Grace City Church Ottawa

We're constantly told to "follow your heart," but relying on our own fragile instincts often leaves us exhausted, anxious, and second-guessing every choice. The real cure for decision fatigue isn't a better strategy—it's a trustworthy Saviour. In this sermon from the book of Proverbs, Joel Virgo helps us see how shifting our focus from self-reliance to the cross frees us to make daily decisions with boldness, clarity, and rest.Support the show

Across central Ottawa, historic sanctuaries built for the praise of Jesus Christ are disappearing—surrendered to cultural drift, commercial sales, or lured away from the Gospel. But what happens when the church refuses to fall back? In this message preached as part of our Gift Day, Rich Crosby digs into the high-stakes reality facing our city by telling the story of three Ottawa church buildings, all built within a 14-year period over 100 years ago, but with very different outcomes today. Holding ground at Bank & Fourth isn't about worshipping bricks and mortar—it's about standing firm as a gospel presence, being invested in the good of our neighbourhood, and honouring the sacrificial legacy of followers of Jesus who gave before us. Support the show

Why does sexual temptation always promise the world, but leave you feeling empty, isolated, or straight-up wrecked? In this sermon, we examine the heavy-hitting warnings of Proverbs 7 to break down how counterfeit intimacy actually works. It rarely starts with a massive failure and sometimes simply starts with linger at the wrong place, and the lie that "it’s no big deal". We also look at how it's easy it is to use good excuses—and even religious spin—to justify bad moves. Sheer willpower, accountability hacks, and self-help will always fall short on their own, but Jesus—the one who stood fast against every temptation and willingly went to the cross for our failures—provides the ultimate forgiveness, power, and true satisfaction we are actually searching for. Support the show

Settle for being just a friend to your kids, and your family drifts without a rudder. As part of our series from the Book of Proverbs, this sermon challenges us to embrace the high calling of leading with conviction, strength, and heart-level discipline. True freedom for our kids isn't found in a lack of boundaries—it’s forged through intentional training, gracious authority, and building a home anchored in Jesus above all else.Support the show

What makes a true friend? Friends shape who we become, so we must choose them wisely and never let any friendship replace Jesus. In this message from Proverbs, Joel explores the difference between having many acquaintances and having real friends. Proverbs shows us three ways to build lasting friendships: tact, faithfulness and honesty. But we can only be good friends when we know the greatest friend of all, Jesus, who was born for our adversity and loves at all times.Support the show

We’ve all got a cynical, quick-to-judge side that loves to roast people and tear them down—even if we hate admitting it. But constantly mocking others only leaves everyone wounded and empty. The only way out of that toxic cycle is to look at Jesus: He took the ultimate humiliation so we could drop the front, heal from our own shame, and start using our strength to build people up instead.Support the show

What happens when a man gets so comfortable in his own opinion that he becomes unteachable? In this message, we unpack the trap of being "wise in your own eyes" and rejecting correction. Proverbs reveals how ego makes us hate discipline, how self-reliance blinds us to sound advice, and how reckless choices damage our families and relationships. True strength isn't about having all the answers—it’s having the humility to drop the ego, accept instruction, and build a life on Christ-centered wisdom.Support the show

Most people, and certainly most men, don't wreck their lives in a single, catastrophic moment—they drift there. We live in a world flooded with endless options, quick-fix hacks, and self-help advice, yet so many of us are trapped in an overconfident, indecisive autopilot. In this sermon, we kick off a new series in the book of Proverbs to unpack what true wisdom actually looks like. We pull back the curtain on why real decisions are painfully costly, why even the wisest leaders in history ultimately failed, and how the "fear of the Lord" isn't a restrictive set of rules, but the foundational anchor our lives desperately need.Support the show

Forget passive Christianity; Jesus is training us for battle against a real, persistent enemy who wants nothing more than to wreck your life, family, and purpose. Spiritual warfare isn't about Hollywood-style demon hunting—it’s hand-to-hand combat in the daily grind. It’s choosing discipline over indulgence, standing firm against tailored temptations, and keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus.Support the show

As part of our series on the Holy Spirit, this sermon explores 1 Corinthians 14, where Paul describes tongues as a special prayer language from the Holy Spirit — one that helps us pray even when we don’t know what to say. In church gatherings, though, tongues need interpretation, so that everyone present, including newcomers, can understand and be welcomed.Support the show