appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 8:1-25 When opposition comes from the outside and corruption threatens from within, the church faces its greatest tests — and reveals its greatest strength. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton traces two major threats to the early church in Acts 8, showing how both Saul’s fierce persecution and Simon the magician’s counterfeit faith were ultimately powerless to stop the gospel from spreading into new cities and cultures. The post Threats to the Church: How the Gospel Triumphs Over Persecution and Deception appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:17 Every person operates from a worldview — a lens that shapes how they see reality, meaning, and morality — and the dominant worldview of our age is one that leaves people aimless, empty, and sinking. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton shows how the gospel frees believers from the futile mindset of a culture that has rejected God, calls them to live from their new identity in Christ, and challenges them to take every competing philosophy captive to […] The post Walking No Longer in the Futility of the World appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:13-16 Many people are unsure what the church is really for—is it a social club, a weekly gathering, or something more? Scripture offers a clear picture of its purpose and direction. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores the role of pastor-teachers in equipping believers, and unpacks three marks of a healthy, maturing church: unity around core truth, growing intimacy with Christ, and increasing Christ-likeness—plus the stability and loving honesty that result. The post Until We All Attain: The Goal of Christ’s Shepherds appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 6:8-7:1 Why do some people reject the truth no matter how clearly it’s presented to them, even rising up in anger against the messenger? In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton examines the false accusations brought against Stephen and unpacks the beginning of his defense, revealing a rich, biblical view of God as a giver of revelation and promises, a rescuer, and one too holy and great to be confined to any building. The post Full of Grace and Power: The Witness of Stephen appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:11-12 Many people attend church as spectators, unsure of their purpose or role within it — but God designed the church as an active, every-member body with a specific plan and mission. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores why Christ gives shepherd-teachers to the local church, how their primary job is to equip believers rather than do all the work themselves, and what it means for every Christian to be called into a life of service. The post To Equip the Saints appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 6:1–7 Every church faces the temptation to trade its highest calling for good causes that feel urgent — and that tension is as old as the church itself. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton explores how the early church navigated internal conflict and cultural friction, showing why keeping the preaching of the Word as the central priority is what allows Christ to build His church. The post Following Orders: The Church’s Call to the Word and Prayer appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:11 The office of evangelist — like the apostles and prophets before them — was a foundational gift to the early church, purposefully temporary and never meant to carry into every age. In this message, Pastor Rod Bunton traces why these offices passed from the scene when the New Testament was complete, and calls every believer to embrace what remains: the daily, lifelong responsibility to proclaim the gospel to a world in need of repentance. The post The Passing of the Evangelist appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:11 This message explains how God established apostles and prophets to lay the church’s foundation and to deliver authoritative teaching and revelation. Pastor Rod Bunton emphasizes that this foundational revelation is complete, calling believers to rely on the apostles’ teaching in Scripture rather than seeking new revelation today. The post Are Apostles and Prophets Still Here? What the Bible Actually Says appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:11 Spiritual gifts are given by God’s grace so believers can serve one another and strengthen unity in the local church. Pastor Rod Bunton teaches that while God still works miraculously, the specific miraculous gifts tied to apostles and prophets have ceased, and Christ gives ongoing gifts like pastors and teachers to build up the church. The post Miraculous Gifts appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:7-10 The passage explains how a healthy church maintains unity while functioning with diverse spiritual gifts given by Christ for the good of the whole body. Pastor Rod Bunton emphasizes that unity is not uniformity, that Christ distributes gifts by grace for mutual service, and that Christ’s victory in the descent and ascension is the basis for those gifts. The post Unity is Not Uniformity appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:6 God unites Jewish and Gentile believers through the Spirit, guiding how they handle disagreements and “gray areas” with faith and love. Pastor Rod Bunton emphasizes that there is one God and Father of the redeemed who is sovereign over all, works through believers, and dwells in them. The post One God and Father of All appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:5 Paul teaches the unity and exclusive allegiance that marks Christians: one Lord, one shared faith, and one baptism. Pastor Rod Bunton emphasizes that Jesus Christ alone is Lord, that “the faith” is the common doctrine of salvation, and that baptism signifies belonging to Christ and calls believers to obedience. The post One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:4 Paul tells us that Christian unity is grounded in the shared realities believers have in Christ: one body, one Spirit, and one certain hope. Pastor Rod Bunton emphasized how this oneness centers on the Trinity and is lived out through the worldwide church as one body, the Spirit’s uniting work in salvation and sanctification, and confidence in Christ’s return. The post The Basis for Unity appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Acts 2:22-41 Acts 2:22–41 records Peter’s Pentecost sermon, proclaiming Jesus’ death and resurrection as God’s promised plan and calling hearers to repent and believe. Pastor Rod Bunton highlighted how Peter grounds the message in fulfilled prophecy, eyewitness testimony, and Jesus’ exaltation as Lord and Christ, then presses the response of repentance that led to about three thousand being saved. The post The First Christian Sermon appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
Ephesians 4:2-3 Ephesians 4:2–3 calls the church to maintain the unity of the Spirit through humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love. In this sermon, Pastor Rod Bunton emphasized that unity is not something Christians create but something they must actively maintain and make visible by cultivating those attitudes together. The post Attitudes for Unity appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.
