Tag: sin

Motivational Monday

On September 22, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! I am so glad you are here. I want to discuss something that hits close to home for me personally and that’s attending church. So let’s just jump in and talk about it!

I have been a member of Spring Creek for a little over 10 years now. Before Spring Creek, I had been to several churches over the years but none I could call home. Once I found Spring Creek, I instantly loved it…and still do. But if I can be 100% transparent for a minute, there are Sunday mornings I don’t want to go. It’s not because I don’t like/love my church or the people in it. It’s not because I’m mad. Honestly, I am just tired 99.9% of the time. Either I am tired mentally, physically or both. And if I do go to church when I am tired, I don’t listen.

But some people are different. Some are not interested in going to church because they don’t see the point. “It’s just a building.” Some people are angry with God for various reasons. Some are just sad and they don’t want to go to church. And some people view it as a burden and not a blessing. And for them, it didn’t start out that way. So why is that?

Well, it could just be a season for you. It’s where you are in life. Meaning, are you single in your twenties or married in your thirties with three kids, divorced and starting over in your forties or retired in your sixties. Life is full of ups and downs and every age has unique challenges. I think Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 sums it up best. Your struggle with church may not be church…it could just be life for you right now. But here’s the kicker! Don’t get discouraged. This will not last forever. (Song of Solomon 2:11)

One reason I hear frequently is the hypocrisy in a church. Well, look. I get it. It is so easy to throw a stone at someone else’s glass house instead of looking in yours. My point is none of us is perfect. We are all sinners. If there is someone in the church whose sins are front and center, maybe that’s why they are front and center in the pew. The question you need to ask yourself is have you elevated your preferences above biblical principles and therefore, it’s robbing you of the joy of Sunday morning worship?

Sometimes it’s not you and it is the church. Churches have growing pains. Some are good and some are not good. Why would it not be good? Because it’s made up of imperfect people. And if your church is going through a time of trial, it would make sense why you are struggling. Here is where you need to make a choice. Do you stay and work through it or do you look for another church? Either way, Sundays will be challenging. No matter which challenge you chose, it is important you seek refuge in Him. (Psalm 34:8)

One reason you may not be enjoying it is because you are living in habitual sin. Again, we are all sinners, right? But this is someone who knows what they are doing is wrong yet they continue with the same behavior. Stealing money, looking at pornagraphy, mistreating your spouse, excessively drinking, etc. I view church like your parents. When you are doing wrong and you go home to visit, your momma and daddy is going to call you out. That’s their job no matter your age. Well, listening to sermons when you are habitually sinning feels like every sermon is about you and it’s uncomfortable! (Psalm 51:12)

Or lastly, it could be that you don’t know Jesus. And I know you are saying, “Well that’s silly! I’m at church!” Umm, that doesn’t mean you know Jesus. That doesn’t mean you are Christian. BUT, I am so glad you are at church! And look, no judgement here. But if you are not sure you are christian and need to talk it out, then let’s talk it out. I want you to experience living through Him (Ezekiel 18:32), know Him (John 17:3), love Him (Zephaniah 3:17), and enjoy Him forever (Matthew 25:23).

For me personally, it’s a season for me. How do I know? When I don’t go to church, people call and check on me. Not because they are nosey or messy, it’s because they love me. How do I know they love me? I feel it. They tell me. They make me feel valued even when I am tired. Whenever I don’t go to church, I feel like I am letting God down because I want to be there. And I am always worried I am letting my church friends and family down by not being there. But guess what? They always lift me up and support me when I need them. That’s why finding and going to church is important.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On April 7, 2025

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! Today I want to continue my Easter countdown miniseries. It’s my goal to cover topics you may or may not know because these are things I learned way later about the crucifixion and resurrection. I had the main points down but some stuff had a ton of symbolism and I’m over here hiding eggs. Just being honest…

So, hopefully you all know that Jesus was resurrected after He was crucified (this was a main point I was talking about 😉). When we was resurrected, a woman was the one to see Him first. Why was that? Let’s talk about it.

Let’s talk about Mary Magdalene or Mary M for short. I really like her. To be fair, I like most (if not all) the stories about the women in the Bible. There is a story to be learned in every single one because God is always purposeful. To catch you up on who she was, she had a special connection to Jesus. Mary M became a different person when Jesus came into her life (like all of us). You see, Jesus cleansed her of her demons and because of this, she was a DEVOUT follower. She loved Jesus with all her heart. Her story showed us that your past does not dictate your future.

The day Jesus was crucified, she was there. As anyone who was a follower, I am sure it was hard to watch (honestly, I am sure it was hard to watch if you weren’t a follower). She stayed with Him until death. After He died, He was put in a tomb with a large heavy boulder as a door so NO ONE could move it. But on the third day after His burial, the women went to anoint the body (Mark 16:1) because they loved Him and wanted to continue to care for Him (Luke 8:1-3). I can hear the conversation now on the way to the tomb, “Mary! How are we going to get in? We can’t move that stone.” Mary M- “I don’t know but we’ll figure it out.” It sounds like something I would do.

They get there and bam! Stone moved. You know their initial thought was “woohoo!” and then, “hold up. What is happening here? This is weird and not good.” So she runs and gets Peter and it was then discovered that Jesus was gone. After everyone left, Mary stayed at the tomb and just cried. I mean, I get it. There was A LOT of trauma that she had just witnessed and now, Jesus’s body had been stolen (or so she thought). Two angels appeared and talked to her and she was still upset. And then…mic drop…Jesus was there. He told her He was all good now and He was ascending to “my Father and your Father”. Mary M was ecstatic and went to tell everyone she had seen Jesus. (John 20:1-18)

Great story right? But why did Jesus appear before Mary M? A woman. For context, women at that time were considered less. They were not allowed all the way into the Temple to worship simply because they were a woman. They had no rights. They were second class. On top of her being a woman, she was a FALLEN woman (gasp!). You can imagine when she tried telling the disciples, “HEY GUYS!!! Jesus is alive! He told me to tell you He was good!” You know they rolled their eyes and said, “Sure He did Mar-Bear.” They didn’t believe her (Luke 24:11 and Mark 16:11).

You see, Jesus didn’t see different classes, gender, or race. Jesus only saw people when He walked this Earth. He didn’t care if you were a man, woman, disabled, smelled to high heavens, had an eye hanging out, or wasn’t nice…He was going to talk to you. And in Mary’s case, at one time she was demon filled and Jesus healed her. And then, she followed Him to the end. And she truly loved Him with all her heart. Jesus knew that and He rewarded her with His presence after His resurrection. Jesus valued a sin filled, former demon possessed, second rate citizen who was a woman to share the good news.

If Jesus can see past all of that, why can’t you? We tend to pass judgment when it is not warranted. We are all sinners. My sin and your sin are probably different. That doesn’t make me better than you. We are both sinners. God put us (me and YOU) here on this Earth for a million reasons. But one of the reasons is to learn from and help each other. Don’t forget that when you get frustrated with people. People who are hungry and you think they just need to get a job. Or an alcoholic, who just needs to stop drinking. Or a coworker, who isn’t pulling their weight. We all have a story and maybe if we were more like Jesus, they would/could be a Mary M.

God is so intentional, isn’t He?

Love you all,

Jennifer