Capital City Christian Church | Podcast

Listen, guys, if you believe there is a God, and if you believe Jesus is the Son of God, and if you believe he is the way, the truth, and the life … just like he claimed to be … listen: How much would you have to hate your kid, or your grandkid, not to do whatever you can to nudge them towards Jesus? What could possibly be more important to you as a parent? And guys, they won't listen to your words unless they see it in your actions. Are you showing them what a genuine Jesus follower looks like? Let's get it done!

What do we do with our repeated sin after we've already accepted Jesus? We know that we've been called to follow Jesus. We know that we're called to new life. We know that the Holy Spirit is active and that it's helpful in helping shape us and make us into what God wants us to be. But … it doesn't happen with the snap of the fingers. It doesn't happen overnight. Which means, even though we're in a good relationship with God now because of Jesus, and even though we've experienced forgiveness, and even though Jesus has made things right … we still carry guilt, and we still carry shame. And, we assume that God feels the same way we would. We assume He's disappointed in us. We assume He points the finger at us in our sin and our failures because we point the finger at ourselves for our sin and our failures. Is that true?

I have some sympathy and compassion for the religious leaders of Jesus' day because it's hard to fully understand something while you're in the moment. Why did the Jews in authority turn against Jesus? What He was doing in the moment didn't make sense to them. It wasn't what they expected. When you're looking forward into the future or even in the moment, there's a certain level of ambiguity, a lack of clarity. There can be a lack of precision when trying to make sense of things in the moment. If you can look backward, there's clarity.

"Bottom line, guys, Mary is confused because she doesn't know the real Jesus. She is looking for the wrong Jesus … a Jesus of her own imagination … her kind of Jesus. She is blind to the real Jesus. And the real Jesus has to come after her, to break through her fog. You see, if Jesus had just sat back and waited for her to get it … You know, some of us are like, “You keep searching and eventually you will find,” right? “If you work at it hard enough, if you work at it long enough, you'll find the truth … your truth.” If Jesus had just stood there thinking, “I'll just wait here till she figures it out, till she discovers who I really am” … I don't think Mary would have ever found him. Because that's not how it works. Salvation is not about our finding him, it's about him finding us. God always loves us … first. God always nudges us, and draws us … first. God always calls us … first. And he always calls us, every one of us … first. Because God is prodigal with his grace. You've felt them, God's nudges. The real question is, how do you respond? So Jesus says to Mary, so gently, “Why are you crying?” Guys, he knew! Grief? Disappointment … they killed him! Were her tears because she felt broken? Was her hope gone, her direction gone, her purpose for living gone? Were they tears of unfaith, disbelief … stupidity?" Stephen "Doc" Pattison, Lead Minister

God had made this plan to bridge the gap caused by sin. But it was a temporary plan because it was insufficient. There was no single sacrifice that was good enough — it required more and more sacrifices. The temple became a holy butcher shop, and priests were basically glorified, religious butchers. All day long, all they did was offer sacrifices. Blood was constantly flowing in an effort to keep up with the sins of man. And it's why I say that we are too detached from the price of our sin. We don't have this same system. We don't have the priests and the temples and the sacrifices and the altar and all that kind of stuff. We don't have those pieces. We're separated from the price of our sin because we don't see the lamb's throat get slit. We might live in more of a realization of our sin if we had to watch that every so often. We don't walk into the temple and get the smells of the blood and the burning flesh and attach it to our own failures, our own sin, our own guilt, and our own shame. We don't walk through a place of worship and step over pools or rivers of blood that are flowing from an altar. We don't acknowledge that we need an intercessor – a priest. We don't recognize that we need someone to go before God on our behalf. The system that God created — we're detached from it. And it's Jesus's fault. These systems that made the Israelites very aware of their sin, and they became obsolete after Jesus's sacrifice. Because it was all a temporary plan. It was all about getting to Jesus. That's why Paul says in Romans 3 that, “God presented Him,” — talking of Jesus — “as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood.” Jesus Himself was the sacrifice. His blood was the one that was poured out for us, just as you would a small lamb or a goat or a bull in the Old Testament. A sacrifice was made by Jesus, and His blood becomes the payment for our sins. His blood is better than any other sacrifice. It perfect, untainted. He's the one person who doesn't have sin, and with it guilt and shame. But he still dies – for us. On our behalf. Jesus says, “It's finished.” His work as a sacrifice for us is complete. It's finished.

You can find these kinds of interactions all throughout the gospels. But, fast forward to John 18 and the scene where Jesus is getting arrested. Jesus asks a very practical question – but I think it may be the questions he's been asking the whole time he was on earth. It's a big crescendo type moment. He asks them, “Who is it you want?” Who is it you want? Isn't that the same question He's been asking all through His ministry. Everyone who comes to him wants something. Every one of them expects something. But what if Jesus doesn't match your expectations? What if Jesus isn't who you want Him to be? What about you? Who do you want God to be? Do you want God to be some big grandpa in the sky who gives you hard candies while he tells you stories? Is that who He is? Do you want God to be your buddy who always thinks the best of you? Or, do you want God to be … angry, wrathful, authoritative? Do you want him to be the punisher of evil? Who do you want Jesus to be? Do you want the cool, calm, laid-back kind of hippie Jesus on the beach, hanging out? Do you like the “friend of sinners” Jesus, the one who's the opposer of institutions? Do you want Jesus to be a teacher, maybe a sage, the wise guy who's got all the answers? What if Jesus isn't who you think He is? What if Jesus doesn't match your expectations?

Jesus said, “REMAIN in me … APART from me you can do nothing.” This statement is for those who are in Jesus, and it's also for those who have never followed him. If you've never made a decision to follow Jesus, you need to get connected. It's time to make dead things come alive. It's time to get grafted into the family of God. But this is mainly a strong warning to the church. Jesus said these words to his followers. You need to know that if you've made a decision to follow Jesus sometime in the past, you have to stay connected. Go back to the disciples … did they fail? Maybe they failed in the moment … but not in the long term. The reason we know their names … the reason the church exists today … the reason the name of Jesus is known in every corner of the earth … is because these men didn't leave the room. It was awkward; it was uncomfortable. And no doubt, following Jesus brought lots of awkwardness for the rest of their lives. Beyond awkward. We can say hard, difficult, conflict-laced moments for the rest of their lives. But they remained, and they didn't back down. They stayed connected to the true vine, and it changed the world. And later in life, much later in life, Peter writes some words about a terribly awkward moment. Peter says seeing Jesus after walking away from him is the ultimate in awkward – it far surpasses awkward. He says it would be better if you'd never known Jesus to begin with. Peter who disowned Jesus – Peter who disconnected – is the same Peter leading the church and warning followers not to walk away. He knows the pain and awkwardness. Church – remain. It's a word that can only be used for those who are connected. Jesus said this to his followers. He says it to his inner circle of eleven, as one of them has wandered off into the night to betray him. Church, remain and abide — stay connected.

"There are 2 great commandments, guys: #2: Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself. Love your families, your neighbors, your friends, your colleagues, even your enemies as much as you love yourself. … That's hard. But that's #2. #1 is this: Love God with all your heart … all of it, with all your soul … all of it, with all your mind … all of it. He's first, guys. Honoring . God . comes . first. Guys, people love a cause. It's cool to have causes … noble causes, selfless causes. And, one of the great causes is to help the poor. Clean water, healthy food, a safe place to live, decent medical care. Those are great causes! Worthy causes! But some of those people who are close to me don't care about connecting the poor with God. What's wrong with them! What's wrong with that! Guys, we want to be a church family known for our generosity, our compassion, our genuine love for people. But beyond any of that, we want to be a church family that connects those we love with Jesus and drags them to heaven with us. I hope you individually will be known for your generosity, your compassion, your genuine love for people. But beyond that, I hope you want to be a person who is trying to connect those you love with Jesus and drag them to heaven with you."

"I think we live in a "truth desert." We live in a world where thoughts like "What's true for you may not be true for me" exist. We live in a world where thoughts like "I'm just living out my truth" — that's a normal thought. Truth — real truth … absolute truth — is becoming more and more scarce. And our world is living off of processed truth, unhealthy truth — truth without nutrition or value. Truth that won't actually sustain. It may satisfy your hunger for a time, but it won't give you what you're looking for. In a world that we live in today where truth has become far more limited, where truth is much harder to find, here's a big statement that's going to ruffle some feathers: Your truth doesn't matter if it doesn't match Jesus' truth. Your truth isn't important if it isn't Jesus' truth. You can press your opinion; you can have an idea; you can lean in to what you say is true for you; but if it doesn't match His truth, then it's like living off of processed and unhealthy options. It's going to satisfy you for a little bit, but it's going to bring health issues in the future; it isn't going to accomplish what you want in the long term."

Do you want to get well? It wasn't just a question for the man – but also for the religious folks. Church, we've got to repent. That word repent, it's a big church word. It just means changing your mind into alignment with Jesus. Repentance is basically saying, "Jesus, you're always right. I want to think like you do so that it will lead me to live like you do." Repentance is a part of becoming a Jesus follower. We've mentioned that the last couple of weeks. Repentance is part of the process of becoming a Jesus Follower, just like belief, confession, and baptism. But we don't just repent one time in life. It's not a one-time event. As a Jesus follower, every time we identify a place where we are in conflict with Jesus, we acknowledge that we are wrong and we begin working on being right. So, we repent. If you're guilty of judging people who are coming into a relationship with Jesus … if you see yourself as a gatekeeper to Jesus … if you place more emphasis on church behavior than you do a relationship with Jesus, I'm calling you to repent. Make it right. We had better seek compassion in the same way that Jesus did. And, if we're unwilling, then don't be surprised when Jesus doesn't have much compassion for you.

"There are different ways of saying “again” in Greek. The one here is kind of odd. If you were to check it out in your Bible you'd probably see a little note next to the word “again.” If you go to the margin it will explain the note. It will tell you that the word “again” can also mean “from above.” “You must be born again.” Or, “You must be born from above.” One words, two definitions. And both work. Every one us was birthed once … physically. But you are not just a physical creature. We're kind of like “hybrids” – both physical and spiritual. And for us to be what we were meant to be, a spiritual birth … a “born again,” a “born from above,” is required, too. Our Creator must re-create, Jesus says. … So … have you been “born again … from above”?" Stephen Pattison, Lead Minister

"This is the big idea. Jesus invited. He didn't force. He didn't power people into following Him. He didn't beg people to believe in Him. He didn't perform people into accepting Him. It's true that he taught with authority. It's true that Jesus wowed with His miracles and His signs. And it's true that there were times when Jesus attracted large crowds. But … for the person — for the individual who would come face-to-face with Jesus – they were offered an invitation. Jesus offers us an invitation to participate, to experience, to learn, and to follow. He offers us an invitation into a relationship with Him, and it matches the pattern that God had set from the very beginning." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"So... till death do us part: perseverance, endurance, faithfulness. That's what I preached 25 years ago. And it was solid stuff, I think. But we need to go deeper. Because it's missing, I think, maybe the most important part. Because... what if perseverance isn't measured just by time? What if endurance and faithfulness aren't measured just by time?" Stephen "Doc" Pattison, Lead Minister

"James says the proud are in competition with God. Have you ever felt like God is against you? Do you ever feel like your marriage isn't getting any better? Maybe, just maybe, you have an issue. Maybe you need to be broken of your pride. James says the humble are on God's team. Do you want God to come back into your marriage? Do you want God to bring healing? Invite Him back... with humility. Don't try to manipulate Him into giving you what you want. Just approach Him with humility." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"If you step into the Bible, you'll find the word gentle in several places. If you look at the Greek language, something more robust reveals itself. The Greek word for gentleness is pra - ooh - tayce. Historically, this word originally described the space existing between having a hot temper … and having no temper at all. I think this definition gets at something our usual understanding of gentleness misses. Gentleness only exists when there's an opportunity not to be gentle — when harshness is an equally available option. To be kind or tender or mild-mannered is gentleness … IF you have the ability to NOT be kind or NOT be tender or NOT be mild-mannered. So, what I'm saying is this: the foundation of gentleness is actually power. It's authority. It's the ability to use force — but choosing to restrain … to be gentle. A gentleman is someone with strength – someone who could do harm – but instead treats people with gentleness and kindness. Let me show you how this plays out in our lives." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"We are calling this little series, “First comes love, then comes …” And it's all about the kind of love we're talking about. If we're talking about agape, first comes love, then comes … sacrifice. First comes agape, then comes … gentleness. Of course, it does! First comes agape, then comes … humility. First comes agape, then comes faithfulness. And if you're talking about an agape kind of love … no kidding. Eros? No way. Agape? A God kind of love? Absolutely! The fact is, you can do sacrifice without agape. You can do gentleness, humility, and faithfulness without agape … at least for a while. But if you are practicing an agape kind of love, you cannot not sacrifice and serve. You can not be gentle and humble with your partner. You can not be faithful to your partner … till death do you part. I'll show you." Stephen "Doc" Pattison, Lead Minister

"Guys, we have a God who is not a God of less than the best. He is not one to give us the minimum expectation. We have a God who is a God of excellence. And when He became man, it was nowhere near the least that God could do; it was His best. I said this last week, but God becoming man was accomplishing excellence in the same way He made mountains, beaches, and sunsets. So, can we see why this is such a big deal to Him? Can you see why He's so disappointed when our lives don't worship Him? Can you see why He would not be pleased with something that we offer Him on a Sunday morning, but that we don't even think about until the next Sunday morning? We want to worship with excellence. We're going to start this year by setting this as a goal: that we would be a people who take this opportunity to worship with excellence. But it isn't something that can only happen for a few minutes on a Sunday morning. It's not something that we can program. It's not something that Steve can simply create. As a church, we've got to take seriously our call to worship God with our lives — that we would worship God with excellence on Monday through Saturday, knowing and believing that if we would live with excellence, if we would worship with excellence, we think it'll actually make your life better. We think it'll give you a purpose, something to live for, something with meaning, something bigger than your life, something that you could be a part of that's bigger than your small individual life. If you worship Monday through Saturday, it would make your life better and you better at life." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"In the first two weeks of this sermon series starting out the year, we've talked about reading the Bible and setting new patterns for growth within us. For the next two weeks — today and next week — we will discuss pursuing excellence in our worship. Because there are real implications when we give less than our best. If we give less than our best in our marriage, our work, or our extra responsibilities, we could lose our jobs, you could lose our wives, our kids, or our friends, right? But we don't feel the same impending consequences when we don't give God our best. But we should. There's something on the line here. Colossians 3:17 is a foundational verse we'll look at more next week, but let's introduce it briefly here: "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Whatever you do. That includes … everything — every place you go, every person you talk to, every task you take on. And it's not a call to do your best. Paul, who writes this, actually takes it a step further. He says, do it in the name of Jesus. This means that the places we go, the people we talk to, and the tasks we take on are all opportunities to represent Jesus … to give effort for Jesus … and to bring honor to Jesus. They're opportunities for us to … worship Jesus."

"So, there are all these different “Bibles” out there, and all these spiritual gurus, motivational “life coaches,” all telling you how to live. And you pile on top of these the advice you are getting every day from TV and the internet, from TV stars and athletes who think that because they are talented and rich, you need to listen to them as they tell you what to think and how to live; and politicians who think they can tell you what to think and how to live. And all of you are probably deluged with advice from your moms and dads, and your brothers and sisters, and your friends as they tell you what to think and how to live. And, every once in a while, they give you some good advice. But, as Jesus' followers, we believe that if their advice contradicts what the Bible tells us … the Bible wins every single time. Right? And to so many, that sounds narrow, quaint, and stupidly arrogant. And … if the Bible was one of many options, they'd be right. But we think the Bible is … infinitely superior because we think the Bible is … fundamentally different. It's unique, one of a kind. I'll show you. We don't treat our physical Bibles with the same kind of reverence as some of theirs. We are not “bibliolaters.” We don't worship the book – it's just paper and ink. We do worship the God who speaks to us through it. We'll get back to that. But … I want to try to explain this morning why we think our Bible is so special, which will explain why we want you to read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and pray it; so, here goes…" Stephen "Doc" Pattison, Lead Minister

Listen, guys: If you have tried reading your Bible before and failed, try again. We have an incredibly gracious God, and I think he loves it when we try again. If you miss a day, a week, a month … try again. Start again … that's so cool! It'll make a difference, guys. It'll make a difference in your life with God. It'll make a difference in how you see yourself, the people around you, and your work … Guys, you'll be opening yourself to the transforming work of God's Holy Spirit, which is so cool to be transformed by God!" Stephen "Doc" Pattison, New Year, New You Series

"Some of you guys came in here this morning pretty skeptical about Jesus. And when you hear his words, “I am The Way, The Truth, The Life, and no one gets to the Father without going through me,” you bristle. You want your own truth. You want your own way. … But … what if Jesus really was God, in a bod, stepping into our world to eradicate the barriers between us and God … barriers we are powerless to get by on our own? What if Jesus really did defeat death … for himself and for us? What if Jesus was right? Listen, guys: if you are on the wrong path, if you are going the wrong way, you won't get where you really want to go. If he really is The Way, The Truth, and The Life … now is the time, guys. Don't put it off. Never put off doing the right thing. It's the best this you will ever do for yourself, for those you love, and for our amazing God." Stephen "Doc" Pattison, Lead Minister

When Jesus offered an invitation to participate in this way, it wasn't an invitation for you to believe — it was an invitation for you to follow. It was an invitation to experience him. An invitation to participate. Because Jesus believes that following him will make your life better, and it will make you better at life. And it's why I think the best time to talk about the resurrection of Jesus is at Christmas. Because a baby in a manger doesn't mean much. Babies being born are all too familiar. A baby born 2000 years ago doesn't mean much… until that baby grows up and turns into a man on a cross.

See, that's what Christmas is actually all about. At Christmas, we celebrate God becoming one of us to show us the way to the Father. Because we are lost and we don't know it. We need to know the way. We are wrong, and we don't know it. We need to know the truth. What moves you from being lost to no longer being lost? What is it that moves you from being wrong to now being right? Something has to change. Sometimes, all it takes is self-awareness – the ability to look around and see that you aren't where you need to be – you're lost. Or the ability to look around and see that your actions aren't working. You're wrong.

"Bottom line, relatively speaking … we are blessed, right? We're … rich even, right? The apostle Paul says, “Command those who are rich (This is a command for those of us who are Jesus followers; command those who are rich) in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. (No kidding!) Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. In this way, they will store up for themselves a treasure that will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life.” (1 Timothy 6.17-19) … Guys, God isn't against money. God isn't against rich. He just wants us to do it well. … So, are you doing it … well? Guys, God has already blessed you with everything you need, and with enough extra, you can do some good and even be generous. So … just do it. It'll make your life better, and it will make you better at life. Stephen "Doc" Pattison

"Money and stuff are needed in this world — they're a required part of our lives. But don't let them become what your life revolves around. Paul warns Timothy in the NT, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Don't let your pursuit of money and the stuff it can get you become your first pursuit — your central pursuit. Because money has the potential to become our master — our god. And money makes for a dangerous master. Money is dangerous, and it can crush. It can pull the fingers and the hand in. It can crush your entire body. It's high voltage. It's dangerous. That's why the Bible offers warnings. So, pay attention to the warnings. Don't disregard them. Don't go past them. Please don't ignore them. I want you to recognize the way in which Doc and I are even talking about this stuff. Last week, we talked about our confusion — the ways we've misunderstood the role of money and the myths around it. We've interacted with those myths to make ourselves feel more comfortable about money. But they're just myths. This week, it's warnings. Money is dangerous. There's something on the line here. There are ways this can go very badly. And next week we'll talk about health. We'll talk about the right ways to handle our money and practical ways to live that will help resolve the temptation of money becoming our master." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"So, 3 myths, 3 misconceptions, mistakes, and misunderstandings about money that mess us up. Here's mistake #1: We live as though it's ours. We're like, I earned it, it's mine. And I can do whatever I want with what is mine, right? And we, Jesus' followers, just tweak it a little. As long as I give God his cut, the rest is mine. God gets his 10%, or whatever, and the rest is mine. But guys, here is the single biggest truth you need to know, whether you are a Jesus follower or not. This is the big one: if you get this, everything else will fall into place; if you don't get this, doing life God's way is going to be a struggle. Here it is: God owns it all. God owns it all. You see, that's where we screw up. We think it is ours when, in reality, God owns it all. You see, if it is my stuff, I can do what I want with it. If it is God's stuff, then I am obligated to handle it in a way that respects him. We get really messed up here. I have watched some of you guys. If I were God, I wouldn't trust you with any more of my stuff – because you live like it is yours. I watched it. If I were God, I wouldn't trust myself with any more of his stuff – because I tend to treat it like it is mine, even though I know better."

Sometimes, persecution is physical. The church's history is full of stories of men and women who have been imprisoned, beaten, and even killed for their faith. Even now, there are brothers and sisters around the world who still face these dangers. The church has always lived in a world that fights against it, but our mission has never shifted. Our response is not to fight back; instead, it is to bring reconciliation to the world. Regardless of what happens around us, our job is to bring others into reconciliation with God. We are ambassadors. As His representatives, we focus on His mission and speak for Him. I know that sometimes, this calling can feel intimidating. I know it can be hard. But if our Savior could remain on the cross, enduring humiliation, pain, and shame — refusing to fight back, all because He wanted to reconcile us to God — why would we think our mission is any different? Friends, you are an ambassador whether you want to be or not. And there is something on the line here. If we get this wrong, people go to hell. There is a real danger in this responsibility. So, church, make disciples. Be about His mission. Adopt the mission of the King. Seek and save the lost. Bring reconciliation to the world. Ambassadors speak for the King.

So, check your heart. Who are you following? Who do you put your hope in? What team are you on first? Be careful following any person who claims to be a savior, because they can sound like Jesus and they can try to look like Jesus, but that's one of the ways we accidentally find ourselves on the wrong team. Remember, Jesus is speaking to His disciples here. He's speaking to people who are already following Him, and He's saying, "Hey, there are going to be others who try to pull you away, who try to drift you away from me. They're going to say the right things, and they're going to look the right way, and it's going to feel like a piece of who I am and what I'm doing. Don't fall for it. Don't fall for it.” Guys, don't accidentally confuse their teams with Jesus' team. Jesus warned His disciples not to fall for imposters. CapCity, don't give your heart, don't give your allegiance to imposters. Pay close attention: What team are you really on first?

He came to build a different kind of kingdom and thought it was way more important than what we obsess over. " A God in a Bod thinks that there are things more important than healing our bodies, feeding our bellies, and defeating our enemies. What good is all that if your heart is still twisted, broken, and alienated from God?

Jesus claims that everything … everything you can think of … every ounce of authority we can find strewn throughout this world … is subject to Him. Jesus says, "ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." How much is … ALL? And what do we do about it? What's the appropriate response? What am I supposed to do with that information? What does Jesus deserve from me? Since He has ALL authority, does He deserve my all?

So, Jesus looks at these 11 guys and says, “All authority … ALL authority … both in heaven and on earth … all authority has been given to me.” … So … How much is “all”? Seriously, how much is “all”? We use that word so flippantly. Do you think Jesus was using the word flippantly, or do you think he meant it? And if Jesus has “all” authority, how much does that leave you, or me, or anyone else?

That idea may challenge you. Maybe you've always thought of religion as being restrictive, full of extra rules, tying you down with all these ways you have to live. Maybe you've thought of church as being like that. According to Paul, if you're a follower of Jesus, you should have … more freedom. Paul suggests our freest self is when we live most like Jesus because it's not about having fewer rules; it's about being more in line with who we were created to be. It's not about more rules; it's about being in our sweet spot. A bird is most free when it flies — not because there are fewer rules, but because it's doing what it was created to do. It's living in the fullness of who it is and what it's been made to be. A musician is most free, not when they strictly follow the rules of their instrument, but when it becomes so natural to them that they use their instrument to its fullest potential. The musician is most free when they become one with their instrument. Doc has told me about learning to play the cello. He claims he used to be technically proficient. He also tells me that he played without heart or emotion. He was too focused on the technical. He was a limited musician because he focused on the rules – not the freedom. Anyone who masters a craft could say this. We could talk about a woodworker, a painter, a mechanic. Freedom isn't found in the absence of rules – freedom is found when we become comfortable with what we were made to be.

Our relationship with God is based on our willingness to submit to Him. But our relationship with God is built on the fact that God was willing to submit to us, that God became man, and that He submitted to His creation for our benefit because our needs were more important than His needs. Jesus chose self-imposed limitations. God became man—and lived like a man—and died like a man—for us. So, can you submit to one another? Will you care more about the benefit of others before yourself? Will you shift your attention from yourself to the others around you? Will you lower yourself? Will you elevate others?

"Do you know why Jesus washed our feet? Do you know why he died for us? He thinks we're special. He really does. For some crazy reason, your Creator God thinks you are special. And if someone is that special to you, you'll figure out a way to serve them, right? If you love someone as much as you love yourself, you'll figure out a way to serve them, right? Do you remember the two great commandments? Love God with all your heart, and love your one anothers as much as you love yourself. A loving husband will serve his wife. A loving wife will serve her husband. A loving parent will serve his kids. A loving neighbor will serve his or her neighbor, right? You get it. God tells us to serve our one anothers, because he calls us to love our one anothers, as much as, or more than, we love ourselves … kind of like he does." Stephen "Doc" Pattison

You see, we have a faulty view of what it means to teach our “one another's.” We make it into something it doesn't have to be, and I believe those verses that we started with really, truly do apply to all of us. We are all responsible to teach our “one another's.” So, I want to reset us to an appropriate perspective of what it means to teach. I want to break down what we think it is – the lies we've bought into – and reset what teaching truly is.

So, what do you think God thinks about words that kill? Proverbs says, “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.” (Proverbs 18.21) Does that mean God sees them as equal choices? What do you think God thinks about destructive criticism, gossip, sarcasm, gaslighting, broken confidences, bullying, or other … discouraging words? How big a deal do you suppose this stuff is with God?

The word "burden" shows up a few different times in the New Testament, and it starts with this one moment with Jesus in Matthew Chapter 11. Jesus is teaching to a community that hasn't accepted him; they've pushed back against him, and Jesus decides to challenge them. But he also reaches the point where he softens. He looks to this crowd and knows there are individuals who may be interested in him. So, he says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I find this teaching from Jesus to be really quite fascinating—really, really interesting. Jesus starts by telling people who are weary and burdened … people who are tired … people who are carrying heavy weight, to bring it to him. He will take their burden from them. What kind of burdens are we talking about?

"Peace and unity are connected. Unity exists around a big idea — something significant and powerful that pulls us together. And it exists in all sorts of contexts and organizations. We could be talking about the church, but we could also talk about your school, your family, your community, your town, your state, or your country. We could talk about all sorts of different groups that exist. The unity of those groups, even if it's a Facebook group that you're a part of for your favorite team — the unity, the shared big idea of that group, is what pulls you together. It's what makes unity exist. And … it's so big that it protects us from what pulls us apart. Because within those groups, you're going to find little subordinate issues that you will inevitably disagree over. Within whatever community you may be a part of, you won't agree on every point with every person. Unity is agreeing about what is most important for the sake of that group. Peace is about allowing those smaller disagreements to stay small and not interfere with the unity around what's most important. Peace is refusing to let our differences separate us." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

This kind of hospitality, this offering of a friendship-love to strangers was kind of a big deal in a culture with all these nomads. A lot of people kind of moved around, they weren't citizens of a town, or a country, and hospitality was a really big deal. And then there were the widows and the orphans, and others who were flat-out poor. And there were no governmental safety nets in that world. Without hospitality from good people, they'd be hosed. After all … that might be your wife someday, your kid someday, maybe even you someday. So, do for others, because someday you may need them to do for you. You see, hospitality was a really big deal in that world, but it was not always … “selfless.”

"Now, that word in Romans 12, where we started—that word "honor"—it's a Greek word. It looks like the word "time," but what it means is "prize." It can mean "value," it can mean "respect." It can mean "honor," and it can mean "recognition." I really like that word recognition because I think that gives us a good perspective of what honor is. Recognition is an important piece of honor—it's recognizing the value of another person. That's an act of honor, and it can be done in all sorts of different ways. It can happen in the form of gifts, it can happen in the form of words, it can happen in the form of service. And because honor is an act of recognition, honor doesn't make something true; it's a recognition of what is true. Honor is saying out loud – whether in word or in action – what is true. It's acknowledging what is true." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"When Jesus says, “Love one another,” who is my one another? You see, this “agape” kind of love wouldn't be so painfully difficult if the people in your life weren't so painfully difficult. But you are surrounded by a bunch of sinners. If I got to pick my “one another,” maybe loving my “one another” wouldn't be so hard. But … I don't. If all my “one another” were thoughtful, and peaceable, and patient, and kind, and selfless, and self-controlled … maybe I'd be better at it, right? If all my “one another” liked bacon, and the Cowboys, and SciFi … If all my “one another's” believed what I believed about God, about the church, about politics, about vegetables … would that be easier? Well, who'd make your cut? Or maybe better, who would you exclude from your basket of “one another”?"

This message is for everyone, but it is about our responsibility to help others, not about helping ourselves. Here is the big question: “What is your responsibility in helping someone who struggles with mental health?”

"Now, not everyone who is depressed will feel all of these descriptors; but they probably feel some of them. You feel down. You're irritable, maybe. Maybe a sense of hopelessness. You've lost a sense of purpose. Those things you used to enjoy, you don't enjoy them anymore. There's this oppressive pessimism – everything is half-empty. Sadness, dejection. Some people eat when they are depressed. Some don't eat. Some people sleep when they are depressed. Some can't sleep. You may feel constantly tired and listless. You may have a hard time thinking clearly, concentrating, and processing. You may have this self-loathing, maybe feeling like a failure. You may even … you may even have thought about ending it all. Does any of that stuff ring a bell with any of you? And if this stuff settles in, if it stays too long, after a couple weeks, they might label it as a clinical depression. Ever been there and felt that?" Stephen "Doc" Pattison

"Anxiety and worry exist on a spectrum. At one end, you have worry and anxiety that are present but manageable … and even beneficial. They press us and push us to fulfill our responsibilities. They act as a prod to do our jobs well. But that's not the complete picture. I think that's a small piece of the picture. Anxiety and worry are usually not good. Most of the time, anxiety and worry are irrational or vague. They paralyze us instead of motivating us. The most often outcome is that anxiety and worry make our lives worse." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"When we let that lie take root, it grows and grows until, eventually, we say, "You're unlovable." It's not that you're never going to be loved; you lie to yourself and think your problem is that you aren't worth loving. No one's ever going to find you lovable. Eventually, that grows until you begin believing that you don't even love yourself. How is it possible for anyone else to love you, right? These lies are like digging a hole. And you tell yourself that you are trying to dig yourself out of the hole … but it's only getting deeper and darker. Our pain gets deeper and deeper, and our hope gets smaller and smaller. And we find ourselves unhealthy. We find ourselves in a very dangerous place. People who don't feel loved are likely to struggle with anxiety and depression, as well as many other mood disorders. We're talking about moments in our mental health where we've accepted these lies: that life has no meaning, that I am ruined, or that I am not loved. They begin to destroy us. We accept them as true, and it puts us in dark places. These lies especially destroy us when we don't recognize them as lies. The best way to identify a lie is to know the truth." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

It's a word we all understand – “ruin.” Something was beautiful once, but no longer. It was useful once, valuable once, but no longer. It has been damaged and wrecked. It has been spoiled. You can ruin a shirt; you can ruin a phone; you can ruin a vacation; you can ruin a career; you can ruin a relationship; you can ruin a person. Have you ever ruined someone or tried to? Have you ever felt ruined? I'll bet most of you know the feeling.

"So, a lot of us … in fact, most of us, maybe … kind of put on these masks. And our masks usually look better on the outside than we feel on the inside, right? And we kind of fear that everyone around is as good on the inside as their masks look on the outside. So, when we compare our insides to their masks, we don't look too good, we don't feel too good, right? … Listen … Bottom line, the reality is, you are not alone. Chances are you either have in the past, or are now, or someone you care about deeply is struggling with some mental health issue. Especially … especially … if you are around kids because they're struggling, guys. … We'll see. And too often, when we have some kind of mental or emotional problem … we respond by hiding, isolating, disconnecting … which damages our relationships with the people who care for us. We disconnect in marriage, we disconnect from our parents, our kids, our friends; we disconnect from our church family … and we wither … alone … as our mental, emotional, and even spiritual health deteriorates. Do you get that? Do you feel that? Do you do that?"

"We talked about raising godly children – which is hard work and requires discipline. Wisdom says to listen to God. Fools despise discipline. We talked about money – which requires hard work and discipline to handle well. It wasn't groundbreaking information. Wisdom says to listen to God. Fools despise discipline. We talked about our hurts, and we talked about friends. All these things take work and discipline. Wisdom says to listen to God. Fools despise discipline. And today we're going to talk about marriage." Ben Webb, Associate Minister

"I don't care whether you are a Boomer, a Gen Xer, a Millennial, a Zer, or even Gen Alpha … the questions are the same: Does your work life matter to God? Does how you work affect your life with God? Does God care? And if he does, should you? What do you think: Is work a necessary evil? Should our goal be to do as little as possible and get past it as soon as possible? Do you think heaven will be about sleeping in, playing golf as often as you want, hanging with friends by the pool, and doing what you want when you want, never having to worry about a timecard? Would that be the perfect life? Randy, my preaching partner for about 20 years, asks it like this. He says, Your attitude towards work reflects how much of your soul belongs to God."

It's dangerous to be in a place where no one cares for you spiritually because it's incredibly easy to drift away from God. We need people in our corner to help pull us toward God. It's that together part of what Doc always says. We've got this saying that we use a lot around here. We're all about doing life with God, for God, God's way … together. There's something significant about us doing life … together. There's another thing Doc says. We all have this responsibility to drag each other to heaven. And if you're alone … you're in a very dangerous place. It means you don't have anyone dragging you towards heaven. But I don't think that this is the biggest problem. We're talking about friendships today, but I don't think loneliness is the biggest issue we face. I think all of us know intuitively that we need friends. You may experience loneliness – we may experience loneliness – but nearly all of us are working on resolving that already. We crave relationships. And we naturally work to foster them. I think the bigger issue is that we're all so desperate to not be lonely … we're so desperate to not be lonely … that we will take friendship anywhere we find it. Is that your story? I guarantee you know someone who has that story.

"How many of you have been wounded? Not physically, but emotionally? … Yeah, that's a universal, right? Emotional pain, spiritual pain, relational pain? Anger, sadness, bitterness, despair, remorse maybe; you are wounded, you hurt. It's pretty much universal. How many of you are hurting somehow right here, right now? A bunch of you, probably. Because hurt happens. Hurting is universal. Healing … not so much." Stephen "Doc" Pattison