Graceway Hayward Christian Church

06/20/2026

As we begin our summer series, "Cultivating a Culture of Care", Ephesians 4 reminds us that a caring church is built on more than programs or success. Great churches, like great teams, are defined by their character.

First, God’s team must be unified in conduct (Ephesians 4:1–3). After spending the first three chapters of Ephesians establishing the gospel of grace, Paul transitions to how believers should live. Our conduct is not rooted in moral effort but in God’s grace working through us.

Paul highlights several virtues that preserve unity:

Humility – recognizing our need for God and for one another. Humility guards against pride and self-protection, helping create a church that is united and caring.

Gentleness – not weakness, but strength under control. Gentleness allows us to navigate conflict, correction, and restoration with grace.

Patience – reflecting God’s long-suffering love toward us so we can extend the same patience to others.

Bearing with one another in love – carrying each other’s burdens and walking alongside one another through hardships.

Unity of peace – eagerly maintaining the unity already given by the Holy Spirit. A healthy church focuses on the essentials of the faith and pursues peace rather than division.

Second, God’s team must be unified in confession (Ephesians 4:4–6). Paul emphasizes seven foundational truths: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. These confessions provide the doctrinal foundation for a healthy church and remind us that our unity comes from God Himself.

Paul points to the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as the perfect example of unity and community. As believers, we are one family, united through faith in Jesus Christ. Our shared faith, baptism, and hope in eternal life bind us together as God’s people.

May we continue to be a church marked by humility, gentleness, patience, love, and peace. As we remain united in both conduct and confession, we will continue to be a gospel-centered community of discipleship for every generation and cultivate a lasting culture of care.

06/19/2026

🌱 Join us Sundays at 10:30 AM as we begin our new summer sermon series, “Cultivating a Culture of Care.” We look forward to growing together as we learn what it means to care for one another and reflect Christ’s love in our community.

We also kicked off a new Sunday School year! During the summer, children and students in grades TK–8th will start the worship service together in the Main Sanctuary for a time of corporate worship before being dismissed to their classes. Parents can pick up their children after the service (which ends at 11:45 am) from their respective classrooms. For our 1–3-year-olds, families may choose to have their child begin in the Main Sanctuary or go directly to their classroom. Our Infant Room is also available for parents and guardians with babies.

We’d love to worship with you at some point this summer!
(Graceway Hayward Christian Church, 354 B St. Hayward, CA) 🌿

06/18/2026

We can’t believe Vacation Bible School (VBS) starts Monday, June 22! 🥳🤩😮

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers who have worked so hard to get everything ready for an exciting week of games, songs, Bible stories, crafts, snacks, and more! ☺️❤️

VBS is a morning camp for kids in preschool through 5th grade and will meet June 22–26 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each day. The cost is just $10 per child.

While the deadline to receive a t-shirt has passed, we still have limited spots available!

We’d love to have you to join us! Register today

We are so excited for our Vacation Bible School this summer! We can’t wait to share this week of faith and fun with the children in our community. For current Preschool (minimum 3 years old AND potty trained) to current 5th graders. We'll also have a free celebration lunch Friday at 12pm for all f...

06/06/2026

Life can often feel like a maze filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and questions about the future. Yet, like a watchman in a tower overlooking a maze, God sees what we cannot see. Psalm 144:2 calls Him our fortress, tower of safety, and rescuer. Though God's name is never mentioned in Esther, His fingerprints are everywhere.

The story reaches a turning point when Esther reveals Haman's plot to destroy the Jewish people and identifies herself as one of those marked for death. The king becomes furious, and Haman's evil plan begins to collapse. What he intended for others falls back upon himself. The gallows he built for Mordecai become the instrument of his own ex*****on.

This is biblical justice. As Tim Keller said, biblical justice is rooted in God's character. God's justice both confronts evil and restores those who have been harmed. We see both in Esther. Haman is judged, while Mordecai is elevated to a position of honor and authority. The king's signet ring, once given to Haman, is now placed on Mordecai's hand.

Yet God's grace extends beyond Mordecai. Although Persian law could not revoke Haman's decree, Mordecai was authorized to issue a new decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves. What was intended for destruction became an opportunity for deliverance.

This story points to our own lives. Sometimes God's justice comes through conviction, exposing attitudes, fears, or sins that need correction. Often, His correction is an act of grace, teaching us to trust Him rather than ourselves. Looking back, we frequently discover God's fingerprints were present long before we recognized them.

Esther 7–8 reminds us that God confronts evil, restores His people, and keeps His promises. Ultimately, the story points us to Jesus Christ. At the cross, God's justice and grace met perfectly. Sin was judged, and sinners were saved.

When life feels like a confusing maze, remember: God is still in the tower. He sees what we cannot see, knows the way forward, and faithfully guides His people home.
God's justice reveals God's grace.

05/29/2026

As many of our graduates recently put on caps and gowns—robes of honor for their hard work—we see a similar picture in Esther 6 as Mordecai is unexpectedly clothed with honor after years of waiting. His story reminds us that God’s blessings often come in the most unexpected ways.

Many of us know what it feels like to wait. We serve faithfully, pray consistently, and try to do the right thing, yet feel unseen or overlooked. Mordecai understood that feeling. Five years earlier, he had saved King Ahasuerus’ life by exposing an assassination plot, but he received no recognition.

One sleepless night, the king ordered the royal records to be read and discovered Mordecai’s forgotten act of loyalty. What seemed like a small detail was actually God’s sovereign hand at work. Even when we can't see it, God often uses delays, disappointments, and unanswered seasons for our protection, growth, humility, and ultimate good.

At the same time, the story exposes the pride in Haman’s heart. When the king asked how to honor a worthy man, Haman assumed the honor was for himself. His pride demanded glory, recognition, and immediate reward. Pride says, “My way, in my time.” Yet the story reveals how self-centered pride blinds us and pulls us away from trusting God’s plan.

Instead of honoring himself, Haman was forced to honor Mordecai publicly—clothing him in royal robes, leading him through the city, and proclaiming his greatness. In a dramatic reversal, the forgotten man received honor while the prideful man was brought low.

This points us to the greater truth of the gospel. Though we deserve judgment because of our sin and pride, God gives us undeserved honor through Jesus Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches, Jesus took on our sin so we could be clothed in His righteousness. Because of Christ, God sees us forgiven, cleansed, and robed in honor as His sons and daughters.

The greatest honor we receive is not earned by achievement, status, or recognition, but by the grace of Jesus. Let us walk humbly before God, repent of our pride, trust His timing, and rejoice that His blessings come in the most unexpected ways.

05/21/2026

In Esther 4:1–3, Mordecai and the Jewish people are plunged into grief after Haman convinces the king to decree the destruction of all Jews in Persia. Mordecai refused to bow to Haman because he remained faithful to God, and that faithfulness led to suffering not only for him but for his people. Wearing sackcloth and ashes, the Jews mourned the reality of possible extinction.

Suffering is universal, and sometimes faithfulness to God can lead directly into hardship.

In Esther 4:4–11, Esther learns of the decree and faces a difficult choice. Mordecai asks her to approach the king and plead for her people, but doing so without being summoned could mean immediate death.

Esther is caught between fear and faith. In every trial, we are faced with choices: will we trust God and honor Him, or will we retreat in fear?

Finally, in Esther 4:12–17, Mordecai challenges Esther to act in faith, reminding her that perhaps she was placed in the palace “for such a time as this.” Esther calls the Jewish people to an intense three-day fast before she approaches the king. Though the outcome is uncertain, Esther chooses the path that requires trust in God the most. Faith does not eliminate fear, but it moves forward despite it.

Our suffering is never wasted in God’s hands. Faith in Jesus does not mean we avoid pain, but it does mean we have a God who walks with us through it.

Through the gospel and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we know God cares for us and is working through every trial for His good purposes. Life has its trials, but God still makes a way through them.

05/15/2026

Like Esther, many of us know what it feels like to be trapped by painful circumstances beyond our control. Yet the story of Esther reminds us of this powerful truth: God redeems both suffering and sin for His purposes.

Esther is brought into the harem of a ruthless king in a heartbreaking and sinful situation. It is an awful parade of selfish pleasure and abuse, yet even there, God is still working. What others mean for evil, God means for good.

First, we see that God’s redeeming love is still at work even in suffering. Esther was an orphan who lost both of her parents, but Mordecai lovingly adopted and cared for her. Even in the ashes of sorrow, there was still love and provision. Esther’s story becomes a beautiful picture of the gospel. We too were once lost and in need of rescue, yet through Christ, God adopted us into His family and became our protector and guardian.

Second, God’s faithful provision stands even in the midst of sin. Esther and the other women had no choice but to enter the king’s harem. The story grows darker as questions of morality, secrecy, and compromise arise. Mordecai tells Esther to hide her Jewish identity, and we wrestle with whether fear or ambition motivated that decision. Yet through all the tension and imperfection, God continues to work. God works through flawed people, sinful circumstances, and even our failures. This is not permission to sin, but it is hope that God is never done with us. Even when we lack courage or compromise our faith, God is still pursuing His good purposes.

Finally, God’s unstoppable grace prevails through both suffering and sin. Though King Ahasuerus acted in sinful and immoral ways, God sovereignly elevated Esther to become queen of Persia. What man intended for evil, God turned for good—not only for Esther, but for the salvation of His people.

And that sounds a lot like the gospel of Jesus Christ. We too have chased after lesser gods and worldly idols. Yet God, rich in mercy and full of grace, has not abandoned us. Instead, Christ died for us. He forgives us, restores us, and loves us beyond our sin and shortcomings. What a Savior we have in Jesus.

05/08/2026

Ruth is ultimately a story of redemption—God reaching down, taking hold of us, and lifting us out of what we could never escape on our own. My prayer today is that we would see more clearly the redeeming love of God through Jesus, our true Kinsman Redeemer.

Naomi and Ruth walked through pain, loss, and uncertainty, yet discovered that God’s way is better in the grand scheme of things. Naomi returned from Moab grieving the loss of her husband and sons, so overwhelmed she changed her name from Naomi, meaning pleasant, to Mara, meaning bitter. Yet Ruth remained faithful. Through Ruth 1–3 we’ve seen these truths unfold: faith clings to God’s steadfast love, God is working even when we don’t see it, and our Redeemer lives.

Now in chapter 4, everything comes together through Boaz, the kinsman redeemer. The big idea is this: God’s redeeming love transforms bitter hearts to better lives.

The story begins with funerals and ends with a wedding. Boaz redeems Naomi’s land and secures Ruth’s future, pointing us to Jesus, who paid the price for us with His life. Though bitterness can blind us to God’s work, loss and disappointment never get the final word—God does.

The people bless Ruth and Boaz with hope and legacy, not realizing Ruth would become part of the lineage of Jesus. Our hope is not wishful thinking but anchored in Christ, steadying us through life’s storms.

Finally, Naomi, once empty, becomes full again through the birth of Obed. Her story moves from despair to joy, loneliness to love. Often in the middle of pain, we cannot yet see the blessings God is writing.

Looking back over the years, I can now see God working through struggles, pressures, and uncertainties the whole time. His redeeming love was shaping something better.

So if you’re in a hard season, don’t believe this is the end of your story. There is a better future ahead, a deeper hope coming, and blessings you cannot yet see. Because Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer, paid the price, your story is not defined by bitterness, but by redemption. And His way really is better.

05/01/2026

When we hear of something like the Artemis II—four people carried safely through the dangers of space—we’re reminded of something true about ourselves: we are more fragile than we like to admit. For all our strength and planning, our lives are still held together by things beyond our control. And deep down, we long to place our vulnerability into the hands of someone trustworthy—someone who can carry us through and bring us home.

That’s where the story of Ruth meets us. She and Naomi are utterly exposed—widowed, poor, without security. And in that place, they cry out for a redeemer. Naomi sends Ruth to Boaz, and Ruth takes a remarkable risk. With no safety net, she entrusts herself to his character, his integrity, his mercy.

Why? Because she knows she cannot save herself. And that’s where redemption begins—with the honest confession: *I am vulnerable. I am in need.*

But Ruth doesn’t just seek a redeemer—she seeks her redeemer. She goes to Boaz personally and says, “Spread your wings over me.” She entrusts herself not to an idea, but to a person she has come to know as good and faithful. And Boaz responds with kindness, honor, and promise. He sees her, he cares for her, and he commits to act on her behalf.

And here is the invitation for us: not just to believe in redemption in the abstract, but to know a Redeemer personally. To say not only “Christ saves,” but “Christ is my Savior—my refuge, my help, my hope.” The love of God is not distant or theoretical—it is personal, near, and attentive.

And more than that—our Redeemer is not passive. Boaz moves decisively to secure Ruth’s future, promising, providing, and refusing to rest until the matter is settled. In the same way, Jesus Christ has not only promised redemption—He has accomplished it. He came, He gave Himself, He rose again, and even now He lives to intercede for His people.

So if today you feel the weight of your need, if you feel the uncertainty of life pressing in, hear this word: your Redeemer does not delay, and He does not fail. He is faithful to complete what He has begun.

And so we say with confidence and hope: My Redeemer lives.

04/23/2026

Last month we had a wonderful playground dedication in memory of Pastor Rod. It was really a joyous time to celebrate his legacy of faithful leadership and care. It was also a longtime coming, because we never had a retirement party for Pastor Rod because of his fight with cancer. We also never had a celebration of life service for him, because of COVID.

Koko, his wife, shared how “The dedication service is what God had intended”…
Sometimes God works in our lives, not in the way we never imagine or hope for. God’s timing was six years later. God’s timing was at our new facility that Pastor Rod dreamed of and hoped for. Never did we think that this is how God would have made things work out, yet God has a way of redeeming life.

This can be true of many areas in life. It is hard in the present moments of disappointment. It is difficult in the moments of loss. It is painful in the moments of suffering to wonder if God is working. We see in Ruth 2 a powerful truth: God’s gracious providence is always at work—even when we cannot see it.

First, God’s provides. Ruth, a widow with nothing, “happens” to enter the field of Boaz—but this is no accident. This is God directing her steps. Our God provides—not always what we want, but always what we need. And if we forget His sovereignty, we will try to control everything or fall into despair. But like Ruth, we are called to trust His hand.

Second, God’s protects. Through Boaz, we see the heart of God—a protector of the vulnerable. He ensures Ruth’s safety, dignity, and care. This reflects our God, who shelters us under His wings. And as His people, we are called to do the same—to watch over, care for, and protect one another as a family of faith.

Third, God gives abundant grace. Ruth doesn’t just survive—she is blessed beyond measure. Invited to the table, given more than enough, sent home with abundance. We must remember—we deserve none of it. The gospel reminds us that instead of wrath, God gave us His Son.

So before bitterness rises…remember His grace. Before discouragement takes hold…remember His goodness. God is for you, not against you.