Shortest Verse in the Bible
 
I remember growing up in a church youth group, a question that was often thrown around was “Do you know the shortest verse in the Bible?!”
 
I’m not sure if we were playing Bible trivia or if we genuinely thought there was some kind of spiritual clout that came with knowing this random fact (ha!), but nevertheless—it was a common question in my youth group.
 
We’d proudly respond “Jesus wept!”  and carry on with whatever youth group thing we were doing.  Good story—I know.
 
Although I knew these two words, it wasn’t until adulthood that I valued them.
 
Not surprisingly to any of you that know me, I cry pretty easily.  Growing up, I saw this as my greatest weakness.  It was embarrassing, humiliating, the list goes on…
 
But through a process of life events and learning to follow the example of Jesus Himself in John 11:35, I now see that crying is not something to be ashamed of.  We should not be led by our emotions, but we should allow emotions to pass through…especially when it is “rejoicing with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)
 
Jesus allowed His heart to be deeply moved to tears as He processed grief from a friend who had died – EVEN knowing that He was going to raise him from the dead!
 
We DO have the hope of Heaven….we DO see God’s hand at work in amazing ways in this broken world…..and yet none of that negates that it’s more than okay to let the tears flow sometimes….woman or man, young or old.  
 
Let’s allow our hearts to be moved with compassion for the people around you.  This compassion moves us to needed action, to truly represent the Light in this dark world.

Maria LeCrone | WOMEN'S PASTOR

Count the Cost

In Luke 14, Jesus is well into His earthly ministry and has done many amazing things.  Jesus brought a widow’s son back to life in the middle of his funeral.  He calmed a raging sea with the power of His words.  And He fed thousands of people with just a little bread and a couple of fish.  Everyone loved the miracles, the healing, and the free food, so Jesus was drawing a large following.

But at the end of Luke 14, Jesus shared some eye-opening words with His would-be followers:

Luke 14:28 – But don’t begin (to follow Me) until you count the cost.

These words undoubtedly caused people to pause and reconsider their commitment to following Jesus.  Without question, being a Jesus follower brings joy and fulfillment beyond words.  But Jesus wants us to be aware that as we follow Him, it is not always “miracles, healing, and free food.”  Sometimes, there is a cost.

There will be times when God’s way conflicts with our own desires.  There will be times when we will be called to sacrifice our time, efforts, and money.  And there may even be times when we must choose to put God ahead of our family and loved ones.  There will be times when following Jesus will cost us something.
 
Nevertheless, being a Jesus follower is always worth the cost!  Let’s commit to being faithful followers even when it may cost us something.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 – 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

James McKinzie | DISCIPLESHIP PASTOR

Perspective-Shifting

Luke chapter 6 and 7! Wow! These two chapters contain an abundance of biblical information and historical importance. Add that together with cultural groundbreaking events, and you have yourself one perspective-shifting read.

Starting in verse 12 of chapter 6, Jesus goes off to pray (which He does for all major events that happened or were about to happen in His life). When He returns, He chooses his twelve apostles. Now many of us refer to them as the twelve disciples, which isn’t technically wrong. Jesus had a surplus of followers, or disciples, but He specifically chose these twelve to be His messengers, or apostles. The coolest part is these men were just normal men, but when you mix all their unique talents, characteristics, personalities, and backgrounds, something remarkable happened. Churches today can learn a lot from their example and blend all our specific abilities for a greater purpose.

Jump to verse 20 in chapter 6 and you start reading Luke’s account of arguably one of the best-known messages from Jesus, “The Beatitudes.” Jesus had a tendency of flipping the script, and “The Beatitudes” are no different. Poor, hungry, crying, excluded, mocked, or cursed for what you believe? Don’t worry. Blessed! Great rewards await you in Heaven! Rich, prosperous, laughing, praised by the crowds? Sorry, but sorrow awaits. Jesus continues to blow people’s minds by teaching on loving your enemies, not judging, and building your lives on the solid foundation that is Jesus.

Then  we get to chapter 7, and a drastic turn of events happens in Luke’s account of the ministry of Jesus. Before Jesus had only dealt with Jews, but now He was including gentiles. In verses 1-10 you see this with the Roman officer. Jesus says in verse 9, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all of Israel!”. Talk about a profound statement! He is  talking to a Gentile, in front of Jews, in Israel! It just proves that no matter who you are, what you have done, or where you come from, when you put your faith in Jesus unbelievable things happen. This is another great example of how the church should be. Breaking through whatever “barrier” there might be, to reach the one who needs it.

Chapter 7 ends with such a powerful example of how we should act in honoring Jesus. This woman was vulnerable enough to admit she had failed many times in the past, and humble enough to place herself at Jesus’ feet. She then proceeds to give her all to One who gave it all for her. Accept that we have sinned. Put our faith in Jesus. Give Him all we have to offer. Hold on tight.

Hayden Poninski |YOUNG ADULT PASTOR 

Empty But Full
 
6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. -Mark 16:6 (ESV)
 
Usually we equate empty with bad. Empty pocket-book…bad. Empty pantry…definitely bad. But in this case, empty was actually good. The empty grave was full of hope. It was the fulfillment of the promise for the very reason which Christ came to earth: to save His people from their sins, that by His wounds we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5). And that by His Resurrection death and the grave would be swallowed up forever (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Revelation 1:17-18).

Jesus emptied Himself so that we could be filled (Philippians 2:7-8). My ESV Study Bible says it this way: “While He had every right to stay comfortably where He was, in a position of power, His love drove Him to a position of weakness for the sake of sinful mankind.”1 Jesus emptied Himself of His privilege in order to fill us with Holy Spirit power. The created has been invited into relationship with its divine Creator. Hallelujah! This is how we may now experience real life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).

The grave was empty in the sense that the body of Christ was not there, but it was full of the hope and the promise of eternal life. Thank you, Jesus!

Elisha Smith | MIDDLE SCHOOL PASTOR

1  (2011). ESV Study Bible. Crossway.

Help Me Overcome My Unbelief

Movies are a huge part of our culture today.  In fact, we can often quote lines from movies we haven’t even seen.  “Go ahead, make my day”. “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”.  “Frankly my dear, I don’t…”, well, you get the point.

There are some memorable lines in the Bible too.  Lines that stick in your mind for whatever reason. One of those for me is in Mark 9 when a father responds to Jesus. In verse 22, a man asks Jesus to heal his son.  He says, “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

“What do you mean ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

I think the reason this line is so memorable is because it applies to the very foundation of our faith.  This man wanted his son healed and he wanted to believe that Jesus could do it but up until this point, everyone who said they could help had failed.  This man couldn’t understand how Jesus could succeed where others could not.  It was hard for him to believe because he didn’t understand.

For us, God is so great, so powerful, so loving, it’s hard for our minds to comprehend it.  We don’t understand how God could succeed where others could not.  It’s not that we don’t want to believe, it’s just difficult for our minds to grasp what He is capable of.

That we were created by an all-powerful creator, and we are not here by accident…I do believe but help me overcome my unbelief!

That there is a God who loves us and cares for us…I do believe but help me overcome my unbelief!

And that this same God thinks I am worth dying for…I do believe but help me overcome my unbelief!

Jesus didn’t rebuke this man, he didn’t shame him, or turn him away when he asked for help.  Instead, Jesus listened to him and healed his son.  He won’t turn you away either.  Don’t be afraid to cry out, “I do believe but help me overcome my unbelief”.

Bryan Springvloed | EXECUTIVE PASTOR
 

Just As He Said Would Happen
 
When the two Mary’s went to visit the tomb where Jesus had been buried, they were in for more of an eventful day than they could have imagined.  An incredible earthquake takes place.  An angel of the Lord comes down from Heaven right before their eyes, rolls back the stone that covered the tomb, and the guards faint at the sight of it all.  The angel attempts to calm the women by saying, “Don’t be afraid!  I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen…” (Matthew 28:5-6)
 
What a day.  Life is full of adventures…some we would choose a million times over, and others we would never wish on our worst enemy. 
 
In this temporary place where we are often thrown curveballs, it is imperative that we cling to God’s PROMISES.  I’m not talking about things you think you might have heard Him say--I’m talking about every single promise that is found in the inerrant Word of God – the Bible!  To those promises we can confidently declare that they, too, will hold true “just as He said.”
 
The biggest miracle that could ever take place was Jesus conquering our sin and death forever – This has already happened!  Jesus IS who He says He is and He will do what He has promised!
 
As we wait for Jesus’ second return, speak these promises over your life:
 
NOTHING can separate me from God’s love! (Romans 8:38)
 
ALL things are working together for my good and God’s glory! (Romans 8:28)
 
God’s power is made PERFECT in my weakness! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
 
God is with me ALWAYS! (Matthew 28:20)
 
May we live with boldness, sharing this good news with people God has placed in our path in this desperate world.

Because one day soon, EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess Jesus IS Lord! “Just as He said would happen..”

Maria LeCrone | WOMEN'S PASTOR

If You Ain’t First You’re Last….Or Are You?

“If you ain’t first you’re last.” The eloquent words of Ricky Bobby. I have quoted this myself countless times when beating my kids in any sort of competition. Unfortunately for Ricky and myself, Jesus had very different thoughts on this. Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 20:24-28.

24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In a southern Ricky-Bobby-like accent Jesus is responding, “If you wanna be first then you gotta be last!”

I really hope you just read that in your best Ricky Bobby voice.

Here are a couple things that stand out to me from this section:

• The other ten disciples mistakenly thought that a unique honor had just been given to James and John. They did not know that Jesus could have made the same promise of suffering to come to any of them if they really wanted it!
• Their desire for position and status showed they did not yet know the nature of Jesus in respect to leadership and power. The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, but it should be different among the people of God.
• In the Kingdom Community, status, money, and popularity should never be the prerequisites for leadership. Humble service is the great prerequisite, as shown by Jesus’ own ministry.
• We often put our focus on how things, specifically church, will serve us and our wants. Jesus reminds us that we are here to give not to receive.
  
  

Charles Spurgeon sums up this section of scripture well. “He received nothing from others; His was a life of giving, and the giving of a life…No service is greater than to redeem sinners by His own death, no ministry is lowlier than to die in the stead of sinners.”

So today be LAST in the world’s view but be FIRST in the KINGDOM’S view.

Eric Lyday | CREATIVE ARTS PASTOR

The Kingdom of heaven is like…

Matthew chapter 13 is full of parables that Jesus used to teach the crowds of people that followed Him.  Jesus taught heavenly principles using illustrations that would be understandable and relatable to His audience at the time, but he also instructed the disciples in the deeper meanings of His teachings when they were behind closed doors.

He told the disciples in Matthew 13: 16-17, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

As Jesus explained the kingdom of heaven, the disciples were challenged to even greater levels of understanding.  As we read Matthew 13, let’s be mindful that Jesus has revealed so much knowledge to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s look at how Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13.

The Kingdom of heaven is like…

Good soil. Vs. 23, “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.

A man who sowed good seed in his field. vs. 37, “The one who sowed good seed is the Son of Man.” Vs. 43, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

A Hidden treasure, or fine pearls. Vs. 44 & 45

A net that contains all kinds of fish that will be separated. vs. 49, “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.”
Those who hear the word and produce good fruit, those who are righteous, will shine like the sun. I pray that as we walk in heavenly purpose, with the kingdom in mind, that we would be in awe of the treasure that is knowing Jesus Christ. We are BLESSED to hear and to see!

Phoebe Ile | CHILDREN'S PASTOR

"Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for Him."

Here we go! We're going to spend the next 40 days walking through the Gospels, together. Together, we'll journey with Jesus our Savior and King. We'll hear his life-changing lessons, witness His astounding miracles unfold, and my prayer - grow in our relationship with God with each chapter and each day.

The Gospel of Matthew is written by Matthew (also known as Lei). Before Jesus called him to be one of the twelve apostles, he was a tax collector. The book he writes was written at a time in which early Christians were struggling to make sense of the relationship of their new beliefs to the Jewish faith. Like Matthew, the Jewish people were one way and now here comes Jesus calling them to a brand new way - The Way. And, that's the purpose behind his gospel record - to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah and to help new Christians understand how to walk alongside each other.

After reading of Jesus' own ancestry and His birth, we come to chapter three. Jesus' cousin, John the Baptizer, was out in the wilderness preaching and getting people ready to experience the coming Messiah. Matthew throws down some more history by going to Isaiah 40:3:

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!’"

John's mission on earth was to get everyone ready to come into relationship with God's Son, God's Anointed, God's Messenger. John was to prepare. And, preparation is hard work. To be the one who prepares the way for someone else's travel but doesn't get to go down that road, well, that is even tougher. To live all your life so someone else can find the spotlight is toughest of all. But to lose your life in John's cause goes beyond words. John spent his life for one purpose: to prepare people to know Jesus as God's Son, the Christ. Can OUR purpose in life be any less?

What would happen if we decided to begin each day with the commitment that we would live, talk, act, and care for people with the overwhelming purpose that their hearts become prepared to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? So let's find out, together. Let's commit to this 40 day challenge and commit to making relationships matter, so we can prepare people for the relationship that matters most.

Jared LeCrone | COMMUNICATIONS PASTOR