The world can get pretty dark. Our disobedience from God and unwillingness to honor his Word and seek his ways sends us into distress. We grope around for help, even trying various spiritual avenues, but the dawn never comes by those means. Still God has a promise. God promised to come with light from on high. God promised a dawn would break for his people. When Jesus was born, the light came into the world. 

When you are slandered, take heart, the truth will eventually prevail. Let your actions be your testimony. Do what is right, as much as you can, and let the falsehood roll off your back. It is very hard not to take the low road and match attack with attack, fight fire with fire, but this is not what John teaches. Love suffers much, but always prevails in the end. The truth will never fall away. Stay faithful to the truth which is Jesus Christ, “the way, the truth and the life.” 

Faithfulness is not a solo endeavor, not a lone wolf activity. We need the support of faithful friends. John celebrated his friend Gaius. His life is marked with faith, hope and love. John cares about his friend’s well-being, his health, his business, his family, and all that stuff. Friends care for one another in little and big things. Thank God for faithful friends.

 The evil one is known as diabolos, the divider, the deceiver. The devil attempts to divide the church through lies that wedge into the fellowship and split the church into factions. Lies are only given power by believing them. Some people inadvertently run themselves counter to Jesus, anti-Christ, by believing and sharing lies. Our primary act of spiritual warfare is telling the truth, teaching the truth, and believing the truth. 

Novelty is fun, but in Christian circles, it is not always a good idea. We should be truly creative and innovative about many things surrounding our methods, but never compromising and never innovating about our message: the truth. The truth endures and does not change. We do not come up with new truth, we continue faithfully in the truth we have received, the commandment to love one another. 

We all long to have a lasting impact, to overcome death by making our names great so that all will remember. But this world is passing away, with its desires (cf. 1 John 2:17). How do we truly participate in the eternal? By following the will of God. We invest in the eternal through our commitment to God’s work (giving of time, talents, treasure). Let’s commit ourselves once again to participating in what God is doing and rest our need for eternity in Jesus.

Sitting at the table for the Last Supper, the disciples start arguing about which one of them is greater. We long for power. We want to be in control. We want to know we have all it takes to overcome any obstacle without needing help. So, we seek physical power (gym) and vitality; we seek spiritual power (manifesting). Jesus turned power dynamics on their head. Ours is the only God who died on the cross to serve others. Jesus wants us to be free from the desire for power, and to find that freedom by trusting him enough to lay our lives down for one another.  

When Jesus nears Jericho, a blind beggar refuses to be silenced. He cries out, not just for sight, but to be seen. Jesus stops, calls him near, and restores more than his vision. If you’ve felt overlooked or undervalued, this sermon is for you. In a world that ties worth to performance and opinions, Scripture announces a better truth: your value is secure in Christ. Come hear the voice that knows your name and delights in you.

We’ll look at how Jesus dignifies a man everyone else ignored, why “Self-worth equals God’s truth about us” is freedom, and how to listen to the Father’s voice above all others. Jesus sees and values you, so anchor your worth in God’s truth, not your performance or others’ opinions of you. 

Join us this Sunday to worship, learn, and discover belonging. Plan your visit: firstprescos.org/belong

The rich young ruler does not find peace. He is like the seed in the Parable that falls among weeds, cares and concerns of the world choke out his peace. We long for peace, both outer and inner peace. Outer peace desires push us to set up confidence in money for security. Inner peace pushes people to spiritual practices (yoga; meditation). Where is peace truly found? Even Peter expresses worry about provision. Jesus says, put your confidence in me. True peace, inner and outer, comes with submission and trust in God and his coming Kingdom.