Grace Church of Avondale

04/16/2026

The glory which Father gave Jesus Jesus has given us
Show the world His glory

04/16/2026

Encounter
April 24, 7 p.m.
Grace Church of Avondale Chapel

04/15/2026

Good morning Friends of Grace Church of Avondale,

My passion and desire is for each individual to thoroughly understand Romans chapter 5-8 as believers.

Paul explains the basic gospel of our Lord’s grace with precision.

Many church attendees throughout the world still don’t understand. Will you join me in asking, Abba, Father that He will open the eyes of our heart to His glorious gospel? To give perfect understanding of His finished work, give us discernment to know when others bring a false gospel to our church.

Paul dealt with this in the early church, it still continues today. Remember, the enemy is an angel of light, he looks very appealing by trying to add to or take away from God’s Covenant with humanity.

Usually you can spot those who are enemies of The Cross of Christ when they develop religious rules, signs, or hoops you have to jump through in order to BE!

I have Good News, “In Christ” you already ARE!

Please saturate yourself in Romans chapter 5-8, read it over and over, asking Holy Spirit to Be Your Teacher, not man. He will reveal Truth, Truth is a Person, Truth is Christ, John 14:6. If you are not walking in Freedom, you are not understanding Truth, Truth always sets free.

In Romans 7, Paul is not teaching that the Christian life is about trying harder and failing repeatedly. He is teaching that the Christian life begins with a death. and that death changes everything.

The previous chapter explains, you died with Christ (Your Identity changed, was transformed, experienced metamorphosis)

In Romans 6, Paul establishes the foundation: key
* You are not just forgiven, you are united with Christ
* Your “old self” (the part of you enslaved to sin) was crucified with Him
* Sin is no longer your master

This means: The Christian life is not about becoming someone new through effort, it’s about living from who you already are in Christ (from Christ Life)

We don’t fight for freedom, we fight from freedom.

Romans 7 often gets misunderstood as “this is just how Christians live, trying and failing.” But Paul’s real point is deeper. He is exposing what happens when someone tries to live righteously while still relating to God through the law by flesh (self) versus Spirit.

What does that mean?
The “law” here represents:
* External rules
* Performance-based acceptance
* Measuring righteousness by behavior alone

Paul describes the struggle:

“I want to do good… but I can’t carry it out.”

This is not a failure of sincerity. It’s a failure of method.

The Law Cannot and was never intended to Produce Life, only God in Christ.
The law can:
* Reveal sin
* Define righteousness
* Expose weakness
But it cannot:
* Change your heart
* Give you power
* Produce holiness

So when someone tries to live the Christian life by rules and effort alone, the result is:
*Frustration
* Condemnation
* Repeated failure
Not because they don’t care but because they’re using the wrong system.

The Christian life is NOT about trying harder, it’s about acknowledging what already happened with Christ on the cross, co-crucified, co-buried, co-raised and co-seated with/in Him.

Paul makes a critical statement earlier in the chapter:

“You also died to the law through the body of Christ…”

This is the turning point. Just like you died to sin (Romans 6), you also died to the law as a system of relating to God.

Why?
Because as long as you are “alive” to the law:
* You will feel judged, measured, and condemned
* You will rely on your own strength
* You will stay stuck in the cycle Paul describes
But when you die to the law:
* You are no longer under its demands
* You are joined to Christ instead
* You live by His Life, not regulation

What Freedom actually looks like in Christ:

Paul’s conclusion leads into Romans 8, where everything shifts:
* No condemnation
* Life in the Spirit
* Power from within, not pressure from without

This is what Jesus came to give.

Christ did not come to improve us, he came to replace the system with his Divine Life and Nature, His original intent.

Jesus didn’t come to:
* Make you better at rule-keeping
* Strengthen your willpower
* Help you try harder
He came to:
* End the old system entirely
* Bring you into union with Himself
* Give you a new life source, The Holy Spirit (GOD) in us (our body, His Temple)
* “…your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you.” 1 Corinthians 6:16
* “…that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV)
* As He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17 (NKJV)

Think of it like this:
* Romans 7 (under the law):
“I know what’s right, but I can’t do it.
* Romans 6 (union with Christ):
“I’ve died, this is no longer who I am.
* Romans 8 (life in the Spirit):
“God is now living His life through me.”

The Real Shift:
The abundant life is not found in:
* Trying harder
* Promising more
* Managing behavior
It is found in:
* Believing you died with Christ
* Letting go of self-effort as your source
* Living from a new identity and a new power

Final Thought:

Romans 7 is not meant to be your permanent experience. It is meant to expose the dead end of self-effort under the law so that you fully embrace life in Christ.

Christ didn’t come to put you back under pressure. He came to set you free from it.

04/14/2026

Someone needs to hear this today:

If you’ve been feeling stuck, whether in your career, a relationship, a role, a friendship, a community, or even where you live, you’re not alone. Sometimes that heaviness in your spirit is a gentle whisper from the Lord, reminding you: this is not where you’re meant to remain.

God is a God of movement, growth, and purpose, not stagnation.

Think of the Israelites. Though they were delivered from Egypt, they still had to walk forward in faith. And even then, their hearts sometimes longed for what was familiar, even if it was bo***ge. It’s possible to leave a place physically, yet still carry the same mindset. But God is calling you higher.

If you find yourself complaining or feeling restless in your current season, take it as an invitation, not a burden. An invitation to trust Him more deeply and step forward in faith.

Because every season God leads you into produces fruit, real, lasting fruit: joy, peace, hope, patience, kindness, and more.

You were created for more than where you are right now. Don’t settle for less than God’s best for your life.

Faith moves, so take the step. Move out and move forward. He is already there, preparing the way.

04/11/2026

Dear Jacksonville, Orange Park and Middleburg Community,

Thank you for your prayers, hard work searching and love towards The Cernik family. Praise be to God, Naomi returned home last night.

It’s amazing the love poured out when we unite together as a community.

May we continue to not let division separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

We love and bless each one of you!

Roger

The 16-year-old Clay County girl who was at the center of a statewide missing child alert returned home on Friday night.

04/05/2026

Christ is Risen
He’s alive in us as us
Rejoice!

04/03/2026

Today, we remember a love so deep, so breathtaking, that heaven itself was moved to give its greatest treasure. He went to the cross, not for His own sin, for He was spotless and pure but as our perfect substitute, willingly embracing what was ours so we could receive what is His.

He who knew no sin became sin for us, an exchange so divine, so undeserved, yet so full of mercy that words can scarcely hold it. Oh, praise to Almighty God, who clothed Himself in humility and became the Lamb, gentle, holy, and willing to take away the sin of the world.

This was not merely an act, it was love poured out without measure. Love that did not hold back. Love that gave everything to draw humanity back into His embrace. Through the cross, He reconciled the world to Himself, proving that His heart has always been for us, never against us.

And yet, His love did not stop at something done for us, it reached even deeper, accomplishing something within us. In a mystery both powerful and intimate, we were united with Him, co-crucified in His death, laid to rest in His burial, awakened in His resurrection, lifted in His ascension, and now invited to reign with Him in glory.

This is love beyond comprehension, a divine union, where His life becomes our life, His victory our victory, His story forever intertwined with ours.

Give thanks unto The Lord, praise be to Almighty God, blessed be His name throughout all eternity. He is Worthy to be praised!

03/24/2026

Good morning Saints,

Maybe this morning your thoughts and feelings don’t quite line up with who Jesus truly is. That’s okay, this is your moment to return.

Let your heart remember again who He is: “I AM that I AM.” Not who you feel He is, not what circumstances say but who He has always been.

Come with me, let’s step out of striving and back into simplicity. Lift your voice and sing this childlike song again. Not as a routine, but as a return.

Because we are not orphans trying to figure it all out. We are children, His children! And children don’t have to carry the weight of the world. Children laugh, they trust, they rest and they climb up into their Father’s arms without hesitation.

So come back to that place. Let your heart soften and let joy rise again.

Climb up into Abba’s lap, where fear loses its voice, where striving fades, and where everything you could ever need is already found in Him.

Be a child again. Let’s join together and sing this Children’s song out loud as a reminder of Who He is and what He has done. Jesus is Our Joy, Peace, Love! He disarmed, defeated and destroyed the enemy with one blow, The Cross and His glorious Resurrection.

Stop empowering a defeated foe when Christ defeated him once and for all time. Join me in singing.

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.

And I’m so happy, so very happy
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.

I’ve got the peace that passes understanding
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I’ve got the peace that passes understanding
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.

I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.

And if the devil doesn’t like it, he can sit on a tack (ouch!)
Sit on a tack (ouch!)
Sit on a tack
And if the devil doesn’t like it, he can sit on a tack (ouch!)
Sit on a tack to stay.

And I’m so happy, so very happy
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.

11/10/2025

Exciting Update from Grace Church of Avondale

Family, we are so thankful for all who have joined us online and worshiped with us from afar.

After much prayer and reflection, we’ve decided to pause our live streaming so that we can invite everyone to come and experience what God is doing in person here at Grace Church of Avondale.

There’s something truly powerful about gathering together — encountering the presence of the Lord Jesus, worshiping alongside a loving family of believers, and being immersed in an atmosphere of heaven on earth.

Come be part of a place where hearts are healed, lives are transformed, and sons and daughters are trained and strengthened in identity, authority, and ABBA’s amazing love.

We can’t wait to see you face-to-face and grow together in His grace!

Join us this Sunday at 10:30am, located at 1688 Edgewood Avenue S, on the corner of Herschel Street and Edgewood Avenue S.

11/08/2025

You Are Not Alone This Season

The holidays can be a tender time when you’re missing someone you love. Grace Church of Avondale invites you to join us for two special gatherings created to bring comfort, understanding, and hope to those who are grieving.

✨ Saturday, December 13 at 10:00 AM

Together, we’ll take time to remember, to breathe, and to find strength in community.

Michelle Ford, who personally understands the journey of grief, will share words of encouragement and compassion to help guide you through this season.

Whether your loss is recent or years past, you are welcome here. Come as you are—no need to walk through the storms of life alone.

Grace Church of Avondale
Because we’re better when we walk together. ❤️