Crosspoint247

Financially, are you stressed or living stress-free? Financial stress can come like a thief in the night. There is an incredible amount of financial insights, wisdom, and instruction found in the Bible. If you’re overwhelmed with financial burdens or open to more wisdom in this area, this 4th message in our “Living Lighter” series is a sermon you won’t want to miss. 

Do you tend to overpack for a trip, under pack for it, or do you pack just right? Some travelers are great at packing with the bare essentials. Other packers are great at packing those just-in-case items. Then, there are those who carelessly pack without considering the specifics of their journey. Life shares some similarities in how we pack- some choose to always bring extra baggage that overburdens them, and they’ve been conditioned to believe that baggage is necessary. In this, the 3rd sermon in our “Living Lighter” series, we are going to do some baggage assessment to see if you can lighten up and choose to carry less baggage.

Is your quality of life limited to your feelings? Does your life seem weighed down with worry and stress? When life’s challenges lead to increased anxiety, fears, worries, and isolation, we end up missing out on the quality of life God offers. Listen in to Part 2-Life Without Worries in our “Living Lighter” series, as we discover how to lean into Jesus and live without the constant weight of worry.

 

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Burdens come with two options: carry their weight or cast them off to lighten your load. The burdens we carry come in all forms, shapes, and sizes. Sometimes we become convinced they are ours alone to carry. But not every burden was meant to be carried, and the ones we are meant to carry aren’t always meant to be carried alone. In this first week of our new Series, “Living Lighter,” discover how relying on God can lead you to live lighter so you don’t shoulder the weight alone whatever burden you find yourself carrying.

There are sales pitches, vacation pitches to the family, a pitch for relocation; we are familiar with pitches. But one of the most remembered pitches in the Bible was by a rebel thief in his last moments of life, who made a pitch to Jesus about the possibility of ending up in Heaven. Only one of two thieves made the pitch to join Jesus in paradise. Why did Jesus tell him, “Today you will be with Me in paradise?” 

 

We've all set out to do something that took more effort and energy than we anticipated. It's those projects that give a sigh of relief when we finally finish. There is no project in our lifetime that compares to what Jesus completed on the cross. The statement He made, "It is finished" brings the hope that humanity needed. Jesus finished paying the price of redemption. He was the ransom payment exchanged for our freedom. We won't finish the series until next week, but you won't want to miss this part before we celebrate Resurrection Sunday next week.

Of all the statements Jesus made while on the cross, the statement “I am thirsty” might be the most overlooked. One could take this at face value: Jesus was parched. But is there more to it? Everything Jesus did and said was calculated. When Jesus said this 2000 years ago, there was a greater understanding of its significance. If we are going to get the Whole Story, we need to understand the meaning of Jesus saying: “I am thirsty.”

Jesus came to serve humanity's greatest need, restoring our broken relationship with God the Father. The only way Jesus could restore us, required Him to suffer. That suffering served as the greatest intervention for Humanity. But was that the plan that God orchestrated, or was it just the way events transpired in the moment? God wasn't surprised by Jesus on the cross, God supervised what happened on the cross. The cross reminds us God always has a plan.

We live in a time and culture where mocking Jesus generates clicks. It seems like all the major social platforms have people mocking Jesus. There is nothing new about mocking Jesus. Even when he was on the cross, Jesus was being mocked. They didn't just mock His claim to be the Son of God, they mocked Him for trusting God. But even in their mockery, there is a lesson we can learn as we seek to know "The Whole Story" of understanding the reason for Jesus. For the next five weeks, invite someone to sit with you to hear the Whole Story of Jesus.

Shame has a way of shaping how we see ourselves and others. Shame works to convince us that we are defined by our shortcomings. Join us as we identify the best way to define who we are and stop giving shame the final word. Invite someone and let them know you will save them a seat. It's going to be a great Sunday!