That’s an interesting point Pastor Ed brings up – why is loving each other a “new commandment” from Jesus? Throughout the Bible, we are told that love is most important: love from God, through us, and out to the world in need. The difference is made clear in today’s message: Jesus gave us the ultimate example of what love is, and how powerful love can be. We now have this example laid out before us, a model we can use to bless all who we come in contact with!

As Pastor Ed reminded us just now, we have been told to love one another. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, if you’ve ever met a difficult person – and probably, you’ve met more than one – then you know this is anything but simple! Today’s message centers on the idea that Jesus loved everyone, not just the people who He got along with, and that as followers of Jesus, we too must love everyone! Those who get on our nerves or have insulted us are no exception – in fact, they may need even more love!

We are asked in the Bible to be a light to the darkness that envelops the world. We are to live in a way that is different, that sets us apart from other people. By following Jesus’s example, we will find ourselves doing just that. Sounds simple enough, right? The darkness is strong, though, and is everywhere, and is always going to try to snuff out our light! Pastor Ed wants to encourage us in today’s message to keep going, to keep shining, and to keep relying on God to move in us and through us!

The Bible was not given to us merely as a good book to read, or a suggestion on how we are to live our lives. Rather, God intended His Words to influence every part of our beings! Pastor Ed reminds us in today’s message how easy it is to get caught up in the ways of the world, and how allowing that influence more ground in our lives is harmful in the long run. God has given us all we need to know to follow Him, and live the best life we can, and all of it lies in the pages of the Bible!

You may be sitting today in the middle of some sort of misery that has you questioning what God is up to, and wondering what the big picture looks like in your life. Pastor Ed wants to encourage you today, however, that though you may not see it now, God is working in your life! Following God is never promised to be an easy path, and there will be heartache along the way. It is the best decision you can make in your life! God does promise to walk with you, and in the end, will show you the big picture!

Today’s message follows Jesus as He performs one of the most memorable miracles in the Bible – the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Pastor Ed takes this story to remind us that Jesus will come to our aid, right when we need it, but maybe not when we think it would be best. Lazarus’s family would have preferred to have Jesus show up BEFORE he died, but God had a better plan. God has a better plan for our lives too, and is waiting until the perfect moment to bring about a miracle in our own situations!

We do everything we can to plan out our lives, to stick with a timeline that we think will grant us the most freedom and happiness. But what happens when a wrench gets in the works and our timeline flies out the window? Pastor Ed today discusses the purpose of God’s timing versus our timing, and how HIS timing creates the better path and is so much more fulfilling! Of course, this means we have to give up something we hold tight to: our own control. Don’t worry – it will be worth it!

Sin bends us – definitely the wrong way, but it does indeed change us! When we allow sin to take control of us, we become misshapen; not who God intended us to be. Pastor Ed reminds us today that when we realize how out of perspective we have become, we need to turn to God! We need to allow Him to bend us back to where we were, and into who He sees us being. It won’t be easy, or pain free most likely, but in the end it will be worth it! God’s mold for us is much better than we can create!

God is committed to us – have you ever thought about that? Pastor Ed today reminds us that our relationship with God is not just about our side of things – God really is the one who started it all! When God created humans, He made a commitment! He desired so much to have a relationship with us that He was willing to sacrifice what He loved – His Son – for the chance to connect with us! He doesn’t force this relationship on us, but is always there to receive us when we take the next step!

Pastor Ed shares with us in today’s message the power of believing that Jesus is our shepherd. We are nothing without Jesus! He is our guide, our protection, our friend! If we were to try to do life without Him, and try our best to be “spiritual”, we would inevitably fail – and what’s more, we would be completely susceptible to the enemy’s devious ways. He is the thief that is always watching for an opening; a place to sneak in and destroy. But when we rely on Jesus, we will forever be protected!