Microchurch Minute
“Jesus paid it all. All to Him, I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”
“He is risen. He is risen, indeed!”
Traditional sayings and phrases in the traditional church. But why do we say them? Why do we praise Him? Why do we celebrate Good Friday when it was the day that our Savior was nailed to a tree?
Friday is only good because Sunday was coming! We know now what the people in Jesus’ time did not know. His sacrifice was required to allow Him to fully conquer death. Imagine following Jesus then. You’ve heard the prophecies, believed a Savior was coming, and then you see Jesus beaten, bloodied, and lifted onto a cross. In that moment, it must have felt like everything had fallen apart… like death had won. God allowed Judas to be tempted to the point of betrayal. God allowed Jesus to be captured, tortured and killed. But what the enemy saw as his victory was just a necessary step in Jesus living out the biggest comeback story yet.
Do you find yourselves in those seasons? Your circumstances or the life that has been dealt to you looks dismal. I thought God was the ultimate protector and Savior. You think. How could He be letting this happen to me? Why is He allowing harm to come to my family? Why has death, pain and hardship been winning the war that it is waging in my home?
Don’t forget what Easter showed us. In this fallen world that we live in, God may allow pain, hardship and even the schemes of the enemy, but He uses it all to showcase His redeeming glory and majestic power! You might not see the redemption on this side of Heaven, you might not know the impeding victory that is coming from your dire circumstances. But we know that our Savior lives! Even in the silence, even in the doubt, He is working. The same Jesus who conquered the grave is still moving, still redeeming, still writing comeback stories. The enemy does not get the final say. My God is bigger than the schemes of the enemy. The enemy will not overtake me. He will not overtake my family.
Because Jesus died and came back to life:
We are forgiven and redeemed. Like a slave up for auction in a crowded marketplace, we were living slaves to sin. Jesus was able to take our place. He bought us and stands in our place.
Our future is now secured. Through Christs’ perfect sacrifice, He bridged the chasm that had been created between man and God. When we trust in Jesus and His redeeming love, our eternity is sealed. Jesus had to depart so that believers could receive the Holy Spirit.
Before, the Spirit would come upon believers and then depart. But now we get to enjoy the full presence of the Spirit every single day! The question isn’t what can the Holy Spirit do? It’s what can’t He do through a life that’s fully surrendered? It fills us up and gives us power. Wonder working power in truths and discernments. Does your life taste like the fully incorporated syrup in a glass of cold milk? There’s a difference in how you let Him be used in you. It’s a challenge, are you fully plugged in?
It’s pretty frustrating to jump on your tablet to play a game, only to realize that it wasn’t charged. If we aren’t regularly pouring into our time with the Lord, our spiritual lives can look a lot like that dead tablet. So much potential, so many capabilities, but powerless. We need to be regularly plugged in to the Word of God, not just sitting next to it. Because Sunday already proved it:
The grave is empty.
The victory is won.
And Jesus is still bringing dead things back to life.
Microchurch Minute
Imagine living Palm Sunday as it happened. You’ve made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem with your family. It is Passover, the sacred remembrance of when God led the Israelites out of Egypt. The city is full, buzzing with anticipation. You are busy preparing for the meal, carefully selecting your sacrificial lamb. It must be pure, without blemish. You’ve chosen well, spotless, the right size, set apart. There’s talk in the streets about a man named Jesus. Some say He heals the sick. Others say He casts out demons. Whispers grow louder: Could this be the Messiah?
Then suddenly, commotion. “Hosanna!” “Save us now!” You rush outside, pressing through the crowd, palm branches waving, cloaks thrown onto the road. And then, you see Him. Riding on a colt. Your heart catches. You remember the words of the prophet Zechariah. You learned them as a child. This is how the King would come. Could it really be? “Hosanna! Hosanna!” you cry out with the others. At last, the One who will rescue us. The One who will overthrow Rome. The One who will restore our people. But… He doesn’t look like a warrior. No armor. No army. No force. Just a humble man on a donkey.
They were waiting with expectation, full of hope for a Savior. But they had already decided what that Savior should look like. A conqueror. A king of power. A deliverer on their terms. Instead, Jesus came in humility. Not to conquer Rome, but to conquer sin.
Not to overthrow governments, but to overthrow death itself. He is King—just not the kind they expected.
And how often do we do the same? We celebrate when God moves the way we hoped. We praise when His plans align with ours. We shout “Hosanna” when the outcome feels like victory to us. But when He doesn’t… When He’s quieter than we expected, slower than we wanted, or working in ways we don’t understand. Do we still trust Him? Do we still follow?
Jesus didn’t come to meet expectations. He came to fulfill promises. He turned the world’s idea of power upside down, choosing humility, sacrifice, and grace. And in doing so, He secured the only victory that truly matters.
So the question Palm Sunday leaves us with is this: Do you praise Jesus for who He truly is or only for who you hoped He would be?
Microchurch Minute
We previously learned about the fruit of the Spirit in our study of Galatians. As we continually strive to be more like Christ, these characteristics should become evident in every aspect of our lives. On Sunday, we took a deeper look at how the nine characteristics we bear when the Holy Spirit lives within us fit beautifully into three outwardly observable categories.
In our relationship with God (upward): love, joy, and peace.
We see agape love most clearly in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross—a love so great that He was willing to suffer so we could be restored to God. Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood. How incredible that God chose to become that sacrifice for us. Because of this, we can fully experience the love of our perfect Heavenly Father, who chooses us again and again.
From that love flows joy, a deep and steady satisfaction in who God is. And when we trust Him fully, we receive peace that surpasses understanding, even in life’s storms. Be mindful to keep your focus on Him, because distractions are often used by the enemy to steal that peace and joy, whether it’s frustrating paperwork, difficult diagnoses, or conflict in relationships. Resist the urge to take control and instead lean into the Holy Spirit within you. What may feel heavy now is not the end, joy truly comes in the morning.
In our interactions with others (outward): patience, kindness, and goodness.
Patience can be especially challenging. To endure hardship and remain slow to anger goes against our natural instincts, it requires the work of the Holy Spirit in us. From patience flows kindness, a visible compassion in how we treat those around us. This extends into goodness, where our character and actions reflect integrity. Are your interactions marked by genuine care? Do people walk away feeling seen, valued, and encouraged? That kind of impact can only come from a life rooted in God.
In our relationship with ourselves (inward): faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Faithfulness is seen in our commitment to God and our consistency in living out what He has called us to do. It also shows in how dependable we are in our daily lives. Gentleness is an area many of us desire to grow in, having strength that is steady and controlled, not reactive. It’s choosing grace in both our outward responses and our inner dialogue. And finally, self-control is like a muscle that must be exercised, it allows us to manage our emotions and responses in a way that reflects Christ, even in difficult moments.
Microchurch Minute
We have been learning about the Holy Spirit and took time on Sunday to dive into spiritual gifts. These aren’t just talents or something you can produce through your own willpower. Rather, they are distinct gifts given by the Holy Spirit. We didn’t log into “theholyspirit.com” to scroll through options and choose what appeals to us. On the contrary, one of the many blessings of being indwelled by the Holy Spirit is that He equips us with supernatural power to play our part in His masterfully orchestrated plan.
Do you ever doubt your gifting? I pray that you would receive it as it has been given to you, without questioning the good and loving Father who inscribed it with your name. Just like salvation, it is not something to be earned, but a gift freely given, meant to build up the Body of Christ.
As you observe others who are active in the church, you may notice that people are gifted in ways different from you. Don’t be discouraged, this is part of God’s design. If we’re not careful, our human mindset can become self-centered when it comes to our gifts. “That leadership team is so charismatic and outgoing… maybe I don’t belong here since I’m only useful in the nursery, kitchen, or behind the scenes.” Sound familiar?
The enemy uses comparison and pride to distort your identity. Either you begin to believe your gifting isn’t enough, or you fall into the trap of thinking your gift makes you more important than others. But that was never God’s intention for spiritual gifts.
I love the comparison Scripture gives us, the Body. A foot cannot see, but it can walk. An eye cannot walk, but it can see. A hand cannot smell, but a nose can. Each part is different, yet each part is essential. Your differences are not a flaw, they are exactly what make you an integral part of the Church.
This doesn’t dismiss the natural talents you’ve been given. Maybe you’ve always been creative, or you thrive in the kitchen, or you naturally lead a room. Those characteristics may very well be the places where the Holy Spirit has uniquely gifted you. The shift happens when our mindset changes from “Look what I’m good at.” to “Lord, how can I use this to serve and build up Your Church?”
When we walk in our spiritual gifts as God intended, the focus isn’t on the person, it’s on the work God is doing through them. As believers, we are called to do everything in love. When I use my gifts, it should flow from reverence for God and love for His people.
I look forward to us continuing to grow together, discovering our gifts, encouraging one another, and strengthening the Body of Christ so that we can more powerfully carry out God’s work together.
Microchurch Minute
Remember the last time you stirred up a nice cold glass of chocolate milk? You pour in just the right amount of chocolate syrup and mix it vigorously until it spreads all the way through the milk. The result is delicious, a satisfying treat that comes from taking the time to mix it well.
When we accept Jesus Christ and the reality of our redemption, He promised that the Holy Spirit would come to dwell within us. Like chocolate syrup poured into white milk, the Holy Spirit is now present in every believer. You can’t remove Him from the glass, His presence is there.
But here’s the question: are you letting Him settle at the bottom, or are you stirring things up?
While the Spirit fully lives within us, we are called to intentionally walk in step with Him and allow His presence to permeate every part of our lives. Allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you (your thoughts, decisions, relationships, and actions) requires surrender and daily dependence.
Don’t remain stagnant and let the richness settle at the bottom. Stir it up. Let the goodness move through every part of you until every “sip” of your life reflects the sweetness of the Holy Spirit.
His presence shouldn’t result in only a mild change (still mostly white milk) but a complete transformation, turning your life into something entirely new.
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:25
