Text: Luke 23:26-49 | Listen to Message Witnessing Jesus’ Death On Friday, Christians around the world reflect and remember the death of Jesus. We call this day “Good Friday.” But why is it good? Why is remembering Jesus’ horrific torture and death good? In the end, how are we supposed to remember Good Friday? And how are we supposed to respond to this news of Jesus’ death on the cross? Prior to Jesus’ death, he had been awake all night, paraded to various houses, and experienced mock trials. Jesus was in emotional and mental anguish. He was then ordered to be...

Text: Genesis 3:1-13, 21 | Listen to Message Trading Dishonor for Honor In Part I, we talked about what shame is and where it leads if you don’t respond to it in a healthy way. Honestly, Part I was pretty discouraging – and was never meant to be read as a standalone piece. While it helps explain the world we find ourselves in, it doesn’t show us the way out of our pain. That’s what Part II is for! Immediately after Adam and Eve fell into sin and shame in Genesis 3, God gave us a little hint about the ultimate...

Text: Genesis 3:1-13, 21 | Listen to Message Grasping for Fig Leaves Even if we struggle to define it, we all know shame the moment we feel it. Ever since our first father and mother, shame has been a part of our human experience. The moment Adam and Eve sinned that very first sin, they sensed not just nakedness, but exposure. They were disgraced. They were ashamed. We all know the feeling. Maybe we’ve done or said something sinful. Maybe someone has done something sinful to us. (Think of the shame of being on the receiving end of abuse or adultery,...

Text: Luke 22:63-23:25 | Listen to Message Thoughts on Putting God in The Dock One of the most bizarre things about the last day of Jesus’ life (pre-resurrection) is how many people simultaneously felt comfortable acting as his judge, jury, and executioner. Think about it: Sinful human beings put the Son of God on trial, found him innocent, and were determined to murder him anyway. Why – and what’s this got to do with your life? The why is actually not a single reason, but rather a tangled web of several reasons: 1. Control. Jesus was the real deal, and the...

Text: Luke 22:31-34, 54-62 | Listen to Message When You Fail The Unfailing God He boasted, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” He promised, “Though they all fall away, I will never fall away!” He bragged, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you!” Yet before the rooster crowed in the wee hours of the following morning, Peter had completely disavowed his relationship with Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times: “I’m telling you I don’t even know him!” To enhance the credibility of his bold-faced lie, he...