Tag: cross

Motivational Monday

On March 9, 2026

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Just a quick reminder. We have our Missions Lunch this Sunday. I would love to see everyone there! What I love about the Mission Lunch is the opportunity to hear about what is happening with our missionaries and all over the world. AND!! You get to eat! To answer the question, NO! You don’t have to bring anything but yourself. Just come to church, bring a friend, hear the message and eat!! I hope to see you all there.

Yesterday while I was sitting in church, I was enjoying the message from Rev. Pounds. I am always looking for opportunities for my Motivational Mondays (in church, the grocery store, work, etc.) and he mentioned Judas. And I started thinking, Judas is a very main but not main piece of Jesus’s story. Jesus was so much more than what Judas did but yet without Judas, how would the story have been different? Why should we focus on Judas at all? Well, let’s talk about it.

Who was Judas Iscariot before he met Jesus?

Per most scholars, the last name Iscariot means, “man of Kerioth” which is a town in Judea. If he was from Judea, this potentially made him the only non-Galilean among the twelve apostles. Judas was a business minded individual who was into fish drying (sounds thrilling…) near the Sea of Galilee when he met the other disciples of Jesus. He was the treasurer of the disciples because he seemed capable of money handling. Although, later in the Bible, he was described as being dishonest with money. To put all of this in regular Jennifer words…he was just a guy trying to make it in life who was less than perfect but did not appear to be a “bad dude”.

For those who are unaware of who Judas was in the Bible, he was the one that betrayed Jesus. And Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed because he said at the Last Supper one of his disciples was going to betray him. Did he know it was going to Judas? Absolutely! In fact, John 6:64 says, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)”. If he knew he was going to be betrayed by this man, why in the world did he pick HIM to be a disciple? Well, it was part of the predetermined plan to our salvation. Basically, Judas agreed to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver which was about 4 months worth of work at that time. 4 months worth of work seems really insignificant when you gave up Jesus. Am I right?

This is a great history lesson Jennifer but this is Motivational Monday! I need motivation! I.got.you. Don’t get discouraged. I just need you to fully understand who we are dealing with here.

I feel like Judas didn’t start off “bad”. He wasn’t a criminal although he had his moments. He was around Jesus and he saw lots of miracles Jesus performed. He heard His teachings. Heck, he was even trusted with the money. But yet, he betrayed Him because his heart was somewhere else.

Have you ever gone through the motions of going to church but felt disconnected? Or maybe you had a situation where you had to make a decision to do what is right but you just couldn’t surrender? If you have ever felt this way, do you think you would feel differently if you heard the gospel come out of Jesus’s mouth directly? I think most of us would say, “Ummm…yeah!” I ask because Judas was there everyday and heard Jesus. And yet, he wasn’t changed. Being close to Jesus is not the same thing as belonging to Him.

You can go to church. You can surround yourself with good, christian people. You can write Motivational Mondays!! You can do all these things and still not surrender your heart. Literally, Judas heard it and saw it first hand and it wasn’t enough. He showed us it is possible to walk with Jesus but keep him at arm’s length. Real faith begins the moment we stop just being near Him—and finally surrender to Him.

If you are like me, you have probably not given Judas much thought except he’s the guy that got Jesus crucified. He was a sell out. And these thoughts are not untrue. But outwardly, he appeared to be one of Jesus’ closest followers but yet…he never surrendered. Have you?

Key Aspects of Surrendering Your Heart:

Acknowledge and Release Control: Recognize your limitations and actively choose to let go of the need to manage every outcome. This often feels uncomfortable but is described as a path to peace.
Daily Prayerful Surrender: Start each day by inviting God to lead, using simple prayers like “Lord, I give you this day”.
Submit to God’s Will: Shift from “my will” to “Your will,” acknowledging God’s authority over your life’s direction.
Study Scripture and Build Trust: Read the Bible to understand God’s character, which makes it easier to trust Him, especially during chaotic times.
Practice in Small Things: Surrender is not just for major crises; it includes letting go of the need to be right, managing your schedule, and releasing personal desires.
Be Honest and Vulnerable: Bring your true feelings, anxieties, and struggles to God rather than pretending everything is fine.
Surround Yourself with Support: Connect with others who are also learning to live a surrendered life to encourage you in the process.

Surrender is a daily practice, not a one-time event, and it involves allowing God to care for you so you can better care for others.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On March 31, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! So for the next 3 motivations, I want to take the opportunity to discuss Easter. Of course, this will be Jennifer style (whatever that is). 🙂

I grew up in a Christian home but we didn’t attend church regularly until I was around 11. Most of you are like ok, great. That’s a good age to retain biblical knowledge. Well…this chick right here could care less at that time. I loved the Lord but I wasn’t interested in history at all. And learning about the Lord is one big history lesson. So it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized four unusual yet remarkable things happened after Jesus was crucified (like that was remarkable enough). What are they and why are they important to us? Let’s talk about it.

The darkness. I think most of us who know the story have heard there was darkness. Jesus was placed on the cross at 9 a.m. (Mark 15:25), then “from noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land” (Matthew 27:45). In the Old Testament, darkness was a sign of judgement. For example, in Exodus when the ninth plague hit there was darkness of Egypt for 3 days (Exodus 10:21-22). After the plague, death came to the first born sons (Exodus 11:4-5). Darkness preceded death. You see, then darkness happened while Jesus was on the cross, our sins were placed on Jesus and Jesus endured the judgement of God. Isn’t it funny how nothing randomly happens in the Bible?

The curtain. “The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). There are two theories as to what this was a symbolism of from God. The curtain could have showed a separation of the Jews and Gentiles. Paul said Jesus tore down the wall (Ephesians 2:14). Or, this could have been a representation of the curtain that separated the holy of holies. Regular ole worshippers (like me and you) were not allowed in and only high priest could go in once a year. Personally, this is what I always believed it represented. BUT! Fun fact- it doesn’t matter which symbolism you believe it represented because the end result is the same. It shows that God has been opened up for all people through Christ. Because it was torn from the top signifies God did it and not a human.

The earthquake. “The earth quaked, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51). After a quick google search, I learned that Palenstine is located on the Dead Sea Fault Line so earthquakes are pretty common in this area. So what’s the big deal right? They have earthquakes like we have tornados. Wellllll….not exactly. Because of the timing and the magnitude, this was a supernatural event. Kinda like when Moses was on Mount Sinai to give His law, “the whole mountain shook violently.” (Exodus 19:18). I can’t help but think these events were related as the demands of the law had been fulfilled.

The dead rose. “The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:52). Hold on a sec?? There were zombies too? I mean, kinda. I don’t think they were gross, stinky and wanted to eat your brains. But, these were Old Testament saints that were dead and then they were alive. I think Paul explained it best when he said, “the dead in Christ will rise”. (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This shows us, as believers, hope.

As I wrap up, I want you to stop and study the absolute parallels of all these events. Not to make light of any of these events, but they were so thought out. I get chills when I see that nothing is by accident. It is fascinating that God is so intentional. He is showing us time and time again. It’s like he’s fanning a CVS receipt saying, “I got it right here! On this date at this time!” It’s almost like he knew we would need proof…

As we prepare for the upcoming season, it is so important for us to reflect on what God has given and continues to give to us even though we don’t deserve it. I mean, hello…we need receipts. Like, His son dying by crucifixion for our sins is not enough. So, what did He do? He scared everyone! He had to put some “umph” behind this crucifixion to get our attention and to prove He loves us more than…anything. Prove to us…do hear how silly that sounds?

Love you all,

Jennifer