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Marge Thompson, ‘Were You a Witness at the Cross?’

Scripture:  John 19:23-30 and Matthew 11:9-10

 

Put yourself at the foot of the cross.  The soldiers were watching the crowd to see who were the close relatives of Jesus so they could perhaps arrest them. Some people kneeled at the foot of the cross: four Roman soldiers out of duty.  Mary Magdalene, who was healed by Jesus. Salome, his other’s sister and mother of James and John. Mary, the mother of Jesus and John the disciple. What does it mean to be near the cross looking up at someone who is fulfilling the prophecy? Why were these four people at the cross?

For Mary Magdalene, ‘it was a place of redemption’. Luke 8:2 Jesus had cured her of many evil spirits and demons. Mary was hopeless and helpless but Jesus set her free. Jesus delivered her from Satan. She was redeemed.  But being redeemed can be costly. Jesus had to die that we might be redeemed. Read Acts 26:18. You can also set people free by giving of yourself to bring people away from Satan to the grace of God.  The cross is a place of redemption.

For Salome, ‘it was a place of rebuke’. Salome had asked Jesus a very selfish, earthly and proud request, “can my two sons have places of honor in glory?” Read Matthew 20:23. She didn’t know what she was asking. She did not realize that suffering comes before reward.  Are we selfish with our desires? All our pride and selfishness fades away at the cross. The cross can be a place of rebuke.

For Mary the Mother of Jesus, ‘it was a place of reward’.  Mary struggled and suffered most of her life as a mother, but remained faithful to Jesus. Jesus rewarded his mother by sharing His disciple, John, to take care of her. Read John 19:26-27. Jesus knows our struggles and will reward our faithfulness. Mary was rewarded by way of the cross.

For John, ‘it was a place of responsibility’. All the other disciples fled except John. John was ‘the beloved disciple’… the one Jesus loved most. Jesus  gave John the responsibility of taking care of His mother. Read John 19:26-27. Read John cared for Mary the rest of her life. Read John 19:26-27 and I John 1:9. As God sent us Jesus to die for our sins… Jesus wants us to represent Him to others here on earth. The cross is a place of responsibility.

Are we willing to drink the cup (death)? Are we willing to suffer for Jesus the way He suffered for us?  Were you a witness at the cross?

THE CROSS… a place of redemption, rebuke, reward and  responsibility.

We must follow Jesus and glorify Him!

 

 

                                   SERMON NOTES from Mar 22, 2026                                                                                John Smay, ‘Don’t Go Back’

Let’s talk about people in the Bible who went back. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. Why would they want to go back to hard work, death and plagues. Read Exodus 32.

People were not happy. They sinned. They went back to making idols. 3000 were killed for not following God. God tried to bring them back but they didn’t listen to Him. They replaced God with a golden calf. Are we replacing God with something?

Ephesians 5:1-18 tells believers to imitate God through love, holiness, wisdom and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Do not be deceived. Learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Expose people who do and say wrong. Be wise not foolish. Understand the Lord’s will. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Do not go back!

Hebrews 8:1-6 tells who Jesus is and how He is different. He is Holy and a mediator for better promises.

Hebrews 9-14 tells us there is a new covenant and to not go back to the old laws. Stay with God. He is the new temple. Do you see the change or do you want to go back to the old life?

It is better to be judged by God than the devil.

Hebrews 10:10 tells us it is a permanent thing to be in God. It is God’s grace that sets us free.  We still make mistakes but should NOT stay in them. Free yourself from that old conscious. God promises are for the faithful. Continue your good deeds. Keep  coming together. Encourage one another.

If we keep sinning like the Messianic Jews, there is no turning back. Go forward and grow. Anyone who rejects the new law of Moses is unholy and insults God. Do we mistake the truth of God with pagan things in life? For example, there are people who have rituals, sacrifices, use demonic things, astrology to see the future, sage for cleansing and yoga for purification.

1 Corinthians 10:24 states “no one should seek their own good, but the good of others”. Psalms 1:2 states “blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers”.

Feelings are not facts. Rely on the creator. We are not to go back or we will suffer. Follow Jesus! Do not turn back to your old ways! Stand up for Jesus! Stand on His promises for God’s promises are real!

 

SERMON NOTES from April 5, 2026 Easter Sunday

Bryan Holmes, ‘The God Who Calls Your Name’

John 20:1-15

 

The first Easter began in the dark with tears of woe.

John 20:1-8, ‘The Empty Tomb’, is the powerful resurrection story that is deeply personal. It tells of a woman, Mary Magdalene: who suffered deeply (Luke 8:2) and was cured of evil spirits by Jesus (Luke 8:3), becomes His devoted disciple and follower out of gratitude and love, supports the ministry of Jesus, is blessed to be the first witness of the resurrection, (John 20:1-8), is not a fallen woman but is ‘the apostle of the apostles’ and she matters because she embodies the ‘journey of faith’ and a witness to the world.

There are three movements to Mary Magdalene’s story…

grief, search and name. GRIEF. Mary goes to the tomb in ‘the darkness of grief’. She is grieved to know that hope (Jesus) hides behind the stone that seals His tomb. We grieve, like Mary did, when we lose a love one or close friend. God is there for us in times of grief.

SEARCH. Mary saw that the stone was rolled away. She is concerned and tries to make sense of what she sees… an empty tomb (John 20:10). “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” John 20:12 tells us that Mary sees two angels in the tomb who ask her why she is crying. She is searching for Jesus but doesn’t realize Jesus in searching for her.

NAME. Jesus talks to her. (John 20:15,16). Mary, at first, does not recognize Him. She thinks He is the gardener. Jesus talks to her and finally she recognizes Him (John 20:16). He tells her to go to His brothers and tell them He lives. This makes Mary ‘the first preacher’s preacher’.

We need to remember Jesus meets us in our GRIEF…in the dark. Jesus SEARCHES for us when we are lost. Jesus calls us all by NAME. He knows our story, hopes and fears. There is a God who calls you by your name also!

Mary came in the darkness and left in the light with tears of joy. Easter is a personal encounter with Jesus… a time of joy!

Christ is Risen and He is calling your name!

SERMON NOTES from Mar 22, 2026

John Smay, ‘Don’t Go Back’

Let’s talk about people in the Bible who went back. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. Why would they want to go back to hard work, death and plagues? Read Exodus 32. People were not happy. They sinned. They went back to making idols. 3000 were killed for not following God. God tried to bring them back but they  didn’t listen to Him. They replaced God with a golden calf. Are we replacing God with something?

Ephesians 5:1-18 tells believers to imitate God through love, holiness, wisdom and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Do not be deceived. Learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Expose people who do and say wrong. Be wise not foolish. Understand the Lord’s will. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Do not go back!

Hebrews 8:1-6 tells who Jesus is and how He is different. He is Holy and a mediator for better promises.

Hebrews 9-14 tells us there is a new covenant and to not go back to the old laws. Stay with God. He is the new temple. Do you see the change or do you want to go back to the old life? It is better to be judged by God.

Hebrews 10:10 tells us it is a permanent thing to be in God. It is God’s grace that sets us free.  We still make mistakes but should NOT stay in them. Free yourself from that old conscious. God promises are for the faithful. Continue your good deeds. Keep coming together. Encourage one another.

If we keep sinning like the Messianic Jews, there is no turning back. Go forward and grow. Anyone who rejects the new law of Moses is unholy and insults God. Do we mistake the truth of God with pagan thing in life? For example, there are people who have rituals, sacrifices, use demonic things, astrology to see the future, sage for cleansing and yoga for purification.

1 Corinthians 10:24 states “no one should seek their own good, but the good of others”. Psalms 1:2 states “blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers”.

Feelings are not facts. Rely on the creator. We are not to go back or we will suffer. Follow Jesus! Do not turn back to your old ways! Stand up for Jesus! Stand on His promises for God’s promises are real!