Springwell Sundays

We can’t respond to God without His help. When we seek Jesus out - we find Him. He gently breaks through to us in a personal way. Jesus calls us to faith in Him, by name. He brings forgiveness and healing for all the sin and hurt that fills up life without Him. He places people in our lives and works through them.

It’s possible that you’re chasing the wrong thing. It’s possible that you aren’t really willing to give 100% of your life to Jesus - just some parts of it. God doesn’t want your money or half-hearted devotion. He wants you to follow Him with every single part of your whole life.

Sometimes God is looking for us when we aren’t necessarily looking for Him. Maybe we don’t believe that He could, or would, love someone like us. Maybe we’re angry with God. Regardless of where we are, God is seeking us out and is crazy about us.

We all love a comeback. Just when it seems that it’s all over, from out of nowhere and overcoming seemingly insurmountable setbacks, the underdog secures the win. Jesus came back and claimed victory over what looked like defeat. Through Him, our setbacks can become comebacks, too.

The cross is a recognizable symbol. For years it has been. There’s something significant about this symbol, though. Near the cross, we find so much more than we can imagine. Near the cross, we don’t just find a dying Jesus, we find true life.

They expected an adorned king, instead, they got a serving Savior. We often expect God to work it all out and demonstrate His power in ways we can see and in a timeline we like. The crown of Jesus, though, often means He works in ways we can’t even imagine.

It’s an all-out fight. How do we do what God asks us to do and go to war against the things that hold us back and eat us up? It’s about more than just trying harder, it’s about winning a fight within ourselves.

In uncertain times, fear can cause us to do some crazy things. For those of us with Jesus, we don’t have to let fear rule us. In fact, we can bring calm to the chaos as we face everything with Jesus.

Pray for wisdom. Pray for help believing when you’re struggling to believe. Put your trust in Jesus when temptation is too great. Our faith will waver in whatever tough situation we find ourselves in if we don’t have wisdom - the kind of wisdom that comes from Jesus.

A life hack for those difficult times is faith. Faith in Jesus is the only way to truly overcome those inevitable difficult circumstances of life. The fact that Jesus is enough can overshadow any situation. Knowing that we are secure in Him gives us confidence - even when facing death.

We all need someone. God created us, not to be on our own, but to live in community and on purpose. It’s not just about a group of friends. It’s more than that. We all need someone to speak into our lives at our highest moments and at our lowest. What does this look like? How do we find that person? How do we be that person?

We were created for community. We were made for friendships and our friends have a powerful influence on our lives. We need to find friends that stimulate us mentally, support us emotionally, and strengthen us spiritually. In order to find this sort of friend, we need help from Jesus to learn how to become the kind of friend to others that we’re trying to find for ourselves.

Marriage is hard. We can begin to forget to pay attention to each other. We may even begin to neglect the simple power in a loving touch. What we need in our marriages is the presence of the Holy Spirit to whisper to us and tell us what to do.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." This statement sounds great, but let's face it...it's A LOT tougher than it sounds. We know that every parent feels like they're on an island and they often feel like they don't measure up. How do we take the steps toward helping our families win? By understanding this truth: you don't have to do it alone!

Sometimes the fear of what other people think can be paralyzing. We seek the approval of others and fight the thoughts and assumptions of what our words and actions will do to please others. This is a trap. We need to live out of God’s approval of us as we seek to please Him only - that’s the way towards freedom.

Where you spend your money is the thing you really care about in your life. We need to spy on our money and see where it goes and what it does. Once you determine where your money is going, you’ll be able to determine which steps you’ll need to take to place a balance on your priorities.

There's a pressure on many of us. A pressure, not placed on us by God or even other people, but a pressure we place on ourselves. If you've been striving to be perfect and finally have it all together, you need to know to give it up!

We've all been there. Those moments where we just want to be comfortable, to settle in and quit wanting. The problem with comfort is that it never comes to completion. We always want more. What if the comfort you’re chasing is actually found through something that makes you uncomfortable in the moment?

The perspective we have on our lives is often dictated by the elements affecting us. We can either cave to the things happening around us and become victims, or we can fight through them and become victors. The best way to fight these elements is by taking our focus off of ourselves and placing it on God through worship.

Our hope rests in the fact that God knew when and how to give up His Son, and Jesus knew when and how to give up His life to die and pay the penalty for all of our sins. Christmas is the celebration of God showing us His love for the world through the cross.

There were four angelic appearances to four separate people, or groups, proclaiming the coming of God’s Son. God chose what looked like some random people to tell about the birth of Jesus. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how ordinary you feel - God can use anyone to help change the world.

Jesus being born as a man means that God was willing to get involved. He is willing to jump in and be a part of the solution to our sin problem. It also means that He wants to be with us. The incarnation of God as a man in the person of Jesus Christ is a really big deal.

There’s something special about sacrifice. None of us like when it’s required of us, but we respect others when they do it. While Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice for our sins, God often asks things of us that aren’t easy. The key is in what you trust along the way.

It’s celebrated all over the world every year, but it started in a unique way. Passover isn’t just about a religious tradition or a celebration, it’s about the willingness of God to have a relationship with us… a relationship that changes everything!

To get even with someone who hurt you is to become like them. What would it look like if you didn’t repay them the way that they dealt with you? What would it look like if you took it a step further and became proactive and did something good for that person?