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What happens when what you want isn’t what God wants for you? In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus faced one of the most painful moments of His life. Overwhelmed with sorrow, He prayed for another way forward. Yet in the middle of His anguish, He surrendered to the Father’s will. Jesus shows us that surrender doesn’t mean we stop having desires, fears, or questions. It means learning to trust God with them, even when His plans look different from our own. In this week’s message from our Becoming Like Jesus series, we explore what it looks like to surrender our desires to God, trust Him when we don’t understand, and find the courage to follow Him even when it’s difficult. The question is: Can we say, “Father, what You want is what I’ll choose,” even when it’s not what we want? Scripture: Matthew 26:36–44, Luke 22:44, John 18, John 6:38 Join us at Grace Church Akron East as we continue learning what it means to become more like Jesus. #BecomingLikeJesus #SurrenderToGod #GraceChurch

What does it really mean to live with humility like Jesus? Jesus, the Son of God, chose to humble Himself, serve others, and ultimately give His life for us. His example challenges us to rethink how we view ourselves, how we treat others, and what it truly means to follow Him. In this message from our Becoming Like Jesus series, we explore how humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. We also look at practical ways to choose humility in our everyday relationships, decisions, and opportunities to serve. Following Jesus means learning to put others before ourselves. Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30, Philippians 2:1–11, Matthew 16:25

What does it actually look like to become more like Jesus? Jesus didn’t build His life around being served. He chose to serve. In Mark 10, Jesus tells His followers that true greatness looks completely different from the way the world defines it: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” In this message, River Harter looks at the radical service of Jesus and what it means for us to follow His example. We may not be able to help everyone, but we can love someone. As we follow Jesus, we can begin asking: What is the Father doing? Where is the Father doing it? Who has the Father given me to love? Jesus invites us to see enough to notice, notice enough to care, and care enough to move. Scripture: John 13:1–17, Mark 10:35–45, Galatians 5:13 Becoming Like Jesus | Radical Service

Jesus was gentle, patient, and slow to anger—but He wasn’t a pushover. He confronted hard hearts, defended vulnerable people, and even became angry when people stood in the way of what God was doing. So what’s the difference between sinful anger and righteous anger? In this message from our Becoming Like Jesus series, we look at how Jesus handled disrespect, frustration, and anger without allowing it to control Him. We’ll explore James 1:19–20, Mark 3, Mark 6, and other passages to see what causes anger, how it should be handled, and what our anger is actually producing. Jesus was hard to offend personally, quick to protect others, willing to confront what was wrong, and unwilling to hate. What has been making you angry lately? Are you controlling your anger—or is your anger controlling you?

Was Jesus all grace, accepting everyone exactly where they were? Or was He all truth, confronting people about sin and calling them to change? When we look at Jesus, we find something better than either extreme. John describes Him as “full of grace and truth.” Jesus received people who had failed, moved toward the broken, and offered forgiveness—but He also loved people enough to tell them the truth and call them toward something better. In this message, we look at how Jesus interacted with people and what His example means for us. If we want to become more like Jesus, we have to learn to see individuals instead of issues, meet people where they are, love them with truth, and become people others can trust. “You have sinned. You are loved. You can change.” 📖 John 1:14 | John 8:1–11 | Exodus 34:6

What if the reason we don’t have room for what matters most isn’t because we’re doing bad things—but because we’re trying to do too many good things? Jesus lived with incredible clarity about what He was here to do, and that clarity shaped what He said yes to and what He said no to. In the same way, following Jesus sometimes means cutting things out, shrinking good things that have become too big, and setting limits so we can give ourselves to what matters most. In this message from Don’t Skip the Big Rocks, we look at what Scripture says about pruning, self-control, people-pleasing, and throwing off the things that hinder us. Because putting the big rocks first eventually requires us to make room for them.

We live in a world that constantly tells us to do more, achieve more, and keep going. But God created us with a different rhythm: work and rest. In Week 5 of Don’t Skip the Big Rocks, we look at what the Bible really teaches about Sabbath. Sabbath is more than a rule or a day on the calendar—it is a gift that reminds us that God is in control, our value is not found in our productivity, and the work of Jesus is already finished. What would it look like to regularly stop, rest, delight, and notice what God is doing? Scriptures: Genesis 2:1–3, Deuteronomy 5:12–15, Colossians 2:16–17, Hebrews 4:9–11, Mark 2:27, Matthew 11:28–30

Every day, we wake up with another opportunity to decide what matters most. Even when we know our priorities, it can be easy to drift, get distracted, and slowly miss the target. In John 15, Jesus gives us a simple invitation: “Remain in me.” In this message, we look at God’s goal for our lives, our role in staying connected to Him, and His promise that when we abide in Jesus, He will produce lasting fruit and transformation in us. The Christian life isn’t just about arranging our priorities correctly once. It’s about choosing, day after day, to walk with Jesus, listen to Him, learn from Him, and remain connected to Him. God’s goal is deep connection. Our role is to remain. His promise is transformation. John 15:4–8

We’ve talked about putting the big rocks first—the things that matter most in life. But once those priorities are in place, there’s another question we have to ask: What are the medium rocks that need our time and attention in this season? Wisdom isn’t just knowing what matters. Wisdom is knowing what matters right now. Every season of life brings different responsibilities, relationships, and opportunities that need our attention. Maybe it’s managing your finances, taking care of your health, going to school, starting a business, raising young kids, caring for a parent, building friendships, or finding Christian community. These things may not be the ultimate priorities of our lives, but they still matter—and stewarding them faithfully is part of following Jesus. In this message, we’ll look at three kinds of “medium rocks”: • Life stewardship — faithfully caring for the responsibilities God has given you. • Relationship stewardship — intentionally investing in the people God has placed in your life. • Stabilizing rocks — practices and community that help keep the big rocks in place. The goal isn’t to do everything. The goal is to recognize what God is asking you to give your time and attention to right now. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 Am I making room for the rocks that need to be in my life right now?

As we step into a new season, it’s easy to get caught up in everything demanding our attention. But what if some things matter far more than others? In this message, we look at the “big rocks” God has entrusted to each of us—and how we can learn to carry them well. Jesus calls us to seek God first, love the people around us, live with purpose, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead the way we live each day. Our faith isn’t just something we practice on Sundays. It shows up in the everyday moments—in our homes, our work, our relationships, our schools, and our communities. Are we missing one of the big rocks? And are we carrying the ones God has given us in the right way?

Life gets complicated quickly. There are responsibilities, relationships, opportunities, distractions, and countless things competing for our attention. But what if the problem isn’t that we have too much to do—it’s that we’re filling our lives with the wrong things? Proverbs 27:19 says, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Sometimes we need to stop and honestly look at our lives because what we give our time and attention to reveals what matters most to us. In this message, we’ll look at what it means to live with wisdom and intentionality by putting the “big rocks” first—the kingdom priorities God has placed in front of us. Rather than trying to create a perfect plan for life, we’ll learn to ask better questions: What matters most? What season am I in? What has God entrusted to me? And what needs to matter more? Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). When Christ defines our priorities, everything else can find its proper place. Don’t skip the big rocks. Make room for what matters most.

What if God doesn’t need you to have it all together before He can use you? As Christ’s ambassadors, we can sometimes feel like we need to be strong, confident, successful, and spiritually “put together” before we can point others to Jesus. But Scripture gives us a different picture. Paul describes us as “jars of clay”—ordinary, imperfect, and fragile people carrying an incredible treasure: the gospel. In this message from the Ambassadors series, we look at how God often reveals the power of Christ through the weakness of His people. Our pain, limitations, disappointments, failures, and struggles don’t automatically disqualify us from being used by God. Sometimes, they become the very places where people see His power most clearly. You don’t have to wait until the story is finished to point people to Jesus. God can work through you right in the middle. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 In this message: • God uses us in our weakness • We are jars of clay carrying a priceless treasure • You don’t have to have everything figured out to be used by God • God’s power can be revealed in the middle of our struggles • Our imperfect stories can point people to a perfect Savior Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7–12; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Psalm 34:18 God uses people like you. Will you let Him work through you—even in the middle?

Sharing your faith can feel intimidating. What if you don’t have all the answers? What if someone rejects you? What if you’re doing it wrong? In Part 3 of our Ambassadors series, we discover that God never called us to force people into faith—He calls us to faithfully plant seeds while trusting Him to bring the growth. Our role is to stay available, love people well, recognize the opportunities God places in front of us, and boldly share the hope we have in Jesus with gentleness and respect. Whether you’ve followed Christ for years or you’re a brand-new believer, this message will encourage you to take your next step in living on mission every day. Scripture: • 1 Corinthians 3:6 • 1 Peter 3:15–16 • Colossians 4:5–6 In this message you’ll discover: Why God is responsible for the results—not you How to overcome fear when sharing your faith The difference between being overzealous, reluctant, or unaware How to recognize “no-brainer moments” to talk about Jesus Why we’re messengers of good news—not the morality police Practical ways to pray, invite, and share your story If this message encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone who has questions about faith or who could use hope today.

What does it really mean to be made right with God? In week two of our Ambassadors series, we walk through the heart of the Gospel and discover why our greatest need isn’t becoming a better person—it’s being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Using 2 Corinthians 5:21 and John 3:16–17, we explore: Why God created us for relationship with Him How sin separates us from God Why Jesus had to die on the cross What the Bible means by atonement The incredible Great Exchange—Jesus taking our sin and giving us His righteousness Why salvation is a gift of grace received through faith, not earned by good works What it means to trust Jesus personally If you’ve ever wondered: Can I earn God’s forgiveness? Why did Jesus have to die? What is the Gospel? How can I know I’m right with God? This message is for you. For those who already follow Jesus, this message is a reminder that we never outgrow the Gospel. We grow deeper into it. As Christ’s ambassadors, we’ve been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation and are called to share the hope we’ve received with the world around us. 📖 Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:21 John 3:16–17 Romans 3:25 Ephesians 2:8–9

What if following Jesus isn’t just something you believe—it’s who you are? In the first message of our Ambassadors series, we explore what it means to be Christ’s ambassador. According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, every follower of Jesus has been chosen and commissioned to represent Him in the world. We aren’t sent because we’re perfect or qualified—we’re sent because Christ has called us. This message challenges us to see people through the eyes of Jesus, live in a way that reflects His character, and remember that our identity shapes every conversation, relationship, and opportunity we have. Even when we fail, our mission remains the same: to point people to Christ with humility, grace, and truth. Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-20 John 20:21 Ephesians 4:1 Key Takeaway: “I am sent into this day—by Christ, for Christ, and with Christ.”