New Culture Church

You signed up for something hard. And now the morning comes and every part of you wants to stay in bed. To avoid it. To draft the email that says you are not coming.

James opens his letter with words that hit like a cold splash of water. Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds. Not if. When. The assumption is that the pain is coming. The question is what you do with it.

The early Christians James wrote to were scattered, displaced, struggling with poverty and persecution. They were saying one thing and living another. James is not trying to shame them. He is calling them back to the life they long for. The one that mirrors the life of Jesus.

And Jesus did not avoid suffering. He entered it. He embraced it in the garden of Gethsemane. He endured it on the cross. He stayed present, surrendered, and connected to the Father the entire way through.

The invitation today is not to grit your teeth and push through. It is to expect the trials, enter into them with Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit form you in the process. Shepherd your desires. Name them. Sit with them. Submit them to the Father the way Jesus did when he said, not my will but yours be done.

Suffering is temporary. It is a moment in the story God has been writing for all of eternity. And the resurrection power of Jesus walks with you through every bit of it.

Scripture References:

• James 1:1-18 (Trials, perseverance, wisdom, temptation and desire, every good gift from the Father)
• Romans 5:3-5 (Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope)
• John 16:20 (Your grief will turn to joy)
• Matthew 5:10-12 (Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you)
• Hebrews 5:8 (He learned obedience through what he suffered)
• Matthew 26:39 (Not my will but yours be done, Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane)

Palm Sunday. Jesus rides into the city on a donkey while the crowds wave palm branches and shout Hosanna — save us now. They expected a warrior king. They wanted someone to overthrow Rome. And Jesus came low, humble, riding on a borrowed animal.

But this was not a disappointment. This was an invitation to trust something bigger.

The story had been told for generations. Isaiah prophesied a Messiah who would take up our pain and bear our suffering. Isaiah 55 called the thirsty to come and drink without cost. Isaiah 56 declared God's house a house of prayer for all nations. And then Jesus showed up and did not just fulfill those words. He embodied them. He told the Samaritan woman she would never thirst again. He declared himself the bread of life. He ate with sinners and healed a Gentile man. He established a new covenant with his own blood at the last supper.

The people wanted deliverance from an empire. Jesus offered deliverance from sin for all of eternity. He did not ignore their expectations. He exceeded them.

The invitation for us is the same. Name the expectations you carry, the frustrations, the longings, the places where it feels like God has not shown up. Lay them down. And then look for Jesus. Give him permission to surprise you with the kind of king he is, the kind of kingdom he is building. Because as we encounter his presence, we are empowered to embody his love, and that is how others encounter Jesus through us.

Scripture References:

• Mark 11 (The Triumphal Entry — Palm Sunday)
• Psalm 118:21-26 (Hosanna — save us; the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone)
• Isaiah 53:4-6 (He took up our pain, was pierced for our transgressions, by his wounds we are healed)
• Isaiah 55:1-3 (Come all you who are thirsty; I will make an everlasting covenant with you)
• Isaiah 56:7 (My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations)
• John 7:37 (Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink)
• John 4 (The Samaritan woman at the well — whoever drinks will never thirst again)
• John 6:35 (I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never grow hungry)

You are surrounded. The threat is real. Every solution you can think of falls short. And the people who should be helping are telling you to give up.

Hezekiah faced this exact moment. The most powerful empire in the ancient world had already conquered every city around him. Their king sent letters mocking God, taunting Jerusalem, listing every nation that had tried to resist and failed. The evidence said deliverance was impossible. And Hezekiah's response was not to strategize or fight. He put on sackcloth, walked into the temple, and spread the letter out before God.

Isaiah takes us through chapters 37 through 45, from the darkest siege to the brightest promises. God delivers his people from Assyria in a single night, destroys an army of 185,000, and then speaks words of comfort that still echo today. "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name. You are mine." Sometimes deliverance comes in a moment. Sometimes it comes as a delay. But it always comes from the same place: the God who made heaven and earth and who invites us to bring our impossible situations to him, honestly, humbly, without pretending we have it figured out.

In Mark 9, a father brings his son to Jesus and says the most honest prayer in scripture: "I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief." Jesus does not turn him away. He steps in, speaks a word, and lifts the boy to his feet. Deliverance does not require perfect faith. It requires showing up.

Scripture References:

• Isaiah 36:1-20 (Assyria's siege and psychological warfare against Jerusalem)
• Isaiah 37:1-7 (Hezekiah tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and sends word to Isaiah)
• Isaiah 37:14-21 (Hezekiah spreads the letter before God and prays)
• Isaiah 37:33-38 (God's promise: Assyria will not enter the city; 185,000 destroyed overnight)
• Isaiah 40:1-5 (Comfort, comfort my people; prepare the way of the Lord)
• Isaiah 41:10-15 (Do not fear, I am with you; I will strengthen you)
• Isaiah 43:1-2 (I have redeemed you, summoned you by name; through the waters I will be with you)
• Isaiah 43:18-22 (Forget the former things; I am doing a new thing)
• Isaiah 44:1-4 (I will pour water on the thirsty and streams on the dry ground)
• Mark 9:17-27 (The boy with an impure spirit; "I believe, help my unbelief")

You planted the seeds. You did the work. You showed up. And still, nothing seems to be growing.

That space between planting and harvest is one of the hardest places to live. Isaiah paints a picture of ancient farmers who plow, plant, and cultivate, each crop with different care, each season with different instructions. The farmer does everything in their power. And then they wait. Because only God sends the rain.

We live in a world that sells us the illusion of control. Smartwatches track our heart rates. Weather apps predict the storms. We plan, prepare, and strategize. But none of it can make the seeds grow. Isaiah reminds a people who had turned to Egypt for security that no military power, no political allegiance, no amount of strategic planning can replace dependence on God. Jesus fulfills this as the cornerstone, the bread of life, the one whose provision reaches every person in every place.

If you are in a season where the soil feels dry and nothing is blooming, keep planting. God is doing a hidden work beneath the surface. The rain is coming.

Scripture References:

• Isaiah 28:23-29 (farming parable: plow, plant, harvest with God’s instruction)
• Isaiah 28:16-18 (the cornerstone prophecy, fulfilled in Jesus)
• Isaiah 30:1 (woe to those who turn to Egypt for help)
• Isaiah 30:23-26 (God sends rain, healing, and abundance)
• Ephesians 2:20 (Christ Jesus as chief cornerstone)
• Acts 4:11 (the stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone)
• Mark 6 (feeding of the 5,000: God’s provision for Israel)
• Mark 8 (feeding of the 4,000: God’s provision extended to all nations)
• Mark 4 (Parable of the Sower: preparing the soil of our hearts)

Plans unravel. Anxiety creeps in. We reach for control, achievement, distraction, anything to feel steady. But what if stability was never ours to build?

In this week's message, Pastor Abbie Sawczak walks us through Isaiah 25 and 27, where two surprising images sit side by side: a lavish feast in the middle of famine and a vineyard being pruned in the dead of winter. Both point to the same God who tends, gathers, and sustains his people.

Abbie unpacks what it looks like to stop white-knuckling our way through uncertainty and instead trust the Gardener who is doing deep work beneath the surface. She offers four practical invitations: intentional input, rhythms of rest, pruning what overstimulates us, and rooting ourselves in community.

If you are in a season that feels bare or unstable, this message is for you.

Bible Verse References:

• Isaiah 25:1-12 (full chapter)
• Isaiah 26 (referenced)
• Isaiah 27:2-6
• Isaiah 27:8-12
• Mark (referenced throughout Lent series, specifically the feeding of the 5,000)

We all complain. About traffic, bad food, smoke alarms placed way too close to the stove. But what if our complaints are actually an invitation to something deeper?

In this first message of our Lent series through the book of Isaiah, Pastor Abbie walks us through Isaiah 10, 11, and 12, where God does something surprising. He names injustice, confronts it, and then paints a picture of hope that no one saw coming. A shoot from a dead stump. A kingdom built on compassion, not power.

The question for us is this: Are we just sounding the alarm, or are we willing to get in the water and pull someone out?

If you have ever felt stuck between noticing what is wrong and not knowing what to do about it, this message is for you.

Bible Verse References:

• Isaiah 10:1-4
• Isaiah 11:1-16
• Isaiah 12:1-6
• Mark 1:40-42 (Jesus heals the leper)
• Mark 3 (Jesus heals the man with the withered hand)

What if fasting is about more than just skipping a meal? In this message, Pastor Abbie Sawczak walks us through Matthew 4 one more time as New Culture Church prepares to enter the season of Lent together. She unpacks how fasting amplifies our prayers, grows our compassion, and forms us into people who can stand in the gap for others. Drawing from the courage of Esther, the faith of leaders throughout Black history, and the example of Jesus himself in the wilderness, Abbie invites us to see fasting not as a religious obligation but as a prophetic act of trust, surrender, and love. Whether this is your first fast or your fiftieth, this message will challenge you to show up, practice, and let God do the perfecting.

Bible Verse References

• Matthew 4:1-11 (primary text, Jesus tempted in the wilderness)
• Matthew 7:24 (referenced, be doers of the word)
• Isaiah 58 (the fast God has chosen)
• Esther 4:15-16 (Esther calls the people to fast)
• Daniel 10 (21-day fast for revelation and strength)
• Ezra 8 (fasting for protection)
• Nehemiah 1 (fasting in grief and intercession)
• Acts 13 (worshiping and fasting, the Lord speaks)
• Matthew 4:19 (follow me, fishers of men)
• Matthew 28:19-20 (referenced, Great Commission)

What happens when you stop reaching for what's comfortable and start paying attention to what you actually hunger for? In week two of our series on fasting, Nathan Hanna gets honest about his own experience, the surprising moments of God's presence, the pull of distraction, and a picture Jesus gave him that changed how he sees his own struggles. This message will challenge you to rethink weakness, redefine comfort, and discover why saying no might be the most freeing yes you've ever given. Whether fasting is new to you or a regular practice, this conversation will meet you where you are.

Scripture References:

• Luke 4:1-4
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
• Deuteronomy 8:3 (referenced through Jesus' quote)
• Matthew 16:24
• John 15 (abiding in the vine, referenced)
• Matthew 6 (Jesus saying "when you fast," referenced)
• Hebrews 11:1 (faith as evidence of things unseen, referenced)

What if fasting is about more than just going without? In this message, Pastor Abbie challenges us to rethink what it means to fast. Fasting reveals what we depend on, what controls us, and where we turn for comfort. But true fasting goes beyond personal discipline. It aligns us with God's kingdom and moves us toward justice, generosity, and sacrificial love. As we prepare for the season of Lent, discover how offering your body to God through fasting can transform not just you, but the world around you.

Bible References

• Isaiah 58:1-14
• Matthew 6:16-18
• Romans 12:1
• 1 John 3:2-3
• Luke 3-4 (Jesus' baptism and wilderness fast)
• Exodus 24 and 34 (Moses' 40-day fast)

What happens when a team gets four hours of sleep, lands in a foreign country, and immediately gets asked to perform at a national kids day celebration? They show up ready. This week, hear firsthand stories from our Thailand mission team as they share about dancing with homeless community members, ministering to youth in prison, bringing hope to kids in Bangkok's red light district, and witnessing God move in unexpected ways. From a bathroom that changed a church's capacity to a plot of land with big dreams, discover how your generosity is creating lasting impact halfway around the world.

Bible Verse References:

• Luke 15:4-7 (referenced thematically) — The parable of leaving the 99 to find the one
• Psalm 139:14 — "You are fearfully and wonderfully made" (theme for kids club in the red light district)