Gathering House

Some of the heaviest things we carry are the things nobody else can see. As we gather again after the hurricane and close our Stay Awake series, Pastor Aj turns to the final chapters of Revelation for encouragement to keep following Jesus when we are tired. Jesus is Faithful and True. He gave His life for us, rose from the dead, and promises a future where death, mourning, and pain will come to an end. His invitation today is to come and receive the life He freely gives. This message invites us to bring Him what feels heavy, make room to be with Him each day, and let others help us carry what we have been carrying alone.

What do you do when you still believe in Jesus, but you are tired of what following Him is costing you? In this message, Pastor Aj explores Armageddon, Babylon, and the victory of the Lamb in Revelation 16–18. These visions invite us to recognize deception, examine the compromises we have grown comfortable with, and trust Jesus with our next faithful step. Babylon will fall, the Lamb will reign, and the One who gave His life for us is worth following.

What have you started saying yes to because saying no feels too expensive? In “Who Has Your Yes?” Pastor Aj walks through Revelation 12 through 14 to explore the pressure to compromise and what it means to follow Jesus when faithfulness carries a cost. If protecting a relationship, an opportunity, or someone’s approval has started changing who you are, this message invites you to bring that struggle honestly to Jesus. The One who gave Himself for you knows what obedience could cost, and your worst yes does not have to be your final answer to Him.

What if the season you are trying to escape is the very place God wants to use your life? In Revelation 8 through 11, John shows us people carrying the light of Jesus while the world around them is still dark, reminding us that faithfulness does not have to wait for easier circumstances. This message challenges us to stop waiting until we feel stronger, more prepared, or more certain and instead ask what the Holy Spirit is inviting us to do right now. Your story does not have to be finished for someone else to see Jesus through it.

What do you do when you have prayed the same prayer for so long that you no longer know what to say? In Week 4 of *Stay Awake*, Pastor Aj walks through Revelation 6–7 and the visions of the four horsemen, the martyrs beneath the altar, the 144,000, and the great multitude around the throne. These chapters do not offer an easy explanation for every painful thing, but they show us that evil is limited, our cries reach heaven, and no one who belongs to Jesus is forgotten. This message invites us to bring our unanswered prayers honestly to God and keep trusting the Lamb, whose presence will hold us until every tear is wiped away.

What do you hold on to when following Jesus costs more than you expected? In Week 3 of *Stay Awake*, Pastor Cody walks through Revelation 4–5 and shows us the open door, the occupied throne, and the slain Lamb who has already conquered. When pressure, fear, and compromise make the powers of this world feel ultimate, heaven reveals a deeper reality: God still reigns, Jesus is worthy, and our faithful endurance is never wasted. This message will help you face what is in front of you without letting anxiety about tomorrow decide who you belong to today.

What does Jesus see in us that we may have stopped seeing? In Week 2 of *Stay Awake*, Pastor Aj follows the seven messages of Revelation 2–3 and shows how Jesus speaks directly into the pressures, compromises, suffering, and self-deception of His churches. His correction is not rejection; it is love refusing to leave us asleep. Whether your love has cooled, faithfulness has become costly, another allegiance has claimed room in your heart, or you are holding on with little strength, Jesus knows where you are and is still inviting you home. This message calls us to stop diagnosing everyone else, listen to what the Spirit is saying, and stay awake to what Jesus sees.

What if Revelation was never meant to make you afraid of the future, but to help you see Jesus more clearly in the present? In Week 1 of *Stay Awake*, Pastor Aj opens Revelation 1 and shows us a risen Christ who stands among His churches, speaks into their fear, and holds the keys of death and Hades. This message invites us to put down the newspaper, open the Bible, and let Revelation challenge every smaller picture of Jesus we have carried. You do not have to understand every symbol to take your next faithful step toward the One who is greater than you imagined and closer than you thought.

What will your life point toward when the dash between your beginning and end is complete? In this Communion message, Pastor Aj traces the Bible's sweeping story of a faithful bridegroom who rescues His people, pursues them through their wandering, and gives His own life to bring them home. The bread and cup remind us that our hope is not found in making our lives impressive enough to earn God's love, but in Jesus joining His life to ours. If your heart has wandered or your life has stopped looking like Him, the table is an invitation to return, receive His grace, and remember that His faithfulness is greater than your failure.

How do you remain faithful when the answer takes longer than you expected? In the final message of James the Tailor, Pastor Aj walks through James 5:7–20 and shows us that biblical patience is not passive—it strengthens the heart, protects our relationships, and keeps turning toward God. James invites us to bring every season into prayer, step out of hiding, and move toward people who are wandering. If you are tired of waiting or carrying something alone, this message will help you trust what God is doing beneath the surface and take your next faithful step.