Jesus forgives us and seeks to restore us. You can have an encounter with Jesus, and just like the disciples, it changes you forever.

You can have an encounter with Jesus, and just like the disciples, it changes you forever. For the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of those moments and see how they impacted His followers - while hearing stories from some of you - to remind us what happens when can happen we encounter Jesus.

Sermon | April 16, 2023 | Kevin Roth.

Why do we celebrate Easter? After a week of turmoil and Jesus' crucification, it was quite. Religious leaders breathe a sigh of relief that it was over. The disciples hide away and grieve in private. The Romans are thankful the chaos they feared has been avoided. The city is still for the first time, since Jesus entered it a week earlier. But God often speaks the loudest in silence.

Jesus intercedes for the church and His intercession is a promise.

Jesus calls us to live fruitful lives born out of loving relationship with Him. And as we do that, we’ll experience joy and opposition.

Jesus is God and we know God through Jesus and Jesus alone. God’s love for us is authored by the Father realized through Jesus and manifested in us by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ love is persistent, even with full knowledge of betrayal from Judas and Peter, and Jesus’ love informs our love for one another and others, even when we face hostility, rejection, and betrayal..

Discipleship is walking with one another toward Jesus and God acts within healthy discipleship. But what does discipleship look like? It can take many forms - small groups, teaching and preaching, and even individual relationships.  

Have you had a mountaintop experience and then your world came crashing down? Elijah had two of his greatest ministry triumphs. God showed up in huge ways to help him defeat the prophets of Baal and when he made the prophecy about being in drought until he gave the word and the rain started. Then Elijah's story took a twist and we see his humanness in a way we haven't seen it before. He went from high to low overnight.  

Remember who you belong to, whose you are. Get back to your first love, back to basics. Remember your identify and stand firm in faith.