Point of Grace Online Worship - April 7, 2024

Point of Grace – 4.7.24 Sermon Notes – “… with the Risen Jesus” 1 – “Captivating Revealer”

Quote from “Beautiful Outlaw” – by John Eldredge

We need Jesus. The Real Jesus. The Risen Jesus. This is the where the “Deeper Wider Journey” begins. What’s it like to be “…with the Risen Jesus”?

Luke 24 - 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

The encounter on the Emmaus road is not only, as Tom Wright says, “a wonderful, unique, spellbinding tale” but also “a model for a great deal of what being a Christian, from that day to this, is all about.” Here we find the covert Christ joining us on our journey through life. And here we are reminded that we must proactively invite Him into our questions, our relationships and our homes. Here our hearts catch fire and the scriptures come alive. Here He walks and talks with us, patiently answering our questions, realigning our thinking, teaching us to pray. Here at the table we share the bread and the wine, remembering His death and recognizing the reality of His resurrection right before our eyes. And here we are propelled into the darkness as witnesses of the wonders we have seen. from “How to Hear God” by Pete Greig

“Hearing God begins and ends with meeting Jesus” – Pete Grieg

Jesus is our “Captivating Revealer”

Luke 24 - 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

This same Risen Jesus is captivating, mysterious, good, playful, gracious, helpful, revealer, safe,

in charge of our journey with Him, witty, strong, knows what’s best for us.

He is the same Risen Jesus who suffered, died and rose for us and

He is the same Risen Jesus who invites us into His Presence today and every day.

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 31, 2024 (Easter)

 

Point of Grace - 3.31.24 Sermon Notes – Easter

Re-thinking Easter!

Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Easter challenges my thinking not just about “resurrection” but about all of life.

Easter invites me into a whole new way of thinking.

But changing my thinking is hard …… we have some well-worn paths through which we process life’s realities and most of the time we are more “stuck” than we think.

These women were called to a whole new way of thinking … 3rd Day Thinking

They started the day in 1st and 2nd Day thinking but ended it in … 3rd Day Thinking

Is my focus today about:

The “Resurrection of Jesus”

or

The “Jesus Who is Risen”?

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

1st and 2nd day thinking defaults to fear, because what we face is bigger than who we are and what we have?

How does this show up in your life?

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

3rd Day thinking constantly has the Risen Jesus in the picture… His presence affects everything.

With 3rd Day thinking the Risen Jesus is our “frame of mind”! He graciously gives us new thinking as we yield to His presence every day. He graciously helps us let go of 1st and 2nd day thinking. “Do not be afraid!”

3rd Day thinking changes everything towards fullness of life!

A Prayer for 3rd Day Thinking and Living

Jesus, I receive you as my Life,

and I receive all the work and triumph in your Resurrection,

through which you have conquered sin, death, judgment, and the evil one.

Death has no power over you, nor does any foul thing.

And I have been raised with you to a new life,

to live your life—

dead to sin and alive to God.

I take my place now in your resurrection and in your life,

and I give my life to you to live your life.

I am saved by your life.

I reign in life through your life.

I receive your hope, love, faith, joy,

your goodness, trueness, wisdom, power,

I receive Your, strength, humility, courage, vision

and I receive Your union with the Father.

Oh Jesus, apply to me today

all the work and triumph in your resurrection; I receive it with thanks,

and I give it total claim

to my spirit, soul, and body,

my heart, mind, and will. Amen

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 24, 2024

Point of Grace - 3.24.24 Sermon Notes – Palm Sunday – “If you only knew what would bring you Peace!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CkhFQol0xE

The Prominence of Holy Week in the Gospels (chapters)

                     Baptism  (3 years)      Palm Sunday  (1 week)      Resurrection   

Matthew             3                                         21                                      28

Mark                   1                                          11                                       16

Luke                    3                                         19                                       24

John                     1                                         12                                       20 (21)

 

Matthew 21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 

Context of Tension

-        Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem for Passover (35,000 – 100,000+)

-        Romans, Jewish Leaders (Pharisees), Zealots, Pilgrims

-        Jesus had raised Lazarus 2-6 weeks earlier in Bethany 2 miles away.

-        He was popular among Galilean pilgrims coming to the festival.

-        Jesus healed 2 blind men in Jericho 2 days before

-        He rides in on a donkey (Zech. 9:9)

-        Accepts the praise of the people as Messiah (Psalm 118:25-26)

-        Cleared the Temple and called it back to its purpose as a “House of Prayer”  

Luke 19 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said,
 “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, 
because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

This Palm Sunday is a time of God’s coming,
He comes humble … but He comes as the King, who was crucified and now risen and reigning,
He comes to bring peace to all who will receive Him who will surrender to Him alone in worship crying out,
“Hosanna! Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 17, 2024

Point of Grace Worship 3.17.24 Sermon Notes – “Open Hearts, Open Heavens” Pastor Mike Coppersmith

Luke 3:4-6

A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked road shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”

OPEN HEARTS, OPEN HEAVENS

Preparing the Way for what God Has in Store by Inviting Him to

Break Open Our Hearts and to Break Open His Heavens

OUR GOD IS A GOD OF OPEN HEAVENS!

Ephesians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

FOR US TO EXPERIENCE THE FULL BLESSINGS OF OPEN HEAVENS, WE MUST HAVE OPEN HEARTS!

1 Samuel 16:7

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Matthew 22:37-40

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Romans 10:9

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Jeremiah 29:12-13

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.

Ephesians 3:17

…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Acts 16:13-14

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home.”

OPEN HEARTS OFTEN COME FROM BROKEN HEARTS!

Psalm 51:16-17

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Joel 2:12-13

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.”

Key Point

Brokenness may involve grieving, mourning, sorrowing, weeping, lamenting, acknowledging to God that all is not right at the present time, but—when God is a work in Christ—from Broken Hearts come Open Hearts and from Open Hearts We Experience the Full Blessings of Open Heavens!

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come…3 to all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair.

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

SEEK GOD’S FACE, NOT JUST HIS HAND

Psalm 27:4,7-8

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple…7 Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of You, “Seek His face!” Your face, Lord, will I seek.

SURRENDER IN PRAYERFUL DEPENDENCE UPON HIM

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 10, 2024

Point of Grace Worship 3.10.24 Sermon Notes – “Come with Me by ourselves to a quiet place?” – Jesus

Jesus invites us into Slowing, Solitude, Prayer, Scripture

Matthew 11 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Come to me, The invitation is to a personal encounter with Jesus.

all you who are weary and burdened, “Jesus, I need You…. I want You” - self-sufficiency deafens us to Jesus

and I will give you rest. Focusing on God’s promises enables us to “do” our part

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, Jesus’s yoke is His “way” for us to carry the loads of life

for (that) I am gentle and humble in heart, Focus on His promises – What is He promising?

and you will find rest for your souls. Jesus is flooding us with promises to trust – fighting for us.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” He is good and He knows us well.

Key Take-Aways

  • The invitation is to come to Jesus personally.

  • Surrender to a posture of “need” not self-sufficiency.

  • Focus on the promises before trying to “do” the demands.

  • Learning His new “yoke” – way of carrying the loads of life. Time, patience, perseverance. Remember who He is.  

Philippians 4 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer Talk it over – talk it out – convert worries into prayers!

and petition, What is the ask?

with thanksgiving, Give thanks for who God is, what He has done and what He will do.

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Susannah Wesley Story

Early in her life, she vowed that she would never spend more time in leisure entertainment than she did in prayer and Bible study. Even amid the most complex and busy years of her life as a mother, she still scheduled two hours each day for fellowship with God and time in His Word, and she adhered to that schedule faithfully. The challenge was finding a place of privacy in a house filled to overflowing with children.

Mother Wesley’s solution to this was to bring her Bible to her favorite chair and throw her long apron up over her head, forming a sort of tent. This became something akin to the “tent of meeting,” the tabernacle in the days of Moses in the Old Testament. Every person in the household, from the smallest toddler to the oldest domestic helpers, knew well to respect this signal. When Susanna was under the apron, she was with God and was not to be disturbed except in the case of the direst emergency. There in the privacy of her little tent, she interceded for her husband and children and plumbed the deep mysteries of God in the Scriptures. This holy discipline equipped her with a thorough and profound knowledge of the Bible.

“Come with me, by yourselves to a quiet place!” - Jesus

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 3, 2024

Confession                       Come with me to a quiet place                3/3/24

What if there was a place so secure that your identity in God was unshakable. What if there was a place so safe that you could tell God your most grievous sins and it would be met with an overwhelming mercy. What if there was a place you could go where there was power available to you that would allow you to withstand any trial, situation or circumstance. What if there was a place you could go where you could experience the tangible presence of God. Would you go there? - Jon Tyson

Confession is a door to the Secret Place

Confession?

1 John 1:5-10 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Confession is telling the truth.

Confession never goes unanswered.

God always responds with mercy. 

Confess not just sins we are guilty of, but sins that we are victims of.

Sin is the great disease of our world.

Sin is not less than our behaviors, but it is more than our behaviors

 Why don’t we confess more often?

Genesis 3:6-10 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

“If I feel then I will need”

Where do we go with our needs?

We have been given a lie that in order to be loved, desired or accepted

we must fix ourselves. 

Matthew 5:3-7 Jesus said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Confession is telling the truth about who I am and who God is.

It is answering the question "where are you?” 

"Some of us learned in our families, both biological and spiritual, that confession hands [a weapon] to those that would harm us. Confessing inherently means exposing weakness, and thus we could potentially lose admiration, respect, love, acceptance, or control."

We hide because we have bought the lie that

God will use our confession as a weapon against us.

 The power of sin is only to kill, to drive us away from God.

But that power is taken away in Christ. 

2 Corinthians 15:54-56 “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:20-21 But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

John 10:28-30 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 … 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 32 1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. "8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Confession does not change our citizenship or standing before God.

Confession never goes unanswered from God. He always responds with mercy.

Confession is normative for followers of Jesus. We become needier not self sufficient 

4 Questions For Discovering Gospel Fruit:

1. Who is God?

2. What has God done?

3. Who am I in light of God’s work?

4. How should I live in light of who I am?

4 Questions For Discovering the lies we believe:

1. What am I experiencing or doing?

2. What do I believe about myself in light of my experience or actions?

3. What do I believe God has done or not done?

4. What do I believe God is like?

Point of Grace Online Worship - February 25, 2024

Point of Grace Worship      The Secret Place             2.25.24

Psalm 91:1-16 NKJV “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.””

What if there was a place so secure that your identity in God was Unshakable? What if there was a place so safe that you could tell God your most grievous sins and it would be met with an overwhelming mercy? What if there was a place you could go where there was power available to you that would allow you to withstand any trial, situation or circumstance? What if there was a place you could go where you could experience the tangible presence of God. Would you go there? - Jon Tyson, City Church and Awaken Network

Jeremiah 17:5-6 NKJV5 Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.

The more abundantly the benefits of civilization come streaming our way, the emptier our lives become. With all the wealth and power, it only shows that the human heart, in which God has put eternity, is so huge that all the world is too small to satisfy it. - Herman Bavinck

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not [a]fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Luke 3:21-22 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” ‘

"Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. Jesus himself entered into this furnace. There he was tempted with the three compulsions of the world: to be relevant ('turn stones into loaves'), to be spectacular ('throw yourself down'), and to be powerful (I will give you all these kingdoms') There he affirmed God as the only source of his identity ('You must worship the Lord your God and serve him alone'). Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter, the struggle against the compulsions of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self." - Henri Nouwen

Matthew 6:5-6 NKJV5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Mark 1:35 NKJV35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Luke 9:28 NKJV28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

Matthew 14:22-23 NKJV22 Immediately Jesus [a]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

Luke 6:12 NKJV12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Matthew 26:36 NKJV36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

Luke 5:15-16 NKJV15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. [a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.