God's Mercy Changes Us (Luke 6:27-36)

“Malice will never drive out malice. But if someone does evil to you, you should do good to him, so that by your good work you will destroy his malice.”

— The Wisdom of the Desert, Thomas Merton

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

— Romans 12:21

God's Mercy Changes Us (Luke 6:27-36)
Rev. Nathan Barczi

Look to the Cross (John 19:16b-42)

“Six days shall you labor
The seventh is the Lord's
In six He made the earth and all the heavens
But He rested on the seventh
God rested
He said that it was finished
And the seventh day, He blessed it
God rested.”

—Andrew Peterson

Look to the Cross (John 19:16b-42)
Rev. Nathan Barczi

Redeemed to be a Blessing (Zechariah 8:13-23)

Sinners then shall learn from me,
And return, O God, to Thee
Savior all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing Thy love
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord

—Scottish Psalter (Psalm 51)

Redeemed to be a Blessing (Zechariah 8:13-23)
Rev. Nathan Barczi

Powerfully Proclaim the Works of the Father (John 10:22-42)

The King of Love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth,
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me;
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing brought me.

In death’s dark vale, I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth.

And so through all the length of days,
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.

—The King of Love My Shepherd Is, Henry Baker

Powerfully Proclaim the Works of the Father (John 10:22-42)
Rev. Bradley Barnes

The Good Shepherd Leads with Mercy (John 10:1-21)

“The action of Jesus in giving his life is an act both of complete freedom and of filial obedience. He is not the passive victim of other men’s purposes. … Jesus in going this way offers his life to the Father in whose will is his joy, confident that what he has so offered cannot be lost but will be received back. This path of freely willed and obedient surrender to the Father is the way which Jesus is, and along which he leads his people.”

— Lesslie Newbigin

The Good Shepherd Leads with Mercy (John 10:1-21)
Rev. Nathan Barczi

John, Jesus, and Us (Luke 1:57-79)

“As always, the people of God must decide what reading of their experiences they will live by. Are they to look at the darkness, the hopelessness, the dreams shattered and conclude that God has forgotten them? Or are they to recall his past mercies, to remember his present promises and to make great affirmations of faith?... Hope is the present reality, part of the constitution of the ‘now.’ The darkness is true, but it is not the whole truth, and certainly not the fundamental truth.”

— Alec Motyer, Commentary on Isaiah

John, Jesus, and Us (Luke 1:57-79)
Rev. Bradley Barnes

Do You do Well to be Angry? (Jonah 3:10-4:4)

“It is in the dark struggles with God that we are surprised by His response to our anger and fear. What we receive from Him during our difficult battle is not what we expect. We assume He wants order, conformity–obedient children. Instead, we find that He wants our passionate involvement and utter awe in the mystery of His glorious character.”

—Dan Allender and Tremper Longman, Cry of the Soul

Do You do Well to be Angry? (Jonah 3:10-4:4)
Rev. Bradley Barnes