​Before meeting Jesus, Mary Magdalene was tormented by seven demons. For years, she experienced perpetual agony with no earthly remedy. But Mary encountered a Man who was more than just a man. She met Jesus, Who changed her life forever.

Jesus rescued Mary from demonic possession and affliction and set her free. And with her freedom, she chose to follow and serve Jesus wholeheartedly. Out of gratefulness for His grace, Mary supported, served, and stood by Jesus until the end. She was one of the few disciples present at the foot of the cross, willing to risk her life and bear the shame for the name of the One who set her free. No wonder Satan desired to hold her down demonically and hold her back from the strength and beauty that was found in her once she was set free!

Her life and her soul were saved by Jesus. Her heart was set free to serve Him courageously and faithfully. She was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection. After all, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead had saved her. And it’s that same power and Person we share with Mary to serve Jesus courageously and faithfully into eternity. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

​For the past several Sundays, we’ve been looking at portraits of the people Jesus chose to be His followers. They were the unlikely ones—real people with failures and flaws who encountered Jesus and were impacted by His ministry. They were compelled to follow Him.

Then, the cross happened. Their hopes and dreams of Jesus being their Messiah were dashed. Had they gotten it wrong? If He was the Messiah, why was He executed?

But the cross was not the end of Jesus. He didn’t just lay His life down but had the power to take it up again. And yet, none of His disciples fully grasped what this meant initially—including one follower in the section of Scripture we studied on Sunday. Watch our study from Resurrection Sunday as we consider Mary Magdalene’s interaction with the risen Jesus.

​Pontius Pilate would have been intrigued to hear that Jesus was calling Himself the King of the Jews—or at least that was what the Jewish religious rulers were counting on. 

They hoped the claim would cause Pilate to do what they wanted. Of course, they would have handled the matter by stoning Jesus, but only the Romans could carry out capital punishment. They perfected it through crucifixion—a brutal, agonizing, and excruciating slow death. 

God knew what His people would do when they rejected His Son. And He knew exactly how the Romans would execute Him. In fact, this was all recorded hundreds of years before in Psalm 22, Zechariah 12, and Isaiah 53. Watch our Good Friday service as we reflect on Jesus—the Son of God.

​The only people that the Jews in Jesus’ time hated more than the Romans were tax collectors. They extorted additional money from their own people, often by force and threats of violence. Zacchaeus wasn’t just a tax collector–he was a chief tax collector who was rich. 

So it’s not difficult to imagine how much contempt the people of Jericho would have for this man as they looked down on him—if they looked at him at all. And yet, Jesus would look up to him. After climbing a tree to get a better view of Jesus, Jesus would seek out Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and a sinner, but a person who desperately wanted to be rescued from his sin. 

As Zacchaeus spent time with Jesus, something happened in his heart. There was a change, a transformation. Jesus tells us why—“Today salvation has come to this house…” (Luke 19:9). Just like Abraham, Zacchaeus was saved by grace through faith. 

That’s why Jesus came. He summarized His entire ministry this way: “…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” He sees you. He sees your soul, and despite your sinfulness, He desires to make your heart His home, cleaning it from sin and changing it forever. Call out to Him—He wants to be with you!

​Palm Sunday commemorates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. It wasn’t necessarily how Jesus entered the city (riding on a donkey) that made it a triumph, but how He allowed Himself to be publicly hailed as the Messiah. When Jesus saw the city, He wept over it (Luke 19:41-44) because the people didn’t realize that God was coming to them, making their salvation possible.

Just before the Triumphal Entry, Jesus interacted with a man everybody would have counted out. In their conversation, we hear directly from Jesus why He came: to seek and to save the lost.

Watch our study of Luke 19:1-10 as we consider when the Son of Man sought out and saved a man named Zacchaeus. 

​James and John had the tendency to be really angry. They were often zealous without a moral compass, as well as sinfully and selfishly ambitious. Their nickname, “Sons of Thunder” was a perfect fit.

After each thunderclap, Jesus didn’t toss them out of the group but called them to Himself. He lovingly rebuked, corrected, and taught them about ministry. Because of their fellowship with Jesus, James and John were radically transformed. As their eyes were opened to what ministry looks like, they saw the good work of The Good Shepherd.

Ministry does not look like frying your enemy’s faces off (John 9:54), being zealously angry all the time (Mark 9:38), or scheming for personal gain (Matthew 20:21). Because they drew near to Jesus, James and John came to understand that Jesus came to save lives, not to destroy lives. They saw that Jesus came to serve, not to be served. They observed that The Good Shepherd came to lay His life down so that others may live. 

James and John learned all this as Jesus loved and received them just as they were. But we know that Jesus loves us too much to leave us as He finds us. As He calls us to be with Him, He transforms us, too. Our zeal and ambition can be fantastic and fruitful qualities only when harnessed and focussed by Jesus so that our motives for ministry match The Good Shepherd. 

​When Jesus considered sending out ministry workers into the harvest, He didn’t send experts from the religious institutions in Jerusalem or a group of super-spiritual and committed people like John the Baptist. He chose and sent a rag-tag bunch of young men from Galilee to radically change the world.

We’ve been considering these young men and getting to know them better. As we do, we can see that they aren’t the stained glass saints we often think they are. They were people like us: full of flaws yet full of faith—the kind of people Jesus calls and uses. 

This past Sunday, we considered James and John—two brothers with a reputation for retribution. They were sectarian, zealous, and ambitious, known informally as the “Sons of Thunder,”… yet they were changed eternally by the love of Jesus.

This past Sunday, we heard testimonies from members of the recent mission trip to Eastern Europe. Over 10 days in March, they traveled over 650 miles to 7 cities in 3 different countries to bring the hope of the Gospel to multitudes of refugees from Ukraine who have been displaced from the war. They had countless conversations, gave lots of hugs, shed many tears, and laughed many laughs. In the places they visited, they had dozens of opportunities to pray over people, serve others, and share Jesus as the Spirit led, provided for, protected, and spoke through them.

The harvest is plentiful in Eastern Europe, especially among the scattered Ukrainians. This little team from Refuge poured their hearts out as God used them powerfully. Watch our time together from this past Sunday as they shared highlights from their trip and testified that the global Church of Jesus is alive and moving powerfully!

We are confronted daily with headlines about wars, famines, earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorists, disease, and death. If God existed, surely He would not allow these things to exist or to continue…or would He? And if so, why? Couldn’t He prevent some of these things? Couldn’t He have made a better world? 

Guest speaker Charlie Campbell answers these and several other tough theological questions related to evil and suffering. For those who have wrestled with these questions, this message is comforting and instructive; but it also equips Christians to be better prepared to answer atheists who think evil and suffering disprove the existence of a loving God.

Learn more about Charlie Campbell and Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry at AlwaysBeReady.com

​The Apostle Andrew was quiet, courageous, curious, compassionate, bold, and faithful—and always bringing others to Jesus, including his brother Simon Peter. And even though he may have been overshadowed by his older brother, without Andrew, Simon would have never become Peter.

Andrew found his brother, told his brother about Jesus, then brought him to Jesus. Without Andrew’s quiet, humble, and courageous faithfulness, Peter wouldn’t have preached on Pentecost, and thousands wouldn’t have been saved!

The life of Andrew is encouraging for quiet and courageous followers of Jesus. God sees you and wants to continue to use you in all sorts of extraordinary ways. The body of Christ needs followers of Jesus like Andrew—quiet and faithful yet boldly finding someone to share the Gospel with and bringing them to Jesus.

​This past Sunday, we continued our study of the twelve ordinary men Jesus called to be His apostles and focused our attention on Andrew. Although we read more about his older brother (Simon Peter) God knew that this quiet, bold, faithful, and humble man would be willing to do what God had called him to—the good work of The Good Shepherd.

There are three passages in the Gospel of John where Andrew is mentioned individually. In each instance, we see Andrew bringing people to Jesus. Watch our study of Andrew as we meditate on his willingness to come to Jesus and concern that others would come to Christ, too.

​Jesus chose and equipped gloriously ordinary people as ministry workers in His harvest. These people were not religious experts or super-spiritual, but people like Simon, who was called Peter.

Simon (which means hearing or heard) had difficulty with following through. He was the son of Jonah (which means soft mud). And Simon, son of Jonah, accurately described his life before being born again. He had a loud mouth and vacillated between moments of faith and foolishness.

But Jesus chose him and transformed him from Simon to Peter (which means rock). This change from soft mud to rock had nothing to do with Simon’s efforts. It was Jesus who changed him from the inside out. When Simon’s self-reliance and gusto were finally gone, Jesus transformed, strengthened, and led him by the Holy Spirit. Then, he was called Peter.

Maybe you can identify with Simon. Perhaps you waver between faith and foolishness. The Lord sees you. He knows you and what a mess you are in—full of muck and mire. He knows how many times you have failed Him and how many times you will fail Him. But take heart—even knowing this, He still loves and calls you! He wants you to draw near so He can transform you from the inside out and strengthen you with His grace.

​Jesus, fully God and fully man, is still only one man. He knows that the opportunities for pastoral ministry are endless, but those willing to partner in the work with Him are few. He instructed His disciples to pray that more workers would be sent into His harvest.

When these ordinary people prayed, they probably thought that God would send experts from religious institutions in Jerusalem or super-spiritual people like John the Baptist to do this work. Jesus certainly wouldn’t choose them to be the fulfillment of their prayer…would He?

As we continue our study from Matthew 9 to Matthew 10, we read that Jesus did just that—calling gloriously ordinary people, equipping them for ministry, and sending them out as ambassadors for Him. And first on this list was Simon, who is called Peter.

Watch our study from Sunday as we consider this fisherman from Galilee who became a fisher of men only through the transformation that Jesus made in his life.

​“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down on. God chose things considered unimportant to do away with things considered important.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28)

It’s God’s habit and preference to choose and use unlikely ones—people who make us scratch our heads and wonder why. That’s why He chose you, too! Ordinary people are called by an extraordinary God to be with Him. Then, out of the overflow of our fellowship with Him, we will find ourselves living like Him, loving like Him, serving like Him, caring like Him, feeding, tending, and strengthening the sick, just like Him—joining Him in doing the good work of The Good Shepherd.

God chooses unimportant, ordinary people who are not noble, excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly, lordly, mighty, or worthy. But the people He calls depend on The Good Shepherd to do the good work through them.

Are you willing to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers, workers, and under-shepherds to do the good work of feeding, tending, healing, strengthening, and alleviating suffering? Even though you might feel weak, ordinary, or forgotten, God very well may answer your prayer by choosing and calling you to do the work of The Good Shepherd.

​All of us are called to glorify God in all that we do—no matter the specific call God has for our life. Whether you’re an artist, teacher, banker, plumber, or pastor, God’s call on your life is no less holy and no more sacred than anybody else’s call. The key to bringing God glory is seeing our calling as from Him and for Him. It’s for Him that we work and labor. 

No matter where or to what He has called you, the opportunity for pastoral ministry is plentiful. But those willing to actually do the work and labor are few. We know this because Jesus said it was so. And after He encouraged His disciples to pray for more workers, He sent them to do this work. Those that He sent weren’t the religious elites. They were ordinary people who had been with Him. 

People probably questioned Jesus about His invitation to the unlikeliest ones to join Him in the good work of The Good Shepherd. And yet, it was His plan so that He would receive the glory. Watch our study of Matthew 10:1-4 as we consider why Jesus chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to put to shame the mighty things.

Do you want to be better equipped to answer the questions and objections that atheists and non-Christians bring up? Apologetics can assist you to respond to questions and objections while also helping you gain confidence in sharing the gospel. With a deeper understanding of Scripture, you can clearly articulate why you believe what you believe and effectively respond to questions about Christianity. 

​Join us on Sunday, March 23rd, from 6-8 pm for a free apologetics equipping presentation with apologist Charlie Campbell. Charlie will provide thoughtful and Scripture-based answers to various objections about God and the Bible. There will be two teaching segments with a break for refreshments and dessert. This event is free, but please register.