Blaze Church

The pain that comes from the wound of death marks us. How do we heal? By looking at the story of Lazarus, we see that Jesus is not removed from our pain when we experience the death of a loved one. He himself experienced deep grief and sorrow, and He understands. He meets us to heal us. When you believe in the Savior and receive Him, you discover both present and future hope.

When we are wounded, we often want explanation and vindication. We try to determine why the wound occurred, and we justify why we don’t deserve it. We can question the justice of God. As we look at Job, the suffering servant, we see a man who feared the Lord, and yet he was wounded drastically! When he demands that God explain why this is happening, God speaks, but he doesn’t provide the reason. When we know God, we can take comfort in knowing that God knows and God is near. We may not know as much as we’d like, but we know the One who knows it all!

How do you deal with your wounds? Too many people choose to escape instead of embracing the wounds of the past. The believer is able to embrace the wound so that healing can occur. We don’t have to remain afraid or unaware of what has happened to us. As we look at the life of Jacob, we see a generational pattern of lying, favoritism, and sibling rivalry. Jacob’s father wound may have been the propelling factor for his lifestyle of “grabbing.” When we acknowledge our wounds, God begins the healing process of naming us as his own.

Do you see Jesus as the resurrected Savior? Many people struggle to believe. So did the disciples in the first century. We are all looking for a place to put our hope in; somewhere that won’t fail us. Jesus graciously drew near to two disciples who were filled with despair and hopelessness. Although they couldn’t recognize Him, He remained with them. He showed them Himself through the Scriptures. When their eyes were opened, they rejoiced and were filled with hope. Easter isn’t about optimism. It is about putting our hope in someone who cannot be overcome, even by death!

Everyone worships. What or who are you expressing reverence, adoration, devotion, and honor towards? As we look back at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, we see four acts of worship: Obedience, generosity, submission, and praise. Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus is the King who lays down His people. Jesus is the only true King worthy of our worship.

Did Jesus really resurrect? Christianity makes the bold claim that Christ was killed, buried, and came back to life. Is that archaic thinking? What proof is there for this? Every person has faith in something. The believer and the nonbeliever both need to provide a historically feasible explanation for the birth of the church in the first century. As we examine the evidence, we discover that believing in the resurrection does not require blind or illogical faith. If Jesus did in fact resurrect, this means that all who believe in Him become new creations. Our sin is paid for, our lives are changed, and the living Christ is with us.

How can a good God allow so much pain and suffering? Suffering is not a Christian problem; it’s a human problem. We all have to address why suffering exists. As we look to God’s Word, we find that the Christian response to suffering offers the greatest source of hope. Jesus makes three promises: suffering exists, everyone suffers, and those who believe in Him have hope. While we may not always understand why we suffer, and can have peace in Christ knowing that He has overcome all the evil and pain we experience.

If Christianity is so great, why do some Christians act so terrible? How is it possible that some Christians become hypocrites? Jesus addresses this problem through His parable of the unforgiving servant. In this message, we discover that Christians act terribly when they become “Grace Amnesiacs.” The best way to combat hypocrisy in our lives is by continually reminding ourselves of God’s grace. Discover four ways we can live out a hypocrisy-free Christianity.

Believers are the house of God. We are His temple. How much attention do you place on living a godly life? It is so easy to allow other focuses to become the priority. The people of Israel had the vision to see the temple rebuilt. They stopped working when the opposition came. By looking at their building project in 520 BC, we discover four values that are essential for us as we “Build His House.” In this Vision Sunday message, our pastors share where God is leading us in 2023.

Friendships matter. The people we choose to surround ourselves with impact our lives. We live in a time where forming true friendships is very challenging. As we look to a moment between Jesus and “the man who had no friends” we see how all of us experience the desire, the cost, and the result of friendships. The gospel declares that while we were enemies of God, Jesus took the first step towards us to call us His friends. At Blaze Church, the greatest place to form true friendships is in a small group.