Podcasts about pastor preston

Are you tired of living in fear? Do you want to walk boldly in your faith, no matter what life throws at you? In this powerful message, Pastor Preston breaks down the true key to unlocking a fearless faith. Whether you're facing uncertainty, anxiety, or doubt—this message will remind you that God has already equipped you to stand strong. Watch now and discover: How to stop letting fear dominate your life. The power of understanding your identity in Christ. Practical steps to strengthen your faith today.

This is the third sermon in the ‘Path of Discipleship' series. At the heart of Jesus' call to his first disciples is the invitation to be with him. The path of discipleship is not primarily about a particular set of practices (although there are practices that help). Rather, it is about intentionally remaining in the presence of Jesus.

This is the first sermon in the ‘Path of Discipleship' series and will lay the groundwork for what is to follow. The idea is that Jesus doesn't call us simply to sign up for an idea, subscribe to a philosophy or join a club. Rather, he invites us to be disciples. The word ‘disciple' today may be unfamiliar to us apart from its use in church, but in the times of Jesus, it was commonplace. It simply means ‘learner' or ‘apprentice', and it was common for religious leaders and public figures to take on ‘disciples' who would be taught to walk in the ways of the master. This is the invitation that Jesus extends to us, and in the series, we will explore what this involves.

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Discovering Absolute Truth in a Jaded World:We live in a generation shaped by skepticism and cynicism. Join us for the next seven weeks as we explore why we believe Jesus has given us the Bible as the ultimate source of absolute truth.Together, we'll dive into profound questions like:* What is absolute truth, and how is it different from personal conviction or opinion?* How does understanding the full story of Scripture transform the way we read the Bible?* What does the Bible say about eternal life, and how can we be confident in our spiritual destiny?* Why do we exist spiritually, and how does this shape our purpose?We'll also reflect on the Church's role in today's world—not as a place to attend but as a family to belong to and a mission to live out.Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the thread that connects all of Scripture and discover how it speaks into your life today.

Pastor Preston and Tabitha Proctor give us an inside look into all things related to church planting. They share their heart and the origin story of Hope Church in Whitehouse, Texas.

Discovering Absolute Truth in a Jaded World: We live in a generation shaped by skepticism and cynicism. Join us for the next seven weeks as we explore why we believe Jesus has given us the Bible as the ultimate source of absolute truth.Together, we'll dive into profound questions like:* What is absolute truth, and how is it different from personal conviction or opinion?* How does understanding the full story of Scripture transform the way we read the Bible?* What does the Bible say about eternal life, and how can we be confident in our spiritual destiny?* Why do we exist spiritually, and how does this shape our purpose?We'll also reflect on the Church's role in today's world—not as a place to attend but as a family to belong to and a mission to live out.Don't miss this opportunity to engage with the thread that connects all of Scripture and discover how it speaks into your life today.

Advent: The Coming of ChristAdvent means "coming" and celebrates the incarnation and salvation of Jesus. In this series, we reflect on the hope, faith, joy, and peace brought by Christ's arrival. Each week focuses on a powerful theme of Advent:Hope through the Prophet's CandleFaith in the Bethlehem CandleJoy with the Shepherd's CandlePeace shared by the Angel's CandleJoin us as we explore these timeless truths and celebrate the light of the world, Jesus Christ. Don't miss our special Christmas production and online-only message to wrap up this season of reflection and worship!

When you picture overflow, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of coffee spilling over the edges of a mug, water flowing over a dam, or the space just outside a packed concert venue. God is a God of overflow. He desires for us to have a life overflowing with His character — too much hope to keep inside, peace spilling over the edges, love saturating everything in and around us.But in order to overflow, something must first be filled. We cannot fill ourselves up by working harder, serving more, or by being good enough. Overflow is the opposite of striving — it flows freely from within. God doesn't ask us to earn fullness. Jesus already earned it for us. So we can operate in God's joy as His ambassadors and children, pouring out to others as a result of an overflow instead of effort.

When you picture overflow, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of coffee spilling over the edges of a mug, water flowing over a dam, or the space just outside a packed concert venue. God is a God of overflow. He desires for us to have a life overflowing with His character — too much hope to keep inside, peace spilling over the edges, love saturating everything in and around us.But in order to overflow, something must first be filled. We cannot fill ourselves up by working harder, serving more, or by being good enough. Overflow is the opposite of striving — it flows freely from within. God doesn't ask us to earn fullness. Jesus already earned it for us. So we can operate in God's joy as His ambassadors and children, pouring out to others as a result of an overflow instead of effort.

In this powerful sermon series, All Things New, we delve into the profound realities of eternity—where we go when we die, and how our lives today are shaped by an eternal perspective. Over the course of this series, we'll explore the biblical truths about heaven and hell, offering clear insights into what awaits us beyond this life. More than just future speculation, All Things New encourages us to live today with eternity in mind, fully grasping the new life offered to us in Jesus Christ.Whether you are questioning, seeking, or already secure in your faith, these messages will help reframe your understanding of eternity and the all-important question: Are you ready for what's next?

Ex 14:29-15:27

In a time when division runs deep across our nation and even within the church, it's more important than ever to seek unity and healing.'The Divided States of America' sermon series dives into the root causes of this divide, exploring both the spiritual and societal fractures that threaten to pull us apart. Join us as we uncover practical, faith-driven ways to bridge the gaps, foster reconciliation, and stand together as one body in Christ, committed to building a stronger, more united nation.

In a time when division runs deep across our nation and even within the church, it's more important than ever to seek unity and healing.'The Divided States of America' sermon series dives into the root causes of this divide, exploring both the spiritual and societal fractures that threaten to pull us apart. Join us as we uncover practical, faith-driven ways to bridge the gaps, foster reconciliation, and stand together as one body in Christ, committed to building a stronger, more united nation."

Welcome to Sunday morning worship! Join us as Pastor Preston Spencer, Jr. delivers this message from the topic, “A Commitment that Supersedes My Will.” Scripture References: Matthew 28: 16 - 20 If you would like to donate to the ministry and help us as we serve nations, please visit: https://www.topraise.us/give

Do you feel overwhelmed, dissatisfied, and running on empty? Wishing your day-to-day life could improve? Sometimes it seems like the only way to keep up with all the demands on our lives is to run at maximum capacity until we can't anymore. But there is another way... and God's Word is your guide to better and brighter days.Join us for a Reality Reboot as we discover God's plan for our lives, relationships, finances, health and so much more!

Do you feel overwhelmed, dissatisfied, and running on empty? Wishing your day-to-day life could improve? Sometimes it seems like the only way to keep up with all the demands on our lives is to run at maximum capacity until we can't anymore. But there is another way... and God's Word is your guide to better and brighter days.Join us for a Reality Reboot as we discover God's plan for our lives, relationships, finances, health and so much more!To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveIf you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE:https://share.fluro.io/form/623355a728c6670bfb898808Stay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertychurchctx/

Experience this captivating sermon series, "At the Movies" where we discovered hidden messages and timeless spiritual themes in popular movies, connecting them to the teachings of Scripture. Join us as we bridge the gap between Hollywood and the Bible.To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveStay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

Each one of us has a good work to do. We may not see it yet, but it's often right there in front of our eyes. For Nehemiah, it was a crumbled wall. For you, it could be an injustice in the world, or a need you see what no one else does. During this series, we will learn how Nehemiah responded to his own calling and learn how we can change our own world just by leaning into the unique calling that God has put in front of each of us.This four-week series will take a closer look at the good work God called Nehemiah to do and show us how his story can be an example in our own lives. God has called us all to a good work in our world, in our neighborhood, or in our family. This series will challenge us to find our purpose, understand our opposition, and give us the tools and encouragement to live out our calling.To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveStay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertychurchctx/

Each one of us has a good work to do. We may not see it yet, but it's often right there in front of our eyes. For Nehemiah, it was a crumbled wall. For you, it could be an injustice in the world, or a need you see what no one else does. During this series, we will learn how Nehemiah responded to his own calling and learn how we can change our own world just by leaning into the unique calling that God has put in front of each of us.This four-week series will take a closer look at the good work God called Nehemiah to do and show us how his story can be an example in our own lives. God has called us all to a good work in our world, in our neighborhood, or in our family. This series will challenge us to find our purpose, understand our opposition, and give us the tools and encouragement to live out our calling.To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveStay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertychurchctx/

As disciples seeking to follow Christ, we recognize the profound significance of encountering His glory and its transformative power. God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him, and you will become most satisfied in him when God is most glorified in you. In this series, we journey together towards a deeper understanding and experience of God's glory in our lives. Join us as we explore the depths of God's presence and become transformed by His glory.To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveIf you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE:https://share.fluro.io/form/623355a728c6670bfb898808Stay Connected:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

As Jesus followers, we want to be on fruitful & good soil but honestly, we sometimes better identify with the thorns described in the parable of the sower. In this series we will look at how this isn't just a “next best” option for your life, but rather the differences between death and life for you and generations to come.To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveIf you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE:https://share.fluro.io/form/623355a728c6670bfb898808Stay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertychurchctx/

As Jesus followers, we want to be on fruitful & good soil but honestly, we sometimes better identify with the thorns described in the parable of the sower. In this series we will look at how this isn't just a “next best” option for your life, but rather the differences between death and life for you and generations to come.To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.lccleveland.com/giveIf you've just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE:https://share.fluro.io/form/623355a728c6670bfb898808Stay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertychurchctx/

The Holy Spirit is a person to be known by us.
And to be filled with the Spirit is a life of communion, dependence, and relationship.We are not always aware of the Holy Spirit's presence or our need for the Holy Spirit. But as believers, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is always at work in us and through us – whether we know it or not.Join us as we learn to surrender to the presence of God through our relationship with the Holy Spirit.Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

At it's best, the Christmas season can be merry and bright but sometimes it can feel like the light has faded. No matter the circumstance, there's a hope worth clinging to.Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

At it's best, the Christmas season can be merry and bright but sometimes it can feel like the light has faded. No matter the circumstance, there's a hope worth clinging to.Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

Message by Pastor Preston Young Text: Leviticus 10 September 8, 2023 - 9AM

Many people could describe their lives as hectic, busy, and overcomplicated. And many wear these labels as badges of honor. But in the middle of work, responsibilities, friendships, and family, simplicity seems out of reach, and it's easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. The Bible tells us, however, the key to living with joy is to maintain a pure heart and simply devote ourselves to God.Join us for this series, Simplify, as we learn the unforced rhythms of grace.Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

Spiritual warfare is the fight God calls us to in Scripture to stand against evil forces of darkness. We have a real enemy who wants nothing more than to steal, kill, and destroy us.When we believe the enemy's lies, we empower him, and are bound by his strongholds. The goals of his lies are to steal our focus, cause us to feel controlled, consume our emotional energy, distract us from our purpose, and ultimately rob us of the life God intended for us. Join us as we learn to stand firm against the evil one and live victoriously in Christ!Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

The Bible is full of stories about miracles. Can those same kinds of miracles happen now—and can they happen in your life? We're talking about it with this message series, When Pigs Fly!Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

The Bible is full of stories about miracles. Can those same kinds of miracles happen now—and can they happen in your life? We're talking about it with this message series, When Pigs Fly!Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

Experience this captivating sermon series, "At the Movies" where we discovered hidden messages and timeless spiritual themes in popular movies, connecting them to the teachings of Scripture. Join us as we bridge the gap between Hollywood and the Bible.Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

It's easy to think of doubt as a sign of weak faith. But it's not. God isn't afraid of our doubts, so we don't have to be either. In our new series, Doubting God, we're creating a space for the questions we've been afraid to ask. Together, let's discover how doubt can actually build our faith.Stay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/

It's easy to think of doubt as a sign of weak faith. But it's not. God isn't afraid of our doubts, so we don't have to be either. In our new series, Doubting God, we're creating a space for the questions we've been afraid to ask. Together, let's discover how doubt can actually build our faith.Stay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.lccleveland.com/Liberty Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/Liberty Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/

[00:00:02.930] Hi there. My name is Preston Pouteaux. Welcome to the Lake Ridge Community Church Podcast. This is where we share some of our messages from Sunday mornings. So we're glad you're here to listen. We'd love for you to join us in person. We meet on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m at Our Lady of Wisdom School here in Chestermere.[00:00:21.260] At our core, we're a community of.[00:00:23.190] People, so we gather on Sundays, but we also do a lot in the week. Together, we are people learning to follow Jesus and love our city. So to learn more, visit lakeridgecommunity.com. Hope to check in and visit with you soon. Take care, thanks for listening.[00:00:45.060] King Herod was the king. He was called Herod the Great. He built so many things. We got to visit all of his palaces. He had palaces here, there, everywhere. These palaces. We've seen more Herod palaces than right. Colin and Kayla are nodding. We've seen palaces. This guy was wanting to be a king that was never forgotten. He was the king, Herod the Great for a reason. He built so much stuff, he wanted to be remembered. But boy, was he overshadowed because his life coincided with Jesus's life. And Jesus kind of took the stage for history. We have a king that wanted to be at the center of the story, and then he got overshadowed. So here's a bit of the Christmas story. So Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod, about the time some wise men from the eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, where's the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him. You can imagine that if you are Herod, this super king who wants to be the king known forever, whose reign wants to never end, and you hear somebody coming from faraway lands, from the east saying, hey, we've heard there's a new king to be born, you'd freak out a little bit.[00:01:59.290] And they did. It said this. Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. The word from this would have been uproar. There was an uproar in Jerusalem when they heard that there could be another king. Impossible. King Herod is our king. Put a pin in that. We're going to come back to this uproar moment. So, Matthew 21, you have it there. I'm going to read it and unpack it a little bit because I think we're going to get a sense of what's going on in this story, and it's a pretty profound story. Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem. Well, where were they coming from before this? The triumphal entry story doesn't just begin approaching Jerusalem, but it begins somewhere farther away. If I put Jerusalem here, I need somebody to hold a piece of paper up. Can I have a paper holder here? Look at this, Ed. Here is Jerusalem. Ed, I'm going to have you hold it there. There is Jerusalem. Well, Jesus, he had come from first from the Galilee, which is a three day walk. Then he made his way down to probably about this far away from where Ed is.[00:03:15.640] He was in Jericho, the lowest city on the earth, 2700 meters below sea level, and he had to work his way up through really rough up and down to make his way over to Jerusalem. So there's a bit of a distance there and we're going to unpack what that's about Ed? Awesome. I will call you up ten more times. That was just so, so good. So Jesus, he is in Jericho, and he begins to proclaim the coming of his kingdom in ways before he even begins to come into Jerusalem. Did you know in all the ancient prophets of the bygone times when they prophesied that somebody would come? They said, Somebody will come who will make lame men walk and the blind to see. This is something the prophets never did, but they had hoped that one day someone would. And so here is Jesus. He's in Jericho just before this. And Jesus, he shows up, and not only does he heal one blind man, but he heals two. They were sitting by the road and they heard Jesus coming and they began shouting, lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. And the crowd, they said they yelled at him, Be quiet.[00:04:25.250] But they only shouted louder, lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. When Jesus heard them, he stopped. He said, what do you want me to do for you, Lord? They said, we want to see. And Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes, and instantly they could see and they followed Him. Jesus had also met another man at a pool who had been lame for 30 some years. And he said the same thing. What do you want me to do for you two people who are obviously blind and lame? And he's asking them, what do you want? What do you want from your king? Well, we want to see. We want to walk. This is how Jesus is setting the stage to say, this is the kind of King that I'm at, that I am. You see, Herod, he was always cloistered away in his palaces. He didn't care if you couldn't see or walk. But he was a different kind of king, and Jesus was inaugurating something different. So Jesus goes from Jericho and begins his journey, which would have taken a good full day, and it would have been sweaty and hot, and he would have worked his way up to a place just outside of Jerusalem.[00:05:28.050] Jesus liked to walk. Jesus didn't have a car. We have no other reports of Him riding any animal except in this story, which we'll get to. But he walked. He hoofed it everywhere. He sent his disciples out to hoof it everywhere. He walked from way up the very, very north to the very south. And it would have taken days of walking anywhere in between. This picture of Jesus, who is maybe some gentle, gentle guy who kind of, I don't know, moves slowly through something, no picture a good mountain man or something, somebody who liked to walk, who got dusty and took his disciples and said, you're walking along with me. In a time when a lot of people maybe stayed in their place, he went out a king who walked, king Herod. He was often carried everywhere. He had a few people who had hoist him up. In fact, he had a gout so bad that he could barely walk, right? He was carried everywhere. And here's Jesus walking everywhere. So get this picture in your mind of a walking Jesus who's sweaty, who's dirty, and who is excited to move on to the next place.[00:06:38.740] So Jesus makes his way up from Jericho after healing, and there's people even following him. Then they're excited. Why is Jesus going up to Jerusalem? Well, he's going up to Jerusalem because it is Passover. And good Jews would go to Jerusalem for Passover and they would prepare to retell the story of how they were rescued, how God saved them. The Passover story is just a retelling of how God took people from Egypt and rescued them out of slavery. And God had a mighty hand of rescue save us. And God did. So Jesus, he works his way up from Jericho and he makes his way 3400ft, 15 miles and makes his way too close to Jerusalem. John Twelve said that he shows up in his friend's house. And if you read, if you want to have a really kind of amazing passion week, read all the different accounts because they all piece together some pieces of what happened. So John Twelve says this six days before Passover celebration began, jesus arrived in Bethany. Bethany is a town probably about, probably about an hour's walk outside of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, there's a valley and it goes down there's.[00:07:53.750] Bethany. You go up on the Mount of Olives, where there's Beth Phage, and you come down the other side and into Jerusalem while he comes to the base of it on the far side, on the east side. And he shows up there at a home of his friends, of his friend Lazarus, the man he had raised from the dead. It says in John. And a dinner was prepared for him in Jesus honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Imagine sitting there with a man who is dead and buried, right, who you rose from the dead. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve ounce jar of expensive perfume made from the essence of Nard. I actually went and visited the Jerusalem Nard Maker, because who doesn't, right? I brought back some nard for my sister. Oh, yeah, you brought the nard good. I love just saying the word nard. It's just so fun to say. And he anointed Jesus's feet with it. Or she anointed Jesus's feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.[00:08:58.860] So here Jesus. He's receiving this care from his friends. He's healing, he's coming in, they're anointing him. And all around this, Jesus is telling the story about how he's about to die. And his disciples aren't really getting their heads around it. Jesus is scary at, the disciple who would soon betray him, said the perfume was worth a year's wage. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Not that he cared for the poor. It says he was a thief. And since he was in charge of the disciples money, he often stole some for himself. But Jesus replied leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. So here Jesus is getting ready. You see, there's so much more to the Triumphal entry than just him walking in. He's fulfilling some very important pieces. In fact, Jesus, as he's about to come into Jerusalem from the east, he is retracing the steps of one of Israel's favorite kings, king David, who actually fled from his son ABSALOM, going in that direction where one king once left. Here's Jesus, the King coming on that same road in in Micah four two.[00:10:14.220] It says that Messiah will come from the east with healing in his wings. Here's Jesus, he just healed these blind men and he's coming to the house of Lazarus, who he rose from the dead, and he's coming from the east. And anybody that knew their scripture at all would have been like, what's going on? Is the king coming back? He's healing where others couldn't, and now he's showing up from the east with healing in his wings. Is this the Messiah? Isaiah 40. It says he's going to come from the wilderness. And he does. He comes from the wilderness. Dusty, sweaty, ZECHARIAH nine nine that Leah read for us today is probably the one scripture that would have been ringing in this whole time. It's a scripture that shows a picture of what God is doing in Israel. It says, Rejoice, O people of Zion. Zion is another word for Jerusalem. Shout in triumph o people of Jerusalem Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble. Riding on a donkey. Riding on a donkey's colt. I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the war horses from Jerusalem.[00:11:30.600] I will destroy all the weapons used in battle. And your King will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea. God is saying long before through all these prophets, that this is the way your King is going to come. Not in the way of King Herod, who's being pranced around to his palaces, but in the way of these of these prophets. And so Jesus begins to do what prophets have done for a long time, which is enact the grand story. He comes healing, he comes from the wilderness, he comes from the way of David, and he comes up and he's on his feet. But then he does something interesting. He decides for the last stretch, he's going to take a donkey. Jesus didn't need to ride a donkey. He's been on his feet the entire time. But he's about to make a statement that requires a donkey. So let's take a look here if you can find Matthew 21, and we're going to read this together and get a sense of what happens in these moments. Everything's building up. The tension is building for this moment as Jesus and his disciples approach Jerusalem.[00:12:37.980] So they're coming from the east and they're rising up. If you take a look at this map here, jesus is coming from this side of the map, okay? This is the way to Jericho. This is the way of the wilderness. And he's come up about this far to the base of it, where he's staying for a few days with his friends to just all to be covered in gnard, apparently. So he's smelling pretty delicious at this point, right? And he's coming and he's at Bethany, just about an hour's walk outside. But he instead of taking a donkey to ride up the mountain to get to the top of it, where Beth Phages, the Mount of Olives, he gets to the top and then he's going to ride a donkey down. If you're going to ride a donkey, you want it to take you up something because that's hard. But no, Jesus wasn't in it to ride a donkey because he needed the ride. He was in it for something else. So they came to the town of Bethfage on the Mount of Olives, and Jesus sent two of them ahead. He said, go into the village there, he said, and as soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there with its colt beside it.[00:13:41.250] So a donkey, a mama donkey and a baby donkey, right? Some of the prophecies say that he is going to ride a donkey that hasn't been ridden before. And if you're going to ride a donkey that's not been ridden before, you probably need the mama along with it, because if there's going to be crowds, that little donkey isn't going to really well, the donkey could be quite impatient with the experience. Right, who's riding me? What's going on? So I even love this picture that he's riding on the baby and mama donkey is alongside, right? What a picture of a king coming in. This is not a war horse scenario. This is Jesus riding on a baby donkey with the mama there, because the donkey needs to stay calm. As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks you what you're doing, just say the Lord needs them and he will immediately let you take them. He needs them. Jesus can't walk downhill. He can't make the rest of the way. He's been walking for days, but now he needs a donkey.[00:14:45.280] You know why he needs a donkey? Because he needs to say what kind of king he is. He needs to say what he's about in a world of war horses and huge creations to talk about King Herod and now his three sons who rule everything in a terrible way. Now. The Lord needs them. He's about to do something. And then it says this. This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, the whole point of this is to fulfill the grand story of God's people who've been waiting for so long. The prophecy says this. Tell the people of Jerusalem, look, your king is coming to you. King David once fled over the mountain that way, but now the king is coming to you. And this is it. He is humble, riding on a donkey. Riding on a donkey's colt. He's coming on a baby donkey. So the two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and they threw their garment over the colt and he sat on it. He got off of his feet and now he's going to ride this donkey down. He's sitting on it. It would have been strange, I think, for people to see, but here he is, he's fulfilling prophecy, he's telling the story, and anybody watching would have been like, oh, my, this is a moment, I'm paying attention to something here.[00:16:03.350] So the two disciples did as Jesus commanded and they oh, yeah, and he sat on it. Now, most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and the others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. This is where we get the idea, Palm Sunday, right? The idea that we're waving branches. I was once in Jerusalem years ago for a different festival. It's a festival, I don't even know what it is. It's celebrating some Jewish rabbi, but what they pretty much would do is go to every tree. It's very destructive festival, but all these Jewish kids would snap branches off of every tree they could find. Then they would drag them on the roofs of the houses and burn them and have this big burning festival. And they would also burn chairs and anything made of wood. So I was just watching kids, like six year old kids, just dragging doors and chairs and busted branches that looked like they were in good shape, and they're just destroying the place, all for this festival. But you wonder in this moment here what they are doing, right? Everybody's? You could just picture people bouncing on branches that they're going to snap these off to celebrate.[00:17:03.240] People are getting worked up. The crowd spread garments and now their others cut branches from trees and spread them down. When we were just there a couple of weeks ago, we walked down this road. We walked down from the top of Mount of Olives down into the valley. It was beautiful. And Jesus was at the center of the procession and the people all around him were shouting praise God, the Son of David. They know what's going on. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Praise God in the highest heaven. They are repeating these psalms. Psalm 113 to Psalm 118 are this bank of psalms that celebrates the coming of God and they are praising these out. These are the songs that they sing when God delivers them. And they are singing these songs god is here, he is with us. The king has come back. Celebration. And then this dramatic moment. The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. Where have we heard that before? When they thought that baby King of the Jews was being born and King Herod at the birth of Jesus was worked up and the whole city then was in an uproar.[00:18:21.560] Now Matthew's pointing to it again and saying in this moment, as Jesus comes in, the entire city of Jerusalem is in an uproar as he entered. And then the question, who is this? Who is this? The grand story from him coming down from Galilee to being in Jericho coming all the way up, everything is being told. People are running ahead saying, I got healed. All these grand stories and they are saying, who is this? This is the big question of the whole Easter week. Who is this? C. S. Lewis he once said, Jesus can be one of three things. He can be a deceiver, somebody who is out there like all the other kings to manipulate a world for his benefit. He could be an absolute crazy, maniac fool who's convinced himself he is God and he is a nutcase and you should cast him off like that. And if he's a manipulator or a nutcase, those are the two that we don't want anything to do with. But there's only one other option, and that is he is God. Those are the only three. C. S. Lewis said you can't call him a good teacher.[00:19:38.090] If he's not God because he's a manipulator or a crazy person, he can only be God or one of those two. There's no other options logically for Jesus. So any idea that he's just a prophet, it just does not work here. He's more than that. So as the crowds replied, this was when they said, who is this? And the crowds replied, it's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. He has come. A prophet who has not done any of these things before, raised somebody from the dead, helped the blind to see, the lame to walk, and now he's coming in and he's coming in using all of this king language and they're trying to figure out, who is this guy? What is he doing? This is the question for our hearts, I think, today, is, who is this? Who is he to you? Is he somebody who offers some really good tidbits of advice that if you read some parts, there's actually some I think it was a publishing company once created a version of the Bible where they xed out all the parts that kind of applied to Jesus being God and just kept all the nice little phrases right.[00:20:49.860] It doesn't work quite that way. Take a look at this map on this other side of Jerusalem. I think this is a helpful one and one that you might want to carry with you throughout this week. It paints a picture of Jesus's journey into Jerusalem. We stayed actually, my sermon from last Sunday that I did on the video was down right in the bottom left corner. And Jerusalem University College where we studied at, was right down in that corner, too. And right where kind of in the middle here, there's a little pool there. It just says pool beside it up above Herod's Palace. That's where our hotel was. And so we spent our days poking all around Jerusalem. And so we become quite familiar with this. But I want to point to you a few stories of Jesus coming and going from Jerusalem in this really important week. Right now for Palm Sunday, we are celebrating one entry point and it's this little one where he comes in and he goes to the Temple Mount and he goes back out again. He comes in from Bethany and he comes by the pool of Bethesda. This is the pool where he where he healed a lame man who was lame for 38 years.[00:22:06.430] And this is the route that he comes from, down the Mount of Olives. And he comes in to enter into the Temple. Everything he's doing here is prophetic. Everything he's doing is setting the stage so that people know and they do come alert to it later, but when they know that he dies on the cross, that this isn't some ordinary criminal. But Jesus at every step of the way is fulfilling what all these prophets have been building up to so that there is no guess in people's mind who Jesus is saying that he is. He is God Himself, the Messiah, the Savior of the world coming in there. So there is the route where he comes in and he cleans out the Temple and he says, this is my Father's house because the place had become a place where people were just trying to make some money. And so he does that. And then a little while later, which is part of the Passion Week, and we'll explore this on Friday and Saturday. But then Jesus comes and he comes back from Bethany where he's staying with his friends. Where he comes down, you can see that arrow going way down to the bottom by the pool of Salom.[00:23:09.500] And he makes his way over to the traditional place of the upper room of his last supper. He shares passover there, which is all so symbolic of how Jesus of this saving God who rescued his people. And he says, Eat this bread and drink this cup in remembrance now of me, not of just your rescue from Egypt. Then he makes his way to follow those arrows where he goes to the garden of Gethsemane where late at night he says to his friends, stay up and pray. And he cries and blood drips down from him in this garden. And we had a chance to go to this garden where there's these ancient olive trees and they have a rock there that they built a church over where they say it's where Jesus prayed. But irregardless he prayed there and all of his disciples, they couldn't stay awake with him. And that's where he's arrested and betrayed by his friend Judas. And then he goes on a journey. You can watch the next line go through and it's a weaving line that takes him through several places, through Jerusalem, where he's tried on these hopped up charges before the high priest and then to Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas's palace.[00:24:13.770] And he's taken all the way through where he's eventually taken out to golgotha outside of the city walls where there's now a church over that and he's crucified died and is buried watching this, weaving through every moment of Jesus's life outside of this, but now brought into this tension moment in Jerusalem. It is all telling a story. And it brings us to the question that Matthew poses and the crowds ask, who is this? I hope this week, this Passion Week for you as you reflect, maybe you're going to read the Scripture yourself. I would recommend you read through the different gospels, the different accounts and become acquainted with it. But I hope that you will ask yourself this question who is this? Who is this Jesus guy? Is he crazy? Is he a manipulator? Or is he God? Because if this is God come to us, if this is our king return to us, if this is our true Savior, the Savior of all people, then this should change utterly how I live and what I give my allegiance to. This might be the best news we've ever heard. This is the good news of Palm Sunday.[00:25:21.890] Hosanna. Hosanna. Save us. Save us. The king is here. Would you stand with me? We're going to share together and it's going to show up on the screen. It's called a litany. It's a way of responding back and forth. And we're going to do this as our benediction. I hope it sets us up for this week of asking, who is this? Who is this jesus. Who is coming down and is he somebody who is coming into my life? Is this prophet, as they call him, from Galilee, from Nazareth in Galilee? Is this somebody more? Is this somebody who is working his way into my life? Is this somebody who can transform my city and come into my world? Can he be my king today in all that I'm going through? So let's read this together. I'm going to read the parts where it says Forgive us. That's the part that I'm going to ask you to read. So I am going to read a line and then for the forgive us part, that's the part you are going to read. So it goes like this. Today we have cheered you on as our champion and hailed you as our hero.[00:26:31.060] Forgive us tomorrow when our enthusiasm wanes. Today we have entrusted you to rescue us from our pitiful circumstances. Forgive us on Tuesday when we decide we can take care of ourselves. Today we have made you the centerpiece of our very existence. Forgive us on Wednesday when we forget to remember who you are. Today we have called you loudly by name. Forgive us on Thursday when we pretend that you've never met us. Today we have stared at you with the starstruck eyes of fans and groupies. Forgive us on Friday when we avert our eyes because it's too painful to see you on the cross. Today we have expressed our unsuppressed hopefulness in the future you have in store for us. Forgive us on Saturday when we believe all is lost. Today we have been boldly certain of the earthly ways you will redeem us, restore us on Sunday when we are startled and awed by your rising. Amen. Friends, we are about to enter a week, and it's a solemn week where there's a lot of emotion. I find this to be my most emotional week, but we're going to do something new that we've never done as a community, and we're going to have a good Friday service here, and we might need a bit of help with that.[00:27:53.820] We've never done one before, and it's a bit dramatic. I'm going to make it dramatic and it's going to be more of an experience than maybe a traditional service. And so if you're able to join us, that's going to be at 01:00 here. We're going to set up at 1030. But we get to leave it set up until Easter morning. So if you're able to come and join us at 1030 to do a little bit of setup, that'll help us a lot. But you don't got to help us take it down. We get to leave it set up. And so that'll be really special. And then on Sunday, April 9, at 1030 is our Easter service here, where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. So hope you join us for all of those.

Welcome to the "Dream Again" sermon series! In this series, we explore the idea that without a God-Given dream, we are aimlessly wandering through life without purpose, just cruising along. But when we have a dream from God, it ignites a fire within us and gives us a sense of direction and purpose.We will examine how to discover and pursue God's dream for our lives, as well as the potential roadblocks and challenges that may arise along the way. We'll also dive into the concept that God always does more than we could ever dream or imagine, and how our dreams can become even bigger and more fulfilling when we partner with Him.Join us on this journey of discovering and pursuing God's dream for our lives, and let's learn to dream again together.Stay Connected: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/

Men are called to be warriors and workers. Maybe you're trying to build a family, build a marriage, or trying to build up your kids and leave a legacy. That's trowel work. But if an enemy attacks your wife or your kids, it's your job to protect them. So it is also the man's job to defend whatever it is they're building.MAN UP is about the differences between boys & men. Our world is desperate for men who will take a stand, even if no one else will… for vigilant men who are protectors, not predators… and mature men who choose sacrifice in the name of love. Join us for MAN UP– a new series about Biblical Masculinity designed to lift men up, not tear them down.Stay Connected:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/lcclevelandtx/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lcclevelandtx/