Jesus as Our Truth

If you have your Bibles, I invite you to open them to Genesis chapter 3. And as you're turning there, I want to remind us of where we've been in our 'Know the Way' series. Two weeks ago, we looked at Jeremiah chapter 6, verse 16, where God calls His people to 'stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’ This passage challenged us to consider: Are we truly seeking God's way or are we determined to forge our own path? And this matters deeply because the way we choose determines the life we live. It's not just about getting from point A to point B—,it’s about who we become along the journey.

I want to ask you a question as we begin, but don't answer too quickly: Where do you look for truth in your life? Now take a moment to think about it. What makes something true? When you need to know what's real, what's right, what matters—where do you turn? Just this week around the dinner table we were having this discussion about schools around our area and one of our kids made a comment that this one school in our area has nothing but teachers with no college education. And so, Alicia and I asked, is that even possible? Because from Alicia and I’d perspectives we know that you just can’t get a teaching position without a degree. Yes, we have paraprofessionals, but to be a certified teacher, there are requirements by the state and the school. So we asked our kids, how do you know this to be true? And their answer,…. my friend told me. And isn't that telling about how we often determine truth? We hear something that sounds plausible—maybe even something that confirms what we already think or feel—and we accept it as truth without investigating further. Our source of truth becomes whatever feels right or whatever someone we trust has told us. This happens with our kids, but let's be honest—as adults, we can do the same thing. We read something online, hear it from a trusted friend, see it on our preferred news channel, and we accept it as truth without really examining the source or testing its reliability. And in our world today, determining what's true has become increasingly complicated. We're bombarded with information from countless sources. Social media.. nothings really official until we see it on Facebook.. right? news outlets, trusted friends, family, coworkers—all offering their version of reality. And more and more, our culture tells us that truth is subjective—that what's true for you might not be true for me. And So think about this… Trying to find truth has been a dilemma since Eden?

Look with me to Genesis 3, verses 1-5. Here's where it all began: Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden’?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, 'You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’" "No! You will not die," the serpent said to the woman. "In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.’ Now, Look at what's happening here! Eve has to figure out who to believe. Does she trust what God said, or does she go with what this serpent is suggesting? If you remember, its the same with Jeremiah and Israel in Chapter 6… Do you hear what the Lord says? Do you stand and look and ask which way is the good way? Then take it? Or do you answer like Israel? No we won’t. What we notice in the very beginning, right before the fall of mankind, Eve is at this crossroads. And the serpent—he's crafty, right? He starts with this innocent-sounding question: "Did God really say...?" Then he flat-out contradicts God: "You won't die!" And finally, he dangles this promise: "You'll be like God, knowing good and evil. He's basically telling Eve, "Hey, don't let God tell you what's true. You figure it out for yourself. You be the boss of your own life. You live your truth. You’re here, in this moment, living your life.. What feels good in this moment, that must be true. And isn't that exactly what we hear everywhere today? "You do you." "Follow your heart." "Live your truth." It sounds so good, doesn't it? It’s freeing. Feels Authentic…. If I can feel it, it must be true. And so, this question isn’t just a simple question, that would allow us to jump in without truly thinking about it… where are you looking or truth?

This is the same question the disciples were facing that night when Jesus was telling them He was leaving. Their world was about to be turned upside down. Everything they thought they knew was about to be challenged. And in that moment of confusion and fear, they needed to know where to look for truth. And what was Jesus's answer?

Well, lets go back to where we left off two weeks ago in John 14… and look at verse 6. Jesus told them, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

Now, here is what’s interesting… Jesus is not just claiming to know the truth or speak the truth—in this moment, look at what he is claiming…. to BE the truth. Jesus is saying, 'When everything is shifting and changing around you, I remain constant. When you don't know what to believe or who to trust, you can believe Me and trust Me. When you’re at a crossroads, stand, look, ask for the good way, and walk in it. Right, at every crossroads in life there’s opportunity to choose.

Here's what's so powerful about this: In the garden, Eve chose to be her own authority. She decided she would determine what was true based on what she could see and understand. And that decision led to separation from God. This is the moment sin is injected into the human soul, and heart. Every moment of suffering in human history can be traced back to this fundamental problem: we've rejected God's truth and appointed ourselves as the authority. And I’ll say it again, is that not the center of our sin. That I appoint my truth over God’s truth. This is what sin actually is at its core. It's not just breaking rules or missing the mark. It's saying, 'I know better than God. I'll decide what's true for me.' It's putting ourselves in God's place. And what's the result? Look around. Look at our world—divided, confused, hurting. Look at our own lives—our anxieties, our fears, our broken relationships. When we try to create our own truth, we end up lost and disconnected from the source of life itself.

So this brings us to another crucial question: Who is the authority in your life? Let me put it another way—who do you really listen to when you have to make a decision? When you're trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong, where do you turn? Jesus makes this incredible claim in Matthew 28:18. He says, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’ Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus says all authority? Think about what that means for a minute. The same Jesus who says 'I am the truth' is also saying 'I have complete authority over everything.' Over every nation, every leader, every situation—and yes, over your life and my life. I remember, our first time we lived in Colorado, and I came home one Wednesday afternoon with my office packed into a cardboard box, and I walked through the door, Alicia just broke down crying and she sat down knowing that I had just been laid off.. Can you imagine our anxious hearts? God, What now? Will we become homeless? Will me need to move back east? Did you not hear our prayers for safety and security? Do you not see our struggles? Ya know… one thing I learned through all of our struggles and uncertainties in our marriage is that, We cannot avoid uncertainty in this life, but we can respond to it in a Christ-honoring way. And that's where Jesus's authority and truth intersect with our everyday lives. When Jesus says 'I am the truth' and 'All authority has been given to me,' He's offering us a foundation that doesn't shift when our circumstances do. Think about what Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Right, the book of wisdom… look at what it says, God says, 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’ This doesn't mean God will make our paths easy or problem-free. But it does mean He'll make them straight—leading us where we need to go, even when the journey is difficult. But it does mean, he leads us.

So let me ask you, church—who has authority in your life? If Jesus isn’t the authority, then you are. Let that sink in… who’s the authority in your life… you are. You’re choosing your path. If Jesus isn’t the authority, then you are. And if you’re the one calling the shots, the one navigating your own way, where is that taking you? Where has it gotten you so far? Can I just share with you why Jesus is the answer to this question? Because you and I can say, 'Jesus is the antidote. Jesus is the answer.' But do we believe it deep enough that when life gets hard, when things fall apart, when temptation hits, our very souls cry out, 'Help!'? Think about the Psalms. Think about David. Over and over again, his plea is, 'Help! Help me, Lord! Help me in this moment! 'But I want you to notice something. David isn’t obsessed with the source of his problem; he’s fixated on the Source of his solution. He’s not dwelling on the battle; he’s anchoring himself in the One who fights for him. Listen to Psalm 25:1-3:

In you, Lord my God,I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.I put my trust. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. Psalm 25:1-3

What is David asking for? Yes protection. We all cry for that… but his cries go deeper than that… something much more deeper than just protection. When he prays, “do not let me be put to shame” and declares by faith that “No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,” he is asking God to protect the glory of his name in protecting him. He believes that God's reputation is tied to the outcome of his life. That’s not a self-centered prayer. That’s a God-centered cry. David’s saying, 'God, my life is wrapped up in Your reputation. If I’m trusting You and You don’t come through, it’s not just my name that’s on the line—it’s Yours.' That’s not a self-centered prayer. That’s a God-centered cry. That’s what happens when Jesus is the authority. You stop focusing on the problem, and you start anchoring yourself in the One who holds the solution. You stop worrying about your own reputation, and you start caring more about the reputation of the One who saved you. And that’s the heart of abiding. That’s what it means to truly trust. To surrender. To say, 'Jesus, You lead. I follow. Your name, Your reputation, Your glory—that’s what matters most.’

Here it is. You turn to Jesus’ authority. You stop fighting for control. You stop wrestling to be the king of your own life. You lay it down. You acknowledge that He is Lord—not just with your lips but with your life. You say, 'Jesus, You have the authority. You are the way, the truth, and the life. Not me. Not my ideas. Not my plans. You.' And you trust Him. You trust Him when it doesn’t make sense. When everything in you wants to grab the reins and steer your own way—you trust Him. You trust Him when life is falling apart. When the diagnosis is bad. When the bills are piling up. When the marriage feels like it’s hanging by a thread. You trust that His ways are higher than your ways, that His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). You trust that He is working all things together for your good and His glory (Romans 8:28). But hear me, church—trusting doesn’t mean the pain vanishes. Trusting doesn’t mean the storm suddenly stops. It means you’re anchored in the One who holds you steady in the midst of it all. It means you’re leaning into His authority, even when the ground beneath you is shaking. And that’s what abiding looks like. That’s what surrender looks like. It’s saying, 'Jesus, You lead. I follow. Your reputation, not mine. Your glory, not mine. Your will, not mine.’ So, where are you struggling to surrender? Where are you still holding on to control? Where are you still saying, 'God, I trust You… but let me handle this one part’? Because the call is not partial surrender. The call is complete surrender. The call is to let go. To trust that Jesus is not just able to lead—you trust that He is good as He leads.

You’ve got to take that step of faith and say, 'Jesus, I trust that Your righteousness is enough. I trust that Your blood covers me. I trust that Your life is now my life. That You became sin so that I could become the righteousness of God.' That’s what 2 Corinthians 5:21 is all about: 'God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ Listen, church—you and I do not become righteous in ourselves. We only become righteous in Christ. But let’s not move too quickly past this. Because before you can truly trust in His righteousness, you’ve got to confront your own unrighteousness. You’ve got to come face to face with the ways you’ve asserted your authority over God’s. The ways you’ve elevated your thoughts above His. The ways you’ve believed you know better than God what is best for your life. And that right there—that’s the core of our sin. That’s unrighteousness. And until you lay that down, you can’t pick up the righteousness of Christ. Let’s sit in this truth for a moment. Jesus didn’t just die for your sins. He became sin for you. He took on the fullness of your guilt, your shame, your unrighteousness—He bore it all on that cross. And in exchange, He clothes you in His righteousness. Not a borrowed righteousness, but a righteousness that is now your own because of what He has done. And a righteousness He puts within you because He is in you.

This is why Romans 8:1 is so crucial to understand…. Paul is declaring.. , 'There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ In Christ. Those two words show up again and again in Paul’s letters. In Christ, you are abiding. In Christ, you are desiring. In Christ, you are pursuing. This is more than a Sunday-morning tradition. This is truth and life being offered to you. Because when God looks at you, He no longer sees the sinner. He sees the righteousness of His Son. He sees the perfection of Jesus. And that means you don’t have to strive to prove yourself worthy. You don’t have to work to earn God’s approval. You already have it—in Christ. But don’t stop there. Because trust without action is empty. You’ve got to follow His Word. You’ve got to open this Book and let it shape your life. You don’t just glance at it and walk away.’ You dive into it. You meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). You let it be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105).

Look with me real quick to the gospel of John, and watch this. In John 8, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, and He’s being very direct. Starting in verse 21, He says, 'I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.' Did you catch that? Jesus is telling them, 'You’re gonna look for me, but you’re not gonna find me. You’re gonna die in your sin.' It’s a hard word. It’s a confrontational word. But why is Jesus saying this? Because they’re trusting in their own righteousness. They’re banking on their religious traditions. Their Sunday morning routines. They’re convinced they’re good without God—missing the very One who can save them. Jesus is saying, 'You’re refusing to believe in me, and because of that, you’re going to die in your sin.’ There’s no abiding in Christ like Paul talks about in Romans. There’s no following. There’s just self-reliance and empty religion. And church, listen—how many of us are guilty of the same thing? How many of us are content with knowing about Jesus but not actually knowing Him? How many of us are clinging to a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5)? Jesus isn’t looking for people who know how to play church. He’s looking for people who know how to be the church—people who aren’t just nodding along but actually walking in His truth, abiding in His Word, living under His authority.

And then, in verse 24, Jesus says, 'If you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.' That’s heavy. Jesus isn’t saying, 'Try harder.' He isn’t saying, 'Do more religious stuff.' He’s saying, 'If you don’t believe that I am who I say I am, you’re still in your sins. Still lost. Still blind.’ But watch this. Watch the shift that happens in verse 30. 'Even as he spoke, many believed in him.' 'Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

Did you catch that? Even as He spoke, many believed in Him. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. Look at what He says next, starting in verse 31: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”’ First there’s faith in him..you relive in him, and because you are saved, there’s what? There Freedom. That’s the promise. But it’s not just about believing in Jesus. It’s about holding to His teaching. Continuing in His word. Not just agreeing with it. Not just nodding along. But abiding in it. Grasp it. Love it. Desire it. Live it. Because trust without action is empty. Faith without action is hollow. Ir as James puts it… its dead.

And that’s where Jeremiah 6:16 comes in. Remember? It’s the same call: Stand. Look. Ask. Then what? Walk. It’s not just hearing. It’s walking. It’s not just saying, 'I believe.’ It’s living it out, every single day. That’s what it means to abide. That’s what it means to be truly free.

And church, I need you to hear this… This world is desperate for people who are not just playing church but living under the authority of Jesus, trusting in His righteousness, walking in obedience to His Word. This world is crying out for something real. People are drowning in a sea of confusion, searching for truth, grasping for an identity that isn’t real, reaching for life. And what are we doing, church? We’re trying to be comfortable! We show up Sunday after Sunday, sitting in chairs, singing songs—but how many of us are walking right back out those doors unchanged? How many of us are content with a faith that stirs our emotions but doesn’t transform our lives? How many of us have a form of godliness but deny its power? (2 Timothy 3:5). Listen! Listen to me! The world doesn’t need more people who know how to play church. The world needs people who know how to be the church. People who say, 'Jesus, You are my authority. Your righteousness is my covering. Your Word is my compass.' People who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and cannot keep silent about it! And that’s the call today, church. That’s the urgency! The world is waiting. Your neighbors are waiting. Your co-workers are waiting. Your children are waiting. Your spouse is waiting. And God Almighty has placed the Spirit of His Son inside of you to shine forth His glory. But listen to me—you can’t show the truth if you’re not living in it. You can’t lead people to freedom if you’re still shackled by the same chain as the world is. You can’t offer the world hope if you’re drowning in your own confusion, living a life of compromise and complacency. So what are you going to do, church? What are you going to do with what you’ve heard today? Will you keep going through the motions? Will you keep playing church? Will you keep chasing empty pleasures, empty promises, empty pursuits? Or are you going to rise up as a church of Christ? A community of Christ. Will you step out, by faith? Will you walk in the truth of God’s Word? Because when you do, when you surrender to His authority, trust in His righteousness, and follow His Word, your life becomes a beacon of truth—a blazing light in a dark and desperate world that says, you’re truth is whatever makes you feel better.

So, here’s the call, church—repent, believe, and follow! Now listen,. As Peter comes up… The call has been made clear. Jesus has laid it out. 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' (John 8:31-32) So the question is—will you hold to it? Will you cling to His Word like your life depends on it? Because it does. Will you walk in that truth? Will you let it set you free? See, the world doesn’t need another Sunday morning Christian. It’s got plenty of those kinds of playing playing church. The world doesn’t need people who can quote the Word but don’t live the Word. The world needs disciples. Followers. People who are so captivated by Jesus that they can’t help but shine His light wherever they go.

, I want to ask you this: Where are you? Are you standing at the crossroads, looking, asking, but not walking? Are you holding onto your sin, your pride, your own way, while the Savior is calling you to come and be free? You see next week we’re going to talk about life, but there is no life unless you handle the truth and authority issue in you life today. Today is the day to step out. Today is the day to say, 'Jesus, I’m done playing church. I’m done going through the motions. I’m done with empty religion. I want to follow You. I want to walk in Your truth. I want to be set free.’ And if that’s you, don’t leave this place the same. If you’re here today and you’re ready to step out of the shadows, if you’re tired of playing church and you’re ready to be the church, this is your moment. Come. Don’t wait. Don’t worry about who’s watching. Don’t worry about what they might think. Just come. If you need to surrender something to Jesus, come. If you need to repent of sin, come. If you need to lay down your pride, your fear, your doubt—come. This is the place where chains break, where lives are changed, where freedom is found. Let’s pray, and as we do, if that’s you, come forward and let God meet you right here, right now. This is your moment. Don’t let it pass by.

Father, we come before You now, hearts open, hands lifted, surrendering everything. We confess our complacency, our empty religion, our going through the motions. Forgive us, Lord. Break every chain. Tear down every wall. Open our eyes to see You, Jesus—the One who sets us free. We don’t want to leave this place the same. We don’t want to keep playing church. We want to be the church. We want to walk in Your truth, abide in Your Word, and shine Your light in a dark and desperate world. Holy Spirit, move in this place. Draw every heart that’s been holding back. Give courage to those who need to step forward, to lay down their sin, their fear, their pride. Pour out Your grace. Pour out Your mercy. Transform us, Lord. Make us more like You. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we thank You for the freedom that only comes from You. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. *

Power To - Week 1

"I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to Acts chapter 1. So, over the past few weeks, I’ve been having some serious issues with mowing the grass at the parsonage. It all started on April 22nd when I mowed for the first time by the old septic system. As I was mowing by the leach field, the blades suddenly stopped, and the mower shut down. Naturally, I thought, ‘What in the world just happened?’ It fired back up right away, but when I tried to engage the deck again, it stalled. Long story short, I eventually found a piece of wire hanging out from the side of the mower, and when I looked underneath, I discovered something even crazier: someone had thrown a whole bundle of electrical Romex wire in the weeds, and I had run over it! But that wasn’t the end of the story. A week later, the same thing happened. The mower stalled, started up, but the deck wouldn’t engage. I went back to the garage and found that there was an inner tube hidden somewhere on the property, and, of course, I found it. And the saga continued… another week, another breakdown. This time, I hit a string of barbed wire. After dealing with that, I thought, “Okay, surely this will be the last of my mower problems.” But no, it gets worse. The next week, as I mowed along the front of the house near the highway, the mower locked up again. This time, when I went to the garage to check, I found rebar wrapped around the blades. Now, have you ever tried to bend rebar? It’s tough. I tried everything—my hands, my feet—nothing worked. So I grabbed my torch, thinking I could heat it up and make it more pliable… but nothing. No matter what I did, I couldn’t bend it. So I pulled out the big guns—the Craftsman oscillating tool and a reciprocating saw. It was amazing to me that I couldn’t do it with my own strength, but the tools had all the power I needed to cut through that stubborn rebar and get the mower working again. And now, the churches mower is in the garage, broken, waiting for Luke to come fix it—somehow, the pullies for the blades are seized. But that’s a whole different story.

Now, what’s the point of all this? Here’s what I want to highlight: So often in our spiritual lives, we’re trying to live for Christ with trying to fix our hardships with our own hands—we’re trying to do everything in our own strength, relying on our own power. But, just like I couldn’t get that mower to work without the right power tools, we can’t live the Christian life the way we’re meant to without the power of the Holy Spirit. Power is something we all crave. In fact, it’s something that, if we’re not careful, can be dangerous. Power, if used the wrong way, can hurt you. We’ve all seen it—power can corrupt. Sir John Dalberg-Acton said in the mid-1800s: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” He was warning us that power, when misused, can destroy a person morally, leading to pride and selfishness. Now, the disciples weren’t any different. They wanted power too. In Acts 1:6, look with me, it says: “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’” What were they asking? They wanted power. They were looking for deliverance from the Romans and not just deliverance, but revenge, and they were hoping Jesus would use His power to set them free in a way they understood—political power. They wanted the reciprocating saw power. They wanted to cut through their enemies, get rid of their oppressors, and take back control. That makes me think of James and John, the sons of thunder. They were with Jesus in Samaria when the people there rejected them. The two of them, fired up and feeling a bit offended, said to Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). And as I think about that, I can’t help but laugh—because it's so human. I mean, how many times have we been offended or angered, and deep down, we’ve wanted revenge? How many of us have looked at situations in our lives where we’ve felt mistreated or wronged, and in our hearts, we've wanted the power to make it right— but we wanted not make it right, our way?

But what did Jesus say in response to James and John? “You don’t know what kind of spirit you are of.” (Luke 9:55). “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” Can you imagine in your life when you want to harm someone, or let something harm someone because of your anger? Like when someone cuts us off on the road because there in a hurry… oh man I hope you get pulled over by the cops. And get a ticket.. and then when I pass you.. i’m gonna honk and wave. That’s a destructive attitude. One that would aim to Destry or harm a life, not save it. So, what did Jesus say? How did He respond to their thirst for power? How does He respond to our thirst for power—our own version of control and revenge? His response redefines everything. And these words are the foundation of our new series: He says to the disciples in acts, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). Jesus isn’t offering them the power to destroy or to retaliate. He’s offering them the power to be witnesses of His grace. Think about this.. “Jesus redefines power—not as control, but to have the courage to carry the gospel.

Let me push that even further, because I think we're missing something huge here. This isn't just courage to stand behind a pulpit and preach—though that can be scary enough, trust me. This is courage to love. It's the power to show up in people's lives when everything in our flesh wants to pack up and go home. And here's where Jesus gets really practical with them. He doesn't just say, "Go love everybody." He gives them a roadmap on how to witness. Look at what He tells them: "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Have you ver thought about these three places?” Let's start with Jerusalem. That’s home, right? That’s supposed to be the easy one. That’s where your people are—the ones who recognize your face, the ones who watched you grow up, who nod when they see you at the market. You’d think it would be the safest place to begin. But it’s not. Because that’s the city that just crucified Jesus. Seriously, think about that. The people Jesus healed… the ones He taught… the ones He fed—they’re the same ones who screamed for His death. And now Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “Yeah, I want you to go back there. I want you to walk back into that city and tell them I love them. I want you to go right back to the ones who killed Me—and offer them eternal life.” That’s insane. Who does that? I wouldn’t want to go back. Would you? Like… are you kidding me? The last time I was in Jerusalem, they were shouting for blood. And now I’m supposed to go back and say, “Hey, remember Jesus? The one you rejected? He still wants you.” That’s hard. That’s uncomfortable. That’s painful. But that’s the gospel. Jesus isn’t calling us to something safe or easy—He’s calling us to something holy. And I just wonder… are we willing to love like that? Are we willing to go back to the people who hurt us… who hate us… and offer them grace? Because that’s what Jesus did. For me. For you. We were His Jerusalem. And He came into our lives anyway.

Jesus doesn’t just say, “Start in Jerusalem.” He keeps going: “and in all Judea… and Samaria.” And now it’s getting real. Because Judea, okay, that’s still kinda local—still familiar. But Samaria? That hits different. That’s uncomfortable. That’s where the lines get crossed. That’s where the tension is. You’ve got to understand—Jews and Samaritans didn’t just not get along… they had generations of hatred between them. This wasn’t just a rivalry. This was deep. Religious, cultural, racial division. They wouldn’t even walk through each other’s towns. They’d go miles out of the way just to avoid each other. And Jesus says, “Go there.” Can you imagine how that felt? Like, "Wait, what? You want me to go where my grandparents told me never to go? To love the people I was raised to avoid? To serve the ones I was taught to look down on?” It’s like Jesus looking at someone from Denver and saying, “I want you to walk into a tailgate full of Broncos fans wearing Raiders gear… and go wash their feet.” Or telling a lifelong skier, “Your mission? Go up to the top of the mountain and serve the snowboarders.” And some of you laugh… but isn’t it true? You felt that. You got a little uncomfortable, didn’t you? And that’s the point. Jesus is saying, “You’re not going to do this in your own strength. I’m giving you a power that breaks through the walls you’ve spent your whole life building. I’m going to enable you to love the people you were taught to hate.” Because before you can go to the ends of the earth, you’ve got to go to the edge of your comfort. Before you can be My witness out there… you have to love the one you’ve refused to love right here. And I just wonder—are we ready for that? Are we ready to love like that here at this church? Or are we still building fences around our faith?

And then, as if that wasn't challenging enough, He says, "and to the ends of the earth." Now we're talking about complete strangers. People in different countries, with different languages, different customs and culture. People who don't know you, don't care about you, and might even be hostile toward you. But you're going to love them anyway. Do you see what He’s doing here? He’s not handing out some easy, power-tool version of Christianity. This isn’t a reciprocating saw that cuts through problems and makes everything smooth. He’s giving them—and us—something far more powerful and way more difficult: The power to love when love doesn’t make sense. This is supernatural. Don’t miss that. This is not something you muster up on your own. You don’t just decide to love like this one day. No. This is Holy Spirit power. Because loving the people who crucified your Savior? That’s not human. Loving the people you were taught to avoid or despise? That’s not natural. Loving strangers who don’t care if you live or die? That’s not safe. But Jesus never promised safe—He promised power.And here’s the part that hits me hardest: you don’t have to fly across an ocean to obey this command. All three of those groups? They’re right here in Falcon. We’ve got people who hate us because we follow Jesus. They think we’re narrow-minded or outdated or foolish. We’ve got people—if we’re honest—that we’ve looked at with judgment or bias. People we wouldn’t want sitting in our living rooms or serving on our teams. And we’ve got people who know nothing about us—nothing about Jesus—living across the street. And we haven’t even said hello. But Jesus died for every single one of them. And He died for us, too.

But here’s what I need you to hear: this kind of obedience—this going back to Jerusalem, this loving the Samaritans, this reaching out to the ends of the earth—this kind of obedience isn’t driven by pressure. It’s not because the church made you feel guilty. It’s not because your pastor gave you a spiritual to-do list. No—this kind of obedience is born from something way deeper. It comes from intimacy. From love. It comes from the kind of relationship with Jesus where you trust Him so much, and you’re so captivated by His love, that you’d go anywhere and love anyone just to be close to His heart.

Think about it: the disciples didn’t go back to Jerusalem because it was safe. They didn’t go because they felt like heroes. They went because they knew Jesus. They loved Him. And when you love someone that much, you don’t argue with their mission—you embrace it. They would’ve walked straight into danger if it meant Jesus got glory. And honestly, they did. And that brings me to something I think we need to talk about. When it comes to being a church of witness—when it comes to having that courage to love people who seem unlovable—do you know what the single greatest truth is that you and I can carry? It's not our education. I mean, having a degree is great, but I've met some highly educated people who couldn't love their way out of a paper bag. It's not how much money we have in the bank. Money can open doors, but it can't change hearts. It's not even passion— No, the single greatest thing that fans into flame the call to missions—the thing that gives us supernatural power to love, and th courage to obey this commandment—is our intimate love relationship with Jesus.

Here’s why: Everything Jesus desires to do through you, He will do out of the overflow of what He's doing in you. Did you catch that? It's not about what you can muster up for Jesus. It's about what flows out of you because of what Jesus is doing in your heart. When you're deeply in love with Jesus, when you're experiencing His love for you every single day, that love naturally spills over into how you treat other people. It's like a well that never runs dry. When you're constantly being filled up with Jesus's love, you have love to give away—even to the difficult people, even to the ones who've hurt you, even to the strangers who don't care about you.

So, how do we fan into flames the heart for courageous mission to witness to others? Well, let's look at what these early disciples did. Look with me at verse 14: "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer.” This phrase "one mind" in the Greek language literally means one will, one heart, one passion. And that brings me to the second truth we find in the early church that fans into flames the mission: They had a passion that produced unity. Now, can I ask us all a very humble question? It's personal, and sometimes personal questions help us ask the tough questions of our faith that we sometimes aren't willing to ask. How have we invested in the unity of Christ in this church? How have you invested in others here at this church—to get to know them, to actively love on them, to let them know you're praying for them? Do we have a passion to invest in one another? Do we have one will, one heart, one passion here at this church? What's our passion? What stirs our souls and ignites our hearts? Because I hope it's Jesus. I hope you are here because in your heart you have a burning passion to know Jesus more. You know, sometimes I get a little emotional when I think of that verse in Hebrews: "Without faith it is impossible to please God." I get emotional because I also couple that verse with this one in Romans: "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” And what that means is that any attempt at obedience on my part—or any other act that isn't springing from a heart of faith in Jesus—winds up just being sin because it displeases the Lord. So I've got to get this heart of mine redirected. I've got to have this heart of mine recalibrated, because I know it's very easy at times to get unfocused on Jesus and focus on myself or focus on what I think are the problems around me. And then use my own power to accomplish God’s will. It's learning to have that relationship like David had when he repented and said, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” And so I find a place—like my office, or I often like to go to sit by our ponds and just sit and focus on the cross at the Lutheran church. I say with my heart, "I want to know more of you, Jesus, and I pray that I would delight in you, Jesus, as I meditate on you," and I get the whole Christ before me. When I do this, faith will rise because grace is coming through it, and then obedience flows out from it. I've come to realize that true passion often emerges from a place of desperation. You see, passion doesn't wait for convenient circumstances; passion thrives in the midst of our desperation. Now, desperation is often misunderstood and seen as a sign of weakness or vulnerability. I disagree with that. I believe desperation is just like meekness, or kindness, and patience. These are things we think are weak, but actually they're strong because they all require a deep faith and trust in God's plan and timing. When we are desperate, we're driven by a deep longing or intense desire for change. Think about it... think about one moment in your life where everything felt like it was falling apart, or crashing down, or just everything seemed like it was against you. How did you feel in that moment? You wanted change. We say it all the time in the midst of our hardships… —something needs to change. Amen? But yet, in these moments of desperation, we realize the limitations of our current situation and we become willing to push beyond our comfort zones. The issue, though, is that many times in our desperation we think we've got to take matters into our own hands. And trust me, any time we take things into our own hands, that's not trusting in God.

So what did the disciples do in their desperation? They did something simple... they prayed. Prayer became the foundation of their desperation. The Bible says they got in that upper room and they devoted themselves to prayer, and they didn't stop praying together until God showed up to do what He said He was going to do. If you dig deep enough anywhere in the world where God is actively at work, let me tell you what you'll find. You'll find a remnant of people that have sought the face of God in prayer for that to happen.

Every time something extraordinary happened in the book of Acts, it started the same way—through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Every time. Not one exception. There was a rhythm to it: unity among the believers… earnest prayer… the Spirit shows up… and then—power. And power always led to change. So it makes me wonder… what did they pray for in that upper room? Have you ever wondered that? What was the prayer that brought down the holy Spirit into their lives? What was their cry? What was the plea that poured out of their hearts when they were huddled together, waiting, uncertain, probably afraid… but expectant? Honestly… I have no clue. Scripture doesn’t give us the exact words. I wish it did. I wish we had the full transcript of their prayers in that moment. But here’s what we do have—we get a glimpse of what their hearts were like just a few chapters later. Because in Acts 3 and 4, after Peter and John had healed a lame man… after they were arrested, threatened, and commanded to stay silent about Jesus… they come back to the church, and guess what, they, together, as the church pray again. And this time, we do see what they prayed… Listen to their prayer… They said: “Now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” Do you feel the weight of that? They didn’t pray for safety. They didn’t ask for protection. They didn’t say, “God, make this easier.” No, they said, “God, make us bolder.” They asked for courage—not comfort. They prayed, not that the storm would pass, but that they would have the strength to stand in it. That’s not the prayer of people in love with this world. That’s the prayer of people consumed with the glory of Christ.

And I read that—and my heart burns. Because that’s what I want. That’s what I long for. I don’t want to live a safe life. I don’t want to waste my days clinging to comfort and calling it blessing. I want to burn with the name of Jesus on my lips. I want the gospel to be so alive in me that it spills out—even when it costs me. Especially when it costs me. I would rather Christ be magnified in my death than for me to live quietly and miss the joy of proclaiming Him. I want my life to be a loud and holy echo of heaven’s anthem: “Worthy is the Lamb!”

So here’s my prayer— Oh God, let Your gospel ring louder than my fear. Let Your name rise higher than my comfort. Let Your glory matter more than my convenience. Stretch out Your hand. Shake what needs to be shaken. Break what needs to be broken. Do whatever You need to do, Lord, but don’t let me settle for a Christianity that plays it safe. Don’t let me grow numb to the miracle of the gospel. I want to live for You—fully, freely, fearlessly. Because You are worthy. Worthy of every breath, every step, every sacrifice. Worthy of it all.

As Peter comes up… I wanna ask.. So what do we do with this? We don’t leave this room today talking about boldness as if it’s some personality trait for the spiritually elite. No. Boldness is the byproduct of beholding. Boldness is what happens when the Spirit of the living God fills ordinary people with an extraordinary vision of Jesus. And if that’s true—then hear me: the greatest danger in your life is not persecution. It’s comfort. The greatest threat to your soul is not the world out there… it’s apathy in here. It’s going through life never truly needing God because you never truly trusted Him. So here’s the question that’s ringing in my own heart, and maybe it’s ringing in yours too: Is Jesus enough? Is He enough when the threats come? Is He enough when the cost is high? Is He enough when the calling feels impossible? Is He enough when it means losing the approval of others, the security of your plans, or the dreams you thought would fulfill you? Because if He is—if Christ is truly your treasure—then let the world shake. Let the storms come. Let the fire fall. If I have Him, I have everything. So here’s my invitation to you. Don’t walk out of this moment unchanged. Don’t trade boldness for safety. Don’t settle for a version of Christianity that knows the words but has lost the wonder. Fall on your knees today—right here, right now—and say with trembling joy: “Whatever it costs, Lord—You are worthy.” And may we become a people who pray like the early church, love like Jesus, live by the power of the Spirit, and proclaim the gospel with lives that scream: Christ is all. Christ is all. Christ is all. And don’t miss this—when the church in Acts 4 prayed, they asked for signs, wonders, and miracles. And do you know what the miracle was? It wasn’t fire from heaven. It wasn’t chains falling off. It wasn’t spectacle. The miracle… was boldness. The miracle was that the Holy Spirit showed up again. He filled them again. He empowered them again. And what followed wasn’t just noise—it was salvation. That’s the greatest wonder. That hearts could turn. That lives could be raised. That people who were once dead in sin could be made alive in Christ. Maybe that’s the miracle you need today. Not a change in your situation—but a change in your heart. Not more control, but more surrender. Not a louder voice, but a Spirit-filled one. So right now, I want to create space for you to respond. Why not stand right now? Sometimes that’s half the battle. The other half… is being honest about where your heart is. If you need to kneel, kneel. If you need to come to the front and pray, come. If you just need to sit and say, “Holy Spirit, I’m available”—then let that be your offering. This moment is not about a performance—it’s about a posture. A posture of saying: “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here—in this room, in this heart, in this life.”*

Although We Wrestle

I would like for you to turn your attention to the book of Ephesians and find with me chapter 6, and once you find chapter 6 would you be so kind, if your able, to stand with me in honor of God’s Word. I will be reading our verse today from the King James Version and find with me verse 12. Hear the words of the Lord.. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Now turn with me to the book of Psalms and find with me, Psalm 65. From Psalm 65, find verse 3. 3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. Father, I thank You for Your wonderful presence. May Your Word be planted deep in our spirit. Strengthen us to meditate on Your Word and build our life upon the rock of Your truth. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

First, I want to apologize to anyone who may be new here today, because this isn’t a normal Sunday message. I had planned on preaching on the Shema in Deuteronomy this week—that was my plan. But sometimes the Lord presses something heavier on your heart, something you just can’t ignore. And this week, with everything happening in our nation and in our communities, I’ve felt the Lord asking me to pause, to set aside my plan, and to speak directly into the weight we’re all carrying. So if you’re visiting, please know—you’re walking in on a family moment. A moment where we’re not pretending life is easy or that faith is neat and tidy, but a moment where we’re opening God’s Word together and looking for His voice in the middle of our wrestling and overwhelmed life. And my prayer is that even in a heavy message, you’ll see the hope and presence of Jesus. So with that said, let’s restart with this thought… The love of Christ was always evident in the heart of those who love Him. That’s where everything begins. Christ’s love is alive in His people. Paul says in Romans 5:5, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” That means if you belong to Jesus, His love has already taken root in you. Even when you don’t feel it, even when you don’t see it, even when life is dark and overwhelming—His love has not left you. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize that love in ourselves. We doubt it. We second-guess. Maybe that’s why Jesus commanded us to love one another—because there are days we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to show us what we can’t see in the mirror. When a word of encouragement is spoken, when a prayer is lifted on your behalf, when someone sits with you in your pain—that’s Christ’s love in them spilling over into you. That’s His presence proving itself again and again. I’ll be honest with you—I wish I had a little meter inside me that showed how full I was of Jesus. Wouldn’t that be easier? A little gauge on your heart that tells you: “You’re running low—better spend some more time in prayer. You’re overflowing—keep pouring it out.” But that’s not how God designed it. Maybe that’s the beauty of faith. We don’t measure it by a meter. We learn it in the wrestling. We discover it when life overwhelms us. We find it when we keep turning back to Him, again and again.

And with that being said, let me just say something that might surprise you… I find comfort in Paul’s words found in our Scripture today. Paul writes, “We wrestle.” Its true.. At first, that doesn’t sound very comforting, does it? Who wants to wrestle? Who wants the struggle? But here’s why it comforts me—because it reminds me that wrestling is normal for the Christian life. It’s not a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a sign that you belong to Christ in a world that’s still broken. Paul doesn’t say we stroll. He doesn’t say we coast. He says we wrestle. I think its Paul being honest with the readers because he’s naming what you and I already feel. We wrestle with questions. We wrestle with suffering. We wrestle with sin. We wrestle with things we can’t explain. Now, what do we want when we wrestle? Most of us want an explanation from God. Why this? Why now? Why us? Job asked those questions. His friends tried to answer. But when God finally speaks in Job 38–42, He doesn’t give Job an explanation—He gives him a revelation of Himself. And that changes everything. And that’s the shift we all need to see. When we cry out, “Why this? Why now? Why us? Why them? ”—God doesn’t always hand us an explanation. He hands us something greater: he says… here’s me.. he gives us Himself. Why? Because His power is greater than our suffering. What we learn in the book of Job is that through his suffering, God takes Job on a tour of creation: foundations of the earth, borders of the seas, storehouses of snow, paths of the lightning and he asks Job some pretty tough questions…in chapter 38, and verses 35… “Job, can you call the clouds to pour? Do the lightning bolts report to you?” In other words, I am God, and I am not small. Your life is not in the hands of chaos; it’s in the hands of the Creator. Remember last week… when we spoke on Genesis 1.. and we said the holy Spirit, before any words was spoken… was there. Brooding, hovering… over the nothingness and chaos, God was present. And we called that the inhale of God. Right now, we all are in that inhale. Before galaxies are spoken, theres presence. And all of our life… … I just believe… what God wants is for us to find him within all of our chaos… and focus on him… so that we can understand that in any moment that we wrestle with…he is there. To learn to rest in the inhale of God…. And… with anticipation….! Like, when we wrestle, we live so focused on Him, that we live in any moment with anticipation of… man.,.. I don’t understand… but I can’t wait to see how you bring glory to yourself through this… My heart is hurting.. I see others are hurting… but you’re will is so perfect, and you can see things I can not… so I will wait and trust in you…

That’s what Job does… and that’s how he answers God… Job confesses, “I know that You can do all things, and no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2) That’s a confession of power and purpose. God’s power is great, and His purpose is guaranteed. Now remember—Job is saying this without knowing everything we know as readers. He didn’t know about the conversation back in Job 1 and 2, when God allowed Satan to test him. He didn’t know the whole behind-the-scenes picture. And yet he still says, “No plan of Yours can be thwarted.” Even though he couldn’t see the reason, he trusted the God of purpose. And church, that’s the beauty for us—we do get to see the bigger picture. We see how Satan’s attacks could only end up serving God’s greater plan. That’s one of the loudest truths in this book: Satan’s attempts to harm God’s people only end up advancing God’s purposes. Think of the power in that statement. And what Paul says … In 2 Corinthians 12, he describes a thorn in the flesh, “a messenger of Satan.” He begged God to take it away. But instead of removing it, God spoke: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”What Satan meant to torment Paul only made Paul stronger in Christ. Think about Acts 7–8. When Stephen was stoned, persecution broke out. Satan must have been laughing—“I’ve got them now.” But what happened next? The church scattered, and everywhere they went they preached the gospel. Satan attacked, but God advanced His church. Think about the cross. Satan thought he’d won when Jesus was nailed to that tree—mocked, beaten, crucified. Darkness had its day. But three days later, the tomb was empty. What Satan meant to destroy became the very means of our salvation. Like… Take that, devil. You loser!!!! But here’s the truth: No one, can thwart the purpose of God. Not Satan, not suffering, not sin, not death itself. His plan stands. His purpose is guaranteed.So if God’s power is great, and His purpose is guaranteed, and His mercy is personal—what does that mean for us, right now, in our wrestling?

Well, that’s where we read these words… although we wrestle. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that our battle is deeper than flesh and blood. People are not the enemy—darkness is. Which means our weapons can’t just be flesh and blood either. We don’t fight with anger. We don’t fight with arguments. We don’t fight with fists…. Listen, church… our fighting must be on our knees. That’s what we do and I know that is hard for all of us…. Because we are people of action. Right? We want to do something. And Paul says we do—he says in Ephesians 6:13–17 that we suit up. We put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit. We get to stand firm in the armor of God. That’s action. But notice what comes next. Verse 18. After you put on the armor, what do you do? What the first word in verse 18? Pray….. That’s the fight. And listen—this goes against so much of our cultural Christianity. We think the armor makes us warriors so we can charge out swinging. But I don’t believe that’s what Paul is saying here. The armor doesn’t make us strong so we can fight people—it makes us strong enough to fall to our knees and wrestle in prayer. That’s how we fight the darkness. That’s how we push back against the enemy. That’s how the church wins—not in our own strength, but in surrender to God in prayer. And my favorite part is this… verse 19. Paul says, “Pray also for me.” Now listen—what does he ask prayer for? For his suffering to stop? No. For his chains to be broken? No. He says, “Pray for me, that words may be given to me when I open my mouth, so that I will boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel. His prayer was for others to pray for him, to be bold in the gospel…. Oh man church.. can you imagine a church that prays for one another? Not just, “Lord, keep them safe” or “Lord, make life easier,” but, “Lord, give them boldness. Lord, give them words. Lord, let them shine Christ in their homes, in their workplaces, in their neighborhoods.” Can you imagine a church where parents are praying boldness over their kids at school, where students are praying boldness for each other in their friend groups, where we’re praying boldness for one another in hospital rooms and at kitchen tables? That’s the kind of church that shakes a community. And I pray… that we, right here in Falcon, would be that kind of church. How amazing would it be if, in a town full of churches and denominations, people looked at us and said, “That’s the church that prays. That’s the church where bold prayers rise up. That’s the church that doesn’t just talk about Jesus—they call on Him with everything they’ve got.” Church, what if we were known, not for our programs, not for our building, not for our name—but for being a people of radical prayer? And prayer, not for prosperity, not for more blessings, but prayer that says: “Lord, restore what is broken for Your name’s sake.” Isn’t that the heart of Job? Lets go back to Job for a moment… When, You read the end of Job and you see restoration. His health restored, his family renewed, his possessions doubled. Some people look at that and say, “Well, that’s the point—trust God and you’ll get your stuff back.” But that’s not the point. That doesn’t erase Job’s pain. That doesn’t minimize ten graves in the ground. That doesn’t undo the scars. Restoration doesn’t mean the suffering never happened. Job’s story isn’t about getting even—it’s about God having the last word. And that’s what the Spirit is whispering to us today: suffering does not have the last word. Cancer doesn’t. Tragedy doesn’t. Violence doesn’t. School shootings don’t. Not even death itself has the last word. God has the last word. The cross doesn’t have the last word……resurrection does. And the beauty of the gospel is that for the people of God, suffering is never the end. God is the end. And He is always the last word. Which means our eternal response is not endless grief. Our eternal response is endless adoration. Forever, we will rejoice in Him. Forever, we will see Him face to face. Forever, every tear will be wiped away. The question is—do you know that for sure? Do you know that when this life is over, you will spend eternity with Him, free from sin, sorrow, sickness, pain, and suffering? The only way to know for sure is through the gospel—through trusting Christ who suffered in your place and rose again to give you life. But let’s be honest… until that day comes, we still feel the weight of life here. We still wrestle. We still get overwhelmed. That’s why I think of David’s song in Psalm 65 that we read earlier.

David said, “Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, You forgive them all.” Isn’t that what we need to hear today? Not that we won’t ever feel overwhelmed, but that in the middle of it, there is forgiveness. There is mercy. There is hope. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wrestled with life and felt overwhelmed. There’s another place in the book of Psalms that David tells of being overwhelmed…and it’s found in Psalm 94. David laments, “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 (ESV) ”The word “consolation” means “a person or thing providing comfort to a person who has suffered.” I think… back at Paul in Ephesians… he had comfort in asking for others to pray for him, and I believe in knowing that they would pray for him. As I wrestle with deep issues and carry feelings that threaten to overwhelm me, I’m learning something. Instead of always saying, “I am overwhelmed,” or, I am wresting… with this.. our that… I began to replace those words with a truer confession: “Father, I haven’t been letting Your comfort and Your presence lift this weight off my soul.” You see, Feeling deeply overwhelmed in life is a signal, It’s first a single for the need for prayer. Anxiety, overwhelmed situations… hurt, all of those feelings.. are a red flag for prayer. But it’s also a signal signal that we have been trying to carry them alone, and for many of us, one of our problems in life is that we’ve been carrying them for far too long. I’m learning to let my overwhelmed heart be a path toward confessing my lack of dependence on God. When my heart is overwhelmed and Im wrestling with life troubles and I witness my tears brimming to the edge from any small bump in my life, I’ve come to learn to run to the Lord and confess I have been carrying my burdens alone, just as we’re instructed in 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NIV).Pauls speaking of Jesus you know. Isn’t that what makes Christ even more breathtaking? David said, Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. In Christ Jesus we find forgiveness of our sins. And forgive s them all,. Did you look at what did David wrote next? 3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. "What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts.” What we find in our overwhelmed life, and as we wrestle in this world, we’re simply asked to turn our gaze upon Jesus, and it is there, we can find the joy James spoke of. IN the most darkness of valleys, and in our loneliness and wresting and the overwhelming of life, we learn that.. Jesus becomes the antidote to our isolation and struggles in this life. And Jesus desires to be near us. Emmanuel is more than a Christmas name that we celebrate, but a very present name in any troubles we face, even in the troubles we face today with the sudden passing of a dear friend. The name of Emmanual is a promise of nearness. As Jesus tells his disciples, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” God is with us always. There’s no expiration date on His presence in our lives. David would remind us in Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” ~Psalm 23:4

Have you ever taken time to think about the words to this verse? As I worship team comes up… I want you to think about these words. Although I walk through the Vally of the shadow of death…. The key word is through. That’s a promise. Just like when Jesus told His disciples, “Follow me, let’s get in the boat and go to the other side.” They didn’t know a storm was coming. They didn’t know the waves would crash over their heads. But Jesus had already promised the destination. And even when they wrestled in fear, He calmed the storm, He calmed their hearts, and He got them through to the other side.

I’ve been praying about this all week. Thinking about how precious life is while watching and reading all the headlines.. … And how life can be gone in an instant. Because of hate, or misunderstanding, or violence, or sickness, or simply the fragility of our days. One moment we’re planning tomorrow, and the next moment tomorrow is gone. That reality is sobering, but it’s also why Psalm 23 means so much. Because even though life is fragile, God’s presence is not. When David said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me,” he was reminding us that the safest place in all of life isn’t outside the valley—it’s beside the Shepherd. Think about it.. every time in this life, we get to the other side of the valley, its never how we got there, it was about the one were with and who we arrived with. So many times in my life I get into this valley and I try to arrive myself. I try to arrive ahead of God. I know short cuts, I know a better way, I know how to get…… there…. Wait…. Where’s my Shepard. The greatest advice I was given by a man I admire… a pastor who mentored me… his greatest advice to me as a young minister was this… Matthew, don’t get ahead of God, Don’t get behind God… but walk with him. Walk with him… because he’s a present God. He’s not a god that we have to only yearn and hope to see one day in the future, and he’s not a god we need to go back into our past to find him… He’s a God the walks with us. His name is Emmanuel… God with us. And as I thought about this, and all of the headlines this week and the tradegies, and hate and division… Sometimes the valley we walk down are the not the valley we would choose…….. Life is so precious. So fleeting.. but a vape in the wind. And I wish every time, in our valleys, in our wrestling and being overwhelmed by life, we can get to the other side unharmed. But sometimes life is taken. What if we walk this path expecting to make it through untouched and led by the Lord, But sometimes we don’t leave untouched. What if death comes for us? What if something that doesn’t play fair comes? What if hearts break? Sometimes the hope-for deliverance doesn’t arrive. What then? Does the Shepard still lead us through such valleys where death awaits us. I believe… he does. …..And I believe by faith, He leads us in the valley, & through. You see, when we face challenges that go against our desires, when the road bends where we never would have chosen, faith doesn’t deny the pain—it clings to the king. The Shepherd doesn’t promise us detours around the valley, He promises to walk with us through the valley.

How do I know this? Well, there’s a story in the book of Acts that reminds us. It’s the story of Stephen. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit… that means on this side of life he was being led by the Holy Spirit. Through a valley. And he begins to preach—and before long, he’s being stoned to death. Turn with me, real quick if you was to… But listen to Acts 7:55: “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Who was there? Even in death?…… the shepherd was there… . He was present. And… did you notice this….. sometimes we comb over it when we read it… He wasn’t sitting… what was he doing…….He was standing. The King of Glory—who the Scriptures tell us ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God—here, He stands. The only time we see this in Scripture. Why? Because one of His sheep was walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and the Shepherd stood to welcome him home. Church, don’t miss this: the same Shepherd who walks with you in your valleys here will be the same Shepherd who stands to welcome you there. The destination isn’t calm waters or peaceful fields. The destination isn’t avoiding valleys. The destination is Christ. Every valley you come through will teach you—it wasn’t about the valley, it wasn’t about how you got there—it was about who you were with. That’s why David could say with confidence, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Church, here’s the hope that anchors us today: we wrestle, yes. We feel overwhelmed, yes. But in every valley, in every storm, in every unanswered “why,” the Shepherd is with us. And when that final valley comes—the shadow of death itself—He will not only walk us through, He will stand to welcome us home. So let me ask you—do you know this Shepherd? Are you walking with Him, or are you still trying to carry the weight on your own? Because the cross is where the valley road begins. The empty tomb is what makes the other side certain. And His presence is what makes the journey bearable today. If you’ve been wrestling, come and wrestle with Him here at the altar. If you’ve been overwhelmed, bring your burdens and cast them on the One who cares for you. And if you’ve never trusted Him as your Shepherd, today is the day to follow His voice. Because presence matters most. And in the presence of Jesus, we find forgiveness, comfort, and victory. Victory in Jesus. And because He lives, we can face tomorrow, no matter how heavy today feels. Church, don’t forget the promise of Psalm 23: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That’s the Shepherd’s promise. That’s why we can sing with confidence: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. So, lets stand together, and as we sing, would you come? Would you kneel, would you stand in His presence, and let Him meet you here?*

Love Your Enemies

Father, Your Word says that in Your presence there is fullness of joy—joy forevermore. As I prepare to give Your word, I confess that my heart desires to find my joy and satisfaction in You alone. But sometimes I feel the weight of hurt, the sting of rejection, the struggle to forgive—and it reminds me that I am still alive and living in a fallen world. But Lord, it is here—in the ache of life—that Your call to love shines brightest. Not love that comes easily, not love that flatters me, but love that stretches me. Love that looks like Jesus. So as I open Your Word today, I ask: strip me of every distraction in my heart, mind, and soul. Silence in me the noise of pride or fear, and ready my heart—and our hearts—to hear You clearly. May this not be about my words, but about Your Word, alive and piercing, healing and freeing. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

The Most Radical Command I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 6, verse 27. Let me also welcome those joining us online—we're honored to gather with you to hear what one writer has called the most radical, most difficult command Jesus ever gave. Another said these words are the summit of Christian love—the highest peak of the mountain. And rightly so. Because in a perfect world, love would be easy and natural. In a perfect world, there would be no evil, hurt, or pain. But that's not the world we live in. C.S. Lewis once wrote in Mere Christianity: "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” Think for a moment how radical the idea of forgiveness really is. We live in a world that says "An eye for an eye." A world that celebrates getting even. A world where the person who hurt you first is supposed to pay. It's in our books, our movies—all around us we're taught to get what's yours. But then Jesus shows up and flips the script entirely. He tells us to love one another, and through this love, people will know we are His disciples. And I think about this, and I go... man, loving the people who have hurt me is so unnatural to me. It’s not in me. Maybe you feel that too. It’s easy to nod your head in church and say, “Amen, love your enemies.” But it gets a whole lot harder when the face of that person flashes in your memory—the words, the betrayal, the wound—and you feel it all over again. That’s where this gets radical. Real, Christ-like forgiveness is not some shallow idea—it’s one of the highest, hardest calls of the Christian life. It’s what I’d call the ascent of love. It’s love climbing higher than your wounds, higher than your bitterness, higher than that instinct to get even. And you might ask, “Okay, but what does that even look like?” Let me give you just one example…

The Text: Luke 6:27-31 "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don't ask for them back. Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.”

Let's unpack this. If you're taking notes, write this down: "Here's the call: Because you’ve been loved without conditions, you can now love without conditions. Jesus is saying love without holding back. Full love. No reserves. No condemnation. Not the kind of love where you smile on the outside but secretly resent on the inside. He's talking about a love that goes deeper than feelings, deeper than politeness—it's a love that pours out even when it costs us. Let's be honest—that kind of love requires something we don't have in ourselves. We don't naturally bless those who curse us. We don't naturally pray for those who mistreat us. Our natural response is to protect, fight back, defend ourselves. What Jesus is calling us to here is not just higher morality—it's a supernatural reality. It's the Spirit of God producing in us what we could never produce on our own.

What Jesus Is NOT Saying Before we dive deeper, I need to pause because I know some of you are thinking, "Wait a minute, Pastor. Are you telling me I'm supposed to be a doormat? Should I just let people walk all over me? That's a fair question, because Jesus's words could be easily misunderstood. Let me be clear about what Jesus is NOT calling us to: First, Jesus isn't saying we should never resist evil. If the devil is prowling around trying to destroy your life, your family, your faith - what do you do? Resist him! —Later in the Bible, James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” So Jesus is not saying, don’t resist evil. Second, Jesus isn't saying we should be okay with evil. Romans 12:9 says we should "abhor what is evil." That word means to hate it, to be disgusted by it. Third, Jesus isn't telling us to never confront people doing wrong. Jesus himself gave us a process in Matthew 18 for addressing sin. But remember—being confrontational isn't about proving you're right. It's about making a wrong heart right. It's not about winning an argument; it's about winning a brother or sister back into relationship through love. Fourth, Jesus isn't saying we should never separate from dangerous people. Sometimes love means creating distance. If someone is abusing you or your children, loving them doesn't mean staying in harm's way. Finally, Jesus obviously supports justice. When someone commits a crime, they should face consequences. So Jesus isn't asking us to be pushovers or enable evil or ignore injustice.

What Jesus IS Saying So what is Jesus saying? Look at the context. Jesus is talking about personal relationships. He's calling us to selflessly love the people who do evil to us personally. Look at the illustrations: If someone slaps your right cheek (Kid, mom rings? ) —likely a backhanded insult—instead of taking revenge, absorb it and turn the other cheek. If someone wants to unjustly sue you, don't take things from them—be generous. The picture in all these illustrations is selflessness. The only person who can react these ways is someone who has died to themselves. Think about how upside down this is. You mean give what I have to someone who hurt me? Release my grip on what I think I deserve, and instead pour out grace on the one who least deserves it? Yes. That's exactly what Jesus is saying. Because that's exactly what Jesus did, and continues to do for us. Listen, churhc, Love is easy when it costs us nothing. But when love requires us to lay down our rights, our pride, our need for payback—that's when it becomes truly Christlike. But how is that possible? In a world so different from what we've been taught our entire lives, how do we accomplish that? How can we be like that father in the video? Well, look at the five verbs Jesus says in our text…

The Five verbs: A Pathway to Supernatural Love 1. Listen (Verse 27a) "But I say to you who listen..." That sounds familiar, right? Last week we talked about the Shema: "Hear, O Israel." That word "hear" meant more than sound bouncing off your eardrums. It meant hearing in such a way that your whole life bends toward obedience. To hear is to do. To hear is to let the Word take root in your heart until it transforms you. To hear is to let the Word ignite a love for God so real, so consuming, that it spills into every part of your being. And when that love takes root, it doesn't stay contained. It overflows into your hands, your words, your relationships. It's not just love you feel toward God—it's love that reaches other people, even the ones who don't deserve it. This is what the glory of God is—His holiness put on display through His people. When you forgive instead of retaliate, when you bless instead of curse, when you love without conditions—that is God's glory being seen in you. That's exactly what Jesus prayed in John 17: "The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one.” The very first verb matters so much: Listen. Because if you don't hear His Word, you'll only hear your wounds. But when you hear His Word, it births worship, and worship births love.

2. Love Your Enemies (Verse 27b) "Love your enemies..." This is agape love—sacrificing love. Love that gives without expecting anything in return. But here's where Jesus meets us. Last week we talked about original sin—the bent of our desires toward disobedience. But before original sin, there was something even greater: original love. So, Don’t miss this: Before you ever fell, you were loved. Before you ever sinned, you were loved. Before you could perform, before you could impress, before you could even respond—you were loved. And think about this, we sometimes hurt others, or we get hurt and we go strait to the pain. The hurt. But what if we first, went strait to the source who loves us? I just think we try to forgive others, in our own love. In our own understanding. But that kind of love is always transactional. I’ll forgive if you change. I’ll love if you love me back. I’ll give if I get something in return. And that kind of love can never survive the weight of real pain. But what if, forginvness flowed from God first? This is the voice of God over you: "I loved you before you could love Me. I loved you before you were capable of receiving love from anyone else. You are not loved because you performed well. You are not loved because people approved of you. You are loved because you are Mine. Think about those words, you are mine. You are the Beloved of God. You belong to Him. He chose you. He set His affection on you. He is jealous for you. Last week we were in Deuteronomy and in chapter 6, if we would have went down a little further into verse 14 and 15, God tells them as they are about to enter into the promise land, “You shall not go after other gods…for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God.” He knows the heart can love anything else other than God. Jealousy is not a picture we usually associate with God. For that matter, jealousy is not an attribute we think about positively at all—and with good reason. In our lives, jealousy is most often wrong. It’s often driven by pride or covetousness or some kind of insecurity in us. But there is a good sort of jealousy that is driven by love, which is exactly what we see in God. God is not insecure. He knows He is infinitely good. He loves His people so much that He wants us to experience our greatest good. He knows that when we focus on gifts and wander after other gods, it will not be good for us. He wants to keep us from that. Remember, God’s covenant with His people is like a marriage relationship. I think about our marriage. I love my wife. I want good for her. She and I both know that God has designed our marriage for both of our good. Which means I am jealous for her affections. Even the thought of her giving her affections to another man is not good. That’s why anyone or anything that threatens to steal her affections from me as her husband will be met with the strongest of opposition. Is that clear? This is good. This is the way marriage is supposed to be. This is the way our relationship with God is supposed to be. He’s infinitely good. He’s infinitely loving. And He’s called us to experience that love in a relationship with Him, because it’s in that relationship that we will experience our greatest good. God has created us for a wholehearted love relationship with Him. Before the world rejected you, before people failed you, before wounds shaped you—God's jealous, pursuing, steadfast love had already claimed you. And that love is unshakable. Which means you don't have to spend your life begging from others what only God can give you. If I'm honest, this is where I see myself so clearly. I feel that need for affection, that pull for affirmation. And if I'm not careful, my life can start to orbit around those needs. Maybe you know what that feels like. You finally hear the words you longed for—and for a moment it feels like water to your soul. But then anxiety creeps in: Was it real? Will I hear it again? Again, I think about our marriage. My courtship with Alicia began with flutters in the stomach, the hunger to always be near her, the "I love yous" and "we complete each other" feelings. But over time, deeper needs for affirmation surfaced in our marriage. Different needs began to rise and we had no clue how to go deeper than, I love you… Over time, One says, "I don't feel seen." The other says, "You don't take us seriously enough." And suddenly, what was meant to bring life begins to feel like a weight no one can carry. Why? Because we start asking another person to do what only God can do. And so, in my own life… Beneath my longing for praise, I've recognized embed within me was rejection—that deep wound that whispers, "You're not enough. You're not really loved.” And listen, Whenever any of us try to live out of that wound, or any wound for that matter, we become needy. But here's the gospel: before rejection ever scarred me, before anyone ever failed me, God's love had already named me His. That's the first love. The original love. The love that says, "I loved you before you could love Me." And, This love is older than any sin. Before Genesis 3—before original sin—there was Genesis 1: "And God saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good." That’s the Original blessing. Thats the Original love. So, let me ask you… What’s the hurt you keep replaying in your head? Maybe betrayal that still blindsides you. Maybe words that cut so deep you can still hear them. Maybe rejection that makes you wonder if you'll ever be enough. But what if you stopped hitting "replay" on the pain and started rewinding further? Before the wound. Before the betrayal. Before the rejection. Go Back to the beginning. When God looked at creation and said, "It is good." When His first word over you wasn't guilty but good. Listne, churhc, When your heart is focused only on the wrongs done to you, bitterness feels justified. But when your heart shifts back to God's first love, you realize His love is greater than the hurt. You don't have to carry revenge. You can forgive. You can bless. You can even love an enemy. Not because it's natural, but because God's love is more real to you than anything else. So here is our lesson, You can't always control what happens to you. But you can choose to anchor your life in God's love before it happened to you. When we touch the first love, we touch that center of our being where we feel totally loved without condition. When we know the first love, we're free to love people without asking for anything in return. That's not what worldly love is about. Worldly love is transactional. But Jesus says, "Give without expecting anything in return." And here’s the thing: that kind of love never just stays hidden inside. It always moves. It always acts. It always leads us into doing.

3. Do Good to Those Who Hate You (Verse 27c) "Do what is good to those who hate you..." Do you see the progression? Listening roots us in God's love. That original love frees us to love without conditions. But love that never takes shape in action,…….. is incomplete. Jesus doesn't just say "Feel love toward your enemies." He says "Do good to them.” Feeling something and doing something go hand in hand. Its our love for Christ, through his original love, that drives us to do. Or you can get technical and say, it drives us to obey. When someone wounds you, the natural instinct is to pull back, to build walls, and sometimes ot run the other wya… But Jesus says the exact opposite: don't step back—step toward. Move toward them, with good. This is the heart of the gospel. Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." While we were enemies, Christ came near and went forward. He didn't wait for us to prove ourselves. He did the ultimate good—He gave His life for us. … Think about the cross. While enemies poured out judgment on Christ, Christ held fast to His first love. Soldiers mocked Him, leaders condemned Him, friends abandoned Him—yet His heart never wavered. He kept loving from the original love. Above all the wounds, on the cross of sacrifice, was Jesus loving the Father, and those who were wounding him. And Because His love for the Father never broke, His love for us never failed. That's why He could pray with nails through His hands, "Father, forgive them." The cross wasn't weakness—it was worship. The Son delighting in the Father's glory, even as He bore our sin. That's the love that now lives in us by the Spirit. A love rooted in God's glory that is stronger than hate, stronger than sin, stronger than death. So, Love without conditions doesn't stop with feelings. It acts. It moves. It gives. What does this look like? Well, Refusing to celebrate when the person who hurt you stumbles—and instead quietly asking, "How can I serve them?" Sending a text to check on someone who betrayed your trust. Helping a coworker who bad-mouthed you. Doing good doesn't mean erasing boundaries or excusing sin. It means refusing to let bitterness dictate your steps. You live in the economy of the kingdom—where mercy triumphs over judgment. And Every time you choose to do good to someone who hates you, you declare with your life that God is more satisfying than revenge, His glory sweeter than bitterness, and His Spirit stronger than your flesh. But Jesus doesn’t stop at what you do. He presses into what you say.. Look at verse 28…

4. Bless Those Who Curse You (Verse 28a) "Bless those who curse you..." This gets even closer to home. Most of us may never face someone trying to kill us—but we will face words. Words that cut. Words that curse. Words that stick to the soul. Jesus says: don't return curse for curse. Instead, bless. Speak life. Doing good touches our actions, but blessing touches our words. And words carry enormous power. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). When others weaponize words against you, you turn your words into instruments of grace. When others curse you, you speak blessing. When others cut you down, you build up. That's what Stephen did in Acts 7. As stones crashed against his body, his final words weren't curses but blessing: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 3:9: "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing." Blessing your enemies is not optional—it's your calling. And when you bless, you don't just release life into them—you step into the stream of blessing God is pouring out on you. Blessing instead of cursing is how heaven's vocabulary breaks into earth's conversations.

5. Pray for Those Who Mistreat You (Verse 28b) "Pray for those who mistreat you." Why end here? Because Jesus knows something about us. On our own, our actions will eventually run dry. How long can you love someone who consistently hurts you? How many times can you do good to someone who returns evil? We all have a breaking point. Our patience has limits. Our kindness has boundaries. Prayer is different from all the rest. Prayer for your enemies is one of the deepest forms of love, because it means you really want something good to happen to them. You might do nice things for enemies without genuine desire for their prosperity. You can fake actions. And words But prayer? That's in the presence of God who knows your heart. You cannot fake that before an all-knowing God. Prayer does two things: First, prayer takes the burden off your shoulders and puts it on God's. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." You don't have to play God. Second, prayer changes you. When you pray for your enemies, it's almost impossible to keep hating them. God softens the bitterness. Instead of being chained to revenge, you walk in freedom. Prayer isn’t meant to change your enemy, it’s meant to change you. Prayer pulls poison out of your heart. Prayer loosens hate's grip. Prayer opens the door for God's love to flow where your love has run out.

The Call to Supernatural Love Jesus isn't just giving us a list of nice religious verbs—listen, love, do, bless, pray. He's showing us what love without conditions actually looks like in real life. Listen—because if you don't hear His Word, you'll only hear your wounds. Love—because you can't pour out what you haven't first received from Him. Do—because love is more than feeling; it's a choice that moves toward the other. Bless—because love changes your words, even when they don't deserve it. Pray—because love will always run out in your strength, but never in His. Love without conditions means that even when evil comes, you answer with love. Not because it's natural—it's not. Not because it's easy—it won't be. But because you've been loved first. Loved with an original love, a love older than your wounds, stronger than your bitterness, deeper than your rejection. Here's the call: stop trying to manufacture it. Stop trying to prove you can do it. Instead, anchor your life in the God who is love. Because when His love fills you, it doesn't stop with you. It flows through you—to friends, to family, and yes, even to enemies. Church, this is the mark of true discipleship. To listen to His voice above the noise of our wounds. To love from the overflow of His first love. To do good where evil is expected. To bless when curses come. And to pray—not because we're strong enough, but because He is. This is the way of Jesus. This is the glory of God in us. Because you've been loved without conditions, you can now love without conditions.*

Desperation to Regeneration

Let’s open our bibles to John chapter 3. It’s good to be in the Lord’s house, to pray, to worship, to be with one another. Can I just say to everyone here… You’re beautiful, You’re amazing, and you are more like Jesus when you come to the Lord’s house to be with others seeking and worshiping the Lord. It’s an amazing privilege to shepherd you, to teach you, to lead you, top pray for you and to love on you.

This week has been a hard week for me. On Tuesday I was handed some things to spiritually struggle with that I had not planned on dealing with. It was hard to write a sermon when your heart is hurting and something you thought you’ve given to God is trying to linger on. On Wednesday I came over to the church to work and during my morning devotional time, I was currently reading the book of Romans, and it just so happen to be the chapter 12 that Paul says in verse 19, Dear friends, never take revenge.

Leave that to the righteous anger of God for the Scripture say, I will take revenge; I will pay them back, says the Lord, The Lord reminded me of two things, If we harbor bitterness in our live’s, we cant expect joy to find a place to dock. Harmony can’t be lived out unless we let the Holy Spirit disarm us. If we want peace and joy, in our life, we must give what we have, within us that causes bitterness and wrath, and we must give it to the Lord, and in turn he gives us in return His peace, and His joy.

Thursday comes around and I am here again praying for the Lords direction for the message and I am struggling. My soul is crying out to God asking Him to heal the wound i had. Then My wife, who has been amazingly growing the last few months in Christ. She can just sense I am hurting and she sends me a text that says, If we dwell excessively in the past and continue to dwell about our past mistakes and our past failings, it will neutralize the ability to change and improve our lives.

How true is that statement. My wife knew I was conflicted, she knew my heart was hurting. So I fell to the altar once again on Thursday morning and All I will say is, what the enemy’s aim to destroy, hurt and divide, God has given peace, joy and a deeper longing for Him. I can testify before you today, there is healing at the foot of the cross. Later that morning as I was preparing for the district family camp meeting a man came into the church, looked me in the eyes and said, Pastor I want to be baptized.

There is no way I could have baptized that man with a heart of bitterness. I hope you’re seeing how God works with grace. God’s Holy Spirit was bringing grace into my life, he was bringing grace into my wife’s life, and he was bringing grace into that mans life. And at the crossroads where all three of our lives intersects, we always find abundant openings of grace to share with one another.

I told him, let me prepare my heart, i went and got some water and I baptized him right over there. We did my favorite thing to do.. we hugged and embraced and praise God for his amazing grace. I believe he walked out of here, recommitted to the Lord, and set a part for service. God will use that man for great and mighty things. After everything was said and done, this is what the Lord laid on my heart, We desperately need the Holy Spirit to open the gospel in our lives.

The gospel. Last week we looked at how we are to be desperate for the Presence of God in our life. That we should never move forward without God presence and without this hunger for His presence. This week what we need is the work of the Holy Spirit to open the gospel into our lives. What does it mean to have the gospel opened in our lives? Well, in theological terms that means we are regenerated.

Now, typically we speak of justifications at the same time. But for time sake, I want to just bring to the table this word regeneration. What is it and how it affects our lives. And I want to ask the question that burns in my heart everyday, Are you born again? Let’s start here. Let’s stand together as we read John chapter 3. Find with me verses 5-8 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ I think this is one of the most stout and bold statements in the gospels.

Again, another one is when Luke tells us that JEsus tells people either to repent or perish. There is no grey area. There is no middle ground. You are either in or not. Make a decision today and walk in it. One of the greatest hindrances in walking in the Spirit of God is being lukewarm and indecisive in our walk. But one of the most stout and heavy statements made by Jesus was, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

So that brings out this very importance question. Can anyone believe in Jesus, trust in Jesus and not be born again. And the answer to that is yes. How do we know this? we know this because we can look at what Jesus teaches us from the previous chapter. Looks back with me at the end of chapter 2. JEsus teaches us this in John chapter 2, right before he talks to Nicodemus..

Jesus tells the crowd and us, 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. Jesus knew their hearts. The people saw, the people believed. The people wanted. The people asked. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them. Can we just take a moment to let that verse settle into our hearts this morning.

They believed and trusted but Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them. Lord, I pray you find hearts here this morning that are trustworthy of your holy precious presence. Amen So, how are we born again? How does this process begin that we call regeneration? Well, it begins by grace. We have a term called, prevenient Grace. It means God was working in our life before we even knew GOd.

You and I didn’t just wake up one day and say, ya know, Having me some God sounds like a good plan. Before salvation we don’t know God. The Holy Spirit is working in our lives to help reveal HIm to us. THat’s a part of this regeneration. When we are born again, God reveals our need. I need a lot of things. I want a lot of things too. But there is a difference between what I need and what i want.

A need is something necessary to live and function. A want is something that can improve our quality of life. So many people live this life with the title of christian but living with Jesus as a want rather than a need. I want something to improve the quality my life here on earth. I want a faith where I can morally live in sin and live according to my own desires, and in the end believe that I have eternity with Jesus waiting for me.

Church, that is one of the biggest lies that has not only infiltrated the church, but has also invaded our culture. That we can live the same way we lived before we came to Jesus. That there is no difference between Matthew before salvation and Matthew after salvation. God reveals our need. And He reveals our need and opens our eyes to the truth of the gospel. When we are born again, God doesn’t reveal to us a way to improve the quality of our life, but he reveals to us a salvation that is necessary to live and function.

Just like the air I breathe, it’s a necessity to have to live and function. When the Spirit begins this regeneration process, he’s opening our eyes to our need. What you’ve got in John 3 is Nicodemus, Nicodemus a Pharisee, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council was a respected man. He was devout in his life. He spent his entire life learning how to enter the kingdom of God.

He spent his entire life teaching others what commands to obey, what actions to take to enter the kingdom of heaven. And now, Jesus is there before him telling him that everything he has worked for, for his entire life was meaningless. Can you imagine living your entire life in pursuit of God and then having God tell you, that all of your work was meaningless. That all of our religion in the end is really meaningless.

It is just a huge coverup to the fact that we are truly isolated from God? And so, Jesus says. You must be born again. What Jesus is doing is he’s helping this learned man, this man of the word of GOd who knows the word, to open his eyes and to reveal to him the greatest need. And His greatest need was not the law, but a new birth to know GOd.

His greatest need was a relationship. To be regenerated and to be born again,this new birth was necessary to know God. No person in this room chooses to be born. It’s absolutely impossible to give birth to yourself, right. No one, in the history of time, has ever been in a place where they had the ability to look down at this big blue marble and go, I guess I don’t have anything else better to do.

I guess I’ll just enter earth now. That looks like an amazing place to live out my life. War, famine, animosity, separated from God. Sign me up for some of that… YOLO……….. nobody does do that! Why? Because there is nothing good in us and without God it’s impossible. what is needed? We need to see a biblical snapshot of our life to see we desperately need Jesus. So the Holy Spirit has already been working to accomplish this in all of our lives.

Remember, prevenient Grace. God is working in you before you even know, he’s working to reveal to you and me our sinful state, a need for a savior and a call into holiness. But before holiness, we’ve got to witness this great need. The word of God coupled with the work of the Spirit begins revealing to us that were in desperate need of a savior. We’re morally evil. I know for most of us, we’re willing to be called sinful.

But Matthew, Man.. you’re saying I am morally evil? Yes. Genesis 8:21 says, “...Every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” We are spiritually sick. At the core of who we are is a eternal disease that reaches far deeper than any cancer or disease known to man. We’re reminded in Matthew 9:12 - 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Thirdly we are slaves to our sin. John 8:34, everyone who sins, Jesus says, is a slave to sin. Have you sinned? Then your a slave to sin. Romans 6:16 and 20 talk about how we are slaves to the sinful nature, gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. We’re blinded by the truth. I Corinthians 2:14 says, that we cannot understand the things of God, because they are foolish to us.

We are lovers of darkness. Ephesians 5:8 says, you were once darkness. John 3:20 reminds us everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the lighter for fear that his deeds will be exposed. Morally evil, spiritually sick, slaves to sin, we are blinded to truth, lovers of darkness, and all of those pool together to say this huge statement… we are all spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1 states, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.

SO let me ask, if this is true… help me here…. If this is true…. That since birth you and I had every inclination to walk away from God, to be morally evil, to be blinded by truth and to be lovers of darkness. How can we ever choose good? We can’t and it seems impossible now, right? We’ve got to understand that without God we would never make any good decisions.

It doesn’t matter who you are. A spiritually dead person is dead. And a life a part from is dead. And this new birth is impossible without God. Sop, pastor.. whAt do I need to do to not be like those people that Jesus wouldn’t give his presence to? Well, that’s a very important question. The answer is this, if I am morally evil, blinded by truth, a lover of darkness, and so forth, I realize and I am lead by the Holy Spirit to realize that I must be absolutely surrender and dependent upon the Spirit of GOd.

That’s the second part. He not only opens my eyes to a need, but in regeneration the Holy Spirit begins to change my heart. Listen to this beautiful Scripture in Titus 3:3-7: At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. What happened? Transformation! When we are born again, when we come alive in Christ. The Spirit changes our heart. Let me use say what this is not, this is not.

Well, I guess i need to come to church. Not because I want to worship but because I made a public confession that I need Jesus and i don’t want people to think Im not christian. or I don’t really want to pray and ask God to forgive me of my sins. Salvation is not those things. Salvation is a change of heart. It’s not where we, begrudgingly, let go of the things of the world, so we can hang onto Christ.

It’s where we see the Spirit of God open our eyes to see this stuff does not compare to the treasure we have in Christ, and we cling to Christ because we want Him. Christ becomes all we desire. That is what Ezekiel says in 36:24-27 “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” What happened?

He changes our hearts. He cleanses us. He makes us clean. That’s what the SPirit does. He cleanses us by the work of Christ on the cross through His word. Not by our work, not by us deciding one day that my mam-maw and pap-paw was Christian so I will be to. It’s not like when I was in high school and they asked if we wanted to be voters. So I looked to see what my family was, and I said, I want to be in that group.

We are washed in the word.. And this is my favorite part… he reveals to us our need, he changes our heart and then the Holy Spirit indwells within us. I love knowing that the SPirit of GOd is within me. Becuse here is why. I want Christ. I need Christ. Because my eyes have been opened that apart form him i am sinful. Apart from Him I will walk in darkness, and love my darkness and spend eternity in darkenss if I do not have the very living presence of GOd within me.

So the Spirit opens our eyes, he opens our hearts, he find a home there and then he enables our belief. He helps us believe. When I begin to not believe in what the word says, that’s a sign that I am wavering in my faith. And I go tot he Lord in prayer. Oh Lord, help my unbelief. Mark 9:23-34 Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” He helps me believe but he also helps me turn from sin.

The Spirit enables us to turn from sin; to turn from the darkness that we live in; to turn from sin and to trust in Christ. Turn and trust—that’s the picture in Acts 2. Repent and be baptized. Repent—be baptized. Repent. Turn to God, so your sins may be wiped out. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. All throughout the book of Acts, what you see is turn and trust, turn and trust.

The Spirit in regeneration enables us to turn from sin and trust in Christ. Just Monday, alicia and I went to cracker barrel for our weekly parsonage secretary meeting. As we sat, i sat on the side that was facing these four lovely ladies who were dressed very beautiful, but they were dressed a little more provocative than I would have been comfortable with seeing while eating my morning grits. My mind was talking me places i did not want it to go…

so I asked Alicia. Would you mind switching me seats? She looked at me like I was weird, and she said, I guess so. I didn’t want to be a slave to my old sin. I know what I was like in college. I know what I have struggled with my entire life. I don’t want to be that way anymore, I want to look upon my wife and see her beautiful face and have her know she has my faithfulness in body and mind.

It’s the same way with Jesus, are we faithful to him with body and mind soul and Spirit? He helps my belief, he helps me turn from sin, and the Spirit transforms our life, not just for us, but greater for us. He transforms us for the eternal good. He transforms us for the Fathers eternal glory. Our walk in Christ ultimately is not for us. That is where we get it wrong.

Our walk with Christ is to bring glory to the son, who in turn brings glory to the father. Listen to what happens before Ezekiel’s transformation. Listen to what He says in Ezekiel 36:22-23, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things...”’ ‘“...but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.

I will show the holiness of my great name...Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.”’ it’s absolutly selfish of us to say that Jesus died for me and just leave it there. It’s absolutly selfish of us to say that eternity is for my goodness and for my good behavior and it is my reward for all of these things I’ve done on earth.

And a heart that thinks otherwise is a heart that only came to Christ to save it;’ skin and not to be kin with the great I am. God is making a great name for himself, and what he does is he turns us from sin, enables us to trust in Christ for our good and for his a glory. All of this is to lead us to this one question this morning.

Have you been born again? I want to ask you, have you witnessed these things I have mentioned in your life? I’m not asking if you sit in a seat, or you attend the activities. Has the Spirit of God opened your eyes to see the depth of your sinfulness and your need for Him? Has he changed your heart? Not if you have found a list of things that somebody has told you to do in order to earn salvation.

“Say these words.” “Pray this way.” Has your heart been changed by the Spirit of God? Has He cleansed your heart from sin? Has He put His Spirit in you and begun the process of transformation? I’m not saying that everything is transformed and perfect in our lives— we’re going to talk about that Next week I beleive at this time were going to talk about perfections and sancfitification—but has He begun this process of transformation as you turn to Him, as you turn from sin and trust in Christ?

You and I will never understand holiness if we’ve never explreindfed salvation and regeneration. So I urge you, if there is doubt, If your heart is saying, I need to be born again. NOt just with words, but with the Spirit of GOd within me. I want to invite you to come forward. I just want to say this… even the desire to want to come forward is the SPirit working within you.

Have you been born again. Will you now turn the desperation in your life, over to the Holyn Spirit let the power of regernation take over. For the glory of the Son, Father and Holy Spirit. *

Six-Seven and the Soul's Deepest Longing

Alright, who can teach me how to do the six-seven thing? Seriously, I need a volunteer. Come up here. Okay okay, I think I got it. SIX... SEVEN! Here's my question: Why is this so addictive? Like, it means NOTHING, right? There's no definition. It's literally just two numbers. But you can't stop saying it! Show of hands - how many of you have said "six-seven" at least once TODAY? That's what I thought. It's everywhere. Now, I could stand up here and be the old youth pastor who's like, "This generation and their brain rot!" But I'm not gonna do that. Because I think six-seven is actually revealing something really important about how God made you. And if you'll hang with me for about 20 minutes, I think you're gonna see yourself - and God - in a completely different way. And honestly, you might never look at six-seven the same way again.

YOUR SOUL IS SPEAKING (Even When You're Just Being Silly) Here's what's happening when you say six-seven: You're experiencing belonging. For like 3 seconds, you and your friend are on the same wavelength. You're in on something together. You're not alone. And it feels GOOD. That's not an accident. God designed you that way. Look at Genesis 2:18 with me - "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone.'" Even in Paradise - PERFECT garden, perfect relationship with God - God said, "It's not good for humans to be alone."You were made for CONNECTION. You were made for COMMUNITY. So when you shout "six-seven" and your friend shouts it back, your soul is going, "YES! This is what I was made for! Shared experience! Belonging! Joy with others!" That desire, is all a[art of being made in his image… He put it there, within you.… There's nothing wrong with wanting to belong. But here's what I want you to think about: If a meaningless meme can make you feel that good, what are you missing when you don't have the REAL thing? It's like... imagine you've been eating cafeteria pizza your whole life. And it's fine. You're like, "Yeah, pizza's pretty good." But then someone takes you to actual Italy and you have real Neapolitan pizza from a wood-fired oven, and you're like, "OH. THAT'S what pizza is supposed to be. Everything else was just cardboard with cheese." Six-seven is cafeteria pizza. God is offering you Italy. That's not a knock on six-seven - have fun with it! But don't stop there. Don't settle for crumbs when God's offering you the feast.

THE BIBLE ACTUALLY USES THESE NUMBERS (No, Really) Okay, this is where it gets crazy. Open your Bibles - or your phone, whatever - to Genesis 1. I'm gonna show you something wild. Question: What day was humanity created? Day SIX. Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Question: What day did God rest? Day SEVEN. Genesis 2:2-3 - "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy." So when you say "six-seven," you're literally acting out the story of the Bible without even knowing it! Let me break this down: SIX = Humanity (That's You) You're made in God's image - you're glorious, you're loved, you matter. But you're also incomplete. Day Six humanity was made FOR Day Seven - for rest, for completion, for wholeness, for God Himself. Think about it: God didn't create humans and then say, "Okay, we're done!" He created humans on Day Six, and then there was STILL one more day - the day of rest, the day of perfection. We were always meant to move toward Seven. SEVEN = God's Perfection Seven represents completion. Rest. Wholeness. Sabbath. Everything your soul is aching for. In the Bible, seven shows up EVERYWHERE as the number of completeness: 7 days of creation 7 churches in Revelation Forgive 70 times 7 Jesus spoke 7 times from the cross Seven is perfection. Seven is "it is finished." Seven is REST.

The Problem: We're Stuck at Six Here's the issue: After Day Six came... what? The Fall. Genesis 3. Sin. Rebellion. Separation from God. Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Fall short. You're stuck at six. You're reaching for seven - for completeness, for rest, for "I'm finally enough" - but you keep falling short. You can't make yourself a seven. You can't complete yourself. You can't save yourself. You're Day Six people living in a Day Six world, and you're EXHAUSTED. So what do you do? You grab for mini-sevens. Little moments of completion: Six-seven with your friends A good grade Someone liking your post Making the team Being included in the group chat Being in on the joke And for a second, it feels like, "Ahh, I'm complete. I belong. I'm enough." But then it fades. The high wears off. And you're back at six. Incomplete. Reaching. Hungry for more. Here's the question that changes everything: What if there was a way to ACTUALLY get to seven? Not fake seven. Not temporary seven. Not "lasts for 3 seconds" seven. REAL seven. PERMANENT seven.

The Hand Motion Is Actually The Gospel

Okay, everybody stand up. I'm serious - stand up right now. Do the six-seven hand motion with me. Look at what you're doing! One hand goes DOWN... the other goes UP... DOWN... UP... Do you see it? This is literally the gospel. This is the story of Jesus. And you've been acting it out this whole time! Let me show you what I mean. The Great Exchange 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Watch this: LEFT HAND DOWN = Jesus came DOWN He left heaven Philippians 2 says He "made himself nothing" and "humbled himself" He came down from glory to earth Born in a manger Lived as one of us Went all the way down to death on a cross RIGHT HAND UP = We go UP We're raised with Christ Lifted up from death to life Seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) Made righteous Made complete But watch - it's ALSO the reverse! RIGHT HAND DOWN = His righteousness came DOWN to us His perfection His "it is finished" His completion His Seven - given to US LEFT HAND UP = Our sin went UP onto the cross Jesus took it all Our shame, our incompleteness, our death Our six - He carried it It's an exchange! Up and down, down and up - that's what happened at the cross! That's the gospel! Jesus's Whole Story in Your Hands Think about Jesus's entire journey with this motion: DOWN (one hand): Born in a manger - DOWN "He humbled himself" - DOWN Death on a cross - all the way DOWN "He descended into the lower parts of the earth" (Ephesians 4:9) - DOWN UP (other hand): Third day - Resurrection! - UP Ascension to heaven - UP "God exalted him to the highest place" (Philippians 2:9) - UP And because He went UP, we go UP with Him! The Gospel Rhythm When you do this motion, you're showing the gospel rhythm: DOWN in incarnation and death, UP in resurrection and glory. DOWN with our sin, UP with His righteousness. This is what gets me so excited: God took a meaningless meme and hid the gospel inside it! You've been rehearsing the story of Jesus every time you did this hand motion!

The Six-Seven Gospel Remix

So here's what I want you to do this week - and this is gonna change six-seven forever for you: When someone says "six-seven" and does the hand motion, I want YOU to see it differently now. Option 1: Jesus's Journey ONE HAND DOWN = "Christ came down" OTHER HAND UP = "I go up" Option 2: The Great Exchange ONE HAND UP = "My sin goes up to the cross" OTHER HAND DOWN = "His righteousness comes down to me" Option 3: The Numbers + The Motion SIX (one hand down) = My incompleteness going to Jesus SEVEN (other hand up) = His completion coming to me You get to choose! They all work. They're all the gospel. They're all TRUE. Your Secret Worship From now on, every time you do that motion, whisper under your breath (or just think it): "Down and up" (Jesus's journey) "He came down, I go up" "My sin up, His grace down" "Six to seven, incomplete to complete" Here's what's amazing: Your friends are gonna keep saying six-seven probably every single day. And every single time, YOU get to be reminded of the cross. Of the exchange. Of Jesus. They think they're just doing a meme. YOU know you're rehearsing the gospel. You're taking something meaningless and letting God make it meaningful. You're redeeming the culture around you. You're hiding Scripture in your heart through a hand motion. That's GENIUS. And it's so simple you'll actually do it.

Jesus Is The Bridge From Six To Seven

Let me bring this home. You are Day Six humanity. Glorious, yes. Made in God's image, yes. But incomplete. And you FEEL that incompleteness every day, don't you? You feel it when you're scrolling at night wondering why you're not satisfied. You feel it when the laughter stops and you're alone with your thoughts. You feel it when you got everything you wanted and it still wasn't enough. You're six, reaching for seven. And you can't get there on your own. But Jesus can. Jesus is Day Seven. He's PERFECT. Complete. Fully God, fully human, zero sin. And here's what He did: On the cross, Jesus became Day Six. He took YOUR incompleteness. YOUR sin. YOUR death. YOUR six. He became what you are so you could become what He is. When Jesus died, what did He say? John 19:30 - "It is finished." Not "almost finished." Not "you finish the rest." Not "try harder and maybe you'll get there." FINISHED. Done. Complete. SEVEN. And then what happened three days later? Resurrection. He went DOWN into death, and God raised Him UP to life. New creation. Victory over death. The ultimate Sabbath rest. So now, if you're in Christ, you're not stuck at six anymore. You don't have to keep reaching and reaching and reaching for completion. You ARE complete in Him. Colossians 2:10 - "And you have been filled in him." Not filling. Not almost filled. FILLED. Complete. Seven. Done. The Invitation Maybe you're sitting here and you've never given your life to Jesus. You've been living at six, grabbing for mini-sevens, and you're exhausted. Jesus is saying: "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). REST. That's seven. That's completion. That's what your soul has been aching for. You don't have to earn it. You can't earn it. It's a GIFT. Jesus did the work. He went down so you could go up. He became six so you could become seven. All you have to do is receive it. Trust Him. Say, "Jesus, I need you. I can't complete myself. Be my Seven." If that's you tonight, come talk to me or one of our leaders after. Don't leave here still trying to save yourself.

The Challenge

Alright, let's make this practical. Here's your challenge for this week: The Six-Seven Challenge: Every time someone says "six-seven" this week, let the hand motion remind you of Jesus. Do your secret worship. Whisper your truth. Count it. See how many times you get to think about the gospel because of a meme. I bet it's like 50 times. That's 50 mini-worship moments! Share it. If someone asks why you're smiling when you do the hand motion, or why you're still doing it after everyone else stops, tell them: "It just reminds me of Jesus - how He came down to lift us up." You don't have to preach. You don't have to make it weird. Just answer honestly when they ask. Go deeper. When you feel that emptiness after the laugh fades, ask yourself: "What am I really hungry for? Am I settling for six when Jesus is offering seven?" Bonus Challenge: Post a video or story doing the six-seven motion with a caption like: "When you realize six-seven is actually the gospel 🤯" "Down and up = the whole story" "Jesus came down so I could go up ✝️" See if anyone asks what you mean. You might get to share Jesus through a meme. How cool is that?

CLOSING Look, six-seven is gonna die out eventually. Maybe in 3 months, maybe in a year. Some new trend will replace it. That's how this works. But Jesus? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Trends will come and go. The memes will change. But the God who made you, who loves you, who DIED for you so you could be complete in Him - He's not going anywhere. So yeah, say six-seven. Have fun with your friends. Enjoy the silly moment of belonging. God's not mad about that! He MADE you for joy and connection! But don't stop there. Don't settle for the cafeteria pizza version of life. Jesus is offering you the real thing. He's offering you HIMSELF. And I promise you - HE is better than anything this world, or TikTok, or any trend could ever give you. He's your Seven. He's your completion. He's your rest. And the next time you do that hand motion, you're gonna remember: Down and up. That's my Jesus. That's my Savior. That's my story. Let's pray.

CLOSING PRAYER "God, thank You for making us for belonging. Thank You that even silly trends show us You put eternity in our hearts. Thank You for not being annoyed with us, but for meeting us where we are - even in a meme. Thank You for Jesus, who came down so we could go up. Thank You for the great exchange - our sin for His righteousness, our death for His life, our six for His seven. Help us this week not to settle for fake sevens when You're offering us the real thing. Every time we see or hear six-seven, remind us of the gospel. Let it become worship. And for anyone here who's never trusted You, who's still trying to complete themselves, give them the courage tonight to say, 'Jesus, be my Seven.' We love You. In Jesus's name, Amen." *

Contrite Heart

Three Faithful Wounds Philippians 1:27-30 I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me, to Philippians chapter 1, verse 27. And I need to tell you something from the start: There's a part of me that doesn't want to preach this message. Because I don't want suffering to be part of your life, and I don't want it to be part of mine. But it is. There are people in this room right now who have suffered in ways I cannot imagine.

Some of you are walking through painful circumstances right now—in your body, in your family, in your marriage, in your mind. And I'm with you. That's why I needed this word this week. But there are also others of you—things are going well right now. And I thank God for that. But if life is good right now, hide this word in your heart today. Store it up. Because you're going to need it.

So let's hear straight from God's Word. Philippians 1:27-30. Now let me just stop right there. Paul is writing this from prison. He's in chains. And he says: It has been GRANTED to you—that word means grace—it has been graciously GIVEN to you not only to believe in Christ, but to suffer for Him. Suffering is a gift. Most of us don't want to hear that. We want Jesus plus comfort.

Jesus plus health. Jesus plus everything going according to our plan. But the Bible doesn't say that. Look with me to John 16:33. Jesus says: "In this world you WILL have tribulation." That's a promise. And we usually like to claim promises from Jesus. This is not one we often claim. And yet—somehow—Jesus ends that same verse with "But take heart, I have overcome the world." So the question is: how do we take heart when the world hurts us?

How do we see suffering not just as something to survive, but something God can actually use to shape us? And so I love to go back to old writings of simple ordinary people who lived like that. And,…. I found a woman who had a unique story about suffering. Her name was Julian of Norwich. Before Martin Luther's infamous moment in church history when he nailed the 95 theses to the door of a Catholic Church—200 years before that—there lived this woman.

While she was praying one day—and of course during this time the Catholic Church had all these things you had to do for prayer—the Lord appeared to her and said, "You don't have to have all this stuff to pray. All God wants and expects is that you should believe in Him and love Him with all of your heart.” So 200 years before Martin Luther would challenge the church on justification by faith, Lady Julian would write: If you love God with all of your heart and believe in His son, you will be all right.

She realized way before Martin Luther that we are saved by faith, not by our works. But, One day she became very sick and she laid on her death bed. She thought this was the end, and people began to gather because they thought she was going to die. So of course they began to do all the ritual things they did back then. Anointed her with oil, sprinkled water on her, all sorts of things the Catholic Church believed needed to happen on the death bed.

Her feet began to get cold and dead. It moved up from her feet to her waist. She was dying, and at this moment everything from her waist down was dead. So she began to cry out to God: "Lord, Lord, I am only 30 years old. I would hate to die and leave my work. Now, it's perfectly alright if you want me to die. I'll die, but think about it a little and see whether it wouldn't be a good idea if I lived, for I am still young.

I've got a long time on earth in the natural course of things, and if I die, I won't do much good. So, Father, just give me some attention.” She continued to die. But after her prayer, she was dying now from her head down. She writes: "My head began to die and I went blind. There was total darkness, and it began to settle down towards my heart, and I felt myself going.

Just when I was about to breathe my last breath, suddenly and instantaneously I was perfectly well. I know God did it, and it wasn't nature, but grace, because it came so suddenly and I was dying and I knew it.” Now, obviously I do not claim to know all that God does and I never will. But in my heart I believe that as death began to overtake her legs and brought darkness to her mind, and once death reached her heart, death was met with a heart burning brightly with affection for Christ, and it was so stoked by the coals of adoration that if Death was going to take her, it was going to take her with a heart burning for affectionate worship towards God.

As Paul puts it, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” I believe that… I believe that if she was going to die in that moment, it would have been gain for her… And perhaps—I don't know but… I imagine—at that last moment, death looked to the throne of grace. Yes, even death has a master named Jesus. And death said, "Lord, are you sure? There's much work to be done for the kingdom.

Lord, you don't find many hearts like this. Hearts with a burning desire to grow the kingdom. And for whatever reason, God spared her. I don't know why God spared her. I do not know why God spares some who cry out for mercy and not others. I can only imagine He does what He does because of grace. He knows more than I know. But her heart was not only burning with affection—that affection was leading her heart to be a faithful servant.

So why do I share her story? I share this story because I want to share her prayer. She prayed: "I want thee to wound me with the wound of contrition, and then I want thee to wound me with the wound of compassion, and then I want thee to wound me with the wound of very longing after God.” And God did. She lived a very long life, and people came from the north to the south and the east to the west, and they found a lady of compassion and a woman pursuing and longing for God.

Now, when I first read that prayer, I thought: That's crazy. Who prays for pain? But then I realized—she wasn't asking for suffering for suffering's sake. She was asking for wounds that would help her delight in God more. Remember what we talked about in week one? God's glory and our joy aren't competing. They collide. They become one when Christ becomes our greatest treasure. And I asked, what treasure in this life are you more prone to cling to that would be greater than a death, that leads to being in Jeuss’s presence?

Where death is a gain… So she's praying: Lord, Wound me with contrition so that…. I’ll treasure Jesus more than my sin. Wound me with compassion so I'll love people the way Jesus does. Wound me with longing so deep that only God can fill it. And I think…. She must have understood something we're still learning: that… Sometimes the very wounds that break us open are the ones that make room for deeper joy in Jesus.

Now, I could preach for hours on all three of these… so for your sake, and your sanity, for this week, I want us to just focus on one of these, so, lets look at this first part of her payer… the prayer for a contrite heart. Point One: The Wound of Contrition Julian prayed: "Wound me with the wound of contrition." And when I first read that, I thought she was crazy.

Who prays to be wounded? Who asks God to break their heart? But then I realized something. She understood what we often miss. Contrition isn't just feeling bad about sin. It's being crushed by the weight of it. Crushed enough to finally stop making excuses and come back to God. And there's a man in Scripture who knew exactly what that felt like. Turn with me to Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is one of the few psalms where we know exactly when it was written.

The heading tells us: "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba." So we know the story. We know what happened. Let me read it to you from 2 Samuel 11: "It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.

And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, 'Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her... Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, 'I am pregnant.'" So David panicked. He tried to cover it up. He brought Bathsheba's husband Uriah home from battle, hoping Uriah would sleep with his wife and think the baby was his.

But Uriah was too noble. Too honorable. He wouldn't go home to his wife while his men were still out fighting. So David did something even worse. He arranged to have Uriah killed. Sent him to the front lines. Made sure he'd die. Then David quickly married Bathsheba to cover the whole thing up. And here's how the Bible describes it—in one of the most understated sentences you'll ever read: "The thing that David had done displeased the Lord." Displeased.

That's putting it mildly. Could you imagine in your sin, you heard the Lord say, I am displeased… with what you’ve done. How different would we live if, every time we gossiped, lied, or spoke behind someone’s back, we felt that conviction? If we heard that voice? And that voice led us imedadtily to repentance? But here’s the thing — we can. That’s what the Holy Spirit does. Jesus said in John 16:8, “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” The Spirit takes what is displeasing to God and makes it heavy on our hearts — not to crush us, but to call us home.

But the question is… is your love for God, at a place that when you hear that conviction, it leads you towards change? But just like how Jesus promises the holy Spirit, to convict us, God sent the prophet Nathan to David with a parable that entices David to pronounce his own condemnation. Nathan told him a story—about a rich man who stole a poor man's only lamb. And David got furious.

He said, "That man deserves to die!" And Nathan looked at him and said, "You are the man!" Then Nathan asked, "Why have you despised the word of the Lord?" David broke. Right there. He confessed: "I have sinned against the Lord." And then Nathan said something astonishing: "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die." Now stop right there.

What? This… infuriates me… when I read this book, and I see Uriah is dead. Bathsheba was raped. The baby is going to die. And Nathan says, "The Lord has put away your sin." Just like that? David committed adultery. He ordered a murder. He lied to cover it all up. He "despised the word of the Lord." He "scorned God." And the Lord just... "put away his sin"? What kind of a righteous judge is God?

You don't just pass over rape and murder and lying. Righteous judges don't do that. I remember this week, I was sharing the gospel with some guys. And nothing I said could persuade them that a murderer, or a child molester could be forgiven. Remember just a few weeks ago, I showed you a man that forgave a murderer for taking the life of his daughter? I struggled with that too.

Like, God, thats not right.. And you know what? I resonate with those guys’s skepticism. I really do. I would be outraged at God's behavior here—except for one thing. The apostle Paul shared my outrage. And he explained how God could be both righteous AND the one who justifies murderers and rapists and liars and, yes, even child molesters. Here's what Paul said in Romans 3:25-26. And I need you to hear this because this is one of the most important sentences in the entire Bible: "God put Christ forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Do you see what Paul is saying here? The outrage that we feel when God seems to simply pass over David's sin—that would be good outrage if God were just sweeping David's sin under the rug.

But He's not. God isn't ignoring the sin. God is looking ahead. Down through the centuries. From David's time all the way to the cross. To the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, who would die in David's place. David's faith in God's mercy—his faith in God's future redeeming work—unites David with Christ. And its the same faith that as we look back to the cross, unites us, in our sins to Christ.

And in God's all-knowing mind, David's sins are counted as Christ's sins. And Christ's righteousness is counted as David's righteousness. And God justly passes over David's sin. The death of the Son of God is outrageous enough. The glory of God that it upholds is great enough. That God is vindicated in passing over David's adultery and murder and lying. Thats the beauty of the cross… At the cross, every sin is either punished or pardoned—but it’s never ignored.

The reason God could forgive David is because Jesus would one day be crushed for David’s sin. God’s righteousness was not compromised; it was magnified. Now that—that is the objective reality of how David is forgiven. That's the theology. That's how it works. There’s my attempt at systematic theology… I hope I didn’t close you. But here's where we need to get back to Julian's prayer. Why would she pray: "Wound me with the wound of contrition”?

Because she understood something David discovered in the ashes of his sin. Look at what David wrote in Psalm 51, after Nathan confronted him: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Notice what David says: "Against you, you only, have I sinned." Wait—what? David sinned against Bathsheba. Against Uriah. Against their families. Against the nation. But David says: "Against you, you only.” Here's what he's realizing: All sin is first and foremost against God.

When I gossip about you, I sin against you—but I sin against God first. When I lie to my spouse, I sin against them—but I sin against God first. Every sin is ultimately a statement to God: "I don't trust you. I don't love you enough. I think I know better than you.” And that's what contrition is. It's not just feeling bad that I got caught. It's not just regretting the consequences.

It's seeing my sin for what it really is, It’s this—cosmic treason against a good and loving King. I think, Our culture has lost this entirely. And, I'm not just talking about our culture out there, in the world—but our church culture. The culture Christians have created in the church building, in their small groups, even in their prayers. Its so easy for any person to just reduced sin to: "Did I hurt someone?" or "Did I break a rule?" But that's not deep enough.

Think about how we talk about sin: We say "I messed up" instead of "I sinned” We say "I made a mistake" instead of "I rebelled against God” We talk about "bad choices" and "poor decisions" like we're analyzing a business strategy that didn't pan out. We've sanitized it. Made it manageable. Turned it into a self-improvement problem instead of a God problem. And here's what happens: We start thinking that as long as we're "pretty good people" who "don't hurt anybody," we're fine with God.

We compare ourselves to whoever's doing worse and think, "Well, at least I'm not like them.” But that's not how David saw his sin. He didn't say, "Well, compared to other kings, I'm doing okay." He said, "Against you, you only, have I sinned.” C.S. Lewis said it this way: "We are not just dealing with crime and punishment. We're dealing with honor and shame, with relationship and betrayal.” When you betray someone you love—someone who has given you everything—"Oops, my bad" doesn't cut it.

What they need to hear is: "I'm horrified by what I've done to you. To us.” That's contrition. And we've lost it. We’ve lost it in our faith. And Julian prayed for it because she knew: until my heart breaks over what my sin does to my relationship with you, God, I'll keep going back to it. I’ll keep justifying it. Let me make this really practical. How do you know if you're actually contrite—or just sorry you got caught?

Here's the test: Are you more upset about the consequences or the betrayal? When you're caught in a lie, are you thinking: "How do I fix this mess?" Or are you thinking: "How did I just trash my integrity and hurt someone I love?” When you look at your phone usage, your spending, your anger—are you just annoyed at yourself? Or are you grieved that you're treasuring these things more than Jesus?

You see, Contrition isn't self-loathing. It's not beating yourself up….. It's clarity. It's finally seeing clearly: "This thing I thought would satisfy me is destroying me. And it's keeping me from the One who actually loves me.” So why would Julian pray for this? Here's why: Because without contrition, we never truly taste grace. David writes in Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Notice—God doesn't despise it.

He treasures it. Why? Because a contrite heart is a heart that has stopped pretending. Stopped performing. Stopped managing the PR campaign of your life. It's a heart that comes to God empty-handed and says: "I have nothing. I am the problem. But I'm yours.”….. teach me, Oh God. And friends—that's the only posture in which you can truly receive grace. As long as you're minimizing your sin, you're minimizing God's grace.

As long as you're comparing yourself to others ("Well, at least I'm not like them"), you're cutting yourself off from the scandalous, lavish, undeserved love of God that should overwhelm you. It's like this: Imagine you owe someone $100, and they forgive the debt. You say, "Oh, thanks!" and move on. But imagine you owe $10 million—and you know it. You can't sleep. You can't pay it. You're ruined. And then they tear up the paper and say, "It's gone.

You're free.” How would you feel? You wouldn't just say "thanks." You'd weep. You'd be undone. You'd spend the rest of your life overwhelmed by their generosity. That's what contrition does. It shows you the true size of your debt. And when you see that—and I mean really see it—and then see that Jesus paid it all, grace doesn't just make you happy. It ruins you. In the best possible way.

Jesus said in Luke 7: "He who is forgiven little, loves little." The flip side? He who is forgiven much, loves much. Julian wanted to be wounded with contrition because she wanted to love Jesus more. And you can't love Him fully until you see how much you've been forgiven. So here's my question for you today as the worship team comes up: What are you avoiding looking at? What sin are you downplaying?

What are you rationalizing? What have you perfected the art of not thinking about? Maybe it’s: The way you speak to your spouse when you're frustrated. Or The bitterness you're nursing toward someone who hurt you., today, yesterday, 10 years ago… Or The lies you tell yourself about your spending, your eating, your screen time. The things you watch online. Or The pride that makes you need to be right, need to be noticed, need to be in control And you've gotten really good at not letting it bother you.

Do you know what that represents? A hard heart. Its spiritual numbness. Can I tell you what that is? That's self-protection. You're protecting yourself from the wound of contrition because you think it will crush you. But listen: The wound of contrition is not meant to crush you. It's meant to crack you open so grace can flood in. That’s what David discovered. After everything—after the adultery, the murder, the cover-up—he wrote: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me...

Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Did you catch that? Joy. Contrition led to joy. The wound led to healing. The breaking led to restoration. Why? Because when you stop hiding and start confessing, you discover what David discovered: God doesn't reject contrite hearts. He runs to them. Let me invite you to pray Julian's prayer with me. Not out of guilt. Not out of obligation. But out of desire for more of Jesus.

"Lord, wound me with the wound of contrition.” Not because you want to feel terrible about yourself. But because you want to feel the full weight of grace. Because you're tired of the shallow spirituality that never quite touches the deep places. Because you want to love Jesus the way Mary loved Jesus—when she washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, and Jesus said, "She loves much because she's been forgiven much.” Maybe you pray that this week.

Maybe you get alone with God and you stop managing the narrative. You stop explaining yourself. And you just say: "God, show me my heart. Let me see what you see. Wound me with contrition—not to destroy me, but to free me.” And then—here's the promise—when you're broken open like that, you'll discover what David discovered:] The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning. And next week? We'll talk about the second wound—the wound of compassion. Because here's the beautiful thing: when you've been forgiven much, you start forgiving much. When you've received ridiculous grace, you start extending ridiculous grace. But that starts here. With honest, broken, contrite hearts that finally stop hiding and come home. *

Baptism Week 2

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Philippians chapter 1… What a powerful Sunday last week. I’ve been enjoying all the texts and phone calls throughout the week as many of you have tried to put into words the blessing we all felt during baptisms. There’s something about seeing people go under that water—seeing the old washed away—and rise again that just stirs something deep in us, doesn’t it?

And here’s what I kept hearing from so many of you: “I can’t stop thinking about it.” Why? Because baptism isn’t just about the ones being baptized—it’s about all of us remembering what Christ has done for us. It’s like a mirror reminding us: That’s my story too. I’ve died with Christ, and I’ve been raised with Him. Last week we talked about death—about the joy of surrender, about what it means to say with Paul, “to die is gain.” But today, we turn the page to the next part of what Paul was saying.… If last week was about the joy of dying, this week is about the joy of living. So, lets get into the word together, and lets read again verses 20 - 26. 20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.

So the question I want us to wrestle with this morning is this: What does it mean to live in such a way that people see Jesus? I mean, isn’t that a goal of our faith? Less of me, more of him… not just in me, for me, but in me, for you. And in you for me. Christ is to be shared within the community. When Paul says, “your boasting in Christ may abound,” he’s reminding us that faith is never a solo act. Christ in me is meant to strengthen Christ in you. And Christ in you is meant to awaken something in me. Like, when we think about evangelism, we often picture going out and preaching. And let’s be honest—that’s scary for many. For some of you, you know the Bible, you’ve got that holy boldness, and it just comes natural—it’s the way God wired you. But for others, even the word evangelism makes your heart race a little. You start thinking, What if I don’t have the right words? What if I mess up? What if they ask a question I can’t answer? But listen—evangelism doesn’t need to be about what you know as much as who you know… and who indwells within you.

Evangelism starts here—Christ in one person overflowing to another."That’s evangelism. Christ, taking your life, your story, your brokenness, your healing—everything that’s been transformed through your dying—and using it to reach someone else who’s still searching for life. Remember last week. For those of you who were baptized, your testimony was you pouring out what the Spirit of Christ within you has done within you. You see, Evangelism is not just about sharing information. It’s about sharing transformation. It’s your life becoming a living testimony of His life. It’s Christ being magnified through your ordinary, everyday moments—through kindness, through forgiveness, through compassion, through courage. That’s what Paul means when he says, “If I live, it means fruitful labor.” He’s saying, ….If God gives me breath, I want that breath to breath into someone else’s life so that they can have a full picture of Jesus. It’s Christ living His life through His people. It’s His Spirit flowing through a surrendered heart until others can’t help but notice something different, something alive, something holy. And That’s the heartbeat of Christian community—Christ magnified in each other, and shared with one another, and with the world. That’s what baptism pointed to last week. When we’re baptized, we don’t just declare, “I’ve been raised to new life in Christ. We also say, “That new life now belongs to the body of Christ.” My life is no longer just about my faith journey—it’s about helping the faith in others, grow. It’s. Your story becomes part of my story. Your joy becomes part of my joy. And together, through this gospel thread, we magnify Jesus—by the way we love, and serve, and live for Christ and for one another.. But here’s my tension…. because for that kind of life to really exist—for that kind of love to truly grow among all of us who are believers, —something has to happen first. And it’s not something small. It’s not a tweak or a tune-up that we get through Bible study or imitation faith,… It’s not better habits or stronger willpower. It’s death! Something in us has to die, for. Life to truly live. Because before Christ can live through you, something in you has to be buried.

Do you know what a community of believers look like? True community isn’t built on shared interests or personalities; it’s built on shared deaths. And in those shared deaths, reveals a shared life. A life, where Christ at the center, and he’s magnified, and we are satisfied.

But here’s the thing—and here is where the tension within me begins to fester. Because if death is the doorway to life, then I have to ask… how does that even work? How can a dead man die? And then live? There are moments when I read Paul, and I’ll hit a verse that makes me stop and think. ..man… that sounds like he’s contradicting himself. Like, there before me are Two truths, sitting side by side that don’t seem to fit together. And I’ll just sit there, staring at the page, whispering, “God, how does that work?” Let me show you what I mean… In Ephesians chapter two, verse one, Paul writes, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” That means at one time, we were spiritually dead—cut off from God, blind to truth, enslaved to sin. And I get that. My life before Christ had no desire to know Him. I lived how I wanted, did whatever I wanted, chased purpose in everything and anything other than God. But then, you go through Philippians, and you read Paul saying things like, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” And then you turn to Colossians chapter three, verse three, and he says something completely different again. He writes, “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” And I just stop there and go, God… how does that happen? That doesn’t seem like it fits together. You said I was dead… now You say I have died. How does that work? How does a dead man die? I mean, I know dead men tell no tales—because they’re dead! Right…. So how can someone who’s already dead… die again? So I had to wrestle with that. I had to sit with it and ask, “God, what does that mean?” Because this isn’t just some abstract idea—it’s the reality of every person who follows Jesus. Before you can live the life God calls you for, something deep inside of you—your old nature, the part that ran from God, resisted God, and wanted to be God—that part f your life must die. And that’s where this starts to make sense. Because that’s the center of sin, isn’t it? The old self doesn’t just ignore God,……..it competes with Him. This old self… the one that needs to die, wants the glory of God for itself. That’s what Paul says in Romans chapter one—that humanity saw the glory of God but traded it for images, for idols, for anything that could make us feel in control, or important, or worshiped. Before Christ, you and I weren’t just bad people needing help. We weren’t just morally sick hoping for medicine. We were dead. Completely cut off from the life of God. And this is where I think so many people get stuck. We try to use faith to catapult our dead life into a slightly better version of death. We attend church, we try to be good, we clean up the outside—but on the inside, the same old self is still calling the shots. And what that leads to.. is a dead faith. And you can’t take a dead heart, dress it up with religion, and expect it to come alive. It’s no different than putting lipstick on a pig—it might look cleaner and prettier, but it’s still the same thing underneath.

So, when Paul says we were dead, he’s describing a condition that isn’t physical—it’s spiritual. He’s saying our hearts were disconnected from the life of God. Ephesians 4:18 says it perfectly: “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” Paul show us why theres tension… theres Darkness and hardness—that’s the picture. What’s the cause of dead faith,… darkness and hardness…. The people living in darkness are Unable to see reality as it truly is. Unable to feel, and see, and know and experience the things of God. And that raises the question—what couldn’t we see? What are we blinded to? 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” That’s it right there. The light of the gospel is the beauty, the worth, the glory of Christ—and sin blinds us from seeing it. So this is what our spiritual deadness means: hearts that are hard and blind to the beauty of Jesus, and therefore, is in rebellion against His will. That’s why Paul says in Romans 8, “The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” We weren’t just avoiding God’s will—we were resisting it. That’s what it means to be dead in your trespasses. … You’re Alive to everything else in the world, but completely dead to God. Now, what does that really mean? What does Paul mean when he says we were “dead in trespasses and sins”? Because clearly, we weren’t lying still in a grave somewhere. We were moving, breathing, laughing, making money, chasing dreams. So what does you have died mean? It means this: apart from Christ, we were alive to everything that didn’t matter—and dead to the only One who does. We were fully functioning, but spiritually lifeless. That’s what Paul means when he says, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.” (Ephesians 2:1–2) You were walking—but in the wrong direction. You were living—but for the wrong purpose. You were alive—but not to God. So when Paul says in Colossians 3:3, “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God,” he’s describing a second kind of death—one that must happen inside of those who are already spiritually dead. Because here’s the mystery of the gospel: the dead must die before they can ever live. There are two deaths every follower of Jesus must experience. The first is the death of condemnation, and the second is the death of self. The first death happens when you are united with Christ by faith—when His death becomes your death. Romans 6:5 says, “If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” That means that when Jesus went to the cross, He didn’t just die for you—He died as you. Every ounce of judgment, every drop of wrath, every consequence of sin that should have fallen on you fell on Him. His death counts as your death. That’s what it means to believe the gospel—not just to say, “Jesus died for me,” but to say, “When He died, I died.” The old me—the one enslaved to sin, chasing glory, rejecting God, hardened and blinded—was crucified with Christ. That’s what Paul says in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

But that's only the beginning. There's a second death that comes after the first—an ongoing death. It's the daily death of self. It's the slow, deliberate, Spirit-empowered putting to death of everything in you that still wants to take the throne from God. Paul calls it "putting off the old self and putting on the new.” Two deaths, but one life. And all of that comes down to this… Death must be believed before life is lived. You can't truly live for Jesus until you've first died with Him.

So now, do you see how this connects to what we talked about at the beginning? I said evangelism is Christ in one person overflowing to another. But here's what I didn't say yet: you can't overflow with what you haven't died to." If the old you is still on the throne—if you're still clinging to control, comfort, reputation—then what you're offering people isn't Christ. It's just a religious dead version of you. Its death handing out death. But when you've died with Christ—when you've been crucified with Him and raised to new life—then something powerful happens. Christ starts living through you. And now it's not death imitating life, but handing out death. It's life pouring out life. And here's what that means: from this moment on, your life becomes a daily pursuit—to see Christ more clearly so you can share Him more deeply.

That's it. That's the whole Christian life right there. Every morning you wake up and say, "Jesus, let me see more of You today. Let me know You better. Let me love You more.” And the more you see Him... the more He overflows from you. Not because you're trying harder. But because you can't contain Him. And that brings us to this moment. Would those of you being baptized today please come forward? Church, look at these faces. These are your brothers and sisters who are about to do something incredibly brave. They're about to preach a sermon without saying a word. Just like those last week, and just like all of you, and just like those who are visiting…. Here's what you're about to do. When you go under that water, you're declaring to everyone watching: "The old me is gone. The one who lived for control, for comfort, for my own glory—that person died with Christ.” And when you come up out of that water, you're declaring: "My life doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs completely to Jesus.” You're saying: "I believe in the death that gives me life.” And from this day forward, your life becomes that daily pursuit, and struggle to see Jesus more clearly. To know Him more deeply. So that He overflows from you to everyone you meet. Some days will be hard. Some days you'll fail. Some days the old you will try to climb back on the throne. But even on those days—especially on those days—Christ will be at work in you. Refining you. Changing you. Using even your weakness to show His strength. So when you rise from that water today, you're not rising to perfection. You're rising to pursuit. You're rising to a life where Christ lives through you. You're rising to a life that shows Jesus. And listen,

Church, this isn't just their story. This is our story too. Every one of us who has trusted Christ has gone under that water—whether literally or spiritually. We've all declared, "I am dead to sin and alive in Christ.” And every one of us is called to that same daily pursuit. To see Him more clearly. To share Him more deeply. So as we celebrate what God is doing in these lives today, let's remember what baptism is really declaring: "For to me, to live is Christ.” Not just a belief. Not just a prayer you prayed once. A life. A life where Christ is so real, so precious, so satisfying, that He can't help but overflow from you to everyone around you. That's what we're celebrating today.

Let's pray over them, and then let's watch them preach the gospel with their whole lives, together. *

Dead to Life

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Philippians chapter 1… What a powerful Sunday last week. I’ve been enjoying all the texts and phone calls throughout the week as many of you have tried to put into words the blessing we all felt during baptisms. There’s something about seeing people go under that water—seeing the old washed away—and rise again that just stirs something deep in us, doesn’t it?

And here’s what I kept hearing from so many of you: “I can’t stop thinking about it.” Why? Because baptism isn’t just about the ones being baptized—it’s about all of us remembering what Christ has done for us. It’s like a mirror reminding us: That’s my story too. I’ve died with Christ, and I’ve been raised with Him. Last week we talked about death—about the joy of surrender, about what it means to say with Paul, “to die is gain.” And ion course, what does it mean to be all in. But today, we turn the page to the next part of what Paul was saying.… If last week was about the joy of dying, this week is about the joy of living. So, lets get into the word together, and lets read again verses 20 - 26. 20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.

So the question I want us to wrestle with this morning is this: What does it mean to live in such a way that people see Jesus? I mean, isn’t that the goal of our faith? Less of me, more of him… not just in me, for me, but in me, for you. And in you for me. Christ is to be shared within the community. When Paul says, “your boasting in Christ may abound,” he’s reminding us that faith is never a solo act. Christ in me is meant to strengthen Christ in you. And Christ in you is meant to awaken something in me. Like, when we think about evangelism, we often picture going out and preaching. And let’s be honest—that’s scary for many. For some of you, you know the Bible, you’ve got that holy boldness, and it just comes natural—it’s the way God wired you. But for others, even the word evangelism makes your heart race a little. You start thinking, What if I don’t have the right words? What if I mess up? What if they ask a question I can’t answer? But listen—evangelism doesn’t need to be about what you know as much as who you know… and who indwells within you.

Evangelism starts here—Christ in one person being poured out to another. That’s evangelism. Christ, taking your life, your story, your brokenness, your healing—everything that’s been transformed through your dying—and using it to reach someone else who’s still searching for life. Remember last week. For those of you who were baptized, your testimony was you pouring out what the Spirit of Christ within you has done within you. You see, Evangelism is not just about sharing information. It’s about sharing transformation. It’s your life becoming a living testimony of His life. It’s Christ being magnified through your ordinary, everyday moments—through kindness, through forgiveness, through compassion, through courage. That’s what Paul means when he says, “If I live, it means fruitful labor.” He’s saying, ….If God gives me breath, I want that breath to breath into someone else’s life so that they can have a full picture of Jesus. It’s Christ living His life through His people. It’s His Spirit flowing through a surrendered heart until others can’t help but notice something different, something alive, something holy. And That’s the heartbeat of Christian community—Christ magnified in each other, and shared with one another, and with the world. That’s what baptism points to. When we’re baptized, we don’t just declare, “I’ve been raised to new life in Christ. We also say, “That new life now belongs to the body of Christ.” My life is no longer just about my faith journey—it’s about helping your faith grow. It’s. Your story becomes part of my story. Your joy becomes part of my joy. And together, through this gospel thread, we magnify Jesus—by the way we love, and serve, and live for Christ and for one another.

But here’s the thing… Before that kind of life can create fruit—before Christ can truly live through you—something in us has to die. And that brings us to the first truth Paul shows us here: A Death Must Be Believed Before Life Is Lived. Have you ver had a moment in the Bible where you went huh? Yeah, me too. Like, …. All the time. Theres been moments when I read, and I hit a verse and I go, thats contradictory to what you’ve said elsewhere Paul… these two truths don’t seem to fit together. And then I just sit there, staring at the page and asking, God how does that work?

Let me show you what I mean… In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1, Paul writes, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” That means, we, at one time were spiritual dead. Cut off form God… blind to the truth and enslaved to sin. And I agree. My life before Christ had no desire to know him. I lived how I wanted, and did whatever I wanted to please myself… to seek purpose in everything and anything other than God… But then, you read what Paul wrote the Colossians in chapter three verse three and he says, … “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” So, what was my tension..???? It was this… How can a dead person die? How does that work? And to me, it sounds like a riddle… “the dead must die if they’re ever going to live.” Do you feel that tension…. The dead must die… How does a dead man die? I know dead men tell no tales, but how does one who is dead,….. die? So, I needed to work this out… and, so here is where I began.. Before you can live the life God created you for, something deep inside of you—your old nature, that part that ran from God, resisted God, and wanted to be God—has to die. Right… thats the center of sin.. the old self wants to be God, and wants the glory of God, thats Romans one… Before Christ, you and I weren’t just bad people in need of a little help. We weren’t just morally sick, hoping for medicine. We were dead… And I fear that is what many people do with their faith… they use faith to catapult their dead life, into a dead faith, which leads to a dead eternity. With no knowledge of God. Paul goes on to say in chapter 4, they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” That’s such a heavy picture, darkness and hardness. He’s saying that without God, we’re blind to what’s most real and numb to what’s most true. And, so what does that darkness, and hardness keep us from seeing? 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Did you hear that… this deadness… within us.,.. because of sin… prevents us from seeing the glory of Christ. The light of the gospel… its not just about information… I knew of Christ.. I heard of him… I saw people doing religious things… I read the Bible a few times… But none of that meant my heart could actually see him, and if I can’t see him, I can’t love him. So my life as a christian has been to pursue a life that can see Christ, in HIs full glory. And I’ve been in minister long enough to know that anyone can even grow up in the church and still be blind to it. You can read the Scripture and never encounter the savior. You can say the right things, and sing the right songs, and still not see the beauty and glory of Christ. Thats what sin does. Its covers our eyes to see. It darkens our understanding. It hardens our hearts. It blinds us to the glory that could change everything. And until the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, we stay stuck in the darker and loving it—all the while, trying to make sense of life by the light of our own understanding. And Paul even goes deeper in Romans 8… The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot. That’s harsh isn’t it… he says no. This mind… it can’t even fathom God’s law and beauty of him. In our natural state, we don’t just avoid God’s will; we resist it. We fight it. We push back against the very One who gives us life. That’s what it means to be spiritually dead—alive to everything else, to all the pleasures of this world, but dead to God.

So, that’s the first sense… we’re dead. So what does our original deadness mean? It means hearts hard and blind to the beauty of Christ, and therefore in revolt against the will of Christ. But theres another issue… he says were dead, but walking in that deadness… Breathing, talking, working, laughing, and yet, lifeless. And that’s where this truth hit home for me: A death must be believed before life is lived.

So, let me ask you… what are you believing? Because there are two kinds of death Paul is talking about here. Two senses in which the spiritually dead must die in order to live. First— We must be united with Christ so that His death counts as ours. Romans 6:5 says, “If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” And Romans 6:6 reminds us, “Our old self was crucified with Him.” So how does that happen? Through faith. Listen, church, when we put our trust in Christ, God the father count His death as our death. Every ounce of condemnation, that was meant for me fell on Jesus on the cross. Every sin, every failure every hidden shame, was paid in full art the cross. And because we have been united with Him, his death, becomes our death. ,and his life become our life. That means, the old me… the one who rejkedcted his truth, his glory, and his life, this rebellious life, the life ruled by sin, is gone…. Its forgiven, covered and redeemed. But thats only the beginning… because theres a second death that comes… it has to happen. You see, Our old self—that self that still wants control, that wants to live by feeling instead of faith—you see that self has to die daily. You see, Colossians 3 says, “You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.” This is the real, ongoing Christian life. If you remember last weeks message, The Christian life is a struggle to see and savor Christ as an all-satisfying Savior. And the only way, I can even do that, is by these two deaths. Because here’s the mystery… Dead people must die twice before they truly live once. When you come to faith in Christ, you pass through both deaths: —The death of condemnation, because Christ took it for you. —And the death of self, because the Spirit is making you new. And that’s what baptism points to. When you went under that water, you declared: “My old life is gone.” When you came up, you declared: “Christ now lives in me.”

Both of those deaths… together, magnify Christ. *

Baptism

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Philippians chapter 1. And when you get to Philippians 1, lets go down to verse 20 together….. There are two words I want us to explore. One is life, and the other is death. Today, we're going to baptize people into the faith, and this is going to carry over until next week as well. So, as we read this verse, I want us to pay close attention to how Paul uses the words life and death. You ready? Lets read God’s word together… 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20-21) I'm learning to love God. And I believe you are too. The Christian journey is learning to love God, and to love others, and to make him known throughout the world together. That's our calling. Our purpose. But early on in my faith, I recognized that it's not easy. And I need to tell you up front, what I'm about to share with you is personal to me. I'm going to share with you my own struggle. My struggle for joy in the Christian life. My struggle with what it means to live a holy life in the middle of everything else that's going on.

The Universal Desire So, let's begin here. I've always wanted to be happy. I mean, who doesn't, right? I can't not want to be happy any more than I could skip eating for two days and not feel hungry. It's just part of being human. But here's where it got complicated for me. There was this tension warring inside me, and I couldn't figure out how to make sense of it.

The Tension It felt like there were two paths in front of me, and I could only walk down one. Path One: God's Glory On one side, there was God's glory. And what is God’s glory? It’s the beauty of all that God is—His holiness put on display, His goodness made visible, His love and power shining through everything He does. God’s glory is the public showing of His worth. In Isaiah 43:7, God says He created us “for my glory.” That means every breath we take, every step we walk, every word we speak was designed to point back to Him—to show that He is better, greater, more satisfying than anything else in the universe. Stage One: Salvation... For Me My faith began like this: I was made and created for salvation. That's where it started for me. Jesus died for my sins. I needed to be saved. I accepted that. I believed it. And for a while, that was enough. Still, conflict and hardship came, and I made this salvation about me. Jesus saves me, for me to be comfortable... and that, church, is nowhere near what the Bible says…

Stage Two: Worship... For Me Because then, after a while, I came to this deeper conclusion: I was made and created for worship. Not just to be saved, but to worship the one who saved me. To give my life back to God in gratitude and praise. And that's true. That's absolutely true. But I even made that for me... Did I like the worship music? Was it comfortable to me? Was church meeting my needs?

Stage Three: Extending God's Glory But then, as I've grown in Christ, I've learned something even bigger: I was made to extend the glory of God. Not just to receive salvation. Not just to worship in the safety of the sanctuary. But to carry his glory out into the world. To make him known. To live in such a way that people see my life and say, "There's something different here. There's something worth paying attention to." It's what Paul says in verse 20: "Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." My whole life—the way I live, the way I love, even the way I die—is supposed to magnify Jesus. To make him look as glorious as he actually is. And when I realized that... it changed everything. But it also made the tension worse.

Path Two: My Desire for Happiness Because, on the other side, there was this second truth: I wanted to be happy. That was part of what it means for me to be human. I couldn't just turn that off. I had desires, and joys in my life that I would go back to. They fed me. I wanted to feel alive. I wanted satisfaction. I wanted joy that went deeper than just getting through another day. I wanted to wake up in the morning and feel like my life mattered, like it was going somewhere, like there was something worth being excited about. I guess, when I think about it... I wanted purpose. But I wanted that purpose to feed my happiness. And I mea, that can be very selfish of me…. But I couldn't make that desire go away. No matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I told myself I was being selfish or immature or unspiritual—the hunger for happiness, and joy was still there.

The Problem And here's where the problem came in. Somewhere along the way, I picked up this picture of God as this tyrannical parent. Someone who would force me into what he wants, whether I liked it or not. You know—"Put your will on the altar. Die to yourself. Stop wanting what you want and just do what God wants." And honestly? That version of God never felt like something I wanted. It didn't feel like good news. It felt... heavy. Oppressive, even. As if faith was a dog collar meant to control. And I couldn't shake the feeling that wanting joy somehow made me less spiritual. Like if I was doing something good because it brought me joy, then it didn't really count. The God-centeredness of it was compromised. So there I was, caught between these two truths. God's glory demanded everything from me. And my heart desperately wanted to be happy. And I couldn't see how both could be true at the same time. The Breakthrough And over time, what I have recognized was this... The Christian life is a struggle to see and savor Christ as an all-satisfying Savior. That word "struggle" is important. Because it's not automatic. It's not like you wake up one day and suddenly Jesus is more satisfying to you than everything else. A Word to Those Being Baptized For those of you being baptized today, we're going to say you're dead to sin and alive in Christ. And that's true. When you came to faith in Jesus, and the blood of Christ covered you, something real happened. You were made new. The old you—the one enslaved to sin, separated from God—that person died. And you were raised to new life in Christ. But here's what I want you to know: being dead to sin and alive in Christ doesn't mean the struggle is over. It means the struggle has just begun. Because now you have to learn what it means to actually live like someone who's dead to sin. You have to fight to see Christ as more satisfying than the things that used to satisfy you. The approval of others. The comfort of control. The pleasure of getting your own way. Whatever it was that you used to run to for happiness—you now have to wrestle with whether Christ is truly better. And that's the struggle. It's a daily fight to see and savor Jesus. To believe he's enough. To trust that he's better than everything else this world offers. The Breakthrough and The Battle How Everything Changed But then, I came to these two verses, which changed everything for me. Look back at verse 20 with me. Paul says his one all-consuming passion is that Christ would be magnified—honored—in his body, whether by life or by death. And I remember reading that and thinking, "Yes. That's what I want. I want Christ to be seen as magnificent through my life." But I'd never really followed Paul's logic into verse 21. I'd never paid attention to how he connects these ideas. Watch this. As soon as Paul says in verse 20 that Christ can be magnified in his life or his death, he immediately gives us verse 21: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." See the connection? "To live is Christ" corresponds to "by life" in verse 20. And "to die is gain" corresponds to "by death" in verse 20. Paul's showing us how Christ becomes magnificent in both his living and his dying. And here's where everything clicked for me. For so long, I thought pursuing my happiness and pursuing God's glory were two different things. That I had to choose. But Paul shows us something completely different here.

Understanding Death as Gain Let's just focus on the death part for a moment. Collapse verses 20 and 21 together and read it like this: "Christ will be magnified in my body by death... for to me to die is gain." Now when you die, everything's gone. Your spouse is gone. Your kids are gone. That dream retirement you've been planning? Gone. Your hobbies, gone. Sex is gone. All of your pleasures, your body itself—until the resurrection—all of it, gone. Until the resurrection, your body and all of its pleasure are gone. So, what does Paul mean that all this loss can be called gain? He tells us in verses 22 and 23: "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Did you catch that? "Far better." When Paul weighs everything this world has to offer against being with Jesus, he doesn't hesitate. Death is gain. Because Christ is far better than all of it. And here's what finally broke through for me: Paul's not just enduring death out of duty. And he's not just looking for his own happiness. No, he genuinely desires Christ more. And that's what makes Jesus look glorious. Think about it. If I'm desperately holding onto this world, and then death comes and tears it all away from me, what does that say about Christ? It says he's not enough. It says I'd rather have what I'm losing than what I'm gaining. And so this struggle—duty or happiness—had taught me something crucial: If my happiness is found in anything else other than magnifying God, then I'll always be torn. I'll always feel that tension. Because either I'll resent God for taking away what makes me happy, or I'll feel guilty for wanting to be happy instead of just doing my duty. The Human Struggle And I bet that's you too. I mean, I'm human. You're human. And all we've ever known is this life. We live in a fallen world. Unstable. Corrupt. Full of trouble and sorrow. Every single one of us is marked by that fallenness. We carry it with us. We see it in our relationships, in our disappointments, in the way things never quite turn out the way we hoped. And here's what I want: I want to love freely. No reservations. No holding back. No wondering if people will reject my love or if they'll let me down. I want to love fully, without fear. And just as important—I want others to experience that kind of love with joy. But here is the heart of my conflict: The only way I've learned to do that—the only way I've found to love like that—is to finally find my joy in Christ... in Christ alone. Which means this... (lower tone) I must die, each day, and every moment to all other joys in my life, so that Christ can be my gain. I am dead to sin, and now, I am alive in Christ.

The Battle Ahead You see, to those of you being baptized today, there's going to be a battle. And I bet most of you have already felt this battle. But this battle is a battle to see and savor Christ as an all-satisfying Savior. But here's what you need to understand: This isn't a battle to perform. It's not a battle to achieve some spiritual milestone or prove how committed you are. The battle is this: Can you see Jesus clearly enough to find Him more satisfying than everything else? And here's the problem—and I want you to really hear this— (building intensity) The reason that's a battle is because this world keeps offering you broken cisterns. Jeremiah 2:13 says, "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." That's what sin is. Sin isn't just breaking rules. Sin is the choice to drink from empty wells when there's a mountain spring right in front of you. It's choosing the relationship that can't satisfy you over the God who can. It's choosing the approval of people who don't even know your name over the approval of the One who calls you His beloved. It's choosing comfort, or control, or success—things that will one day turn to dust—over Christ. And the only way to win that battle— The only way to keep choosing Christ over those broken cisterns... is to keep seeing Him clearly. To keep tasting Him. To keep experiencing Him as better. This is why you have to die daily. Not because God is cruel. Not because He wants you miserable. But because every single day, something or someone is going to try to take Christ's place in your heart. And if you don't kill it—if you don't put it to death—it will slowly edge Jesus out... until you can't see Him anymore. And I want you to know... this is what you're going to face in your faith.

A Word to Those Being Baptized So with that in mind, before we begin these baptisms, I want to take a moment to speak directly to those of you being baptized. Baptism isn't just a public display. Or some kind of spiritual ritual or tradition. It's a declaration. That's why people celebrate... because at some moment, God's love met your heart, and you gave your life to Christ. And so, you're making a declaration about death. You're saying three things.

First: "I'm Dying So Christ Can Live Through Me" Paul says when you die, everything's gone. Your spouse—gone. Your kids—gone. Your career, your reputation, your hobbies, your body and all its pleasures—until the resurrection, all of it, gone. And yet Paul calls that gain. Why? Because he's already died to finding his satisfaction in those things. He's already loosened his grip. He's already experienced Christ as "far better." So baptism is you saying, "I'm dying today. I'm dying to finding my life in approval. I'm dying to finding my security in control. I'm dying to finding my joy in comfort.” Alb ause, “Christ is better than comfort. Christ is better than control. Christ is better than life itself.” You know what your thing is. The thing you've been holding onto as your source of life. And when you go under that water, you're saying, "I'm letting it go. Not because it's evil, but because Christ is better." But here's what makes this glorious—you're not just dying for the sake of dying. You're dying so Christ can be seen. Paul's whole passion in verse 20 is that "Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." His death isn't just about him going to heaven. It's about making Jesus look glorious. And how does death make Jesus look glorious? When Paul can look at losing everything and call it gain because getting Christ is worth it. So when you go under that water, you're saying, "My death isn't about me. It's about making Jesus look as magnificent as He actually is." Every time you die to something competing with Christ—every time you choose Him over approval, or comfort, or control—you're magnifying Jesus. You're showing the world, "Look how good Christ must be if I'm willing to let go of this, or that... for Him." That's what makes Christ look magnificent in your death—when you can let go of what everyone else thinks is essential, because you've found something more satisfying. That's the point of baptism. Not just "I believe in Jesus." But "Jesus is so satisfying that I'm willing to die to everything else so people can see how glorious He is.”

Second: "I'm Joining Christ in His Death and Resurrection" Now, here's the foundation that makes all of this possible. Romans 6—listen to this, this is glorious—Romans 6 says, "We were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Oh, do you see what's happening here? When you put your faith in Jesus—at that moment of saving faith—something real happened. Something massive. You were united to Him. Joined to Him. What's true of Him became true of you. So when Jesus died, you died with Him. When He was buried in that tomb, you were buried with Him. And when the Father—in all His glorious power and majesty—raised Jesus from the dead, you were raised with Him too! Raised into a completely new kind of life! Now, faith is what united you to Christ. Faith is the means. But baptism—baptism shows that faith. Baptism says that faith. Baptism dramatizes what happened spiritually when you received Christ. The Wedding Ring It's like a wedding ring. When you say, "With this ring I thee wed," you don't mean the ring makes you married. No! The covenant-making vows make the marriage. The ring shows the covenant. It symbolizes the covenant. It displays the covenant. Let me tell you what I mean. When I lost my wedding ring, I was devastated. Not because the ring was the marriage—my 20 years of marriage to my wife didn't end when I lost that ring. But that ring was my outward sign of the inward union to Alicia. Twenty years of hardships, of loss, love, care, tears, struggles... it was on my hand for all of it. That ring bore witness to something real. Something precious. And losing it felt like I'd lost a visible reminder of everything we'd walked through together. That's what baptism is. It's not what saves you. Faith in Christ is what saves you. But baptism shows that faith. It displays your union with Christ to the world. "I died with Him. I was buried with Him. I rose with Him." Listen, you can't have resurrection without death. You can't have new life without burying the old one. So when you go under that water, you're not creating something new. You're confessing something that already happened. You're acting out what happened spiritually when you put your faith in Christ: Your old self of unbelief and rebellion died, and a new you of faith and submission came into being. You're saying, "Jesus, You died to bring glory to Your Father. You died to deal with my sin. And I died with You. I'm done living for myself. I'm done with my sin. I'm done with everything that competes with God getting the glory He deserves." "You took me down into Your death so You could bring me up into Your life. And that life? It's not about me anymore. It's about making the Father look as glorious as You made Him look.”

Third: "I'm Committing to Fight This Battle Daily" Now here's what you need to understand—and this is crucial: Baptism isn't the end. It's the beginning. Just as Christ was buried and raised, you're being buried and raised in this baptism. When you come up out of that water, you're stepping into the newness of life that's already yours in Christ through faith. But that new life? It's a battle. Every single day, something or someone is going to try to take Christ's place in your heart. The approval of others. The comfort of control. The pleasure of getting your own way. Whatever it was that you used to run to for happiness—you now have to wrestle with whether Christ is truly better. And if you don't kill it—if you don't put it to death—it will slowly edge Jesus out... until you can't see Him anymore. This is why you have to die daily. Not because God is cruel. Not because He wants you miserable. But because the only way to keep choosing Christ over those broken cisterns... is to keep seeing Him clearly. To keep tasting Him. To keep experiencing Him as better. So when you come up out of that water today, you're not saying, "I'm done. I made it." You're saying, "I'm starting. This is day one of dying daily so Christ can live through me. This is day one of the battle to see and savor Jesus as better than everything else." Next week, we'll unpack what that new life actually looks like—what it means when Paul says "to live is Christ." But today? Today is about the death. It's about letting the old you drown. The version of you that lived for your own glory. That chased your own satisfaction. That was building your own little kingdom. That person goes under the water today and doesn't come back up. What comes up is someone new. Someone whose life is Christ. Someone whose glory is God. Someone who's committed to fighting the daily battle to see Jesus as more satisfying than everything else this world offers. The Choice Remember what I said at the beginning—I wanted to love freely, without fear, without holding back. And the only way I found to do that was to die daily to everything else and find my joy in Christ alone. That's what you're choosing today. You're choosing the death that leads to life. You're choosing the loss that leads to gain. You're choosing Christ. To live is Christ. To die is gain. Let's baptize. *

The Shepherd on the Emmaus Road

Good evening, friends. It's good to be here with you tonight. You know, I've been thinking a lot about shepherds lately. And one thing I know about shepherds... ...is they don't wear boots like these when they're sitting around a fire telling stories. They probably wore something more like... well, maybe not exactly like these... ...but something comfortable. Something worn. Something that says, "I'm here to stay a while." There we go.

Much better. Oh.. I lets not forget this….. This is a tallit. A Jewish prayer shawl. Shepherds like Simeon would have worn something like this. Not exactly this—this one's newer, cleaner than theirs would have been. But the idea's the same. In the Jewish tradition, these fringes—the tzitzit—remind you of God's commandments. God's faithfulness. God's covering. When you wrap yourself in a tallit, you're saying, "I'm about to pray. I'm about to enter sacred space.

I'm about to tell a story that matters." Lets begin here… This chair... This chair has a story too. It used to belong to Alicia's grandparents. Sat in their living room for decades. It was new once. Beautiful. The fabric was clean, the cushions were firm, and it probably smelled like furniture polish and hope. But now? Now it's dingy. Stained. The fabric's faded. The cushions sag. You can see where people sat—right here—night after night, year after year.

And you know what? I love that about this chair. Because the best stories—the ones worth keeping—they get handed down like this. Worn. Used. Passed from person to person, generation to generation, until they're so familiar you could tell them in your sleep. Tonight, I want to share with you a poem I wrote. It's about a shepherd. You know, when you read the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2, you meet these shepherds who see the angels, run to Bethlehem, find baby Jesus, and then...

they disappear. Luke tells us they went back to their flocks "glorifying and praising God." And that's it. We never hear about them again. But I started wondering... What happened to them? Did they just... forget? Did they go back to normal life and never think about it again? Or did they tell the story? Did they tell their children? Did they tell it over and over, even when no one would listen, even when people called them crazy, even when the years went by and the baby never came back?

And then I started thinking about the road to Emmaus. You know that story, right? Luke chapter 24. Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem after the crucifixion. Their hearts are broken. Their hope is gone. And a stranger joins them on the road. They don't recognize Him. But He walks with them. Talks with them. Explains the Scriptures to them. And later—later—they say, "Didn't our hearts burn within us while He talked?" Luke tells us one of them was named Cleopas.

But the other? We don't know. Scripture doesn't say. So I started to imagine... What if…the other disciple on that road was one of those shepherds.. grown up? What if it was a boy who saw the Light come into the world when he was ten years old, told the story his whole life even when no one would listen, watched that same Light die on a cross forty years later...

...and then met Him again on a dusty road outside Jerusalem? What if the fire that burned in his chest as a boy—when the angels appeared—burned again on the Emmaus road? That's the story I want to tell you tonight. It's not exactly in Scripture. But it could be. And I think... I think it's true in the way the best stories are true. It's about a boy named Simeon who never stopped telling the story, even when the world forgot.

It's about a father who passed the flame to his children. And it's about a man whose heart burned twice—once at the birth, and once at the resurrection. So if you'll indulge me for the next few minutes, I'd like to read it to you. This is called The Shepherd. The night was cold. The stars hung low // And distant. Young Simeon didn't know // That heaven planned to tear the veil // Between the worlds.

The wind was stale // And still. His father sat nearby— // Old Matthias, teaching. Every sky, // Every sheep, every lambing time, // The boy was learning. In his prime // The father was a shepherd still, // Keeping watch on Bethlehem hill. "You think Messiah's coming soon?" // The boy asked, mesmerized by at the moon. "I don't know, son. But God knows when." And then—without a warning—when // The sky split open and the night // Exploded into blazing light, // Young Simeon hit the ground.

His face // Pressed to the earth. In that fierce place // Between the terror and the glory, // He heard the angel tell the story: "Fear not! Tonight—in David's town— // The Savior's born! Go hurry down // To Bethlehem! You'll find Him there— // A baby, wrapped with tender care, // And lying in a manger bed." And then—as if one voice had said // Not half enough—ten thousand more // Appeared and sang.

The endless roar // Of "Glory! Glory! Peace on earth!" // Shook Simeon to his core. The birth // Of something bigger than his mind // Could hold. And when the stars declined // To normal and the dark returned, // He lay there trembling. Something burned // Inside his chest. "We go," his father said. They ran. Young Simeon couldn't keep // Up with his father. But the steep // And rocky path—he didn't care.

// His lungs burned. Still he had to share // In this. He had to see. And when // They found the stable, Simeon— // This boy, this dirty shepherd child— // Knelt down beside the mother. Smiled // Through tears. "It's true. We saw the light. // The angels came. And they were right. // He's here." The baby's eyes were closed. // The mother held Him. Simeon froze— // A moment pure and crystallized.

// The Light of heaven, humanized. // Messiah. Here. In flesh. In time. // And Simeon—just a boy—could climb // No higher than this moment. Here // Was everything. The waiting year // On year his people longed to see— // And God had shown it first to he, // A shepherd boy. At dawn he ran // To tell the town. "He's here! The plan // Of God! Messiah's born!" But they— // The adults—smiled and turned away.

// "How sweet. The dreams of just a child." // "Go home, boy. Tend your sheep." Defiled // By their dismissal, still the boy // Kept telling. Every bit of joy // He'd seen, he shared. But no one heard // A shepherd boy's unlikely word. The seasons passed. The decades turned. // Young Simeon grew up. Still burned // The memory. The glory. Light. // And still he told it.

Every night // He'd speak of it. But people tired // Of hearing what the boy desired // To share. "Simeon, let it go. // It's been ten years. We all know // The story. Move on with your life." But Simeon married. Took a wife. // They had three children. And each night // The little ones would beg. "The Light! // Tell us, Father! Tell us how // The sky broke open!" Even now, // Though thirty years had come and gone, // He'd close his eyes and carry on // The tale.

His wife would smile and say, // "Again? You tell it every day." "Because it's true," he'd answer back. // "And no one else will fill the lack // Of memory. The world forgets. // But I won't let them. No regrets— // I'll tell my children what I saw. // The glory. Heaven's perfect law // Descending. Light." His youngest son // Would ask, "But Father, where's He gone— // That baby?" Simeon would sigh.

// "I don't know, child. But by and by, // I think we'll see Him come again." And then the rumors. Now and then // He'd hear the stories. News would come // From travelers. "There's someone from // Up north—from Galilee—who heals // The sick. Who makes the lame man feel // His legs again. Who multiplies bread. // Some say He even raised the dead." The name was Jesus.

Simeon's heart // Would quicken. Could this be the start // Of something? Was this Him? He'd hear // The stories and he'd feel the fear // And hope collide. Something. Like waking // Up into a dream. The aching // In his chest—the same he'd felt // That night. "If this is You— // Then let me see before I'm through." That spring he left for Jerusalem— // The Passover.

And everything felt strange. // The crowds. The air. The way the change // Of mood swept through the city streets. // The whispers. Then one day he heard // The shouting from outside. The word // Was spreading fast. "They're crucifying Him." A chill ran down his spine. "Crucifying who?" "That Jesus. From up north. The Jew // Who claimed He was Messiah." No. Simeon left his family. Slow // But steady, climbed to Golgotha— // The hill of skulls.

The brutal draw // Of crowds. The mockery. The blood. // And then he saw them. Where they stood— // Three crosses on the hill. He couldn't // See the middle face at first. He wouldn't // Let himself believe. The crown // Of thorns. The blood that trickled down. // But then the man looked up. And Simeon's // Heart stopped in his chest. He knew. The Light he saw that night—the new // And blazing glory—it was here.

// The same. The baby he held dear— // This broken man. The manger's bed // Replaced by wood. The angels said, // "Peace on earth!"—but now the sky // Went dark at noon. No lullaby— // Just gasping breath. Not glory's song— // But soldiers mocking. All along // The road from Bethlehem to this // Had led to crucifixion's kiss // Of death. And Simeon fell. His sobs— // The same sobs from that night—now robs // Him of his breath.

"It's Him. The Lamb. The Light. // The baby from that holy night." The man // Upon the cross turned. Through the span // Of blood and tears, He looked at Simeon. // And in that gaze—a recognition. "You came," He whispered. "You were there. // That night. I saw you. Shepherd—prayer // Is what I need. Don't leave Me now. // You ran to Bethlehem. Stay. And bow // Before what glory always meant: // Not just the coming, but the descent.

// Not just the birth, but this—the death. // I am the Lamb. My final breath // Will ransom many. And the peace // The angels sang will never cease— // But not till this is finished." Then— "It's finished!" Jesus cried. And when // The words left Him, the earth shook. // The sky went black. And Simeon looked // Up at the darkness. All the Light // Had gone.

He stayed there till the night. // They took the body down. He wept // For hours. Then he slowly crept // Back to his family. Could not sleep. // Three days went by. He couldn't keep // His grief inside. The third day came. // At dawn the women went. The same // Tomb where they'd laid Him. But they ran // Back shouting, "He's alive! The plan // Of God!

The tomb is empty! Come // And see!" But Simeon stayed numb. // He couldn't hope again. Too much // Had broken. He'd lost his touch // With faith. He told Cleopas, // "I have to leave. I cannot stay In this city. Let me go // Back home to Emmaus. I know // The tomb is bare—but where is He? // I can't bear this uncertainty." And so they left.

The seven miles // From shattered hope. Through all the trials // Of Friday still hung heavy, dark. // They walked in silence. Then remark- // ably, a stranger joined the two // And walked beside them. "Tell me—you // Look troubled. What are you discussing?" Simeon stopped. "Are you just passing // Through and haven't heard what happened // Here? The things that we have grappled // With the last three days?" "Tell me." So Simeon spoke.

"The prophecy— // We thought He was the One. Messiah. // Jesus—crucified by the higher // Authorities. We watched Him die. // Three days ago. And now we try // To make sense of it. Some women // Said the tomb is bare. But no one // Has seen Him. So we're going home." The stranger spoke. "Why do you roam // In unbelief? Don't you recall // What Moses wrote?

What prophets all // Declared? That Christ must suffer first // Before the glory? He was cursed // To bear your sin. But didn't they // Say He would rise the third day?" And then—for miles—the stranger taught. // He opened Scripture. Every thought, // Every promise, every word // From Moses to Malachi stirred // Inside Simeon's chest. That burn— // The same he'd felt! The way the turn // Of glory blazed inside him when // The angels came—it burned again!

They reached Emmaus. "Stay with us," // They begged. And so—without a fuss— // He came inside. They sat to eat. // He took the bread. And there—replete // With recognition—Simeon saw // The hands. The scars. The breaking. Awe // Exploded in his chest. "It's You!" The stranger smiled. And then—He flew— // Or disappeared—or something—gone! But Simeon and Cleopas—drawn // By fire and joy—looked at each other. // "Did not our hearts burn?" "Yes, my brother!

// The whole way here! While He explained // The Scriptures—everything He claimed— // The fire! The same fire from that night!" "We have to go back! We must fight // Our way to Jerusalem! They need // To hear! The Lord is risen! Speed— // We have to run!" And so they ran. // The seven miles. And Simeon— // Now forty years from that first night— // Ran like the boy who'd seen the Light.

// The boy was back. The fire again. // The Light had won. They found the men— // The eleven—gathered in a room, // Doors locked. But when they heard the tomb // Was empty and that Jesus came // To them on the road, they all exclaimed, // "The Lord has risen! He appeared // To Peter too!" And Simeon shared // His story then. How as a boy // He'd seen the glory.

Every joy // Of Bethlehem. How no one heard. // How he kept telling. Every word. // How he became a father, told // His children. How he'd grown old // Still waiting. Then how on the hill // Of Golgotha, his heart went still— // He'd watched the Light go out. But then— // The Light came back. Because again // The fire burned—the same as when // The angels sang.

And now he knew // The story. Birth to death. The true // And final path of glory meant // The Light must die and then descend // Into the grave. But death could not // Hold Him. The chains of darkness fought // Against Him—but the Light broke free. "From Bethlehem to Calvary, // From manger-bed to empty tomb, // From glory's birth to death's dark room, // To resurrection—I have seen // It all.

And now I know what meaning // Heaven had in mind. The Lamb // Was born to die. And I—I am // A witness. From a boy to man, // I've watched the fullness of God's plan. // And now my heart burns once again— // The same fire. The same Amen. The Light has come. The Light has died. // The Light has risen. Crucified— // But not defeated. Death is done.

// And I will tell it. Everyone // Must hear: The peace the angels sang // That night when all of heaven rang // With glory—it will never cease. The Light has come. The Light is peace. The Light will save." TRANSITION - GETTING UP & PUTTING BOOTS BACK ON You know... Simeon put his sandals back on that night too. After he met Jesus on the road. After his heart burned.

After he ran back to Jerusalem. He had to put his shoes back on. Because the story wasn't over. It was just beginning. He had to go tell people. He had to run. He had to carry the Light. And so do we. In just a moment, we're going to sing together. And then we're going to light candles. But before we do, I want you to understand something. This isn't just a nice tradition.

This isn't just something pretty we do on Christmas Eve. When we light these candles tonight, we're doing what Simeon did. We're passing the flame. We're saying, "The Light has come. The Light has died. The Light has risen. And the Light will never go out." Every time you tip your candle toward your neighbor tonight and share the flame, you're telling the story. You're saying, "This is real. This happened.

And it's still happening." The Light that burned in Bethlehem, burns here. The Light that blazed I n the hearts of those on the Emmaus road, blazes here. The Light that conquered death, is here. So let's sing. Let's declare it. And then let's light the world. Would you stand with me and sing Light of the World? CANDLE LIGHTING The Light of the world is here. This flame represents Christ—born in Bethlehem, crucified on Golgotha, risen from the grave.

And now we pass it. Row by row, we'll share this Light with one another. When it comes to you, tip your unlit candle toward the flame. Receive it. And then turn and pass it to the person next to you. As we light our candles, we'll sing Silent Night. And as you sing, remember: You are holding the Light that shepherds saw. The Light that died for you. The Light that rose again.

The Light that will never go out. Let us sing. BENEDICTION Look around. This is what Simeon saw. This is what the shepherds saw. Light breaking into darkness. Not because the darkness is gone— but because the Light has come into it. Friends, you are the light of the world. Not because you're perfect. Not because you have it all figured out. But because you carry Him. And tonight, the Light goes with you.

So go. Tell the story. Pass the flame. Live like people who've seen the glory. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit— Go in peace. The Light is with you. Merry Christmas. Be light, go shine. *

Shema - Week 2 Heart

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Deuteronomy chapter 6. Today I want us to pick up where we left off last week. We’ve been talking about the voice of truth—about living in the rhythm of God’s inhale and exhale—about receiving His presence before we offer our words.

But where do we start.. What does it look like, not just to breathe in God’s presence, but to live our whole lives within the Word of truth? Let me start here… The church exists first and foremost as a community shaped by God’s Word.

“So today, my goal is simple: I want to show you how this truth applies to your faith—so you don’t just survive or find comfort, but actually flourish in Christ. Now, let’s set the stage for Deuteronomy 6. God had just brought His people out of slavery in Egypt and met them at Mount Sinai. There He revealed Himself and gave His law in what was essentially a covenant ceremony—almost like a wedding. The people responded, ‘Everything the Lord has said we will do; we will obey’ (Ex. 24:7). But here’s the tragedy: right after that, they turned away. Their yes was on their lips but not in their hearts. And because of that, a whole generation died in the wilderness—not because God wasn’t faithful, but because they refused to hear and obey His Word. Now, in Deuteronomy 6, God gathers the next generation on the edge of the Promised Land and says, ‘Here’s my Word again. Don’t miss it this time. Don’t just hear it—take it into your hearts. Teach it to your children. Live it in your homes. Let it shape every part of your life.’ Let’s read together in verse 1.”

Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Now, right at the center of this passage is a word that every faithful Israelite would have known by heart. Look at verse 4, because this is where flourishing faith begins, ‘Hear, O Israel…’ That word hear is the Hebrew word Shema. It shows up more than 1,100 times in the Old Testament, but here’s the challenge—there really isn’t a single English word that captures its depth. We translate it simply as ‘hear,’ but it means far more than sound entering your ears. It’s a word that means to hear, yes—but also to understand, to learn, and to respond. The real weight of the word isn’t just about receiving sound—it’s about receiving truth in such a way that it shapes your life. And I got other ask.. when was the last time you heard something and it changed your life? Like the first time you heard, I love you… and it meant something… Or, … maybe there was a time you heard some sort of news, and it radically changed how you lived? Or even the gospel… when was the first time you heard the gospel and it pierced your heart in such a way, that you gave your life to Christ? Thats what Shema means. It’s hearing that demands a response. It’s hearing that forms you. When I think about this word, I think about our kids. Sometimes I’ll tell them to do something, and it just goes in one ear and out the other. Have you ever experienced that? And here’s the thing—it’s not like they have hearing issues. Our kids ears work fine. The problem isn’t physical; it’s intellectual. They’re not paying attention to what I’ve asked. Or worse—they’re flat-out ignoring my words. And that, church, is not Shema. You see, this word carries the weight of hearing, listening, intellectually knowing, and truly understanding—but it also means to walk in, and obey. When someone Shema’s, they don’t just hear and understand it. They do it. They put what’s being said, into action. And here’s a question… how often do we do that with gods word? Now, think about this… was the last time you heard the word preached, or read, or within your studies, saw what it said, but it never formed anything in you? Again, one of the purposes of the gospel isn’t information as much as its to lead to transofmfraiton within the hearer and listneinger and reader. And so, the Israelites would have heard this word, hear, or listen, O Israel from God, and understood that this command, demands a response, that transforms the listener to walk in the statues and laws that’s being asked. So, listen, If God’s Word hasn’t changed your life, you haven’t really heard it. The Shema reminds us that the starting point of flourishing faith is hearing God’s Word in such a way that it takes root and bears fruit in your life.

But watch what happens next—God doesn’t just say, ‘Hear, listen, know and obey.’ He immediately shows us where His Word is meant to go. Where it should land… and what should it affect in your life… lok at verse 6… Verse 6: ‘And these words that I command you today shall be… (Where) on your heart.’ Say those three words with me, on your heart… ready, 1,2,3… on your heart. This is so important… Because the heart is the home of our affections. Think about what Proverbs 4:23 says, ‘Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.’ Now let’s pause there for a second… God doesn’t just say put His Word in your mind, or even just on your lips. He says it must land on your heart—the place where your love is, your desires, and your affections live. And Here’s why this matters: what you love shapes what you see. If your heart loves the darkness, you’ll be blind to the light. That’s what Jesus said in John 3:19: people didn’t come to the light, not because the evidence wasn’t there, but because they loved the darkness. That’s not a head problem—it’s a heart problem. Paul said the same thing in Ephesians 4:18. He described people as being ‘darkened in their understanding… because of the hardness of their heart.’ Did you catch that? The root wasn’t lack of information, is was ignorance You can find the gospel everywhere… online, every Sunday here at church, in our house churches… there is no lack of biblical information in todays generation… The root issue is, love has gone wrong. A stubborn heart that wanted independence more than surrender.

And if we’re honest, that’s us apart from grace. Our hearts are bent to love all the wrong things. And when our desires bend away from God, our minds start finding ways to justify it. We convince ourselves sin isn’t really sin. We make excuses. We rationalize. Lets get real for a moment. How many times has the Holy Spirit nudged you—put that urge in your heart to do or say something for His glory—and you knew it was Him? Pray. Read the Bible. Send an encouraging text, or he put someone on your mind and heart. Give to someone in need, or just be nice to that one person that irritates you at work or school. And the Spirit of God said, love on them….. You knew it. But you didn’t act… ….can I ask…. Why not? What made you pause and rationalize what was being laid on y0pour heart/ Was it because you didn’t hear Him? No—you heard. But your mind talked your heart out of trusting God. You thought, ‘well, That feels out of place. That’s not something I’d normally do.’ And so, what was the reply to gods word… the action of disobedience… you didn’t obey. You said, no… with your heart. And the effect was what? : the Word of God being spoken in that moment, never took root, not because the ears didn’t hear, but because the heart didn’t trust, and the mind found a way to quiet the affections for Him. I… I just wonder at times… how many times in my life has God spleen to my heart and I didn’t step out by faith to do what he was leading me to do…

Let me ask you this: What is the deepest longing of a redeemed heart? When God saves us, what becomes the great craving, the burning desire, the thing we can’t shake? Scripture is clear—the answer is the glory of God. Psalm 19:1 says, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God.’ And if creation itself can’t help but proclaim His glory, how much more should a heart that has been redeemed? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:6 that God has shone in our hearts ‘to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ That’s what our hearts were made for: to see His glory and to show His glory. That’s the design of your soul. Listen, you are to love the Lord your God, with what? Heart,. mind and soul… To rightly love God, when… the word of God lands on the heart of the listener, not one of those can be out of order or in defiance. Your heart is the seat of our affections— its designed for loving what is most lovely. Your soul was created for worship—for delighting in what is most glorious. And your mind was created for truth—for seeing God as He really is. And here’s the danger: if your heart sets its affection on lesser things, your soul will worship lesser things, and your mind will twist itself to justify it. That’s how idolatry creeps into your life—not because we stopped believing in God with our heads, but because we loved something more than Him with our hearts, and our souls glorified it. The best way I can illustrate this, is by looking at our solar system. The sun belongs in the center, holding every planet in orbit. But if the sun is displaced, if you move it out of the center, everything flies apart. That’s exactly what happens when God is not the center of our affections. When our hearts love the wrong things, when our souls delight in the wrong glories, when our minds justify the wrong truths—our whole life flies out of orbit.

Now,lets ask this important wuestiojhn… : what is the glory of God? Because if the deepest longing of our soul is His glory, then we better be clear about what that means. Here’s an easy way to do so, God’s glory is His holiness made visible—His infinite worth and absolute perfection going public through creation and through His people.” It’s His beauty and His value put on display for the whole world to see, and it is shared, right there in your own life. Think about it… its shared with us, and in us, for the world to see, His goodness. That’s exactly what Jesus prays in John 17:22: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” In other words, the very glory of God the Father given to the Son is now given to His people. Shared. Poured out. Placed within us. And I think we can get this wrong sometimes… We look up at the night sky and we marvel at the stars, and We stand in awe and say, “Man, they display the glory of God.” And they do. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” There truth in the word of God. We agree… But let me ask you this—what if ….we were just as captivated when we looked at one another and saw Christ in one another? What if, instead of just looking up, we looked across the room and saw the glory of God at work in the person sitting next to us? Would that change everyday life? Wouldn’t that change how we saw one another…

That’s exactly why, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He didn’t stop at “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” He added, “And love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, the glory of God you behold is meant to become the love of God you extend. His infinite worth isn’t just something to admire—it’s something to embody in how we treat one another. And that’s why I love moments like baptism. Here next month, we’re planning baptisms, and it’s a moment where we can stand together as a family and see God’s glory go public. We hear testimonies of heart change, we watch lives being made new, and we witness the Spirit’s work drawing us together to celebrate transformation. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” Wouldn’t that be someone flourishing in their faith? In other words, God’s glory isn’t just written in the stars—it’s written in your story. It’s etched into your heart, your soul, and your mind, declaring to the world: “Look at my God.”

But here’s the question: how does that happen? How does God actually write His glory into your life, into your marriage, into your work, into your everyday? The Bible is really clear about this. What happens in your heart shapes what happens in your mind. And what happens in your mind shapes everything else about you. Now, for a long time, I used to think the order went like this: If I just knew enough, I would obey enough.This is why so many will say, I want to learn the Bible. So I can know! If I could just learn more, memorize more, study more—then surely my life would follow. But Jesus actually flips that order on its head. Listen to His words in John 7:17: “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know (theres that word know) whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” So,. Did you catch that? Jesus says your willingness to obey comes before your ability to understand. If the Shema is going to be a lifestyle for you—if you’re going to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind—then don’t just hear God’s Word. Don’t just let it hit your ears. Let it shape your will. Let it capture your mind. Let it be written on your heart. That’s not….. how most of us naturally think. We tell ourselves, “Once I understand, then I’ll obey.” And I fear, that is why discipleship over the past few decades have fallen short of its true meaning. We’ve reduced it to programs, to classrooms, to content transfer. But biblically, discipleship is far more personal.God’s Word landed on your heart At its heart, Discipleship is what happens when somebody invests his or her life into your life, one on one. It’s one person walking alongside another person, pointing them to Jesus, helping them obey His Word, and encouraging them to keep going when it gets hard. And yes, small groups can do that, Sunday school classes can in some way accomplish this, but what if, you took one person, and took a certain amount of time each week to talk and study the Bible and pray with. That’s biblical discipleship. Not just the transfer of information, but the knitting together of two lives in unity through the Spirit of God, being weaved into the tapestry by the thread of the gospel… where, Christ is formed in both of you.

So, here’s what we’ve got to realize—church, we can’t fix this on our own. We have to be born again. We need a new will and a new heart. Something has to happen inside of us so we can truly know God and love Him rightly. Because left to ourselves, it doesn’t matter how much information we have. My will is bent by nature. Yours too. That’s what we call original sin. It’s not just the wrong things I do—it’s that deep-down bent in me that wants the wrong things. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t will myself out of willing the wrong thing. I need God to intervene. I need Him to take out this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. I don’t just need Jesus to rescue me from my sins—I need Him to rescue me from me.

And here’s the miracle of new birth: God steps in and rescues us from our sinful hearts. He begins to form in us a new will that actually wants Him, loves Him, trusts Him. Most of you have lived purely off of that grace. You heard the gospel, you were saved, a new life began… but if you’re honest, there’s still something missing. What is it? What’s going on? Why is there this urge for more—and why haven’t you found it in your duty, your serving, your busyness? You say, “I want more of Him, but I’m still bent toward my own desires and wants. I want to pray, but I struggle. I want to love Him, adore Him, be captivated by Him—but I always fall short.” Lets address it… right now.. lets find out why… If you’ll allow me to be honest with you? That bent nature—that root of sin—doesn’t just disappear at salvation. Yes, we’re forgiven. Yes, we’re made new. But deep inside, that pull toward pride, toward selfishness, toward me-first living—it still wages war. Its called this… original sin.. And original sin isn’t just the wrong things we do—it’s that deep-down bent in me that wants all the wrong things. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t will myself out of willing the wrong thing. I need God to intervene. I need Him to take out this heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. I don’t just need Jesus to rescue me from my sins—I need Him to rescue me from me. And here’s the miracle of new birth: God steps in and rescues us from our sinful hearts. He begins to form in us a new will that actually wants Him, loves Him, trusts Him. But can I still be honest? That bent nature—that root of sin—doesn’t just vanish at salvation. Yes, we’re forgiven. Yes, we’re made new. But that tug toward pride, toward selfishness, toward me-first living—it still wages war inside us. That’s why the Bible speaks not only of being born again, but also of being sanctified. Remember what I said earlier: the glory of God is the holiness of God on display. And sanctification is how God puts that display in motion—His Spirit changing us so that His glory isn’t just something we see, but something we show.” Think about the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Those aren’t just good Christian traits; that’s the holiness of God shining out of ordinary people. That’s His glory taking root in us and bearing fruit through us.”

That’s why Jesus prayed in John 17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Because God doesn’t just want forgiven people—He wants holy people. He wants sons and daughters with hearts so purified by His Spirit that love for Him comes first—naturally, deeply, freely. And then, that glory, his glory, is shared with others. John 17:22 says it this way: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” The holy love God pours into you isn’t meant to stop with you—it’s meant to flow through you. Here’s the good news: Jesus not only rescues us from the guilt of sin—He can also free us from the grip of sin. Entire sanctification isn’t about becoming flawless in performance. It’s about being perfected in love. It’s about God so filling your heart, mind, and soul with Himself that every part of you is surrendered to Christ. And isn’t that what you long for? A heart that doesn’t just fight sin, but is free to love God fully. A soul that doesn’t just struggle, but rests secure in Him. That’s the promise of the Spirit—that the same God who saves you will also sanctify you, until Christ is all in all.

And this is why discipleship can never be reduced to just showing up to church, or memorizing a few verses, or checking the right boxes. God doesn’t just want your head filled with His Word—He wants your heart reshaped by His Word, your soul reoriented toward His glory, and your will surrendered in obedience. The Shema is God saying, ‘I don’t just want you to hear My voice—I want you to love Me with everything you are.’ Heart, soul, strength. That’s transformation. That’s discipleship. That’s what it means to flourish in faith. So, as the worship team comes up, let me ask you: Has God’s Word landed on your heart? Is it bending your will? Is it shaping your mind? Or is it still just information—words you’ve heard, maybe even memorized, but never obeyed? “If God’s Word hasn’t changed your life, you haven’t really heard it. And today, the Spirit is inviting you to really hear.” Because the Shema won’t let us settle for that. It’s a call to whole-life surrender. A call to let God’s glory be written into your story.” I want to invite you to respond. Lets stand together…. Maybe today you need to humble yourself before the Lord and pray, ‘God, take my hard heart. Give me a new heart. Bend my will toward You. ’Maybe you need to confess that you’ve been hearing but not obeying. Maybe you’ve been content with information, but not formation. Don’t leave today the same way you came.

“ Church, today we’ve heard the Word of Truth. But the question is—where will it land? Will it fall on a heart that truly hears, or on a heart that stays hard? Jesus said, ‘He who has ears, let him hear.’ The Shema says, ‘Hear, O Israel.’ The Spirit is still saying today—hear, believe, obey. So where will His Word land in you?”

“Family, as you go this week, don’t just be hearers of the Word — be doers of the Word. Let the Word of Truth dwell in your heart, shape your mind, and bend your will toward Jesus.and His glory, shine through you this week. May the Spirit remind you in the quiet moments, strengthen you in the hard moments, and lead you in every moment — so that God’s glory isn’t just written in the stars above, but written in your story below. Go in His truth, go in His Spirit, and go in His peace.” *

The Holy Inhale

I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to the book of Genesis and find with me chapter 1. Later on, we will finish out our time together in James 1. There are moments that slow you down and God speaks. Now, before I tell you about one of those moments in my own life, let me ask you something. Have you ever noticed that we all hear voices? Not audible ones—I'm talking about the constant stream of thoughts, worries, and demands that never seem to stop. Some people say these voices don't mean anything—they're just brain chemistry and random thoughts. Others say we should listen to whatever feels right to us. But what if there's actually a way to tell the difference between voices that help us and voices that hurt us? What if some voices are worth listening to and others aren’t? It was about five in the morning. For some reason, I couldn't sleep. And in His kindness, God moved me out of bed and led me outside. It was mostly dark, but I managed to find my clothes, got dressed, grabbed my briefcase, and slipped quietly out of the room without waking Alicia. No one else was awake—just me and Remi. So I stepped outside and went to my little spot by the pond and the willow tree. For those of you who have heard my heart, the tree reminds me of where the disciples slept while Jesus went a bit further to pray. But as I sat there in the cool morning air, waiting for the sun to come up, I struggled to pray. The issue was, there are a lot of voices in my life, fighting for my attention. The voice of anxiety telling me all the things that could go wrong. The voice of ambition pushing me to achieve more, do more, be more. There's also this voice of comparison whispering that I'm behind, that others are doing better, that I'm not measuring up. And then there's the voice of hurry—always hurry—telling me there's no time to sit still, no time to listen, no time to wait on God. Go... and go... and do and do... and accomplish. The more things I get done today, the more worth I am to God, the church, my family and friends. And I think to myself... this has got to be all wrong. Why do I give so much time to these voices? It's like my heart wants to be satisfied, but I can't find anything to quiet the constant noise in my mind and heart. And here's the thing—it's only 5:30 in the morning. The voices never sleep. They seem to wait for me to wake up, just so they can start all over again. Here's what I realized about these voices: they all have one job, one goal and one aim. To get me to react. To respond. To listen and believe them, and to convince me that everything this world offers is what will finally make me happy. They want me to put action and power behind what they say. Think about what God says in Isaiah 30:15: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Did you hear those words? In returning and rest. That means coming back to God instead of running to everything else. When our overwhelming thoughts hit our minds, we return to Him instead of spiraling. When comparison starts whispering, we return to His truth about who we are. And rest. Not the kind of rest where you collapse from exhaustion, but the kind where you stop striving and let God be God. Where you quit trying to control everything and trust that He's got it. In quietness and trust. Quietness means we stop the noise. We turn off the phone, we step away from the chaos, and we create space to hear His voice above all the other voices. And trust. That's where we put our confidence in His character instead of our own ability to figure everything out. Not in doing more, achieving more, or figuring everything out. But in coming back to Him and being still. And so in that moment, right there by the pond before the sun came up, I took a deep breath. And I slowly let it out. And I saw something….. ill share it later…

But for now, I want us to open Genesis together. Because sitting there that morning, I started wondering about something I'd never really thought about before. Turn with me to Genesis 1:1-2. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Did you catch that word "hovering"? It's the same word used to describe a mother bird caring for her young. Picture this: before any word was spoken, before "Let there be light," there was this moment. The Spirit of God hovering, moving gently over the waters. And sitting there by that pond, I found myself asking a question I'd never asked before: What was it like before anything existed? What was happening in that moment before God spoke? Here's what hit me: if every word we speak begins with a breath, and if God speaks, does God breathe? I know that sounds strange, but think about it. Before every sentence you say, there's an inhale. Before every voice, every sound, there's that moment of… kind of pausing to gather air. So what if God operates the same way? What if before every "Let there be, moment where God created with his words" there was a pause, a gathering, an inhale?

Now I want you to experience what I'm talking about. Let's do this together. I want us to take a simple, deep…. breath together. Ok??? On the count of three, I want you to take a deep breath. Sound good? Let's do it together. One, two, three. Breathe in... and out. Pretty simple, right? Does anyone here feel a little better after that deep breath? Here’s what’s amazing about what we just did… You just took into your body about 25 sextillion molecules of air. Sextillion. I didn't even know there was such a word. That's 25 with 21 zeroes behind it. More molecules just passed through your nose than all the grains of sand on all the world's beaches. Those air molecules were made up of different elements, one of which is oxygen—about 20% of what you just breathed in. Side note: thankfully, you breathed in clean air and ht person beside you didn’t lay out one of those splagnezimia farts. If it had been filled with smoke or smelly methane gas, your body would have immediately rejected it. It wouldn't have been relaxing at all. But watch this… Here’s how it got into you. Your brain sent a message to your diaphragm and ribs, telling them to contract, increasing the size of your rib cage, enabling your lungs to expand, which then allowed that air to rush in. That air went down your trachea into your lungs, where it came into contact with millions of tiny balloon-like projections called alveoli. They brought those oxygen molecules in touch with red blood cells—the transportation system for oxygen in your body. You have about 20 trillion of these red blood cells. Your body is making about 2.5 million of them per second, and each one contains about 270 million oxygen-binding molecules of hemoglobin. Are you following this or have I lost you yet?? Good.. lets keep going… These red blood cells picked up the oxygen molecules and carried them throughout your entire cardiovascular network—this massive collection of blood vessels that reaches every cell in your body. If we laid out those blood vessels in a straight line, end to end, they would wrap around the entire world multiple times. So where did these red blood cells get the energy to transport that oxygen throughout your body? Your heart. It pumps an average of about 100,000 times a day. So in that one breath you took, your heart was the powerhouse that got the oxygen you inhaled to every part of your body that needs it. And all of that happened in just one breath.

Now you might be thinking, "Alright Pastor, where are you going with this?”

Here's what's been on my mind. We just experienced something incredible together. But what if I told you that the same God who designed your lungs to need oxygen also designed your soul to need something else? What if the breath you just took is actually a picture of something much deeper? Before any word we speak, there is always, a breath. Every sentence, every voice, every sound begins with an inhale. Theres this pause. And if that's true for us, what about God?

Listen, God doesn't gasp for air. He doesn't rush. He gathers. His "inhale" isn't weakness—it’s what we call, His presence. It's the pause of perfect love before love gives itself away. Let me show you what I mean. Before any "Let there be," there was the stillness of perfect joy within the Trinity. In Proverbs 8, wisdom—who is Christ—says, "I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Before the world was even created, there was joy. Perfect joy. The Father delighting in the Son, the Son rejoicing before the Father. And this love doesn't disappear when Jesus comes to earth. At Jesus' baptism, we hear it: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." You can almost hear the Father's smile in those words, can't you? That's not God discovering something new about Jesus—that's eternal delight finally being spoken where those created in His image can audibly hear it. And the Spirit? Oh, the Spirit! He's right there creating space for us to be part of this joy. Listen to what Paul tells us in Romans: "You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!’" Do you see what this means? Do you see the staggering reality of what God has done? The same Spirit who is present in this beautiful, eternal relationship between Father and Son—that very Spirit—comes into your heart. Your heart! And He gives you the ability to call God "Dad" just like Jesus does. You can call the Creator of the universe "Dad." Not because you earned it. Not because you deserved it. But because the Spirit of God Himself has made you a son, a daughter, in the family of God. And in Ephesians, Paul says, "Through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." The Spirit doesn't just show us this love from a distance like we're looking through a window at something we can never have. No! He opens the door. He invites us in. He says, "Come. Come and taste what you were made for.” He creates the space for you—yes, you—to be joined with the Son and the Father. Can you believe this? You are invited into the very life of God. Jesus says this about the Spirit “the Holy Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you." Picture this: Right now, at this very moment, there is perfect joy flowing between the Father and the Son—an endless river of delight, of love so pure it's beyond our imagination. And here's the miracle: the Holy Spirit takes that very same joy—not a copy, not a lesser version, but the actual joy of God—and He breathes it directly into your heart. Right here. Right now. You see, before God ever spoke the first word of creation, before He said "Let there be light," those words were already born out of this perfect joy within Himself. Every word God speaks comes from a place of overflowing Love. And here's what should fill you with gratitude: You don’t… have to stay outside this joy…….You don’t.

You don't have to wonder if there's room for you. You don't have to question whether you're truly welcome. But, before we move on…. let me tell you why the Spirit has come. Because when you understand this, it will change how you see everything. Jesus says something incredible in John 16:14:… he tells his disciples in the high priestly prayers that, “He, meaning the comforter, the holy Spirit will glorify me.” That might sound simple, but listen—this is the Spirit's whole mission. He didn't come just to make you feel included or to give you a spiritual experience. He came to open your eyes to see Jesus. Now, when Jesus says that the Spirit will take what is His and declare it to you... we have to ask: what belongs to Jesus? What is “His"? Everything.!!!! Jesus says in John 16:15, "All that the Father has is mine." Think about that for a moment. The Father's infinite love? That's Jesus's. The Father's perfect joy we talked about earlier—that river of delight flowing in the Trinity? That belongs to Jesus too. The Father's power that spoke galaxies into existence? Jesus's. Every blessing, every promise, every good gift—it all belongs to Him. But here's what will take your breath away: because…. of the cross and the empty tomb, what belongs to Jesus now belongs to you. Paul says it plainly in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23: "All things are yours... and you are Christ's, and Christ is God’s." And I think we can get this all wrong. We can… We think our faith is just supposed to get us through the day, to somehow help us muddle through this journey. And yes, that's true in a sense... but friend, we're thinking INWARD. … The goal of the Holy Spirit isn't to make your life a little easier. His goal is to reveal Christ to you in such a stunning way that your heart melts with delight. When you truly see Jesus—not just know about Him, but see Him—everything changes. And here's the thing: if there's no transformation happening, something's not right. The Spirit doesn't put on a show for its own sake. He doesn't come to create empty spiritual experiences or religious highs. He comes to awaken dead hearts to the beauty and worth of Jesus Christ crucified and risen.

And here's the acid test—this is how you know if the Spirit is really at work: Not by whether there are tongues or miracles or loud emotions. Those can all be faked. Here's the real test: Is Christ being lifted high? Is the gospel becoming more precious to you? Is Jesus more beautiful to you today than He was last month? And is real holiness—life-altering, sin-killing holiness—taking root in your life? Because listen carefully:……. the Spirit's greatest miracle isn't that He makes people spectacular. It's that He makes sinners holy. That's His signature. That's His glory. That's His work. He shows you Christ in such a way that you can't help but be changed from the inside out.

So how does this happen? How does the Spirit actually bring us into all that belongs to Jesus? How do we go from being outsiders to being family? Here's the beautiful simplicity of it: through faith, by grace. That is the means by which you are brought into the very inhale of God. Think about what that means. The Spirit doesn't just give you information about God's presence—He brings you into it. You and I are adopted. We are redeemed, and brought in, through Christ, but by the Spirit. Through faith, you're not just learning about the joy that flows between Father and Son; you and I are breathing it in. By grace, you're not just hearing about God's love; you're living inside of it, and he lives inside of you. When you put your faith in Christ, the Spirit does something miraculous: He takes you from the outside and places you right in the center of God's own life, and He puts the center of who He is—the Spirit of Christ—right in the heart of you. Think about what that means. It's not just that you get to visit God's presence occasionally, like a guest who's allowed in the house for special occasions. No—the Spirit takes up residence inside you. Paul says it this way: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in your heart. You become part of that eternal conversation of love. You start breathing the same air, so to speak, that flows in the heart of the Trinity. . His presence becomes your home, and your heart becomes His home. This is why Paul can say with such confidence that "all things are yours"—because through faith, you've been brought into the very place where all of God's treasures are kept. Not someday when you die, but right now. The Spirit has made you family, and family gets to come inside. You're not standing at the door hoping to be noticed. You're not pressing your face against the window wondering if there's room. No!!!!!…….Through faith, by grace, you are home. You're breathing the air of heaven, living in the very presence of the God who delights in you.

And church…… this should change everything about how we face life's challenges… and…..how we speak to one another in love. Now, here is where James comes in... I want to take the time we have left together to ask: Do we, as Christians, speak, to one another, and to others, as those who are living within the inhale of God? I want us to look at James chapter 1, and find with me verses 19, kelt begin here.. James begins by saying, ‘19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ’ Now, theres a rhythm here. Like breathing. Quick to hear—that’s the inhale. Slow to speak—that’s the pause Slow to anger—that’s the exhale. James is teaching us that before anything comes out of our mouths, something must first come in from God. But here’s the problem—we usually live this backwards. We’re quick to speak, quick to anger, and slow to listen. We exhale before we inhale, and it leaves us gasping. It’s why so many of our conversations turn defensive, why so much of our energy gets wasted in conflict. Because we’re speaking from empty lungs, from our own fear and frustration, instead of from the breath of God. James says in verse 20, look with me… , ‘20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ’ In other words, human reaction—our quick exhale—will never build the kind of life God desires. Anger, defensiveness, frustration—these don’t form Christ in us, they deform us. What do I mean by deform? Think about it: every time we choose anger instead of patience, our hearts get a little harder. Every time we react out of frustration, the image of Christ in us gets a little more blurred. Every time we gossip, or murmur, or slander, or tell half truths, it never brings with it, the exhale of Christ. And, What happens afterward? There’s regret, there’s distance, there’s a wedge in our relationships with one another. That’s deformation—it pulls you out of the shape of Christ’s love, and you live by the your flesh.. Galatians tells us—Galatians 5:19–21—‘Now the works of the flesh are evident: enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions…’ Anytime we see these rear up—whether within the church or out in the world—we’re watching the fruit of the flesh at work. Enmity—hostility that fractures unity. Strife—conflict that never seems to end. Jealousy—resentment that eats away at joy. Fits of anger—explosions that wound the people closest to us. Rivalries, dissensions, divisions—splits that tear the body of Christ apart. And church, let’s be clear—these don’t form Christ in us. They deform us. They bend us out of His shape, out of His love, and they leave us gasping for breath. But here’s the hope: Galatians doesn’t stop there. Just a few verses later Paul says, ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.’ In other words, when you breathe in the presence of God—when you slow down enough to receive the Word He has already implanted in you—the Spirit who already lives in you brings this fruit to the surface. What comes out of you is no longer the chaos of the flesh, but the life of Christ. And I’ve said it before, what comes out of you is usually the evidence ion what’s happening within you.

Listen, church… What’s your daily rhythm? What are you inhaling before you speak? Again… listen, The world doesn't need more people who are right—it needs more people who are whole.

I'm gonna call up our worship team for us to close, and I want to finish my story.

Here's the thing... all of the voices in our life want us to react. To respond. To lash out at others... or to speak ill of others... or to assume or shame or put down. Think about it—the voice of anxiety doesn't just want you to worry, it wants you to speak that worry over others. What if this happens? What if that goes wrong?" The voice of comparison doesn't just want you to feel inferior, it wants you to tear others down to build yourself up. The voice of hurry doesn't just want you to rush, it wants you to be impatient with everyone who's moving slower than you. All these voices have the same goal: get you to exhale before you inhale. Get you to speak from your wounds instead of from God's healing. Get you to react from your fears instead of respond from His love. But that morning by the pond, when I finally stopped listening to all that noise and started breathing in God's presence, that's when I saw something… I noticed something beautiful in the water… Two fish. Just floating there. Not swimming frantically. Not searching for anything. Just being still in the water that surrounded them. And it hit me: they weren't struggling to stay wet. They weren't anxious about whether the water would be there tomorrow. They were simply surrounded by what they needed, held by what sustained them, breathing in what gave them life.

That's when I realized something about myself—about all of us. We spend so much of our lives frantically swimming around life, looking for God's presence, trying to create spiritual moments, working up feelings, striving to earn His approval, creating what we would call church or faith, and we ,live so exhausted in trying to find God anywhere and everywhere… but he’s already there. Just like those fish, we're already surrounded by what we need. And if we have come to faith in Jesus... we're already given what we've been searching for. His very presence. You see, through faith, by grace, you've already been brought into the very center of God's life. The Father is delighting in the Son, the Son is glorifying the Father, and the Spirit of Christ is already living in you. You're not trying to get God's attention—you already have it. And if you do not have faith in Jesus Christ... if you've never surrendered your life to Him... then friend, this morning isn't just about learning a better rhythm for your relationships. This is an invitation into the very life of God Himself. You see, the reason you feel like you're frantically swimming, the reason those voices of anxiety and comparison and hurry feel so loud, is because you're trying to find in this world what can only be found in Christ. You're looking for love that won't disappoint you, peace that won't be shaken, joy that won't fade—and all of that is waiting for you in Jesus. Listen, friend… The gospel isn't complicated: Jesus lived the perfect life you couldn't live, died the death you deserved to die, and rose again to give you the life you could never earn. And when you put your faith in Him—when you stop trying to save yourself and trust that He's already done it—everything changes.

Church… The invitation is simple: come home……. Come home. Those fish taught me that morning that life isn't about swimming harder—it's about learning to be still long enough to feel the water we're already in. Church, you're already in the water. God's love is already surrounding you. His Spirit is already hovering over you, just like He hovered over the waters at the beginning of creation. The question isn't whether His presence is here. The question is: will you slow down enough to notice him, and will you inhale, pause and exhale his love to others.?

Let’s stand, and worship together. *

Filter

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Matthew chapter nine. We’re going to read our anchor Scripture first, and then, we’ll move on to a few different places in our bibles. But for now, lets anchor ourselves in this moment in Matthew, to see how compassion unfolds with Jesus. So, Matthew chapter 9, and when you’re ready to read the word together, say amen. Verse 35… 35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Last week, we talked about what it means to stop and see. We saw how Jesus didn’t just glance at the crowd—He really saw them. He noticed their pain, their exhaustion, their hopelessness. And we asked the question, “Do we see people the way Jesus sees them?” We talked about the need to slow down, to lift our eyes from our own schedules, and to see the image of God in the people right in front of us. But seeing is only the beginning. Because the truth is, even when we see people, we don’t always see them clearly. Think about it… our vision is shaped, and sometimes even warped, by the filters we’ve picked up along the way in life. IN today’s world, we see filters everywhere. Snapchat is a favorite among a lot of our younger generation, where you can take a perfectly normal photo of yourself and add a filter—suddenly you’ve got puppy ears, or a cartoon face, or a crown on your head. Here, let me show you a few I found of myself this week. It’s fun to laugh at those because they’re harmless. They change how we look in a picture, but they don’t change who we are. The filters I’m talking about today go deeper than photographs. They’re the ones we pick up through life—our upbringing, our culture, our wounds, our preferences. The danger is that they change how we see people. They can blur the image of God in someone, replacing compassion with judgment, grace with suspicion, and drawing near with pulling away.

What if Jesus looked at people through those kinds of filters? But yet, our anchor text said, When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. That word.. compassion do you remember what it means? It meant that when Jesus saw the people… every single one that was present… he was moved deep within his bowels for them. It’s the idea of being moved in the deepest part of your gut. And I think about that feeling. Like the butterflies on the first time I saw Alicia. I was moved deep within the core of my soul. Or the first time I saw each of our children. There was a deepness within my core, it was like… a mixture of of love, joy, and an almost aching awareness that life would never be the same again. And here’s the question that wrecks me…. what would it look like for us, as a church, to be moved like that toward everyone, even our enemies? Not just the ones we love or who love us back, but those who may never thank us, never agree with us, and might even reject us. Before we go further, I want to pause and teach into this for a moment. In the Beatitudes, which begins in chapter 5, it says, in verse one… Now when Jesus saw the crowds. And as he saw them, he began to teach them. And when you really stop and think about the word crowds, it’s not just a number—it’s a mix. Right… like a bag of skittles. Many different colors and flavors. It’s people from different backgrounds, different languages, different upbringings, different political views, different moral choices. People carrying wounds you can’t see and sins you can’t imagine. People with personalities that would probably rub you raw if you had to stand next to them too long.

And in the middle of this massive crowd, right at the end of His sermon, Jesus leans in and says something that flips their whole understanding upside down. He says in Matthew 5:43 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. What?… like, did you hear what Jesus said? you’ll have enemies. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with that. I like harmony. In my top five leadership strengths, harmony is number 3. I want everyone to be my friend. But the truth is, my personality will rub some people the wrong way. And I’ll be honest, there are people I struggle to be around, too. But Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat it—He says you will have enemies in this world. People who are hostile toward you. People who misunderstand you, misrepresent you, maybe even try to tear you down. So when someone speaks ill of you, or twists your words, or opposes you—don’t be shocked. Be ready… ready to love them in return. But that raises a huge question……… HOW? How do you love someone who’s hostile towa4rds you? How does compassion fit into that category? Listen ot what Dietrich Bonhoeffer says about our eneiomes. , who suffered and was eventually killed in Nazi Germany, wrote in his book The Cost of Discipleship: He said, “This is the supreme command: through the medium of prayer, we go to our enemy, stand by his side, and plead for him to God.” That’s radical! Can you imagine standing next to someone thats not just in disagreement with you, but a person who wants to harm you or is hostile towards you and you come beside of them, and plead for them before God. Right! That is everything against my natural nature. But yet, in the midst of this, we read Jesus’s words, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Think about what is written to Timothy…in 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul tells young Timothy about leadership in the church. He says, … “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” That does not say some may be persecuted. It says all will be persecuted. Everybody. Do you want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus? Identify with him, proclaim him in the world? You will experience hostility in this world. And maybe, that is why we all struggle to be evangelist, or people of Christ with a heart for the lost. We’ve fallen in love with persecuting others rather than being persecuted. In fact, look at what Jesus says in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” In other words, if everyone only says positive things about you in this fallen world, you’re probably not taking a true stand for Jesus and you’re not in good company. Thats worrisome for me. Because the truth is, I like comfort. I like being liked. But Jesus calls us to something deeper than comfort—He calls us to have this deep rooted compassion for everyone, I-even those who are hard to love. I think of Romans 12:1–2 all the time… , where Paul urges us to be living sacrifices. And then he says this: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Or, as The Message paraphrase puts it: Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. That’s exactly the tension here. Why would we love our enemies? Why would we pray for them? And not just pray from a safe distance—but why are we called to come close, stand beside them, kneel with them in their pain, sit with them in their hardships, and plead for them before God? Here’s Jesus’ answer. and its amazingly beautiful. We love our enemies like this… because we have been loved by God like this. Has it ever occurred to you that every person in this room, either right now, at or at one time was or is an enemy of God? Let’s not forget it, we weren’t always singing songs about Jesus, sitting in church, and talking about His goodness. We were once His enemies. Not neutral. Not “a little lost.” No, we were running from him. Choosing our way over His way. Shaking our fists at the very God who gave us breath. And yet… He loved us, even in and through our rebellion. And still loves us.. even in our little tiny moments of rebellion. This is the gospel that we preach. That we live. that we celebrate every Sunday. The very foundation of our faith. We have been lovingly created by God for relationship with Him, and yet every single one of us turned away. We defied the Holy God of the universe and, in doing so, earned eternal judgment. But God……….oh, those are two of the sweetest words in the Bible…..but God loves His enemies. He loves them so much that He sent His only Son into the messiness off our lives ot show us compassion. Jesus died for every sin, every offense, every act of rebellion. And then, three days later, He walked out of the grave in victory. Which means that anyone—no matter who you are or what you’ve done—if you will trust in this “agape” love, God will wipe away every sin. Gone. Forgotten. You’ll be restored to Him forever. This is Romans 5:8,10: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… 10, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” And Peter picks up the same thought: “When you do good and you suffer for it, endure… this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you might follow in His steps.” What does that mean??—is tmeansx this… loving those who do not love us back is part of the deal of our faith.

So what does this love actually look like? Let’s work backward through what Jesus says. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a greeting. Verse 47 says, “If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?” That’s so ordinary it almost feels out of place in a passage about enemies. But it’s not. Jesus means this for all of life. Who will you greet today? Like, I think of church sometime and we take a time to greet, and I wonder, are there people we try to avoid? Or even out in the world, are there people you just try hide from? Are you Only greeting the people who greet you first? Only the ones you like? Only your friends? Jesus says, greet the ones who are at odds with you. This is how we challenge our faith.. can we love those against us? Who annoy us, can we see them in a different way other than enemy, but created in gods image and needing grace just as we need grace? It may not fix the relationship, but it removes the option of snubbing them. Because love can be as small—and as big—as a simple hello. And listen, most reconciliations don’t begin with a long conversation or a deep apology. They begin with that one small step… a simple, genuine, “Hey.”

Other times it’s meeting a simple physical need. Verse 45 says God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Have you ever thought about that every person here needs food and water? Even those who are at odds with you need water and food to live. And we all want life. That’s a part pf our daily life, food, water. And after church naps. In this moment, love isn’t just an idea, its practical. Its a practical effort to meet the needs of those around you. Paul picks this up in Romans 12:20, quoting Proverbs: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In other words, don’t just feel something toward your enemy—do something for them. Sometimes love looks like groceries showing up at their door. Sometimes it’s paying for the meal of someone who’s hurt you. Sometimes it’s a blanket for someone sleeping outside—even if that someone cursed you last week. Sometimes, its writing a card and saying hi. Thinking of you. Loving your enemy isn’t just a warm feeling in your heart—it’s choosing to step into their need, even when they don’t deserve it, just like God does for you every single day.

Which leads me to the third need. Prayer. Verse 44 says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Prayer is one of the deepest forms of love because you can’t fake it in God’s presence. You have to actually want something good for them if you’re going to pray for them. It might be their salvation. It might be their repentance. It might even be that God stops them in their sin for their own good. But it’s for their good. That’s what Jesus prayed from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” And Stephen, as the stones were hitting him, prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” This isn’t just doing nice things for an enemy you still secretly hope will fail. This is actually wanting their best, even when they’re not around to see it. And this is us being obedient… did you know that Jesus commands for us to live like this? Remember he say, ”Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

And here’s where it comes back to those filters we talked about at the start. Every one of these things—greeting, meeting needs, praying for enemies—requires seeing people the way Jesus sees them. And that means letting Him take off the filters that blur the image of God that we see in others. Have you ever thought about that? You have filters in real life. We all do. The way you were raised. The culture you grew up in. The hurts you’ve carried. The preferences you’ve built. Those filters shape how you see people—sometimes in ways you don’t even notice. And here’s the thing—if those filters stay on, you’ll never see people the way Jesus does. Compassion for others will always be selective. As we close, and the worship team comes back to lead us in our benediction., I want to share with you some filters I think hinder compassion towards others.

1. The Performance Filter This filter says, “I’ll love you when you’ve earned it. I’ll be kind when you’ve proved yourself worthy of my time.” It’s the scoreboard in your heart, keeping track of who’s pulled their weight, who’s done enough, who’s apologized the right way. The problem? If God used that filter, none of us would be here. Romans 5:8 says, “God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Not after you cleaned yourself up. Not after you got your act together. While you were still in full rebellion against Him, Christ went to the cross for you. If He could take that filter off for you, how can you keep it on for someone else?

The next filter is a sneaky one. It’s the Appearance Filter. We don’t even notice it half the time. It’s the snap judgment you make based on what someone wears, how they talk, what neighborhood they live in, how put-together—or not—they seem. But God warns against this in 1 Samuel 16:7, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesus saw the leper—someone the culture labeled “unclean”—and He touched him. He saw Zacchaeus—a man despised as a traitor—and He invited Himself to his house. He saw the Samaritan woman at the well—a scandal in her community—and He offered her living water. If you only see the outside, you’ll miss the soul God died to save.

The third filter is a church killer. This is why so many churches struggle. Its because they have the The Tribal Filter This is the filter that only lets people in if they’re “like us.” They have to think like you, vote like you, worship like you, raise their kids like you. If they don’t, they’re “the other.” But Galatians 3:28 says, “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The gospel isn’t tribal—it’s global. Jesus didn’t die to make you more comfortable with your own group; He died to make enemies into family. And let’s be honest—sometimes our “tribe” feels safer because it shields us from being challenged. But the cross tears down those walls. If your love stops at the edge of your group, it’s not the love of Jesus yet.

Ands lastly, 4. The Self-Protection Filter This filter grows out of pain. You’ve been betrayed, lied to, used, hurt. So now you keep your guard up. You keep people at a safe distance. You call it wisdom, but often it’s just fear. And fear kills compassion. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love drives out fear.” Real love takes the risk of being hurt again. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him—and still washed His feet. He knew Peter would deny Him—and still called him “the rock.” He knew you would fail Him—and still went to the cross. The safest place for your heart isn’t behind a wall; it’s in the hands of the One who risked everything to love you.

This… this is how we live out our new vision, church. To bring the gospel to every heart, every neighborhood, and every generation, one relationship at a time.” When those filters come off, you can greet without snubbing. You can meet a need without resentment. You can pray for someone’s good without bitterness. And in that moment, the world doesn’t just see you—they see Christ in you. This is how we love our enemies. This is how we live compassion without filters. And it’s not because they deserve it—it’s because Jesus loved us like this when we were His enemies. So let’s stand together as one body, and let’s declare this out loud—not just as words we say, but as a way we choose to live:

“Jesus, help us love like You. Help us see through Your eyes. Break our filters. Fill us with Your Spirit. And use us to show Your love— to every heart, every neighborhood, and every generation— one relationship at a time. Amen.”

Lets pray. And sing our benediction. *

Compassion - Week 3

If you’ve got a Bible—and I hope you or somebody close to you does—I want to invite you to open up with me to Matthew 14. This is where we’re going to begin our time together today. And as we walk through this story, we’re going to make our way to John 21 by the end. And as you’re turning there, let me just say this: we’ve been sitting in this word—compassion—for the last couple of weeks. Watching Jesus. Listening to Jesus. Trying to understand what He saw when He looked at people. Trying to understand what He felt. And if we’re honest—and I mean really honest about our faith and what we believe… —those first two parts of compassion, the ones we’ve looked at these past weeks? Seeing people and feeling something for them? Those are still kind of easy. You can walk past a hurting person and have a moment of sympathy. You can drop a few dollars in a cup or say a quick prayer and feel like you’ve done something good. And in a way, maybe you have. But the truth is—nothing really changed in you. You saw. You felt. But then you moved on. Maybe not even showing another soul any compassion, mercy or grace for some while. And if we’re not careful, we can live like that—helping just enough to feel helpful, but not enough to be changed. We can show pity without ever knowing the heart of Christ. We can serve without surrender. We can hand out compassion like a product instead of living it as a commission.

Let’s read this together—Matthew 14, starting in verse 13: When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. So, before we really begin, I dont want to rush past something we see here because it exposes something we’re all vulnerable to. Every one of us is tempted to treat Jesus as a tool for our plans instead of the treasure of our lives. It’s possible,…..completely possible…..to wear the name “Christian” and yet build a version of faith where Jesus is simply the pathway to get the things we want most. And rightly so… think about that we just read here… This crowd wants to be healed of their diseases. They want evil spirits cast out of them. So they press in around Him, trying to touch Him, in order to get what they want. It’s not that they want Jesus. They want these things—healing, deliverance, whatever it is—and they see Jesus….. as a means to those things. The best way I can explain this kind of faith is like this. You’re stranded in open water, fighting to stay afloat, certain you’re not going to make it. And Then, far off, you spot a rescue boat heading toward you. And so, wanting to live, wanting a better situation, you begin to come closer, and wave, and yell to get the captains attention,. In that moment of desperations you want that boat. You’ll climb in the moment it arrives, because it’s your way out. But here’s the thing—wanting the rescue doesn’t automatically mean you love the captain. You can be thankskul he saw you, you can You can long for safety but, even in the deepness of your heart, still be indifferent toward the one who saved you. And if we’re not careful, that’s exactly what our faith can become. We can be glad Jesus saves us from hell, eager for His blessings, thankful for His provision, and still never truly want Him. Crowds can chase after His miracles and yet completely miss His heart. The question is, when all the gifts are stripped away, do we still want the Giver? And I want to be completely honest with you… I wrestle with this question every single day. I have to ask myself, “What in my life am I wanting from Christ more than Christ Himself?” Because if I’m honest, it’s frighteningly easy to want comfort more than I want Him. Or success. Or answers. Or relief from the things that hurt. And none of those things are wrong to desire, but they become dangerous when my heart quietly starts to believe that Jesus is valuable only because He gives them to me. And Listen, church…..The danger isn’t that we stop calling ourselves Christians. Thats not the danger. The real danger in our salvation and faith is that we can keep using His name, while living for what we love more than loving Him.

So, here’s what I don’t want us to miss in this moment. Jesus has just received the devastating news about John — His cousin, His forerunner — and He withdraws. This is real grief. This is family. And yet, when He steps off the boat, there they are — the crowd — pressing in, pulling on Him, each with their own needs and stories. This is so natural of humanity. All of us….are drawn to anyone or anything that meets our needs. That makes us more comfortable. And this is where the Spirit confronts me. Because if I’m honest, this is where, if people were pressing in on me, and hurting myself… my flesh wants to say, “Not today.” This is where my heart starts whispering, “I need space… I need to take care of myself first… I just can’t deal with people right now.” And you know what that is? That’s comfort talking. That’s the voice in me that says compassion can wait until it’s convenient. But Jesus doesn’t think that way. True compassion is not postponed until life is comfortable. If comfort was the condition for His compassion, there would be no cross. There would be no gospel. There would be no hope for you or for me. And here’s the danger — not just for them, but for us. Comfort, when it becomes the deciding factor for whether or not we love and want to invest in people, turns into idolatry. It’s not a gift from God anymore; it’s a throne we’ve put in the center of our lives. And that throne will never produce Christlike compassion — because comfort will always tell you to stay where you are. Paul understood this. Philippians 1:13 — “It has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” These aren’t metaphorical chains. This is cold, heavy iron, biting into his wrists. Yet the man who wrote those words is not obsessed with getting out — he’s obsessed with making Christ known where he is. Just a few verses later he says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Do you see it? Comfort is not found in the absence of hardship; comfort is found in the presence of Jesus. Which means — if Christ is truly your life — you don’t pull away from people in your pain, you pour yourself out for them, because you are safe in Him. Sounds good right? But this isn’t my words.. this isn’t my idea… Right? My natural response would be, I don’t have time. But thats not very Christ driven. How do I know this? Well, look at what Paul tells the Corinthians? “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” We live in a world where affliction is real. And our comfort is real. AAnd here, Paul says, Our God is the God of all comfort. Our God is the father of mercies and he comforts us in our affliction. When we walk through affliction, God is not distant from us. God is not far from us. God is with us. He comforts us in our affliction. And I think about how families in our church have needs,and I want o comfort them in every way I can. And to know this is how God sees us in our affliction, that he comes to comfort us in our affliction. That encourages me. Then the beauty here is not just so that we might receive his comfort but that as we are comforted by God himself, then we can be a reflection of his comfort to others. So that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. So I think about how God has been so gracious to me in affliction. I mean…. Wow! Like, thin about this… Jesus in this moment of affliction, was comforted by God, and was able to comfort others in their affliction. And that comfort is in you.. have you thought about that? That God is the God who comforts, its his very name,. …. but yet, he goes further. … it also points to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, who Jesus calls The Comforter. You have The Comforter, capital C, living inside you as you walk through afflictions, hardship, and challenges. You know the God of All Comfort. The Comforter lives inside of you. He comforts us in all our affliction. So God comforts us when we walk through affliction. That in and of itself is awesome. So awesome! Then, as if thats not awesome enough… God takes it further. Paul says He comforts us “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction.” Do you see that? Not just so you can breathe easier. Not just so you can get through the night. He comforts you so that you become a dispenser of comfort. So that your life becomes a channel. So that the mercy you’ve received flows out of you to someone else who’s in pain. And I want you to pause and think about that word affliction. Think about the challenges. The loss. The nights you didn’t think you’d make it. The pain you’ve carried. The trials that broke you. And then……… remember how God met you there. It may have been in a verse you couldn’t stop reading. A song you couldn’t stop singing. A friend who sat with you in silence. It’s there — I promise you — the comfort of God in your darkest places. Remember pslam 34, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." That’s why we praise Him. He’s “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” And then — as if it couldn’t get any better — He says, “Now go and give it away.” Not hoard it. Not hide it. Not keep it locked in your testimony like a trophy on a shelf. But spend it. Pour it out. Let the comfort you’ve received be the comfort you extend. Oh church, hear me in This… — if Christ is not your life, if all he is is a ticket to everlasting life, with no relationship, no love for the king, no love for the savior…., you don’t have access to that kind of comfort, nor do you have that kind of comfort to give. If Christ is not the center, you can’t give what you haven’t received. But if He is your life… then your pain becomes someone else’s hope. Your scars become someone else’s healing. Your story becomes someone else’s song of praise to the God who comforted you.

And here’s the sobering reality — if you’re a follower of Jesus, He’s not just calling you to admire His compassion, He’s calling you to join Him in it. Look with me in verse 15… As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Feel the weight of this…— the disciples are looking at the situation through the lens and the filter of their lack. They are weighing the options. The hour is late. The location is remote. The crowd is massive. The resources are dwindling. And their solution? Push the problem away. ………You deal with it. You do it. Or send them away. Look with me again at verse 16.. 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Before Jesus does anything with loaves or fish, He looks straight at His disciples and says, You do it. And immediately, you can almost see the panic in their eyes. They look at the crowd—thousands of people. They look at the hour—it’s late. They look at the location—it’s remote. And then they look down at their own hand at what recourses they have—five loaves, two fish. Nothing but a Hebrew lunchable. Their whole calculation, on whether or not they ill have compassion… is based on what they see in themselves. And the conclusion? This is impossible. And isn’t that exactly where so many of us live? We see the need—massive. We see the resources—tiny. And we default to the same line: ‘Send them away. Let someone else handle it. It’s not that I don’t care… it’s just that I can’t fix this. But here’s the reality—when you measure the need against your own supply, you will always come up short. You will always say, ‘It’s impossible.’ You will always try to preserve what you have. But when you measure the need against the power of Christ, you will hear Him say, ‘Bring it here to Me.’ He’s not asking for what you don’t have. He’s not waiting until you feel ready. He’s looking for what’s in your hands—however small—right now… and He’s saying, ‘Will you trust Me enough to give it away? Will you lay it down so I can multiply it for My glory? And here’s the danger, church—if you hold on to what you have because you think it’s too small, you rob yourself of seeing what God can do with it. That’s the tragedy in so many of our lives. We wait until we have more time before we serve. We wait until we have more money before we give. We wait until we feel more confident before we open our mouths about Christ. And all the while, Jesus is standing in front of us saying, ‘Bring Me what you have.’ Five loaves. Two fish. That’s it. That’s all I got.. But the miracle wasn’t in the loaves and fish. The miracle was in whose hands they were placed.

This week, I got to thinking about this… how many times I have walked away? How many times in my life I said, God, its impossible for me, that means its impossible for you. And I walked away, and I gave up and I didn’t trust in what little I had in his hands..… And in the midst of my walking away, was not just being overwhelmed,…. but unbelief. And I get emotional… because here’s the truth behind that kind of attitude… when I came face to face with that question, I recognized this… I make my faith about me. About my own provision. My own comfort. Not being Christ centered, but Matthew centered. Not for His glory… but for my convenience, my image, my comfort. I am no different than Peter. Because in this moment, the disciples were looking at what they had to give, and it wasn’t enough. And they knew it. But then I think of Peter, in the upper room, full of boldness, looking Jesus in the eye and saying, “Even if all fall away, I will not. I’m ready to go with You to prison and to death.” That’s Peter’s way of saying, “It’s possible for me.” And yet hours later, in the shadows of a courtyard, he’s swearing, “I don’t even know the man.” Not once. Not twice. But Three times. And when the rooster crowed, the boldness was gone, replaced by shame and the crushing weight of failure. That’s what happens when faith is about your strength, and your provision instead of His. That’s what happens when you build your confidence on what you think you can bring to the table. Because when you fail—and you will—you’re left believing you’ve disqualified yourself.

And I’ve watched it happen. (Thinking of Jims death) In just eight years of ministry, I’ve seen Gods people ravages just like Jesus says to Peter… Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat” I’ve seen people who once served with passion get crushed under the weight of their own failures. Some walked away quietly, convinced God was done with them. However,… some carried shame until it consumed them. And yes, then I had to stand at gravesides, ministering at funerals for people who never made it back.

But listen closely—failure is not the end of your story. It never is with Jesus. Your failure doesn’t have to be final. Your mistake doesn’t have to define you. I need you to underhand that… when I think of successful people, I think about Jesse Cole, the owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team. He talks about how they’ve failed hundreds of times—crazy ideas that didn’t work, things that flopped. But you know what? Even in their failures and bad decisions, they’ve become wildly successful. Because failure became a means of growth. And that’s true in your life, too. Failure can be a doorway. Failure can be a teacher. Failure can actually be the soil where God grows something new in you. Listen to what this verse from earlier.. says: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3– Do you see it? God doesn’t waste your failures. He redeems them. He comforts you so you can comfort others. He restores you so you can restore others. He feeds you so you can feed others. Not in what you think your provisions is, but by placing that in his hands and trusting Christ will provide. And we don’t just see that in Paul’s words — we see that play out in Peter’s life. I want ot show you this…in John 21. Here’s Peter, the guy who denied Jesus three times. The guy who swore, “I’ll never leave You,” and then ran when it mattered most. Talk about failure. If anybody thought God was done with them, it was Peter. But watch what happens. The disciples had been out fishing all night. These were professional fishermen — and they caught nothing. Sound familiar? That’s Matthew 14 all over again. Hungry crowds. Empty hands. Not enough. And what does Jesus do in Matthew 14? He takes what little they had and feeds the multitudes. He meets the need.

And now here’s Peter in John 21 — empty nets, empty hands, and an empty heart, weighed down with shame. And once again, Jesus steps in. He calls from the shore, “Throw your nets on the other side.” Suddenly the nets are overflowing with fish. Just like before. But this time, it’s not just about the crowd. This miracle isn’t for the masses. It’s for one man. It’s for Peter. It’s Jesus saying, “Peter, I haven’t given up on you. I can still use you. I can take your failure, and your lack of faith and turn it into fruitfulness.” And then Jesus says the most ordinary, yet most powerful words… look with me in verse 12…: “Come and have breakfast.” No lecture. No shame. No “I told you so.” Just an invitation. “Come sit with Me. Come eat with Me. Come be restored.” And here’s what blows me away. In Matthew 14, when the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Send the crowds away so they can get food,” Jesus turned it right back on them: “No — YOU give them something to eat.” Did you catch that? Jesus was training them all along. He wasn’t just showing them His compassion — He was teaching them to carry it. He was preparing them to be the ones who would feed the hungry and care for the broken. He was showing them… to stop looking at your provision and look to me… Now fast forward back to John 21. Jesus restores Peter with three powerful words: “Feed my sheep.” Do you see the connection? In Matthew 14, it was “You feed them.” In John 21, it becomes “Feed my sheep.” Same call. Same heart. The difference is that in Matthew 14, it was about the crowd — in John 21, it’s about the one who failed. And this is where it gets so personal. Jesus doesn’t just feed you so you can feel full. He feeds you so you can feed others. He comforts you so you can comfort others. He restores you so you can restore others. I mean, I can’t make this stuff up! Think about it.. Both of these miracles — the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14 and the restoration of Peter in John 21 — have something in common. They are both centered on Jesus. Think about it. In Matthew 14, the disciples wanted to send the crowd away. They didn’t have the resources. They didn’t have a plan. But Jesus said, “Bring what you have to me.” And when they put it in His hands, He blessed it, broke it, and multiplied it. And then was used to love on people. In John 21, Peter carried the crushing weight of his failure. He denied the Lord three times. He couldn’t undo it. He couldn’t fix it. But Jesus didn’t leave him there. Jesus invited him to breakfast, forgave him, and gave him a new mission: “Feed my sheep.” It was Jesus who restored Peter. So that Peter could do what… love others. Do you see it? Both moments were impossible without Jesus. The disciples couldn’t feed the crowd. Peter couldn’t fix his failure. But Jesus could. And Jesus did.

And here’s the big point and as our worship team comes up to prepare us for communion. : God never comforts you just for you. He comforts you so that you can comfort others. That little phrase in 2 corinthians 1:4 …. — “so that” — it changes everything. God doesn’t bless you to stop with you. He blesses you so it can flow through you. He restores you so you can restore someone else. He feeds you so you can feed others. He takes your resources so that he can multiply it… form his glory.. not our own. That’s why Jesus says in Matthew 14, “You feed them.” And that’s why He tells Peter in John 21, “Feed my sheep.” It’s the same call, to every believer: Don’t just take in God’s mercy, pass it on. Don’t just receive or look for comfort, share it. Don’t just enjoy His grace, extend it. You see, church, you were not saved to sit. You were saved to serve. You were not redeemed to retreat. You were redeemed to reach out. Every single follower of Jesus is called into this mission. To make Christ, the center of the mission. But here’s the truth — you can’t feed anyone else until you’ve been fed by Him. You can’t comfort until you’ve been comforted. You can’t pour out grace until you’ve received it. And that’s why this table matters. Communion is not just bread and cup — it’s Jesus saying, “Come and eat. Come and be filled. Come and be restored. Come to. Be solely focused on me… not what you have… not what you think your gonna lose.. not what you want, but what he wants. So before we go out to serve, we come in to be nourished. Before we give, we receive. Before we carry the bread of life to the world, we take it into ourselves. This is where strength is found. This is where compassion begins. Here’s what I want us to do: as you come forward and take the bread and cup. And go, back to your seat and ask.. God, search my heart. Where, in my life have I not trusted you with what little I have.

And as you do that, we will take communion together here in a moment…

Pick up the communion… Ana tell story. Before we take communion, let me tell you a story. It was 1934, in Charlotte, North Carolina. A church had invited a preacher to hold revival meetings under a big tent. Night after night, people gathered. The place was packed. Every night. And one evening, two teenage boys showed up. They stood in the back for a moment, looked at the crowd, and decided, “There’s no way. No room for us. Let’s go home.” But before they could slip out, an ordinary usher saw them. Just a regular church man—no spotlight, no title, not a preacher, not famous. Just faithful. He walked over, put his hand on their shoulders, and said, “Come with me. I’ll find you a seat.” And he did. That’s all. Nothing dramatic. Nothing anyone else remembered. But that small act changed history. Because one of those teenage boys went forward that night and gave his life to Christ. His name? Billy Graham. His friend? Grady Wilson. The preacher? Was Mordecai Ham. You may know all those names. But…. you don’t know the usher’s name. Nobody remembers. Except God. And here’s what I want you to see: that unnamed usher fed the sheep of Jesus. He gave what little he had—his time, his kindness, his faithfulness—and through that, millions have been fed the gospel. And now—here we are. Jesus still says the same thing to His followers: “Feed My sheep.” Why? Because this is our Horizon: to bring the gospel to every heart, every neighborhood, and every generation—one relationship at a time. You See, church, sometimes the greatest barrier to compassion isn’t that we don’t care—it’s that we cling. We cling to comfort. We cling to security. We cling to provision. But the gospel shows us that the safest place for anything God gives us—our gifts, our time, our resources, our lives—is in His hands. And as we take this communion… lets remember, we don’t need to protect what we have—we need to plant what we’ve been given. Because Jesus didn’t save us to sit. He saved us to serve. He didn’t redeem us to retreat. He redeemed us to reach. He didn’t call us to hide, he called us to take this gospel, to every heart, every neighborhood, and every generation—one relationship at a time.

“This is the body of Christ, broken for you. This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.”

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Compassion - Week 1: Stop and See

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Matthew’s gospel, and find with me chapter 9. We’re in a year-long journey called Just Jesus—a commitment to see Him, know Him, love Him, and live like Him in 2025. And today we’re beginning a new mini-series within that called Compassion. Each week this month, I’ll challenge you to become a person of compassion. And at the end of each sermon, we’ll focus on one specific way to live that out. Today, we begin with this: the compassion of seeing. Now, let me remind you where we’ve just come from. We wrapped up a series called Into the Deep, and our final message was all about The Commission of Christ—how Jesus calls every disciple not just to follow Him, but to be sent by Him. But here’s the danger: if we hear the word “commission” and only think of doing big things— going, preaching, building— we might miss what it looks like to actually live it out. So here’s a simple, idea to begin with today: compassion isn’t just kindness. It’s not a warm fuzzy feeling we have when we spot someone hurting. No—true compassion is seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus, and then doing something about it. So it’s more than pity. It’s presence. It’s proximity. It’s action. And I want to start in Matthew 9 and find with me, verses 35 through 38. 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Now, I'm going to stop here for a moment… because I want you to notice something… In this whole chapter, you have Jesus traveling.. and while he is traveling, his disciples are following, and watching, and learning, and people are doing the same. And so, he’s teaching, He is proclaiming. He is healing. And look at this last part.. he says, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ” SO this next part is what this field looks like, and what would workers will face… it shows us why the workers are few… So look with me what that commission looks like in the next chapter, chapter 10, and beginning with verse one. 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him And what did he tell them whwern thy got close? He gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Now, pause again. That sounds strange to us, doesn’t it? Why would Jesus restrict their mission field? Well listen—this is not about exclusion. This is about progression. Right? They didn’t know about the calling in Matthew 28 to go to all nations… or the calling in acts 1 where Jesus goes, the power of the holy Spirit will come on you to be my witnessed to jeruslam, Samaria and Judea and the whole world Jesus is starting right in their home place.. in Israel, with the lost sheep of God's chosen people, because the message must go to them first. But don’t miss the point—this is not where the mission ends. This is where it begins. But before they can go global, they must go local. They must start with the people right in front of them. So Jesus is saying—Go. Go to those who are near. Go to those in need. And when you go—go with authority, with your aubrhtory. Go with power. Go with compassion. And look at the commission in verse 7 and 8… “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matt. 10:7–8) Now hear me—this is where the connection is made. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Believe in Me.” He says, “Follow Me.” Why the difference? I mean, cultural Christianity is just like that isn’t it? Believe in Jesus… all is well. But.. I can believe and not be following. We’ve made Christianity about believing things. Like—if I just believe the right stuff, I’m good. But Jesus didn’t walk up to people and say, “Hey, do you believe I’m the Son of God? Cool. Carry on.” No. He said, “Follow Me.” Follow Me. !!!! Drop everything. Let go of your plans. Lay down your life. Come with Me. And I wonder—how many of us say we believe, but we’ve never actually followed? I’m not trying to guilt you. I’m not. I’ve just been so convicted by this. Because I grew up thinking belief was enough. But the demons believe. Right? James says that. They believe… and they tremble. But do we? Do we tremble at His Word? Do we live like the kingdom of heaven is near? Or do we just check a box, say a prayer, show up on Sundays, and think that’s what He meant?

Last week I said, all those who are disciples, are commissioned. Right? If you ain't fishing, you ain't following… But I held back from going too deep into what that looks like inside the church, inside our community. Because I wanted us to walk through this whole month learning what compassion actually is. Because compassion… that’s what the commission looks like when it touches real people. Compassion is the visible evidence that we’ve said yes to Jesus—not just in our minds, but with our lives. It’s not a warm feeling. It’s not just saying, “I’ll pray for you.” It’s movement. It’s presence. It’s love that costs you something.

And here’s what I believe—many Christians love the idea of the Great Commission, but we avoid the cost of it. We sing about it. We wear the t-shirts. We celebrate the missionaries. But when it comes to stepping into suffering… when it means slowing down, showing up, and sacrificing our time, our comfort, maybe even our reputation… we hesitate. Because compassion always costs something. You can’t separate the commission from compassion. When Jesus sends us, He sends us with His heart. And His heart breaks for the broken. That’s who He is.

You know, I wear these glasses. And they’re kind of unique—my first pair of transitional bifocals with invisible lines. It’s wild. There’s no hard division in the middle. No obvious line where one lens stops and the other begins. It just transitions. Smoothly. Seamlessly. From one view to the other. Near and far… brought together in one lens. And I was thinking—that’s exactly what compassion looks like in the life of a follower of Jesus. There’s no line between “I believe in Jesus” and “I love people like Jesus.” It’s not like you can separate the spiritual from the practical. You can’t say, “Well, I do the Bible part, but I’m not really into the people part.” No. In the kingdom, those two things blend together. Just like these lenses—no break. No division. Just one lens. One life. One heart—aligned with the heart of Jesus. When we really see people through His eyes, there’s no such thing as “that’s not my calling” or “that’s not my ministry.” Because if Christ lives in you, compassion is your lens. You see pain… and you can’t unsee it. You see someone hurting… and something in you has to move toward them. That’s the Spirit of God in you. That’s the call of discipleship. That’s what happens when the Great Commission becomes more than just a verse you memorize—it becomes the lens you live through.

Now, lets go deeper… first, what do we see through this lens of compassion? Well, Compassion Reveals the Condition of the Lost. Look at verse 36 in chapter 9 again: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” This is where things get serious. Because compassion doesn’t just open our eyes to the pain of others—it opens our eyes to their condition before God. And I'm not just talking about poverty and sickness, but I want to include this… Jesus is seeing spiritual desperation in the souls of those he sees. These people aren’t just having a rough day. They’re sheep with no shepherd. To guidance, safety, peace or protection. When we look at the original language, when it says that they are harassed… harassed can mean beaten down, troubled, even torn open. Like the world is ravaging them. And guess what? Their helpless. helpless, here means thrown to the ground—cast down, unable to stand up. That’s how Jesus sees the crowd. as sheep—vulnerable, exhausted, wandering sheep. No direction. No voice to call them to safety. And here’s the piercing question: Is that how we see the people around us? I Just wonder, do we live as commissioned Christian with this kind of urgency? Like, we pass by people every day who are spiritually harassed and helpless. Its estimated that 8 billion people live in this world, and one pew study said, that only about 2.3 billion know Jesus. That means 6 billion people are in this world, without this knowledge of a savior. And I know… that can sound overwhelming… knowing that all people… not just some, but all people have explrteinced helplessness, or harrassed in some wya… but yet, Jesus says, start small. See those who are around you.. So yes—it’s overwhelming. But it’s also personal. Look at what Jesus didn’t say, “Fix the whole world.” He said, “Look at the harvest in front of you.” See what’s right around you. Your kids. Your coworkers. The woman behind the counter. The man with tired eyes sitting alone. Each other here in church. And here’s the thing: when you really see people—when you see the spiritual weight they’re carrying—it changes how you treat them. You stop being annoyed and start being aware. You stop criticizing and start praying. You stop walking past and start walking toward. Why? Because compassion doesn’t just open your eyes to pain. It awakens you to mission. Listen. Church… you will never catch fire for mission if your heart is one of the ones hurting others. James says it plainly: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness… My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (James 3:9–10). Do you hear what James is saying? You can’t worship Jesus on Sunday and wound people with your words on Monday. You can’t raise your hands to heaven and then roll your eyes at the person made in God’s image right in front of you. That’s not just inconsistency and false worship— that’s a compassion problem.

So, Jesus sees the crowd. But not just see them, he feels there suffering. Jesus didn’t just see their size and He didn’t just see their sin. He saw the depth of suffering that plagued them because of their sin. And that’s what moves Him. That’s what ignites His compassion. Because deep beneath the sickness, the poverty, the brokenness… is a deeper problem: separation. They are sheep without a shepherd. Their lost people without a savior. Think of the words, I once was lost, but now im found. Don’t skip past those verses in amazing grace.…being Lost is a real place people live every day. There are lost people all around you… you’re drowning in a sea of lost people, who do not even know of the savior you claim to love. Like this burdens me… so much.. and I wonder, how can any person claim christianity and be drowning in lost people all around them and not be compelled to speak life into them.

I think of the conversation I had with the football coach over lunch recently where a local teen took their own life not too long ago… all around us are teenagers drowning in shame and anxiety, scrolling at 2am, wondering if they matter. There’s the single mom who feels invisible in a world that’s moving too fast. It’s the husband who’s wearing a smile at church but carrying secrets in silence. It’s your neighbor. It’s your barista. It’s your cousin. It might even be you. And if we forget what it feels like to be lost—if we forget the ache, the confusion, the darkness—then we’ll lose our fire for compassion. Jesus never did that… he never lost the passion for the lost! When He looked at the crowd, He didn’t see interruptions. He didn’t see obligations. He saw sons and daughters made in the image of God, separated from the heart of the Father—and His heart broke for them.

And so what does he do? Jesus sees the crowds living in this way and He gives this commission. He says, “Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field” Thats the commission of Christ. And guess where it begins? It begins with prayer. Listen, church… before He sends them out, He calls them to their knees. Why? Because compassion that doesn’t start in prayer will never last in pain. This commission for compassion never starts with a plan, or strategy, or anything else… this heart for compassion’s dn burden for the lost, hopeless and hurting is born within a believer thorough prayer, as you seek the presence of God. That’s where the fire gets lit. You want your heart to beat for the lost? Get alone with the Lord of the harvest. You want to start seeing people the way Jesus sees them? You’ve got to let Him break your heart in the prayer room first. Prayer is such an important part of our life… why… because it slows us down. And I'm not talking about prayer like, Lord, help me get a better parking spot at Walmart. Jesus, be with me as I go to king soopers and hopefully get a deal on eggs. I’m talking about the kind of prayer that makes you stop. The kind of prayer that confronts you. The kind of prayer where your driving down the road with heavy burdens on your heart and mind, listening to worship music and tears begin to flow so heavily that you gotta stop and weep because you’re in the presence of God. And then you sit in the stillness and say, “God… I’m not who I want to be. I see more of me in me, than I see of You in me.” Before Jesus commissioned His disciples into the harvest, He told them to pray to the Lord of the harvest. And maybe, some of us are trying to do the work of God without the heart of God—because we haven’t stopped long enough to pray for it.

So the question is simple: When was the last time you let God interrupt your schedule just to break your heart?

He calls us to pray… and then watch what happens—He calls us to go. What unfolds in Matthew 10 is remarkable. Jesus gathers His disciples, the very ones He told to pray, and then He sends them. Verse 1 says, “He called His twelve disciples to Him…” And that phrase—called to Him—isn’t casual. In the Greek, it’s a compound word that means to summon someone close, to draw them near for a face-to-face encounter. And this just tickles my fancy… Why? Think about it. Jesus says, pray to the Lord of the harvest.. what happens in prayer? It doesn’t call Christ to us, prayer draws us to Christ. Christ is already there in your prayer. He tells us in the great commission in Matthew 28, what? I will be with you always. We’ve got to stop thinking prayer is like some magical force where we summon the power of God on high… no prayer is us seeking the face of Jesus for a face to face encounter. To come close. Because before He ever commissions them to go out, He draws them in. And I just need us to feel that. The call to go always begins with a call to come. You can’t carry the compassion of Jesus unless you’re continually coming back to the feet of Jesus. This is not about going in your own strength. This is about being so close to Christ—so saturated with His presence—that when He says, “Go,” you’re not just carrying a message… you’re carrying His heart. Church, hear me: “The closer you are to Jesus, the more your heart starts to look like His.” Why here? Why start here? And yes, everything does begin and end with Him. But there’s a reason Jesus starts with prayer before He sends them into the harvest. Because He knows something about our hearts—He knows that if compassion starts with us, it will be selective. If compassion is ruled by our own emotions, our own convenience, or our own categories of who we think is worthy, then it will run dry real fast.

Jesus starts with prayer because He knows something we don’t always like to admit: real compassion will cost us. He says the harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few—but He never promises the harvest will be easy. In fact, look down at verse 16 of chapter 10. Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He doesn’t tell His disciples, “Go and everyone will love you.” No—He says, “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves.” That’s a hard image. Not comfort. Not applause. But danger. And then He shows us why. Because if we really follow Him—if we really belong to Him—then what was true of Him will become true of us. Jesus was betrayed. Jesus was rejected. Jesus was hated. And He told us that a student isn’t above their teacher. A servant isn’t above their master. If we’re walking with Jesus, then we should expect the same road He walked—including the suffering. And here’s the sobering truth: the closer you get to Jesus, the more your life will start to clash with the world around you. The deeper your intimacy with Christ, the more costly your obedience will become. I’m not saying this. Jesus is saying this. Look at your Bible… the whole chapter is red for a reason. We begin wit prayer and intimacy because while the world rejects us, Christ does not. People say, “Well if we’d all just become like Jesus the world would love us.” That’s not true, if we all become like Jesus the Bible says the world will hate us, because the world hated Christ. The world didn’t love Jesus—it crucified Him. He was betrayed, beaten, and hung on a cross. Not because He lacked love or grace—but because the truth He carried exposed the darkness. And here’s what He told us: If they hated Me, they will hate you too. That’s not a maybe—it’s a promise. So listen—this is why the commission has to start with compassion. Because if we’re going to follow Jesus into a world that may very well reject us, then we can’t afford to carry shallow motives. We won’t survive with man-made passion or half-hearted conviction. The only thing that will keep us going when it gets hard—when we’re misunderstood, left out, laughed at—is the compassion of Christ beating inside of us. Listen Church, don’t miss this. The more you become like Christ, the more I become like Christ things will not get easier in our lives. The more this church becomes like Christ the more things will not get easier. They will get harder. They will get much, much, harder.

And I can just feel the fear rising in all of us. I want to be like Christ, I want to be compassionate, and see the hurting, and the distressed and dejected… but I don’t want to suffer. Im afraid. And that’s normal. But How do I confront this fear? Here’s how you confront it: number one, see with an eternal perspective. Look at verse 26… “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known” (Matt. 10:26). In other words—yes, the world’s going to throw all kinds of things at you. You’re going to live differently. You’re going to think differently. You’re going to love people in ways that don’t make sense to this culture. But don’t be afraid. Because one day—God will reveal what’s true. One day, all of this will make sense. Justice will be seen. What’s hidden will be brought to light. And on that day, standing with Jesus will be worth every step, every tear, every cost. Second, speak with a holy boldness. I love this imagery, Matthew 10:27 “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” Do you hear the intimacy in that? Jesus speaks to us personally—quietly, deeply, in the hidden places of prayer, surrender, and communion. But it was never meant to stay there. What He whispers in the stillness, we are meant to proclaim in the open. What He teaches us in the dark, we’re meant to shine in the light. listen—there are people around you who are still walking in darkness. And they’re not waiting for a sermon. They’re waiting for someone who’s heard the whisper of God and is willing to speak. To shine. To share. And what Jesus has done in you is too good to keep quiet about. Listne, what Jesus does through you is a result of what Jesus is doing within you. There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear. As our worship team comes up….

Let me ask you—do you love Him enough to let that love overflow into the world around you? Do you love Him enough to stop, to see, and to step toward the harassed and helpless like He did? Because here’s the bottom line: Compassion is the commission. Listen, If we don’t stop, we’ll never see. And if we don’t see, we’ll never care. And if we don’t care, we’ll never go. So this week, here’s what I’m asking you to do. I’m calling you to something simple, but sacred: I’m ca;;filing this our compassion commission… each week I want to extend Jesus commission for compassion in our community… this weeks commission is this… stop and see. At some point this week, intentionally interrupt your schedule for someone you would normally pass by. Ask their name. Ask how they’re doing. Ask how you can pray. And then pray. Right there. No fanfare. No spotlight. Just presence. Just love. And in don’t need to know who or where or anything… this is between you and Jesus. The harvest is still plentiful. The pain is still real. And Jesus is still calling workers—workers with eyes that see, hearts that break, and feet that move.

So—who will you stop to see?*

Citizens of Heaven

I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to Philippians 1, and find with me verse 27. 27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord,[f] contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents.

This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. 29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have. Have you ever wondered what stories heaven will tell in the age to come?

When Jesus returns, when judgment is over and mercy has had the final word—when sin, sickness, and sorrow are gone forever and the world is made new—what will we talk about then? Sometimes I just dream about that. I wonder what life will be like. Maybe we’ll gather around a fire on a cool Colorado evening, under a sky so clear you can see the stars breathe. Maybe we’ll walk through a grove of aspens turned gold—not by the sunlight, but by the glory of God—and we’ll tell stories.

Stories of grace. Stories of faith. Stories of how God carried us, changed us, and used us. One day, we’ll tell stories of the grace of God—stories that trace His hand through all of redemption’s history. We’ll tell stories about His power and mercy in the lives of His people—especially the ones who dreamed and prayed and worked and struggled and sacrificed for the sake of the gospel. We’ll look back, maybe with tears in our eyes.

I know the Bible says every tear will be wiped away—but I think those are the tears of pain, not the tears of joy. Because some tears belong in heaven. The kind that fall when you finally see what God was doing all along. The kind that come when you realize He was faithful in every season—even the ones that felt like silence. Those will be tears of gratitude, not grief.

And I think they’ll roll down our faces as we remember how patient He was with us, how He never gave up, how He kept drawing us back until His love became the thing we couldn’t live without. And maybe we’ll sit out back—under cottonwoods and mountain air—and we’ll tell a thousand stories of how God made us willing to risk something for His name. Stories of how the Spirit nudged us to love a neighbor, or to share our faith, or to forgive when we didn’t want to.

Stories of how He turned our fear into obedience and our obedience into joy. And I’m convinced that all the things that seemed so loud and important in this world—the arguments, the politics, the headlines—will be completely forgotten. But every quiet moment of faithfulness, every act of mercy, every prayer for a friend, every time you worked with integrity or loved with purpose… those will be remembered. Those will be sung about in the kingdom forever.

And maybe, just maybe, when we stop for coffee in the new creation—there won’t be TVs showing breaking news or celebrity gossip. They’ll be showing the highlight reels of redemption— clips from the Book of Life—moments when ordinary people trusted an extraordinary God, and their faith became part of His eternal story. And all of this isn’t just imagination—it’s rooted right in Scripture. In Revelation we’re given a glimpse into the future of God’s people: “And they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and wonderful are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty!’” That means the songs of eternity—the ballads of the new creation—will be about the works of God.

The story of Moses leading God’s people through the sea. The story of the Lamb who conquered death and set the captives free. And woven through those songs will be the stories of all the saints—men and women like you and me. Because none of God’s works will ever be forgotten. I sometimes think, I love books. Will I be able to read? And I say I bet you can.. theres the book of life, and I dream that God has this library of the history of the world and the saints who have completed their course in life to magnify Jesus.

We’ll be able to open The history books of heaven will tell a different story than the ones we read here. The great ones won’t be politicians or celebrities or influencers. They’ll be the missionaries and the moms and dads and students and teachers who quietly lived for the glory of Jesus. And I think of heaven and I ask, what is the The weapons of that kingdom? I bet it won’t be power or politics—but the gospel.

And how hot was weaved into ordinary lives like yours and mine, to make much of Jesus. the most beautiful stories won’t be about fame or success, but about faith. Stories of how one person dreamed up a simple way to share the love of Christ—and had the courage to follow through. Just a moment where the love of Christ, has consumed the heart and mind of th person, that they felt and heard the voice of God say, go, and they simply took their ordinary life and shared life with someone.

Thats very biblical… isn’t it?? Remember the woman in Bethany who poured out her perfume on Jesus? It was a small act. Hidden. Overlooked by most. But Jesus said, “Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”If He wanted her story remembered for all eternity, don’t you think yours will be too? The way you chose forgiveness over bitterness.

The way you prayed for someone who hurt you. The way you gave when no one noticed. The way you stood firm when the world told you to sit down. Those are the stories heaven will tell. And the most thrilling tales of all will be the stories of how the gospel spread—how unbelief was conquered—through ordinary, unlikely people like us. You and me. As we said last week, we come from different lives and different stories, yet we’re all threaded together by the same, Christ centered gospel.

And as the Spirit of God pulls on that thread—he draws us closer to Christ and to one another—we become the church. A living tapestry, woven with many colors, marked by both beauty and blemish, but stitched together by grace. And when the light of Christ shines through it, the whole thing becomes radiant—not because we’re perfect, but because He is. Heaven is going to be amazing… and yet, in this world we will have trouble.

Have you faced trouble in this world? You have and I have… Paul was facing it too… Paul is writing this from prison. He's in chains. And he tells the Philippians something remarkable: "It has been GRANTED to you"—that word means grace—"it has been graciously GIVEN to you not only to believe in Christ, but to suffer for Him.” He's talking about a specific kind of suffering here. He's talking about persecution.

Opposition. The cost of standing firm for the gospel when the world pushes back. He says, "You're going through the same struggle you saw I had"—beatings, imprisonment, threats. This is suffering FOR Christ. Suffering because you belong to Him. Suffering that comes from outside—from a world that doesn't want to hear the truth. And Paul says this kind of suffering is a gift. Why? Because it means you're actually living worthy of the gospel.

You're not blending in. You're not playing it safe. You're standing firm against the world culture, and the world notices. That's one kind of suffering the Bible talks about. And it's real. Some of you in this room have experienced it—maybe rejection from family, maybe losing friendships, maybe being passed over at work because of your faith. And heaven will tell those stories. Stories of how you stood firm when everyone else sat down.

Stories of how you loved Jesus more than comfort, more than approval, more than ease. But There's Another Kind of Suffering There's suffering FOR Christ—when the world opposes you because you follow Him. And then there's suffering FROM Christ—when His holiness confronts your sin and breaks your heart. One comes from outside. The other comes from inside. One is persecution. The other is conviction. One is the world rejecting you. The other is you finally seeing yourself clearly—and being crushed by what you see.

And here's what I've discovered: Both kinds of suffering can be gifts. Both can transform us. But they work in different ways. Suffering FOR Christ purifies our courage. It refines our witness. It proves our love is real. But suffering FROM conviction? That purifies our hearts. It breaks through our pride. It makes us honest before God. And that's what I want to talk about today. Not the suffering that comes from standing for Jesus.

But the suffering that comes from finally seeing yourself clearly in the light of His holiness. The older writers, the ancient mystic called these "holy wounds." Pain that doesn't just hurt us, but humbles us. Pain that cracks open our self-sufficiency and makes room for grace. Let me show you, There’s a woman from the 14th century who understood this better than most of us ever will. Her name was Julian of Norwich.

Two hundred years before Martin Luther challenged the church on justification by faith, this woman discovered the same truth. While praying one day—during a time when the Catholic Church had complicated rituals for everything—the Lord appeared to her and said something revolutionary: "You don't have to have all this stuff to pray. All God wants and expects is that you should believe in Him and love Him with all of your heart.” She realized, centuries before the Reformation, that we are saved by faith, not by our works.

And one of the things she talked about was how we should love the Lord until that love became like a burning bush, flaming in our hearts. One day, when she was only 30 years old, she became deathly ill. As she lay dying, with people gathered around preparing for the end, something remarkable happened. Her feet began to grow cold and lifeless. The paralysis moved up from her feet to her waist.

She was dying. So she began to cry out to God: "Lord, I am only 30 years old. I would hate to die and leave my work. Now, it's perfectly alright if you want me to die. I'll die, but think about it a little—I'm still young, and if I die, I won't do much good. So, Father, just give me some attention.” She continued to die. But after her prayer, she was dying now from her head down.

She writes: "My head began to die and I went blind. There was total darkness, and it began to settle down towards my heart, and I felt myself going. Just when I was about to breathe my last breath, suddenly and instantaneously I was perfectly well. I know God did it, and it wasn't nature, but grace.” I believe that as death reached her heart, it found a heart burning so brightly with affection for Christ that God said, "Not yet.

I have more work for this one to do." And He spared her. And after God spared her life, Julian prayed a prayer that gets to the heart of what I'm talking about today. Listen to this prayer of this woman…: "I want thee to wound me with the wound of contrition, and then I want thee to wound me with the wound of compassion, and then I want thee to wound me with the wound of very longing after God." Now when I first read that, I thought: That's crazy.

Who prays for pain? Who prays to be wounded? But then I realized—she wasn't asking for suffering for suffering's sake. She was asking for wounds that would help her delight in God more. Wounds that would break through her pride, her self-sufficiency, her sin. Wounds that would make room for deeper joy in Jesus. Today, we're going to focus on just one of these wounds. The wound of contrition. Turn with me to Psalm 51.

This is our main text for today. This is David's prayer after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. And what's stunning about this psalm is its honesty. David doesn't minimize. He doesn't make excuses. He doesn't compare himself to other kings. He just breaks. Listen: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” This is what Julian was praying for. This is the wound of contrition. Not suffering because the world opposed him. David wasn't in prison like Paul. He was in a palace. He was the king.

He had everything. But his sin had caught up with him. And the pain he's feeling isn't persecution from outside. It's conviction from inside. It's the crushing weight of seeing what he's done—not just to Bathsheba, not just to Uriah, but to God. Look at verse 4 again: "Against you, you only, have I sinned." Wait—what? David, you sinned against Bathsheba. You sinned against Uriah. You sinned against their families, your family, the nation.

How can you say "you only”? Here's what David understood: Yes, sin damages people. Yes, sin has consequences in relationships and society. But at its core, every sin—no matter who it hurts horizontally—is first and foremost a vertical offense. It’s a cosmic treason against God. That's what contrition is. It's not just feeling bad that you got caught. It's not just regretting the consequences. It's seeing your sin for what it really is—rebellion against a good and loving King.

I think we've lost this. Not just in our culture out there, but in here. In our church culture. We've reduced sin to: "Did I hurt someone?" or "Did I break a rule?" But that's not deep enough. Think about how we talk about sin: We say "I messed up" instead of "I sinned." We say "I made a mistake" instead of "I rebelled against God." We talk about "bad choices" like we're analyzing a business strategy.

We've sanitized it. Made it manageable. Turned it into a self-improvement problem instead of a God problem. And here's what happens: We start thinking that as long as we're "pretty good people" who "don't hurt anybody," we're fine with God. We compare ourselves to whoever's doing worse: "Well, at least I'm not like them.” But that's not how David saw his sin. He didn't compare himself to Saul or to other kings.

He looked at God's holiness, and he broke. C.S. Lewis said it this way: "We are not just dealing with crime and punishment. We're dealing with honor and shame, with relationship and betrayal.” When you betray someone you love—someone who has given you everything—"Oops, my bad" doesn't cut it. What they need to hear is: "I'm horrified by what I've done to you. To us.” That's contrition. And we've lost it.

Let me make this practical. How do you know if you're actually contrite—or just sorry you got caught? Here's the test: Are you more upset about the consequences or the betrayal? When you're caught in a lie, are you thinking: "How do I fix this mess?" Or: "How did I just trash my integrity and hurt someone I love?” When you look at your phone usage, your spending, your anger—are you just annoyed at yourself?

Or are you grieved that you're treasuring these things more than Jesus?\ Contrition isn't self-loathing. It's not beating yourself up. It's clarity. It's finally seeing: "This thing I thought would satisfy me is destroying me. And it's keeping me from the One who actually loves me.”So why would Julian pray for this? Why would anyone ask God to wound them with contrition? Because without contrition, we never truly taste grace. Look at Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God doesn't despise contrite hearts.

He treasures them. Why? Because a contrite heart has stopped pretending. Stopped performing. Stopped managing the PR campaign of your life. It's a heart that comes to God empty-handed and says: "I have nothing. I am the problem. But I'm yours." And that's the only posture in which you can truly receive grace. As long as you're minimizing your sin, you're minimizing God's grace. As long as you're comparing yourself to others, you're cutting yourself off from the scandalous, lavish love of God.

It's like this: Imagine you owe someone $100, and they forgive it. You say, "Thanks!" and move on. But imagine you owe $10 million. You can't sleep. You can't pay it. You're ruined. And then they tear up the paper: "It's gone. You're free.” You wouldn't just say thanks. You'd weep. You'd be undone. You'd spend the rest of your life overwhelmed by their generosity. That's what contrition does. It shows you the true size of your debt.

And when you see that—really see it—and then see that Jesus paid it all, grace doesn't just make you happy. It ruins you. In the best possible way. Jesus said in Luke 7: "He who is forgiven little, loves little." The flip side? He who is forgiven much, loves much. Julian wanted to be wounded with contrition because she wanted to love Jesus more. And you can't love Him fully until you see how much you've been forgiven.

Remember where we started? Dreaming about the stories heaven will tell? Here's what I believe: Yes, heaven will tell stories about people who suffered FOR Christ. People who stood firm under persecution. People like Paul in prison, writing letters of joy while in chains. But heaven will also tell stories about people who were wounded BY conviction. People who stopped hiding. People whose brokenness became the doorway to grace. They'll tell the story of a woman in Bethany who washed Jesus's feet with her tears.

And Jesus said, "She loves much because she's been forgiven much." That story has echoed for two thousand years. They'll tell the story of a king who committed adultery and murder, but then fell on his face and cried, "Create in me a clean heart, O God." And God did. And David's psalms have ministered to billions. They'll tell the story of a 14th-century woman who prayed to be wounded so she could love Jesus more.

And her writings have drawn countless people into deeper communion with God. And friends, they'll tell your story too. So here's my question: What are you avoiding looking at? What sin are you downplaying? What are you rationalizing? What have you perfected the art of not thinking about? Maybe it's how you speak to your spouse when frustrated. Or the bitterness you're nursing. Or the lies you tell yourself about your screen time, your spending, your habits.

Or the pride that makes you need to be right, need to be noticed, need to be in control. And you've gotten really good at not letting it bother you. That's spiritual numbness. That's self-protection. You're protecting yourself from the wound of contrition because you think it will crush you. But listen: The wound of contrition is not meant to crush you. It's meant to crack you open so grace can flood in.

That's what David discovered. After everything—the adultery, the murder, the cover-up—he wrote: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." Did you catch that? Joy. Contrition led to joy. The wound led to healing. The breaking led to restoration. Why? Because when you stop hiding and start confessing, you discover what David discovered: God doesn't reject contrite hearts. He runs to them. Let me invite you to pray Julian's prayer with me.

Not out of guilt. But out of desire for more of Jesus. "Lord, wound me with the wound of contrition." Not because you want to feel terrible about yourself. But because you want to feel the full weight of grace. Because you're tired of shallow spirituality. Because you want to love Jesus like Mary loved Him—with tears of gratitude for being forgiven much. Maybe this week you get alone with God and stop managing the narrative.

You stop explaining yourself. And you just say: "God, show me my heart. Let me see what you see. Wound me with contrition—not to destroy me, but to free me." And when you're broken open like that, you'll discover: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. And someday, in the age to come, when we're sitting around that fire under aspens turned gold by God's glory, we'll tell these stories.

Stories of how God wounded us to heal us. How He broke us to make us whole. How contrition became the doorway to joy. Some will tell stories of suffering FOR Christ—standing firm under persecution. Others will tell stories of being wounded BY conviction—and finding that those wounds led them home. Both kinds of suffering. Both gifts of grace. Both paths to deeper joy in Jesus. And next week, we'll talk about the second wound—the wound of compassion.

Because when you've been forgiven much, you start forgiving much. When you've received ridiculous grace, you start extending it. But that starts here. With honest, broken, contrite hearts that finally stop hiding and come home. Amen.*

His Way or My Way

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me back to Lukes gospel and find chapter 5. As we have been led to spend this year of 2025 focusing our eyes, ears, hearts, and lives on Just Jesus, we will continue that custom today as we want to See Jesus, …Hear Jesus, …Love Jesus, …and Live Jesus! We have been in a series called Into the deep. So today we continue in this series by looking at a moment between Peter and Jesus that begins this road to total surrender for Peter. Now, I have one primary question I want to ask you, are you willing to come to Jesus on His terms? Are you willing to come to Jesus on His terms? The reason I ask that is because I think, without realizing it, we’ve often built a version of Christianity that lets people approach Jesus on their terms. It’s subtle, but it’s there. You can see it in how we talk about salvation, how we pitch the gospel in quick encounters, and how we define what it means to follow Christ. And sometimes I wonder if, in our urgency to make Jesus accessible, we’ve accidentally made Him optional. Like, “Just pray this prayer, sign this card, raise your hand, and you’re good.” Earlier this week, our small group went to the fair. And while we were walking around, we saw this tent—big, bold letters, men’s ministry, free gifts, and the goal was to win souls. Now, on the surface, it seemed like something any Christian would cheer for. And don’t get me wrong—I believe the intention was sincere. But as I looked closer, I couldn’t help but remember a time I was invited to be part of a similar ministry at another fair years ago. I’ll never forget it. We were told to share the gospel with people passing by, and if they said yes—great! We’d put their name on a list, give them a burnt stick, and move on. And that was it. Their names were collected. Their heads were bowed, they prayed a prayer and we sent them off to be devoured by this world. But no one followed up. No one discipled them. No one walked with them. And I remember thinking: Is this what we’ve reduced following Jesus to? A prayer, a pamphlet and a free gift? This year, as I walked past that same tent, I saw a man and a teenager bowed in prayer—what looked like the “sinner’s prayer.” And I’ll be honest, my heart just sank. Not because I doubted God’s power to save in that moment—but because I couldn’t help but wonder: Does this young man know what he’s walking into? Does he know who he’s giving his life to? I wanted to make sure his heart was really there—not just repeating words to get something free. You see, that kind of approach doesn’t build a life of surrender. It builds a list of names and leaves people spiritually homeless. This is what in think… this kind of evangelism offers Jesus as an accessory to your life, not the King who lays claim to your whole life. The truth is: the gospel doesn’t just invite us to believe something—it demands that we surrender everything. Ot pick up our cross and to follow Jesus.

So here’s what I want us to consider: the gospel isn’t an accessory to your life—it’s a call to radically reorder it. And it all starts with a moment like this one in Luke… Look with me in your Bible to Luke 5, where Peter has just returned from a long, fruitless night of fishing. He’s exhausted—deeply honest—and he says, in verse 5, Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Now, what does it mean that the gospel isn’t an accessory to your life—it’s a call to radically reorder it.

Peter could have chosen not to reorder his own life. Jesus, no. Jesus, I need sleep. But no, I sense this is Peter’s beginning to trust with a love that will eventually become superior. This act of obedience is a seed. Its a new beginning for Peter. But, when I read this, I just feel like there is just something is stirring in Peter that keeps him from choosing his own way. Part one, is this.. Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. That’s real. That’s his frustration talking. That’s his fatigue and disappointment. I love it because to me… that’s Peter being honest. But then… he follows that top with this.. “But because you say so…” That’s the hinge. That’s the shift from Peter’s way to God’s way. That’s not about fish anymore. That’s about trust. And what I see happening here is this, there is a slow birth for a superior love for Jesus. He doesn’t know it yet. He doesn’t even know that Jesus is going to tell him to throw down your ents and follow him… He doesn’t know he’ll follow Jesus to betrayal, denial, and eventually a cross of his own. But somewhere deep inside, in this moment, Peter is beginning to lean toward a Person more than a plan.

There’s a new beginning begin planted here… and its love. This is the beginning of a super love for Jesus. Let em show you… In the book of Luke, a few chapter later in chapter 14, Jesus would be talking to the crowd that is following him. And he’s about to give them some hard hitting requirements of loving him. One that would shatter anyone who’s following Jesus for themselves… Jesus in verse 26, says.. 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. That is some radical request isn’t it? Think about how it would grab anyones attention. What does he mean to hate my mother and father. Wife and children, bofrthers and sister. Like I don’t get it it.. aren’t I supposed to love them. Love my neighbor as myself. Should we not honor our mother and father? And how can someone honor but hate them at the same time.. Im confused. And to bring my wife and kids into it? Aren’t I supposed to be at one with my wife. And to live my wife as Christ loves the church. Yes. We are. Now lets take a road trip. If we flip back just a bit to Matthew’s gospel, chapter 10—Jesus says something very similar, but in a way that helps make sense of it. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus says, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Ah.. so now we begin to see something right? It doesn’t seem so harsh like it did in Luke. Jesus is saying: “Your love for Me must be so supreme, so superior, that every other love in your life—even the most precious ones—looks pale in comparison. This is what I mean by “superior love.” It’s not about hating others in a literal sense—it’s about reordering your affections. Its about saying, Jesus… you’re not just a ;part of my life. You’re not just a part of my routine. Its, Jeuss you are my life. Above all other things, you are everything to me. And that’s what the gospel does. It doesn’t ask to be added to your schedule like a new hobby or a weekend activity. The gospel comes in and says, “I am the center now. (Funny I am the captain now) Rebuild everything around Me.” That’s radical. But it’s also beautiful. And here’s the truth and what I love about the gospel…. : ……. when Christ becomes your greatest love, your other loves don’t disappear—they get purified. They don’t get weaker—they become stronger, holier, healthier, more selfless. Your love for your spouse, your kids, your friends—it all deepens when it flows from a heart rooted in Christ. Men, how do you play out Ephesians 5:25? Love your wife just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. How do you do that if love for Christ is not supreme in your life? You can’t. You can’t love your wife without a radical love for Christ. And hear this church… do you radically love Christ like that? Has your heart, your life, your affections, your emotions been conquered by a far radical love for God? B Because I think—if we’re honest—many of us know very little of that kind of love. Church becomes routine. Faith becomes a list. And before we know it, following Jesus turns into behavior management and spiritual performance. We try to measure our faithfulness by how often we show up, how many verses we read, or how well we’ve avoided certain sins this week. You hear it in the way we express our faith… We say I know I need to be in church. I know I need to take my kids to church. I know I need to pray. I know I need to study the Bible. Listen,. That is not christianity. At all. There is nothing in that kind of faith in Christ where he is all in all. It’s not guilt-driven, checklist Christianity. And I know.. we have the Scripture that says, if you love me, you will obey my commands. But we can’t forget what he says first.. if you love me, then you’d obey. It starts with love. The obedience flows out of a heart that’s captivated by Him. The more you love Him, the more you want to follow Him. And if you don’t love Him—if your affections are somewhere else—obedience will always feel like a burden instead of a joy. And so, when we read Luke 14 again, when it says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. Listen to what’s being said, this picture of radical love, isn’t to hate but anything that is NOT Christ centered is you not loving the other person in the way they should be loved, because any other kind of love we offer anyone outside of our love for Christ is like hating them. And I believe, right there in Luke 5, we’re seeing the very beginning of that kind of love taking root in Peter’s heart. He’s not all the way there yet. He hasn’t left his nets. He hasn’t denied Jesus or preached at Pentecost. But in that tired, confused moment—when he says, “Because you say so, I will”—he’s leaning into a trust that’s more than logic. What is it? It’s love. I believe Peter in this moment had a love for him, theres no way anyone would leave behind all they know to follow Jesus unless they loved him. Un less they were centered on him. … And because of that moment, when Peter says, because you say so…. It became the seedbed to being able to listen to what Jesus as asking for him to do. Even when he was tired, and even when he was frustrated… his ears were still listening and his heart wasn’t cold.

And that should change our perspective on our faith from what I want my faith to be, to Jesus I want to be centered on you so that I can truly love those around… Because when we have a love for Christ, and it starts to grow—when it starts to stir something deeper in us—it also starts to challenge the parts of us that are still clinging to control. And maybe you're like me… you’ve had that moment where you feel something rising in your soul and you ask, "Am I afraid to surrender to this kind of love? Am I afraid to be fully captivated by Christ?” What will cost me to step out into the deep and to say, If you say so? Death. Thats the cost. There is no other way to explain it. It will kill you… and that is why so many followers are shore bound. Listen…….

Surrendering to Christ means dying—dying to your dreams, your control, your comfort, your preferences, your reputation. It means laying down the life you thought you were building, the image you were trying to maintain, so that He can raise up something entirely, new in you. That’s why Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Not weekly. Not occasionally. Daily. Because this death is not a one-time altar call—it’s a daily invitation to let go and trust Him more than yourself. But the flesh in us wants to avoid that kind of death. Thats where fear has take up residence.. in our flesh. It’s not the Spirit that’s afraid. It’s not the new man in Christ who resists surrender. It’s the old man—the flesh—that clings to comfort, control, reputation, safety, and self. That fear you feel when God nudges you to give something up, when He calls you deeper, when He whispers, “Trust Me…”—that fear isn’t from the Spirit. That fear is the last breath of a dying flesh trying to stay alive. Because the cross doesn’t just kill sin—it kills self. And the flesh knows it. And it will resist it at all cost. That’s why you feel the fight in your soul. That’s why surrender doesn’t come easy. Thats why we stop at desire but yet we have yet to delight in Christ. It will argue, it will bargain, it will delay. Because deep down, it knows—Jesus doesn’t do halfway. He doesn’t just touch part of your life. He comes for it all. And that’s the scandal and the beauty of surrender: It feels like death… because it is death… But it leads to life. Real life. And let me just say, there is deceit at every turn in our life… You have been deceived by this world. By the enemy of your soul. What would it take to surrender your heart today and say “I am yours, and I want to be as free as I can be from sin, and as fruitful as I can be in glorifying you. What would that take? You’re afraid that saying , I surrender will have consequences you don’t want. Your dread is a deception. You’re not unique in this; I’m not pointing my finger at you, because millions of people deal with this. Including me….. … My young life was rooted in what I wanted Christ to be, for me, not what he wanted to do in me, to free me. My heart had a desire but no delight in it. Because I was deceived. I was deceived to want what I wanted. And it teamed up with the devil to keep me from being surrendered so entirely that it if I want to go from what I want, to……… Father, what is your will for my life. That it would harm me in some way.. that death to self meant not freedom, but bondage. But that’s was a lie. My heart and the enemy teamed up… because my heart was sick and it needed to be renewed. Jeremiah says, says that the human heart, and your heart, “is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it. When God says “the heart is deceitful,” he’s reminding us that the heart is the seat of sin. And sin only has power by deception. That’s the only way sin can work… by deceiving you. Thats what hebrews says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Thats how hardness in our hearts work.. we are deceived so much, that it becomes calloused to the love of Christ. And the fear rules our lives to fear a surrender so deep, so captivating that we fear living our nets and walking away. Thats why we learned, to seek, and to put off in Colossians last week. Put off your old life. You’ve got desires — desires to avoid something and desires to embrace something — and they’re deceiving you.

And here’s the dangerous thing about deception: it doesn’t always feel like rebellion. Sometimes it just feels like fear, or hesitation, or logic. But underneath it all is a lie—that if you give yourself fully to Christ, if you say, “Yes, Lord, I’ll do whatever You ask,” then He’s going to make you do something you really don’t want to do. That’s the falsehood that destroys. The lie that obedience equals misery. That surrender means loss. That God’s will must somehow be opposite of your joy. But what if the opposite is true? What if the thing you’re afraid to surrender is the very thing that’s holding you back from joy? What if your fear is lying to you—whispering that death to self is the end, when really, it’s the beginning? The truth is, God never calls you to surrender just to break you—He calls you to surrender so He can raise you. You’ve got to let go of what you want to do, so you can finally do what He’s calling you to do. And the Spirit of God won’t just force you into it. He’ll transform your desires until obedience isn’t just duty—it becomes delight. So yes, surrender feels like death. But the lie is that it ends in sorrow. The truth is it leads to joy. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.” The old you has to die for the new you to live.

What if Peter believed that lie in Luke 5? What if he had said, “Jesus, I’m tired. I’ve already tried. I’ve already failed. I don’t need a sermon—I need a solution. I’ve done it my way all night. I’m done.and he waled away? Thank God he didn’t say that. He kept to the calling… even when it hurt. Even when he needed forgiveness.. even when he had messed up and made mistakes.. he clung to Christ and was made even more into his image and done great things in the name of Jesus. Thank goodness he said, Because You say so, I will let down the nets. ”That was a moment of surrender. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t loud. It was quiet, tired, obedient trust. And it went against all of the deception of the heart to not surrender. And that little act of surrender didn’t just lead to a boat full of fish. It led to a life full of purpose. It led to Peter leaving behind the very thing he thought defined him—fishing—and following the One who would give him a new identity as a fisher of men. You see, Peter had to lose the life he had built to find the life that Christ was offering. Luke 5 is proof: surrender may feel like death—but it always leads to resurrection.

amen? As the worship team comes back up…

I just want to finish with this.. how do we defeat deception? How do we silence the deception that say, “Surrender will ruin you... Obedience will break you... Giving up control will rob you of joy”? Well first, We look to Jesus. Listen, what you behold will shape what you believe. Fix your eyes on him. We live in a world filled with distractions, comparisons, and false treasures. But if you’re constantly looking at the world, it will constantly be shaping you. What you behold with your heart will eventually determine what you chase with your life. That’s why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that when we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed. We are made new. We are being made into the very image of Christ… in our minds, body strength, heart and eyes. Swe;rew becoming image bearers. The more you look to Jesus—not just glance, but gaze—the more the Spirit will transform your fears, loosen your grip on control, and free you to love Him above all. You will never surrender to someone you don’t treasure. But when you see Jesus for who He truly is, surrender becomes joy.

Pray for Eyes to See. Ask God to awaken your heart to His beauty. The enemy would love nothing more than to keep you spiritually blind. David says, open my eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things of your law. Open our eyes.. let the blind see. Not just physical blindness, but even those who are spiritually blind. And that happens through prayer. Surrender begins with a posture of prayer. Not performance. Not willpower. But humble, desperate prayer.

And thirdly, Surround Yourself with a community of Truth-Tellers. If there is one thing the enemy wants to do is get your alone. And so, what we learn is this.. Isolation breeds deception. Let godly community sharpen your faith and speak truth into your blind spots. Sin grows in silence. Fear thrives in isolation. But God didn’t design you to fight alone. Hebrews 3:13 says we must exhort one another daily so we aren’t hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. That means we need people in our lives who love Jesus enough to call us out, build us up, and remind us of what’s true when we forget. We need brothers and sisters who won’t let us settle for shallow faith or spiritual compromise. Small groups, teens.. these are opportunities to grow in confidence in Jesus. We need people in our lives who love us enough to tell us the truth. So let others in, and create a space for grace for one another.

And that’s exactly what we’re about to do as we come to the Table. This moment—communion—is not just a personal reflection. It’s a shared confession. It’s a family meal. Church, the call to follow Jesus is not casual. It’s costly. And yet… it is the greatest joy of our lives—to belong to the One who gave everything to make us His. At the center of that call… is the cross. And this table we’re about to come to—it’s not just a moment to remember. It’s an invitation. To surrender. To trust. To say again, or maybe for the first time: ‘Because You say so, I will.’ We don’t come to the table because we’ve earned it. We come because He offered Himself in love. This meal is the invitation to reorder our lives around that love.” “In just a moment, I invite you to come forward, take the bread and cup, and serve one another. Look that person in the eye—maybe your spouse, maybe someone you've never met—and say: ‘The body of Christ, broken for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you.’

“Jesus, we come not just to remember… but to reorder. We lay down our preferences, our plans, our pride. We say: not our way… but Yours. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, let it be a declaration: You are enough. You are worthy. We trust You. Because You said so, we come. Amen.” *

Deep Faith

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me back to Luke chapter 5. And then, Find with me Colossians chapter 3. Luke 5 is our anchor text this morning, and then Colossians will be how we dive into what it means to have deep faith. We started this journey last week with a simple but piercing question: Can He use your boat? That question was less about a sermon and more about a posture—one of surrender.

We talked about Simon, how he was tired and discouraged, scrubbing his nets after a night of empty fishing. And yet, when Jesus stepped in, Simon said yes. Not to deep water yet—just to a little push from the shore. Just enough room for Jesus to speak. And we ended last week with this thought.. Obedience and love often begins with small steps. That comes from verse 3 hen Jesus and Peter was in the boat and Jesus had asked him to put the boat out into the shallows.

Easy right…. I mean, I imagine Peter being tired going, ok this isn’t bad, I'm not too far from the shore, and I’ll let him preach a little and we’ll be done. Now of course, that’s no where in the Scripture, I’m just seeing my life in this story. How I would of felt in this moment. But here we are again—same boat, same Jesus… but the invitation has changed. Verse 3 was about the shallows.

About saying yes when it’s safe. But now look at verse 4: “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.’” That’s the turning point. Jesus is inviting Peter—and us—not just into a moment of obedience, but into a depth of obedience. Into something that isn’t safe or predictable, something that requires trust beyond what makes sense. And maybe you’re asking—what does that really look like in my actual life?

What does it mean to go deep with Jesus—not just emotionally or spiritually, but practically, day by day? That’s where Colossians 3 comes in. Because Paul shows us what a deep, surrendered life really looks like in real time—in your thoughts, your habits, your relationships, and your worship. So, let’s turn to Colossians chapter 3 together. I want you to see these words for yourself, because Paul isn’t just talking about a future hope or a past miracle—he’s laying out the blueprint for how you and I can live a deep, surrendered life right now.

Let’s read, starting in verse 1: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4, NIV) Let’s pause here for a second.

Paul is saying, “If you belong to Jesus, your old life—your old ambitions, your old priorities, your old way of doing things—it’s over. = Now, your whole life is anchored in Him.” In other words, if you want to go deep with Christ, it starts with what you set your heart and mind says on the shore and in the shallows. It’s not about living for the approval of others, or chasing whatever makes you comfortable.

It’s about making Jesus the very center of your desires. And that leads us to the first mark of a deep life with God—the first “test,” if you will—and it’s this: the test of sacrifice. Paul puts it bluntly in verse 5. Listen to his language: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Let’s be honest—this isn’t easy to hear.

“Put to death” sounds a lot more serious than “try your best” or “work on it when you have time.” Paul is saying, if you want to walk in the deep with Christ, something has to die. It’s not just about avoiding the “big sins.” What had to die for Peter in our Scripture in Luke? Well, I think his understanding. Right? Think about it… how could a carpenter tell a fisherman how to fish?

Peter even says in Luke, Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing.. Peter thinks its about fishing. But Jesus is trying to show him its not about the fish, its about the people. You’re gonna fish for people… its the people still on the shore, and maybe even in the shallows.. You see, the test of sacrifice is our willingness to obey even when we don’t understand. It’s about surrendering every part of yourself that’s pulling you away from Jesus—desires, habits, even things that might seem normal or harmless to everyone else.

Its the, this makes no sense… Here’s the question I want to lay before you, church… What is God asking you to let go of so that you can walk deeper with Him? Maybe for you, sacrifice looks like releasing an old grudge, forgiving someone who hurt you, or finally surrendering a habit you’ve justified for years. Maybe it’s about letting go of your need for control, your obsession with being right, or your constant pursuit of “just a little bit more”—more money, more affirmation, more comfort.

Paul is calling us to get practical: Where in your life are you still living for the things “below”—earthly things—rather than setting your heart and mind on Christ “above”? You See, sacrifice isn’t about earning God’s love or impressing other people. It’s about making space for more of Christ in your life. The more you let go, the more He fills. The more you surrender, the more you find real, lasting life.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Daily—every morning, every decision, every moment, we’re invited to lay down our will so that His can be done. And I want you to hear this: Sacrifice isn’t loss—it’s the doorway. You’re not surrendering something precious to a God who wants to make you miserable. You’re letting go of lesser things so you can finally be free to live the life God designed for you.

There is more joy, in this surrender.. I want that kind of joy. Don’t you? Don’t you want real joy—not the thin, fleeting pleasures that leave you empty by nightfall? Not the cheap imitations the world holds out—pleasures that promise so much and deliver so little? I want abundant joy. Overflowing joy. The kind of joy that rises up, even in the dark, and will not be put out! And listen: this is what Jesus offers you.

This is what He died and rose to give you. Not just pardon. Not just a clean slate. Jesus says, “I have spoken these things to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Full! Not a trickle, not a drop—fullness. Oh, church, don’t you hear it? The living God is not in the business of rationing out a few scraps of happiness to His children.

He is the fountain of living water (Jeremiah 2:13). The table is spread. The invitation is real. Do you want it? Do you want the kind of joy that Paul tasted—so rich, so overwhelming, that he could sit in prison and sing? That he could lose everything—reputation, comfort, even his own life—and call it all “rubbish” compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, his Lord (Philippians 3:8)? This isn’t stoicism.

This isn’t grit-your-teeth religion. This is joy—deep, blood-earnest, unshakable, resurrection joy! But, oh, how easily we settle for less. How quickly we trade the river for the mud puddle. We cling to our comforts. We grip our little treasures. And all the while, the fountain flows—free, full, forever. Church, hear me: The greatest lie Satan whispers is that God is a killjoy, that surrender means loss, that obedience is drudgery. But look at the cross!

Look at the empty tomb! Joy flows from Calvary. Joy explodes out of the grave. If you want that kind of joy You’ll find it where Jesus leads you—through sacrifice, through surrender, through the emptying of self—right into the arms of the Savior, where there is “fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). But Paul doesn’t stop with sacrifice. He moves us even further into the deep. Because the life Jesus calls us to isn’t just about what we lay down—it’s also about who we let lead.

So the next mark of deep faith that Peter experienced is the test of submission. Peter said, Jesus there’s no fish. Nothing. In my expieince all night, my toil, my suffering, there’s no reason do do what you’re asking… then there’s something… look at what Peter says… BUT, if you say so ill let down the nets. This submission. Jesus would do this in the garden, If this cup can pass yet, let your will be done.

Full and total surrender…. Even to death. Not my will but yours. Paul would say in Colossians in verse 6 and 7, “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.” (Colossians 3:6–7) Paul is saying, “Look, that was your old life. That was who you once were… before Christ. But now, your walk—your lifestyle—is meant to change.” And that change is not just about behavior modification, but about a new authority in your life.

It’s about surrendering your will, your plans, your independence, and saying, “Jesus, You get to be in charge. Submission means that I stop arguing with God about what He says is true. It means I let Him define what is good, what is best, and what needs to go. It’s an attitude that says, “I trust Your wisdom more than my own. I want Your will, not just mine.” Submission isn’t just about the big, dramatic moments—it’s also about the little choices, the daily habits, the ways I treat people, the way I handle my words, my money, my time.

Look at verse 8 and 9… Paul tells the Colossians, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices…” (Colossians 3:8–9) Did you notice? This isn’t just a list of things to quit—it’s a call to let God’s Word and God’s Spirit have the final say in how you live You might think you have a right to hold on to anger.

You might think it’s just normal to say what’s on your mind, to gossip a little, to stretch the truth to protect yourself. But the test of submission is: Will I let Jesus be Lord, even in these “everyday” things? Will I let Him transform my heart, not just my habits? And, honestly, that’s not always easy. I don’t know about you, but there are times when my pride gets in the way.

Times when I’d rather be right than be humble. Times when I want to defend myself, or make sure I’m seen in the best light, or just have things my way. But Jesus keeps inviting me—inviting us—to trust that His way really is better, even when it feels hard or unfamiliar. So let me ask: Where do you need to stop fighting for control and let God have His way? Is there an area where you know what God wants, but you’ve been holding back, making excuses, or just trying to do it your way?

Are you willing to say, “Lord, I surrender—even this—to You”? This is the test of submission. It’s the step deeper that Jesus calls us to take, and it’s where freedom and transformation begin to take root. We have the test of sacrifice and submission—yes. But next comes the test of sorrow. Look with me again, in verse 8-10… “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:8–10) In other words, if you’re in Christ, you’re not who you used to be. The old you is gone. God is doing something brand new in you. But, let’s be honest—letting go of those old habits, that old way of life, that’s hard.

It’s not just about changing what you do. It’s about changing who you are. And here’s where the sorrow comes in. Let me put it this way: The things that hurt you the most are usually the things you care about the most. The deeper the relationship, the deeper the pain when it’s broken. If you accidentally bump into a stranger, you say, “Sorry!” and move on. No big deal. But if you say something harsh to your spouse or break a promise to your kid—oh, that hits different, doesn’t it?

There’s real pain, real regret, because that relationship matters to you. It’s the same with our relationship with God. When we sin, when we drift, it’s not just about breaking a rule. It’s about breaking the heart of the One who loves us most. So if you’re feeling that sorrow, that weight, that “ugh, why did I do that again?”—don’t ignore it. Don’t stuff it down. Don’t brush it off. Here’s the truth: Sorrow is often the sign that God is working on your heart.

Think about that… even in my sorrow, God is still drawing near. He promises in His Word that He draws near to the brokenhearted. And I just have to wonder—how many times, right in the middle of my pain, was God right there with me, reaching out, and I just didn’t see Him? How many times was He ready to comfort, to restore, to heal—but instead, I kept looking somewhere else?

And honestly, that makes me stop and ask: Where was I turning for satisfaction? Where was I running for comfort? Was it drugs, or my job, or alcohol or even intimacy with my spouse… what was my comfort? Was it to God—or was it to something or someone else? But here’s the truth: None of those things really satisfy. None of them heal the ache. They might distract for a moment.

So what do we do? Well, we learn to rejoice in our sorrow—not because the pain is good, but because Jesus is better. I want to invite our worship team to come up as we come close to closing… but there’s one final point to seeking a deeper faith… And its this… its the test of satisfaction. How do we see this in the story of Peter and Jesus? Well remember that boat?

At first, he’s satisfied with the shallow. He’s satisfied with empty nets, with “good enough,” with a night of failure and no catch. He’s ready to pack up, clean the nets, and call it a day. But then Jesus steps into his boat and calls him out into the deep. And when Peter obeys—when he goes into the deep at Jesus’ word—he experiences a catch so great it breaks the nets and overwhelms the boats.

He’s undone. He’s not just surprised—he’s humbled, convicted, and ultimately, satisfied in a way that fish could never do. But notice what happens next, because this is the point: Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. They left everything. Why? Because after tasting the goodness, the power, the presence and the forgives of Jeuss.

, nothing else could satisfy them anymore—not the boats, not the nets, not even the miracle catch. That’s what Paul is talking about in Colossians 3: When Christ is your all, you can leave anything else behind. You can walk away from your nets—from lesser satisfactions, old ways, disappointments, and even your suffering—because you’ve found Someone better. Deep faith is not found in the abundance of what you have, but in the abundance of Christ in you.

That’s deep faith.. its holiness. Stepping out into the deep.. that test our surrender, and who we look to for sorrow and pain, and what we’re willing to sacrifice… but holiness comes when we find our satisfaction only in Jesus.. and that’s going to take Peter some time learning and hurting, and dying to self and being forgiven on a shore… deep faith leads to satifcatipon. And maybe your listening and you go, pastor I have that desire.

Me too… but its not about desire… as much as its about delight… do you delight in Jesus? You see church, having a desire for Jesus only gets you started, but its delight that takes you deeper. Desire is a wish, a hopeful want, but delight is treasuring, savoring, taking great pleasure in Christ. To delight in Jesus is to seek to please Him above all else—even unto death. It’s what Psalm 73:26 declares: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”My soul leaps to seek and live for Jesus, because there’s nothing else in life that satisfies.

I delight in Him more than forgiveness itself, more than food or rest, more than anything under the sun, moon, or stars. I delight in Jesus with holy abandonment—He is my life, my all in all. Do you know what we call this? Its called Holiness. Not because you just avoid sin, but because you’re captivated by Christ. Holiness is Christ in me—and me delighting in Him. The love, grace, and forgiveness I show the world is Christ in me, pouring out into the lives of others.

As David writes in Psalm 63:5, “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.” Why do people fall into infidelity, or abuse drugs and alcohol, or why do we binge Netflix and endlessly scroll face or Twitter. Why do we get caught up in playing video games and watching movies? We do these things because people have not found happiness.

Life is this endless pursuit of trying to find satisfaction. Trying to find a comfortable life. And At the root of our dissatisfaction is a never-ending thirst that nothing in this world can satisfy. And we’ve been duped into thinking that a better job, more money, cooler friends, another spouse, or a new life is really what we need. And if we can’t obtain any of these things, or when they leave us dissatisfied, we resort to things that become like treasure to us.

Can I just say something… who you are right now is who God wants right now. There is no, let me get better, or let me get my life strait… if left to ourselves we will never get where we want to be. Thats deep faith! Treasuring Christ above all else. Repenting of our sin, hurting like Peter in his sorrow, Depart from me, Jeuss, for I am a sinful man.

And then. hearing the love and kindness of Christ saying saying, don’t be afraid. You see church, Faith is remembering what He’s done and trusting Him enough to step into the deep, knowing He is enough. But let me ask you: Is He enough for you today? If you want to go deeper in your faith—to step out of the shallows, to leave the comfort of the shore—remember this: When the miracle happened, there were two kinds of people.

There were those standing safely on the shore, watching it all from a distance… and there were those in the boat, those who got their hands wet, those who risked and obeyed and saw the power of Jesus up close. Which one are you this morning? Are you content to watch what God does in others’ lives from a distance? Or are you ready to step into the deep, to trust Him, to get your hands wet—because you know Jesus is enough?

*

Can He Use Your Boat?

If you’ve got your Bible—and I hope you do—turn with me to Luke chapter 5. We’re beginning a new series this month called "Into the Deep." And I’ll tell you straight up: this is more than a catchy title. This is a call. It’s a challenge. It’s an invitation to go where Jesus is leading us—not just as a church, but personally.

We’ve been saying it for months: God is doing something here at Community. I believe that with all of my heart. You can feel it—in our worship, in our conversations, in the way people are stepping up to serve and stepping out in faith. God is moving.

But here’s the question we need to wrestle with:

Are we recognizing it?

Right? I mean, feeling it and actually receiving it—and stepping out by faith—are two different things.

So I want to challenge you this week..

I want you to ask yourself this question: Why am I here? I know, that’s a dangerous question. Because when people start asking that, sometimes they pack up and leave. And I’m praying that’s not the case. I’m praying you recognize that the Spirit of God has drawn you here on purpose. You’re not here by accident. You’re not just passing time. You’re here because God has a plan for your life.

And our goal here at Community isn’t just to preach good sermons or provide amazing worship—it’s to equip the saints for service. It’s discipleship. And the outcome of real, relational discipleship is always mission.

So let me press deeper: Why is Christ in you?

Why does Christ affect your mind and your emotions, your body and your will and your relationships?

Because He wants to use all of it.

He wants to use you—your mind, your emotions, your body, your will, your relationships, your friendships, your marriage, your parenting. Every part of who you are—to display His glory to the world.

And I want some of you to hear this… he wants to use what you think is broken, for his glory.

He has a purpose for being in you.

I want you to see your faith as more than a Sunday morning routine. Have you ever thought about this verse in Galatians 1:15–16?

"But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles…"

Did you catch that? Paul said God, in His grace, revealed His Son in me for a purpose—that I might proclaim Him to the nations.

Why, Paul? Why did God save you? Why did He bring you into Christ?

I could ask the same, and you too… why did God save me? Why did He bing me and you into Christ?

Paul would say, "So I can proclaim Christ. Show Christ. Declare Christ to the world around me.”

This is the reason why Christ is in you. He is in you for a purpose. He is in you for a mission.

So let me ask it another way:

Can He use your boat?

Lets look at our text together this morning, Luke chapter 5 beginning in verse 1. (NIV) One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Have you ever been hungry?

I mean, really hungry. We all have, right? Hunger is just part of life. It’s normal. But what’s not normal—what’s heartbreaking—is being hungry and having no way to feed yourself.

This week, I had a meeting at Panera. When it was over, I was heading back to my car, feeling full and satis ed. As I was walking out, I noticed a man sitting in one of the outdoor chairs. Now, I tend to strike up little conversations with people as I pass by, so I casually said, “Hey, are you enjoying the day?”

He looked up and said, “Man, it’s hot.”

And honestly, I hadn’t even noticed the heat. I felt comfortable, refreshed even. So I replied, “Well, at least there’s a nice breeze.

He laughed quietly and shook his head. “Maybe where you're standing—but right here, the breeze is warm.”

At that moment, I realized our quick hello was becoming something deeper. It was turning into a conversation. And right there, I felt that familiar nudge from the Spirit, saying clearly, “Sit with him.”

So I did. I closed my car door, walked back, and sat down beside him. Just as we were getting settled, another person came out from inside and sat beside us and listened into our conversation…. We were talking about Alaska and he turned around and joined our conversation. Soon, all three of us were deep in conversation, sharing stories and getting to know one another.

As we talked, it became clear to me this man wasn’t just passing the time. He was a passerby, yes, but he was hungry. Yet here’s the thing—he wasn’t holding a sign, he wasn’t asking for food, and he wasn’t making himself obvious. He had simply stopped to rest and cool off, planning to move on shortly.

Through our conversation, I discovered what he liked to eat. So I went back inside, ordered him some food, along with enough for his friends, and brought it out to him. And as we sat together, sharing food and stories, God opened a door. In a simple, relational way, I was able to share the hope and love of Jesus with this man.

AND THIS is one of the most Jesus ways to minister to others… : ministry isn’t about big plans or programs. It simply starts when we’re willing to be surrendered to Jesus where he lives through us, and that happened by sitting down, seeing someone, and sharing a meal together.

All I did was share conversation with him and some bread.

And I think of Jesus feeding the hungry when he fed the 5,000 and eventually they were cornering Jesus on the other sides saying, we want more, And Jesus looks at them and says, one of these many, "I am” statements in the Book of John, “I am the Bread of Life.”

From the very beginning, God intended for our needs to be met, he created us to hunger.

Think about Man in the garden. The first created human was created to have a need for food. God had created him that way. Sometimes we almost think to ourselves, “In the Garden of Eden when everything was perfect, man had no needs.” That’s not true. Man de nitely had needs. Man had a need for air and for food.

We find out later in Genesis 2, he had a need for companionship. It was not good for man to be alone, and so God created and wired man with cravings, with needs, and with an empty stomach to fulfill.

Here’s the key though: In the Garden, it wasn’t that man didn’t have needs. The picture in the Garden of Eden was that man had needs that were intended to be met only by God, in a way that was designed by God.

So, God created us to crave and then, second, our cravings are designed to be satisfied by our Creator. Our cravings are designed to drive us to God as the one who ful lls our cravings, meets our needs, and satis es our desires, which leads us to the problem in Genesis 3.

Genesis three is the fall of man. And its when man and woman let their needs control their hearts. And we see for the first time, the trigger of sin….

Which is, We look to the things in this world to satisfy us apart from our Creator, and the tragedy of sin is this: We end up running from the one our souls long for and need most. This is what happens in Genesis 3. They think they can find satisfaction apart from the Creator. They end up doing that, and they end up turning away from the one their souls need most.

Now, I have said all of that to get this this moment in Luke… Look with me in verse one…

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.

They were hungry… they were pressing in. They were pressing in to hear the word of God. The language here in greek denotes that they had an intense craving.

But for what? There’s no mention anywhere about miracles, healings, financial provision, or even for food; so what were they pressing in for? They were pressing in for the Word

Thats what attracted them. And like a moth to light, Jesus as the word, drew them in with the word, to the edge of the sea.

All Throughout Scripture, whenever people truly hunger for God, He responds with satisfaction. Desperate people are drawn to God’s Word.

All throughout Scripture we see this.. a hunger for Gods word.

“I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments” (Psalm 119:131) and Jeremiah exclaims “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16)

His word is a joy and a delight…

Listen church, Scripture is soul food for the desperate.

Imagine that crowd jostling closer on the beach, eyes fixed on Jesus, ears straining for every word. That poses a convicting question: What about us?

I remember one time I went to Alicia house for dinner while we were dating. And growing up I always saw theses things called pickled eggs. And the look was horrible.. hard boiled eggs, in a a jar, purple from beat juice looking all nasty… like there’s also a thing called picked pigs feet.

I couldn’t even stand the sight of picked eggs without gagging. And here they were, sitting in front of me and all of her family enjoying it and I'm like, where’s the deviled eggs? What’s this. Ewww.

But guess what.. I ate one… I felt left out.. I wanted to make an impression and I wanted to enjoy what her family enjoyed because, well I wanted a wife. And so if that meant suffering by eating a purple butt nugget, then so be it…

But actually, I thought it wasn’t that bad… and then over time, and in all seriousness, my taste buds changed. The more I ate the more I enjoyed it.

I think one of the reasons we don’t desire God’s Word is because our taste buds are so accustomed to the things of this world.

We fill our stomachs with so many empty calories (like ve or more hours of messages from the world on our screens every day), and as a result, we’re not hungry for God’s Word. But what might happen if we took the time to feast on Scripture instead of all the measly morsels the world offers us? Might our taste buds change?

There’s a line in a hymn you might know it.. it goes like this..

“Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.”

The Word of God awakens a hunger that only God can satisfy.

And then something happens when we press in… When we lean forward like that crowd did on the shoreline look at where Jesus takes them. Jesus starts moving toward the places we weren’t even paying attention to.

Look at verse 2.

“He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.”

Ordinary life. Nothing special.. just two boats and failed fisherman.

But while the crowd is hanging on the very word of Christ, Jesus’s eyes is seeing something else…. He sees the invisible people.

This is what James and John and Peter and Andrew are right now.. ordinary people, doing ordinary things, but its something you see everyday, so its not a big deal.

And this is the theme of Jesus ministry in the gospels. His gaze gravitates to the lonely, the left behind, the discouraged. He sees what others have ignored.

And I often wonder, how often do we ignore the ordinary, so we can find the extraordinary things. We see them as precious and desirable, but what about the ordinary things we over look.

Hagar, an abused maidservant, gave God a beautiful name: El-Roi, “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13)fter the Lord noticed her af affliction in the wilderness. The empty boats here in Luke show us that same El-Roi in action through Jesus. He sees the tired fishermen cleaning their nets in frustration, and His heart moves toward them.

This truth is deeply encouraging: No matter how invisible or ignored you feel, Jesus sees you. He sees what others overlook in your life.

So ask yourself: Are there areas of hurt, failure, or need I assume God doesn’t notice?

Hear this: Jesus sees! The God who created this word, who put galaxies together, and places us right here in this one, and gave us life, sees you. Your emptiness and disappointment have caught the eye of a compassionate Savior.

Peter wouldn’t know it in this moment watching this preacher come forward, but in 1 Peter 5:7 after time after time of failures and hurt, and hardships he would write, He sees what you’re going through, and He cares (1 Peter 5:7).

But look at that happens when Jesus sees us… Look with me in verse 3.

3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,…

He steps into our personal space… There is so much grace and wisdom in how Jesus does this. He doesn’t begin by commanding Peter to leave everything and become an apostle. He starts small. Just like a simple conversation… before Peter becomes an apostle, he’s got other learn obedience as a young follower.

You see, churhc, Jesus Gets Close Before He Calls.

This is so important. He doesn’t begin with a job description—He begins with presence.

Relationship precedes commission.

He doesn’t lead with a title—He leads with intimacy. Before Peter ever becomes a preacher, he becomes a disciple.

And that’s the order so many of us get wrong. We want the purpose without the presence. We want the mission without the Master. But Jesus says, “Let Me in the boat first.”

And I want to bring us back to the question we asked at the very beginning of this message: Why are you here? Why has Christ come to live in you? Why has He drawn you into this place—into this family of believers at Community?

It’s not just so you can hear a good sermon or attend a worship service. It’s because He’s forming you into a disciple. Because before God sends you to proclaim Christ to the world—like Paul in Galatians 1:16—He wants to reveal Christ in you. To many of you are trying to fish for people, or serve in ministry at the same time fighting Christ to be in your boat.

We want His blessing, but not His presence. We want His power, but not His Lordship. We want to be effective for the Kingdom, but we’re not willing to let Him rule over our private lives. And I’ll just say it plainly: You cannot fish for people if you keep pushing Jesus out of the boat.

So if you’re a young Christian, or maybe you’re just now taking your faith seriously, let me plead with you— don’t try to walk into calling without first walking with Christ.

Because if you do, it won’t be long before ministry becomes performance. And performance without intimacy leads to exhaustion. You’ll start serving for your reputation instead of God’s glory. Pride will move in, and humility will move out. And everything you do—even good things—will become activity without intimacy. You’ll be busy for God, but distant from Him. But that’s not what He wants for you.Jesus wants your heart. He wants your friendship. He wants to teach you how to hear His voice before He asks you to raise your own.

So pay attention to how He’s drawing near to you right now—through your relationships, your job, your struggle, your quiet time, your questions. I just heard a story about a 90-year-old woman who was ordained at our Nazarene General Assembly this year. That’s incredible. You are never too old—or too broken, or too young —to walk in your calling. But please hear me: before you walk into your calling, make sure your heart is surrendered to Christ. Don’t just ask, “Can He use my boat?”—ask, “Am I close enough to hear His voice when He steps in?”

You see church… before verse four comes, and well talk about that next week, when Jesus asks Peter to put out his nets out into the deep… Jesus simply asks, A simple invitation. “Push out a little from shore.” That’s what Jesus asked Peter. Not “Preach.” Not “Lead.” Just: “Move your boat a few feet.” And Peter obeyed.

And that small act of obedience became the foundation for a calling that would shake the world. You see , Obedience and love often begins with small steps.

As our worship team comes up… to prepare for our closing….

I need to pause here for a moment… because………. The boat in this story… isn’t just a boat….. It’s a picture. It’s a mirror. It’s a foretaste of something deeper. And I don’t know if anyone has ever seen this before, because I didn’t until this wek.

Sometimes we look at this passage and we overlook the ordinary. We see the crowd pressing in, we see Peter as a failure, we see here soon that he goes out into the deep and a great miracle happens… but remember, Jesus sees what we do not see at times…..

Jus like I never saw myself as a pastor. But he saw it.

But think about this… have you ever looked at this moment when Jesus gets into he boat and then realize that Jesus getting into the boat, was him teaching the people, and Peter, and us that one day, he will be in us?

We become the boat… his presence and Spirt in us, and we become living vessels.

Think about that.

Your life is the vessel. Your heart is the space. And Jesus climbs in, and Peter is in.. and Jesus begins asking Peter, will you push off.

Remember what I asked you at the beginning: Why is Christ in you?

He is in you because He wants to speak through you. Shine through you. Love through you. He wants your life to be His platform—just like Peter’s boat became a pulpit.

But here’s the thing: before Peter ever launched into the deep, Jesus just asked for a few feet.

Push out a little from shore.” Not a leap—just a nudge.

And maybe that’s where some of you are today. You’ve been waiting for some big assignment or loud callin or some writing in the sky, or some big miracle… —but Jesus is simply asking, “Will you trust Me right here? Will you give Me what you have?” Will you let me use your ordinary life. If Christ is in you, then your ordinary life has become a holy place. You are the boat. And He’s ready to move.

But you’ve got to say yes. You’ve got to surrender. You’ve got to push off—maybe just a little at first. But that little push can carry His glory into places you never dreamed.

Obey Him on the shore. Let Him in the boat. And watch what He will do, in you, and through you.

So how do we end a message like this?

We end the way Jesus began—with a question.

Can He use your boat?

But maybe now you hear it differently than when we started. It’s not just about what you can do for God—it’s about whether you’ll let Him in. Into your schedule. Into your pain. Into your dreams. Into your heart.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be present. You don’t have to go deep today. Just push off a little from shore.

Because if Christ is in you, then your life is no longer just your own. It’s a vessel of His presence. And when His presence lls a surrendered life, even the smallest act of obedience becomes sacred.

So this morning… what’s your small step?

What small moment will you trust him in? No arguments.. no trying to talk Jesus out of the boat.. but whats one small step you can make before he hear the words, put out into the deep water.

Whatever it is—start there. Push off a little. Let Him in.

Because He’s not just calling you to deeper waters next week.

He’s calling you to make room for His presence right now.

Let’s pray. Jesus… You didn’t ask for a performance. You asked for a boat. You didn’t demand perfection. You just stepped close. And we confess—so many times we’ve pushed You away. We’ve kept You at the edge of our lives. We’ve tried to carry out callings without intimacy. We’ve longed for Your power without surrendering to Your presence. But today… we want something different. Today, we say yes. Even if it’s small. Even if it’s simple. We say yes to pushing off from shore. We say yes to letting You in. Yes to Your Word. Yes to Your will. Yes to Your presence—right here, right now. Lord, we believe that even the smallest act of obedience, in the hands of a holy God, can change everything. So take our lives—our minds, our hearts, our stories, even our failures—and make them vessels of Your glory. We are the boat. You are the Lord. Have Your way in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.