Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ

Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ

By Palm Springs Drive church of Christ Altamonte Springs FloridaReligion & Spirituality
Download on the App Store

Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ episodes

  • He Cares for Our Children

    Series: N/A

    Service: Lord’s Supper Service

    Type: Lord's Supper Talk

    Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

    Jesus Is a Different Kind of King: He Cares for Our Children

    Parenting is one of the hardest tasks any of us will ever undertake. It’s filled with joy, but also fear, pressure, and helpless moments—especially when we realize our own limits. On Father’s Day, it’s fitting to reflect not only on the responsibility of fathers but also on the kind of King Jesus is—particularly how He treats our children.

    Earthly kings often demand from us. In 1 Samuel 8, when the people asked for a king, God warned them that kings would take their sons and daughters, their land and livestock, their labor and loyalty. Earthly rulers often use our children for their own ends. But Jesus is a different kind of king. Instead of taking our children from us, He steps in and helps us raise them. When our strength, wisdom, and resources fall short, Jesus supplies what we lack.

    This Lord’s Supper message explores four stories—and briefly points to a fifth—that show how Jesus stepped in to care for children when parents could no longer help.

    1. The Nobleman’s Dying Son (John 4:46–54)
    A man of wealth and influence—likely connected to Herod’s court—has a son on the verge of death. His money, power, and access to doctors have failed him. So he does the one thing left: he seeks out Jesus and begs Him to heal his child.

    Jesus answers the father’s plea not with a dramatic miracle on-site, but with a word: “Go your way; your son lives.” The man believes, and later confirms that his son was healed at the very hour Jesus spoke. He and his whole household come to believe in Jesus.

    This is the story of a father out of options. He loves his son deeply, but all his human resources fall short. Jesus does what no one else can—because He cares, and because He can.

    2. The Boy with the Unclean Spirit (Mark 9:14–29)
    A father brings his son, tormented by a demon since childhood, to the disciples for healing. They try—but they fail. The situation is desperate. The spirit has repeatedly tried to destroy the boy. The father, in anguish, pleads with Jesus: “If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

    Jesus responds, “If you can believe, all things are possible.” In a moment of raw honesty, the man cries, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.”

    That phrase speaks volumes to any parent who has ever felt stretched beyond their capacity. Not only does Jesus help the child, He helps the father too. He gives faith to the one who lacks it. When we don’t even have the strength to trust fully, Jesus meets us there and fills in the gaps.

    3. The Widow of Nain’s Son (Luke 7:11–17)
    In this story, Jesus approaches a funeral procession in the town of Nain. A widow is burying her only son. She didn’t ask Jesus to intervene—perhaps she didn’t even know who He was. But Jesus sees her grief, touches the bier, and raises her son to life.

    This story reminds us that Jesus doesn’t just help when we ask—He helps even when we forget, or don’t know how, or are too overwhelmed to cry out. His compassion moves Him. He loves our children even more than we do, and He sees needs we sometimes miss.

    4. The Canaanite Woman’s Daughter (Matthew 15:21–28)
    A non-Israelite woman begs Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. At first, Jesus seems to ignore her. The disciples urge Him to send her away. But the woman persists. She humbly acknowledges that even crumbs from the Master’s table would be enough.

    Jesus is moved by her faith: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Her daughter is healed instantly.

    This story shows us that Jesus’ love for children isn’t confined by borders, ethnicity, or background. He doesn’t just care for the children of believers—He cares for all. And He listens to persistent, humble prayers—even when the world would silence them.

    5. Jairus’ Daughter (Mark 5:21–43)
    Though not explored in full here, Jairus is another father who comes to Jesus when his daughter is near death. Jesus delays—but still raises her, showing His power over even the final enemy.

    A Lord’s Supper Reflection

    As we gather around the table, we remember a King who didn’t use His power to control us—but instead laid it down to serve us. Jesus didn’t demand our children. He died for them. And He continues to help them today.

    The Lord’s Supper reminds us that Jesus is not a distant ruler. He is present. He is personal. And He is powerful. He walks with us in parenting and works on behalf of our children even when we are unaware.

    So this Father’s Day, let us remember the sacrifice of Jesus not just as our Savior—but as the ultimate King who cares for our kids. As we partake, may we petition Him again: “Lord, help my child.” And rest in the truth that He hears, He cares, and He can.

    16 min
  • Fire or Forgiveness? Staying on Mission

    Series: N/A

    Service: Lord’s Supper Service

    Type: Lord's Supper Talk

    Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

    He Set His Face: The Grace-Filled Focus of Jesus

    In Luke 9:51, we find a turning point in the ministry of Jesus: “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” That simple statement carries extraordinary weight. It tells us that Jesus, fully aware of the suffering ahead, deliberately, unflinchingly turned His attention toward the cross.

    This was not a moment of impulse or confusion—it was a moment of deep, intentional resolve. Jesus knew exactly what lay ahead. In John 18:4, as Judas arrived with soldiers in the garden, the text says, “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’” He stepped forward—not backward—knowing full well that betrayal, scourging, mocking, spitting, and crucifixion awaited.

    In Mark 10:32–34, we see Him tell His disciples precisely what would happen in Jerusalem. He would be condemned, mocked, flogged, and killed. And yet He continued walking toward it. He didn’t shrink from the task. In John 12:27, Jesus acknowledges the agony: “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” He came not to escape suffering but to embrace it for our sake.

    Luke 9 reveals something more than physical courage—it reveals focused obedience to God’s will. The phrase “He set His face” reflects language from the Old Testament, often used when prophets were called to speak hard truths to rebellious people. Like the prophets, Jesus was heading toward rejection. But unlike the prophets, Jesus wasn’t just delivering a message of repentance—He was becoming the sacrifice that made repentance possible.

    As He sent messengers ahead into a Samaritan village, the people rejected Him because “His face was set for Jerusalem.” When James and John saw this, they were outraged. “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” (Luke 9:54). Their instinct was to invoke judgment. But Jesus rebuked them: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (v. 55–56).

    James and John misunderstood the mission. Elijah’s fire in 2 Kings 1 had been a sign of divine judgment on those who rejected God outright. But Jesus’ mission was different. He didn’t come to bring fire down on sinners—He came to absorb the fire Himself. The wrath of God that had consumed rebellious armies in the Old Testament was now aimed at Christ on the cross. He would bear it willingly so we wouldn’t have to.

    That’s why this moment in Luke is so significant. Jesus didn’t just endure rejection from strangers—He was misunderstood by His closest followers. Yet He didn’t lash out. He didn’t retaliate. He restrained Himself—not because He lacked power, but because He was fulfilling a mission of mercy. The same restraint He showed in that Samaritan village He would later show at His trial, at the cross, and in every moment of mockery, insult, and violence leading up to His death.

    One of the most powerful images shared during the Lord’s Supper talk was the realization that the bread and fruit of the vine we partake each Sunday are so small—just a crumb, just a sip. And yet even a crumb of God’s wrath would be more than any of us could bear. Jesus took all of it. Every drop. Every ounce of justice that our sins deserved—He drank it completely. And what we are left with is not wrath, but grace. Not fire, but forgiveness.

    That’s the power of the cross. And that’s the focus Jesus maintained every step of the way to Jerusalem. He didn’t just go to die—He went with intention. He went for us.

    When we gather for the Lord’s Supper, we aren’t just participating in a ritual. We are remembering a Savior who set His face, who knew the cost, and who chose the cross. We are reminded that we deserved judgment, but He took it. We are called to live in that same grace and extend it to others—not calling down fire like James and John, but reflecting the mercy of Jesus who chose to save instead of destroy.

    For further reflection, 1 Peter 3:8 through 4:19 offers a rich commentary on what it looks like to suffer righteously and respond to evil with blessing—just as Jesus did. Let His example shape not only how we take communion, but how we live in a world that still often rejects Him.

    Because He set His face, we can now lift ours toward God without fear.

    16 min

About Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ

From the publisher's feed

All Content from PSD Church of Christ