We pick up in our series on what it means to SEE resurrection - Chris walks us through what it means to put to death our sin and our selves so that we might be alive in Christ.

Judson welcomed Steve Carter, of Willow Creek, as he tells us that life could be so much more exciting and joyful if we do what we are made to do - go and love the lost, and listen to the call of the Lord.

What if the places that seem the most troubling that make us fearful to visit are the places that are most ripe for the gospel, and where the Lord is working? Pastor Amador challenges us to see the most troubling places as the most promising places in the eyes of the Lord.

The last installment of Race Matters week comes to us though the great Pastor Nathaniel Edmond. Dr. Edmond tells us what it means to see people for who they are through the eyes of Christ. He finishes with a powerful time of Q & A based on his life experiences.

Continuing in our week of Race Matters, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah walks us through the book of lamentations and shows us how it is important to hear and respect the laments of those who have been on the outskirts of our society. 

We kick off Race Matters week with Amen Brown-Owen, and her husband DJ Opdiggy who show us, through powerful spoken work and DJing, how God is in the midst of hip-hop and hip-hop culture, and DJs our lives to work for our good. 

Jeff teaches us about the blessings of God that lead us to the Joy that He has for us.

Chris takes a look at what it means to leave religious mindsets behind and to rely on Christ and His abundant Grace.

Lina tells us what it means to be fearless when it seems that our fear in love might overtake us.

Lina's notes!:

Session 6: Fearless when love is scary as s---

Guess who’s coming to din din: 2 Samuel 9

The power of God’s love punches fear in the face

1. It’s an Action Before it’s a Feeling

You will never be willing to risk everything for others until you first clear up some misconceptions about love

1. Love is not a choice I can’t control
2. Love is not a feeling that comes and goes
3. Love is not about my personal preference
4. Love is not compromise for the sake of comfort
5. Love is not a gift that some people have and others don’t

2. It’s Vertical Before It’s Horizontal

You will never be free to love others without fear until you first experience God’s unconditional love for you!

1. God’s love defines your Identity
   1. You are not your past
   2. You are not your stuff

• You are not your looks

1. You are not your sexuality
2. You are not your job
3. You are not your tribe

1. God’s love frees you from your past: NO SHAME
2. God’s love protects your future: SAFE

3. It’s Worse for Them than it is for Me

You will never be able to love others well until you put yourself in the place of the one who is asked to receive your love

1. Where you expect punishment you need to be told over and over again
2. Where you expect exclusion from the table you need to be invited over and over again
3. Where you expect ridicule you need time and space to believe it

SURE OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT!

Lina gives a powerful word on what it means to be fearless even when your life feels to weary and depressed to go on.

Lina's notes!:

Session 5: Fearless when I’m too depressed to go on

#thewalkingdead: 1 Kings 19

Even when I can’t find God, He knows where to find me!

1. It Happens to the Best of Us

Whenever you listen to the wrong voices you end up where you never thought you’d go

1. The obviousness will always blind you
2. The timing will always surprise you
3. The consequences will always bewilder you

2. It Doesn’t Define Us but it Sure Can Stump Us

Whenever you give in to fear you end up making unwise choices

1. Isolating yourself from others will destroy you
2. Self-pity will derail you
3. Self-focus will dim your memory of who you are

3. It’s Never the End of Us

When you think your future is over God will find you and surprise you

1. His love will find you
2. His word will heal you
3. His power will astound you
4. His grace will overwhelm you
5. His solution will shock you! Mentorship!

SURE OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT!

Lina tells us what it means to be fearless when we have a tendency to be sinful.

Lina's notes!:

Session 4: Fearless when I’ve blown it and I know it

Gone Fishin’: John 21

Failure is not final. Failure is for good.

1. Your Failure is not a Surprise to God

Your Failure is your Pathway to Breakthrough

1. Your failure is not a surprise to God
2. Your failure is the very thing God will use to show you His strength
3. Your failure is most needed in the areas you most desire

2. Your Failure is not Final

Your failure is your Pathway to Deeper Passion

1. God knows you so well and still loves you so much
2. God isn’t worried about your past and already knows your future
3. God sees you not as you are but as you one day will be
4. God uses your failure not to prove his faithfulness to you but to give you a chance to prove your faithfulness to him

Your Failure is your Pathway to Dependence

1. God doesn’t need you to ever get strong enough to stop needing him
2. God knows that your inadequacy is the key to your dependence
3. God is always more than enough for your not _______ enough
4. God uses your inability to pave the way to maximum usefulness

3. Your Failure is Not About Them

It’s Your Pathway to your Very Own Story

1. Fear looks at other people’s stories and wants what they have
2. Fear blinds us to what God is already doing in our life
3. Fear hangs on to the lie that God is holding out on us
4. Fear forgets that God is good and is always for us

SURE OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT!

Lina speaks to the "Upper Room" community (a Tuesday night, student lead, worship gathering) about what it means to be fearless, even when it might take more than you bargained for.

Lina's message notes!:

Session 3: Fearless when it might cost me too much

The struggle is real: 1 Kings 17

When you waste your life for God your life is never wasted

1. It’s SCARY to give up everything to God

You won’t see God fill up your empty jars until there’s empty enough to be filled

1. God wants only what you have
2. God does only what you can’t
3. God fills only what is empty
4. God will stretch you in the most difficult places

2. It’s DANGEROUS to give up everything to God

It gets a lot more complicated when you say yes to God and things go south

1. The truth of the matter is that things don’t always turn out well when you give everything to God
2. The test of your surrender comes when you say yes even when you feel like saying no
3. The turning point in your life happens when you give God everything even when everything points against Him!

3. It’s AWESOME to give up everything to God

You will never see more of God’s power in your life until you’re willing to trust him with even more

1. It will always cost you more than you think you can afford
2. It will always be worth more than you think you can even imagine

When you waste your life for God your life is never wasted

SURE OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT!

We apologize for the audio since we had a malfunction on the computer that caused us to lose the first bit of audio, but keep tuned because Lina gives a meaningful message on dreaming in spite of fear.

Lina's message notes!:

Session 2: Fearless when my dreams look dead: Living in the Gap

It’s not what you think: John 11

Every broken dream is a chance to overcome fear

1. God Loves you Even when it Feels like He doesn’t

When your dreams are broken the reason is not what you think

1. There is grace in delays
2. There is purpose in your pain
3. There is love in His absence
4. Therefore: Check yourself before you wreck yourself

2. God Understands you Even when You Don’t Understand Him

When your dreams are broken the outcome is not what you think

1. He can handle your confusion: watch your words
2. He can handle your attacks: watch your conclusions
3. He can handle the impossible: watch your hopelessness
4. He can raise what’s broken and dead: watch your expectations

3. God Does it Even when you Barely Believe it!

When your dreams are broken the turning point is not what you think

1. Your faith is critical to the outcome but it’s not what matters the most
2. God’s faithfulness when we are faithless

SURE OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT!

Lina kicks of Spiritual Enrichment Week with a powerful message on facing fear in every situation while we lean on God.

Lina's message notes:

Session1: Fearless no matter what

Up against the Jordan: Joshua 3

There’s no river wide enough to keep God’s presence from you!

1. It’s All in the Eyes

You will never be fearless as long as your eyes are fixed on your Jordan but when fix your eyes on God and your Jordan will disappear

1. What you need to know is that you will always be up against a Jordan
   1. God knows about your Jordan. He led you there.
   2. God has a purpose for your Jordan: Trust him!

• As long as your eyes are on your problem you will feel afraid

2. Go Afraid but Go with God!

You don’t need to be fearless to get through your Jordan but you have to have confidence in God’s goodness and faithfulness to you

1. What God has done in the past He will surely do again
2. What God has promised He will always accomplish

3. Mind the Gap

You will never be fearless until you take the first step into your Jordan and resolve to let go of your unrealistic expectations

1. It’s the gap between the promise and the miracle
2. It’s gap between your obedience and God’s provision
3. It’s the gap between your first step and God’s deliverance
4. It’s the gap where your faith will grow: He’s preparing you for your Jericho!

SURE OF GOD NO MATTER WHAT!