7 ARTICLESGOCarry the life of Jesus into the places you already live and work.Explore the series ↓Hide articles ↑
GO
The last sermon in Remain ended with a call to go. This series picks up there and asks what actually happens when the life we share with Jesus goes with us into the world. Over seven sermons, Pastor Daniel Kolson follows Jesus through the good news He announced, the people He noticed, the power He shared, and the disciples He sent. GO is an invitation to practice those things in the places we already live and work.
7 ARTICLESRemainLearn to stay close to Jesus and live from the life you receive in Him.Explore the series ↓Hide articles ↑
Remain
Jesus invited people to come to Him, and He taught His friends to stay. Remain follows that invitation into prayer, solitude, Scripture, hearing God, and the slow work of becoming like Jesus. The series ends with a sending. The life we receive while we are with Him is the life we carry back into the world.
7 ARTICLESJesus UnfilteredMeet Jesus in the Gospels and reckon with what it means to follow Him.Explore the series ↓Hide articles ↑
Jesus Unfiltered
In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples who they say He is. The question runs through this series. The Gospels introduce a Jesus who announces a kingdom, loves people enough to challenge them, welcomes them into a family, and calls them to follow Him with their whole lives. These sermons look at the expectations that can keep us from seeing Him clearly.
5 ARTICLESNew Year, New YouBring old patterns into the light and practice the freedom Jesus gives.Explore the series ↓Hide articles ↑
New Year, New You
A new calendar gives us a reason to pause. The deeper question is what voice we will live from when our circumstances and habits are familiar. This series begins in the garden with God's question to Adam. It moves through truth, forgiveness, surrender, and patterns that have held us, then asks how people who have received freedom can carry it to others.
When Peter was invited into the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, he had to explain the gospel to people whose lives were very different from his own. He spoke about Jesus bringing peace, doing good, and healing people who were oppressed. He told them that Jesus had been killed and that God had raised Him. At the center of it all was a claim about who holds authority. Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
There is a difference between announcing what has happened and giving someone a set of instructions. Advice begins with something we can do. News begins with something that has already happened. The Christian life has plenty of things to practice, as Remain made clear. But before Jesus asks us to follow Him, He gives us news that makes following Him possible.
The kingdom has come near
In Mark 1:14-15, Jesus announces that the time has come and that God's kingdom has drawn near. He calls people to repent and believe the good news. The order matters. Something has changed because Jesus has arrived. Repentance is how we turn toward that reality. It means rethinking what we have trusted, where we are headed, and who has the right to lead us. Believing means putting our weight on the King who has come near.
The kingdom is God's reign. When Jesus teaches His disciples to pray for the Father's will to be done on earth as in heaven, He gives them language for what His reign looks like here. Think about the difference between asking God to help you win an argument and asking how His will might be done in the conversation. The second prayer opens possibilities you might have missed. You might listen longer, tell the truth more clearly, or be the first one to seek peace.
Look at what the King does
In Luke 4, Jesus stood in the synagogue in Nazareth and read Isaiah's words about good news for the poor, freedom for captives, and recovery of sight. The passage recalls the Jubilee in Leviticus 25, when people who had lost land or freedom could receive a fresh start. The congregation heard a familiar passage. What they had to reckon with was Jesus' claim that its fulfillment was happening in front of them.
That claim helps make sense of Peter's sermon. Peter can speak about Jesus' good deeds, His death, and His resurrection in the same breath because they all belong to the same story. Watch who Jesus touches and who He welcomes, and you start to see what kind of King He is. Look at the cross and resurrection, and you see how far He goes to deal with sin and make peace. The gospel reaches a person's future, but it also reaches the way we live in a household, spend money, and respond to our neighbors today.
What news are you carrying?
Suppose someone asks why you follow Jesus. You might want to explain what your church does or describe a habit that helps you. Those can be part of the answer. Try starting with something Jesus has done and what it means to you. You might speak of forgiveness you received, peace you could never manufacture, or a place where Jesus changed what you thought was possible. You can tell the truth plainly and leave room for their questions.
The good news crosses a threshold Peter was not speaking to a room he would normally have entered. The events leading to his visit in Acts 10 had challenged his own assumptions about whom God welcomed. Before he told Cornelius the news, he had to let the news change where he was willing to go. His first lesson in that house was about God's impartiality. The person bringing the message was still being changed by it.
There is a way to talk about the kingdom as though our own plans, friendships, and preferences have already been settled. Peter's visit leaves that assumption open to question. Who would you have to listen to if you took seriously that Jesus is Lord of all? The answer might take you across a threshold as ordinary as a neighbor's front door.
Reflect and respond
Read Acts 10:34-43 and Mark 1:14-15. Say in two or three sentences what happened through Jesus and why it matters to you. Think of one place where trusting Jesus as King could change a decision you make this week.
Peter's description of Jesus in Acts 10 includes a simple observation. Jesus went around doing good. The Gospels show what that looked like in real time. People were moving along with their lives, and Jesus saw someone everyone else had learned to pass by. He let what He saw change what He did next.
In Matthew 9, Jesus sees crowds who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Compassion begins with seeing more than the crowd. Jesus recognizes people who are worn down and in need of care. That kind of attention can be hard to give when we have somewhere to be. Someone's pain can become part of the scenery, especially when it is familiar or when we have never had to carry anything like it ourselves.
Pay attention to who Jesus moves toward
In Mark 1, a man with leprosy asks Jesus whether He is willing to make him clean. Jesus reaches out and touches him. Imagine what the touch itself meant to a person people had learned to keep at a distance. In Luke 19, Jesus sees Zacchaeus up in a tree and invites Himself to his house. Eating with him draws criticism. Yet that welcome makes room for Zacchaeus to face the way he has treated people and make restitution. Compassion can reach someone others fear and someone others resent. It gives us a way to see the person without overlooking the truth.
The Good Samaritan makes the cost of that attention plain. The Samaritan stops, tends the injured traveler, takes him somewhere safe, and pays for his care. He cannot do it without changing his plans. Jesus turns the original question around. The important thing is how we become a neighbor to the person who needs one. Compassion becomes visible when it costs us some time, convenience, money, or attention.
Ask God to change what you want
Pastor Daniel describes going out to pray for people after he came to faith. He had read about what God did through ordinary believers in Acts and wanted to see whether the same thing could happen. When nobody came with him, he went by himself. Looking back, he can see both faith and a desire to know whether God would use him. The turning point was a different prayer. He began asking God to help him love people the way God loves them.
That change matters because it affects what happens when the encounter is ordinary. You may offer to pray and hear a polite no. You may listen to a long story and leave with very little to report. If the person was the reason you stopped, their response never needed to prove something about you. You can respect what they want, help where you can, and leave them with the dignity you would want for yourself.
In Matthew 25, Jesus identifies Himself with people who are hungry, thirsty, isolated, and in need of care. You can begin by asking who is already close enough for you to notice. There might be a person at work who is quietly overwhelmed, a family that could use a meal, or a neighbor whose name you have never learned. Start with an ordinary question and give the person time to answer it.
Let the person tell you what help looks like The Samaritan responds to what is in front of him. He sees an injury that needs tending, an unsafe place to leave someone, and a practical cost that can be shared. When a person's needs are less obvious, slowing down to ask can be its own kind of care. You may be ready to solve a problem when what they are asking for is company, or you may find out they need a meal more than a long conversation.
Pastor Daniel's change of prayer is worth borrowing. Ask God for love before you ask for an outcome. You can pray that way while you get ready for work or on your way to visit somebody. It will help you notice what the person actually says when you arrive.
Reflect and respond
Read Luke 10:25-37. Think of one person you tend to hurry past. Ask God to help you see them, and make one concrete change to your plans this week so you have time to listen or help.
When Peter tells the story of Jesus in Acts 10, he describes a life of goodness and power. Last week we looked at the way Jesus moved toward people in compassion. This week we look at what happened when He met people in places they could do very little to change on their own. The Gospels describe Jesus teaching and announcing the kingdom, and they show people experiencing signs of that kingdom in their lives.
Jesus demonstrated what He announced
Matthew 4:23 describes teaching, proclaiming, and healing together. In Luke 11, Jesus connects His authority over evil to the arrival of God's kingdom. Those moments help people see the reality He has been describing. They also matter to the person standing in front of Him. A person who has carried a burden for years encounters someone willing to stop and respond. It is possible to talk about signs and forget to see the person. Jesus brings the announcement and the compassion together.
Then He sends other people to participate. In Luke 9, He gives the Twelve authority and sends them out to proclaim the kingdom and heal. In Luke 10, a wider group is sent ahead of Him. They are to go into towns, receive hospitality, care for people, and tell them the kingdom has come near. These disciples are still learning. Their ability to serve depends on the One who sends them.
Power for witnesses
Before Jesus ascends, He tells the disciples to wait for the Spirit. In Acts 1:8, the power He promises has a purpose. They are to become witnesses. Acts follows that witness outward as people preach, pray, and care for others in places the first disciples could hardly have imagined. Paul later asks the Galatians whether God works among them because they have achieved something or because they received the message in faith. Dependence on God runs through the whole story.
Pastor Daniel encourages us to keep an honest place for the prayers whose outcome we cannot explain. There are times we pray and see an answer that surprises us. There are times when someone still hurts after we pray. We can refuse to put that weight on the person who asked for prayer. We can listen to what they report, keep caring for them, and resist the urge to supply a reason for what we do not understand.
Begin with the person in front of you
Suppose a friend tells you they are nervous about an upcoming procedure. You could ask if they would like you to pray with them now. If they agree, there is no need to change your voice or fill the room with words. You can ask Jesus for help, peace, and healing, and then be present to your friend. You can also follow up later. The fact that you prayed is one part of the way you care for them.
Starting close to home takes away the idea that you need a ministry title or a dramatic setting before you can pray. You may feel awkward the first time you offer. It helps to remember that a short, kind invitation leaves the other person free to answer honestly. If they decline, you can still listen and help. If you pray and nothing changes that you can see, the person has still been treated with love.
Keep the good news and the good of the person together The people Jesus sends in Luke 10 enter homes as guests. They receive what is offered before they announce what they have come to share. There is humility in needing a place at somebody else's table. Ministry can begin when we are willing to receive hospitality, listen to what people tell us about their lives, and respect the limits they place on the conversation.
That can change the way we follow up after prayer. Ask what the person experienced and give them room to say it in their own words. If they are still in pain, you can offer support and continue to care. If they are grateful, receive the moment with them. Their freedom to tell the truth matters more than giving the encounter a satisfying ending.
Reflect and respond
Read Luke 10:1-9 and Acts 1:8. Think of one person you can care for this week. Ask if they would welcome prayer, pray simply if they do, and stay attentive to what practical help they might need afterward.
Philip invited his skeptical friend Nathanael to come and see Jesus. In John 1, the conversation takes a turn when Jesus says He saw Nathanael under the fig tree before Philip called him. John gives us very little information about what took place under that tree. What we know is that the words meant something to Nathanael. The man Philip had invited with a simple request was now responding to Jesus for himself.
Pastor Daniel uses that story to introduce prophetic evangelism, the practice of listening for something God might want to communicate to a person who does not yet know Him. The phrase can sound complicated. At its best, the practice is an expression of attentive love. You are listening to the person in front of you, paying attention to God in prayer, and willing to share an impression with humility if it could encourage them.
Jesus starts with a conversation
Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman begins with a request for a drink. The place matters. A Jewish man speaking with a Samaritan woman at a well was crossing boundaries both people understood. They speak about water, then about her life and worship. Jesus names details He knows about her, and she sees that she is speaking with a prophet. She goes back into town and invites other people to meet Him. John says many begin to believe because of her testimony.
Notice what happens when Jesus shows He knows her. She stays in the conversation. She asks questions about worship. Eventually she finds her own words for what happened and brings other people to Him. The encounter opens a door. It is worth asking whether the way we speak to someone makes it easier for them to step through a door or leaves them feeling exposed.
Speak with humility and leave room for an answer
Paul says prophecy is for strengthening, encouragement, and consolation. He also says we know and prophesy in part. Together those passages offer practical guardrails. If you sense something encouraging for someone, you can share it without putting the weight of divine authority on your own impression. You can ask if they are comfortable hearing it. Then say it simply and let them tell you whether it makes sense. A gracious response to a no shows that you meant it when you invited them to answer honestly.
The sermon urges us to stay away from using impressions to correct strangers or predict trouble. Start with kindness and ordinary conversation. Learn a name and ask a real question. If you feel the urge to keep talking because the other person has not reacted the way you hoped, pause. The person does not owe you a dramatic response. A brief word of encouragement can be enough for the moment.
One name and one prayer
Think of somebody you already encounter in ordinary life. You can pray for them by name and ask God to help you notice what would encourage them. Sometimes you may sense a Scripture or a thought worth sharing. Sometimes you will simply remember to ask how they are doing and give them time to answer. Either way, attention to the person comes before any story you might tell about the encounter afterward.
Let the invitation be enough Philip's invitation to Nathanael is unusually simple. He gives his friend a chance to meet Jesus. Nathanael brings a skeptical question with him, and the invitation still stands. We can learn from that restraint when we feel we have something to share. A person may respond right away or may need time to think about it. There is room for both.
If you want to practice with someone you already know, ask whether they would welcome an encouraging thought. Share it briefly and wait. If they say it does not fit, thank them for telling you. You can stay in the relationship without needing to defend the impression. Sometimes the most trustworthy thing we can offer is our willingness to listen to the answer.
Reflect and respond
Read John 4:7-30 and 1 Corinthians 14:3. Ask God to help you encourage one person this week. If you share an impression, leave them free to receive it, question it, or let it go.
What did Jesus leave behind when He returned to the Father? Think of the people who had been with Him. They had heard Him teach and watched Him respond to interruptions. They had seen Him pray, welcome people, challenge hypocrisy, and deal with the way they misunderstood Him. Over time, these disciples learned to carry His way of life into places He was sending them.
Mark 3 says Jesus appointed the Twelve to be with Him and to be sent out. Those two parts belong together. Being with Jesus came first. When the disciples went, they were carrying what they had seen and received from Him. They also brought their questions and mistakes back to Him. Jesus gave them opportunities to try what they were learning while there was still room to ask for help.
Teach people to practice what Jesus taught
In Matthew 28, Jesus tells His disciples to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey what He commanded. Teaching someone to put words into practice asks something different of us than teaching them to repeat what we said. If someone asks how to pray for a friend, you can explain it. You can also let them come with you, show them how you ask permission, and give them room to try. Then you can talk together about what happened and what felt awkward. The conversation afterward may be the part they remember next time.
Paul writes to Timothy about entrusting what he has heard to faithful people who will be able to teach others. That is a picture of multiplication. A person receives something that can be passed along. The hope is that they will grow confident enough to take responsibility for sharing it, even in a different place and with people you may never meet.
Make room in your actual life
The earliest believers devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. You could practice that around a table. Invite someone over, read a passage together, and ask what they notice. Talk about one thing each of you might do in response. When you meet again, make room for an honest conversation about how it went. You can offer encouragement and help without turning it into a performance review.
This also asks us to let people see more than the parts of our lives we are proud of. Someone who watches you acknowledge a mistake or ask for prayer learns what to do when their own life gets complicated. You do not have to be able to answer every question. You can read together, tell the truth about what you know, and learn from each other. The person with you may already have something to teach you.
One person and one next step
A disciple-making relationship can begin on a Saturday morning, in a truck on the way to serve, or at a regular meal. Look for a person you could invite along to something you already do. Give them a chance to participate. In time, let them lead something small and encourage them to bring someone else. You will learn when to stay close and when to make room for them to take the next step.
Give people room to learn by doing Jesus' followers made mistakes while they were learning. In Luke 9, the disciples struggle with a situation Jesus later addresses. The episode can remind us that someone can have a real place in the work and still need help. When you invite a person to try something, give them the kind of room you would have wanted when you first tried it.
You can begin by doing a small part together. Let them take the lead next time and give them honest feedback about what helped. If something went badly, talk through it without taking the responsibility away from them. A shared mistake can teach a person how to ask for help and return to the work. Those are habits they can pass along.
Reflect and respond
Read Mark 3:13-15 and 2 Timothy 2:1-2. Name one person you can bring into an ordinary part of your life with Jesus. Make a specific invitation this week, and leave enough time afterward to talk about what you learned together.
Jesus told His disciples what the road could cost them. In Matthew 10, He says they are being sent like sheep among wolves and tells them to be wise and innocent. He was preparing them for a real world, where following Him would sometimes put them at odds with people whose approval mattered. There was room for wisdom. There would also be times when no amount of planning could make obedience comfortable.
In John 17, Jesus prays for the disciples before His arrest. He asks the Father to protect them from evil and speaks of sending them into the world. He knows the world is where their witness has to take place. It is also where people they love live. A disciple who never takes the risk of getting close will have a hard time bringing the presence of Jesus into someone else's trouble.
Peace comes before the sending
After the resurrection, Jesus comes to disciples who are behind a locked door. In John 20, He greets them with peace and shows them His wounds. Then He tells them He is sending them as the Father sent Him. The One giving them the assignment knows what it costs. His peace is the first thing He gives them.
That order helps when an invitation feels frightening. You can stop and remember that you already belong to Jesus. The conversation you have been putting off or the prayer you are afraid to offer does not determine your standing with Him. You can act from the peace He gives you and leave the other person free to respond. Courage becomes a way to love someone even when you cannot predict how it will go.
Treasure in fragile hands
Paul describes the treasure of the gospel being carried in jars of clay. A clay jar can crack. That image gives us permission to face our weakness honestly. You might speak with a shaking voice. You might pray for somebody and feel like the prayer came out clumsily. You can be fully dependent on God in the middle of that. Sometimes the humility of the person offering help is part of what allows someone else to receive it.
The risks most of us face in a week can look ordinary. You might need to be the first to apologize, make time for someone who is hard to be around, or say what you believe when doing so makes a conversation less comfortable. It helps to ask what love requires in that particular moment. The answer may involve speaking up. It may mean slowing down and hearing a person out when your first impulse is to leave.
One risk this week
Pastor Daniel asks us to think of one concrete step. It could be the conversation you keep postponing or an act of generosity you have been weighing. Pray about it. Give the step a time and a place if you can. When the time comes, remember how Jesus greeted the disciples before He sent them. You can go with peace even while you feel the uncertainty.
Count the cost honestly In Luke 14, Jesus compares a decision about following Him to starting a building project. Someone who intends to build a tower should consider what it will take to finish it. That is a generous thing to tell a crowd. It allows them to see the road clearly before they begin. Following Him can cost time, approval, and a measure of comfort. We can admit that cost without letting it make the decision for us.
It can help to be precise about what you are afraid to lose. If you are facing an honest conversation, is it the friendship you are afraid of losing, or the freedom to avoid an uncomfortable subject? Once you can name it, bring it to Jesus and ask for the kind of wisdom that can act with both care and courage.
Reflect and respond
Read John 17:15-18 and John 20:19-22. Where have you been waiting for a guarantee before taking a faithful step? Ask Jesus to help you name what love looks like there, then take one step this week.
At the end of a series called GO, it might seem strange to look at a moment when Jesus told His followers to wait. Yet that is where Acts begins. The disciples have heard His teaching and seen Him risen. They have plenty of reason to speak. Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Father's promise. Before they take the good news outward, they are to receive the Holy Spirit.
They ask Jesus when He will restore the kingdom to Israel. He puts the timing in the Father's hands and tells them how they will be equipped. The Spirit will come upon them, and they will be His witnesses. Their reach will grow from Jerusalem outward. The first thing they are given is a promise that God will supply what they need for the work.
The Spirit comes in different ways
Acts shows the Spirit coming to people in several settings. At Pentecost, the disciples are gathered together and God acts without anyone laying hands on them. In Samaria, Peter and John pray and lay hands on believers. Ananias goes to Saul and lays hands on him. In Cornelius's home, the Spirit comes while Peter is still speaking, before the household is baptized in water.
Putting those stories side by side helps us receive the point of the sermon. We can ask in faith, and we can pray with others. God remains free to work in different ways. What happened to somebody else may encourage you, but their experience gives you no reason to put on a performance. You can ask the Father to give you what you need to follow Jesus faithfully.
Gifts are given to strengthen people
Paul tells the Roman believers he longs to see them and share a spiritual gift to strengthen them. He immediately speaks of being encouraged by each other's faith. That is a helpful way to understand impartation. A gift from God can be shared through prayer and encouragement, and what follows can strengthen a whole church. Paul expects to receive encouragement from the people he is going to serve.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul names a variety of gifts, including wisdom, faith, healing, prophecy, and discernment. Their variety matters. A church needs people who can pray with faith and people who can offer wise counsel. It needs people who can speak encouragement and people who know when to listen. Whatever gift a person receives, there is a community to build up and a world to serve.
Receive with the person you're sent to in mind
Think about someone you hope to serve when you leave church this week. You may need courage to have a conversation, patience to listen, or faith to offer prayer. Bring that person to mind when you ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. If you would like others to pray with you, ask people you trust. Give yourself room to receive prayer quietly. You can look for the fruit in the days that follow as you take the step you have been given.
Pay attention to what the gifts are for In Acts 2, the sound draws a crowd and people hear the disciples speaking in languages they know. Peter speaks about Jesus, and people respond. The Spirit's coming reaches beyond the room where the disciples had been waiting. It gives other people a chance to hear and respond for themselves.
This is a way to think about what you hope to receive when people pray for you. If you ask for courage, think of the person you have been afraid to approach. If you ask for wisdom, think of the situation where somebody needs a patient answer. The gift can become visible in the ordinary moment when you take responsibility for loving the person in front of you.
Reflect and respond
Read Acts 1:4-8 and Romans 1:8-12. Ask the Holy Spirit for one gift or kind of help that would strengthen somebody else through you. Then think about where you can make yourself available to serve that person this week.
When two disciples begin following Jesus in John 1, they ask where He is staying. Jesus invites them to come and see. They spend the day with Him. We are given almost nothing about what happened that afternoon, and the invitation is still easy to picture. These two people could learn where Jesus lived by walking there with Him. They could learn who He was by staying long enough to be in His company.
Learn from the One who invites you
Matthew 11 gives the invitation a different setting. Jesus calls people who are tired and carrying heavy loads. He offers rest and asks them to take His yoke and learn from Him. A yoke is an image of work and direction. The One who gives rest also shows us a different way to carry our lives. His gentleness makes Him someone a tired person can approach and learn from.
Pastor Daniel draws on Dallas Willard's distinction between trying and training. Imagine someone who wants to play an instrument. Trying harder in front of an audience can make a person tense. Regular practice gives their hands a way to find the notes. Apprenticeship to Jesus also involves a way of spending our days. The habits we practice with Him give us somewhere to turn when an argument, a disappointment, or a demand catches us off guard.
Give Him ordinary time
Jesus withdrew to pray even as crowds grew. Luke 5 puts the demand for His attention next to His habit of withdrawing. The people who needed Him mattered, and the time He spent with the Father belonged to the way He loved them. If every empty moment in our lives gets filled by our phones or another task, we may barely notice the people and worries we are carrying. A few quiet minutes with Jesus can give us space to name those things before we react to them.
In John 15, Jesus describes Himself as the vine and His followers as branches. A branch lives because of its connection to the vine. In John 14, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will be with His followers and in them. We can start the practice of remaining by giving Him a small part of a real day. Sit with a Gospel passage before checking your messages. Take a walk without filling the silence. Tell Jesus what you actually feel and give yourself time to listen. You may find that the next time you are hurried, you remember that you can turn toward Him again.
Begin where you are
You may already have a steady rhythm of prayer, or you may feel you have forgotten how to pray. The two disciples in John started by asking a question and accepting an invitation. That is a place to begin. Think of a time you can give Him this week, and choose a setting where you can give Him your attention. If you become distracted, notice what pulled you away and return to Him. Returning is part of learning to stay.
Learn to come back A demanding afternoon can reveal what we understand about the invitation. You may have prayed that morning and still find yourself anxious by lunchtime. The invitation remains open in the middle of the day. You can stop briefly, remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 11, and bring Him what is weighing on you now.
The Spirit Jesus promises in John 14 is given to remain with His followers. That promise gives us a reason to turn toward Him in places where we would not usually think to pray. Standing at a sink or walking between meetings can become a real moment of apprenticeship. Try asking Jesus what kind of attention He would give to the next person you are going to meet. Then pay attention to what happens when you see them.
Reflect and respond
Read John 1:35-39 and Matthew 11:28-30. What are you carrying that you would like to bring to Jesus? Give Him ten unhurried minutes this week and begin by telling Him what it is.
On the night before His death, Jesus gives His friends an image they can carry into an uncertain future. He is the vine, they are the branches, and the Father is the gardener. In John 15, Jesus uses a word that can mean remain, stay, or abide. He is describing a life that receives its strength through continuing connection to Him.
A branch can receive what it cannot make
A branch does real work. Leaves grow and fruit forms. Yet a branch cannot create the life that makes fruit possible. Think of the pressure you may feel to manufacture patience when you are already running on very little. You can try to hide your irritation for a while. In the moment you notice it, you can also turn to Jesus, tell Him where you are, and receive help before you speak. The turn may take only a few seconds. It changes where you are drawing from.
Jesus brings His words and His love into the same picture. In John 15:9, He says He has loved the disciples as the Father has loved Him, and He invites them to remain in that love. Obedience belongs within that relationship. You can let a difficult command become a place to ask what Jesus loves and why He is leading you there. It is easier to stay in that conversation when you trust that the One speaking already loves you.
The gardener tends what is growing
Jesus says the gardener prunes branches that bear fruit. The image is tender and uncomfortable at the same time. A gardener sees what a branch could become and makes room for its growth. Sometimes we become aware of a pattern that once helped us get through the day but now takes energy from our relationships. The habit of filling every free moment might have helped us avoid worry. In time, it may also keep us from giving attention to God or the people near us. We can ask Him what it might look like to let some of it go.
People can face loss or pain for many reasons. The image of the gardener gives us a way to stay close to Jesus through change, even when we have little ability to explain what is happening. A friend or mentor may help us see what is ours to release and what grief simply needs to be carried with patience.
Let abiding enter an ordinary day
Try noticing the transitions you already have. Before walking into a meeting, pause for a breath and ask Jesus for wisdom. On the way home, tell Him one thing that happened and how you are carrying it. When you read Scripture, stay with one line long enough to remember it later. The point of these small returns is the relationship they make room for. You may begin to find that prayer has a place in the middle of a difficult afternoon as well as at the start of a quiet morning.
Let His words stay with you Jesus speaks of His words remaining in the disciples. That gives us a way to use Scripture beyond finishing a reading plan. Read a short passage and give yourself a few moments to remember it. Let a phrase come back to you at different points in the day. You may notice that the same words land differently when you are waiting, disappointed, or tempted to rush.
Jesus also tells His friends why He is speaking this way. He wants His joy to be in them. That is an important detail on the night before the cross. Remaining in His love makes room for a joy we can receive while circumstances are uncertain. Ask what that would mean in one situation where you have been waiting for everything to settle before you can rest.
Reflect and respond
Read John 15:1-11. Where are you trying to produce something by yourself? Choose one ordinary transition this week and use it to remember that Jesus invites you to remain in His love.
In Mark 1, people crowd around a house after seeing what Jesus can do. Early the next morning He leaves for a solitary place and prays. The disciples find Him and tell Him everyone is looking for Him. Jesus responds by saying they will go on to the nearby towns so He can preach there too. Prayer sits between the pressure of the crowd and the next step Jesus takes.
A place quiet enough to listen
The word eremos can describe a deserted or solitary place. In Mark it is associated both with wilderness and with Jesus' withdrawal to pray. There is something about getting away from the noise that allows us to hear what our day has been saying to us. We can also begin to hear what God might be saying about it. Solitude makes room to sit with the fear, ambition, or fatigue we have been too busy to name.
Pastor Daniel describes a season in Mozambique with his family through Iris Global. Being away for an extended time gave him space to face things he could have stayed too busy to see at home. He had wanted to remain there, and he came to understand that the place of retreat was preparing him to be sent again. A different setting gave him room to learn. Coming home was where some of that learning took shape.
The return matters
Jesus takes His disciples away to rest in Mark 6. Their life with Him includes both the retreat and the people they encounter afterward. Think of someone who has been short with their family after a difficult week. A quiet walk or an hour of prayer may give them enough space to recognize what they are carrying. The return is what happens when they come home and have the conversation differently. They can admit they are tired and listen to what the other person has been trying to say.
You might have a bench, a room with a closed door, or an ordinary trail where you can be quiet. It helps to decide when you will go and how you will handle the things that normally interrupt you. You can bring a Bible and a notebook. You can also sit without trying to make the time produce an insight. If something important rises to the surface, let it become part of a real conversation with God.
Make room for a rhythm
A few minutes of stillness in a day can make a beginning. A longer time in the week gives you space to notice things that do not become clear when you are in a hurry. A Sabbath rhythm gives you a regular place to stop and receive. Each time you return, notice what you are bringing with you. Perhaps you have a clearer sense of what matters or a willingness to let go of something you thought you had to control.
Plan for the first thing you do when you return In the sermon, retreat and return are recurring movements. It may help to plan both parts. Decide where you will go and give yourself time to arrive. Then think about what you will do when you leave. You could leave your phone quiet for the first few minutes on the way home or pause to write down one thing you are taking back.
The point is to carry what you have received into an ordinary responsibility. If a person came to mind while you prayed, give them a call. If you noticed that you have been pushing yourself past a limit, talk with the people who share your schedule. The return is where the retreat begins to affect a relationship or a decision, and where you can see what needs more time with Jesus.
Reflect and respond
Read Mark 1:32-39. Choose a time and a quiet place for prayer this week. Ask Jesus what deserves your attention when you return, then carry one concrete change into your day.
What do you do when you finally find a quiet place? Jesus' life shows a number of answers. He prayed, spent time in solitude, knew the Scriptures, fasted, and honored Sabbath. The habits He practiced help us make space to be with the Father in the middle of real demands. The goal is to give God our attention so He can form us in love.
Begin with silence and prayer
In Luke 5, Jesus withdraws to lonely places to pray. Silence can feel awkward when we are used to having a steady stream of noise. You may realize how much you are thinking about work or what someone said. That is material for prayer. Give yourself a little time to become present. Tell God what is actually occupying your thoughts, rather than beginning with what you think a prayer should sound like.
In Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. He gives them words that begin with the Father and reach into bread, forgiveness, and deliverance. They can bring Him what they need that day. If a concern keeps coming back while you pray, you could name it in a sentence and ask what help you need to take the next step. Then give yourself a moment to listen.
Let fasting, Scripture, and Sabbath shape your attention
Jesus speaks about fasting in Matthew 6. One way to understand the practice is as a chosen interruption. You set aside a familiar comfort for a time so you can notice where you turn when you are restless or hungry. Let the interruption become an invitation to pray. Choose a practice you can undertake responsibly. The point is to open space for God in an area where your attention usually goes somewhere else.
You can approach Scripture with a similar willingness to slow down. Read a few verses, stay with what you notice, and return to that passage during the day. Hebrews describes the word of God as living and active. A sentence from the Gospels can bring a reaction you have been justifying into clearer view. Give it enough time to shape what you do with what you see.
Sabbath gives that posture a larger space. Exodus links the day to real rest from work. You can set aside time to stop producing and receive ordinary gifts like a meal, a walk, or time with people you love. At first you may still be thinking about what you could get done. Let the practice make room for trust as well as rest.
Look for love
Spiritual practices are easy to measure by how many we finish. An equally important question is whether we are becoming more available to God and other people. You might notice that time in silence gives you patience in a conversation, or that a passage of Scripture helps you apologize more quickly. Pay attention to those small changes. They can tell you how the practice is reaching your life.
Start smaller than you think you need to A person who has never set aside time for silence can begin with ten minutes. You may be surprised at how much of that time you spend wanting to move. Let that be something you notice. The next day, you can try again in the same place. Repeating a small practice can teach you how to stay present in a way one ambitious effort may never have time to do.
First Timothy uses the image of training in godliness. Training gives a person a way to return to the work on ordinary days. If you miss the time you set aside, begin again at the next opportunity. You can keep what was helpful about the plan and adjust what made it difficult to live.
Reflect and respond
Read Luke 11:1-4 and choose one practice to try this week. Give it a specific time. Afterward, ask how it affected the way you attended to God and loved the people around you.
Samuel hears his name in the night and assumes Eli is calling. After several trips, Eli realizes the Lord may be speaking and tells Samuel how to respond. The story in 1 Samuel 3 makes room for a young listener who needs help. Samuel hears something real and still has to learn how to recognize it.
Learn the voice by staying close
In John 10, Jesus describes His sheep hearing His voice. The picture is about recognition that grows in relationship. Familiarity can develop as you spend time in Scripture, pray, and take small steps of obedience. Over time, you may begin to recognize the character of the One you are listening for. Jesus' words in the Gospels give you something concrete against which to compare what you think you are hearing.
The sermon talks about the variety of ways people in Scripture hear from God. Some hear an audible voice. There are dreams, visions, the words of other believers, circumstances, and moments when a passage of Scripture becomes particularly clear. Some people sense an impression during prayer. The variety gives us room to pay attention without expecting everybody's experience to look the same.
Give an impression time and company
A strong feeling can be worth paying attention to. It may also come from fear, desire, or a habit you already have. Ask whether it fits the teaching and character of Jesus. Ask what it would lead you to do, and what that would mean for the people involved. Consider talking to somebody mature who can help you think it through. Eli's role in Samuel's story is a reminder that discernment can be shared.
Circumstances also need interpretation. An open opportunity may give you something to consider. A closed door may give you time to ask what you are trying to force. Either way, you can keep listening without turning every detail into a message. For a consequential decision, give yourself time for prayer, counsel, and practical judgment. If you sense an encouraging word for another person, share it with humility and let them weigh it.
Practice a conversation
Try asking God one honest question. Sit quietly afterward and notice what comes to mind. You might write it down and return to it alongside a Gospel passage. You might realize the next step is something Jesus has already made clear, like forgiving someone, speaking truthfully, or offering help. Sometimes the quiet remains quiet. You can still bring Him your day and be present to Him.
Hearing and responding belong together. A small step can teach you something that endless speculation never will. If you remember someone who is discouraged, you can ask how they are doing. You do not have to announce where the idea came from. You can simply be available and see how to care for the person.
Notice what happens after you listen You can test your impressions in ordinary life. Suppose you think of sending encouragement to someone who has been carrying a lot. If the message is kind and appropriate, you can send it and let the person respond freely. You might discover that the timing mattered to them. You might also discover that there is a better way to care for them. Either way, you learn by staying attentive to the person.
Paul describes words that build up, encourage, and comfort. That gives us a good reason to be careful when we sense something that feels accusatory or sweeping. Take it back to Scripture and talk with a trusted person. Discernment can include deciding to wait until you understand what you are hearing and how to respond with love.
Reflect and respond
Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10 and John 10:27. Set aside a few minutes to listen after you pray. Note what comes to mind, weigh it with Scripture, and name one small response you can make with humility.
Some changes only become visible after we have lived through them. You hear a sharp comment and realize you can listen before defending yourself. You catch yourself apologizing sooner than you once would have. Those moments can be easy to miss. They may be part of what it means for the Spirit to form the life of Jesus in us.
Stay where you can see Him
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul connects seeing the Lord's glory with being changed into His image. The Spirit does that work. The sermon brings this passage alongside Romans 12, where Paul speaks of the renewing of our minds. We learn to recognize different possibilities from the ones that seemed obvious before. A person who once assumed every correction was rejection can slowly learn to receive a word of correction without losing their sense of being loved.
Jesus says in Luke 6 that a trained disciple becomes like their teacher. You learn something of a teacher's way by spending time around them. In the Gospels, you can watch what Jesus pays attention to, what makes Him stop, and how He treats a person who cannot give Him anything in return. Give yourself time to notice His responses. Some of what you see may stay with you when you face a similar moment.
Give growth time to become visible
Paul speaks to the Galatians about his longing for Christ to be formed in them. Formation can involve waiting, repetition, and uncomfortable honesty. You may find that a habit you thought you had left behind returns under pressure. You can name it, bring it to Jesus, and take the next step with the people involved. The return itself may tell you something about the way you are changing.
Galatians describes the fruit of the Spirit in words we can recognize in daily life. Kindness might mean giving someone your full attention even though their story is taking longer than you expected. Self-control might mean waiting until you can speak without using your anger to wound. These are places where the Spirit's work becomes visible to people around us. You can pay attention to them without turning them into another scorecard.
Make room for the work God is doing
Think about where the earlier practices in this series give you room to grow. A regular pause for prayer can help you notice how fast you are reacting. Reading a Gospel story slowly can give you something to remember when you face a difficult conversation. A day of rest can show you how much of your identity you have attached to being useful. Bring what you notice into your relationship with Jesus. He can teach you how to respond to it.
Look for a change in the moment you would normally miss Consider what happens in the first few seconds after someone interrupts you. You may feel frustration before you have words for it. A person who is growing in patience may still feel the frustration. They may also be able to notice the other person's need and decide how to respond. What has changed is the room they have to act.
Paul speaks of minds being renewed. Sometimes that renewal looks like seeing an option that did not occur to you before. You could ask the person why they interrupted. You could tell them you need a moment and then come back to them. A small choice like that gives people something real to experience of the work the Spirit has been doing in you.
Reflect and respond
Read 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 and Galatians 5:22-23. Where have you noticed a quiet change in yourself? Give thanks for it. Then name one area you can bring to Jesus without trying to make it look more finished than it is.
In Acts 4, the people questioning Peter and John notice their boldness. They also recognize that the two men have been with Jesus. That is where the Remain series lands. Time spent with Jesus eventually becomes visible in how we live when the room gets difficult. The courage to speak and serve grows in the company of the One who sends us.
Fruit belongs where people can receive it
In John 15, Jesus tells His friends that He chose them to go and bear fruit that lasts. The branch stays connected to the vine, and the fruit reaches beyond the branch. Think of what happens when you have listened to Jesus about a conflict and then go back to the person with an apology. What you received in prayer has become something another person can experience. The same pattern can happen in an act of generosity, a quiet word of encouragement, or a willingness to pray with someone who has had a difficult day.
John 20 places the sending after Jesus' greeting of peace. He comes into a room where the disciples are afraid, shows them His wounds, and sends them as the Father sent Him. We can begin the next step remembering the order of that encounter. Before we face anyone else's response, we have been met by the risen Christ.
Make disciples where your life already happens
In Matthew 28, Jesus tells His disciples to make disciples and teach them to practice what He commanded. That can begin in relationships you already have. A friend may be curious about prayer. You can invite them to pray with you. Someone might be carrying a burden alone. You can listen, ask what would help, and keep showing up. As you learn to practice the way of Jesus together, there is room to talk about what it costs and what it gives.
There are times when we hurry into activity because it is easier than staying present to God. There are also times when we stay comfortable with what we are learning because taking a step feels risky. The series puts coming and going together. We return to Jesus for what we need, and we ask Him where to take it. Then we return again with what happened and let Him teach us from it.
Take the next step with Him
Perhaps someone has come to mind while you have been reading. You might send a note, make an invitation, or ask for a chance to talk. Start with one step you can actually take. When you are finished, bring it back into prayer. Ask what you learned and whether there is a way to follow up. A life of remaining can move through the same day as a life of going.
Take what you learned at the table The people who recognized Peter and John had seen their courage in a public setting. The disciples had learned many of the things that shaped that moment in much smaller settings. They had eaten with Jesus, listened to Him, and seen how He treated people who needed something. An ordinary place can prepare you for a situation you could never rehearse ahead of time.
You can practice the same kind of attention in the relationships you already have. Ask someone to walk with you or share a meal. Read a short passage together if that would be welcome. Then ask what you can do with what you read. The next step may be small enough to take that day.
Reflect and respond
Read Acts 4:8-13 and John 20:19-22. Who might benefit from something Jesus has been forming in you? Name one way to offer it this week, and ask Him for peace as you take the step.
Jesus begins by asking His disciples what other people say about Him. They have several answers ready. Then He asks what they say. In Matthew 16, the second question takes away the distance that makes the first one comfortable. We can talk about what others believe for a long time. Jesus wants to know who we think is standing in front of us.
Notice what you expect to find
Every reader brings a history to Scripture. The church that raised you, the people who disappointed you, and the habits of your culture can all influence what you expect Jesus to say. A person who was raised around anger may have trouble imagining His gentleness. Someone who has learned to avoid disagreement may want Him to leave their decisions alone. Those expectations can shape which stories we return to and which ones we hurry past.
Pastor Daniel uses the word filter for the things that bring some parts of Jesus into focus and leave others out of view. A filter can be familiar enough to feel like common sense. You may discover one when a passage of Scripture surprises you. What is Jesus saying or doing that you did not expect? What were you assuming He would do instead? An honest answer may give you something to bring to prayer.
Let Scripture make the picture larger
In Mark, Jesus comes announcing that God's kingdom is near. In John, He tells Pilate that His kingdom does not come from this world. You can hold both statements together. His reign has consequences for the world we live in, and its authority comes from somewhere deeper than any nation or political program. There will be places where what He asks cuts across the preferences of people you respect, including your own.
Revelation 1 gives us a picture of the risen Christ that can unsettle any small idea of Him. John falls at His feet. Jesus puts His hand on him and tells him not to be afraid. The power and the tenderness belong to the same person. If we make room for both, we can take His authority seriously and still come to Him in our fear.
Stay with a question Jesus asks
Paul warns the Corinthians about being drawn to a different picture of Jesus. That warning invites us to return to the stories we already know and read them slowly. Choose a scene where Jesus says or does something you find uncomfortable. Ask what He sees that you may have missed. You might read it with someone whose background differs from yours. Listen for the part they noticed first and let it sharpen the way you see the scene.
Give a familiar Gospel story a fresh hearing One way to notice your expectations is to read a passage with its surroundings. Watch who Jesus has been speaking with, who is present now, and what questions are actually being asked. You may realize that a sentence you have heard many times lands differently when you listen to the conversation around it.
In Matthew 16, Peter gives an answer that Jesus receives with joy. A little later, Peter has trouble accepting what Jesus says about suffering and death. Seeing both moments together can make room for humility. We can recognize Jesus truthfully in one part of our lives and still have a great deal to learn about what His words mean in another.
Reflect and respond
Read Matthew 16:13-17 and Revelation 1:12-18. Where does your picture of Jesus come most easily? What detail in these passages would you like to give more room?
When Mark first summarizes Jesus' preaching, he tells us the time has come and God's kingdom has drawn near. Jesus calls people to repent and believe. The announcement comes first. God is doing something through Jesus, and the news calls for a response from the people who hear it.
A change in who leads your life
In Luke 4, Jesus reads words from Isaiah about the poor, captives, people who are blind, and those who are oppressed. He says the passage is being fulfilled as they hear it. The kingdom arrives in a person. It begins reaching people in the circumstances they are living through. It brings hope about what God will do in the future and a reason to trust Him in the present.
The sermon describes salvation as a transfer into a different reign. Forgiveness matters because it makes restored life with God possible. Under Jesus' reign, we begin to bring our decisions, resources, and loyalties under His direction. It can take time to discover how far that change reaches. You may recognize it when you are making a decision you have always thought was yours alone. What would it mean to ask Jesus to lead you there?
Eternal life begins with knowing God
In John 17, Jesus describes eternal life in terms of knowing the Father and the One He has sent. That makes it possible to speak about eternal life as a relationship we begin to live now. A person who comes to know Jesus has a new place to bring what they are afraid of and a new reason to make peace with someone they have been avoiding. The future Jesus promises starts reshaping the way they live their ordinary days.
Romans 8 widens the picture to creation itself. Paul imagines a world groaning and waiting for freedom. The story God is telling has room for the restoration of what has been harmed. It also gives us a way to understand why care for our neighbors and the places we live matters. They are part of the world Jesus came to redeem.
Let belief take a real shape
A moment of decision can be precious. Discipleship gives that decision somewhere to go. Say you are facing a conflict and know exactly what would help you win. You could ask a different question. How would Jesus want you to speak to this person? The answer may involve telling the truth, giving the other person a fair hearing, or giving up a chance to embarrass them. The decision is ordinary. It gives the reign of Jesus somewhere to become visible.
Read repentance in the light of the announcement Repentance can sound like a demand to feel worse about yourself. In Mark, the call follows news about what God is doing. Jesus is inviting people to turn toward the reign that has drawn near. A person who has built a life around protecting an advantage now has a reason to ask whether Jesus can be trusted with what they are afraid to give up.
Try applying that question to a regular expense, a commitment you have made, or the way you handle somebody else's need. You may find that a decision you thought was purely practical already reveals a great deal about what you trust. Bring it to prayer and see what a turn toward the kingdom would look like there.
Reflect and respond
Read Mark 1:14-20 and John 17:1-3. Name one decision you would usually make on your own. Bring it to Jesus and ask what changes if you take His authority and care seriously.
It is easy to welcome the parts of Jesus' ministry that make us feel understood. He heals people, forgives them, and receives people others have refused to welcome. Then we come to a scene like John 2. Jesus drives merchants out of the temple and overturns tables. The same love that brings Him near to wounded people makes Him willing to confront what is harming them.
What Jesus confronts
In Matthew 23, Jesus warns religious leaders about giving careful attention to outward appearances while neglecting what is happening within them. He speaks about the burdens their behavior puts on others. The warning asks us to look at the effect our righteousness has on people. We might be very certain about how something should be done and barely notice who keeps getting left behind when we insist on it.
Jesus is also plain with people who want to follow Him. Luke 9 speaks of taking up a cross, and Luke 14 asks people to consider the cost. The call is serious because Jesus wants their actual lives. There will be times when loyalty to Him costs a comfortable explanation, a familiar habit, or an advantage we would rather keep. That is where His invitation becomes concrete.
Hear correction as an invitation to return
In Revelation 3, the risen Jesus challenges a church that has become satisfied with itself. He speaks of correcting those He loves and invites them to open the door. Hebrews describes the Father's discipline in the language of family. Together these passages give us a way to stay present when we realize something needs to change. We can take the correction seriously and remember who is speaking.
We should be careful about treating every criticism as the voice of God. Jesus' holiness gives us a standard by which to examine what we hear. Look at the way He tells the truth and the people He protects. His example gives us reason to be humble when we think someone else needs correction and reason to remain open when the truth is difficult for us to hear.
Give the difficult word a place to work
Imagine reading a passage that brings a familiar resentment to mind. You might be tempted to explain why the passage applies differently in your case. Give yourself time to stay with it. What might Jesus be showing you about the way that resentment is shaping your decisions? You could talk it over with a trusted person and ask what one honest response would look like.
Notice who benefits from the confrontation Jesus' words in Matthew 23 are addressed to leaders whose choices affect other people. That setting matters. If we read the chapter only as a list of mistakes to avoid, we can miss the people carrying the burdens. Jesus looks at the consequences of the leaders' behavior. He also takes their inward lives seriously enough to speak to them directly.
We can begin by asking a question about our own influence. Who has to work harder because of a habit we defend? Who has learned to stay quiet around us? Give that question time to become specific. If a person comes to mind, ask what it would look like to listen without deciding ahead of time what they are allowed to say.
Reflect and respond
Read Revelation 3:14-22. Is there a place where you want Jesus' comfort and have been reluctant to hear His correction? Tell Him where it feels hard and ask what it would look like to open the door.
People come out to meet Jesus as He enters Jerusalem. They carry palm branches and welcome Him as King. There is something right in their joy. They are also bringing hopes about what a king will do, shaped by the history of a people living under occupation. The question is how they will respond when the King who arrives leads in a way they did not expect.
The King who rides into the city
In John 12, Jesus enters on a young donkey. John connects the scene with Scripture about Zion's king. The way Jesus comes into Jerusalem is part of how He makes Himself known. In Luke's account, Jesus weeps over the city because it has missed what would make for peace. Those tears make it difficult to imagine Him as someone who is indifferent to the city's longing. He sees it closely enough to grieve.
The events of the coming week expose how far the way of Jesus can be from what people were hoping for. Some voices welcome Him as King. Later, there are voices calling for crucifixion. The Gospel accounts leave us with a question we can ask without trying to decide who was in each crowd. How steady is our welcome when Jesus refuses the role we have assigned Him?
What happens when your expectations go unanswered?
You may have hoped Jesus would fix a situation on your timetable, vindicate you in a conflict, or give you an obvious answer about what to do next. It is possible to bring those desires honestly to prayer. Palm Sunday also gives you a place to ask what remains when the answer takes a shape you could not have predicted.
In John 6, some people turn away after hearing a difficult teaching. Peter's response begins with a question about where else they would go. He has come to trust Jesus as the One with the words of eternal life. That kind of trust can hold a question open longer than we expected. It can also lead us to take a next step while our disappointment is still real.
Follow Him into Holy Week
As you read the story of the week ahead, notice what Jesus does when people misunderstand Him. Notice who He serves, how He prays, and what He gives. The King who rides into the city is the One who goes to the cross. His arrival gives us the chance to welcome Him with joy. His cross gives us the chance to learn what following Him means when the road changes.
Stay with the Jesus who weeps Luke's account allows the sound of celebration and the grief of Jesus to stand near each other. The city is glad to see Him, and He sees a peace it is failing to recognize. That makes the story a place to bring our own mixed expectations. You can want Jesus to act decisively and still be surprised by what He calls peace.
Imagine asking Him to bring peace into a disagreement and then hearing an invitation to listen to the person whose argument you had planned to defeat. You may still need to speak clearly. You may also learn something that changes how you speak. What Jesus gives can reach deeper than the outcome you had chosen for Him.
Reflect and respond
Read John 12:12-19 and Luke 19:41-44. What did you expect Jesus to do in a situation you are still carrying? Tell Him honestly, and ask what trust looks like while the situation remains unresolved.
People tell Jesus that His mother and brothers are waiting to speak with Him. In Matthew 12, He gestures toward His disciples and describes those who do the Father's will as His family. It is a surprising answer. He is widening the circle of belonging around Himself. As people come to Him, they begin to learn how to share life in a household formed by the Father.
When the means become the measure
Churches need real forms for their shared life. We need places to gather, people who teach, and habits that keep us close to Scripture and prayer. Acts 2 describes the early believers devoting themselves to teaching, fellowship, meals, and prayer. Those practices gave their new life a shape. They also gave people ways to notice needs and share what they had.
Pastor Daniel asks what happens when we begin to rely on the forms themselves to measure our standing. A person can attend every gathering and still find it difficult to receive help from anyone. A group can have an efficient program and miss a person whose burden is growing heavier. The question is what the practices are making room for. When they are serving their purpose, they help us stay close to Jesus and become available to each other.
Remember how life began
Paul asks the Galatians how they received the Spirit. They had begun through hearing and believing, and now they were being drawn toward a system that would make religious achievement the measure of their growth. That question can help us recognize the same shift. Think of a practice you started because it helped you meet with God. Does it still give you a place to bring Him your real life? If it has become a scorecard, ask how you might return to the relationship that gave it meaning.
Jesus' picture of the vine in John 15 gives us another way to see growth. The branch stays connected and bears fruit. In Galatians 5, the fruit of the Spirit appears in qualities like patience, kindness, and self-control. These become visible where we actually live. They may show up when someone has made a mistake and you give them room to tell you what happened.
Practice life as a family
A small act can restore something a schedule cannot produce. Invite someone to a meal and ask how they are doing. Read Scripture together and give everyone room to respond. Carry a burden a person has been trying to carry alone. The life of the kingdom can take shape in these ordinary choices as we learn to live with Jesus and each other.
Let the shared practices reach real needs Acts 2 links worship, meals, teaching, and generosity. It is possible to imagine a shared meal where people begin to discover who has been carrying a need quietly. The meal creates room to speak, and the community has a way to respond. A schedule of gatherings can give that kind of care somewhere to happen.
Look at one of the practices your church has kept for a long time. What does it make possible for people who are new, tired, or unsure where to turn? You might be able to use the time before or after it to learn a name or offer practical help. The practice becomes more recognizable as part of a family's shared life when it gives people room to be known.
Reflect and respond
Read Acts 2:42-47 and Galatians 3:1-5. Name one place where you have been measuring yourself by performance. What practice or relationship could help you return to trusting Jesus there?
Jesus Did Not Come to Make You Comfortable or Wealthy
· Adapted from the sermon by Pastor Daniel Kolson
A man asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. In Matthew 19, the conversation reaches the man's possessions. Jesus asks him to sell what he owns, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man walks away grieving. He has come close enough to hear the invitation, and he also knows what it would ask him to release.
What money promises
Jesus tells another story about a man whose crops produce so much that he plans to build larger barns. The man expects his stored goods to give him many years of ease. In Luke 12, his life ends before he gets what he imagined. The story asks what we expect our reserves to do for us. Planning and providing have their place. There are also promises that money cannot keep.
Pastor Daniel examines a way of hearing the gospel that treats comfort, wealth, or physical well-being as proof that a person has enough faith. It is worth noticing what that teaching does in a room where someone has just lost a job or received bad news. They may now have to carry a new fear about what their circumstances say about God's love. In Luke 6, Jesus speaks a blessing over people who are poor and hungry. He can call them blessed in the middle of conditions most of us would try to escape.
Make room for unanswered prayer
Paul describes suffering and endurance in Romans 5. He also recounts hardships that remained part of his life as an apostle. Scripture gives us space to pray for change and care for people whose circumstances remain difficult. If someone has prayed for a long time, there may be no explanation we can give them. We can still be present. We can listen, offer help, and keep praying alongside them if they want us to.
Jesus teaches His followers to seek the kingdom and trust the Father with their needs. That trust may lead one person to ask for help and another to share what they have. It gives us a way to see provision as something that can move through a community, even when there are real needs we cannot solve by ourselves.
Recognize the treasure
Jesus describes the kingdom as treasure someone finds and values enough to rearrange their life. Paul speaks of knowing Christ as worth more than the things that once gave him status. Think about one form of security you would find difficult to release. What has it promised you? Bring that question into prayer and ask how to use what you have in a way that makes the kingdom visible.
Let generosity become part of how you talk about blessing The man with the barns speaks mainly about his own future. Jesus' story gives us a reason to ask where other people fit into the plans we make. Think about a time you had more than you needed. How did you decide what to do with it? There is room to provide wisely for your household and still ask what sharing might make possible for somebody else.
A church can ask the same question together. If a family is under pressure, it can be tempting to hurry toward a spiritual explanation. A meal, a ride, or a quiet act of generosity may be the first thing they need. As we care for people, they can see something of the Father whose provision we have been praying for.
Reflect and respond
Read Luke 12:13-21 and Matthew 6:25-34. What do you look to for reassurance that life will turn out well? Choose one way to practice trust or generosity in that area this week.
At the start of Jesus Unfiltered, Jesus' question to His disciples was personal. Who do you say that I am? At the end of the series, that question reaches into the way we live. We may be able to say true things about Jesus. He also asks us to put our lives in His hands and follow where He leads.
What it means to say Jesus is Lord
Romans 10 joins confessing Jesus as Lord with believing that God raised Him from the dead. The confession says something about who has authority. Imagine saying it in a room where doing so could cost you a relationship or your place in a group. It would be a statement about whom you trusted with your life. That helps us hear what can become familiar in our own mouths.
James presses the distinction between knowing what is true and living a faith that acts. If Jesus' words matter to us, they will eventually reach a decision we would have made differently on our own. It could be the decision to forgive someone, to use money more generously, or to tell the truth when it would be easier to protect ourselves. The question is where we are willing to trust His judgment enough to respond.
Count the cost and take the next step
In Luke 14, Jesus tells people to consider the cost of following Him. He is speaking to crowds, and He is willing to tell them that being drawn to Him will eventually mean carrying a cross. The honesty matters. We can bring Him the places where we feel reluctant, including the relationships, routines, and securities we would prefer to leave untouched. He knows what He is asking.
Matthew 28 gives that allegiance a direction. Jesus says He has authority and sends His followers to make disciples. They are to teach people to practice what He taught. You can begin with the part of His teaching you are learning to live yourself. Invite someone to read with you. Talk about the step you are each facing. Then make enough room for the conversation to affect what you do.
Let your life answer the question
Look back at the filters the series has considered. We can expect Jesus to endorse our culture, keep us comfortable, reward our performance, or guarantee a prosperous life. The Gospel stories give us repeated opportunities to meet Him beyond those expectations. Read a scene slowly enough to notice what He asks of the person in front of Him. Then think about what that kind of response would look like where you live.
Give your confession a place to be tested The people who hear Jesus in Luke 14 have already come near enough to be interested. His words ask them to consider where their interest is going. We can do that when a practical commitment begins to cost more than we expected. A promise to care for someone, a decision to tell the truth, or a willingness to give up an unfair advantage can bring our allegiance into view.
Think of a commitment you are tempted to loosen because it has become inconvenient. Ask whether Jesus has something to teach you in it. There may be a wise way to adjust what you promised. There may also be a chance to let your confession lead you into an action you would otherwise avoid.
Reflect and respond
Read Romans 10:8-13 and Matthew 28:16-20. Name one area where your decisions already reveal what has your allegiance. What could you do differently this week because you trust Jesus to lead you?
In the garden, the serpent begins by asking about what God said. The question introduces doubt about whether God can be trusted with the needs of the people He made. That same doubt can take familiar forms. If you believe help will never come, you may rely on control. If you expect people to reject you, you may learn to stay useful to them at any cost. Those strategies can become persuasive because they have done something for you, even while they ask a great deal in return.
Pay attention to what a counterfeit promises
The sermon returns to the image of God as a fountain. People reach for other sources of security for understandable reasons. They may have found something that gave them relief at a time they were frightened or alone. The question is whether the thing we reach for can give us the life we are asking of it. A pattern of working late may protect you from a difficult conversation for one evening. It cannot give you the closeness you are hoping to preserve.
You can start by naming the promise you have been relying on. Perhaps it says that nobody can hurt you if you stay in charge. Perhaps it tells you that resentment will make someone pay for what they did. You can ask where that belief has taken you and whether it fits what you see in Jesus. This can be painful, especially if the belief once felt like a way to get through something you could hardly bear.
Withdraw agreement and choose what comes next
James 4 puts submitting to God beside resisting the devil. In the sermon, renouncing something means withdrawing your agreement with what is false and turning toward Jesus. You can pray in ordinary language. Name the belief, tell God what it has cost you, and ask Him to show you what is true. Give that truth an action you can practice when the familiar pressure returns.
Ephesians 4 speaks about anger and the foothold it can give when we let it sit unresolved. Imagine someone who expects they will only be heard if they get louder. When anger rises, they can pause long enough to notice what they believe about the other person. A faithful response might be asking to return to the conversation later, stating a boundary clearly, or telling the truth without trying to punish anyone. Returning to God can have a very concrete shape.
Make the new response easier to remember
Think of a time or place where the old promise usually sounds most convincing. Put a Scripture passage or a short prayer somewhere you will see it before that moment. You may want to talk it through with someone who will listen well and can remind you what you are trying to practice. Over time, you can learn what it feels like to respond from a different place.
Plan what you will turn toward When you recognize a false promise, it helps to think ahead about what will happen the next time you want to rely on it. A person who uses busyness to avoid loneliness may need to schedule time with somebody they trust. A person who tries to manage everybody's reaction might need to practice naming what they can and cannot take responsibility for. A new belief has somewhere to grow when it is connected to an action you can take.
The image of returning to a fountain is helpful here. Give yourself a place to return when you are thirsty. It could be a brief prayer, an open conversation, or a passage you read often enough to remember when you need it.
Reflect and respond
Read James 4:7-10 and Ephesians 4:25-32. What are you expecting a familiar habit to give you? Name one small response that would help you turn toward Jesus when that expectation comes up again.
Forgiveness can be hard to hear about when something still hurts. A person may have spent years trying to get others to acknowledge what happened. They may fear that forgiving will mean treating the injury as unimportant. The sermon begins by giving that pain room. Forgiveness can start while you are still telling the truth about what was done and what it cost you.
Let God carry the judgment
In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a story about a servant who is forgiven a debt he could never repay. The servant goes out and demands payment from someone who owes him far less. The story asks what happens when mercy received never becomes mercy offered. Paul gives a similar direction in Ephesians 4 when he asks believers to forgive as God has forgiven them in Christ.
Forgiveness can mean handing judgment over to God. It leaves room for consequences, wise boundaries, and time to see whether trust can be rebuilt. You can choose to give the debt to God and still seek help, speak honestly about harm, or decline to return to a situation where you would be unsafe. In some relationships there may be a future conversation. In others, a faithful response may take place in prayer with support from someone you trust.
Bring Jesus into what still hurts
Psalm 147 describes God as binding up the wounds of brokenhearted people. You may remember what happened and still carry something you began to believe because of it. Perhaps you concluded you were too much trouble or that speaking up would always make things worse. Bringing that memory to Jesus can include asking what He wants you to know about yourself now. You can also ask for the company of somebody patient enough to listen without trying to rush your response.
The practice may be gradual. A memory can surface unexpectedly after you have already prayed about it. When it does, you can notice what you are feeling and bring it to God again. The return gives you another place to ask for help. You may need to grieve something you did not have time to grieve when it happened.
Take one gentle step
If someone comes to mind, name what you are ready to bring to Jesus today. You could pray that God would carry what is beyond your strength. You could write what you are still angry about in a place that is private. You might ask someone to sit with you while you pray. Choose a step that gives you room to be truthful about where you are.
Give the truth time to be heard The sermon connects forgiveness with letting Jesus into what we remember. That can begin before you know what will happen in the relationship. Sit with Him long enough to say what you lost and what you needed at the time. There may be a part of the story you have always hurried past because it felt easier to move on. You can choose how much of it you are ready to name now.
A trusted person can sometimes help you hear yourself tell the truth about it. Ask for what you need from them, whether that is prayer, patient listening, or support in keeping a boundary. Let the next step be one you can take while staying honest about your limits.
Reflect and respond
Read Ephesians 4:31-32 and Psalm 147:3. What part of a hurt have you been trying to carry alone? Ask Jesus what it would look like to put that part into His hands and receive help for what remains tender.
Control can begin as a way to get through a difficult time. When people have been unreliable, it can feel sensible to depend on yourself. When an authority figure has used power carelessly, you may learn to watch closely for signs that it could happen again. The sermon asks what happens when the things we learned to protect ourselves become the only ways we know to live.
What kind of authority does Jesus carry?
In Matthew 11, Jesus calls tired people to come to Him and learn from Him. He describes Himself as gentle and humble. He has authority and uses it in a way that gives people rest. First Peter also tells leaders to care for people willingly and lead by example. Those passages give us a way to recognize authority that serves. They also give us language for what can go wrong when somebody uses their position to get their own way.
Surrendering to Jesus can begin with telling Him why it is hard to trust. Perhaps you have an experience you are still angry about. Perhaps you have spent a long time trying to make sure nobody can surprise you again. You can bring those fears to Him honestly. Giving Him room to lead includes asking what good boundaries look like and who you can trust with the truth about what happened.
Humility gives us room to receive help
James says God gives grace to the humble. The sermon describes humility as the willingness to depend on God. You can practice that when you catch yourself thinking you must solve something by yourself. You might ask a person to share the responsibility. You might admit that you do not know what comes next. You might pray before making a decision you usually make in a hurry.
Proverbs 3 calls us to trust the Lord with all our heart. That can become practical at the point where you recognize the limits of your understanding. Say you are facing a conversation and have already planned what the other person will say and how you will defend yourself. You could ask God for the strength to listen and still speak plainly. Letting go of the script may give both of you a better chance to tell the truth.
Start with one place
Choose a situation where you feel you must keep every piece in your hands. Ask what responsibility belongs to you and what you have been trying to manage on behalf of other people. The answer may become clearer if you bring it to God and talk to someone who knows you well. Take one step that gives trust a real place to grow.
Look at what humility makes possible In the sermon, humility includes the willingness to say we need help. That can be hard to do when independence has protected us for a long time. Try asking for help with something small enough that you can practice receiving it. You may notice that you want to give instructions about every detail or pay the other person back immediately. Let yourself see what that response tells you about trust.
Jesus' promise of rest gives us a place to bring what we notice. You can learn to trust His direction over time and still have real questions about the people around you. Ask Him to show you what responsibility is yours, what belongs to somebody else, and what can be left in His hands today.
Reflect and respond
Read Matthew 11:28-30 and 1 Peter 5:5-7. Where have you been carrying responsibility alone because trusting feels risky? Name one action you can take this week while asking Jesus to carry the part you cannot control.
Sometimes you recognize a pattern by hearing yourself say a sentence you once heard from someone else. You may have promised yourself you would handle anger differently or choose a different kind of relationship. Then the pressure rises and your choices become familiar again. It can be discouraging to see the same thing return. It can also give you a clearer place to ask Jesus for help.
Understand what keeps a pattern alive
In John 8, Jesus speaks of freedom in connection with continuing in His word. The people listening are surprised that He is talking to them about slavery. His answer brings the question home to the power that sin can have over a person's life. Paul uses similar language in Romans 6. Repeated choices can shape what feels possible when we are under pressure.
The sermon looks at learned habits, unhealthy attachments, and patterns that repeat across generations. Those things can overlap. Someone who grew up around angry outbursts may have learned to keep the peace by staying silent. As an adult, they may choose relationships where they feel the same pressure. They can learn to notice what is happening and practice a different response with help. Being able to name where the pattern came from can give them a place to start.
Let the story change with you
Scripture takes seriously the effect one generation can have on the next. It also gives people room to respond to God in their own lives. Galatians 3 points to Christ's work on the cross and the blessing received through faith. The sermon uses that hope to ask what a person can stop passing along. You may have learned to avoid apology, to use silence as punishment, or to hide every problem until it becomes too much to carry. With time, you can learn a different way to handle those moments.
The language of breaking an unhealthy attachment can become practical when you consider what you have continued to give it. Is it making a claim on your time, your attention, or your sense of who you are? You may need a boundary. You may need support from people who will understand why the boundary matters. Bring that question to prayer, and give yourself permission to ask for help in putting it into practice.
Give freedom a next step
Notice where the old pattern usually begins, before the consequences are obvious. You might be able to pause before you answer, call a trusted person, or choose a place to get help. A decision to pray can belong alongside real support and changed habits. Over time, those choices can give your household a different way to handle trouble.
Pay attention to the first signal An old response often begins before you think of it as a decision. You may feel yourself speeding up, shutting down, or trying to make another person answer before they are ready. Start there. If you can notice the first signal, you have a chance to choose what you do next. That might mean asking for a short pause and making a specific plan to come back to the conversation.
The sermon makes room for prayer and responsibility together. Bring the pattern to God and ask for help to break its hold. Then consider what support would make a different response possible the next time you face it. Freedom may begin to take shape in a choice small enough that other people barely notice it.
Reflect and respond
Read John 8:31-36. Name one pattern you would like to stop passing along. What is one practical change you could make at the point where it usually begins, and who could support you in that change?
What happens on the morning after a person has prayed, forgiven, or finally told somebody what they were carrying? Their circumstances may be much the same. They still have to decide how to handle the next hard conversation. The last sermon in New Year, New You looks at that ordinary morning. It asks how we can practice the truth we have received and how our freedom can begin to serve other people.
Continue in what Jesus said
In John 8, Jesus connects knowing the truth with continuing in His word. Romans 12 describes transformation through a renewed mind. Both passages give us a picture of ongoing life. A truth you hear once may help you see something clearly. Returning to it gives you a chance to practice it when an old thought comes back or the room feels different than it did when you prayed.
Think of someone who has begun to believe they can be loved even when they disappoint people. The next time a friend is frustrated with them, their first instinct may still be to panic or try to fix everything. They can recognize that instinct and remember what they are learning. They can ask a question, listen to the answer, and tell the truth about their own limits. The conversation becomes a place to practice freedom.
Fill the space you've made
In Matthew 12, Jesus uses a picture of a house that has been swept and left empty. The sermon uses that image to ask what will fill the space an old pattern once occupied. If you have started making room for honesty, give it a place in your friendships. If you have stepped away from a habit that filled your evenings, think about what kind of rest or connection you need there. Give yourself something true and good to return to when the day is difficult.
Spiritual habits and relationships can help hold that change. Keep reading Scripture and praying. Stay close to people with whom you can tell the truth about your progress. You might agree to check in with somebody when an old pattern starts to feel attractive again. Asking for help can be part of living in the freedom you have received.
Make room for the people you can now serve
Paul describes believers as a new creation in Christ and speaks of a ministry of reconciliation. The God who has made peace with us gives us a way to carry that peace to other people. You might be able to listen to someone whose story you once would have rushed to solve. You might invite a person to pray with you or give them a place to ask questions. You can offer what you have learned with humility, remembering how much patience you needed to get there.
Carry freedom in a way another person can receive Paul's language of reconciliation gives us a way to think about how freedom becomes service. A person who has been able to tell the truth about their own mistakes may be able to listen to someone who is afraid to admit theirs. A person who learned to receive help may be ready to offer it without making the other person feel indebted.
Choose one place where what God has done in you could make life a little easier for somebody else. You might give them time to ask a question, share a meal, or offer to pray. Let them tell you what kind of help they want. You can remain a person who needs grace while giving somebody else a place to receive it.
Reflect and respond
Read Romans 12:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. What practice will help you stay close to the truth you have received? Who might benefit this week from the patience, honesty, or courage Jesus is growing in you?
