In our message today, John Poundstone invites each of us to catch “Bible-fever” and to embark on a constant, unquenchable quest to find the treasure within God’s Word, the Bible. Through Bible reading, we can discover Jesus and the Father. We can find the way, truth, and life that the Bible promises. We can explore the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit found in the kingdom of God. We can learn about the ways and the culture of heaven. 

Each of us possess an innate desire and curiosity to know God deeply. The Bible helps us to find answers to our deepest questions: “Who really is God? What is He really like? What does He think of me? Why am I here?”

John offers practical tips for making Bible reading enjoyable and not some form of legalism. He debunks some common myths about the Bible and provides tips for finding the best Bible translation for studying and personal reading. 

Reading the Bible is an adventure with no right or wrong approach. God would love for us to get to know Him even more deeply by engaging with His Word.

In this week’s message, Senior Leader John Poundstone asks us to reconsider the popular WWJD wristbands and instead ask ourselves “What WILL Jesus Do?” It is important for us to not make everything revolve around ourselves but rather around Jesus. John encourages us to let Jesus be in charge of all our circumstances, situations, issues, problems, plans, fears, and outcomes. Jesus promises to restore and redeem us and never abandon us. We can pursue Jesus through prayer and rely on His “God Logic” instead of our own logic to guide us.

In our message this morning, Ted and Deana Treault speak about forgiveness and the connection between grace, redemption, and forgiveness. They share ways to overcome doubt in one's relationship with God. They offer practical tips for strengthening one's faith through daily prayer and Bible reading. Forgiveness requires a genuine repentance that comes from the heart. It is important to let go of bitterness and resentment and accept God's grace which is freely given despite our unworthiness.

Biblical trust and faith means more than believing in who God is or what He says. Faith is inseparable from trust. It's the confidence that God can and will do what he says in his word. Developing a trusting, faith-filled relationship with God takes time, communication, conversation and experience.  Part of being strong and of good courage means trusting in the Lord as our true source of strength.  We will all face stressful, difficult situations. That's just part of life. We can trust God and rely on him to get us through whatever we are facing and even to bring us through better and stronger.

When God created men and women, He gave them unique abilities and qualities that reflect His divine nature. They have the power to think, dream, speak, and create. When men and women join forces, respecting each other's strengths, they embody a more complete expression of God's nature.

Women were created by the Almighty to birth breakthroughs on planet earth. God has uniquely designed and crafted women with a latent ability to release life and new spiritual beginnings through intercession and words that will touch the nations.  God hears the cries of women and their desires and never-ending, contending for their children, families, and loved ones

How do we navigate the narrow gate that the Bible talks about?   If Jesus has made salvation possible for all of us, why does he say the gate is narrow and few will find it? 

The wide and narrow gates describe our choices in this life. The broad gate represents the path most people, even Christians choose. The broad gate leads to destruction because it's all about me and my interests.  It’s about self-involvement, self-defense, self-protection, self-interest, and selfies. It’s about serving a God we make in our own image which is nothing short of idolatry.  It deeply grieves, and concerns Our loving God to see us diminished and destroyed by our own self focused mindset.  

The narrow gate, on the other hand, is about choosing to shift our focus to God and to treat others with the same care and respect that we desire for ourselves. This is the very essence of the teachings of the law and the prophets. By choosing to enter through the narrow gate, we not only gain eternal life but also experience abundant life right now.

In this message we learn how to resign as “master of our own universe” and let Jesus show us the things that pull us off the path and how to find the narrow gate that leads to abundant life.

In our culture today, we are encouraged to think that life is all about us: our needs, our wants, our goals. We're encouraged to pursue our personal truth and live our best life. But when we become followers of Christ, we must adopt a new way of thinking: "It's Not About Me." Jesus himself never sought personal gain or revenge. Instead he focused only on the will of the Father.

As followers of Jesus, we must take a look at our own behavior and reactions, and surrender to the Holy Spirit. True discipleship means being willing to sacrifice ourselves for His glory, and discovering the true life that comes from following His ways. It's only by letting go of our own desires and agendas that we can find the purpose God has for us. We need to remember that "It's Not About Me" – it's about His plan, His will, and His glory.

Now that Easter has passed, you may find yourself asking “Now What?”

The 40 day period between Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension was a monumental time of transition and preparation. Jesus spent time with his disciples and prepared them to live and minister in his name.  

This year, we are encouraged to take this 40 day period between Easter and Pentecost and undertake our own time of transition and preparation by:

Today, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which brings us new life. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He is the light of the world and the gateway to a good life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads us to Abba, Father God. Through Jesus, we can find our true identity, purpose, and destiny. We don't need to wait for His return in glory. We can start living fully now.

To experience resurrection life, we are invited to come to His table. This invitation is not about following any religious rituals or rules but about coming to Jesus to have our feet washed and our lives, dreams, and purposes restored and made new. Come to His table and find the resurrection life that is available to you today.