• Churches typically experience their largest attendance of the year, we did.
• Churches often see folks invite friends and family to worship, we did.
• Churches usually get the joy of seeing new Christians, we did.

Here at Journey we also started our transition to multiple worship gatherings, utilized a revamped Journey Kids check-in process, wrapped up our 11 week marriage series & desired desperately to glorify our Risen Savior in music, prayer & preaching….

That leaves me with many thanks to extend:

• To our Journey volunteers – thanks for showing up early, staying late & working hard. You sacrificed in a multitude of ways that most will never see…you’re the best and I am thankful for each of you.

• To our Journey Kids team – sugared up kids are always fun, you made certain that they heard about Jesus, the cross & the resurrection & so far at least I haven’t heard that anyone was lost or maimed. You let the parents concentrate on worship…as a dad and your pastor I appreciate what you do, not just this week, but each and every week.

• To the Journey band – Jesus was the center of attention this week, Jesus is the center of attention each week…thanks for not making our time of worship about you or your skills (even though they are great).

• To our regulars – I know that many of you invited friends, family, neighbors, etc. to worship with us this week. Some came and some didn’t….I appreciate your faithfulness in inviting others to worship with us. Together we will keep declaring Jesus as our great savior to anyone, anywhere who will listen.

• To our visitors – we are glad that you were here. We do this every week and you are welcome to join us. We really like Jesus and so don’t be surprised if we talk about him again this week, and next week and the week after that…and every week after that…He’s a big deal and want everyone to know it!

• To my wife – Meg you are the best…thanks for all you do this week and every week…I could never do this without you!

The great thing is that we get to gather again this coming Sunday….we will celebrate Jesus, the cross & the resurrection. We will declare that He is the hero and that our deepest need continues to be Him! Easter is not the end it is the beginning…

thanks for listening,

jerry

Now as a church planter it is with great joy that I get to announce Journey is pregnant.  Our room is filled to capacity and so we are birthing a new worship gathering. This time it means a second Sunday morning gathering, beginning Easter Sunday – April 8th, we will now meet at 9:00AM & 11:00AM. We look forward to the day when being pregnant will mean a new church.

In a recent blogpost, Ed Stetzer said, “….remind everyone to multiply everything: disciples, groups, ministries, and churches.

In a sense, we are on a multiplication mission. It’s ironic because one of the first commands God gave to Adam was to “be fruitful and multiply,” and yet I think a lot of churches have forgotten it.”

Journey is on that multiplication mission. Come join us!

-Pastor Jerry

1. FORGIVENESS IS NOT DENYING, APPROVING, OR DIMINISHING SIN THAT IS COMMITTED AGAINST US.

We cannot say we are fine, that it was no big deal, or that, since it was in the past, we’ve just moved on. We must be honest about the reality of the sin if we want the forgiveness to be equally earnest. In forgiving, we are, in fact, saying they are wrong, we do not approve of their sin, and that it really is a big deal and not a trivial matter to us.

2. FORGIVENESS IS NOT NAÏVETÉ.

Naïve people are prone to live as if the world were not filled with depraved sinners capable of evil, and they often become naïve by not really looking at the sinfulness of sin, including their own. Such people are not forgiving sin as much as they are ignoring it.

3. FORGIVENESS IS NOT ENABLING SIN.

To forgive people is not to remain stuck in their cycle of sin, thus being complicit and enabling their continued transgression.

4. FORGIVENESS IS NOT WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SIN, APOLOGIZE, AND REPENT.

The sad truth is that some people will never fully repent, and others never at all. Others we will never see again, or they will die before we hear an apology. We forgive because it is what God requires and what we need, not because our offenders have apologized.

5. FORGIVENESS IS NOT FORGETTING ABOUT SIN COMMITTED AGAINST US.

It is actually impossible to completely forget such things. This is why when God says, “Their sin I will remember no more,” it does not mean that he has no memory, but rather that he continually chooses not to bring it up or keep it in the forefront of his thinking. Indeed, because God is all-knowing, it is, in fact, impossible for him to actually forget something.

6. FORGIVENESS IS NOT DYING EMOTIONALLY AND NO LONGER FEELING THE PAIN OF THE TRANSGRESSION.

Rather, forgiveness allows us to feel the appropriate depth of grievous pain but choose by grace not to be continually paralyzed or defined by it.

7. FORGIVENESS IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT.

Those who have been sinned against commonly have seasons when they feel afresh the pain of past hurts and have to forgive their transgressors yet again.

8. FORGIVENESS IS NOT RECONCILIATION.

It takes one sinner to repent, and one victim to forgive, but it takes both to reconcile. Therefore, unless there is both repentance by the sinner and forgiveness by the victim, reconciliation cannot occur, which means the relationship remains continually broken until reconciliation does occur. Forgiveness is the beginning of potential reconciliation but is not in and of itself reconciliation. Forgiveness takes a moment. The trust that reconciliation requires is gained slowly and lost quickly.

9. FORGIVENESS IS NOT NEGLECTING JUSTICE.

In fact, if a crime has been committed, we can simultaneously forgive someone and call the police to arrest him or her. God will deal with every sin of every human being justly. For those who repent of sin and come to faith in Jesus Christ, justice came at the cross of Jesus, when our Savior suffered and died in our place for our sins. For those who do not repent of sin and come to faith in Jesus Christ, their justice will come in the punishment that is assigned to them in the conscious eternal torments of hell. By not seeking vengeance, we are not neglecting justice, but rather trusting God for perfect justice and getting ourselves out of the middle between the sinner and God. Romans 12:19 instructs precisely this: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

We know that we are not bitter when we actually want those who have sinned against us to be maturing Christians and, in addition to praying for them, we forgive them in hopes of showing them the gospel of grace.

In the midst of a culture with such diverse and contrasting opinions about who women are and especially what a wife is, Pastor Jerry seeks to outline a Biblical perspective of womanhood and particularly what does it look like to be a godly wife…

We apologize for the poor audio quality…we feel that the ability to continue listening to this series outweighs our desire to only post quality audio!

Thanks for understanding!