The love of Christ isn’t soft and sentimental. It’s not therapeutic moralism wrapped in Christian language. Paul knew that. From a Roman prison cell, he didn’t pray for comfort; he prayed for transformation. In this passage, we’re not given a warm devotional. We’re handed a blueprint for transformation. And at the center is the love of Christ. But His love is not the kind the world defines. This love doesn’t merely soothe or affirm you; it reconstructs you. It lays a new foundation, reorders your affections, confronts your idols, and fortifies your inner life so that Christ can dwell fully in you. You were not made to survive on shallow encouragement. You were made to be filled with all the fullness of God. And it all begins with one step: surrender.

God didn’t just save you to forgive your past. He saved you to unleash your purpose. In Ephesians 3, Paul unpacks the mystery of the gospel: that every barrier separating people from God (and each other) has been torn down through Jesus. And now, the riches of Christ belong to all who believe. But this grace doesn’t just cleanse; it commissions. Paul knew that firsthand. Though he saw himself as the least, grace empowered him to preach, build, and reveal the eternal plan of God. The same is true for you. You weren’t saved to sit on the sidelines. You were chosen to carry the wisdom of God into the world, to live with holy confidence, and to make the gospel known.

You were once far off, excluded, cut off, and without hope. But now, through the blood of Jesus, you’ve been brought near. Ephesians 2 reveals that the dividing wall of hostility has been torn down, not just between people and God, but between people and each other. There are no second-class citizens in the Kingdom. In Christ, we are one family, one temple, one dwelling where God’s Spirit lives. So don’t live like a stranger in the house of God. You belong here, and you’re called to build what God is raising up.

You weren’t bad and got better. You were dead and got raised. That’s the radical mercy of God. Ephesians 2 tells the truth: we were all stuck, broken, and deserving of wrath. But God, rich in mercy, overflowing in love, made us alive with Christ. Salvation isn’t behavior modification. It’s resurrection. You’ve been raised, seated, and set apart to walk in the good works God prepared in advance. And now, mercy isn’t just what you receive, it’s what you give. If you’ve been made alive, you carry that life into the world.

Most believers live like they’re waiting for something more: more clarity, more purpose, more strength. But Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 reminds us that in Christ, we already have everything we need: hope that anchors, value that can’t be stolen, and resurrection power that raises dead things to life. The problem isn’t what we lack, it’s what we’ve failed to access. So Paul prays, “Open the eyes of their hearts.” This isn’t about earning something new. It’s about waking up to what’s already yours.

When your identity is built on anything you can lose (success, status, relationships) it will always be fragile. But Ephesians 1 reveals a better foundation. Before you did anything, God chose, adopted, redeemed, and sealed you by His Spirit. You’re not an orphan trying to earn love. You’re a son or daughter marked by grace. In a world selling insecurity and self-promotion, this passage anchors you in what’s unshakably true: You are loved. You are redeemed. You are adopted. You are sealed. That identity changes everything.

Jesus didn’t say He was a teacher of goodness or a model of kindness. He said, “I am the good shepherd.” In a world full of hirelings, noise, and counterfeit leaders, He stands alone as the One who knows His sheep by name, leads them with love, and lays down His life for their sake. This Memorial Day weekend, we remember those who gave their lives for our freedom, and we look to the One who gave His life for our salvation. The Good Shepherd is not distant or indifferent. He’s present, personal, and willing to go to the cross for the ones He loves. Come find rest in His care.

God is moving in powerful ways through the next generation. We celebrated it loud and proud! Honor the Grad Sunday, a full Youth and Kids Takeover Service where students will lead worship, share testimonies, and show us what it looks like to live with bold faith in their everyday lives.

As part of this special day, we honored our High School Seniors, celebrating all they’ve accomplished and praying over their next steps. This is a milestone moment you won’t want to miss!

In a culture that celebrates open-mindedness and endless spiritual options, the claim of Jesus is strikingly clear: “I am the door.” Not a door. The door. The only access point to salvation, to eternal life, and to joy that doesn’t fade. Religion can’t save us. Good works can’t unlock eternity. The door to Eden was closed by sin, and only Jesus can open what we lost. This Mother’s Day, we’ll explore the joy and hope found in the One who invites us in, not just to heaven someday, but to abundant life today. Because when you walk through the door of Christ, everything changes.

In a world that tells us truth is personal, identity is fluid, and every path leads somewhere good, Jesus makes the most exclusive and liberating claim in human history: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He’s not just one of many voices. He is the voice. This isn’t about religion or spiritual options. It’s about a Person who redefines what is real, who reveals the heart of the Father, and who offers a road that leads to life. The early church didn’t call themselves Christians. They called themselves followers of the Way. Because they didn’t just believe in Jesus…they walked His path. And that path still calls us today.