Hear elder Ken Hoogstra teach about Jesus and the rich young ruler.

Hear testimonies from seniors: Steven Olig, Jen Erickson, and Kendra Christensen.

And they lived happily ever after. Don’t we all want one of these? But so often life just gets in the way. David knew this well. He was handsome, the king of all Israel, and had more money, power, and possessions than anyone else. David was even called, “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet one thing led to another, and suddenly there was no happily ever after for David.

You may not have a gigantic giant taunting you to come out and fight. But you are probably facing a few giants of your own. Giants like the stack of past-due bills glaring at you. Like the divorce papers waiting on your signature. Or the depression that looms over you like the Hulk. And we would do well to learn from David who we read about in this chapter. David was God-focused instead of giant-focused.

Christians make such a big deal about Easter every year. The day that changed everything, but if you look at most churches and Christians, it may not look like there is much change going on. The hope of Easter is not one day a year, it’s the change in the everyday, the impact Jesus offers to make in our everyday lives, but do we see it? Are we even aware of it?

Most Bibles call it the “Triumphal Entry,” and churches have children parade in waving palm branches in memory of that moment in time. On that day through, there was tremendous tension in the air, who is this Jesus, what is His purpose and mission? Jesus made his mission clear that day, to the disappointment of the crowds waving Palm branches.

Hear from Ephesians 2, by the Leader of the Wisconsin Classis, Lyle Zumdahl.

We all have a desire to be accepted. To be part of the group, one of the guys, a member of the team. Ruth knew this desire well, and her future on her acceptance. Ruth’s journey reminds us of God’s big plan that each of us are just one part of in this world.

We have all had to come face-to-face with an authority and own up to what we’ve done wrong. Palms sweat, stomach twists and turns. It can feel like you’re going before the judge in a court martial. Judges elicit a sense of fear, don’t they? They never call you in for something you have done right. Judges even have a book in the Bible with their name on it. These judges appeared on the scene to help sort out right and wrong. They also helped people get out of trouble.