Week 7 Easter (Mar 31): Resurrection Day: Mary Magdalene
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Mary Magdalene shows up in scripture as a person whose life has been Forever Changed because of her encounter with Jesus. Scripture is silent on most of the details surrounding this encounter except one. Luke 8:2 informs us that Mary was delivered from seven demons. What must her life have been like before Jesus? Imagine the emotional turmoil and trauma she would have experienced at the hands of such evil.
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One thing is certain, the impact of Jesus healing Mary would not only be life-changing but would also be world-changing. Mary’s gratitude and tenacity as a result of her transformation led her to be a follower of Jesus in the most faithful of ways. In the early years, Mary used her resources to fund and support the work being done by Jesus. And when the final days arrived and preaching and healing turned into flogging and crucifixion, Mary became even more faithful and was present to all of it. Mary was present at the cross and his death. Mary was even present when the body of Jesus was placed in the tomb. Of course, it was Mary early on resurrection day who found the empty tomb and ultimately, after everyone else left, stayed at the tomb until she found her Lord.
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‌Was it the gratitude found in the freedom of her changed life? Was it the experience of being a part of something so profound where lives were being changed all around? What brought this dedication and tenacity to the forefront of Mary’s life that would cause her to be the first to witness Jesus defeating death and the grave? Imagine that, Jesus chose a woman who had been plagued by seven demons to be the first to witness the resurrection.

Without Good Friday, there would be no Resurrection Sunday.
As we look forward to celebrating our risen Savior this weekend, we invite you to join us Friday, March 29th as we remember the suffering that Jesus endured in our place.

Forever Changed – Maundy Thursday

Week 6 Palm Sunday (Mar 24): Peter

Is this going to be a good day or a bad day? Will my feet be used to move me in a positive direction or will I end up saying something that will prove yet again that I have a foot shaped mouth? I wonder if Peter ever asked himself these questions?

Our Forever Changed Series turns this week to focus on Peter. Sometimes we forget that Peter’s given name is actually Simon. When Jesus offered Simon the name Peter, it was for a greater purpose than just a term of endearment. Jesus used the names interchangeably as a reference for Simon to know if he was pointed in the right direction or possibly needed a course correction. Peter would ultimately become foundational and instrumental in the life of the early church but the journey getting there was full of all sorts of exciting moments.

Questions for us to consider: How often does the speed of our mouth outpace the filter of our hearts? Will steps be taken today to move us closer to the intended purpose of God? What name might Jesus use to call us to a more intentional life?

Week 5 (Mar 17): John

Could it be youthful bravado or maybe indiscretion? One thing is certain, the disciple John that we read about in the gospels is vastly different than the apostle that crafts the Gospel of John. That is not to say that the person is different, but rather that John’s life was Forever Changed by his encounters with Jesus.

John’s earliest recorded moments found him rebuking others for casting out demons, offering to call down fire from heaven to consume an entire village, and pressing Jesus for a seat of honor. Each of these moments is less than a glowing report on a disciple’s record. These earliest reports are countered heavily by his late-in-life writings. We find that the disciple who threatened mass burning would eventually pen the words in 1 John 3:18 (NRSV), “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” John’s transformation was lifelong and as a result, he left the church with an incredible body of writings that will forever shape the way we balance truth and love.

Have you ever encountered someone who was all truth with no love? Have you ever tried to reason with someone who was all love with no truth? In what ways has society twisted or abandoned one or both of these two principles that John worked so hard to establish as foundational in the life of a believer?

Week 4 (Mar 10): Woman at the Well
Shame is often a silent prison that alienates us from the connection that offers freedom. The story of the woman at the well found in John 4 reveals the power that love has over shame. In our study, we will discover a woman racked with shame from years of choices that alienated her from the community that she grew up in. In one revealing conversation, Jesus invited this woman into a relationship where she was honestly seen, known and loved anyways. Instead of heaping more shame on the woman, Jesus invited her to taste a living/spiritual water that would leave her life, Forever Changed. The result of this conversation started a revival in a Samaritan village that would eventually be the place that Philip and others would carry the Gospel Message after the resurrection. Jesus sows seeds into this community that will be reaped a few years later.
How often have we allowed shame to determine the shape of our relationships? Jesus models for us what it means to know the details of a person’s life and hold them in a way that is sacred and offers healing. Hopefully by understanding the heart of God as it relates to shame, we can learn the value of unlocking prisons of shame verses committing people to longer terms.