DENIERS-Surely the idea of denying Jesus is a new thing. It couldn’t have happened right away after Jesus was raised from the dead! It did… Jesus went to the cross knowing that there would be people who deny him as the Messiah. He knew that his “Chosen People” would not accept him as the Messiah. The religious leaders could not see past his lack of Conquest and therefore denied him as the Messiah. They expected an earthly kingdom instead of an eternal kingdom. Matt. 28:1-7, 13-15 NLT

DOUBTERS-How do you hear the voice of Jesus in this moment? Was it sarcastic? “Go ahead Tommy… put your finger in the hole in my hand. Do you want to stick your hand in my side? I’ll prove you wrong!” or do you hear a compassionate voice that is speaking to a lost and worried son? “Thomas… it’s ok. Come here, my friend. Touch the holes in my hands. They’re real and so am I. Stick your hand in my side. It’s really me. I’m here. I’m not gone. I haven’t abandoned you. I’m here.” John 20:24-29 NLT

How hard are you looking for the answers to your questions? If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (NLT) Luke 15:8-10 describes the woman searching for the lost coin.

DIVERS-The always overzealous and impetuous Peter… he hears John say “It’s the LORD” and he forgets anything and everything. He doesn’t care that there is a large haul of fish coming up. He doesn’t care about his companions who will have extra work after he abandons them. He does care that he is naked… He doesn’t care that he will have to swim 100 yards to get to shore. He just wants to get to Jesus. He is not going to let anything get in his way. He isn’t’ going to question it. John 21:7-14 NLT

Whether you’ve been a categorial denier, or you have some doubts… there’s still an opportunity for you to be a diver. It’s scary. It takes faith. What if I get to the shore and it’s not him? What if it doesn’t go the way I expected? What will my friends think when I put their needs behind my relationship with Jesus? There are a lot of reasons to remain guarded… but only when you truly take the dive will you get to the place where Jesus is and get the kind of experience that Peter had.

We are going to take some time to dive into the events of Holy Week. What happened throughout this week that lead to the cross? What were the significant milestones along the way? What did each of them mean? What do they mean to us? There is so much going on here that is part of the cross. I want to speak to those who are unsure about their belief in God. I want to speak to their belief in love. I want them to see that Jesus did everything because of his love. I want to tie all of it back to his love for each of us as individuals and not just as a package deal.

• A Hero’s Homecoming. Matthew 21:8-11
• A Farewell Party. Matthew 26:20-29
• The Greatest Love of All. John 15:9-17

Jesus gave us a concise definition of great love. It is a love that sacrifices for others. Jesus didn’t just say this. He modeled it. He went to the cross to be our example of the greatest love of all time. There is no love that will ever match this love. Even if someone else was willing to do for someone else or for everyone else, that love would not be equal to the love that Jesus displayed on the cross. That person would be imperfect and sinful. They would be subject to a sin-nature that had marred them since birth. Regardless of how hard they had tried to overcome sin, there would still be an equitable sense with which that person suffered and died.

Jesus, however, was completely sinless. There was not one single miniscule particle of his entire existence that deserved punishment of any sort. Therefore, when he suffers and dies, he does so from the place of perfection and in order to display perfect love. Jesus’ love was not just an affection for us. It was sacrificial. Jesus’ love was not tolerant of us. It was sacrificial. It was perfection laying down and dying for imperfection, or worse. We are not only imperfect, we are rebellious against the things of God. Romans 5:8 reminds us that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. He saw it. He knew it. He didn’t overlook it. He paid for it with the Greatest Love of All… the Love of God.

We can see in John 15 that Jesus then commands us to extend this same kind of love for the world around us. He wants to complete his joy in us through giving us his love and giving us the opportunity to act on that love by loving others. He is not asking us to tolerate others. He is not asking us to grow in our affection for others. He is asking us to sacrifice for others. He is asking us to sacrifice for all the Judases in our lives. That is appalling to us, but our sin was no less appalling to God.

Is Discipling Children a Biblical Priority?

Matthew 18:2-5; Mark 10:13-16

In Response to what the Bible Says...

The Barna Research Group reports that all facets of moral and spiritual developments start as early as age 2. By age 9, most children have their spiritual moorings in place. By the age of 13, their spiritual identity is largely set in place. International Bible Society indicates that 83% of all Christians make their commitment to Jesus between the ages of 4-14.

What does the Bible say about Community?

What does the Bible say about God's Word? "

Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain-unless it is done with play, in which case, it takes 10 to 20 repetitions!"

Psalm 100:2-4

Are we compassionate?

1. God Offers Comfort to All-

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT    3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Psalm 68:5  Our God is a father of the fatherless and a defender of widows.

James 1:27 He calls his people to care for the needy.

2. Children of God Need to Have Deep Compassion for Each Other

1 PETER 3:8 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

Galatians 6:2 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

3. The Compassion of a Savior

Isaiah 53:3-6 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,     a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces  he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God,    stricken by him, and afflicted.5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,    he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,    and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,     each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him     the iniquity of us all.

THAT TIME MY AGENDA WASN’T PART OF GOD’S PLAN…

When was the last time you asked God, “what’s your plan?” or “How can I be part of your plan for…?”

Acts 1:6-8 "When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Our Plans Vs God’s Plans

• James 4:13-15 – the WILL of God should be our lens for everything.
• Psalm 33:10 – God frustrates our plans so that his plans can succeed.
• Prov. 19:21 – we see many options, but they don’t compare to God’s plan.

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What’s The Purpose Of God’s Power Working In Us? Powerful Purpose

• Jerusalem: Local REACH
• Judea/Samaria: National REACH
• Ends of the Earth: Global REACH

Powerful Witness Martyres-The Greek word for witness in Acts 1:8 is the word martyres. (mar tu res) and it is the root work for the English word, martyr. Take a minutes and let that sink in… Jesus is standing with his disciples. They are asking him if the time of their liberation has finally come. He says, “that’s above my pay grade.” Then, he says “you are going to receive power from the Holy Spirit so that you can go die for your city, your nation and the rest of the world.”

Matt. 16:24 – deny yourself and pick up your cross

Matt. 15:25 – lose our life to save it

Gal. 2:20 – It’s no longer me, it’s Christ in me.

Gal. 5:24-25 – leave your former passions behind

Rom. 13:14 – put on selflessness like a garment

Psalm 39:4-7 "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you."

Time Is Short. Live For Jesus. Reach The Lost.

Pastor Paul, Worship Pastor

4 very practical ways to live a very powerful life

• Remember
• Learn
• Sing
• Worship

Colossians 3:16-17 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

What does singing do?

It reinforces Bible truth

It is a way of battling the enemy

2 Chronicles 20:22 “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves”

• It unites us as His people
• It puts our focus on Him
• It invites God’s presence

God sits enthroned on the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3)

• It brings renewal/refreshment
• It paves the way for the miraculous

Acts 16 Paul and Silas begin praising and the prison doors are opened

How do we choose songs at Family Life for our worship service?

1. We want songs that are biblically accurate

2. We want songs that are contemporary

3. We want songs that are not just “about” God, but “to” God and “for” God

4. We want songs that usher in His presence

Simple recipe for a powerful singing/worship experience

• He is worthy
• I need to come to Him surrendered

Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Sermon Title: Let Me Show You: Matt Robinson

Scripture:1Cor.4:16-17,11:1, Matt.28:19-20,1Tim.1:15-16,

Main Points:

1. Why Should I Mentor? Jesus is our mentor. Mentorship changes lives. We are charged by Jesus to mentor others. If you mentor, your faith will grow.

2. Who Should I Mentor? Anyone. Mentoring is not about how capable you are. It’s about how willing you are and whether or not Jesus is the Hero of your story.

3.How Do I Mentor?: God has positioned you and uniquely gifted you to share your experiences with others. The three ways to mentor are contribution(giving time or money), communication(encouraging texts/calls)and connection(1-on-1time).

Let’s take a close look at the Biblical pathway out of a bad day, because we ALL have them. But, let’s stop to consider an idea that may not occur to us too often. Perhaps our bad days are the days when Satan saw the greatest opportunity to attack an area of our lives that was vulnerable. Perhaps there are things we can do to fortify our lives and make ourselves less of a target for the enemy. What if there was a way to stop it all and say, “Not today, Satan!” 

Ephesians 6:10-12

THE UNSEEN WORLD-There is an entire spiritual world around us that we do not see. We can only see the physical world. As such, we tend to focus all of our time and energy into this physical world and to see it as our greatest obstacle to finding joy, peace or happiness

THE UNSEEN PURPOSE-The armor that Paul describes to the Ephesian Church is a great analogy, but it’s a very intentional one as well. He’s not just making stuff up, as though we need armor like people who are in a battle. He is speaking to deeper issues that need to be addressed in the lives of believers. It’s not just about what we are actively doing to protect ourselves. We also need to understand what we are protecting. Each of these areas is crucial.

ARMOR PURPOSE

• Truth battle the lies of the enemy
• Righteousness stop sin’s destruction of your heart
• Peace overcome circumstantial troubles
• Faith stop the continual attacks of the devil
• Salvation renew your mind and thoughts
• Scripture counter the attacks of the devil

THE UNSEEN THREAT-There is a real and dangerous threat to us that exists in the unseen world. It’s the enemy of God’s people. He rebelled against God and was punished for it. As a result, he hates anyone who resembles the things of God and/or the Son of God. The more we become like Jesus, the more enmity we create between us and Satan. In a sense, as our relationship with Jesus grows, so does our danger to Satan. As a result, the best thing he can bring against us are these attacks that are going to distract us and draw us away from God.

Pastor Panel- Practical ways to live out your faith.

How can I invite God's Blessing in my Life? James 1:12

Romans 11:30, 12:1

Worship- The Greek word for worship is latreia and it is most often translated as worship. However, there are other areas in the bible where it clearly is used as the word “serve.” What is most interesting about this passage is how both can apply. True surrender to God is the only way that we can truly serve or worship him. Anything short of complete surrender, is our way of withholding service and/or worship from him. In light of all that God has done for us, we might ask the question, “How can I ever repay God for all that he’s done for me?” The simple answer is that, “We can’t.”

Luke 18:10-14

Humility- Full surrender to God starts with the act of feeling sorry or regretful about the things we have done wrong, and it involves a sincere desire to change our behavior or make amends. It's like acknowledging a mistake, feeling genuinely sorry for it, and then taking steps to make things right or avoid repeating the same mistake in the future. It often involves a sense of remorse and a commitment to better choices. This is where humility comes in. It’s the sinner’s cry for mercy.

Roman 12:2 & 2 Peter 1:3-11

Godly Living- Godly Living refers to the process of becoming more like God or growing in holiness. It involves a person's spiritual journey and efforts to live a life that aligns with God's teachings. Think of it as a transformation where individuals strive to improve their character, actions, and attitudes to better reflect the values and virtues of God. It's about becoming a better, more morally upright person through the guidance and influence of our faith. This is the point at which we commit to forsaking all others.