Russell

Gods miracles are real, im holding proof in my arms. My wife and I tried for a second child for 8 years to no avail. A year after surrendering to God I was saying my nightly prayers when I heard a voice that sounded like 3 at once. The voice said "I've sent a champion", a week later my wife was pregnant. I dont claim to understand what it meant but I know a miracle followed. Don't be afraid to turn yourself over fully to Christ, what waits is absolutely beautiful.

“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place.” John heard that — and at once he was in the Spirit. Not later. Not when life calmed down. At once. And what did he see? One seated on the throne. A rainbow like an emerald. Lightning. Thunder. Living creatures crying out without stopping: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Then the twenty-four elders fell down. Crowns on the floor. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God.” That door isn’t locked to us. The same Spirit who caught John up is the Spirit in you when you worship Jesus. You don’t have to wait for heaven to taste heaven. When you lift His name — in the car, on your knees, with tears or with joy — you’re standing near that throne. Come up here isn’t only for a man on Patmos. It’s an invite every time you turn your heart toward Him. Holy, holy, holy. Worthy are You. Look up. He’s forever on the throne — and the Spirit still makes room for you to see.

This morning we met the firstborn of the dead. Tonight He’s still walking. Not far off. Not done with us. Walking among the lampstands — real churches, real people — hearts that looked okay on the outside and were cooling on the inside. He told Ephesus, “I know your works… but I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” They were busy. They were standing for truth. And somehow they loved Him less. That’s not just their story. That’s a check for us. If He walked up to your life tonight, would He find the love — or just the routine? Don’t go back to doing more. Go back to Him. The One who holds the seven stars still holds you. Same invite from this morning: check your heart. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He’s not done with the lampstands. Don’t be done with Him.

Death thought it had the last word. Then Jesus walked out of the grave — and Revelation calls Him the firstborn of the dead. Not firstborn like He was created. Firstborn like the first of a new kind. The first Man death couldn’t keep. The One who went through the tomb so the rest of us wouldn’t stay there. John saw Him walking among the lampstands — eyes like fire, voice like many waters — holding the keys of Death and Hades. And that same Jesus wrote letters to real churches with real hearts: some burning, some cooling, some almost gone out. This week we’re walking Revelation with Him. Before you chase beasts and bowls, let Him search you the way He searched them. Where has your first love cooled? What compromise have you made peace with? Are you holding fast when it costs? He doesn’t flinch at what’s dying in us. He already beat what kills. Firstborn of the dead means the grave has a birthday it can’t reverse — and everyone who belongs to Him will follow Him out. So examine your heart. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This isn’t scare tactics. It’s invitation. Look up. The One who was dead is alive forevermore — and He’s still walking among the lampstands.

People love to argue about the end. Charts. Dates. Who’s the beast. What’s next on the timeline. And Scripture does speak about the end — clearly. Wars and rumors of wars. Deception. A world that grows cold. A King who returns. Jesus said it Himself: “See that you are not alarmed… the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:6, 13 Revelation doesn’t exist to make you a conspiracy expert. It exists to make you a faithful witness. The point of prophecy isn’t panic. It’s preparation of the heart. He is coming. Not maybe. Not metaphor only. Coming. “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20 So live ready. Love hard. Stay awake. And don’t let fear preach louder than the Lamb who already won.

In one afternoon most of us will say we love tacos, love this weather, love that song, love our kids, and love God. Same word. Same breath. Same tone. The word we use for a plate of food is the same word we use for the One who climbed onto a cross for us. And we don’t even blink. I’m not the word police. I say it too. But when a word means everything, it slowly stops meaning anything. You can spend a dollar so many times it’s not worth a dime. That’s what we’ve done with love. Most of the time when we say “I love it,” we mean “it makes me feel good.” And the minute it stops making us feel good, the love dries up. That works fine for tacos. It’s a disaster for marriages, for friendships, for the church, and for the stranger standing right in front of you. Scripture won’t let love stay cheap. “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Not “God likes love.” Not “God feels love sometimes.” He is it. And when John shows us what that looks like, he doesn’t point to a feeling. He points to a cross: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son…” (1 John 4:10) Love, God’s way, isn’t measured by how good it makes you feel. It’s measured by what it was willing to give up. So before we throw that word around again today — at church, at home, online — maybe give it back to its Owner. Let Him define it. Then live like He meant it.

Tonight a lot of kids will put on a costume and ask the same question all night: Who are you supposed to be? Funny how that question doesn’t stop when Halloween ends. We put things on every day. A tough face. A funny version of ourselves. Success. Anger. The person we think people want. I’ve done it. Put on whatever I thought would keep me safe or make me look like I had it together. But Scripture says something better: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 13:14 Not a costume. Not a performance. Him. Take off what’s false. Put on what’s true. Walk out the door as a man who’s already been loved, already been bought, already been made new. So tonight when somebody asks a kid who they’re supposed to be — maybe ask yourself the same thing. Who are you wearing? Put on Christ.

Some of us treat knowing Jesus like a checkbox. Saved? Done. Baptized? Done. Serving? Done. But knowing Christ isn’t a finish line. It’s a lifelong pursuit. Paul had seen more of Jesus than most of us ever will — and he still said he hadn’t arrived. He pressed on. He wanted to know Him more. Not facts about Him. Him. I don’t ever want to feel like I know Christ enough. I want to chase His love until my final breath. Never coast. Never get comfortable. Never act like I’ve got Him figured out. If you’ve been walking with Him for years and the fire’s dimmed a bit — hear this: There’s still more of Him to know. And He’s still inviting you closer. Press on. Philippians 3:12–14

As we get closer to daylight saving time, car accidents usually go up. This week I had three people I know hit by that — three, in one week. That’s rare. Glory to God, they’re all okay. So this morning I’m just going to say it straight: Be a little more observant out there. You could be the best driver in the world. The person in the other car could be sleepy, texting, or just not paying attention. Watch the road. Put the phone down. Watch the people around you. And through it all, know this — God is your protection. He will carry you through, no matter what the situation is. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1 Drive awake. Live awake. Trust the One who covers you.

Long before Bethlehem, a weary man asked a question heaven had already answered. Agur wrote: “I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!” — Proverbs 30:3–4 Four questions only God can answer. Then one more that stops the room: What is His Son’s name? Centuries later, Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man” (John 3:13). The One who gathers the wind, wraps the waters, and set the ends of the earth has a Name — and a Son. Agur was reaching in the dark. The gospel turns on the light. His Name is Jesus. The Son has come.

Fear asks a thousand questions. Psalm 27 answers with one Name. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” — Psalm 27:1 David didn’t pretend the armies weren’t real. He just knew Who was nearer. And in the middle of all that pressure, he asked for only one thing: “that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD.” — Psalm 27:4 Not escape first. Not victory first. His beauty. Then this promise for anyone still waiting in the dark: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” — Psalm 27:13 Keep looking. His goodness is still in the land of the living.

Before you ever smiled at God, He was already smiling at you. Not after you cleaned up. Not after you got consistent. Not after you finally felt spiritual enough. “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” — Zephaniah 3:17 Read that again. He rejoices over you. He quiets you with His love. He sings. Jesus said He came so His joy would be in you, and your joy would be full (John 15:11). Not thin joy. Not fake-it-on-Sunday joy. Full. The Father ran to the prodigal. Arms open. Party ready. No lecture first — celebration first (Luke 15:20). That is the heart of Christ for you. Not begrudging. Not barely putting up with you. Delight. Gladness. Song. So breathe. Lift your head. Let yourself be loved by the One who already chose joy over you. You’re not barely accepted. You’re celebrated.

Judah watched Israel fall… and still only half-turned. In Jeremiah 3, God calls northern Israel “faithless.” She chased idols on every hill. He waited for her to come back. She didn’t. Exile came. Judah saw the whole thing. Same family. Same God. Same warning in living color. And she still didn’t return with her whole heart — only in pretense. That’s the danger. Soft religion after a hard warning. A little Bible, a little church, a little God when it’s convenient — that’s Judah’s road. So as you go through your day, don’t be half-hearted for God. Be all in. At work. In the car. With your kids. When nobody’s watching. Whole heart. Not pretense. He still calls. Return for real.

Your eyes will always find something to lock onto. The feed. The fear. The next thing that needs fixing. This world never runs out of noise that wants your attention. But Scripture says something different: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” — Colossians 3:1–2 That isn’t a call to float away from real life. It’s a call to lift your gaze while you’re still in it. And you don’t have to be a theologian to do it. Pick up your Bible. Talk to a pastor. Sit with a friend whose faith runs deep. Ask honest questions. Listen. Keep coming back. God isn’t waiting for you to get fluent in Greek. He’s waiting for you to look up. He’d love to talk to you. Look up. He’s already listening

We are but a mist. I know I’ve said it before. I’ll keep saying it. Last weekend Pastor Josh brought up John Piper’s message Don’t Waste Your Life, and it brought tears to my eyes. James asks, “What is your life?” Then he answers: a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). I write and study to spread the gospel in ways some might never hear otherwise. When I stand before God, I want Him to know I spent my days doing what I could — not only to lead my family toward eternal life, but anyone who would listen. Don’t waste your life. We will fade. The nice things you own will decay. A hundred years from now, people probably won’t remember you ever existed. But Christ will never fade. And Christ will never forget the work you’ve done, or the people you helped toward eternal glory. Love like it’s your last day. Weep tears of joy and passion for the message of Christ. Spread His words of hope and salvation like this mist of a life matters — because it does, and eternity is real.

Lord, give us strength as we walk through this week. Let us remember and rejoice in Your creation, and see the blessings You have bestowed upon our lives. Let us hold true to our purpose — to be the salt and light of the world. These things I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Can you feel the change? Not just in the air as the seasons turn — in your heart. In your senses. Something shifting. Great things are on the horizon. Beautiful new beginnings are coming when we stop staring at everything wrong with the world and lift our eyes to what God has in store. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18-19) As the seasons change, leave behind the strongholds that held you back and invited darkness in. Claim your freedom in the Lord. Walk into this next season hopeful and grateful for the gifts of each day. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1) His mercies are new every morning. Don’t miss them looking backward. Step into what’s next. God’s right there cheering you on.

A man who had everything was still empty. In Mark 10:17 he asks Jesus how to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell everything he owns and follow Him. And the man walks away sad, because he couldn't give up his wealth or his status. Sitting at the 4pm service with my wife and daughter, it was the Holy Spirit reminding me what should always come first. What are the things we're coveting in our own lives? What are we putting before God that holds us back from a true personal relationship with the Lord? Pastor Josh even had a fun demonstration of the 10 Commandments that I got to do with my wife and daughter. Love God with all your heart. Put Him first. He will overfill your cup of life with so much joy you'll be searching for other cups to fill. Thank you, Pastor Josh. Excellent sermon as always.