The Well Church of the Nazarene

From our "Stitches" series.

As seen through the example of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, we either bring God glory...or we don't. God is glorified through the faithful hearts of his people. We are ONE BODY, stitched together to glorify Him. Are you--intentionally or unintentionally--a glory-taker? Or a glory-giver?

Ref: 1 Samuel 4:12-22

From our "Stitches" series w/ Pastor Brian Richardson.

The Church is a patchwork of different preferences, styles, and personalities. Each patch, or pattern, or block, is stitched together by God into this body, but apart from Christ, we are unable to see the beauty in what God brings together. The good news is, our quilt is not yet finished, as God takes our offerings and stitches a tapestry of ministry and mission together. 

The trinity points us to the idea of the unity and community of God, as seen in Romans 5:1-5. But what does that mean for a congregation? Unity and Community.

The hope of the glory of God--justification by faith, grace--is the great equalizer that allows us to live into the image of the trinitarian God.

Pentecost is an invitation to leave our comfort zones and to find our new congregations.

We conclude our series on letting go of "dead things" with this: Unfulfilled expectations leave us lost and angry, while Jesus invites us to find a new focus and a new vision. 

This morning we honor our high school graduates, celebrating their achievements and the next season in front of them. At the same time, we take a look at what it means to let go of--or to loosen our grip on--our plans in exchange for what God has in store for us. 

Our past experiences can serve as a reference for future decision-making, but can equally cast doubt and bind us in the present. God's desire is for us to lean into His way of seeing our past for the food of our present and future.

Ref: Proverbs 3:5-6 and Romans 12:1-2

Shame causes us to hide from God. In many ways, shame is connected to pride. We refuse to reveal and acknowledge our sins and failure. Conviction is meant to draw us to God. Confession is the way forward.

Ref: John 16:8-11, James 5:16, and Hebrews 10:19-25

Sin, shame, and self are "dead things" that separate us from what God wants for us. But as we learned last week, Lazarus was in the tomb for four days--nothing is impossible with God! If we confess, and keep confessing, forgiveness and transformation are available. May we let go of our past sins, and our propensity to sin, and grasp hold of something far greater--life. 

Easter is an invitation to new life, not just life after death. Unfortunately, we sometimes cling to dead things. This 5-week series examines some of the things we hold onto that keep us from experiencing life as God intends.

This morning, we review the well-known story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus brings life in the here and now, and invites the church to help others "take off the grave clothes" (a.k.a. remove the dead things from their life.)

Ref: John 11