Thorns of Life
Lent 2022
Thorns by Us
March 30, 2022 • Pastor TJ Winters • Matthew 7:15–20
We may not like to admit it, but sometimes, we are not only the victims of thorns, but the cause of thorns. We hurt others with our words and actions and, instead of bearing the fruit of righteousness, we wound others with our thorns of sin. Jesus invites us to repent of the times we have hurt others and speak and act in accordance with His Word.
Thorns in Us
March 23, 2022 • Pastor Zach McIntosh • 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
We all have struggles. The apostle Paul was no exception as he struggled with “a thorn in his side.” Though we do not know specifically what Paul’s struggle was, his call to lean on God’s grace when we struggle with sin or the effects of sin is the best way to address the thorns that afflict us.
Thorns Around Us
March 16, 2022 • Pastor Steve Wagner • Matthew 13:3–8
Because we live in a sinful world, there are thorns all around us that can try us and even tempt us to lose our faith. In a world that is thorny, Jesus invites us to have tender hearts that allow His Word to take root in our lives.
Thorns Before Us
March 9, 2022 • Pastor Ben Schrank • Numbers 33:50–56
Before the Israelites enter the Promised Land, God tries to give them guidance on how to live in their future homeland so they do not fall into the thorny traps of the pagan nations currently living there. But the Israelites do not listen. How can we better heed the warnings of sinful traps that lie ahead so we avoid needless thorns?
Ash Wednesday
March 2, 2022 • Pastor Bill Tucker • Genesis 3:17–19
When Adam and Eve fall into sin, part of the curse God places on Adam in punishment for his sin is that his work will become, quite literally, thorny. There will be thorns for Adam. This sounds grim. Yet, the answer to Adam’s thorns are more thorns – a crown of thorns twisted on Jesus’ head.