I need to ask forgiveness from the Saturday service attendees. I had written the sermon and ran through it and thought good – or probably more closer – the in-laws are at home, there is a football game on, I’ve been thinking about these other presentations, and my head is in that game and those presentations and not this sermon right now. Only when really delivering did all the obvious problems creep out. It needed a couple of more dry runs.
I got it updated by Sunday morning. The sermon linked to in the Wordle is that Sunday morning sermon. But that does not help the Saturday group who got a much more muddled presentation.
Two key ideas: 1) Jesus’ life was one of growth through submission, the ultimate example of losing your life only to find it and 2) we just aren’t good at seeing those growth opportunities, but God loved us anyway. God loved us enough to submit to our cross. Jesus submitted where we could not, and so He is the the one directing growth from the right hand of the Father. Next time you feel growth stalled or advance stopped, take and second to look at Jesus and what does He want you to submit to in order to grow?