The Grove Church // Bryson City, NC

06/15/2026

06/12/2026

In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go searching for the one.
Then Jesus asks us to imagine ourselves in the story. If we had one hundred sheep and one wandered away, would we leave the ninety-nine behind to go looking for it?
The safe and rational answer is probably no. We protect the ninety-nine.
But what if the ninety-nine are the reason the one left in the first place?
What if the one wasn’t lost at all, but pushed out? Forgotten? Told they didn’t belong?
The love of God has never been safe or predictable. It’s the kind of love that crosses boundaries, breaks expectations, and goes searching for people others have given up on. It’s reckless in its grace, radical in its welcome, and inclusive in its embrace.
And maybe that’s why following Jesus keeps taking us to places we never thought we’d go, to find and love people we never imagined would become part of our story.

06/12/2026

In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go searching for the one.

Then Jesus asks us to imagine ourselves in the story. If we had one hundred sheep and one wandered away, would we leave the ninety-nine behind to go looking for it?

The safe and rational answer is probably no. We protect the ninety-nine.

But what if the ninety-nine are the reason the one left in the first place?
What if the one wasn't lost at all, but pushed out? Forgotten? Told they didn't belong?

The love of God has never been safe or predictable. It's the kind of love that crosses boundaries, breaks expectations, and goes searching for people others have given up on. It's reckless in its grace, radical in its welcome, and inclusive in its embrace.

And maybe that's why following Jesus keeps taking us to places we never thought we'd go, to find and love people we never imagined would become part of our story.

06/10/2026

Hey Friends!
Special Edition Pub Theology - Wednesday

7pm Backyard @ The Grove

See you tonight!

06/08/2026

*UPDATE* for tonight’s Pub Theology

With the current weather
We are gonna postpone PT for tonight.

*Moved to Wednesday Night 7pm
The Grove Backyard

Pub Theology Monday Night 7pm
The BackYard of The Grove

We have plenty of beverages for everyone including sparkling water!

THIS WEEK: Tree sitting, the metamorphosis of Jesus, and being human�
ICE BREAKER: If you had to do a race or distance competition, would you prefer to walk, swim, bike or run? What is the farthest you have gone at one time in any of those modes?�
A woman in England sat under an oak tree every day for a year. She said, “”After a period of burnout, I realised that nature knows what you need, and is always ready to offer it – you just have to be quiet enough to receive it.” What have you experienced on this front? �
Rainn Wilson: “The metamorphosis of Jesus from a humble servant of the abject poor to a symbol that stands for gun rights, prosperity theology, anti-science, limited government that neglects the destitute, and fierce nationalism is truly the strangest transformation in human history.” Do you agree that such a transformation has happened, and happened in this way? How do you explain it? Or is he off-base with this take?�
Proverbs 29:11 says, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” Where do you find yourself in this verse: more foolish or more wise? If you’ve struggled with anger, how have you found ways to manage it?�
Pope Leo XIV urged young people to “be human” in a world that he said was marked by violence, wars and fake connections, during a meeting with more than 400,000 youth gathered at Plaza de Lima in Madrid on Saturday (June 6). “In the face of the emptiness of indifference and compliance, before the violence of war and lies, you must be the sparks of a new humanity,” he said. “This is precisely the mission I entrust to you: that you be human. Yes, be human: men and women of flesh and blood!” Discuss the Pope’s quote to young people. Will this message resonate? What does it mean to “be human” to you?

06/01/2026

Pub Theology tonight 7pm
*BackYard @ The Grove*

We got drinks covered!

THIS WEEK: Kids these days, Pride month, and happiness
 
ICE BREAKER: What is your favorite thing to grill in the summer? And which do you prefer: gas, charcoal, or smoke? 
 
Are kids more or less sheltered today than when you were a kid? What is different? Examples? 
 
June is Pride month. How important is a church’s stance on LGBTQ+ inclusion or non-inclusion to you? How visible or vocal should a church be on its stance on this? Same question but city government? 
 
We live in a society that prizes ambition, celebrating goal-setting, and hustle culture as praiseworthy vehicles on the road to success. We also live in a society that associates successfully getting whatever our hearts desire with happiness. Do you think this practice would be helpful? What leads to happiness in your experience? Is “being happy” the most important thing?
 
In Luke 18:27, Jesus says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” When have you experienced this? Are there limits to this?

See you tonight!

05/25/2026

No Pub Theology Tonight!

05/18/2026

Pub Theology Tonight 7pm
Mountain Layers

THIS WEEK: National revival, America as a Christian nation, Hindu principles
 
ICE BREAKER: What is your ‘go-to’ snack?
 
This past weekend, an event titled “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee Of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” happened in Washington, D.C.
The speakers largely advanced the ideas that the U.S. has a religious — and particularly Christian — founding and that its future success depends on prayer. What is your take on this kind of event?
 
If America is seeking religious renewal, might Isaiah 58:6 be a fitting text? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
 
Historian Heather Cox Richardson wrote this week: “The United States of America was not founded as a Christian nation. Discuss. 
 
Seen on social media: “Undereducated voters are more dangerous than illegal immigrants.” Do you agree to disagree?