Pastor Dana continues with the “Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps” series, turning to Matthew 16:5-12, where Jesus warns His disciples about the false teaching of the pharisees and Sadducees. In Luke 11:37-46, 52, Jesus denounces the pharisees and experts of the law for being more concerned with appearing righteous, rather than truly caring for others. We must follow Jesus’ discernment to identify leaders who will keep us on God’s path and those who will misguide us.

Pastor Dana returns with the “Walking in Jesus’ Footsteps” series, diving into Matthew 5:1-2, the precursor to the Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew 9:14-17, which finds Jesus answering a question about fasting through an illustration. Luke 8:4-10 is the Parable of the Sower, which Jesus explains plainly to His disciples. Then in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus visits Mary, whose priority is to be His student, and Martha, whose priority is to be His welcoming host. Jesus taught anywhere so that people could transform their lives with transformed hearts and minds.

Joanne Tramel highlights the Christian impact of Frances Perkins (1880-1965), best known as the first female cabinet member, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor. Perkins held early values of the Christian duty to the poor and naturally pursued labor advocacy. After witnessing the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, she turned to politics to become pivotal in institutions and policies such as the S.S.I., minimum wage, overtime, and child labor laws, public works projects of the Great Depression, and the women’s workforce of WWII.

Jennie Straight speaks on the storms we may encounter that put our faith to the test, and listening to God to get through them. We can endure these storms by laying a strong foundation before they arrive, consistently and carefully reading the Scripture, keeping His Words in our heart, and actively putting them into practice.

We also hear video testimony from Gracia Burnham, a missionary held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf for over a year. Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/271737911?fl=pl&fe=sh

Pastor Dana continues to look at Jesus’ life in the Gospels. Luke 7:1-10 shows a centurion coming to Jesus to heal his servant, though believing his home was unworthy, his faith was such that only by Jesus’ words the servant was healed. Then, in Mark 2:3-12, a group of friends fight through a crowd to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus by lowering him from the roof of the house and by His words, the man was healed. Jesus did not just come to heal our ailments temporarily, but our deepest brokenness that separates humanity from God.

Pastor Dana’s continues to look at Jesus’ life in the Gospels. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:17 & 20 that He came to fulfill the law. The pharisees rebuke Jesus on the Sabbath in Mark 2:20-3:6 for the disciples picking grains from the field to eat and in John 5:1-18 for His healing of a disabled man. But Jesus challenges the rigid rule enforcement that forgets the heart of God in favor of controlling others. The law fulfilled is love that is embodied.

Pastor Dana’s continues to look at Jesus’ life in John and Luke, which sees Jesus welcome people, both respectable and socially condemned. In John 4:7-15, He invites the Samaritan woman at the well to living water. In John 3:1-3, the pharisee Nicodemus comes to Jesus in secret for answers. In John 8:10-11, He saves a woman accused of adultery and offers her forgiveness. In Luke 19:9-10, the tax collector Zacchaeus speaks to Jesus and is renewed. We do not need to be perfect to come before God. Rather, He welcomes us as we are and transforms us.

Pastor Dana’s continues to look at Jesus’ life in Luke 4:14-21 and John 8:12-20, where Jesus declares His identity through His words and actions. He is the Spirit-anointed liberator spoken of in Isaiah and the Light of the world. We can declare our trust in God as the source of true light in multiples ways, going beyond “good enough” to sharing the Good News in healing ways, and hearing the presence of the Holy Spirit remind us to live as liberators, healers, and restorers of peace.

Pastor Dana’s continues to look at Jesus’ life in John 1:43-51 and Matthew 4:18-22. First, Nathaniel is invited by Philip to see Jesus and overcomes skepticism as they are invited to follow Him. We also see Jesus meet fishermen brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, then James and John, and He calls on them to be fishers of men. These examples reveal what it means to be called by Jesus and what it means to follow Him. Some people are called slowly, through relationships, while others have a sudden awakening to the call. Regardless how the call of Jesus comes, it is an invitation to transformation.

Pastor Dana’s continues to look at Jesus’ life in Matthew 3:13-17, where Jesus’ cousin John baptizes Him in the Jordan River, and in Matthew 4:1-11, where Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast for forty days and is tempted by the devil. In baptism, He commits Himself to a life of following God the Father and proves it in the wilderness. Our commitment to faith in God won’t save us from trial, either, but it will help us through them.