In their struggle against the Philistines, Jonathan was operating from a covenant inspired conviction. Victory over the Philistines was a promise simply waiting to be received and acted upon. God would give them the victory, but He would not fight the battle for them. The land was theirs if they had the courage to take it. Often we are waiting for a detailed map when God hands us a compass. We must be willing to MOVE with God, and He is always moving FORWARD! "One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing." - 1 Sam 14:1

Have you ever pondered just how much blessing God desires to release into this world, but gets blocked by our lack of passion and desire? You’ll be hard pressed to find any story in the Scriptures in which God becomes angry because someone had too much faith! Imagine standing before the Lord one day. Do you want Him to ask you why you tried to do too much, or why you settled for so little? Instead of pressing the limits of what God could do in and through our lives, we assume that his intention for us is less and so we settle for what we can do rather than what God intended to do through us!

"Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. 19 But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.” - 2 Kings 13:18-19

Life is the sum total of what we did with the moments given to us. The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity. Urgency gives our passions deadlines. Passion is the fuel that brings urgency. Leadership is about bringing urgency to the things that matter most.

"Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.” - 2 Kings 7:3-4

Today, as we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord, we will remember the Sins of our Treason, God's transfer of our iniquities to the spotless Lamb, the Tragedy of the Cross, and finally - the fulfillment of God's sovereign plan and purpose through the Triumph of the Cross! In today's message, Pastor Ron addresses the 3 results of the Triumph of the Cross - 1) the inheritance of spiritual offspring, 2) the resurrection and eternal life, and 3) the fulfillment of God's plan from the beginning! “When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.” - Isaiah 53:11 NLT

“Crucifixion is probably the most cruel method of execution ever practiced, for it deliberately delayed death until maximum torture had been inflicted. The victim could suffer for days before dying.” - John Stott, The Cross of Christ

Cicero in one of his speeches condemned it as ‘a most cruel and disgusting punishment.’ Roman citizens were exempt from crucifixion, except in extreme cases of treason. How ironic that Jesus, the rightful King of the world, is condemned to die while being identified as a rebellious traitor!

“When He was hung on the cross, He took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” - Galatians 3:13, NLT

Today we discuss the very heart of the Gospel message: the innocent suffering Servant taking our place and giving His life as the sacrifice for sin. He could have brought justice by giving us what we all deserve – hell. But that’s not the response God chose. Jesus is our “scapegoat”, the one who bears/carries our grief, sorrow, and weakness upon Himself.

Text: Isaiah 53:5 — "But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed."

The fundamental issue for the cross is this: What does sin do to God, and how is this set right? The most important answer is that sin dishonors God. Here’s the greatest problem in the universe: God’s creatures have gone on record as devaluing the glory of God. This is the ultimate reason for the death of Jesus — he came to repair the injury we had done to the glory of God. The cross is the highest expression of justice that ever was and the greatest act of mercy. Romans 3:23 — “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Episode Notes

On our Vision Sunday, we are excited to present to our church family the direction God is leading Living Stones. Embeded in our vision is the message of NOW! Like Martha in John 11:17-26, we often put our focus on the past or in the future, not realizing that God wants us to have faith for the present! In the NOW is where Heaven touches Earth! We are not promised tomorrow. When is the right time to forgive? NOW! When is the right time to obey? NOW! When is the right time to believe God? NOW! When is the best time to get your marriage healed? NOW! When is the right time to break an addiction? NOW! When is the right time for a spiritual breakthrough? NOW! When is the best time to surrender your life to Christ? The Bible tells us: Indeed, the “right time” is NOW. Today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:17-26 NLT

We are blessed to have a message shared today by the overseer for the Network of Related Pastors and one of our presbyters; Pastor Keith Tucci. What are some lessons we can learn from the first Church established by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles? The text comes from Acts 2:41-47; Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Does God still speak to us today in a personal and intimate way?  This is the topic we are exploring in our new series: Voices. God is looking to have a conversation with men and women who are called according to His purpose! Throughout history, the voice of God has transformed, impassioned, and guided those who have consecrated themselves to serve God. He is looking to speak to us. Are we listening?

This week we will break down three additional ways that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Promptings are a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit in the right direction. God often uses godly people who are also our trusted friends to help us direct our paths. Finally, nothing gets our full attention like pain. God often uses pain to powerfully move us into the right path! “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.’ Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.” Psalm 32:8-10 NLT