You're stuck at a crossroads with no clear path forward. The bills don't add up, the opportunities conflict, and you're drowning in uncertainty about your next move. Should you stay safe or take the risk? Should you chase the dream or be practical? Every option feels wrong, and you're desperate for clarity that isn't coming. What if, in all that floundering, God was actually guiding every uncertain step? You'll discover how what looks like random coincidence in your life might actually be divine providence—and why your desperation might be exactly where God meets you.

💡 Big Idea

What we see as coincidental is often providential.

📖 Key Bible Passages

Ruth 2:1-23, Jeremiah 10:23, Proverbs 16:9, Galatians 4:4, Isaiah 9:6-7, Psalm 139

💬 Discussion Starters

When have you been stuck at a major crossroads not knowing what decision to make—and looking back, do you see God's hand in how it turned out?

What "lucky breaks" or "coincidences" in your life might actually have been God orchestrating things behind the scenes?

How does it change your perspective on current uncertainty to think God might be guiding your steps even when you can't see it?

What decision are you struggling with right now where you wish God would just make it obvious what to do?

How does Ruth's story of "just happening" to end up in Boaz's field give you hope about your own uncertain situations?

#Desperation #Guidance #Providence #Uncertainty #LifeDecisions #BakersfieldCA #Hope #GodsPlan #WhenYoureStuck #FindingDirection

(0:00) Introduction: Welcome to Christmas Roots Week 2(0:36) Vance's Story: $28K Teaching Job(2:04) Family Crisis: Two Absentee Parents(2:42) Opportunity 1: Doctorate Dream vs. Family(3:27) Opportunity 2: Kern High School District(4:22) Three Job Interviews at Nueva High School(5:07) Teaching Continuation Students(5:47) Taking the Job: 21 Years Until Retirement(6:36) Floundering or Being Guided by God? Yes.(7:22) Jeremiah 10:23: Man Cannot Direct His Steps(8:16) What Is Providence?(8:56) Ruth 2: Reading the Full Chapter(14:02) Point 1: Ruth's Great Need—Provision and Favor(14:43) Two Important Facts from Chapter 1(15:36) Ruth's Desperate Courage and Resolve(16:12) Story: "See, He's Not So Scary After All"(17:26) Deuteronomy 24: God's Provision for the Destitute(18:11) Gleaning: Backbreaking Stoop Labor(19:03) She "Happened" to Come to Boaz's Field(20:07) Boaz: Worthy Man of Noble Standing(20:51) Boaz Moves Beyond What Law Required(21:45) Ephesians 1:3: Every Spiritual Blessing(22:41) Ruth's Courageous, Unselfish Love(23:30) An Ephah: 30-50 Pounds of Food(24:09) Naomi Revived and Excited(24:55) God's Hesed: Unexpected, Amazing Grace(25:42) Beverly Story: Grace You Don't See Coming(26:34) Point 2: The Arrival of the Son of God(27:22) Isaiah 9:6-7: Four Titles for Jesus(28:10) Israel Desperately Needed God's Favor(29:14) Galatians 4:4: Fullness of Time(30:06) Applications: God Provided for You to Hear This(30:58) Invitation to Know Jesus(31:51) Prayer of Salvation(32:44) Baptism Celebration Ahead(33:17) How Often Has God Watched Over You?

You're standing in the wreckage of your own decisions, and the hardest part isn't the mess—it's admitting you created it. Bad choices have consequences, and sometimes those consequences feel permanent. But what if the story of your worst decisions isn't over? What if there's a way home from the bottom of the hole you've been digging? You'll discover how even self-inflicted disasters can become the setup for something you never saw coming—and why the way back might be closer than you think.

💡 Big Idea

God reaches out to broken people to bless them—even when the brokenness is your own fault.

📖 Key Bible Passages

Ruth 1:1-22, Luke 15:11-24

💬 Discussion Starters

Where in your life are you most tempted to trust your own logic over what you know deep down is right when things get difficult?

How have you looked back and realized you were protected or provided for in ways you completely missed in the moment?

What would it actually look like for you to admit you were wrong, turn around, and ask for help in your current situation?

Who in your life needs to hear "you can always come home" this season?

How does knowing broken, rebellious people have been used for incredible purposes change how you see your own past?

#SecondChances #StartingOver #BadDecisions #WhenLifeFallsApart #FindingHome #BakersfieldCA #Forgiveness #Hope #FreshStart #ComingHome

(0:00) Our Culture's Love for Redemption Stories(1:33) The Story 1000 Years Before Christmas(3:09) God Reaches Out to Broken People(3:41) Elimelech's Family Faces Famine(5:53) The Worst Decision: Running to Moab(8:08) "Glad I'd Never Do That"(9:36) Daniel's Story: Financial Stress and Satan's Foothold(10:41) Questions We Avoid When Making Bad Decisions(12:16) Why We Need Bible, Prayer, and Accountability(13:42) Three Widows: When Everything Goes Wrong(16:12) Out of Options: Putting Down the Shovel(17:41) Ruth's Choice: Clinging to God(19:52) Naomi's Bitterness: "Call Me Mara"(21:37) God Uses You Even When You're Being Stupid(23:48) Ruth Becomes Jesus' Great-Great-Grandmother(26:00) When You're Angry, You Miss What God's Doing(27:10) The Dangerous 75-Mile Journey Protected(29:22) You Can Always Come Home(30:36) The Prodigal Son: The Father Who Waits(31:50) Christmas: God Reaching Into Broken Humanity(33:28) Where Do You Need to Come Home From?(35:18) The Formula: Confess, Repent, Recommit(37:19) For the Skeptic: God Is Calling You Home(39:24) Salvation Prayer and Response

What happens when a church decides to skip the sermon and just pray? Not polished prayers read from a script—raw, real, out-loud prayer from hundreds of people at once. For two weeks we've been talking about why prayer matters and how to actually do it. Today we're doing it. Together. No performance, no pretense, just a room full of people seeking something bigger than themselves.

This isn't a typical church service. There's no stage performance, no polished presentation. It's guided prayer led by elders, corporate prayer where everyone participates, extended time seeking God's presence—not just asking for stuff. If you've ever wondered what it sounds like when hundreds of people pray simultaneously, or what it feels like to be part of a community genuinely seeking God together, this is it. Raw, authentic, and surprisingly powerful.

Your prayers feel like a grocery list or a crisis hotline—only reaching out when everything's falling apart or when you need something. What if there's a framework that could transform prayer from an emergency measure into something that actually realigns your entire perspective? You'll discover why the professional prayers got it completely wrong while the desperate outcasts nailed it, and learn a simple acronym that changes how you approach God every single day.

💡 Big Idea

Prayer is a spiritual chiropractor—it realigns the posture of your soul.

📖 Key Bible Passages

Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 6:9-13, Ephesians 2:1-10, Psalm 8, Psalm 34, Psalm 32

💬 Discussion Starters

When in your life have you experienced God's presence most powerfully—during crisis or when things were going well—and what does that reveal about your desperation for Him?

How would your prayers change if you started with Scripture and God's character instead of jumping straight to your needs?

What would it look like for you to become desperate for Jesus even when life is good?

If you're honest, how much of your prayer life is crisis-driven or grocery-list-driven versus actually encountering God?

What requests would change if you followed the SPACE framework before asking God for anything?

#Prayer #SpiritualGrowth #FindingGod #Desperation #FaithJourney #BakersfieldCA #HowToPray #SpiritualDiscipline #Transformation #PrayerLife

(0:00) Introduction: Braving the Rain in Bakersfield(0:31) Week Two of Prayer Series: The How of Prayer(1:10) Daniel's Personal Prayer Stories: Hospital Floors to Loss(2:11) Moments of Powerlessness and Reaching for God(3:12) Authentic Prayer: Encountering God's Astonishing Presence(3:48) Luke 18: The Pharisee and Tax Collector(4:46) Who Trusted in Themselves and Treated Others with Contempt(5:58) The Professional Prayer vs. The Amateur Outcast(7:37) Without Humility, Prayer Is Shallow(8:18) Big Idea: Prayer Realigns the Posture of Our Soul(9:26) The Life Vest Analogy: Desperation in Crisis(10:02) How Can I Be Desperate for Jesus When Things Are Good?(11:27) Most Christians Pray Crisis or Grocery List(13:04) The Lord's Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13(14:08) J.I. Packer: The Pattern for All Christian Praying(14:52) Disciples Only Asked Jesus to Teach Them One Thing(16:01) Five-Part Prayer Framework Overview(16:35) Point 1: Grounded in Scripture(17:35) Worshiping God with His Own Words(18:39) Reading Bible vs. Praying: Breathing In and Out(20:09) I Am an Inconsistent, Selfish Human Being(21:26) Praying Ephesians 2 When Angry and Offended(23:25) By What Right Do I Claim Being Offended?(24:24) The Secret Me Is Far Worse(25:08) Point 2: Glorifies God (Psalm 34)(26:27) Point 3: Gratitude-Driven—Remember God's Faithfulness(27:49) Example: Praying Through Financial Crisis at Church(29:34) Count Your Blessings, Name Them One by One(30:16) Point 4: Groans of Confession (Psalm 32)(32:30) Visual: How Confession Changes Our Perspective(33:27) Point 5: Gets Requests Last(34:00) Your Requests Will Change When You Follow the Framework(35:05) SPACE Acronym: Scripture, Praise, Acknowledge, Confess, Entreat(36:11) Practicing SPACE Together as a Church(36:45) Corporate Prayer: Psalm 8 and Beyond(39:38) Salvation Prayer Using SPACE Framework(41:24) Response and Invitation

Ever poured your heart out to someone and waited in that terrifying moment to see if they'd love you back? That vulnerability—that desperate need to be fully known and truly loved—is hardwired into every human being. We crave it. We fear it. We avoid the rejection while chasing the acceptance.

What if that longing isn't just about human relationships? What if it's pointing to Someone we were actually designed for? Pastor Daniel unpacks why prayer feels empty, why we treat God like a vending machine, and what changes when we stop asking for stuff and start asking for Him.

💡 Big Idea:Authentic prayer is encountering God's astonishing presence.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• Why you were created with an unshakeable need to be fully known and deeply loved
• The difference between seeking God's hand (what He gives) and God's face (who He is)
• Why prayer isn't a performance with magic words—and what it actually is
• How getting close to God exposes your heart without shaming you
• The three types of God's presence and which one transforms you
• Why prayers feel like talking to yourself and how to change that
• What happens when you stop treating God like Amazon Prime

🔥 This Message Is For You If:

• You've tried praying but it feels like shouting into the void
• You're uncomfortable with vulnerability and wonder why relationships feel hard
• You treat prayer like a wish list instead of a conversation
• You know about God but don't actually know Him personally
• Your prayers feel empty, routine, or like checking a religious box
• You're skeptical about prayer because it seems pointless
• You're ready to experience God's presence instead of just asking for His help

📖 Key Bible Passages:2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 27:8, John 4:23-24, Romans 10:9-10

💬 Discussion Starters:

• When have you experienced being fully known by someone? What made it terrifying and beautiful?
• Are you seeking God's hand (what He gives) or God's face (Him)? How can you tell?
• Why does prayer feel like talking to yourself? What would change if you experienced God's presence?
• How does the gap between God's holiness and your life feel—shameful or transformative?
• What would it look like to ask God to show Himself to you more deeply this week?

#Prayer #SpiritualGrowth #Faith #God #Relationship #Vulnerability #ChristianLiving #Purpose #Meaning #Presence

(0:00) The Terrifying Moment of Vulnerability(1:08) "I Love You"—Waiting for a Response(2:12) Our Greatest Need: To Be Fully Known and Loved(4:13) Series: Teach Me to Pray (3 Weeks)(6:05) What "Seeking God's Face" Actually Means(8:21) Seeking God Himself, Not Just What He Gives(10:06) The Horrible Wednesday Night Prayer Meetings(12:01) When Your Life Doesn't Match What You Believe(14:05) Beautiful Quotes on Prayer from History(15:28) Big Idea: Encountering God's Astonishing Presence(16:34) God Cherishes Your Authentic Prayer(17:51) Prayer Is Not a Performance(21:26) Authentic Prayer Exposes Your Heart(22:23) Three Types of God's Presence(23:49) The Baby Sees You: Face-to-Face Recognition(26:15) Exposing Your Heart Allows God to Work(29:39) Wednesday Night: God Ministers to a Lonely Pastor(34:34) God's Face = Peace; God Hidden = Darkness(37:21) Challenge: Seek God's Face, Not His Hand(38:32) 60 Seconds: "God, Show Yourself to Me"(41:34) Salvation Invitation and Prayer(42:40) Welcome to the Family

📱 Connect With Us:https://resurrect.church/linktree

Ever notice how uncomfortable you feel when someone goes "all in" on something? Maybe you've watched a friend quit their stable job to chase a dream and thought, "That's reckless." Or seen someone give away money they could've invested and judged it as irresponsible. You've convinced yourself your skepticism is wisdom—that you're the mature, reasonable one in the room.But what if your discomfort isn't about them at all? What if it's revealing something about you? In this message, Dave walks through an ancient dinner party where one person pours out everything, another group calculates the cost, and a third condemns the whole thing. Their responses reveal what they truly value—and might just expose what you value too.💡 Big Idea: Your worship reveals what you truly treasure.🎯 What You'll Learn:Why watching someone "waste" resources on what they love makes you uncomfortableThe difference between wisdom and cynicism (and how to tell which one you have)How three people at one dinner responded to the same moment in completely opposite waysWhat your criticism of others' choices reveals about your own prioritiesWhy playing it safe isn't maturity—it's a prison that keeps you from experiencing moreThe one question your reactions answer about what you really treasure in lifeHow to identify what you're holding back and why it might be costing you everything🔥 This Message Is For You If:You're more comfortable calculating than committing fully to anythingYou've shut down someone's excitement with "practical" concerns and felt good about itYou watch people live passionately and feel annoyed rather than inspiredYou pride yourself on being realistic but wonder if you're missing somethingYou're more focused on not losing than on actually winning in lifeYou've convinced yourself that holding back is smart when it might just be fearYou're ready to discover what your reactions to others reveal about your own heart📖 Key Bible Passages:John 12:1-8, Ephesians 2:1-5, Romans 10:9, Matthew 6:21💬 Discussion Starters:When have you witnessed someone go "all in" on something in a way that made you uncomfortable? What did that stir up in you?Are you more like the person who pours out everything, the one who calculates the cost, or the one who criticizes? Why?What's the one thing in your life you're holding back—your time, money, reputation, or something else?How does cynicism disguise itself as wisdom in your life? Where have you refused to leave room for possibility?If you truly treasured what you say you value, what would going "all in" actually look like this week?#Criticism #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #LifeWisdom #Relationships #Psychology #Priorities #Values #Meaning #Purpose(0:00) Introduction: When Someone's Passion Makes You Uncomfortable(1:18) The Dream I Shut Down With "Practical" Questions(2:39) The Elaborate Cake vs. The $30 Sheet Cake(4:03) Three People at One Dinner, Three Completely Different Reactions(4:45) Big Idea: Your Worship Reveals What You Truly Treasure(5:47) Context: Six Days Before Everything Changed(6:46) The Moment That Cost Everything(8:54) Response #1: When Nothing Is Too Much(10:58) Response #2: When Smart People Miss the Point(12:58) Cynicism Always Assumes the Worst(14:28) How to Be in the Room But Miss Everything(15:54) Response #3: When Criticism Reveals Your True Values(17:27) What You Judge in Others Exposes What You Treasure(19:01) Which One Are You?(20:32) We All Spend Big on What We Actually Love(22:12) Calculating vs. Committing Fully(23:34) The One Thing She Understood That We're Missing(24:17) The Reality of Being Spiritually Dead vs. Alive(26:48) The Invitation to Surrender(28:37) Welcome to a New Life(29:15) What Does Going All In Really Look Like?(29:57) Challenge #1: Identify Your Hold-Back(30:43) Challenge #2: Take One Bold Step This Week(31:42) Challenge #3: Pray the Dangerous Prayer(32:23) Closing: Let Transformation Begin

Have you ever known exactly what God was asking you to do but didn't want to do it? Maybe forgiving someone, ending an unhealthy relationship, or getting honest about an addiction? This convicting message reveals why some people who witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead still plotted to end His life - and what it exposes about the throne of your own heart. Discover why we will always worship whatever is sitting on our throne, and the daily choice to crown Jesus king or guard your own control.

🎯 What You'll Learn:Why the religious leaders who should have believed in Jesus completely missed HimThe difference between believing Jesus is powerful and surrendering to Him as LordWhat it means that we were created with a throne in our hearts designed for worshipHow good gifts like family, comfort, and success become dangerous when misplaced on the throneWhy getting Jesus on the throne requires you to get out of it firstThe pastor's dream about needing to "get off Jesus's horse" and what it reveals about controlHow to do a daily spiritual inventory to identify idols you've placed on the throne🔥 This Message Is For You If:You believe Jesus is real and powerful but haven't fully surrendered control to HimYou've unknowingly made good gifts into gods (family, comfort, success, reputation)You need to examine what's truly sitting on the throne of your heart right nowYou struggle with wanting to control and fix everything instead of trusting JesusYou're more like the Pharisees than you want to admit when it comes to protecting what you haveYou want to understand why belief in Jesus must include surrender, not just acknowledgmentYou're ready to stop guarding your throne and crown Jesus as King of your life📖 Key Bible Passages:John 11:45-54, John 5:39-40, James 2:19, Romans 10:9-10, Luke 9:23, Psalm 51, Psalm 100💬 Discussion Starters:What is truly sitting on the throne of your heart based on your time, energy, and priorities?When have you known what God was asking but didn't want to do it? What was at stake?What good gift has become dangerous because you've elevated it to god-status in your life?How do you react when Jesus makes you aware of His presence and power - crown Him or guard your throne?What one new way will you pursue Jesus daily, and who will you tell about it for accountability?#ThroneOfYourHeart #JesusIsKing #Idolatry #SurrenderToChrist #WhatYouWorship #ChristianLiving #BiblicalTruth #CrownHimKing #DailyDiscipleship #heartcheck (0:00) Introduction - When You Know What God Wants But Don't Want to Do It(2:33) John's 7 Greatest Miracles - Building the Case for Jesus(4:37) Big Idea - We Will Always Worship What's Sitting on Our Throne(5:45) John 11:45-48 - Some Believed, Others Plotted to End Jesus(7:27) Theme - Those Who Should Have Believed Didn't, Those Who Shouldn't Did(9:35) What Does "Believe" Really Mean in Scripture?(12:36) The Tiny Throne Illustration - What We Were Created to Worship(14:59) Born Under the Curse - The Empty Throne We Try to Fill(17:41) Sex, Food, Comfort, Family - Good Gifts Made Into Gods(20:03) Don't Take a Beautiful Gift and Make It God(20:32) Two Reactions to Jesus - Crown Him King or Guard Your Throne(22:49) The Dream About Getting Off Jesus's Horse(24:42) Tuesday Morning - Control Is My Idol and I Can't Fix Everything(26:26) The Greatest Lie - We Would Make Better Gods Than Jesus(27:58) Pastor Ritch Quote - Yield to Christ or Demand He Yields to Me(29:44) Crisis Reveals Character - When We Fail to Keep Jesus on the Throne(32:02) Luke 9:23 - Daily Denying Self and Taking Up Your Cross(32:46) Two Application Questions - Do I Seek God Daily? What's on the Throne?(36:10) Caiaphas's False Justification for Plotting Against Jesus(38:27) We're More Like the Pharisees Than We Want to Admit(39:07) Jesus Is Worth It - No One Else Can Handle the Throne(39:53) Prayer for Salvation - Surrendering the Throne to Jesus

Have you ever watched God stand at the edge of your impossible situation and wondered why He doesn't just fix it? When Jesus stood at Lazarus's tomb, He didn't rush to solve the problem - He wept first. This powerful message reveals a God who isn't distant or cold, but one who chooses to walk through your mess with compassion before moving in miraculous power. Discover why you have to risk a mess to expect a miracle, and what's stopping you from moving the stone God is asking you to move.🎯 What You'll Learn:Why Jesus wept even though He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the deadHow love is always a choice that costs something, not just an emotion or feelingWhy Jesus gets angry at death itself and what that reveals about His missionThe simple three-step formula God uses throughout the Bible: take it to Jesus, choose to believe, move the rockHow God intentionally architects situations to be more impossible so you know it was HimWhy even after God raises you to life, you need others to help you walk in freedomWhat it means to stop telling Jesus what He can't do and start living like He's actually God🔥 This Message Is For You If:You're treating impossible situations with logic instead of expectationYou've written something off as too far gone for God to restoreYou need permission to believe God can actually do the impossible in your lifeYou're stuck between wanting to expect God's power and your rational mind saying He can'tYou're trying to fix everything yourself instead of taking it to JesusYou don't realize how scandalous God's love really is - that He knows everything and loves you anywayYou need others to help unbind you from old habits even after God saves you📖 Key Bible Passages:John 11:28-44, Judges 6, Romans 10:9-10💬 Discussion Starters:What are you treating with logic instead of expectation right now?What have you written off as impossible that you need to give to Jesus?Who in your life helps "unbind" you from old patterns after God raises you to new life?Where are you telling Jesus what He can't do instead of believing He's the God of the impossible?What small act of obedience is God asking you to do while you wait for the miracle?#RiskAMess #ExpectAMiracle #GodOfTheImpossible #JesusWept #FaithOverLogic #BiblicalMiracles #TrustingGod #MovingTheStone #ChristianFaith #ResurrectionPower(0:00) Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Only the Suffering God Can Help(1:19) Series Introduction - What If There's More(2:48) Big Idea - Risk a Mess to Expect a Miracle(3:39) John 11:28-32 - Mary Falls at Jesus's Feet(5:30) Deeply Moved - Jesus Gets Angry at Death Itself(7:29) John 11:35 - Jesus Wept (Shortest Verse Biggest Meaning)(9:19) Jesus Isn't Distant - He Has a Gentle and Lowly Heart(10:30) Love Is a Choice Not an Emotion - Welcoming Our First Foster Child(12:39) His Grace Is More Scandalous Than Your Sin(13:57) Oh How He Loves Us - Worship Moment(15:41) Take Away the Stone - But Lord It's Going to Smell(17:09) Stop Telling Jesus What He Can't Do(18:19) The God of the Impossible - Business Is Good(19:30) Judges 6 - Gideon's 300 vs 135,000 Soldiers(22:25) They Moved the Stone - Simple Obedience Before Miracles(23:36) Lazarus Come Out - The Power of His Voice(25:25) Still Clothed in Death - Unbind Him and Let Him Go(26:26) I Need Christ and I Need His Church(28:16) The Gospel Formula - Take It to Jesus Choose to Believe Move the Rock(29:27) Prayer for Salvation - Surrendering to Jesus(31:19) Challenge Questions - Logic vs Expectation(32:31) Stop Trying to Fix It Yourself - Actually Pray(33:29) Rededicating Your Life to Pursuing Christ

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by loss that you questioned if God was even there? When your marriage is falling apart, your health is failing, or you're buried under years of pain, it's easy to believe hope is gone forever. This raw message from Shawn Stevens, two and a half years into sobriety, reveals why the moments when everything feels hopeless are actually where hope in Jesus begins - and how resurrection power is standing in front of you right now.🎯 What You'll Learn:Why God sometimes feels absent in your greatest moments of needHow suffering draws you closer to God and refines your faith through fireThe difference between physical resurrection and spiritual life available right nowWhy Jesus didn't answer Martha's "why" questions but offered himself insteadHow to stop surrendering parts of your life to despair and bring them to the crossWhat it means that Jesus IS the resurrection, not just offers itPractical steps to see Jesus in your suffering instead of staying fixated on pain🔥 This Message Is For You If:You've given up on parts of your life and stopped believing God can restore themYour marriage feels beyond repair and you've lost hope that anything can changeYou know God is good but find it hard to believe it in your current sufferingYou're exhausted from asking "why" and God hasn't answeredYou've experienced loss or trauma and can't see God in the middle of itYou're ready to stop fixating on past injustices and choose to look at JesusYou need to hear that this isn't your best life now - there's resurrection coming📖 Key Bible Passages:John 11:17-27, Hebrews 4:15-16, 1 Peter 4:12-14, Ephesians 5:25-28, Romans 12:2💬 Discussion Starters:What parts of your life have you surrendered to despair instead of bringing to the cross?How does knowing Jesus sympathizes with your weaknesses change how you approach suffering?Where have you been fixating on past pain instead of looking at Jesus?What would change if you truly believed God has a plan even when He doesn't answer "why"?Who in your life lives with the response "praise God" in every situation?#HopeInJesus #ResurrectionPower #FaithInSuffering #WhenEverythingFeelsHopeless #TrustingGod #BiblicalHope #ChristianFaith #OvercomingLoss #SpiritualLife #FindingHope(0:00) Introduction - Two and a Half Years Sober(2:15) Sober Living Facility - Everything Burning to the Ground(4:30) Big Idea - When Everything Feels Hopeless Hope in Jesus Begins(5:45) John 11:17-27 - Martha Meets Jesus After Lazarus Passes(8:20) Point 1 - God Is At Work Even When He Feels Absent(10:15) 39 Years of Insomnia - Why Won't You Remove This God?(12:30) Hebrews 4:15-16 - Jesus Sympathizes With Our Weaknesses(14:45) 1 Peter 4:12-14 - The Fiery Ordeal Tests Our Faith(16:20) Point 2 - God Offers Resurrection Power(17:30) String Cheese Meltdown - Lord Come Back Now(19:15) Physical Resurrection Future and Spiritual Life Now(21:40) Struggling Marriages - Presenting Your Wife to Holy Creator(24:20) Ephesians 5:25-28 - Love Your Wives As Christ Loved Church(26:45) The Cross Is Rough and Effective(28:50) Point 3 - Belief Awakens New Life(30:15) John 9 - The Blind Beggar Had to Choose to Believe(32:40) Martha's Choice - Do You Believe This?(34:20) Prayer for Salvation - Choosing to Believe Today(36:45) Application 1 - Live Around People Who Believe(38:20) Application 2 - Let God's Word Transform Your Mind(39:50) Closing - Jesus IS the Resurrection Standing Before You

What if everything you thought about your pain was backwards? What if you're not the hero who has to fix it all - you're the supporting character in a story God is writing about Jesus? This convicting message exposes the trap of "emotional vampirism" - making your pain your identity and draining everyone around you while refusing to surrender to Christ. Discover why your crisis is God's platform, why His delays reveal deeper love, and how your suffering writes a story about Jesus that brings others to faith.

🎯 What You'll Learn:• Why you're not the main character of your story and what changes when Jesus takes center stage• The three signs you've become an "emotional vampire" feeding on sympathy instead of seeking solutions• How your crisis becomes God's platform for displaying His power and glory• Why God's delays aren't denials but strategic setups for greater revelation of Jesus• The difference between "mostly dead" and "all dead" in the story of Lazarus• How to stop weaponizing your pain and start surrendering it to Christ• Why your suffering isn't pointless but writes a story that brings others to belief

🔥 This Message Is For You If:• Every conversation circles back to your struggles and people seem exhausted after talking with you• You've made your pain and problems your identity instead of finding your identity in Christ• You're more comfortable in crisis than in healing because crisis gets you attention• You've been the main character trying to fix everything and can't figure out why it's not working• You're asking "God if you loved me why didn't you show up?" in your delays• You need to understand why God sometimes waits on purpose to reveal something greater• You're ready to stop draining everyone around you and let Jesus be the hero

📖 Key Bible Passages:John 11:1-44, Isaiah 30:18, Romans 8:18, John 11:25, Romans 10:9

💬 Discussion Starters:• Do your conversations circle back to your struggles? Are people exhausted after talking with you?• Have you made your pain your identity instead of Christ?• How can you interpret your circumstances by God's love rather than God's love by your circumstances?• Who is watching how you respond to your current crisis?• What would change if you stopped being the main character and let Jesus take center stage?

#PainAndPurpose #GodsGlory #EmotionalHealth #ChristianIdentity #SufferingWithPurpose #TrustingGodsTiming #JesusIsTheHero #FaithInCrisis #BiblicalPerspective #ChristianHope

(0:00) Karate Kid Theory - What If Daniel Was the Problem?(2:17) Main Character Energy vs Supporting Character Reality(3:02) Big Idea - Your Pain Is God's Pen(4:31) John 11 - Lazarus Is Sick and Jesus Delays(6:28) Principle 1 - Your Crisis Is God's Platform(7:49) Confessions of a Recovering Emotional Vampire(9:08) When Your Pain Becomes Your Identity(10:40) The Mentorship Intervention - You've Become Exhausting(12:11) Everything Changes When Jesus Takes Center Stage(14:30) Weaponizing Your Pain vs Surrendering to Christ(16:41) How to Help Someone Who's an Emotional Vampire(18:09) Principle 2 - God's Delays Reveal Deeper Love(20:26) Mostly Dead vs All Dead - The Princess Bride Theology(22:19) Four Days in the Tomb - Only God Could Do This(23:49) When Your Loved One Didn't Come Back(26:41) Principle 3 - Your Pain Writes Jesus's Story for Others(28:54) September 11th 2001 - Ashes That Birth a Church(30:26) Who Might Believe Because of How You Respond?(32:05) The Ultimate Story Written at the Cross(33:53) Prayer for Salvation - Surrendering Pain to Jesus(35:26) Three Practical Steps Starting Today