Torrin Garbison preaches a message about the burdens we pick up and carry with us as we live our lives. The recording starts a few minutes into the message. Torrin talks about all of us carrying backpacks that we put these burdens in. These burdens, stones in Torrin's analogy, weigh us down. He invites us to identify and let go of these things.

Blessings do not come as the result of reacting to the world around us, but from a life that is free to live as God intends.

God is not a critic waiting for you to mess up so you can be punished. God is working to lead us into true life.

We are called to a peculiar way of living. So that the way that we live makes us witnesses to the Good News and Love of God. But we know by ourselves we cannot continue in this way on our own. We need armour that is provided by God.

Our natural instinct is to focus on the things that we perceive as threats to us. But every threat is an opportunity to depend upon Jesus more.

God calls us to be faithful and resist the ways of the world because, in the end, Jesus judges according to which kingdom we are obedient too.

"We see God’s love for us, not as a result of being a Holy person, but our becoming a Holy person as a result of God’s love for us."

Paul's missionary journeys were amazing in and of themselves. But the most important aspect for us to remember is that he wasn' just teaching people about Jesus, but was inviting them to a community that lived differently. Their relationship with God defined their relationships with each other.

This week WNC student intern Torrin Garbison asks the question, "are you a believer or are you a disciple?"

Easter Sunday's message this year has a focus on the follower's of Jesus. Specifically, their reaction and response to the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Bible shows us how many of Jesus' followers went from being confused and fearful to be preachers of the Good News through a series of encounters and steps. This reminds us that spiritual disciplines are not about checking boxes to be a "good person" but about growing in faith.