House of Grace Christian Church Maitland

09/09/2026

God often uses those moments when we feel lost in the (metaphorical) wilderness. Leila unpacks Mark 6:30-34, how God works in us during those moments in life that seem the most lonely and desolate.

09/09/2026

There is never going to be a moment when Jesus looks at us and says, "I have nothing left to give today".

07/09/2026

Grace For Monday's

In Mark 6:30-32, when the apostles come back from their ministry time, Jesus invites them to go with Him into the wilderness for some rest. They did not ask for it, they did not even recognise they needed rest. But Jesus, full of compassion and grace, recognised their need for rest and time with Him.

We often view wilderness seasons as seasons of loss, barrenness, or heartache. And they can be filled with all those things. But seasons of wilderness are also an invitation for deeper intimacy with Jesus. They are an opportunity to sit with Jesus and rest, reflect, and grieve what's been lost or taken away. They are also an opportunity to have uninteruppted time with Jesus, drawing closer to His heart and experiencing His love in deeper ways.

You may be in a wilderness season right now, and if you are, can I encourage you to not see the wilderness as an empty and barren place, but a meeting place. It is a place to build deeper intimacy with Jesus as He heals your heart and reenergises you to rise up again and love others with a deeper, more Godly love.

By Leila Armstrong

01/09/2026

If you have ever wondered if the bible is still relevant for today, Leila continues in Mark 6 with a powerful and practical message.

Leila continues is Mark Chapter 6, unpacking the scripture in a rea...

31/08/2026

Grace For Monday's

In Mark chapter six, Mark tells us the story of the relationship between King Herod and John the Baptist. Herod was fascinated and puzzled by the teachings of John, yet he loved to listen to him because he believed he was holy and wise. When the request comes from Herod's wife to kill John, instead of doing the right thing, Herod chooses to save his own reputation instead and orders the death of John.

Despite spending countless hours listening to John and being warned by John to repent and change his actions, Herod's heart wasn't impacted. He did not allow the words of John to pe*****te his heart and make him a better person. Instead, he continued to live a life that was controlled by desire, lust, power, and fear of embarrassment. He listened to God's word, but he never allowed it to change him.

We face the same challenges today. God's ways are not our ways. His ways are good and true and in most cases, countercultural to the world around us. We can spend time reading God's Word and listening to His Word, but if we don't allow it to change our hearts, what is the point? We can't be hearers of the word and not be doers of the word. We can't desire a relationship with Jesus but ignore the promptings of Holy Spirit to repent.

As followers of Jesus, we should have a daily posture of humility and repentance, because that's what changes us from the inside out and makes us more like Jesus. It's a heart that is genuinely repentant, faithful, and obedient to God's Word that becomes more like Jesus. And when we become more like Jesus, we can love the world around us more, too. Today, can I encourage us to open our hearts to Holy Spirit and ask Him to show us what we need to surrender and repent of, so that we can be made more like Jesus.

By Leila Armstrong

24/08/2026

Last Sunday we explored Mark 6:7-13. How Jesus equips us to live out our faith and share the Gospel in our community.

Today at House of Grace we work through how Jesus equips us to live...

24/08/2026

Grace for Monday's

In Mark chapter 6, we read that Jesus sends His disciples out two by two to share the good news of the Kingdom. He gives them authority, tells them what to take, prepares them for rejection and sends them out to preach, heal and care for people. They weren't just sent to tell people about Jesus; they were sent to show people what the love and power of Jesus looked like.

When it comes to sharing our faith, we sometimes put so much pressure on ourselves to say the right thing or convince someone to believe what we believe. We can start looking for opportunities to "win someone for Christ" and forget that the person standing in front of us isn't a project or a target. They're a person God deeply loves.

Jesus never asked us to change someone's heart, only Holy Spirit can do that. God asks us to love people, care for them, serve them, pray for them and be willing to share the hope we have when the opportunity comes. Sometimes the most powerful way we can show someone Jesus is by listening when they need to talk, buying them a coffee, offering to pray, helping when they're struggling or simply being a faithful friend.

When Jesus is genuinely part of our lives, we don't need to force Him into every conversation, and we shouldn't hide Him either. He will naturally become part of our conversations. And when someone isn't interested or doesn't respond the way we hoped, we can continue to love them without carrying their rejection and trust Holy Spirit with the rest.

Can I encourage you this week to look at the people God has already placed around you and ask Holy Spirit to show you how you can love them like Jesus.

By Leila Armstrong

17/08/2026

Grace For Monday's

In Mark chapter 6, we read how Jesus went back to His hometown of Nazareth. By this stage, He was well known for the miracles He was performing. He had healed many and cast out many demons. Yet when He arrived, instead of a warm welcome, He was greeted with doubt. They were so familiar with Him that they doubted His abilities and His eligibility to be used by God. He was rejected by His own people.

Many of us know this feeling. Most people have experienced rejection and doubt at the hands of others. We've been questioned and have had our pasts thrown at us in an attempt to silence or discourage. But people don't define us, God does. It is God who tells us who we are. He tells us what we're capable of and what gifts we have because He made us. He loves us and knows us better than anyone else, and only He gets to define who we are.

And He calls you His beloved son or daughter. God delights in you and has great plans for you. Don't let the words or doubts of others define you or determine what you're capable of. Look to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, who loves us eternally and abundantly. Can I encourage you to seek God's heart and let Him tenderly speak to yours.

By Leila Armstrong

10/08/2026

Grace For Mondays

God loves us. It is easy to be flippant about God's love, after all, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. But scripture tells us that God loves each one of us, you and I, with an endless, abundant, beautiful love.

Song of Songs chapter two shows us the intimacy and depth of God's love for us. He delights in us. He watches us and watches over us. He knows our voice. In a world of billions of people, God knows the sound of your voice and the sound of your laughter. And He desires to spend time with you so that He can pour out His love to you.

If you have ever struggled to receive God's love, can I encourage you to sit in His presence, open your heart, and wait for Him. He waits for us daily and when we open our hearts to Him and commune with Him, He pours out His love, encouragement, peace and joy. He reminds us of the depth of His love for us as an individual. May you accept and receive His love this week.

If you've never known the love of God, or don't know how to accept His abundant love for you, send us a DM and we can arrange a time to talk with you as we would love for you to encounter Jesus more deeply.

By Leila Armstrong

09/08/2026

Got questions about Gods Love?