Greek Row Leadership Team

He can take little and provide for the many. He took a little lunch and fed upwards of 5,000, with plenty left over. Can you imagine? What a gracious guy Jesus is. The Lord will provide in abundance  everyday , but we have to remember to keep ON coming back to Him and keep ON believing. DJ points out that when we're still feeling hungry and unfulfilled it's because we've gotten out of the habit of going to the One who fulfills. Hearing this message, I'm even more in awe of Christ's greatness. There is nothing in our world that could fill our hearts and souls the way He does. Dear Lord Jesus, I need you more than anything else in this life. Let me never again put my faith in things that fulfill me only temporarily, but help me to continue choosing you, following you, and walking in your grace everyday.

I love the last part of the sermon The Son of Man asks "do you believe I am who I am, will you trust me" I have been challenged with that question so many times, do you trust me? Do you trust your relationships with me, do you trust your future plans with me? How can I say no, to a loving a trustworthy Lord that gave up everything to be one of us to be just like me and live a human life and become The Son of Man. I pray that I continue to trust the Son of Man with my life, my future, my relationships, and who I am to be like You.

Full humanity & full divinity.  Simple, and so profound.  The Son of Man is who we know as Jesus; the Son of Man parallels the Son of God and man at the same time.  He is the only one who has ever named or called Himself this title.  Something that stood out to me in the message was when it was said: "the Son of Man must suffer;" and from there, we discover the Gospel.  We discover the Lord God's immense and overwhelming love for His people.  The Gospels are not just stories of Jesus's life; the Gospel depicts and records what love is, & what it looks like to receive this, what it looks like to know God, to love Him, to share who He is with others.  Matthew 9:4-8 shares the story of Jesus healing a paralyzed man.  Verses 5-6 read: "Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, ...

Authority: Jesus has final authority over all of life. No matter how much we try to plan out our lives when Jesus the Son of Man comes to the podium he will have the last word over our plans. Perspective: We are temporary in this world and our impact is small, but Jesus is forever and his impact is the greatest of all. He will not be shaken and he will not fall into sin. His name is not a scribble in a history book, but a constant ruler in the past, present, and future. Decision: He shows up in every sphere of our lives and the lives of others so why not trust him. Everyday we make an active choice to follow Jesus and the more we say yes to Jesus the easier it gets. The more we say yes to Jesus the more he'll use us to make heaven on Earth. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Thank you Jesus for consistently working in our lives. We trust you and want to follow you wherever you want to take us. Amen.

What a claim! The one with all Authority over the entire universe, who comes to bring the Kingdom of Heaven!! And when He comes, His life looks like that of a servant? What a model that The Son of Man gives us by coming this Earth and living the only way He would ever consider! "For what shall a man be profited if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Lord help me surrender to you! May I be reminded that all authority is yours, and that I may freely serve as you have called me to serve. Amen

Growing up as the little girl who wouldn't take her princess costume off even after what probably seemed like my hundredth princess-themed birthday party, the image of the Lord as King has always resonated with me. When Dr. Johnson talks about Christ riding His "divine chariot on the clouds of heaven," that's the image of Him that I've held since I was little. That makes sense. What I've always struggled with is just how  Jesus can be both God and man. I love the perspective of how Christ's use of the term "Son of Man" refers to Him as one who is like  a son of man, but is The Son of Man. The term doesn't equate the Lord to man. By coming to the world in a similar way that we all do and walking through a life as a human, God humbled Himself into a role that would help us understand Him in a way that we can wrap our brains around. I don't think I'll ever fully grasp how wide, long, high and deep God's love is. I probably won...

I found the simplicity of this message really refreshing and full of truth.  I just loved how he explained baptism back to its root meaning: to wash, soak, immerse.  And how 'immerse in the Spirit' is essentially 'mercy' or God's mercy for His people.  I think I get caught up in technicalities and making the Holy Spirit complicated, as it is something so beyond our scope and profound; but yet, at its root, immersing His people in the Spirit is a way that God washes us and cleanses us of our sins.  He has mercy on us, and shares His love in Divine ways that we can graciously accept.  It is important to be reminded of who God is in His simplicity, love, and how He is approachable and constant, yet loves deeper than we could ever logically comprehend. Another interesting concept which is simple yet profound in its nature, is the fact that God does not just take away our sins and strip us clean of them; but He fills us newly with the Spirit.  He occupie...

Daring to refer to Himself as “THE Son of Man” in the religious courts meant that He put himself in the place of the defendants. There is no other picture that is more sacrificial, selfless, or worthy of praise. As DJ was describing The Son of Man, I kept asking myself if I was “beholding Him”, or observing THE remarkable and impressive human and heavenly divine being with pleasure. The Son of Man has authority over everything….behold Him. The Son of Man always stoops lower to serve us rather than to be served…behold Him. The Son of Man took his life for ransom…behold Him. The Son of Man has the only name that will go on forever and ever…behold him. The Son of Man has suffered and because of that we can discover the gospel…behold Him. The Son of Man brings the kingdom of heaven…behold Him. The Son of Man always has the last word…behold Him. Jesus, you are worthy of universal worship and I pray we recognize the depths and power of these statements listed above. Than...

I was first baptized when I was only a few days old, so I have no recollection of the event at all. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school that I truly came to experience Jesus. When this happened I had very little biblical knowledge and I had no idea about salvation or the true meaning of baptism at the time. Later, I learned the evangelist way of baptism, so I figured that was my peak Jesus moment. It is encouraging to hear, however, that this was not my only moment and that Jesus will continuously baptize me with the Holy Spirit as long as I trust in him. Another encouraging thing to hear is that there is no graduating from Jesus school. I think so much I fall into the trap of comparing my biblical knowledge to that of other Christians. I see others as having it all figured out but in reality, they are still, and will always be, learning more and more about Christ. Thank you Jesus for continuously pouring into me, and I pray that you use me despite how uncomfortable the...

One of the key principles I took away from this message is that we are continually being baptized and we are in constant need of it. This baptism refers to the baptism of the holy spirit. The holy spirit can be difficult to understand and grasp because it seems as though it is intangible. However, this sermon also exposed how the holy spirit IS tangible, but we often hold the full power of religion at arm's length. Allowing the holy spirit to fully infiltrate our lives is referred to as the infusion in this message. The pastor says that we are afraid of it. We are afraid because it might make us look strange or be swept up out of our own control and into God's. I think this idea of control is something I have been struggling with. Typically, I find myself comfortable with a certain amount of uncontrol. However, the situation we are in is different because I have a sense of helplessness. It is difficult for me to be in a situation where I do not feel as if I can take a matter ...

The realization that we are "in constant need of a cleansing bath, a shower a grace". None of us are ready for the fullness of the effusion but we crave and desire it each and every day. I am thankful that the Lord chooses to baptize us, again and again, to fill us with the Holy Spirit and remind us he is always with us through it all. Those are words that I need to remind myself of every day. It isn't a one-time thing and we are done, we are changed. No, it is an ongoing process to walk with the Lord and learn about his grace. We are forever students in Jesus's school and I pray that I continue to seek and learn from him and with him.

After listening to this sermon, one thing I realized is that I have never previously taken the time to pray or reflect on John 1:29, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes the way the sin of the world !". This prayer is said during Catholic mass, but has power behind that prayer has never struck me as it did after this sermon. Below are some of the notes and ways I felt God was speaking to me during the sermon. In the spirit of being disciplined in discipleship by exploring the question "Who is Jesus", there seems to be no better place to start than with John the Baptist. I can barely imagine the wisdom that God must have given John to even from a young age to witness the holiness Jesus portrayed. The pastor pointed out that John the Baptist sees Jesus as one who has existed from all eternity and he ventured forth to be a preacher to the greater one to come after him, for all to LOOK and make straight the path for Jesus. In John's great belief, he utters that J...

How lucky are we to be able to freely worship and share our faith in Jesus Christ, that is a fact we often take for granted. But in order to fully worship, we need to fully know Jesus and that totally starts with our personal relationship with Him and us toying with the question "who is Jesus?". "The Lamb of God...who takes away the sin of the world" - this quote is often overlooked "world" - God doesn't see us for our worldly beauty, our achievements, or anything of this world in fact. He saves us all, each human being that is "fearfully and wonderfully made". That is such a beautiful aspect to Jesus, that He sees us fully as humans not as a resume, but as His. I loved the notion of daily sacrifices that we can adopt in our lives today, every morning and every evening. Praise the Lamb that restores fellowship with Him!! When He goes into the story of Issac and Abraham, it fills us my heart to know and to claim that God always provide...

These messages are so good. I hear the pastor telling us everything hangs in the balance in the question of 'Who is Jesus,' and  I'm beginning to understand. Hearing John quote Isaiah and tell us - He is the Lord, the God of Israel, the Creator of the Universe, Yahweh, God come to earth. Yahweh, God to the Rescue!  That gets me - what good news. God Himself has come to rescue us! Today especially, with everything happening in the world and with all I hope and pray to be true for those in the world, God Himself has come to rescue us!  The Lamb, who takes away all of the sins of the whole  world. He could've stopped there and that's more than we deserve, more than we could reasonably ask for - a soul-quenching, here-and-now and eternity-changing gift . But that was only part of the promise?! God to the rescue, and when He leaves, taking away the sins of the world, breaking the back of evil, delivering us from death and slavery..."a great promise, God's pro...

The pastor touches on the different ways that the Spirit manifests itself: quick and sensationally transforming, or slow and quiet. No matter what the manifestation looks like, the sense of newness that the Holy Spirit provides is constant. Throughout my faith journey, comparing where I'm at in my walk with Christ to that of others around me has been an issue that comes up every now and again. I've associated the sensationally transforming experience with a 'better' or 'stronger' faith. I think the idea that Jesus baptizes  — present tense — is profound. Like the pastor states, I've run on this assumption that Jesus only graces us with the Holy Spirit at one big moment (or a few big moments). A baptism with water. Saying YES to Christ. A "Jesus experience." But Jesus continues  to ask us to abide in Him. To be baptized by the Spirit. I think my faith has felt  strongest in the big moments of "single baptisms." But Christ is not a feelin...

Until I listened to this sermon, Jesus being "the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world" had one meaning. I never thought, or paid enough attention to consider, that there would be multiple meanings to this title. God has gone by and continues to go by different names, but who He is remains the same. The pastor of this sermon makes a similar point in the different meanings of the Lamb, all arriving at the conclusion that Christ encompasses all meanings. He is  the warrior lamb, the lamb in Isaiah 53, the Passover lamb, the guilt offering, and the lamb provided to Abraham. He is  the one last sacrifice that fulfills every sacrifice.  The pastor ends on a few notes, and one stuck with me. He said that "we do not have to be who we become because of Sin." When we walk in and through our Sin, He is walking with us, whether we recognize it or not. God is greater than our Sin, and He has already overcome it.  He takes away the Sin of the  world.  Isn'...

Much of my life has been spent in the water. Aside from the last few summers spent surrounded by water on the delta, I grew up spending every summer on the lake. I spent every waking moment of the summer time swimming, wakeboarding, playing water polo, surfing, etc. Countless moments of my life have been the jumping off of the ledge of a pool or dock into the water, and being fully immersed. Oh how I long to continually be fully immersed in the Holy Spirit like this. By His grace Jesus comes on the scene and gives "Keeps On" giving us His Holy Spirit - Life itself!! This is His nature. Jesus pours out His Spirit again and again and again. I pray that I could feel this immersion in and with the Spirit every single day, just as and greater than the immersion of jumping into the water. Lord take away the part of me  that isn't ready for your full effusion. Lord take away that part of me that is not willing to be fully dunked in you spirit. Amen.

As I thought of the word “WITH” I realized Jesus in not just  in the water  with me  but he is also in the process, the transition, and  in the jump  with me   into the water. I picture him asking me, “Do you want to experience newness, divine intimacy, and restoration? If so, jump  with  me.” I will never be able to find what He offers me on my own. But He is leading me from a sinful, dirty, wretched life to making me clean and pure. It's powerful knowing that one cannot separate the titles of “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” and “He who baptizes in and with the Holy Spirit”. I found it very encouraging to know that Jesus asks and offers us this jump with him every single day. Never thought of baptism as a daily choice but man, knowing this truth is so freeing!   “Who can handle this effusion all at once?” Nobody. I think this circles back to DJ’s very first point that we will never be done answering the question “W...

This was a great sermon to sit and just be in the presence of the Lord. I found myself hooked on the different illustrations of who Jesus is as a Lamb. He is the warrior lamb, the suffering lamb, the Passover lamb, the scapegoat lamb, and the one great final sacrificial lamb that fulfills all other sacrifices point to. There are so many different aspects of my life that I see myself turning to Jesus to represent one of those lambs to seek comfort and know that I follow a God who has the ability to be so powerful and so gracious at the same time.

It is finished... the sacrifice has been made, forever. It all started with a promise made to Abraham and his radical faith in God, who would come to be the father of all nations. On that day, God did provide a physical lamb, but his promise was ultimately fulfilled in the death of Jesus on the cross. Because of the ultimate sacrifice, there is no fear or condemnation. The price has been paid. We can dare to come forward to Jesus with our sin. The most powerful moment of the sermon was when the pastor quoted Pete Miller: "Sin is this basic all-encompassing self-centeredness. The need to control in order to get what we want. An attitude the colors every relationship and emasculates the one with God. Sin is about our apparent inability to say no to our need to control people, places, and things in order to implement our own self-centered desires. We may believe in God and love him a great deal, but at the essential level, we are in control, or we are struggling to be in contro...

Wow, what good news. I listened to this sermon twice, and feel like I could listen to it again and again, so the truth and implications could settle in more each time. The first time I just listened, and I think missed a lot of it. The second time, I took notes, and now I see...Jesus. The reality of who He is changes everything and offers so much hope. It's hard to come up with words. I'm just so...thankful.  Here are some of my thoughts as I listened: I wrote down some of the questions he asked, I feel like these are so important for us. We are a community following Jesus, we say, with a heart for the city. It's an important question to ask - who is Jesus, this One we seek to follow? In this new challenging time and place, who do you say I am? I had to stop and answer this second question in this time we are currently in. It's a good question. I hear Jesus tell me He's a refuge and a fortress, One who sees and cares, and offers help i...

In college, I have become used to choosing my schedule, extracurricular, and hobbies. Everything in my life seemed under my control. All of this came to an abrupt ending when this outbreak became a reality. What at first seemed like the darkest time, has now grown me in ways I could have never imagined. Being able to see how much God is in control has brought so much growth in my humility towards the lord and to the life he has given me. I love the description of Sin being “the universal addiction to self that develops when individuals put themselves in the center of their personal world in a way that leads to abuse others and self”. Before, when I thought I was in control, this was exactly what I was doing.   Recently reading through John and now listening to this sermon, has made me really adore the life John the Baptist lived. John seemed to always preach humbly and points away any worship he got from others to Jesus. He never seemed to lose sight of the one wh...

Although being reminded of our sin can bring us much guilt and shame, especially when it’s described as “all encompassing self centeredness, universal addiction to self, a deadly infection, and the result of our deepest need to be our own god”, the beauty behind our imperfections in relation to the Lamb of God is that it doesn’t stop there. When we lay our hands on Him, our guilt and shame are wiped away. “Everything that needs to be done about sin  has. been. done. ” …thank you Jesus!! The weight of this statement is something that will always make me fall on my knees and remind me of how undeserving I am of the freedom His has sacrificially given us. Knowing that we no longer need to be fighting our own battles of pride, addiction, lust, resentment, jealously…whatever it may be, because He has already won the battle for us and is inviting us to victory is worthy of celebration….not just this Easter Sunday but every single day. I pray this relationship I have with Him continues t...

Jesus - The lamb of God Who Takes Away The Sin of The World - John 1:19-34 What a blessed sermon this was to listen to. Praise God that He provides the own Lamb. The Lamb who protects, sits on The Throne, Guides, Steps In, and Takes away The Sin (as a whole) of the world. Praise God for so graciously and mercifully providing us with This Lamb. As I continue in this tired time, I pray that I hear Jesus continually ask me that question "Who do you say that I Am" - and from that question I pray that He draws me deeper into Relationship with Himself. A few other stand out points from this one: "Behold" -  Look -  John the Baptist points everyone away from Himself, and towards Jesus. What a model of a way to live! "Sin is the universal addiction to self" - Boom, had to pause the sermon and sit on that one for a bit. "The Chief symptom of Sin is denial" - Man this cuts deep. Lord help me confess my sin! Jesus, help us answer your question e...

Who is Jesus - Spring 2020 Hello Leadership team!  The next 9 weeks we will be asking the most critical question any human in any era of history can ask - "Who is Jesus?" This blog is a platform for us to share our discoveries of who Jesus is and how He is working in our lives through the sermon series "Who is Jesus?" Please use this blog and these sermons as a way to grow in Relationship with Christ, and relationship with each other. It is a joy to be discipled together. The sermons and blog are meant to supplement your regular bible reading / study and are not meant to be a "stand alone" discipline.  My hope and prayer is that you are digging into the love and knowledge of God through regular bible reading and other resources. Participation in this blog will allow you to encourage your fellow team mates and be encouraged by them as well.  Feel free to comment on each others posts as much as you want! Your posts do not have to be long, how...