September 28th, 2023

Hey Church Family!
In Acts 1, Jesus tells the disciples that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them.  I wonder what they thought after hearing that.  Were they excited?  Because, after all, Jesus had just been raised from the dead.  Who could possibly stop that?!  He had all the power in the world.  Now they were going to get some power too?  Cool!

But what Jesus says next is the part that changed everything.  The promised power wasn't to rule.  To be his soldiers.  To dominate.  To take over.  No, it was to be his witnesses.  Something entirely different than what they might have thought.

A witness is someone who can describe something they've experienced, seen, or heard.  They can testify to the validity of an event because they saw it, heard it, or participated in it.  The power Jesus promised to this group of followers was to be able to describe what they'd just experienced—namely the resurrection.

As we've been on this journey of discovering the real Jesus, I hope you're beginning to see his profound impact in your life.  Perhaps he's marked you.  He's having this significant affect on you that you're never the same.  In fact, you're being made new.  You could describe it as new life.  You're no longer the same person you once were.  The power of the resurrection is so significant, so profound, so meaningful that you've been changed from the inside out.

Jesus gives you power to change you, so that you can be his witnesses everywhere you go.  Real power always leads to real change.

So, let me ask you:  how are you different today than you were 3 years ago?  How has your faith in God grown?  What big step of obedience has he called you to?  What would the people closest to you say about your transformation in Christ?

These are some tough questions, but well worth the time to answer.  I pray that you would experience this resurrection power in your life today.

Together in Christ,
Pastor Michael