River of Life Church Sauk Centre (Audio)

Jen Sandvig shares her story as God walked with her through forgiving others, depression, anxiety, and the importance of leaning on the Body of Christ—the Church—to help her through it all!

Adam Neubert shares his personal testimony how God moved in his life brining him from apathetic complacency to a deep relationship with God!

As we celebrate the miracle of Easter and hear the Easter story, we see that God continues to use unlikely people to move his Kingdom forward. God still changes lives today!

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Isaiah 53:5

Jesus was often misunderstood by those closest to Him—the disciples. He was also misunderstood by most of the people, thinking He would free them from their oppressors, Rome, but Jesus came to offer them spiritual freedom.

Have you or your intentions been misunderstood? We see the disciples misunderstanding Jesus throughout the gospel of Mark—they often projected their own expectations and desires on him, rather than understanding his teachings and mission. We still do this today if we aren’t careful!

The disciples faced many challenges even while they physically walked with Jesus. These challenges helped strengthen their faith in Him for what they were to face ahead in their lives. Similarly, God uses our challenges in life to deepen our faith in him and help us become who he wants us to be!

We were never meant to do things to earn favor or forgiveness from God. Instead we do things from a heart that overflows with gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us!

In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners, challenging societal norms but also revealing his heart for the lost. How can we take a step toward seeing others through the eyes of a loving God and embracing his mission to seek and save the lost?

Jesus called ordinary, unqualified people to be his disciples, breaking the social norms of His time. True discipleship is not how much you know; it's a continual journey of mirroring Jesus in character and action.