Unity Presbyterian - Denver, NC

If you lived in ancient Israel, every 50 years a trumpet sound would mark the beginning of something new. A fresh start. A new opportunity. The Year of Jubilee. It was The Great Reset. We don’t celebrate years like this anymore, but can we apply some of the principles of Jubilee to our world today? Can we dedicate this next year to God as our own form of Jubilee?

He is Risen! It is still Easter, and Jesus is still alive! Easter isn't just one Sunday, but we continue to celebrate our risen Savior for the gift of eternal life. How does the power of the resurrection affect you? What does this mean to you, and how do you share that with other people?

Jesus did something! And he told Martha about it before it happened. Try explaining the resurrection now, and it is hard to believe. Eternal life? Death that cannot keep its grip on life? The hope of Easter is found in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ - do you believe? 

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week with sounds of "Hosanna! Hosanna!" We celebrate with Jesus and his disciples, but quickly turn toward the cross and reflect on the sacrifice of the cross. 

As we draw closer to the cross, Pastor David takes a look at Simon of Cyrene, who was literally asked to take the cross and follow Jesus. Like Simon, we don't often get to choose when our hard times happen. When we suffer, who is leading us through our trials? Are we ready to follow Jesus, even to the cross?

Do you find it hard to do the right thing when it goes against what everyone around you is doing? Is it easier to remain silent? What about when it goes against what your boss or your government has dictated to you? This week, we get up close to Jesus through the Man with the Withered Hand, who met Jesus on the Sabbath Day, when work of any kind, even healing, was forbidden by law. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath Day holy?

We live in a do-it-yourself society, where it is a sign of weakness to ask for help. But God tells us to rely on Him, and to not lean entirely on ourselves. What does it look like to reach out to God? Pastor David looks at this through the story of the bleeding woman who took a chance and touched the hem of Jesus' cloak to be healed.

Has an event in your life brought you in front of Jesus, maybe for one mistake you made that you became known for? Would you like to receive mercy and forgiveness instead of judgment for it? This week, Pastor David looks at the story of the adulterous woman, which reminds us that there is a judge, and it is not us. What rocks do we carry around that we need to put down? 

 

For the people who drew close to Jesus, everything changed. That is the premise behind our new preaching series: Up Close. Throughout Lent, we will study stories of individuals whose lives were changed when they were up close to Jesus. This week we begin with Nicodemus, who learns what it means to be born of the Spirit but is transformed into a disciple of Christ by his close encounter.

Have you ever had a mountaintop experience? Have you encountered God so intensely that it left you changed deep in your soul? What happened? If we let them, those mountaintop experiences can leave us forever changed. Pastor Dana takes a look at Jesus’ experience on the mountain and how we can use those face-to-face encounters with God when we have to face our fears and anxieties back in the valleys of life.