Archives: Messages

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

Matthew 28:1-4
New International Version (NIV)

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)

“Jesus is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew 28:8-10 (NIV)

Prior to Easter, our plans for life were essentially to gather up as many good days as possible before we returned to the grave. The problem with that plan, though, was that it wasn’t life. It was just the postponement of death. Since Easter, death has been removed as the ending of our story. Now it is just another chapter, and it is certainly not the last one. This means our future is open-ended.

M. Craig Barnes, An Extravagant Mercy, p. 189

Matthew 26:17-29- The Last Supper

Matthew 26:31-35 – Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Mark 14:32-41 – Gethsemane

Luke 22:47-53- Jesus Arrested

Luke 22:54-62 – Peter Denies Jesus

John 18:28-38 – Jesus Before Pilate

Matthew 27:15-26 – Choosing Barabbas & Shouting “Crucify!”

Matthew 27:27-31 – The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Matthew 27:32-44 – The Crucifixion of Jesus

Matthew 27:45-56 – The Death of Jesus

Matthew 27:57-61 – The Burial of Jesus

*Verse phrases were from the hymn “Were You There”

As they [Jesus and the disciples] approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet [Old Testament prophet Zechariah]:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew 21:1-11
New International Version (NIV)

“‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”

Matthew 21:13 (NIV)

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Matthew 16:21 (NIV)

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 17:22-23 (NIV)

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

Matthew 20:17-19 (NIV)

It [love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,

1 Corinthians 13:5a (NIV)

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Matthew 26:1-5 (NIV)

He said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace and be freed
from your suffering.”

Mark 5:34 New International Version (NIV)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of
gold you have set up.”

DANIEL 3: 16-18 (NIV)

Believe in God’s Power

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

Pray with Faith

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Trust God No Matter What

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

We love because
he first loved us.

1 John 4:19 (NIV)

 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a New International Version (NIV)

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Not being able to think about it anymore

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged,
‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him
[one days worth of wages]. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 18:23-35 (NIV)

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him-work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.

Matthew 18:15-17 THE MESSAGE (MSG)

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ephesians 4:25-27 (NIV)

Those with good sense are slow to anger,
and it is their glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 19:11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

“I [God], even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.”

Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his [God’s] love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV)

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah….
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NIV)

 

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 New International Version (NIV)

1. People should not be forgiven until they ask for it. 
2. Forgiveness includes minimizing the offense and the pain that it caused.
3. Forgiveness includes restoring trust and reuniting a relationship.
4. You haven’t really forgiven until you’ve forgotten the offense. 
5. When I see someone else hurt, then it is my duty to forgive the offender.

Forgiveness is NOT conditional.
Forgiveness is NOT minimizing the seriousness of the offense.
Forgiveness is NOT resuming a relationship without changes.
Forgiveness is NOT forgetting what happened.
Forgiveness is NOT my right when I wasn’t the one who was hurt.

Then Peter came to him and asked,
“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

Matthew 18:21 New Living Translation (NLT)

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”

Matthew 18:22 (NLT)

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone.
If you’ve got it in you, get along
with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do.
“I’ll do the judging,” says God.
“I’ll take care of it.

Romans 12:17-19 THE MESSAGE (MSG)

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it,
do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never – I promise – regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

Luke 6:31-36 (MSG)

 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:7-8 New International Version (NIV)

GOD IS LOVE!

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, 
and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. 
But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears 
is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:16b-18 (NIV)

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day – our standing in the world is
identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling,
a fearful life – fear of death, fear of judgment –
is one not yet fully formed in love.

1 John 4:17-18 The Message (MSG)

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7
New King James Version (NKJV)