John 17:1-3: Jesus' Prayer for His Bride

TVCC Students,

It was so wonderful to worship with you all last night. It is such an encouragement to us to see you all engaging in genuine worship and intimately loving the Lord. Last night we went through John 17:1-3 which is the beginning of Jesus' prayer for His bride (the body of Christ). Here is a recap...

~John 17:1: Jesus communicates with the Father. If Jesus, the Perfect Son, takes time consistently to speak and listen to the Father, how much more should we, as imperfect children made righteous through Jesus, spend time both listening and speaking to the Father on a constant basis?

Q: Are you spending time with the Lord on a continual, daily basis? What changes do you need to make in your life this week so that you can have more time that is wholly devoted to your relationship with the Lord?

~John 17:1-2: Jesus is saying that the time has come for His purpose to be fulfilled. The culmination of His life was in purchasing His Bride (those who would believe in Him as their Lord and Sin-taker). Jesus was looking not only at the Cross to come where He would make His Bride clean, but to the resurrection where He would be able to have an intimate relationship with those who are His through faith in His atoning sacrifice.

Q: Do you realize the lengths that Jesus went through in order for you to have a relationship with Him? He gave the ultimate sacrifice for His Bride- He gave His life! What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that your life will reflect that you are indeed His Bride and that you love Him?

*Jeremiah 2:11-13: We often forget the state that we were in when Jesus came to purchase us with His life. None of us were worthy of being called His Bride. All of us were like Israel in the book of Jeremiah. We have all forsaken the Lord to create our own gods/security systems that are broken and offer no fulfillment. In the Lord we were all offered fountains of living water and we all exchanged that living water for stagnant water that we tried to create with broken systerns. All of us have fallen short (Romans 3:23) and were in need of the death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf to restore us back to a relationship with the Source of living water!

*Jeremiah 3:12 calls Israel to return to the Lord as He is gracious and His mercies are new every morning. The Lord has always wanted His Bride to be close to Him. The call is the same for us today. Return to the Lord. If you have never come to acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you are trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on your behalf, we encourage you to do that now (and please know that we would love to talk with you about this decision). If you are already a believer in Jesus but have been wandering from Him and returning to your broken systerns instead of living off of His living water, we encourage you to repent and return to Him. His mercy is new every day and He wants you to have an intimate relationship with Him.

Q: What is preventing you this week from forsaking your broken systerns that you have created and returning to the Source of living waters that desires an unhindered relationship with you? We encourage you to ask the Lord to help you overcome anything that is separating you from Him this week.

~John 17:3-4: As earlier stated, Jesus' main goal was to bring us back to the Father through the Sacrifice of Himself on our behalf, for our sins. This verse sums it all up. Eternal life that Jesus is extending to us through His blood is that we would intimately know Him (as a husband knows his wife) and the Father. He does not just want us to know a bunch of facts about Him... He died so that we would have a relationship with Him!

Q: How is your relationship with the Lord? Just as all of our earthy relationships take time and intentionality, so does our relationship with the Lord. We need to set aside undistracted time to get to know Him and to listen to His heart expressed through His Word. What changes do you need to make so that you might have more time to spend growing in your relationship with the Lord?

~John 17:5: This act of mercy (Jesus' death on our behalf) brought Him eternal glory. Though the world would look on His death as a shameful and pitiful act, the Father viewed this as the most glorious  event. Many times the world looks on merciful, God-honoring acts as shameful and pitiful but we must remember that we were called to love as we have been loved.

Q: How are you doing at loving others the way that Christ loves you- with unconditional continual love? Are you holding grudges or living in unforgiveness towards anyone at this time? If so, we encourage you to bring that to the Lord prayer and ask to love as you have been loved. Living a life of mercy and forgiveness towards others will show the world how great your God is!

Dear students,

We are so thankful to get to worship with you every week. It is a blessing to see you all growing in love for the Lord and each other. We encourage you to spend time praying to the Lord and listening to Him as He speaks to you through His Word. We know that this will strengthen your hearts as you grow closer to Him. We love you!

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi

John 16:25-33

Dear TVCC Students,
We all made it to spring break!! As we said on Wednesday, even though it is Spring Break we will be having Life Service and small groups as normal. This past Wednesday Sonny taught us from the end of John 16. It was encouraging to be reminded that even when we are weak and faithless, He remains faithful and that we have direct access to the Father through faith in His Son Jesus. What an indescribable gift!! Here is a recap...

~John 16:25-26: Jesus is revealing something new to His disciples. Since the instatement of the priesthood, the Jewish people did not have direct access to the Lord. They would have to go to a priest, have him offer a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins, and usually wait for the priest to reveal what the Lord was desiring to say. It was a lengthy process. Jesus, as the fulfillment of the law, the sacrificial system, and righteousness made a way for us to have direct access to the Father. When we believe in His death and resurrection on our behalf, we are now able to come directly to the Father as Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Q: Have you trusted in the death and resurrection of Jesus on your behalf that you might have direct access to the Lord? If so, what things in your life do you feel that He is calling you to change so that you might have a closer relationship with Him? Are you spending time daily with Him in prayer and in His Word so that you might have a closer relationship with Him?

~John 16:27-28: Jesus tells the disciples that because they have loved Jesus, they are loved by the Father (John 3:35-36). Just as in our lives, when people love our children, it is very easy for us to love them.

~John 16:29-30: After all of His teachings, the disciples FINALLY get it! They affirm that He knows all things and that He is from God. They are here confessing that the believe Jesus for who HE and the Father say that He is. They are laying aside all of their notions of how God would do things and affirming that they believe in Him fully as the Messiah. It is important that we realize that when we pick and choose things about God that we would like to believe we are making a god in our own image (Deut 4) and serving an idol, not the true God. Authentic, life giving faith is rejecting all of our false views of God and submitting fully to Jesus as the Lord (and thus submitting to the Word of God to reveal to us the character of God).

Q: Do you believe that the Word of God is our standard to reveal the true character of the Father and Son? Are you submitting yourself fully to the Word and ready to reject any of your false views of God that might go against Scripture? Just as it would be impossible for us to have a relationship with someone while not accepting anything about who that person really is, we cannot have a relationship with the Lord if we do not take Him entirely for who He says He is in His Word. We encourage you to make sure that you have not created a god in your own image and that you are serving the Living and True God!

~John 16:31-33: Jesus was encouraging the disciples that though their faith in Him was strong at the moment, they would soon be tempted and fall away. In this life we will fail often but Jesus' encouragement was that He has overcome the world! Our faith does not depend on us but on the Lord. He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion, despite our failures (Philippians 1:6)! We will do well to remember this too- we will be weak but thanks be to God that our salvation does not depend on our goodness but His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Q: Not long after the disciples professed great faith in Jesus did they turn from Him in a moment of weakness. In what ways have you turned from Him in moments of weakness this week? We encourage you to remember that He is the Author and Perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2). Confess your shortcomings and doubts this week and return to Him.

Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you on Wednesdays and Sundays. We pray that you will remember that even though we all stumble and fail at times, His grace is not dependent on us. Once we have trusted in the death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf, we are eternally secure and nothing can take us from the Father's hands. Do not let satan tempt you this week to feel that your weaknesses make you unable to come to the Father. Confess your sins and return to Him, claiming His righteousness as your own through faith. This is the desire of that Father- that you would be near to Him through faith in His Son! We love you and are praying for you this week!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

John 16:1-11- The Helper

TVCC Students,
I am sorry that we have missed a few weeks of Life Points. We are back on track now! Last night we went through John 16:1-11 and were greatly encouraged to meditate on the Helper that has been given to believers in Jesus Christ. Here are the highlights from last night...

~John 16:1: The phrase "being made to stumble" is a phrase that was also used in discussing a "bait stick." Jesus was warning them of the "bait" that satan would soon be using the ensnare and discourage them. In order to resist this bait, Jesus would be sending them the Helper.

Q: Do you realize that satan is out to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10) and that he prowls around like a lion seeking someone to destroy (1 Peter 5:8)? If we do not realize that we are in a battle, we will very easily take the "bait" that satan is offering that will keep us from living for the glory of the Lord.

~John 16:2: Persecution comes to all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12) and those that persecute Christians will think that they are doing a good thing. Persecution can take many forms- we are in a battle against our flesh (which is mainly internal) and against the ungodliness of this world (which is external). If we are not fighting any battles for the sake of Christ, we need to evaluate our faith and see if we are really His.

Q: Do you have genuine faith in the Savior or are you just nominal Christians who just acknowledge facts about Christ? What battles are you fighting to live godly in this life?

~John 16:3-4: Christians will be persecuted because unbelievers do not know the Son and they persecuted Him first. When He was here, all of their hatred for God was poured out on His Son. Now that He is in heaven, the hatred of the enemy is on His body (believers in Christ). We must remember that just as He suffered for loving the Father, so we will suffer as we love the Father and the Son.

~John 16:5-11: When Jesus went back to the Father, He sent the Helper to aid us in our striving against sin and darkness. We need the Helper because we cannot live righteously without Him. No one asks for help for something that is easy for him (like lifting a small book) but we ask for help when we cannot do something on our own (like lifting a piano). We need to realize that we NEED the Holy Spirit daily in order to overcome this world and to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

~The word "helper" that he is using here is a form of the word used in the Old Testament for "wife." It implies and intimate relationship. Jesus wants us to have an intimate relationship with the Spirit and receive help from Him on a continual basis.

Q: Do you have an intimate relationship with the Lord? Are you continually asking for the Spirit to help you in your weaknesses that you might bring glory to the Father in your life?

Dear students,
We are so thankful for you all and we are always encouraged to have you all in small groups Sunday nights to hear what the Lord is teaching you and to hear how we can be in prayer for you. We encourage you to be in community with other believers this week and to spend time with the Spirit of the Lord. Ask continually for His help. We encourage you to spend time meditating on the Word of God and to listen to Him in prayer. We love you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

John 13: Washing Feet

TVCC Students,

Wow! The holidays were a whirlwind and it seems like we barely blinked and now its almost February. We sure hope that you are having a wonderful new year and that you are enjoying sweet time with your Savior. With the crazy weather and some sicknesses in our house, I am a little behind on these LifePoints. Since both last week and this week flow together really well, I thought I would just give you the key points in one post =). These past two weeks Sonny has been teaching from John 13. It has been so convicting for me to be reminded of our Lord's humility as He walked this earth. Here are the main points from the past two weeks...

John 13

~13:1: Jesus was ready to do what He had ultimately come for. Him loving us "to the end" is a phrase that means that He loved us fully and completely. He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45) and give His life so that we might be brought back to the Father. His whole life was a life of service to the Father and others.

Q: If someone was to look at your life entirely would they say that about you? Is your life modeled after the life of Jesus? Are you continually putting aside your interests and submitting yourself to the Father while serving others so that Jesus might be glorified?

~13:2: The devil entered Judas. Though Judas was not a believer we need to realize that ungodly influences are present everywhere and constantly vying for control of our lives. If we are not in continual communion with Jesus, we will be swayed by the world and become ineffective for the kingdom of God. Remember that our adversary prowls around, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Q: Are you having consistent intentional time with the Lord (through prayer, reading the Word and fellowship) where you are seeking to be led by Him and not by the world or are you letting the world influence the course of your life?

~13:3-5: Jesus was able to serve others because He knew the Father, He knew where He had come from and where He was going. We cannot serve others if we do not know these things. Only when we realize how great the Lord is and what He has done for us (and what He has in store for us in eternity) can we truly serve others with purity and selflessness as Jesus did. We must have our identity completely in the Lord before we will have the heart to serve as Jesus did.

Q: Do you realize the grace that has been given to you through the death and resurrection of Christ on your behalf? Do you realize the magnitude of the Cross- that Christ endured the wrath of God on your behalf? Do you realize that this life is short and it is just a bleep in eternity where we are called to serve others and bring glory to the Lord? Let these things motivate you to love as you have been loved (Ephesians 5:2)?

~13:6-10: Peter's heart was not in the right place. He knew that if Jesus, the King of Glory, was washing his feet, he would be called to do the same. In this weak moment, Peter was giving into the flesh, not wanting to live the life of service that Jesus was demonstrating. After Jesus rebukes him, Peter's heart is brought back and he again affirms that he will follow Jesus where ever that leads. Jesus reminds them that though we are "clean" in Him, we will at times need to come to Him to be cleansed from the filth of the world.

Q: When was the last time that you had a moment like Peter where you didn't want to serve as Jesus was calling you? How quick were you to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit? What changes would be helpful to help you respond differently next time?

Q: How often are you coming to Jesus to be "cleansed" from the filth of the world? Are you spending time in His presence daily?

~13:11-16: Jesus calls those claiming to be His disciples to do as He has done. We are called to live as servants as Christ served us. Colossians 3:12-14 gives us a description as to how we are to live. As Christ forgave and loved us, so should we forgive and love others.

Q: In what ways can your love for others grow? Who is one person that you are having trouble forgiving and/or loving? We encourage you to pray for that person and ask the Lord to give you His heart for them. 

~13:17: We are blessed not just if we hear the Word but if we DO the Word. James 1:22 also calls us to be doers of the Word of God.

Q: In what areas of your life are you just a "hearer" and not a "doer?" What steps are you going to take this week to become a "doer?"

~13:31-33: Jesus knows that He is about to be led to the Cross and then be glorified. Again, Jesus knowing the glory that was coming to Him at the resurrection was able to endure the Cross. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that knowing the joy set before Him, Christ endured the shame of the Cross. We are called to be like Jesus in this. Knowing the brevity of this life and the joy coming to us in eternity, we are called to serve as our Lord did.

Q: What are some things that keep your mind set on things of earth and not heavenly things? What changes can you make in your life to have a more eternal mindset this week?

~John 13:34-35: The world will know that our love for Jesus is genuine when we love others as we have been loved. We cannot say this enough (and Jesus said it a lot too) that your love for others speaks loudly of your love for Christ. If you cannot love others, people will not see Christ in you.

***Romans 12:9-21 is a great depiction of what our love for others should look like. Our love for others should...

1. Not be hypocritical. (it should be genuine... don't confess love for people then speak poorly about them later)

2. Hate what is evil in them (gently bring conviction to fellow believers when sin in seen in them... letting them remain in sin is not love).

3. Love what is good in them (praise others for the good seen in them)

4. Put their needs above ours.

5. Not be lazy (diligently be looking for ways to love others).

6. Hope for the best.

7. Be patient during hard times (don't be quick to get out of a friendship when it gets hard... hang in there... love endures).

8. Be prayerful.

9. Be giving.

10. Extend even to our enemies.

11. Rejoice when God blesses.

12. Weep when God takes away.

13. Be impartial (love both the rich in this world and the poor).

14. Not be arrogant.

15. Not be revengeful.

16. Be peaceable (do your best to make peace with others).

17. Not be overcome with evil.

18. Be unto the Lord (trust God to make all wrongs right).

Q: In what ways are you falling short of the above list? Who have you failed to show Christ-like love to this week? We encourage you to confess that to the Lord and to that person.

Dear students,

We are thankful to be able to worship with you every Wednesday and to continue to see so many of you growing in your love for te Lord. It is so refreshing to see the Lord growing and changing you. We pray that you will spend intentional time with the Lord this week and that you will make the changes that He calls you to make through the power of the Spirit. We love you and are praying for you today and this week.

With hope,

Sonny and Casi

John 12:1-11: Response to Lazarus' resurrection

Dear TVCC Students,

It is always such a joy to worship with you all on Wednesday evening. It encourages us so much to see you intimately worshipping Jesus. Last night Sonny taught on John 12 and delivered to us some great nuggets of truth to dwell on. Here is a recap...

John 12:1-3: Mary, Martha and Lazarus are all worshipping Jesus in these passages but are worshipping Him in different ways. Sometimes the Lord wants us to glorify Him by serving others, sometimes He wants us to just recline with Him and listen, and sometimes He wants us to literally give something costly to Him as an act of worship. 

Q: Do you spend time worshipping Jesus in different ways? There are so many ways to show Jesus that He is our hearts greatest desire. How have you shown Him that this week? In what way of worship do you feel closest with Jesus (He created us all differently so it can be different for us all)?

John 12:3: Mary anoints Jesus with perfume that was about a years salary. That would be like us giving Jesus in worship something around $50,000. Mary was showing Jesus in a physical way that He is worth more to her than even a year's salary.

Q: Are you willing to give to the Lord anything He would ask of you as an act of worship? Is He really more important to you than anything in this life?

John 12:3 Mary anointing Jesus with her hair was an act of vulnerable and intimate worship. In those days only a husband saw the wife's hair. Mary was showing Jesus in a physical way that she was fully His. The Lord already knew her fully and she was just responding in a way that demonstrated that her heart was fully His.

Q: Are you living a life of complete honesty and vulnerability with the Lord or are you trying to hide areas of your life from Him? Remember that He already knows you fully but desires for you to realize this and live in complete intimacy with Him.

John 12:4-6: Judas responds with disgust at Mary's worship of Jesus. Judas had always been with Jesus for the wrong reasons and again he is angry because he would not benefit from this situation. Though Judas was always around Jesus and "heavenly" things, his heart was always hard and he was continually trying to do what was best for himself, not the kingdom of God.

Q: Are you like Judas? What are your motives for doing "Christian" things ( ie. going to church or serving others)? Are you genuinely trying to honor Jesus in all that you do or are you trying to make a name for yourself? Just as with Judas, one day ALL of our motives will be exposed. We encourage you to check your motives now and ask for forgiveness from the Lord where your motives have been wrong (and help from the Spirit to love Jesus with pure motives).

John 12:7-8: Jesus responds by saying that Mary was doing the best thing with her time and money. She gave herself fully to the Lord and He was pleased with her. We need to continually be seeking to know from the Lord how He would have us worship Him and then act accordingly. He wants our all and that looks different for each of us.

Q: What does it look like for you to give your all to loving Jesus? Are you doing that?

John 12:9-11: The crowd was so fickle. After this event some went to follow Jesus and some sided with the Pharisees in wanting Jesus dead. Following the crowd is never a good place to be. Sometimes the crowds were shouting "Hosanna!" to Jesus and then shortly later were shouting "CRucify!" If we are just "following" Jesus because others around us are, we will never fully know intimacy with Him. We must have a PERSONAL relationship with Him where we are willing to love Him even if the crowd does not.

Q: Are you easily swayed by the crowds or is your faith rooted in the Lord? Are you willing to "go against the crowd" if the Lord calls you to?

Dear students,
We pray that last night was encouraging to your souls and that you were able to engage with the Lord through worship and teaching. We pray that you will meditate on John 12 this week and ask the Lord to change any parts of your life that He desires to change that you may walk with him in a vulnerable and intimate way. We love you and are praying for you!

WIth hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 11: Jesus raises Lazarus

TVCC Students,

It was so great to worship with you guys again last night. We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with family and friends. Last night Sonny taught on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It was encouraging to be reminded that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Nothing is more important than intimacy with Him. Here are a few highlights to meditate on.

~John 11:1-6: When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed 2 days longer in his current city instead of rushing to Lazarus. Jesus knew what was in store for Lazarus and had bigger plans than just healing Him. We have to remember that the Lord's timing is not always what we envisioned. God's glory should be our highest aim and in this case, healing Lazarus' sickness immediately was not best for God's glory.

Q: How are you doing at trusting in the Father's timing for things? Are you content to say "not my will but Your's, Lord" or are your constantly trying to control things? Remember that His ways are higher than ours and we find our rest in trusting Him.

~John 11:7-15: The disciples get a little frustrated with Jesus for wanting to go near Jerusalem where people are waiting to kill Him. When confronted with that, Jesus reminds them that His time is appointed to Him by the Father and He has a certain plan that He must accomplish. No one can thwart the plans of God and Jesus knew that fully. He was confident that it was not His time to die but in obedience He must go to raise Lazarus. Eventually He would be led to die but that too was all in the Father's Sovereign plan and in His perfect timing.

Q: Do you trust God's plan for your life? It might not be a glorious plan in the world's eyes but every child of the Lord is called to bring glory to the Lord by their life. How are you doing at remembering that on a day to day basis? We do not know when we will be called home to the Lord and it is good for us to remember that each day we are called to reflect His glory to the world.

~John 11:16: Though Thomas is often called "doubting Thomas," he shows great faith and courage in this passage when he acknowledges that he is ready to die with Jesus. All great people of faith have both courageous moments and "doubtful" ones.

Q: Have you felt yourself being courageous in the faith lately or doubtful? Remember that the Lord is calling us to be strong and courageous and live for Him. Our lives are not our own and we should be willing to lay them down for Him. This might mean forsaking things such as our popularity or even getting rid of damaging relationships if the Lord calls us to do this. He has to be the things we LOVE most. How are you doing at living a life that is completely surrendered to Him?

~John 11:17: Jesus made sure that Lazarus was in the tomb for four days so that no one would be able to explain away the miracle that was about to happen.

~John 11:18-27: Jesus tells Martha (who ran out to meet Him regarding her brother) that He is the Resurrection and Life. Jesus is EVERYTHING. 

Q: Do our lives say that we believe that JESUS IS LIFE or do our lives say that we believe something else (girlfriend/football/soccer/school/money) is life?

~John 11:28-35: Jesus came to where Lazarus was and became angry that the sting of death had come upon His friend (his spirit was troubled to the point of tears). Jesus came to ultimately defeat death and Lazarus was just a small glimpse of what was to come. Jesus is LIFE!

~John 11:36-44: Jesus called for the tomb to be opened though it had been four days since Lazarus' death. He shouts to Lazarus... "Lazarus... OUTSIDE NOW!!" What an incredibly bold command. How powerful. Jesus shows the people that He is more powerful than death! Lazarus is returned to his family  completely- all to bring glory to God!

Q: Have you trusted that Jesus is LIFE!? Do realize the sting of death that we all deserve as we are born sinners? Have you trusted in the death and resurrection and LIFE of Jesus on your behalf?

Q: If you are a follower of Jesus, do you realize, like Lazarus, that both good and bad things in your life are all opportunities for the glory of God to be displayed? How do you respond to the difficult times in your life- do you ask the Lord to give you strength to bring Him glory even when your  life is difficult?

Dear students,

We love you so much and pray that you are able to meditate on the story of Lazarus and how his death and new life brought glory to Jesus- The RESURRECTION and LIFE. We pray that you will meditate on the Word of God this week and spend time with Him in prayer. Remember that He desires intimacy with His children and wants to use our lives to declare His glory. Again, we love you and are praying for you.

With hope,

Sonny and Casi

John 8:31-36: Jesus is the Truth

TVCC Students,
Last night Sonny took us through the verses John 8:31-36 where Jesus is talking with some Pharisees who thought they had achieved righteousness through following their religious system. Here are some points to think on this week...

~John 8:31: Jesus tells them that if they abide in His Word, they are truly His disciples. Believing in Jesus is not just an acknowledgement of true facts about Him... it is a life lived in faith where one follows hard after Jesus in both good seasons and bad. The Pharisees had the "appearance" of godliness by they denied the power and freedom that Christ was really offering... they did not really have a relationship with the Father. In Matthew 13, the parable of the sower gives 4 different accounts of those who hear the Word of God and how they respond. The only response to the Word that is "life giving" is the person who heard the Word and yielded a crop. We bear fruit for the Lord by believing in Him and abiding in His Word (Jesus is the Word made flesh- John 1).

Q: Do you have a superficial religion that is all appearances or do you have an intimate relationship with the Savior who was crucified on your behalf so that you might have righteousness in Him? Please check your hearts this week to see if YOU have really trusted in the gospel- not just acknowledged facts about Jesus. He desires intimacy with His children.

~John 8:32: Jesus said that by abiding in His Word they would know the truth and find freedom in that truth. Jesus is the Word (John 1) and the Truth (John 14:6). By coming to Him and asking for His gospel to be our souls's hope- we can have eternal life. Remember that when we come to Him with a broken and contrite heart, He will hear and respond (Psalm 51:17)

Q: Are you walking in the freedom and new life that Christ offers? Have you ever come to Him in humility with a broken and contrite heart knowing that you deserve His wrath and that Christ has taken your penalty on the Cross? We encourage you to do this. If you have already received the gift of eternal life in Christ, we encourage you to spend some time in thankful meditation of the sweet mercies that the Lord has shown you.

~John 8:33-36: The Pharisees again tell Jesus that their religion is what is giving them good standing with God. Jesus reminds them that we are all sinners and that no good works/religion that we try to do will give us right standing with God (Isaiah 64:6). What we need to have right standing with God is the righteousness of the Perfect One (Jesus) who stood in our place to take our sins so that we could be declared righteous. Let us not trust in religion or good works but in the work of Christ done on our behalf.

Q: What are you trusting in to give you right standing with the Father? If it's anything other than Jesus- it will fail. Come to Him and He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you. We pray that you will continue to pursue Jesus through time in His word, prayer and worship. We are praying for you. We pray that you will walk in the freedom that Christ offers through His blood. We love you!

With hope,
Sonny and Casi