Author: Rick Henderson

Rick Henderson is the Associate Pastor for Students.

Encounter Christ with Doubts

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:36:-43; John 20:26-29 (day seven)

And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” Luke 24:38

Why do you doubt? It can be easy for us to try to pile it on the disciples. I often want to shout through the pages, “How can YOU be doubting? You walked with Him for years! Were you not watching? Were you not listening?” Yet, if I am honest, they had more reason to doubt than I do. They watched Him die. They were still expecting a political messiah. They did watch and did know He had the power to overcome death, so I’m sure they expected Him to stop the crucifixion. Also, can you imagine the emotions that they were going through? Anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, depression, and compound that with sleeplessness. They had reason to doubt.

This should be an encouragement to us. Jesus helped them process their doubts. Doubting is natural and expected in our faith journey. Even the people closest to Jesus doubted who He was, but because they had encountered the risen Messiah, He brought them back. You probably have had moments where you had doubts, questions, or concerns in your faith. Jesus is always faithful to help you process your doubts, but have to be open to Encounter Christ in the midst of your doubt. He will show you who He really is!

God at Work

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:13-35 (day seven)

But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. vs 16

I am posting this live at 2:00 am after a full weekend of Fiesta Festivities. I am thankful for a church that loves young people and understands the importance of their role in the church. I am thankful for youth and parents who know how important it is to work hard and generate income for our church and ministry. I am thankful that salvations will take place at Impact Camp because of the work we did this week. God is always at work! Even when our eyes don’t recognize it.

It is easy to find ourselves consumed by our own emotions and our own ideas that we don’t recognize the work of Jesus right in front of us. These guys had walked with Jesus before, they had been with Him in his ministry, but even they missed Jesus right in front of them. Where was Jesus at work in your life this week? What were the moments that you didn’t expect Him to be in, but that He showed up? Where could those places be this week?  Ask yourself these questions on a regular basis, and you might just see Jesus show up more often than you think. You need to train your eyes to recognize Him, because He is always at work!

Now I need sleep! See you in a few hours church family!

Run to Jesus

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-18 (day seven)

The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. vs 4

This line always cracks me up. John, in the middle of the most important story in the history of the universe, makes it a point to rub it in Peter’s face that he won the race to the empty tomb! We can assume based off Peter’s actions in other places in scripture that he is a hot headed, competitive individual. Of course John, the youngest of the disciples, is going to take his shot.

Don’t let it get lost in this humor, that John and Peter ran to the empty tomb! It probably wasn’t close by, and they ran the whole way. They understood that if the tomb really was empty, this was going to change everything! Unhindered, unashamed sprint to see Jesus… or the lack thereof… for now…

Does the empty tomb propel you to run? When you feel the world closing in around you and you need something to turn to, do you run to Jesus? When you run to Jesus, you will find that He is always good and faithful. So run, unhindered and unashamed!

Will You Marvel?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 24:1-12 (day seven)

he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. vs 12

Will you marvel today?

Will you marvel when praise fills the earth

as the sun breaks through?

When you see the flowered cross

and the empty tomb?

When sound of laughter and chatter

begins to resonate?

When the Word is opened and to you

the Spirit speaks straight?

Will you marvel when we all respond

in unison: He is Risen indeed?

 

Will you marvel tomorrow?

Will you marvel when there is no service

to point it out to you?

When you are back in the grind and just

trying to make it through?

When you find yourself at the mercy of

the tyranny of the urgent?

When the little things become big and

disciplines enter into deferment?

Will you marvel and find a way to respond

in unison: He is Risen indeed?

Who Will Praise?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 19:28-44 (day seven)

 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” vs 40

Through our last series we saw Jesus try to quiet His Messianic praise by telling those whom He healed to not tell people what had happened. It wasn’t His time yet, but what happened? The people could not help but speak of they had seen and heard!

Now we ride into Jerusalem in time for Passover. All the religious leaders in all Jerusalem are there. This is the time to lay low and quiet these claims right? Instead of quieting the crowd shouting His praise, Jesus doubles down: Even the rocks cannot help but speak of what they have seen and heard!

The rocks were silent that day. The people praised! What about today? Will you let the rocks cry out? His praise is inevitable and undeniable. The questions is not “Will He be praised?” The question is “Will you join in the praise?” For we all cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard! Acts 4:20

Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest!

What Comes Out

Re:Verse passage – Mark 7:1-23 (day seven)

There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. vs 15

“Although it may not seem so now, this passage, when it was first spoken, was well-nigh the most revolutionary passage in the New Testament.” -Barclay

What makes this so revolutionary? The focus of many of the rules in ancient Israel, including parts of the the Law, were hyper focused on keeping the individual ritualistically pure as to differentiate them from a pagan society. To do so, they watched closely the things they took into their body. What Jesus begins to challenge them on is the idea that the things coming out of the body, the things we say and do, are a better reflection of the purity of the soul than the things we eat. Our hands may be clean, our hearts can still be dirty.

Even though we might not struggle with things that are Kosher in modern Christianity, we still struggle with the same mentality. Many in our churches today are more concerned with how others perceive them and how they appear than the actual cleanliness of their heart. When observed at a closer level, their words, their actions, and their fruit will tell a much different story. What are the things that come out of you?

A Better Rest

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:45-53 (day seven)

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

Jesus loved the masses. If he didn’t He wouldn’t have performed such a miracle as to feed them all. Yet, the crowds were draining. Even the Messiah had limits to what he could handle. This day, ministering holistically to the masses He loved, had taken a toll on His battery. He recognized that He needed some time to recharge those batteries. He needed time to rest and refresh so He could continue this ministry, perform more miracles, and fight spiritual battles, so Jesus went to pray.

How do we rest? We probably think of sleeping in or a day of no chores, but it seems like our ideas of rest are often borderline acedia (slothfulness). We run to our devices instead of running to the Lord. Jesus recharged His batteries in prayer. Maybe instead of a lazy day in the name of rest, we should spend a day praying on a mountain (or hill, or neighborhood). Maybe we will figure out a new way to recharge our batteries so we can continue His ministry, be a vessel for His miracles, and fight spiritual battles. Maybe we will find a better way to rest.

What Does a Shepherd Do?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:30-44 (day seven)

The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23:1

He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:34

When a Shepherd sees wayward sheep, what does He do? The Shepherd begins to herd. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:2

And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. Mark 6:39

The Shepherd provides for His wayward sheep.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Psalm 23:5

He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them. Mark 6:41

The Shepherd satisfies His wayward sheep.

He restores my soul. Psalm 23:3

They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 6:24

The Shepherd’s provision is beyond what is needed.

My cup overflows. Psalm 23:5

and they picked up twelve full baskets. Mark 6:43

The Shepherd will guide you, provide for you, and satisfy your needs more than you can ever imagine. Stop trying to walk through the valley alone and let the Shepherd lead you where you need to be.

Debauchery

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:14-29 (day seven)

And King Herod heard of it… vs 14

King of the Jews. A self proclaimed title that had been passed down from his father (Herod the Great) before him. Although, he was fourth in line for the throne, he was elevated to the position after his father disposed of the ones before him (his own sons). This was not the king Israel was waiting for. He wasn’t even a real king. He was the governor under the jurisdiction of Rome. He was a puppet that could be removed at any moment. Not only was he not a real king, but he deliberately disobeyed the Law. He took his brother’s wife to be his own, and then was so “pleased” by his step-daughter’s sexual appeal that he granted her anything she wanted, even murder. Complete and utter debauchery.

This is what Israel had become. This is the Israel that Jesus entered in to. The King of the Jews came to fulfill the Law. The King of the Jews wasn’t a king of Israel. Rather, He was King of the Universe. This King had the authority to save us out of debauchery. This King came that all might have life and have it to the full. Jesus is King!

From Scotland Pt 2

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:7-13 (day seven)

As Danny mentioned yesterday, we are here in Scotland with a team from the youth ministry of FBCSA. I feel like this passage had to have been chosen by God just for us this week.

And He summoned the twelve: God summoned twelve of us from FBCSA to come to Scotland. 7 teenagers, 3 parents, 2 youth workers.

and began to send them out in pairs: yesterday we went out in groups to canvas and evangelize over 800 homes in Collydean.

and gave them authority: Matthew 28 tells us that authority has been given back to us as wehave the power of the Holy Spirit with us as we evangelize.

Any place that does not receive you […] shake the dust off the soles of your feet: Scotland is dark. 3% of adults in Scotland are considered evangelical. 3 out of every 100 people are serious about their faith. We have already had to do a lot of shaking the dust off. There is a disdain and apathy for the Church.

They went out and preached that men should repent: despite the disdain, we have been called to go and preach. Today we will lead worship and preach at Collydean Granary Baptist Church. We pray that our endeavors in the community will continue to draw people to want to come and know more. Pray for us as we lead, preach, and love on this community. Pray that Collydean Granary Baptist Church will be a light in Scotland.