This is where we’re headed. This is our ending. And knowing that ending shapes our stories today.

Because we know how it ends, we can have courage and persistence to press on through our struggles. We know our struggles won’t last forever--we know we will rest in joy one day. This consummation gives us hope that all will be made right--even our hurts and scars, even the injustices in the world. He has promised that He will make it all new. This consummation gives us assurance.

Someday, your journey through brokenness will end.

Does Jesus make a difference in our lives before we die?

There’s plenty of things we know in our Christian lives. We understand that God made us, that sin bent us, and that we needed Jesus’ blood to reconcile us. But sometimes, this all feels far-off to us. Jesus worked to fix our past state, and He’s preparing heaven as our future state—but we’re not sure how He impacts now.

But Jesus isn’t just about getting you into heaven. He’s concerned with more than the end of your life. He’s come to give us life now, and to give it abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus transforms our lives right now, through allowing us to live in God’s promises, presence, and power.

You shouldn’t stop in the middle of a story. 

Would you ever turn off a movie right in the middle? If you did, then you stop when the team loses, when the bad guy wins. If you turn off Lion King in the middle, then Simba is stuck trying to sing his hurt away, and Scar remains king of pride rock. If you stop Avengers in the middle, Thanos wins, and half the universe is gone. We all know better than to stop a story in the middle.

But sometimes we do that with ours.

The most dangerous problems are ones you don’t know. 

Imagine you’re preparing for a long car trip, the trunk stuffed full with your suitcases, your passenger seat full of travel-snacks, and your mind assured that your car is in perfect condition. But it’s not. There’s something wrong with the engine. And you don’t know. As you drive, you may get frustrated with the weird noises and odd smell; but you’re sure nothing is wrong with your car. So you’re frustrated at the hurt to your ears and nose you’re experiencing--but you’re also in great danger of your whole car catching on fire. Something in the car’s design has gone wrong. Being ignorant of the problem puts you in danger.

God designed us to know and experience love. We saw last week how we are made to walk in communion with Him, in His peace, but we can be filled with anxiety. We were intended to experience His love--but so often, we don’t. What happened? 

Our world has broken down.

“What am I doing here?”

The thought floats across Sarah’s mind yet again, as she folds yet another load of laundry. Every day feels the same, and she’s not sure of her purpose. She feels like she’s always behind, always running to catch up--but not even sure what the goal is. So she fills her life with busyness, to try to find a purpose. She runs from errand to appointment to soccer game--but she feels like she’s drifting in slow motion. That nagging voice in the back of her mind keeps asking why she’s here or what she’s supposed to be doing.

Maybe you feel like Sarah today. You’re not sure of your purpose--is there a reason why you’re here today? Are you here just to live, work, and then disappear? Is that all there is to your story?

There is more--but we can only understand it through God’s story.

Every virus has a Patient Zero--the first person who got sick with that virus; the first person to spread it. Once a virus becomes widespread, affecting thousands of people, the hunt is on. They need to find Patient Zero. Once scientists find this first person who got sick, they can learn how and when that person caught the virus, and how it spreads.

Humanity has its own virus--one that manifests itself in many ways. A real virus hijacks your cells, and uses the same systems that produces new healthy cells, to produce more of the virus. It warps what was a good thing. The same thing has happened with us. We have “common struggles,” things that are natural, normal things, but can be twisted by sin and hurt to harm our souls.

Autumn is a season of change—of old stories become new again, of slipping into familiar patterns of work and school. But with the familiarity comes a chance at newness as well—this is a new season. 2020 has been an overwhelming year. There have been so many fears, distractions, and struggles. But God loves to redeem broken stories. What better time then, to jump into a study of Restore together?

We’re going to spend the next 7 weeks digging into Restore: Changing How We Live and Love. Over those seven weeks, we’ll see how God’s love can transform our stories, and bring restoration and rest to our hearts. We want to go from being overwhelmed by life to being overwhelmed by God’s love—and we want you to join us!

Here’s how it works: