He Walks with Me

Title: “He Walks With Me”

INTRO: The Power of a Walk

I don’t know what your dating life was like…

My wife and I were raised in pretty strict households

I was seventeen and she was sixteen when we started dating

We didn’t get to go anywhere by ourselves.

EXCEPT FOR ONE ACTIVITY…We could take a walk

I grew to love walks because it was the only place I could be with my girlfriend without her little siblings!

Think about how many major moments in your life happened within the context of a walk.

How many decisions you’ve processed on a walk

How many breakups happened on a walk

How many deep discussions were had on a walk.

Walks help us process pain. They help us sort through disappointment. They give us space when life feels too loud. And they also become the place where some of the most profound moments of clarity happen.

The Bible itself opens with a walk. In Genesis, God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve. There’s a sacredness in that detail. Before there were temples or altars, rituals or scrolls—there was a walk. A literal walk with God. That’s intimacy. But the Bible doesn’t just open with a walk—it reopens with a walk too. After Jesus resurrects, He goes on walks—He meets people on roads, in gardens, among the confused and grieving. And the good news of Easter isn’t just that Jesus walked out of the tomb… It’s that He still walks with people today. That’s the heart of this message. No matter what path you're on—whether you're dealing with failure, disappointment, or deep despair—Jesus walks with you. And He walks with purpose. So today, I want to take us on a journey through Scripture. Through three different walks—three different people—each with different levels of pain and confusion. But in each case, one constant remains: Jesus is there. He wasn’t passive then, and He isn’t distant now.

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1. When I Disappoint God…He walks with me

Genesis 3:8–9 NKJV

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Some of you probably come from backgrounds that have been religion adjacent.

Many of us have a grandma, uncle, cousin, aunt, mom, or dad that at least put church on our radar

To be adjacent to religion usually gives you the worst perspective on your reality.

It’s amazing how many people that I have come into contact with over the years who are hesitant to come to church because they feel that they need to get their life cleaned up first.

If I walked in the church the roof might cave in.

People like me aren’t really welcomed in church.

The problem with this premise is that it directly contradicts the type of God that our God is.

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Adam and Eve were the prototypes of failure.

They didn’t even have to have faith to believe in God…they got to walk with him on on a daily basis.

Can you imagine being in a walking group with the God of the universe…

Even with this opportunity they were drawn to what was destructive for them.

We are prone to the things that are the most problematic.

IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME JUST RECONSIDER YOUR DATING HISTORY.

Religion would have us to think of this God in the Bible that Adam’s failure created a scenario wherein Adam could no longer commune with God.

Adam himself believed this narrative over himself

Adam and Eve hid themselves among the trees of the garden.

But even after their failure…even in the midst of their hiding…God still showed up for the walk!

_________ Some of you have come to church today simply because someone asked you and you didn’t want to be rude.

You may be getting free lunch out of it.

But you are currently hiding from the message of the gospel because you are a little ashamed of the life you’ve been living.

I want to correct the misconstrued perspective regarding failure.

Jesus was beaten in one of the most brutal ways in human history.

He was mocked

He was tortured

He was embarassed

In the midst of this type of failure and hatred towards God, Jesus shows us the character of the God that we serve and his response to our most extravagant failures.

Luke 23:34 NKJV

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Jesus shows up to walk with us in our failures because forgiveness and restoration are his heart.

Forgiveness was on his lips even while failure was in their hands.

Even when we’ve disappointed Him, He doesn't walk away—He walks toward.

Application: You’re not too dirty, too far gone, or too broken for God to walk with you.

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2. When God disappoints me…He walks with me

Luke 24:13–17 NKJV

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. 17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

They respond to Jesus by saying…you’re literally the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on…

So many things have happened.

Luke 24:19–21 NKJV

19 And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

Do you hear the frustration and faithlessness in their voices?

“we were hoping”

I wonder if you’ve ever had a “we were hoping” season in your walk with Jesus.

A time where you put your faith in him…and it didn’t seem to take.

__________ We believed for mom

We prayed, fasted, believed, and declared

The miracle we were hoping for didn’t take.

Even when I was mad at God…He would meet me in my madness…

If you’re in a season of disappointment with God, just know that your disappointment is not a disqualifier for his presence.

__________ Jesus continued to walk with them even as they continued to discuss how disappointed they were.

He entertained their questions…

He gave space for their frustration…

There was a moment where nothing changed but their perspective shifted

They were able to see God in the midst of their disappointment.

Luke 24:30–31 NKJV

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

I am believing today that there are some people who have been stuck in disapppointment that today…on this resurrection Sunday are going to be able to see God for who he is again.

They thought He had failed.

Hopes crushed.

Dreams dashed.

But Jesus joined them on their road of confusion, not once they had it figured out.

He didn’t correct first; He walked first.

Application: Jesus walks with you even when you're questioning Him, doubting Him, or unsure about what just happened.

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3. When Despair overwhelms me…He walks with me

Text: John 20:11–18

John 20:11–15 NKJV

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

On the road to Emmaus…they had questions…but they weren’t in the same level of despair as this narrative.

They were commited to Jesus…But Mary was overwhelmingly in love and commited to him.

Jesus didn’t just teach her…He gave her a new identity

But now she is living a reality where her hope is lost.

John 20:16–18 NKJV

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Mary is weeping, grieving the death of Jesus and the pointlessness of a stolen purpose. Then one word shifts everything:

Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’

In Jewish culture, names weren’t just identifiers—they spoke identity and relationship. When Jesus called her by name, He was calling her back to herself, reminding her of who she was and whose she was.

She responds with ‘Rabboni!’—Suddenly, the Teacher isn’t dead. The Leader hasn’t vanished. Hope didn’t expire. ________

Not just comforted…but commissioned

Jesus doesn't just comfort her—He commissions her:

‘Go to my brothers and tell them…’

He turns her grief into purpose. He doesn't just meet her in her despair, He walks her out of it and sends her on a mission.

That’s the power of the resurrection. That’s what Jesus does—He still shows up in our lowest moments, calls us by name, and leads us into new life. Jesus speaks your name, not to remind you of what was lost, but to launch you into what’s next. Application: You don’t have to stay in the tomb of yesterday’s grief. Jesus is inviting you to step into a resurrection future. Sticky Statements Recap for Each Point: 1. When I disappoint God… He walks with me. Sticky Statement: Your failure doesn’t make Him leave—it makes Him look for you. 2. When God disappoints me… He walks with me. Sticky Statement: Even on the road of shattered expectations, Jesus walks in silence, not absence.

3. When Desoaur overwhelms me… He walks with me.

Sticky Statement: Jesus speaks your name not to remind you of what’s lost but to launch you into what’s next.

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Closing Story

Deitrich Bonhoeffer Let me tell you a story that echoes Mary’s moment in the garden.

In 1945, near the end of World War II, a young German theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for his resistance to the Nazi regime. He had preached Jesus boldly and had tried to shine light where there was profound darkness.

In prison, stripped of his influence, congregation, and hope of freedom, Bonhoeffer waited—prayed—for some kind of rescue. But rescue never came.

One morning, guards led him away. Witnesses recall that as he left the cell, he turned to another prisoner and said, 'This is the end — but for me, the beginning of life.'

Those were his final recorded words.

You see, in the face of despair, with the shadow of death all around him, Bonhoeffer had the audacity to believe that resurrection was not myth, but reality. That despair wasn’t the last note. Neither was it for Mary.

She came to the tomb believing it was over. A savior gone. A dream buried. A story finished. But she walked away carrying the world's greatest announcement:

'He is risen.' ____________

Ending

The same Jesus who called Mary by name, who came walking in the garden again, is still calling names today. And He’s calling yours.

Final Wrap-Up: No matter where you are walking today…

Hiding in shame like Adam. 

Walking in confusion like the Emmaus disciples. 

Weeping in despair like Mary.

Jesus is not far off. He walks with the fallen, the frustrated, and the grieving. And in the moment you least expect — He calls your name.

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Closing Call to Action:

So today, will you stop hiding?  Will you stop doubting?  Will you stop weeping as one who has no hope? And will you walk with the one who walked out of the grave? Because He walks with me…and he wants to walk with you.

Sticky Statement: Jesus meets us in the garden of grief with resurrection hope.

Mary thought it was the gardener. How fitting.

Just like the first garden (Eden), here’s Jesus again—gardening hearts back to life.

She wasn't just mourning the death of Jesus; she was mourning the death of hope itself.

Application: When it feels like there’s nothing left—no next step, no reason to go on—Jesus calls your name.

Closing Revelation: Three Walks, One Savior

Tie It Together:

In Eden, God walked to the sinner.

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus walked with the confused.

In the garden, He walked toward the brokenhearted.

Sticky Wrap-Up: No matter where you’re walking—He walks with you.

Call to Action:

Invite people to stop hiding (like Adam), stop doubting (like the disciples), and stop grieving as those without hope (like Mary).

Jesus walks with you now. Will you walk with Him?