Your Lives - Easter - Communion

Manuscript Template

Title:  Your Lives

Focus Statement:  

Unequally yoked relationships.

Real relationships require both parties are all in. God showed us through Easter that He was all in, it’s up to us to choose how we respond.

Function Statement:  

Are you going to choose to give everything to God; your needs, your wants, your fears, your life???

What step is God calling you to take to go all in on your relationship with him?

Tweetable Phrase:  

God is ALL-IN in His relationship with you, are you?

Main Text:  Luke 22-24

Supporting Text:  

Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus):  John 19:30

Benediction:  Philippians 3:8-11

WELCOME

Happy Easter

and...Happy Resurrection Day

Good morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson, and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.

And a very special welcome to everyone who doesn’t normally join us

I hesitate to call you a guest. Because, there is one expectations of all guests, at some point, no matter how good the visit, they leave

That is not true about you. We want you to be a part of this family and join us every week.

You are welcome here.

We are here today to celebrate that Jesus is alive

Because at The Light KC we believe that being a Christian

is not about religion

that it is not about following a set of rules

it is about following a resurrected savior

Jesus Christ

because the story doesn’t end on Good Friday

Jesus died on the cross for our sins

but He did not remain in the tomb

HE IS ALIVE

Let’s say it together, “HE IS RISEN” (echo “He is Risen indeed”)

That is why we gather here to celebrate today, and to do that I want to start with a question.

ME/INTRO - Tension

Have you ever been in an unequally yoked relationship?

Have you ever had a person in your life that was really good at something and wanted you to join them, when you knew that you did not have the ability or experience to successfully do what they were asking you to do?

Years ago I had such an experience.

I was leading a youth group of high schoolers.

I’m not sure why we allowed this, but as a social activity we took them to an indoor skate park.

All the kids in my group were very good with skate boards and went to the skate park regularly.

They knew what they were doing.

I did not.

I grew up playing hockey. I could skate...with rollerblades, but could not even stand on a skate board. I still can’t.

[Image: Roller Blades]

They agreed not to make fun of me if I brough my rollerblades, because they weren’t even the right type of roller blades for a skate park.

[Image: Aggressive Roller Blades]

When we got there they dropped a challenge on me.

They dared me to drop into every ramp in the skate park before the night was over. Here is an image of what a typical skate park looks like.

[Image: Looking down on skate ramp]

Keep in mind, I had never gone skating in any skate park, only hockey rinks (which are all flat).

I had never even considered dropping into a ramp

I did not knew where to begin.

This was the definition of unequally yoked.

I had no experience, skill, or honestly desire.

They knew exactly what they were doing.

This is roughly the image of what was going through my mind.

[Image: Looking down on skate ramp]

I could only image what the carnage would result, if I tried to go down any of the ramps, let alone all of them.

The best way I can communicate my fear is to show a clip of a stunt that Red Bull setup in Brazil.

They took one of the top skate boarders on the planet, Sandro Dias.

They converted the Brazilian State Rio Grande del Sul building into a huge quarter pipe

Here is the building

[Image: Brazilian State Rio Grande del Sul building - Before]

Then they build a quarter pipe onto the side of the building.

[Image: Brazilian State Rio Grande del Sul building - Before]

They put drop in coping at regular intervals up to 70 meters high (230 ft) for Sandro to drop in from

[Image: Brazilian State Rio Grande del Sul building with coping]

And from 70 meters (230 ft) off the ground Sandro Dias saw this

[Image: 70m drop in]

This is what I was imagining when these high schoolers asked me to try dropping in on all the ramps at the skate park.

I was petrified. I was convinced that if I did this I would end up in a hospital, or worse.

Because after months of training, this was Sandro Dias’ first attempt at the ramp.

[Video: 64m fall - 4:25-4:50]

And that wasn’t even from all the way at the top.

If the best skate boarder in the world fell during his Red Bull challenge, what chance do I have to succeed with my challenge from these high schoolers?

WE - Tension

Have you ever been invited to do something by someone who was already very good at it, but you had no idea where to even start?

Have you ever felt that tug to keep up with a friend, even though you knew they were in a different league than you?

Have you ever had an unequally yoked relationship?

Having unequally yoked relationships may get you in some interesting situations...

...but there is a silver lining.

Having an UNEQUALLY YOKED RELATIONSHIP means is that you have someone right there next to you that knows exactly what they’re doing and can help you.

That is what happened to me.

They started me on the smallest 3’ ramp.

[Image: 3’ ramp drop in]

They told me to hook my back wheel on the coping (the metal pipe on the top lip of the ramp). They told me that if I didn’t keep my body perpendicular to the ramp at all times, I would fall. That meant that I needed to lean forward quite a bit before I allowed my wheels to leave the coping. Because if my feet got in front of my body I was guaranteed to fall.

They worked me up to the 4’ ramp,

then the 6’ ramp,

[Image: 6’ ramp]

Then they had me drop in on the 9’ pool.

[Image: 9’ pool]

And by this point I was actually having fun.

I hadn’t died yet.

I’d fallen a few times, but nothing too painful.

And when I dropped in on the pool I zipped around the top edge of the round part like you see on TV, I was feeling pretty good.

But my joy was short lived.

It was up to THE FINAL RAMP

They wanted me to drop into the 12’ half pipe with a full 6’ of vertical drop

That means that the top 6’ of the ramp is completely vertical and to drop in I would have to completely fall forward so my body was horizontal to the ground before my feet left the coping.

Here is what a 12’ half pipe looks like. You can see the coping on the top, the 6’ of vertical, the transition, and the flat at the bottom.

[Image: 12’ Half Pipe Layout]

This is a picture of someone dropping into the ramp. You can see how far they have to lean forward before they leave the coping.

[Image: 12’ drop in, horizontal person]

Here is a zoomed out image showing how high they are and how much vertical they have to drop into.

[Image: 12’ drop in, horizontal person - Zoomed Out]

Standing at the bottom of the ramp, contemplating the last few remaining minutes of my life, I was petrified.

I knew to be successful, I had to be all in.

I couldn’t ease into it.

I couldn’t go half way.

I had to be fully committed, or it was going to hurt.

And standing on top of that half pipe, it hit me...

This is the perfect analogy for the faith Jesus calls us to have.

And a perfect topic for this Easter Sunday

The last three weeks we’ve been walking through a series called Giving Up, looking at the things that God calls us to give up to strengthen our relationship with Him.

We’ve looked at God’s call to GIVE UP; CONTROL, EXPECTATIONS, the idea that it’s okay to have ENEMIES, and today we’re going to wrap up this series, and celebrate Easter.

As we begin, please turn with me to [Luke 24: Sanctuary Bible Page # 859]

We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.

AND... if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.

Let's dive in.

GOD - Text - HEAD

Just like I had a bunch of high schoolers that wanted me to experience what to them was the best life they could imagine - LIFE AT A SKATE PARK - God wants us to experience the best life He can imagine for us.

But just like I had no idea what I was doing, had no skills, had no experience, and had more fear than anything else when the high schoolers wanted me to tackle the skate park - sometimes I feel the same way when God calls me to join Him in living what He has determined to be the best life for me.

God doesn’t promise that the best life He wants for us will be easy

God doesn’t promise that the best life He wants for us will be without trouble

But God does promise that just like those high schoolers, He will be with us, helping us, guiding us every step of the way

One way that God does that is through an unbelievable gift that He has given all of us.

God gave us the gift of His very words in the Bible.

This book is God’s love letter to us, calling us to a relationship with Him.

And even though this is an UNEQUALLY YOKED relationship, God knows that if we follow Him it will be the best life we can live.

The Bible is broken into 4 sections; creation, fall, redemption, consummation.

Creation

In the first section - CREATION - God spends 6 days creating everything;

light / dark

water / dry ground

day / night

plants / animals.

And on the 6th day, God created mankind

Genesis 1:27 “27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

And, knowing that every relationship requires both parties to choose to a part, God gave the first people, Adam and Eve, a choice. He put a single tree in the garden and told them that if they wanted to be in this relationship they had to choose not to eat from that tree.

They had to trust God, that He knew what was good for them, and trust that God was telling the truth that the fruit from that tree was not good for them.

Fall

It didn’t take long.

Adam and Eve, didn’t trust.

They listened to the tempting words of the Devil.

And this is the second section of the bible; the FALL

This is where Adam and Eve doubted that God really wanted what was best for them

Genesis 3:6 “6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

Sin (acting against God’s will for your life) entered the world.

And sin broke the four major relationships that God created

God with humanity - That relationship was broken when Adam and Eve doubted God’s love and desire to do what is best for them

Humanity with each other - That relationship was broken when Adam turned on Eve, blaming her when God asked him why he ate the fruit

Man with creation - That relationship was broken when the ground was cursed and growing food became difficult requiring hard work

Man with himself - That relationship was broken when because the bible ways that once Adam and Eve ate the fruit they realized they were naked and felt shame

God created us to live in relationship with Him, to love him, to trust him, and to have faith that God’s way is the best way.

Humanity didn’t live up to our end that invitation.

Redemption

But God didn’t give up on His creation.

From the start God knew that this would be an UNEQUALLY YOKED relationship.

Once sin entered the world, God already had a plan to fix the relationship with humanity that was broken.

This is the third section of the bible - REDEMPTION

Redemption (Law)

God created a people, ISRAEL, that were set apart to be an example to the world, to draw everyone back to God’s love

To do that God set boundaries on His relationship with ISRAEL.

In Exodus 20 God gave the ISRAELITES the 10 commandments - defining how ISRAEL should act toward God and each other

Throughout the rest of the Old Testament there are a total of 613 Laws that God gave ISRAEL to teach them how to live the life He created them to be - these a laws were called the Mitzvot

Israel failed to follow these laws, they sinned

I think if we’re honest, we’d all admit that we do too, we all sin

Even for those of you who haven’t yet fully put your faith in Jesus and what the Bible says about God, you know that you fall short of living the life you were created to live.

How many times have you broken promises you made to yourself?

We’d fail even if we were only held accountable to the promises we made to ourselves.

But God knew that His relationship with ISRAEL was an unequally yoked relationship.

God knew that Israel would fail.

The 613 laws in the OT were given to show Israel that, by their own strength they can’t be good enough to work off the debt that they owe due to their sin.

So God, intervened.

Redemption (Jesus)

ISRAEL and the LAW was only Phase 1 of God’s plan for redemption.

The Law was meant to show ISRAEL that they needed a savior.

Phase II was when God sent His son, Jesus, to be the savior the world needed

The Gospels - the first 4 books of the New Testament - Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of Jesus.

Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary

He lived a sinless life - tempted in every way that we are, but never gave into the temptations

He became a Rabbi - a Jewish teacher - and traveled with his 12 disciples teaching people about God and the Kingdom that God was ushering in through Jesus

He performed many miracles - healing the sick, curing the blind, multiplying food, and raising people from the dead

His message was wildly popular with the people

But, not with everyone.

Jesus message of love, forgiveness, and grace threatened the power of the ruling elite within Jewish society.

They plotted to kill Jesus to stop his teaching.

That is Good Friday

The day that Jesus allowed himself to be captured, tortured, and killed on a cross - paying the debt upon himself that we all owe due to our sins.

Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried in tomb.

But three days later - EASTER SUNDAY - Jesus rose from the dead - HE IS ALIVE

And I want to take a few minutes to take a look at one of the first things He did after the resurrection.

Road to Emmaus

Turn with me to Luke 24:13, page 859 in the sanctuary bible

Luke 24:13–27 “13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

The Bible doesn’t say what it was that Jesus went over with them, but it must have been the best small group study ever.

Maybe it started from the very beginning, the TORAH, the first 5 books of the bible that Moses wrote.

Maybe Jesus started with CREATION

Genesis 1:26 “26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.””

Maybe Jesus showed them this verse, pointed out the US, and was like, that’s me, I am part of the US.

This is the TRINITY: One God in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All powerful, all knowing, omnipresent. In a perfectly submitted love relationship with himself. That God is both the object and subject of his own love for himself and out of an overflow of that love He created image bearers to give and receive that love.

Jesus may have told them, I was there when God scooped up the dirt and formed Adam and breathed the Ruach / breathe of life into him

Maybe Jesus then went to the FALL

And after telling them the story of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, maybe Jesus read Genesis 3:15, which ways

Genesis 3:15 “15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.””

This is the 1st Gospel Presented to Eve - they call it the Protoevangelium

Maybe Jesus shows them that this is God predicting their REDEMPTION through His life, His death, and His resurrection - defeating sin once and for all - restoring humanity’s relationship with God

Maybe Jesus then went to REDEMPTION

Maybe then Jesus turns to Genesis 22 and goes over the story of Abraham and Isaac.

Maybe Jesus points out that just like a Ram was provided as a substitute sacrifice for Isaac, He is the substitute sacrifice for all the people of the world.

Maybe Jesus then went to the story of Joseph

Joseph went through a life of trials

He was sold into slavery by his brothers

He was falsely accused of rape by his owner’s wife and sent to prison

He interpreted a dream in prison and was promised they’d help get him out, but was forgotten

Nobody would have faulted Joseph for giving up hope, but he remained faithful in God’s provision

And God orchestrated Joseph’s life, moving him closer and closer to Pharoah in Egypt, so that He could save all the Jewish people from a famine

And when Joseph’s brothers, the ones that sold him into slavery, bowed down before him, Joseph extended forgiveness

And Maybe Jesus points out that the forgiveness Joseph showed his brothers, is the same forgiveness Jesus offers everyone on earth

Maybe Jesus then went to the life of Moses

Isreal had been in slavery for 400 years in Egypt

They were crying for deliverance

Moses was a disgraced former prince of Egypt, now living as a shepherd.

God chose Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt

God sent 10 plagues through Egypt

The final being the death of the first born

Every first born, Egyptian, Israelite, livestock, etc will die unless they take the blood of a spotless lamb and put it on the doorpost

Maybe Jesus pointed out that in the same way it is His blood that covers their sins, and saves them from the eternal death that we all face

Maybe Jesus takes them to Exodus 20 and the 10 commandments as well as the 613 other laws

Maybe Jesus points out that these are a MAP AND A MIRROR

A map to show us we are to rightly live

A mirror to show us that we fall short and need a savior

And maybe Jesus points out that He is that savior

Maybe Jesus then went through the sacrificial system in Leviticus 16

This passage outlines THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, the most significant Jewish observance on the calendar. This happens every year during the festival of Yom Kippur. It is on this day when the priest confesses Israel’s sin on a goat, the scapegoat, and sends it out into the wilderness symbolically carrying away Israel’s sins / transgressions.

Maybe it is here that Jesus points out that being fully God and fully human, He is the final sacrifice, the only one who can atone for the sins of the world. That they no longer need a ceremonial scapegoat, because they have a him, the Messiah, their savior

Maybe Jesus took them to Psalm 22

A literal play by play of what happened to Christ on the Cross

Maybe he took them to the other 300 prophesies that Jesus fulfilled through his birth, life, and death

Born to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 / Matthew 1:22-23)

Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2 / Matthew 2:1)

From the line of David (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Jeremiah 23:5 / Matthew 1:1, Luke 3:31)

Teach in parables (Psalm 78:2 / Matthew 13:34-35)

Rejected by his people (Isaiah 53:3 / John 1:11)

Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13 / Matthew 25:14-16, 27:9-10)

Silent before accusers (Isaiah 53:7 / Matthew 27:12-14)

Pierced hands and feet (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10 / John 20:25-27)

Crucified with Criminals (Isaiah 53:12 / Luke 23:32-33)

No bones broken (Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20 / John 19:33-36)

...

Jesus showed them one verse at a time that the whole bible has been about him the entire time

The entire bible is the story of a God who loves you so much that He sacrifices His son, a part of Himself to repair the relationship that we broke through our sin

The Gospel is not anti-effort (God asks us to do all kinds of things), but the Gospel is anti-earning

The OT teaches us that, we can’t be good enough to pay off our sin debt to God

Because of the justice of God, all sin must be paid for

Because if God overlooked sin, it would make him an unjust judge and a God that is not worth following

Every time we sin it is against an almighty, eternal, perfect and holy God; that act requires an ever lasting punishment to take away that sin

Because God is JUST … all sin must be paid for

Because God is MERCIFUL … He delays the payment… (so we live long enough to hear the gospel)

Because of God’s GRACE … He makes the payment on our behalf

If you are in Christ, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross taking the sin debt that we owed upon himself, and came back to life three days later giving us hope in eternity with God in heaven...God cannot be dissatisfied with you.

We get dissatisfied with people because they don’t live up to your expectations.

You think you’re letting God down. God did not pop up this morning, look at your life, and say what in the name of ME is he doing. God knew the crappy deal he was getting when he overpaid for you with the blood of his son and because of what God did you’re not your own, you were bought at a price.

God knew from the start that this would be an unequally yoked relationship.

So God looks at you as if you are in Christ and says to you, my son, my daughter with you I am well pleased.

I want to turn a few chapters back and take a look at one thing Jesus said when He was on the cross.

John 19:30 - When Jesus is on the cross, He says “It is finished”

Greek word Tatelestai

Paid in full / Fulfilled / Done / Ended / Finished / bring to fruition

But what is finished?

The payment for our sin is finished

That sin being every time that...

the Glory of God not honored

the Holiness of God not revered

the Greatness of God not admired

the Power of God not praised

the Truth of God not sought

the Wisdom of God not esteemed

the Beauty of God not treasured

the Goodness of God not savored

the Faithfulness of God not trusted

the Commandments of God not obeyed

the Justice of God not respected

the Wrath of God not feared

the Grace of God not cherished

the Presence of God not prized

the Person of God not loved (That person being Jesus)

Do you believe that when Jesus said “It is finished” it is finished for you?

Do you believe that...

Sacrificial system is finished

Power and penalty of sin is finished

Guilt is finished

Condemnation is finished

Religion is finished

Trying to earn God’s favor is finished

Addiction is finished

Slavery to sin under the law is finished

Being good enough is finished

Loneliness is finished

Fear is finished

Trusting in your circumstances for peace is finished

Wondering if God loves you is finished (because God demonstrated his love for us - while we were sinners - Christ died for us)

Hopelessness is finished

The curtain the separates God from God’s people is finished

Confusion about how to be made right with God is finished

Waiting on the coming messiah to come and crush the head of the serpent is finished

The wrath of God toward sin and sinners has been satisfied through the blood of Jesus Christ for anyone who would believe, trusts, and has faith that when Jesus said “it is finished” it counted for you

YOU - Takeaway - HEART

Do you believe it counts for you?

If so, what will you do today?

Is today the day that you...

Salvation - put your faith in Jesus

Re-Dedicate your life to Jesus because you feel you’ve strayed

Baptism - 1st step of discipleship

Serve - share with others the love that God has shared with you

Only you know what next step God is calling you to take today

Our relationship with God may be unequally yoked.

God is all in in this relationship. He proved it by giving His one and only Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Are you all in?

This is where my skating analogy starts to make sense

I got through every ramp up until the 12’ half pipe with 6’ of vertical drop

I stood at the edge looking down, scared for my life

I knew what I had to do

I knew to drop in I had to fully commit

I had to let my body fall 90-degrees forward so my body was parallel with the ground, release my skates from the coping, and fall 6’ straight down before my skates would touch the wall and I would feel solid ground again

I couldn’t hesitate

I couldn’t do it half-way

It was all or nothing

That’s what putting your faith in Jesus is, all or nothing

I dropped in

I fully committed that day to that half pipe

I dropped 6’ straight down

My skates touched the wall

I kept falling until my head stopped moving and my feet swung under me in the transition

I got to the flat of the 1/2 pipe and was going faster than I could have ever imagined

But I was still on my feet

Then I started going up the other side

Now my body was perpendicular from the ground, but I was looking up

Nobody thought I would actually do it, let alone not fall on the way down so they didn’t tell me what do to if I got back up the other side

I did the only thing I could think of

I pushed off just enough to rotate around so I was looking down again

But I pushed off a little too hard and was no longer by the wall

As I came down, but my skates didn’t touch the wall on the vertical part of the half pipe

I bent my knees, came in contact with the wall at the transition, slid down the wall, and stood up

I WAS ALIVE

And in a moment that was the closest I have ever come to a HEAVENLY CHORUS singing and rejoicing because I was ALIVE, the whole skate park erupted

I don’t have a video, but I’m sure I looked just as good as Sandro Dias dropping in from 70m (230ft)

[Video: 70m drop in - 8:50-9:45]

This is my prayer for all of you.

That you will choose to be ALL IN in your relationship with GOD.

That even though you’re standing on the edge, looking down, scared of what is to come, you will commit

lean forward

fall into the arms of an ALL LOVING GOD

accept the gift of salvation that Jesus offers

commit to following Jesus wherever he leads

It was nice having a skate park cheer for me.

It will be infinitely better to hear the heavenly choirs sing for each and every one of you who choose to accept God’s invitation to be in a relationship with Him.

What will you do?

God is already all in; He gave His Son, so that you can have a clean slate, free from the debt of sin.

Are you all in?

Do you believe that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross counts for you?

Do you believe that Jesus’ resurrection opens the door to hope that you can live forever in Heaven with God?

Is today your day to...

Salvation - put your faith in Jesus

Re-Dedicate your life to Jesus because you feel you’ve strayed

Baptism - 1st step of discipleship

Serve - share with others the love that God has shared with you

Is today your day to GIVE UP ownership of your LIFE and put it in the hands of the only person who deserves to hold it, Jesus?

COMMUNION

During the final song we will observe the sacrament of communion.

We observe communion to remember everything Christ has done for us, how He loved us so much that He stepped down from heaven, become one of us, suffered everything the world could throw at him, yet did not sin, chose to die on the cross, taking the consequences of our sin upon himself, and by rising from the dead on the 3rd day, giving us hope for a new life now and in eternity with Him in heaven.

We take bread to remember that Christ allowed His body to be broken for us.

We take wine (or grape juice) to remember that Christ allowed His blood to be spilled for us.

As part of the Wesleyan denomination we practice an open table. You don’t have be a member of the Wesleyan church to partake in communion here. You just have to have accepted Jesus as you LORD and savior, earnestly repent of your sin, and empowered by the Holy Spirit do everything you can to follow the commandments of God.

*Children may partake at the discretion of their parents.

**Gluten free options are available on left side of the stage

Before you come up, I encourage you to Pray.

Ask for God to show you the next step He’s inviting you to take.

Take the card from the seat back in front of you, fill it out and leave it on the steps up front so we can pray for you and support you as you walk this new path.

We’ll have extra cards and pens up front if needed.

Take some time during the next song, examine where you heart is at and pray for God to show you the next step He’s calling you to take.

PRAYER 

Will you join me in prayer...

SONG 

As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who needs God this week. The steps are open for you to pray to the God who is with you, who loves you, you wants to give you His peace.

‌

You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.

BENEDICTION 

Philippians 3:8–11 “8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

This week...

Let’s stop thinking that we have to, or even could earn the love of God.

Let’s stop thinking that we can be “good enough” to work off the debt of sin that we each owe

Let’s rest in the fact that we serve a Loving God, that did the work for us

Let’s praise Jesus for the life that He lived, the lessons He taught, the death that He willingly died to pay the debt we owe because of our sins, and that He defeated death, coming back to life on the third day, giving us hope of an eternity with God in Heaven

Let’s not think that Jesus did all this just so we could get to Heaven, but let’s live the life that God created us to live now, brining Heaven to earth with each act of obedience to God’s will

Let’s all take the next step God calls us to take in our relationship with Him

Quick reminder...

Digging Deeper Bible Study - Wednesday at 6:30 PM - Programming for all ages

Financial Peace starting April 22

New Series on Acts starting next week where we’re going to look at what the early church did in response to Jesus life, death, and resurrection and what we’re called to do with our lives now

If you’re new, please fill out the card in the seat back and stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi” and get you know you a bit better.

If you’d like to get more information about taking your next step of faith, fill out the card in the seat back and give it to me or turn it in to the info desk.

I hope you have a great week.

Go in peace.

You are dismissed.

DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS (download into APP)

What does being 'all in' for God mean to you personally, and how can you demonstrate that commitment in your daily life?

In what areas of your life do you feel you are holding back from God, and how might you resolve that?

How can the concept of unequally yoked relationships be applied to your relationship with God?

What have you learned about trusting God through your own 'unequally yoked' experiences?

How can you support someone who is struggling with being fully committed in their relationship with God?

Have you ever felt like you were in an unequally yoked relationship? How did that impact your experience?

In what ways can you show that you are 'all in' with your faith in practical terms?

How do you plan to respond to God’s call for commitment in your life starting today?

What is one step you can take this week to deepen your relationship with God?

How can sharing your faith with friends impact your own commitment to God?