Scripture referenced
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Psalm 37:34 Named as the word the Lord put on the congregation's heart for 2023: put your hope in the Lord, travel steadily along his path, and he will honor you
34 Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
Luke 24:1-49
Primary text read aloud together, used to trace the theme of clarity in complexity through the resurrection appearances
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they and some others came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.
2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
3 They entered in, and didn’t find the Lord Jesus’ body.
4 While they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling clothing.
5 Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
6 He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee,
7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?”
8 They remembered his words,
9 returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
10 Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with them told these things to the apostles.
11 These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn’t believe them.
12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.
13 Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.
14 They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened.
15 While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
17 He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”
18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”
19 He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21 But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
22 Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb;
23 and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
24 Some of us went to the tomb, and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
25 He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?”
27 Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 They came near to the village, where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.
29 They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.
30 When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them.
31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight.
32 They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them,
34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35 They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
36 As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
37 But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39 See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42 They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43 He took them, and ate in front of them.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
45 Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.
46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Hebrews 4:12
Quoted by a congregation member to describe how the word of God brings clarity to the heart
12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Brian opened 2024 by sharing what he feels the Lord placed on his heart as a word for the year: clarity in complexity. He walked Tribe fam through Luke 24 and let the congregation pull the theme out of the text together, before closing with communion and a call to pursue simplicity as the practical path toward that clarity.
What was said
Brian started by reviewing the word the Lord gave Tribe for 2023, Psalms 37:34, and then moved to what he believes the Lord has placed on his heart for this year. The word is three simple phrases: clarity in complexity. He was careful to say he is not claiming to be a prophet and has not been shown specific details, only a sense that as life gets more complex individually, as families, and as a church family, those whose hearts are positioned and open will receive increasing clarity about things that have always been there but not yet been seen clearly.
To get into that theme from scripture, Brian had the congregation read through Luke 24 together, passing the microphone around the room. Before they started reading, he asked everyone to keep their eyes open for where clarity and complexity appear in the passage. As the reading moved forward, he paused to remind the group of a point from the previous week: the disciples on the road to Emmaus were stuck in the "what was" of Jesus and could not yet see the "what is." That observation set the table for everything that followed.
The congregation then worked through the passage together, with several people naming what they saw. Someone pointed to the angel's question, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?", as a moment of sudden clarity cutting through confusion. Hannah drew attention to the angel reminding the women of words Jesus had already spoken, the point being that clarity is often not brand new information but something that was always there waiting to be recognized. Jonathan put it plainly: when the disciples spoke among themselves they had no clarity, but when Jesus spoke, clarity came. Someone else noticed that Jesus used physical evidence, showing his hands and feet, to give the disciples something solid to anchor their faith to alongside the miracle in front of them.
Jen Kronberger brought up the repeated image in the passage of people walking and talking together, and how it may be significant that Jesus joined the disciples precisely in that moment of communal discussion. Brian did not want to read too far into the text, but he used his "sanctified imagination," his phrase, to suggest that community may be one of the conditions that draws the Lord near. He noted that Jesus appears to the disciples gathered in the upper room and to Paul traveling on the road with companions, and said there could be a whole series about encountering the Lord in the context of community.
Brian then brought in two emails from Tribe members who had shared pictures or impressions before the word for 2024 had ever been announced. One described a vision of Tribe as a ship on calm water, with the Lord preparing the crew to sail into troubled seas. The other used the image of the Karate Kid, where Daniel goes to Mr. Miyagi wanting to fight and instead spends his time sanding floors and waxing cars, not realizing he is developing the muscle memory he will need when the moment comes. Brian said that as a Tribe family, the seasons that have felt like "wax on, wax off" have been training, and that pieces of the puzzle may start fitting together in ways they have not before.
He closed the sermon portion by acknowledging that "clarity in complexity" is a real-life question, not just a theme. His answer, drawn from verse 44, where Jesus opened the disciples' minds to understand scripture and reminded them of what he had already told them, was this: clarity comes with simplicity. As the world gets more complex, the invitation from the Holy Spirit is to pursue the simpler thing rather than the louder or more complicated one. He said he cannot put that instinct into anyone's brain for them, but that people around Tribe fam are going to notice the peace and clarity that comes from practicing it.
Touch points
Things you could actually do this week.
- When a situation feels overwhelming this week, ask yourself what the simple answer is rather than getting pulled into the complexity around it.
- Spend a few minutes in stillness before the Lord each day this week, pausing long enough to actually meditate on who he is rather than just moving from one thing to the next.
- If you need prayer over an area of complexity in your life, reach out to John and Kate Micas, who made themselves available for exactly that after the service.
- Read or re-read Luke 24 on your own this week with the theme of clarity in complexity in mind, and notice where you see it showing up in the passage.
- If you are a young adult or know one, check out the Tuesday evening life group at the TMC and consider signing up to bring a meal for the group.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Brian shared that he believes complexity will increase in 2024, but that clarity is available to those whose hearts are positioned and ready. Where in your own life right now do you most feel the tension between complexity and a need for clarity?
- Clay shared how a season of cancer and time in the Word brought him to a place of overwhelming clarity. Has there been a hard season in your life where slowing down and being in Scripture gave you unexpected clarity? What did that look like?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Resumen en español
El mensaje resumido, en español.
Brian comenzó el año compartiendo lo que siente que el Señor puso en su corazón para 2024: claridad en medio de la complejidad. Su mensaje fue que a medida que la vida se vuelva más difícil y confusa, tanto a nivel personal como nacional y global, quienes mantengan su corazón abierto y orientado hacia Dios recibirán una claridad cada vez mayor. No como algo completamente nuevo, sino como verdades que ya estaban ahí y que de repente se vuelven brillantes y reconocibles.
La enseñanza partió de Lucas 24, la historia de la resurrección y los discípulos en el camino a Emaús. La congregación leyó el pasaje en voz alta juntos y fue compartiendo lo que veían: los ángeles trayendo claridad a las mujeres, Jesús cortando la confusión con su voz tranquila, la importancia de caminar y hablar en comunidad, y cómo Jesús usó las propias Escrituras que ellos ya conocían para abrirles el entendimiento. Brian destacó que Jesús nunca nos sorprende con algo para lo que no nos ha preparado, y que la clave para mantener claridad en tiempos complejos es perseguir la simplicidad, volver a lo esencial.
Durante el servicio también se compartieron visiones que algunos miembros de Tribe habían recibido antes de que Brian anunciara la palabra del año: la imagen de un barco en aguas tranquilas preparándose para navegar mares difíciles, y la imagen del Karate Kid aprendiendo a través de tareas que parecen sin sentido pero que forman memoria muscular para lo que viene. Brian cerró con comunión y una invitación a apoyar esa tarde la vigilia organizada por la comunidad judía de Jackson Hole, en los cien días desde el secuestro de rehenes en Gaza.
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Pasajes bíblicos usados:
- Salmos 37:34
- Lucas 24:1-49
- Hebreos 4:12
Read the full transcript 10,835 words
Lord. Your for thank Let's stand together. Oh lord Jesus, we invite your presence in here today. Wherever there's parts of us in our walk with you that have fallen asleep, we ask that you would wake us up today. Wake us up with revelation today.
We give you permission to come and move in this place. In Jesus name. Just let your spirit come alive this morning. Overflow that's our prayer today spirit of the living god come and touch us this morning let's sing this again awaken
soul overflow.
I just give him permission today. Spirit, come and fill this place. To overflow. Lord, that's what we ask today. Wherever we're weak, that we would just surrender to you.
Wherever we're in control, we surrender to you to overflowing, Lord. Come and fill us up. We need you fresh today. Yes, Lord. Well, we came in this morning and there was no stage in the room.
So you have to find that little window wherever you're standing, you know, like yep. Yep. And if you're short, you can come up and you know it. If you're short and you know it, you can come sit in the front. Nothing to be afraid of.
Lord, we just thank you that we found you. But really when we sing this song, we're just so thankful that you found us. And even that's not accurate. You never had to just find us. You always knew us.
Thank you that you led us to you as we sing this song till I found you. Lord, let us just remember and be so thankful before we met you, Lord, where our life was headed. We just tell you we love you this morning In Jesus name. Connor leading worship with us today.
There is no one like you. There is none beside you. Open up my eyes in wonder. Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and need me and your love to those around
me.
Lord, we just tell you we love you this morning. We just take a minute and just this holy moment, we just be still before him. Just be still before him. Acknowledge his presence in this place today. You.
God worthy of our praise than you. No other little g idol to take the place before you, god. We acknowledge that today. Desperate for you. Lord, when we really acknowledge and we take enough time to just be still, it's almost just overwhelming your holiness, your greatness, how we spend every other minute of our day and then we pause and we meditate on who you are and your presence and it's it's overwhelming because why would we long to be anywhere else than with you?
And you understand that tension to manage of life and work and kids and busyness and relationships. But Lord, you long to be at the center of every single one of those things. So right now just search our hearts and forgive us where we've compartmentalized that this is when I meet with you and this is when I do these things. Lord you long to be in and through it all and your presence is available to us at every moment if your spirit is living in us.
Hearing your love hearing your love.
Lord, we thank you. God, you are a good, good father. You are faithful. Faithful. You are holy and so worthy of our praise.
We ask that your spirit falls on this place today, God. That you speak to each one of us through the word that Brian has. God. And as we continue through the worship today and through the rest of our week, God be with us. Pray this in the mighty name of Jesus.
And everybody said, amen.
Amen. Alright. Fill up your coffee. Greet somebody. If there's someone that you haven't met before, they're a visitor, just make them feel welcome and get your bibles out and we'll get into God's word together.
Can this go away? Yep. Yeah. That's great. Yeah.
But I don't know that it can go closer. Okay. Thank you.
Mhmm.
Yes. Good morning. Always so compliant, the vetters. I say good morning and the whole row of vetters like, yes, good morning. Their pens are sharpened, fresh page on their notebooks.
Week
two,
Hannah Pollot, Will and Bree Bree are here. That's great to see. Also, it sounds a little hot, a little ringy. As I talk more, I know you'll get that ring out. That's already sounding better.
Wow. Good morning, everybody. How's everybody doing? Did you dig out from this storm? They're all do you get to shred some pow?
Yeah. Whoo. Boy, I got the goods this week too. Man, that was that was great. If you have your bible with you this morning, would you turn to the book of Luke?
We're gonna spend a little bit of time there. We're gonna take a Luke together. If somebody is new and they're sitting next to you and it's the first time that you think they're hearing that pastor joke. Just pat him on the knee and say, it's okay. It gets worse.
So, you can see the title of the conversation that I have for us this morning. If you remember several weeks ago, I said that as we get into the New Year, I feel like the lord put a word on my heart to share with our tribe fam for us for 2024 And if you are if you're brand new to Tribe, this word is relevant to you because it can apply to your life. And I do not presume to be a prophet or the or a spokesman for the Christian church or the whole world, but I do think that what I'm going to share has a large scope of applicability. So beyond tribe, if that makes sense. Right?
Are you with me? And if you're new to tribe, I just want you to know that the way the format of how we do church, this part of church is intended to be interactive. You get to hear from me, but I want to hear from you as well. And so if you have a question, a connection, or a comment, I wanna hear it. And if you just raise your hand, does Kat have the mic today?
Where are you, Kat? Alright. So Kat's back there. She has the mic. Her eyes, like the spirit of the lord, are roaming about the earth to seek whom she may encourage with the microphone.
And the reason why, if you raise your hand, we get the mic to you, it's so that all of our livestream families that watching either at home or whenever they're traveling, they get to participate in the conversation by being able to hear your voice. Because if you just spoke up, none of the mics would catch it, and then all of our livestream families start texting like somebody in the leadership team, like, wait, what did they say? And so we just wanna make sure, and that's how they sound too when they text. We just wanna make sure that that all of the voices are heard, our livestream families and all of us in the room. So, with that in in mind, I want to do a quick review of what the lord put.
I feel like the lord put on our heart for 2023 and if you recall, it's not up on the screen but if you recall, the lord laid Psalms 37 verse 34 in our heart. Put your hope in the lord. Travel steadily along his path, and he will honor you by giving you the land, and you will see the wicked destroyed. So we took several weeks and we unpacked that. That verse was intended to remain on the shelf of our hearts all year long, but perhaps admittedly so for if you were to be honest, maybe not at the front of the shelf of your heart for all year, but maybe but maybe for some of you.
This year, in a similar manner, the word that I feel like the lord put on my heart to to share with you. Again, when I share it, you're gonna be like, well, duh, Brian. We've all been feeling that. Well, great. Just like Moses said, would be to god that all of you could prophesy.
Moses was like, I want all of you to have the spirit of the lord in your heart so that you can hear his voice and be sensitive to his leadership. But as as the primary communicator at Tribe and the lead pastor, the responsibility gets to fall on my shoulders to to share this with you. And so what I feel and I'll just cut right to the chase. What I feel like the lord has placed on my heart to share with you for 2024 is three simple words. Clarity in complexity.
Clarity in complexity. As we move into 2024, I feel like the lord has has has shared with me not any any details or anything like that. It's not my place to to know those details. And I feel like if I did know them, I would like, not that I could like mess it, but I would, like, run ahead out ahead of the lord. Like like, lord, just keep me on a short leash and have me stay close.
I don't need to know any of the details, but I appreciate you sharing what you have with me. That as we move into 2024, that life will take another ratchet up of complexity. But in the midst of that complexity that we will face individually and as families and as a church family, as complexity increases, at the same time, if our hearts are positioned and ready and open for it, we will also receive increased clarity. Meaning, as things get busier and and whatever could unfold in 2024. And we see the wheels getting more and more wobbly that if our hearts are tuned and positioned and ready and we're looking for it, we will see things that have been there all along but will become highlighted to us in new and clear and brilliant ways that perhaps we have not either seen before or we've just dismissed them.
With that in mind, let's turn to the book of Luke. I'm gonna read a story to you. We can read it together. As I was making my selection, I feel like the the lord put a particular passage on my heart, but I always like us to take a good running start at the primary text that we're gonna spend our time in. And so when, like, let's say the lord says, hey, I want you to teach on this verse or these two verses.
Okay. Got it. Well, as we as we get into the text together, I always like to give a little bit before and a little bit afterwards so that you have, hopefully, a little bit greater context so that neither you nor I would just would ever be guilty of just, like, kinda cherry picking a single verse. Right? Right?
So, it's always important to have as much as possible the greater context so you can see what's going on in the story and as I was making my selection, I was like, well, let's go a little bigger on the front end. Oh, but it's so good. We gotta go a little bigger on the back end. And so I thought what we would do is read just verses one all the way through 49. Let's take a nice skirt.
So if you need to stretch out for this for this long reading, go right ahead. And one of the other things that we like to do here at Tribe is we like to to read god's word together. We're not going to read this together simultaneously. We're not liturgical like that but we'll pass the mic around and we can we can take turns reading god's word out loud together. So, if you want to start, Kat, or if you gotta volunteer, Joe's gonna start us off.
Read just a few verses, Joe, and then hand the mic off to somebody else. We're gonna read Luke chapter 24 verses one through 49.
But very early on Sunday morning, the woman went to the tomb taking the spices that they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn't find the body of Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
Quick pause. Let me give you something to be looking for in the text. Look for this theme of clarity in complexity. We'll see it numerous times in this passage. But, like, like, put those glasses on.
Remember John Micus whenever you, like, hand a pair of glasses for a child to try on? They're all like and you're like, those are really expensive Maui gyms. Bless your heart. So this is what you need to be looking for while we're reading, clarity in complexity, that that theme. We'll see it a bunch of times, but keep your eyes peeled.
Continue or hand it off.
The woman were terrified with their faces and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here. He is risen from the dead. Remember what he told you back in Galloway that the son of man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and that he would rise again on the third day.
Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all the these things to the 11 to all the others. It was as Mary, Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, and the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles, but they did not believe the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen laying by themselves, and he went away wondering to himself what had happened.
Now
that same day, two of them were going to a village called Imas, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, what are you discussing together as you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast.
One of them named Cleopas asked him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? What things? He asked. About Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.
The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but they didn't find his body.
Quick pause. So we've been in this passage very recently. We we camped out on this one spot. Can anybody just by way of, like, reinforcing where we've been, can anybody remember what we talked about recently regarding this passage? What was that key takeaway?
You can say it, and then I'll repeat it into the mic. What what? Who? What things? What things.
Yep. There were some what things in there, but the the the idea was in verse 19 through 22. We talked about this just, what, last week? Ella's got it. There you go.
There we go. So, last week, we talked about how these disciples, they were, they couldn't see the what is of Jesus because they were stuck in the what was. So, as we leave twenty twenty three behind us, let go of those what was so that you can embrace all of the what is that Jesus has to offer you today and this year. Good good job, guys. Let's keep going.
We're getting closer to verse 49.
They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.
He said to them, how foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as as if he was going farther. But they urged him strongly, stay with us for it's nearly evening.
The day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them. I'm gonna take one more because I love this next part. Uh-huh. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and
he
disappeared from their sight.
Isn't that great about communion? Yeah. You guys wanna partake of the Lord's Supper together today?
Yes.
Alright. Let's do communion together today. Yes. Already have it set up.
Alright. Last but surely not least, they asked each other, were not our hearts burning within us while we while he talked with us on the road Come
on, and
open the scriptures to us?
You want me to finish? Okay. The two is it Emmaus? Emmaus. Emmaus.
Thank you. Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. Peace be with you, he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost.
Why are you frightened? He asked. Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet.
You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure I am not a ghost because ghosts don't have bodies as you see that I do. As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, do you have anything here to eat?
They gave him a piece of, broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, when I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the the scriptures. And he said, yes. It was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.
It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations beginning in Jerusalem. There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent. You are witnesses of all these things. And now now I will send my holy spirit just as my father promised, but stay here in the city until the holy spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.
May the Lord bless the reading of his word this morning. This is a great opportunity for me to check-in with you. Where do you see the theme of clarity in the midst of complexity in this passage? So scan through maybe something jumped out to you while you were reading. Maybe you need to look to your eyeballs and scan this again really quick to see what might jump out to you.
While you're when you have something, raise your hand. We'll we'll come around to you. Clay's got something. While the mic is coming to you, let me just say this. I understand that this format that is more conversational is perhaps something that you might not be used to.
Usually, the guy with this thing right here, the mic is the guy that has all of the words. Our format is just a little bit different.
I am just overwhelmed this morning. In 2023, I had cancer. In 2024, I do not. The second song that we sang today talked about rewriting your story. And in this passage, I get up every morning and just confess to god that I am just a filthy sinner.
Christians are not holier than thou. They're just forgiven and this is so foolish one and slow to slow of hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken. I feel like that's what's happened to me in this journey that I've been on. When I went to Salt Lake, man, I had a
lot of time.
And I spent it looking in the word, listening to podcasts, listening to preachers, researching, and I'm just I'm overwhelmed about today and all that has been presented in this passage and how it is just fallen into place so organized that only god could have done it. And I am am truly blessed. I mean, peace to you. That's what I feel now.
Mhmm. That's good.
Moving forward, I'm not promised tomorrow. And if tomorrow didn't come for me, God bless. I I'm just I've lived a fantastic life and as I have gotten older, I have gotten better. Believe me, I've made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life.
Why is Nancy nodding so aggressively? I'm speechless. Thank you for sharing. We
make we make fun of me being the new clay. Nancy will probably get a laugh out of that but I feel like I'm a new clay because of what god is doing in my life. Not just healing, you know, healing of cancer, that's great. That's wonderful. But opening up his word and for me to get like what you're saying.
Get clarity. God, ladies. It's just overwhelming. Overwhelming.
Yeah. I'd say anytime an angel speaks, it brings a lot of clarity. Right? In verse five, it says the women were terrified and bowed their face to the ground. Then the angel said, why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?
So I think that brings a lot of clarity there. He's he's risen from the dead, obviously.
Oh. That's great. That's great that you're seeing that there. Yes. Hannah.
And just going off, what he just said about verse five, just a little bit later in oh, sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Thank you. Let's see.
Where is this? In verse six and seven, the angel says, he is not here but has risen. Remember how he had told you while he was still in Galilee that the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. So that's something that was already spoken in scripture and and it's made more clear because it happened.
I I like what I like the thread that you're beginning to pull on because clarity, at least when I hear that word, especially in conjunction with the the phrase that the lord put on our heart, clarity carries with it this idea that it's not necessarily something brand new. It's always been there. But, like, you can see it as if it's brand new, but it's always been there. And isn't it great? One of the many great things about Jesus is he never springs something on you out of the blue that you have no context for, no basis of familiarity.
He plants the seed. He he puts it in your heart and then usually, the revelation comes when you have to come back around to it maybe after a lap or two in the wilderness to that same point and say, I've already told you this. I've already done this for you. I've already set you free. I've already but we we encounter it with eyes to see and a heart that is receptive, and it's as if we've been made brand new, but it's a clarification of something that was already there.
That is really cool, Hannah. What else do you see either micro or macro in the passage that we just read of that theme of clarity in complexity. What else do you see?
All right. So nowadays, like, people are lacking clarity in many aspects. Right? So what I found interesting here is that when they spoke, they didn't have clarity. When Jesus spoke, they got clarity.
Okay. I'll just close-up the Bible and go to communion. That was so was really good, Jonathan.
So, the complexity part of, like, fear and they're afraid because they think he's a ghost, but then he uses evidence and he creates clarity that it's him. It's not a ghost.
Oh, man. There's a there's a thread that we could really pull on some more to to to get more out of that. That I'm gonna try to translate that faith is super important, but he gave the disciples something to substantiate their faith. Look at look at the holes in my hands. Put your put your finger in my side.
Are you gonna eat all of those fish sticks? I'd like one, please. Jesus knows our frailty. Amanda had something up here, and then we'll go to the back there.
This is very elementary, but that's my style. There's a lot of complex things happening externally here. A man was raised from the dead. Yes. That's a big that's complex.
Mhmm.
People, came out of their graves and went back to the home to see their loved ones. Yep. That's wild. A stone was rolled away that was impossible. Like, there's just everything about it feels complex.
And the simplicity that jumped out to me is that, one, the two angels were like, guys, he told you this. Do you not remember? And then two, Jesus was just like, guys, I told you this. Do you not remember? And so it's like the clarity of the voice of Jesus that is unchanging and remains the same.
So in the midst of external complexity, it's just like the calm voice of the Lord that's like an anchor that's unchanging and that's always been there. And if they had eyes to see or ears to hear, they would have remembered, even in the midst of what seems like chaos or, you know, complex situations.
I like the fact that you're drawing our attention, and this is my translation of what you just said, inviting us to use our imagination to really consider the reality of the complexity of the different situations. Just think about the two disciples that had left Jerusalem. It was things were in so much upheaval. The their their spiritual leader, the the one who they believe to be the Messiah, the rescuer of Israel had just been arrested, tried, executed, like what is going on? The other disciples, the the two women going to the tomb, like, like, it might be because if you're familiar with this passage, it's kind of hard to put ourselves in the place of the people experiencing those things in real time.
But can you imagine the complexity and the emotional and confusion that they were walking through in that moment? And I think that's what you're trying to draw our attention to. We need to use our imaginations. But in the midst of that, the clarion words of Jesus cutting through all of the complexity to bring us to a place of clarity.
My point is similar that I think it's just awesome that he reveals himself to those who are at the bottom of the society first, in the sense that he makes sure those who don't have other ways of seeing get to see him. And so he addresses him from the bottom up. Wow. Well,
once again, I can conclude the sermon because that's just that's just that's beautiful. Jin Kronberger.
Hi there. One thing that really struck out to me is Me. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, and then again, they were walking along talking and kind of jumping back up to the doubt of the 11 when they came back from the tomb. And they told them what happened, and they didn't believe. But then there was kind of this talking that happened along the road with these people who had seen these things, and they were kind of, you know, having are you not from Jerusalem?
Have you seen these things that are happening? And so it's important for us as believers to be walking together, talking, and there's that theme that comes up a lot kind of through 13 through 18 of them walking and talking together and how important that is to reaffirm our faith of these things that are happening. Because, you know, when crazy things are happening, it can we might doubt god. We might doubt god, and having others to reaffirm and walk with us is a key theme that I picked up on in those passages.
Community is super important. Kinda long winded. Over here. That's that's so good. Jen, of course, the lord can encounter us alone on the backside of the desert in a burning bush or however he wants to with Moses but I like to use my sanctified imagination and and imagine and imagine Jesus resurrected Jesus going about doing, you know, resurrected Jesus things and he gets an alert on his phone.
Two disciples hearts are in confusion and they are just talking and talking and talking about all that's going on and he's like, okay, I'll I'll be right there. That perhaps it and maybe this is what you're saying. Perhaps, it was the fact that they were discussing these things of the lord in the context of community with each other that attracted and drew the lord. I'm reading into the text. I'm using my sanctified imagination.
But he appears to the disciples as they're gathered in the upper room. He appears to Paul, Saul, as he's traveling on the road with companions. There could be a series here about encountering the lord in the context of community. Write that down. Yeah.
Okay.
I'm looking at, verse 44, and he said, remember remember everything that was written about me. And he's not saying that in an unkind way. Yes. And then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And then following down, he sends his holy spirit.
And I think the application for us is we need to feed on his word. He will open our minds to understand, and then he gives us the holy spirit to to act that out and to to guide us. Wow. And it's all right there kind of together.
Oh, that is also so good. I can remember my my professors in bible school. Before we would take a test, they would say, alright. You know, you're about to take the test. Let me let me pray for you.
And they would always pray a prayer that I didn't like because they would pray like, lord, help these students to recall all that they have learned. And I was like, wait. What about the miracle of just, like, telling me the answers? So you're saying I was supposed to study more? Oh.
But but they had the Old Testament put in them because they they had studied it. They had heard it. They had meditated on it. They had chewed on it. And then Jesus comes along and says, let me remind you and bring to your recollection, have it come bubbling to the surface and connect the dots.
But there was that prerequisite of hiding God's word in their heart so that he would have something to pull and draw upon. I mean, how many sermons, amazing sermons, have we already preached this morning? Is anybody keeping count? That was so good.
That that moment where Jesus spoke and quoted scripture and their eyes were open. They remind me of Hebrews four twelve where it says, for the word of god is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Let his word bring clarity to our hearts. Hold on to that one for just a second. Be in the same way in the same way that we see the disciples and these other characters in this story walking in complexity either emotionally or geopolitically or or seemingly religious and receiving clarity from Jesus himself. In the same way, I feel like the lord has put on my heart to to share with our tribe fam and not as a doom and gloom and we have to hold this tension between that and like Chicken Little and the sky is falling and and also at the same time, not knowing any of the lord has not shown me anything of any of of anything other than I believe, all of my heart, that as we wade into 2024, that we will personally and nationally and even globally experience a level of increase of complexity unlike the world has ever known before. Now let that statement sit wherever you want it to sit.
But consider, if I had made that statement in 2019 or 2020, that would have sounded a little bit bombastic, wouldn't it have? It might have sound a little inflammatory or or outrageous. Like, watch out. Difficult days, complex days are coming. You would have been like, what?
I mean, really, honestly, if we were to to to zoom out, and I'm only gonna zoom out just, what, twenty years and look at the events of nine eleven. When nine eleven happened, it was a watershed moment for the world and for our nation. And we still today feel the ripple effects of the events of nine eleven, then all you need to do to confirm that is just go through security and remember, did I put on clean socks as I have to go through the scanner this morning without my shoes? Ugh. And the events of nine eleven took our as complex and as tragic as they were and whatever you believe about nine eleven, it was it was a turning of the dial of the hands of time for the world and for our nation.
But that was relatively for our short attention and mind span a long time ago. 2018, 2019, the beginning of 2020, it was like, yeah, they're they're you know, like, we're cruising right along. Okay? Like, I'm hoping that, like, the the iPhone is, like, faster, but we weren't, like there's no there's nothing big on the horizon for us. COVID crashes on, like a tidal wave on the shores of all of our lives.
It impacted every single one of us and it happened quickly, didn't. If you were here in Jackson, remember, remember that spring, you guys? We're like, COVID's happening and we're like, I don't know. Do I like wash my groceries or I don't know and like, well, at least I can go skiing and then they shut down the Gandhi. We're like, oh, COVID.
Then, they shut down the tram. You're like, oh no, COVID and then they just closed the whole village. Remember that? And you're like, oh, COVID. How many of you were here in Jackson for that?
I mean, that was tragic and so, people are like, alright, we'll just go skiing on the pass and then after we ski on the pass, we'll just all hang out together in the parking lot. And there was talk of like, maybe we'll shut down skiing on the pass. And people were like, But then it was spring break, and people were like, well, I can't travel international like and everybody in Jackson was just going to go down to Moab and then Moab said, don't come down here. We just, we closed everything. Do you guys remember that?
And so, we have still felt the ripples of of of COVID. How greatly and drastically, not only the world can change, but we can be impacted in such a relatively short period of time. Before COVID, our our minds, our psyche, our collective awareness and consciousness did not have room for comprehending or like a box to fit something that I don't want to say catastrophic but that disrupting in our lives. COVID created that box in all of our lives. Does that make sense?
And now, COVID is like, you know, whatever. We saw complexity arise with COVID. Imagine, like, we all walked through the complexity of, like, do you wear a mask? Do you not wear a mask? Do you double bag the mask?
Do you put one this way and then one this way? Like, what The the the vaccine is another level of of complexity. The the election, and all of those things were made all of those things had a place in our life and in our heart as a result of the initial tidal wave of COVID. It created within all of us room for big, huge things to change and for life to change on a dime. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?
Okay. I don't believe that I'm I'm not saying that COVID was of the lord. I am saying that in his foreknowledge, he knew about it. But the the the drawer or the bin that was created of of sudden rapid change that permeates far and wide. The bin that COVID created, my sense and what I feel like the lord has put on my heart is it's gonna get filled up in twenty twenty four in one year, in one year.
And COVID will appear to be just child's play compared to what will unfold. And I'm not talking about catastrophe wise, although it could be included. I don't know. But I am talking about complexity. Nancy in the back.
Complexity, yes, but this is where clarity has to come in. And you can't let fear take over when the complexity comes about because it will come about. And that was one of the things that COVID did amongst the Christian people a lot was it just embraced everybody with fear. And, you know, COVID brought us to tribe because tribe was the only one keeping its doors open. So I considered that a blessing right there.
But
when the complexity comes, that's where your clarity has got to be so important. And you've got to know who to trust, know God's in control. And I mean, he gives us what I call rare sense because common sense is out the door. You know? It's rare if people have common sense.
So, yes, complexity, clarity, but know what you're believing.
That's good. So as I was as I was getting ready to share this word with y'all this morning, it was last Sunday and maybe even a previous Sunday, there were some there were some words that came forward from the congregation by way of, I feel like maybe the lord is showing me a picture of or what the lord might have for us and then they shared it and I said, man, that that's really good and it pertains to this moment more than you might realize and I asked them to write it down and send it to me and so I wanna share two of those things with you right now. So, I'm gonna read an Email to you. Mind you, these emails came in before I had ever told them or any of you the word for 2024, right? So with that in mind, I'm gonna read this one first.
This is from a a a member of our tribe fam and I asked them to write down, send it to me an Email. Here's the brief vision and message the Holy Spirit showed me on Sunday. We are working out that muscle and Abba was so kind to show me the rampart that Lee and other church members saw a few weeks ago before he talked about it. During my quiet time on Sunday morning, I asked for a visual word of wisdom. What I saw was a ship on on calm waters and I wrote still ocean.
I may or may not have seen a sunset, but the image was tranquil. The ship was tribe, and some people perceived the lack of movement as, quote, going nowhere. I prayed for this ship to move forward. During the holy during the service, the Holy Spirit elaborated. I was waiting for the usual heart racing queue in order to share, but this time it came as uncontrolled tears.
The impression I received from the Lord is that he is getting the shipmates ready to sail the sea of troubled water. The sea is calm and we are anchored in him and he is preparing us for the move of god. Now does not not fit with what we've just been talking about, but this was shown to a tribe member long before this this moment. I think he went on to say that each person is getting prepared. I think there's no one that is of least importance.
And and then another church member shared with me afterwards that what he was recalling when I shared the time that when he was on a sailboat, that he was learning to sail from a master captain. The waters were calm, and he saw a storm in the distance. He asked to sail into it to learn how to navigate the ship in a storm. They did a man overboard drill where they sailed such a distance away from the man, took a right turn, sailed right back again, and then came to rescue the man. In both my journals, the word included people's different reactions to the ship's motionless state.
Some people didn't get on board because it wasn't moving as though they thought it should. Some being impatient with the process jump ship. I'm not sure if this story or another part that I wrote are related or not. I just added that because I found it interesting. One more.
Psalms 34, Psalms 37 verse 34, and all the words of wait patiently and travel steadily and your direction from the lord to stay close, create attention to manage between active, finish line waiting, and developing a vision and starting to do the next thing. But the value in waiting is the training. Well, you could write that down. The value in the waiting is the training. It is like we are in the beginning stages of karate kid, where he's waxing the cars and sanding the floor.
There's a frustration that arises out of the jobs that appear menial. But there's an there's an there's an impatience to start working on the good stuff or the real stuff. But perhaps, as Colin mentioned, this year is the year of breakthrough. Perhaps it's a breakthrough in our understanding, which, like clarity, that sounds exactly like what we're talking about today, that our eyes are open to see the value in wax on and wax off for us to stay close, that we've actually been developing muscle memory for our souls to prepare us to endure in the days to come. How cool is it that these words came up out of y'all, and then I ask you to send them here, and then in the mic, and then from from the email out of my mouth into the mic back into your ears, that this this this particular picture of the karate kid, you're all picking up what she's putting down in the email.
Right? Like, what's his name? I don't remember the actor's name, Ralph Macchio. Danny? No.
What's the character's name in Karate Kid? Well, there's that guy. Daniel Daniel's son. Daniel's son. Daniel's son.
There we go. There we go. There you go. So he goes to Mr. Miyagi, like, teach me karate, like, I'm getting beat up in school, like, you gotta help me out, and, like, teach me how to fight.
Mr. Miyagi is like, okay, I'll teach you how to fight. First of all, sand the floor, and then, like, what does this have to do? You know, his whole house is, like, you know, hardwood floors. You gotta sand that, then paint the fence, and then wax on, wax off.
How many of you are following me with this? And then and then Daniel's son gets frustrated like, when am I gonna learn the karate stuff? All I've been doing is painting fences and sanding floors and wax on, wax off, and then, just like Jesus arriving and being like, remember all those things I taught you? Here's the application And like, because Daniel has developed this muscle memory of these repetitive motions. And what I'm looking at Joy because she was the one that sent me this, the picture that she saw.
In a similar way, as a tribe family, we've been kind of like paint the fence, sand the floor, wax on, wax off. Where are we going? What are we doing? We're still meeting in a bar in, like, month to month. Ah, and, like, wow.
What all is going on? I get it. I trust me. I'm the biggest Daniel son in the room. Like, I wanna, like, fight in the tournament.
I don't wanna be, like, sanding the floors. But then mister Miyagi comes along and says, all that you have been through as a tribe family, that was all training, and now we're gonna put it into practice. In conjunction with this idea that as things get more complex, stuff that we've been doing, talking about, chewing on, meditating on, emphasizing as a tribe family, perhaps pieces of the puzzle will, like, fit more into place. Are y'all picking up what I'm putting down? Okay.
So Monday morning application, just before we go into communion. How can I maintain clarity in the midst of complexity? Okay, great great word, Brian, but how does this apply to me Monday morning in my life? Let's look at verse 44. I'm gonna just read this really quickly share with you and then we'll go into communion.
Verse 44, then he said, when I was with you before, I told you everything that was written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said, yes. It was written long ago that the messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. So back to that question. Back to the question.
How can we maintain clarity in the midst of complexity? We're gonna take a couple of weeks and camp out on this verse because there's a or or or this this word from the lord because there's a lot to unpack. But as far as we'll go on Monday morning, the answer lies within those those few verses right there. How do we maintain clarity? I would just offer this simple solution to you.
Clarity comes with simplicity. Clarity comes with simplicity. As the world gets increasingly more complex, as Christians, there is an invitation from the Holy Spirit for us to pursue simplicity. And as we pursue simplicity, what happens? Clarity.
It's, like, really so simple. No, that's beautiful. Simple, not easy. And so I thought, as we're just starting out 2024, just before we worship the Lord with our tithes and offerings, we would worship the lord one more way by receiving communion together. And what is more simple than communion?
Just in its essence, a special time of sharing a meal together with the lord. And if if I could put this in your your your noggin, I would but I can't in the same way that I can't read your Bible for you. You have to put on your your your big boy pants, your big girl pants, and do this yourself. But as the world, as you experience increasing complexity, if you will remember. I wish I could put it in your brain for you, but you have to put it in your brain.
Pursue simplicity. What's the simple answer to this? What's the simple? I'm not talking about the easy road. But what is this what is the simple thing to do in this situation?
What is this simple answer? As we ask the lord to show us those things, and we, like Amanda said, might not be easy but as we pursue that, I feel like the lord would have the gift of clarity that he that would just rest in you and on you And as the world gets more complex, people around you are gonna get spun up and caught in caught up in the fray, but they're gonna see you. Why you got so much peace? And they have clarity. Why you got clarity?
Because I'm just pursuing simplicity. Does that make sense? Kat, could I have the handheld mic? And could you no. I'll stay here.
The Bible records that on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he met in the upper room with his disciples and he said, how I've longed to share this meal with you. The reason why he longed to share the meal with the disciples is that that good, God fearing Jews had been celebrating this meal for over thirty five hundred years, every year together. And the meal was pregnant with connections to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the meal. And when he shared his last meal with him in the upper room, what we know is Passover or a Seder dinner, he explained and he connected the dots. And in the simplicity of this meal, the disciples were like, oh, they got clarity.
And the Bible records that during the meal, Jesus took bread, he broke it, and he blessed it and he gave it to his disciples and said, take and eat for this is my body, which is given for you. And then after the meal, the Bible says that he took another cup. Isn't it interesting that the detail says another cup? In a in a traditional seder dinner, there are multiple cups that people drink from at different times throughout the seder dinner. He could have picked any one of those cups.
But when it says that he took another cup, it implies that he took a specific cup. What specific cup did he take? We know what cup he took based on the words that he said in conjunction with picking up the cup because the words that he said were the words that a young man would use when he was proposing to a young woman. And in Jewish culture, the days of Jesus, when a young man was going to ask a young woman to be his bride, he would he would take a cup and and he would announce his vows. Similar to like what a bride and a groom do at the altar, they pronounce their vows to one another at the altar.
In Jewish culture, a young man would pronounce his vows to a young woman before she ever said yes. And he would hold up this cup, and he would sometimes it was written down, but he would pronounce his vows and then he would place the cup before her. If she drank from the cup, that would be like her acceptance of these marriage vows. Jesus says, this is my body, which is broken for you. And then he took the cup and he says, this is my life's blood which is poured out for you, which ratifies or confirms a new covenant that I am making today.
And then he says, I'll not drink again of this fruit of the vine until I drink it anew with you in my father's kingdom. And the young man would say, when he was making a marriage proposal, he would say, I would not drink again of this fruit of the vine until I drink it with you anew on our wedding day. Behold, the cup of salvation, the cup of redemption, the cup of eternal life. God, I ask that you would perform a miracle right here, that you would turn these simple common elements into a sacrament, which is simply a means of grace where we can touch you by faith. That when we come forward to partake of this meal, that you would bring clarity to our hearts.
Clarity of your love for us, clarity of your commitment to us despite our heart's tendency to wander and our eyes to get distracted by sparkly things and our souls that are weighed down with the heaviness and the troubles of this life. I ask, Holy Spirit, that when we partake of communion today, we would have a moment of clarity that we could grab a hold of and carry with us. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. Here's how we partake of communion at tribe in just a moment.
I'll take the plate and I'll come front and center. I'm gonna hand the cup to Caleb. Caleb's gonna help me with communion this morning. Our communion is open to anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord to be saved. And the way that we partake of communion here at Tribe is to receive the bread and then to take the bread and dip the bread in the cup.
And the way that we'll do it here with this particular configuration is we'll start at the back. We'll work our way forward. So, y'all in the back get to come forward. You'll receive communion. Just go around that way, and then you can go back to your seats, and then we'll work our way to the front.
Sound good? So, Caleb, would you come up? Help me with this.
He's in the waiting. He's in the waiting. Hold on to your hope because your triumph unfolds.
We're almost ready to go, but just kind of let this the Holy Spirit presence that you're sensing or maybe not and it's here whether you sense it or not, but just remain here a few more minutes. We'll be sensitive with spiritual eyes and ears to what the Holy Spirit wanna say but we we express our love and our worship to the lord in so many different ways and every time we gather as a tribe family, we worship him through song. We worship him through reading his word and through our discussion and today through communion was another beautiful expression of worship and surrender to him and the last thing we'll do as an expression of worship other than our community afterwards which is also I think an expression is to bring our tithe and our offering to him. And this is when we give of our hard earned finances. We work hard for our money.
There's a song about that. And it is not lost on the Lord that we do that and that we still come to him with a surrendered heart posture is how we should come when we bring our tithe and say, God, I acknowledge and recognize that it's all yours anyway. The ability to do my job, the very breath in my lungs, I that I'm walking, that I'm able, that I have a smart body and brain to do that. Like, just break it down. Those are all gifts from the Lord.
And it's easy to just go about our day and not think about those, but all our life is a gift from the Lord. And so when we bring our tithe, say, God, we're honoring you because this is what we see in the Bible, but it's also just an an outward act of obedience and surrender and saying, it's yours anyway. So here's a portion of my finances that you've put on my heart to give. So we're gonna pray and do that today. Whether you give now or another time is completely fine, but we'll pray together as a family.
And then just practically speaking, we don't pass buckets, but there is a little box in the back that you can give cash or check. As you see on the screen, the easiest way is just to open up your smartphone and type in a new phone number, 84321. And then in the message line, you just type the amount you wanna give. You could also give anytime on our website, tryjh.com. So let's pray together as a family.
Heavenly father, we love you, and we thank you for who you are and how you love. Thank you that you are unchanging. Thank you that you give us simple clarity in the midst of complexity in all areas. We thank you for that. Lord, I just pray a blessing over everybody here today, everyone who's bringing their finances, their hard earned money to you and laying it at your feet.
We just trust you to do what only you can do, putting your super on our natural act. Thank you, father, that more and more people will come into the kingdom because of who you are and how you love and that we get to partner with you in this way. We thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. Just real quick before we get out a few announcements today.
Again, we meet here at the Virginian on Sunday mornings at ten but we also have a young adult service on Tuesday evenings. They're doing young adult life group at the TMC. That's the building there across from Whole Foods that we own. If you want to cook a meal for that, we would love for you to serve in that way. You don't even have to attend.
You can just drop it off, but that'll be such a blessing. And there's a sign up on that table as you head out today, as Connor is showing you, that you can sign up for a meal. Also, if you want to if a way that you feel like you can serve your local churches by bringing goodies on Sunday morning. We all love to eat the donuts and the little treats. So if that's something you wanna do, there's a sign up for that as well.
So that's just practical, but it is it's seemingly small, but it's a big it's a big deal because it blesses people and it lets you serve. Another thing is praying before service. Lanisha is here every Sunday at 08:45 just here on this campus and just walks around and prays for everyone who's gonna come, for tribe, and all of that. That's an easy way to come and to serve and to just spend an hour praying before the service starts. So, you don't have to sign up or tell anyone.
Just come at 08:45 on Sunday mornings and find her there. And then tonight, we wanna invite you. You prob if you get the tribe text, you probably got this already, but we are wanting to participate and partner with the Jewish Center of Jackson Hole this evening that we're gonna let me pull up so I can read you what they're doing. Tonight, it's just like a vigil of everything that's happened. I think today marks the hundredth day since the let me just pull it up for you so I won't make anything up.
Alright. Join join us for a vigil this Sunday marking a hundred days since the hostages were taken captive into the terror tunnels of Gaza. The rally will start at 5PM on the corner of Cache and Broadway. That's there at the Antler Arches. It's there at Town Square.
Bring signs, flags, photos of the hostages. You you can choose to do that or not, but Tribe is doing that. The hunters will be there. Corey and I will be there. He's finding out for the first time, as I said.
But it's just a way to show support, and it's a way to part to do something practical. It's not a rally. It's not you know, we're not picking it. We're just showing support, and that our hearts have not forgotten and will not forget the hostages that were taken and the evil that was done. And so it's a way for us to partner and do that.
So we hope to see you on Town Square tonight at 5PM. Please come. Tribe is the only it doesn't this really, I guess, doesn't matter, but Tribe's the only church they asked. Rabbi Zelman, who we consider a very dear friend, just because we've partnered with them before and done Jewish things with them before, and they feel they're blown away. Like, why?
Right? But it's because we're supposed to.
Mhmm. And I think this is important to say when just in a conversation, he had said, bring if you bring a sign, bring a sign of support. It's support for Israel. Not Right.
I'm gonna invite John and Kate Micas to avail themselves to be available for prayer after service. If there's if there's an area of complexity in your life where you are actively needing some clarity, they would love to to pray and and partner with you and we'll just do a booth back there. And so come find John and Kate, will you wave your hands? So, they're right back there. If there's anything that you need prayer for, they would love to agree with you in prayer.
Why don't you stand really quick? Please, get a good lunch, get a good Sunday nap in, watch some football, or, you know, whatever you do, shovel your driveway, whatever you do. But please make plans to come and spend some time with it. Get your long johns on, throw your shell pants on, and please come and support the the phone calls that I've gotten asking to make the announcement at our tribe fam. They are, rabbi Zelman and others from the Jewish community are blown away that we would care or have any ounce of of consideration of what they're going through.
And our support by going and and and standing there means more to them than than we can ever really understand. And it would mean a lot to me and to Lissa to see your faces there this evening. Now I understand that there's also worship workshop from Tribe that's going on tonight. And if you've signed up for that, I understand you gotta
That's at 05:30. So I'm going to the square at five to show support, and then at 05:20, I'll zip out. Carry the one. If anyone wants to join me.
Okay. Add it to my schedule. Lord Jesus, thank you so much for our tribe fam here. God, I ask that the word that you have for our tribe fam would find fertile soil on the hearts of all of the members of our tribe fam here and that you would invite us into clarity simply through simplicity. I command a blessing over each and every member of our tribe fam here today.
We pray these things. In Jesus name, the strong son of god And everybody said, amen. I love you so much. Don't throw your back out with all the snow. Ski it really hard.
Be safe in the back country. And, Alex, remember, you got this.
Alexa.
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