Have you ever thought of why Jesus spent so much time on the earth before He died for us? If dying for us was just a transaction that Jesus had to fulfill, why didn’t He just come and get it over with? Because Jesus came for more than a transaction. Jesus came to build a relationship with us, and relationships are built on shared experience. Pastor Mark will explain to you today how Jesus came to have a relationship with you. He wanted to walk on the same earth you walk on and feel what your hands and feet are like. He ate food, and He felt the pain of hunger. He did all of this for you because He loves you and wants you to know that He knows what it’s like to be human. 

It can be tempting to take matters into our own hands when we think that people in authority are doing wrong. There are definitely ways to be respectful and law-abiding, and still let our voices be heard. When that doesn’t seem to make a difference, what can we do? We can trust that God is in control. In his message today, Pastor Mark will encourage you to have faith in God’s justice. You may think your boss or government officials are being unjust. You don’t have to be silent, but rest assured that everyone will be accountable for their actions in the next life. God will judge even the ones He placed in authority.

Respecting authority can be a difficult thing. Our culture teaches us to be independent and think for ourselves. While it’s important not to blindly follow authority, especially when we’re talking about a secular or government authority, sometimes we have a rebellious streak that isn’t rooted in scripture. Pastor Mark will challenge you today to be very careful about choosing not to follow the rules and laws set up by the people in charge. Remember that God is the ultimate authority and puts those people in positions of power. You should only go against them when they are giving you mandates that clearly break God’s laws.

What part of your body do you look forward to being restored in heaven? Imagine having legs that let you run like when you were a kid. You’re going to be able to read without glasses. The pain in your neck and shoulders will be gone, and you won’t even need coffee to have enough energy. It’s going to be incredible! Today, Pastor Mark will get you thinking about what it will be like when God brings a new heaven and a new earth. It’s kind of mind-blowing to think that you’ve never seen what God meant the earth to look like. You’re living in a post-fall world. What will the flowers be like on a new Earth? There’s so much to look forward to.

Do you believe God wants you to be free and healed? Maybe you think you’re not important enough to be healed. Why would God heal insignificant you? Maybe you think your sin was too great. You don’t deserve to be healed. It’s time to let go of that kind of thinking. God wants to set you free from everything holding you back. Pastor Mark will urge you in his message today to believe that God wants to heal you. God wants to transform you to be more like Jesus and be able to be a shining light in the world. You don’t need to hold on to all the hurt and the pain. You can let go of the emotional stumbling blocks that keep tripping you up.

Have you ever fallen asleep while driving? Even for just a moment? It’s pretty scary. Obviously, it’s dangerous to drive a car with your eyes closed. There can be many obstacles that you can’t avoid. It’s the same in life. You need to keep your eyes open to see the problems that are coming your way. Pastor Mark will urge you today not to fall asleep in life like the disciples did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Stay awake and pray. That’s the best way to be prepared for the obstacles that come your way. You have work, school, or parenting decisions to make, and you can’t sleepwalk through them. You need to be praying.

We’ve all set an alarm sometime in our lives. The night before, we decide when to get up in the morning. When the alarm goes off, we get up and act on the decision we made the night before. That’s what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. He died on the cross on Friday, but He made the final decision on Thursday night. Today, Pastor Mark will encourage you to spend time with God in a kind of spiritual garden. You can read about Him in His Word and spend time in prayer. God will take those times to mold you into Jesus’ image and help you decide to surrender more and more of your life. Then you can act out those decisions in your life.

When you look around and see the world falling apart with all its chaos and wrongdoing, it’s natural to wonder why God permits such terrible things like the abortion of children or the assault of women. But have you ever thought about how it's really humanity that's responsible for everything, not God? Today, Pastor Mark tells you how sin has woven its way into the fabric of our world. When sin came into the world through Adam and Eve, it didn’t come alone; it brought along crime and destruction as its unwelcome companions. God feels deep sorrow when He sees wrongdoing, which is why He sent Jesus to save everyone!

When Jesus kicked off His ministry, he faced a lot of mockery from folks, who labeled Him as evil. It seems like there's a shared vibe in this generation where it feels like people have been tricked into thinking that what’s truly evil is actually good, while the good stuff gets a bad rap. In today’s message, Pastor Mark shares knowledge on how to spot the enemy's schemes. God can help you make people aware of the enemy's plans. He can help you spark a light in others, guiding them to see their need for God. Hey there! The best thing you can do as a believer is spread the love of Jesus to everyone around you!

There are moments when we let the mistakes in our lives roam around without a care. It not only pulls you further away each day, but it also builds a wall between you and God. Imagine living in a house with a fierce wild animal that could pounce on you at any moment! Today, Pastor Mark shares some insights on how to stand strong against your sinful nature. Rather than just accepting your flaws, it's important to fight against that inner pull to drift away from God. Why not invite the Holy Spirit into your journey? He can be a great ally in helping you resist those pesky temptations of your sinful nature. Always try to keep sin at arm's length.