This Sunday we start a three-week sermon series on toxic thinking, toxic relationships, and toxic behavior that harms our life. Many people don’t feel good about themselves. Some would rather not look in the mirror. Motivational speaker zig Ziglar calls it “stinkin thinkin.” How do we deal with destructive thinking? In this message we will talk about some solutions.
It is challenging to be a good mother. Especially when difficult circumstances arise and unexpected problems happen. Many of you could tell stories of mothers who sacrificed a lot for your well-being. They listened to you. They modeled compassion by serving you when needed, even though it might’ve been challenging at times. This message will give thanks for mothers and children who deeply love each other, like Naomi and Ruth.
Have you ever been to the valley of dry bones? Some of you have. You’ve been in the midst of a bad marriage. One day you woke up, and all around you were dead bones where a loving relationship had been. Some of you are surrounded by dry bones at work. Or maybe you can see the dry bones when you ponder the relationship with your children. For some of us, it happens as we age. The prophet Ezekiel asks, “Mortal, can these bones live?” It doesn’t seem possible. The bones are so dry. But Ezekiel has a message for us that we will explore on Sunday.
What is your defining story? It is the framework we use to determine how we understand our life mission and ultimate destination. It can guide how we face adversity and how we put into context all the suffering we see around us. This defining story can have tremendous power over us and be positive or negative. Easter gives us a chance to establish a positive life-altering narrative based on the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus made a religious and political challenge by riding a donkey into Jerusalem. People flocked to see the parade. Some lined the streets with their cloaks, others waved palm branches, and many sang Hosanna. This parade created a commotion. But unfortunately, that Jerusalem crowd misunderstood the arrival of Jesus. Jesus wasn’t going to be the king they expected. They wanted Churchill, but they got Gandhi. Before it was over, some of those who cried “Hosanna” on Sunday were shouting, “Crucify him” on Friday.
I am lost. I am finished. My life is over. My luck has finally run out. I knew what the law was, I broke the law, and now I must pay. There are no more chances for me. I am out of appeals. There will be no last-minute legal maneuvering. There is no possibility of rescue or a miracle. This is the end. These thoughts may have gone through the mind of one of the criminals who was crucified with Jesus. But something caused the man to make an unreasonable request of Jesus. “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus’ response to this request was startling.
The Roman soldiers seek to humiliate Jesus. They anoint Him with a purple robe and their spit in a mock coronation. Yet at the end of the crucifixion, when Jesus dies on the cross, a Roman centurion says, “Truly this man was God’s son.” So what happened to that Roman soldier watching the crucifixion that changed his mind? We will explore the change in a message titled, “Journey to Easter: Distracted by Clothing.”
Have you ever suffered a betrayal? Typically, we experience betrayal by someone close to us. Maybe it’s a business partner. Perhaps it’s a friend, or it might even be a family member. It is somebody who knows us well, so it hurts deeply. Judas betrayed Jesus. Later Judas agonized over his betrayal. The agony was so great he took his own life. What might’ve happened to Judas if he had waited two days? What might’ve happened if he saw Jesus raised from the dead? We will explore this thought and others in this message.
Sometimes during the season of Lent, people will give up something. They might give up chocolate, caffeine, foul language, bad feelings, or something else that seems to be holding them back from spiritual growth. Sometimes these items are minor, and sometimes they are enormous sacrifices. In John 10:17-22, Jesus asked a man to give up something sacrificial. The man walks away, knowing he cannot do what Jesus requests. In some ways, we might feel sorry for the man. A lot has been asked of him. But if we are focusing on the sacrifice, maybe we have missed the offered opportunity.
We don’t know what’s going to happen next. At times the world seems crazy, and it looks like the wheels have come off, and life seems so uncertain. We may have uncertainty about our marriage, our family, our economy, our nation, our world, and our health. Uncertainty causes fear, a sense of powerlessness, or confusion about what to do next. So how do we live with uncertainty? In a message titled “A Meal in the Midst of Uncertainty,” we will look at how communion can help us understand how God strengthens us amid uncertainty.