easter 2015

Reading Plan Easter 2015

2 | P a g e Words from the Cross

Words from the Cross

For the next three weeks we at TurningPoint will look at some of the final moments of Jesus’ life throughout the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John). It starts with Passover, a time when Jews remember how the children of Israel left slavery behind them when they exited Egypt. The Israelites had been under the rule of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, for 400 years until Moses led them out; this was over 3,000 years ago.

Despite many appeals from Moses, Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites every time. Moses warned that unless his people were released from slavery and allowed to leave Egypt, God would send terrible plagues onto Pharaoh's land. The ten plagues were blood, frogs, gnats, flies, blight of the livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of the first born.

God told Moses to tell the Israelites to daub the doors of their houses with lamb's blood (speaking of Christ’s Blood) so God could 'pass over' their houses and ensure they were spared this last plague. Thus was born the Passover Festival and the Seder, a special family meal held on the eve of Passover. The Passover came down through Jewish history to where Jesus took the Passover wine and bread and made it into what we now know today as the Last Supper.

As God had instructed the Jews to celebrate the Passover every year to teach the next Generation the saving power of God, let us through our family gatherings and holiday experiences also proclaim and declare the saving power of God through Jesus.

When Jesus hung on the cross He made seven statements of how He saw the situation and how He was committed to it.

The final week of our study, we are preparing an experience of Jesus’ death, resurrection and His reappearance to the disciples. We hope that you join us and invite one friend that you hope will hear the history and living story of Jesus’ sacrifice and triumph over sin and death.

Let remembrance of the work of the Cross transform lives over this Easter time.

“Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Mark 16:6-7

Blessing, Ps Phil


Passover week: Day 1 - 30th March - Monday

Reading: Luke 19:28-41 & Isaiah 55:6-12

“Hosanna!” was the word that began the most explosive 7 days in all of eternity. Never would there be a week, nor a word, that would so profoundly impact every life in recorded history.

It was Passover week in Jerusalem and nearly 2.5 million people were crowding the streets of this ancient city. All adult Jewish males were required to come to Jerusalem three times a year with Passover being one of those times. What a week for the presentation of a King!

As Jesus rode through the jammed streets, the mass of humanity threw their cloaks on the way ahead of Him. Fittingly, this was the historical way that a population would welcome their victorious king home from battle.

This crowd also cut branches from trees along the way and threw them in front of the King on His donkey. They waved the branches high above their heads as they proclaimed, “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

These people were worshippers! They were declaring, “Everything that we have is Yours, Jesus!” Are you a worshipper?

When Jesus enters our life, our Jerusalem, we must respond with whole-hearted obedience and genuine praise. We must enter into an experience of worship so dynamic that it causes us to sacrifice our comfort and tradition. Has the presence of Jesus Christ caused a genuine stir in your life? Have you responded to His triumphant procession with your reckless abandon of absolute worship?

When confronted with the Kingship of Jesus Christ, many of us hold back and refuse to change our style of worship. A genuine experience with the Son of God ought to cause an expression of worship that goes beyond ... way beyond ... the official structure of acceptable worship.

As we prepare our hearts and lives for His death and resurrection, we must first join with the voices of history and declare passionately and sincerely, “Hosanna in the highest!”

Prayer: May my worship be that which is acceptable to Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: I will endeavour to make every part of my life a place of honour to Jesus. (Have I booked in for the Passover Meal at Cranbourne Yet?)


He loved the sick: Day 2 – 31st March - Tuesday

Reading: Mark 14: 1-9

Jesus loved people. He loved the sick and the lame ... the prostitute and children. Jesus loved His band of brothers ... the 12 whose lives had become so intrinsically a part of His own.

Jesus also loved a particular family who had celebrated with Him, had often taken care of Him while He was traveling and with whom Jesus had cried the day that He raised their brother, Lazarus, from the dead.

Understandably, Jesus spent some of His last hours on earth with beloved friends who had become family to Him. These moments were unspeakably dear as he looked lovingly into the faces of those whose names would soon be written not only on His heart but also on His hands.

As they were dining together one evening during this final week of Jesus life, Mary, the woman who had spent so much time at the feet of Jesus, came to Him with a family heirloom in her hands.

Mary had spent time at Jesus’ feet in wonder listening to His Word; she spent time at the feet of Jesus in her darkest hour believing that Jesus would perform a miracle; and now she is extravagantly giving at His beautiful feet that will soon be bloodied.

Mary broke the alabaster vial and poured the fragrant and costly perfume over the head of Jesus. The amount in this vase was worth an entire year’s wages and yet Mary lavishly poured it over the body of her Saviour.

Jesus will die as a criminal; only criminals’ bodies were denied the societal anointing of spices and perfume after death. Mary’s singular act of love saved Him from the disgrace of a criminal’s death. This one quiet woman was so filled with devotion and love that she considered no sacrifice too great for Jesus.

Will you spend heartfelt time with Jesus’ this week? Will you allow your worship to spill over into giving as you contemplate the price that He paid for your life?

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for the price you paid for my life. May Your investment in me bring great return to the Father. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: I will spend time with Jesus’ this week to appreciate His giving. Why not view movies like “The Passion of the Cross”


Why Easter: Day 3 – 1st April - Wednesday

Reading: John 12:1-6 & Matthew 26:14-16 & Psalms 41

The unanswerable word “Why?!” echoes within my soul as I read the tragic account of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Why?

Judas had spent three years with Jesus! He had seen Him heal bodies, touch broken lives and raise the dead. Judas had heard the Gospel of love. Why?

Judas laughed and shared life with Jesus. Judas had seen the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes ... he had seen a once raging sea become calm ... and had seen demons flee at the voice of the One Who proclaimed, “Let there be light!” Why?

Does Judas even have a heart? Judas went to the chief priests ... they did not come to him. He went to them.

I have always wondered if Judas betrayed Jesus because of his own addiction. I wonder if Judas was compelled to sell Jesus to murderers because of a compulsion that he was never able to conquer.

Judas was in charge of the money box and it was known among the disciples that Judas often pilfered from the treasury that was meant to be shared. We don’t know if the disciples confronted Judas, or if Jesus confronted him. What we do know is that Judas had an addiction that had never been dealt with.

Judas could have taken his weakness to Jesus! He could have confessed, asked for forgiveness and for power. Instead the insidious and lethal addiction stayed hidden and thus overpowered the ability of Judas to walk by faith and not by sight.

You may not sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver but your addictions and issues will cause you to make wrong choices. You will do things that will shame you and lead you down a pathway of remorse and guilt.

Satan will take advantage of your weakness. He did it to Judas and he will try it with you.

Prayer: In Christ I am stronger than anything Satan can put on me. Like Jesus overcame, I too will overcome. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: Maybe it is time for you to make a choice that Judas never made ... go to Jesus. Ask Him for forgiveness and power. You will be amazed at how it will change the end of your story!


I will bring you out: Day 4 – 2nd April - Thursday

Reading: Matthew 26: 17-30 & Exodus 6: 1-7

This was the third Passover meal Jesus had eaten with His disciples.

The Passover meal was organized around drinking four cups of wine, each representing the four-part promise of redemption in Exodus.

The first cup remembered the promise “I will bring you out”. God, the Father, brought the Israelites out of Egypt as now, Jesus, His Son, would bring all His children out of sin.

The second cup commemorated “I will rescue you from bondage.” The children of Israel were set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt; Jesus, the Great Emancipator, has set us free from the bondage of Satan.

“I will redeem you” was the promise of the third cup. God redeemed the Israelites to the Promised Land and now, we, the beneficiaries of the death of Jesus, have been redeemed to a new and abundant life!

The fourth cup symbolizes the promise, “I will take you as my people and I will be your God.”

Jesus said that He would save the drinking of this fourth cup for when we all celebrate together in the Kingdom of God. Jesus was communicating to His earthly family that there would be a reunion dinner someday and that they would be there.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you will be there, too! Jesus will begin the celebration by welcoming you home at last. You will see Peter and James ... the woman with the alabaster box. ... and Lazarus! You will be there!

At that grand reunion, there will be no sin or suffering. There will be no cancer, bad backs or migraines. And you will be there!

When everyone has gathered, Jesus will pick up the fourth cup ... the one that He didn’t finish that night in Jerusalem. In the presence of the Father, He will hold up that cup and a glorious cheer will fill the air! A resounding shout will echo from the rafters of heaven ... hands will be raised ... the sound of singing will fill the atmosphere of heaven!

And you ... will be there!

Prayer: Father I know I will be accepted as Christ has fulfilled all the requirements of the Old Testament Law. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: I will arrange to have a time with my family and friends to celebrate with a meal as I reflect on the great work that Jesus did.


The three disciples: Day 5 – 3rd April – Good Friday

Reading: Matthew 26: 31-75

Jesus took three disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter, James and John had been with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, and Jesus needed them to stand with Him in prayer.

But while Jesus prayed ... they slept. While Jesus sweat great drops of blood ... they snored. While Jesus cried in agony ... the three men He trusted were slumbering.

Knowing that He was about to die the violent death of a criminal, they dozed and drooled. Three times Jesus came to the disciples ... and three times they were sleeping.

We become outraged at the seemingly careless actions of Peter, James and John and yet how often have we been caught giving into the twilight of half-hearted behaviour when Jesus calls our name?

We watch television when there are prayers to be prayed.

We read novels when there are people to be loved and saved.

We snore while our culture crumbles without Jesus.

Just as the Saviour needed Peter, James and John ... your Saviour needs you. He has entrusted you with the power of prayer. He has entrusted you with the Great Commission. He has entrusted you with the Gospel.

In this Garden, Jesus prayed, “Not as I will ... but as You will.” Have you ever tried praying that prayer when your life was crumbling? Have you ever prayed, “Father, Your will be done”, when faced with cruel circumstances? If we learn nothing else from this event in the life of Jesus, we should learn to pray and to desire the will of the Father above all else while others sleep.

When Jesus finally roused the three from their slumber, they had a view in the moonlight of a mob coming up the western slope of Mt. Olive. After the mob, led by Judas, seized Jesus, Peter stayed in the courtyard of the high priest. It was there that Peter denied Jesus three times.

Prayer: Father may I stand strong in the time of need, but much more may I learn to be ready now before the hour is upon me, Amen.

Application: I wonder if Peter would have denied Jesus if he had prayed rather than slept. I wonder how different my life would be if I would pray ... rather than sleep.


Scourging and flogging: Day 6 – 6th April - Monday

Reading: Matthew 26: 1-56

Before his crucifixion, Jesus was scourged. Roman soldiers bared the upper half of his body and tied his hands to a pillar. He was forced to bend double with his spinal column exposed. Then, Jesus was flogged with a 3-pronged whip comprised of three leather thongs connected by pieces of bone and metal on a chain.

Scourging or flogging always preceded capital punishment so that the prisoner would be weakened and die more quickly on the cross. The violent lashing of Jesus’ body tore his skin and bared his flesh to the very bone. Many victims died before they even encountered the cross because of the flogging. Many were paralysed and few remained conscious after this horrific punishment.

After the flogging came the mocking. The soldiers relentlessly and cruelly ridiculed the Son of the God of all creation. Jesus was too weak to even carry His own cross because his torment had already been taken to the utmost limits. There was little life left in His precious Body as He reached the top of Golgotha.

The Man Who had turned over tables ... held little children on his lap ... calmed the storms ... and raised the dead ... was now bleeding in agony. His lungs were struggling for one more gasp of earth’s atmosphere and His eyes were glazed with vicious pain.

I wonder if the guards could hear the Saviour gasping for breath. His mother, who had witnessed His first precious breath, now heard Him breathing His last. She had giggled over His first coos and gurgles, and now had to stand and hear Him fight the pain and fight for breath.

He could have called 10,000 angels at that moment. They would have come to His rescue! He could have removed Himself from the cross but He chose not to! He chose to contain His power. Why? Why didn’t He save Himself from the mockery of hell itself?

Prayer: Father in the final hours of Jesus on the cross I see Your great love for me as you looked past the need of Jesus to the hope of me becoming your child. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: He stayed there for you ... because YOU were the joy set before Him. You were on His mind while He hung on Calvary’s cross.

Do we hold the same view of joy as we look forward to seeing others saved?


The curtain: Day 7 – 7th April - Tuesday

Reading: Matthew 27: 57-66 & Isaiah 53:

The world was cloaked in an unnatural, early and consuming darkness the day Jesus died. There was no reason for the sun to shine on this day in history … the Light of the world had been temporarily extinguished.

The curtain in the temple, which symbolically separated the most Holy Place from the sinful place, was rent in two! When Jesus took His last breath on the Cross, the curtain was torn to shreds! Mankind would never be separated from their Holy God again! The Spirit of Jesus Christ ripped the dividing wall in two and made a way for you to touch God.

The earth shook when Jesus gave up His spirit. The rocks cried out in grief as the Saviour of the world took His last earthly breath.

Dead people rose from their tombs! Can you even imagine the power that burst forth from heaven’s gate that day? There was no more power in death! Jesus had defeated death forevermore and even tombs could not hold back the dead. These bodies were set free by the power of life that was released in the heavenlies that day!

All of humanity knew that something gargantuan had happened on the day Jesus had died.

Joseph of Arimathea offered his grave that had never been used. This borrowed grave was in a cave hewn from the rock on the side of a hill. The Body of Jesus Christ was laid inside and then a boulder, larger than the opening, was rolled downhill into a trench.

They made the tomb as secure as they humanly could. They sealed the huge rock with clay that hardened. Jesus was literally cemented into the grave. And then, they set a guard to watch the tomb of Jesus.

“Make it as secure as you know how,” were the words of Pilate to the Pharisees. What the Pharisees failed to understand was that no clay ... no rock ... no guard ... no grave ... and no soldiers could have prevented the Son of God from rising again! Jesus was about to give back His borrowed

grave!

Prayer: Lord may I stand in the authority that you gave me through your name Jesus, Amen.

Application: May I realise that no rock ... no guard ... no grave ... and no soldiers could have prevented Jesus granting me all that He said he would deliver!


Do not be afraid: Day 8 – 8th April - Wednesday

Reading: Matthew 28:

When the women arrived at the ancient cemetery on the dawn of the Sabbath, they were greeted not by a cold, sealed tomb but by an angel relaxing in the morning sunshine on the stone that had been rolled away!

And what were the words of this angel? “Do not be afraid!”

Let’s travel back in time about 33 years before this Resurrection morning when an angel was sent from heaven to announce the birth of Jesus. What did that angel say? “Do not be afraid!”

When God arrives on the scene of our lives, He comes to take away all fear. Jesus lived and died to deal with your fear issues! If you are bound by fear, be set free today by the Saviour Who could not be held by death!

The sealed grave, this Easter morning, was not opened to let Jesus out but to let the adoring women in. As these women, who were the first commissioned to tell the Gospel story, ran in celebration away from the cemetery, they were experiencing both fear and great joy.

Always allow your joy to be greater than your fear! Nothing in your life should be stronger than His joy. The joy those women experienced on that Sabbath morning caused them to fall on their faces in worship.

Some of the disciples worshipped while others doubted. Disciples have the same decision to make today. Will you worship or will you doubt?

Will you get on your face in worship or give into your fear?

The power and authority that Easter heralds should compel us all to go and make disciples. Once you have been told ... you must go tell! God’s will for your life, and for my life, is to make disciples in our personal worlds. “Hosanna!”

Prayer: Father may I see the hope that is the resurrection not only for me but also for these who You have placed me to minister to. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: The final truth of the Resurrection story is that He really is with you. He will be with you in all your tomorrows. We are sent out on the greatest task in all of History and are assured of the Greatest Presence that has ever lived on heaven or on earth.


Forgiveness extends: Day 9 – 9th April - Thursday

Reading: Luke 23: 1-34

When He hung on the cross, suffering through a horrific punishment He did nothing to deserve, He didn't waste His final breaths. He spoke words that echo throughout eternity, forever shaping the way we view and receive His sacrifice.

Luke 23:34 records the first of the seven final sayings of Jesus on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

On what many now call Palm Sunday, people crowded the streets of Jerusalem, welcoming Jesus to the cries of, "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!" Days later, He looked down on another crowd at the foot of His cross harshly shouting, "Crucify him!"

His response to their outcry was opposite of what many of us might have done. Jesus asked God to have mercy. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." His words reached far beyond the bloodthirsty people at His feet to us, today.

While it was our sin that ultimately subjected Jesus' life to the relentless beating, mocking, and torture of the cross, it was the forgiveness Jesus issued in the midst of His torment that has the power to forever transform your life. His forgiveness, if you receive it, extends beyond your deepest hurts, regrets, and failures.

To receive this great gift, we first have to see exactly how far His forgiveness reaches and all it covers: rejection of Christ, turning from His ways, doubting who He is, and so much more.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of living a perfect life. But we have the hope of forgiveness. Forgiveness that takes away those sins. No matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, Jesus forgives you. Unconditionally.

PRAYER: Jesus, give me the perspective today to see the full extent of your forgiveness. Forgive me for the times that I have unknowingly, and knowingly, sinned against you. I pray the same forgiveness I receive from you may overflow into the forgiveness I extend to others. Amen.

Application: The full extent of Jesus' forgiveness extends beyond your greatest sins, and allows you to extend it beyond the greatest sins others have committed against you. What is one offense you have yet to forgive someone for? Take the opportunity today to reach out to that person to offer forgiveness.


Jesus save Yourself: Day 10 – 10th April - Friday

Reading: Luke 23: 34-43 & Lamentations 3:19-23

It was impossible for Jesus to save Himself if He was going to save us. As Jesus hung between two habitual criminals, one mocked Him, hurling insults upon Him. "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"

Jesus could have escaped this scene of torment and humiliation, but in that moment, He chose to obey the purpose He came to fulfil. Jesus knew He wouldn't do the very thing the criminal asked of Him in Luke 23:39. You see, it was impossible for Jesus to save Himself if He was going to save us.

In the pressure of everyday life, you may cry out for God to save you. However, Jesus longs to do more than rescue you from dire circumstances. He wants to save your soul first. The other criminal hanging on a cross next to Jesus recognized Him as the Messiah, the saving King. And in his dying breaths, he made a simple request for salvation: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).

Jesus did more than remember. He said in Luke 23:43, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." This was a firm promise that Jesus was guaranteeing the thief a place in heaven, with Him. Consider today the wonder of salvation through Jesus. He offers remembrance and redemption.

When Jesus says, "I will remember you," He's working on our behalf.

He hung on the cross on behalf of our sins.

He endured the wrath of the cross so we would never have to stand before such judgment without a redeemer.

He gave His earthly life to invite us into eternal salvation.

Each day, we get to choose how we remember our salvation.

Will we recount the sin in our life?

Or remember the grace He makes available every day?

Will we regret the choices that put us where we are?

Or remember that Jesus saved us and will work through us as we humbly depend on Him? No matter what you choose to remember, Jesus has already chosen to remember you, and has guaranteed a place in eternity with Him.

Prayer: Jesus, I praise you for the grace you showed to the man hanging next to you on the cross. Your mercies are greater than anything I can comprehend. Thank you for remembering me, although I deserved the punishment you received. Open my eyes, Lord, to receive the mercy you make available to me so that I may remember you in everything I do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: While Jesus chooses not to remember our sin, they're often easy for us to recall. Write down several ways Jesus has changed you since you received His salvation. Celebrate this as a new way to remember the transformative power of your salvation.


Prioritize relationships: Day 11– 13th April-Monday

Reading: John 19:26-27 & James 4:7-10 & John 15: 9-17

The relationship God wants to have with you is not based on anything He needs from you. It is based entirely on what you need from Him. It's easy to establish and prioritize relationships based on what has been or can be done for us. The value we place on relationships is often contingent on what we think other people will contribute to the relationship.

That's what's so amazing about our relationship with God. In our sin and imperfection, it's difficult to say we provide much that could impress an already-perfect God. The good news is, God doesn't measure His relationship with us based on what we have done or can do for Him. If we receive His grace, He has already accepted, forgiven, and saved us. Nothing can take away His love or relationship. We see this at the cross, as Jesus hung before a tortuous, merciless crowd of hecklers. He was abandoned by nearly everyone that had once fellowshipped with Him. Though His love never left them, His people left Him.

Yet as Jesus looked down from the cross, He saw two familiar faces standing amongst the crowd-His mother, Mary, and His disciple, John. Upon seeing them, Jesus issued His final words to them. When Jesus said, "Here is your son … Here is your mother," He showed His passion for relationship, particularly the kind He desires with His people: close, caring, intimate.

Many people hide from these type of tight-knit relationships because they may fear, "If people really knew me, they'd never accept me." But God really knows you, and He has already accepted you. The relationship God wants to have with you is not based on anything God needs from you. It is based entirely on what you need from Him. Jesus knew His mother needed someone to watch over her, protect her, and care for her. When He looked down and saw how close she had drawn to Him, even as He died a horrific death on the cross, Jesus took the time to make sure she would never be alone.

Jesus knows the state of your heart today. He knows if you are trying to push through any pain or insecurity. He knows if you feel like everyone else has left you. He knows exactly what you need, and He is with you, desiring to be in close, caring, intimate relationship with you. Embrace the unconditional love Jesus wants to show you today. In your every thought, every word, and every action, you are loved. Stay close to God, and He will stay close to you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for acknowledging our need for care and relationship in your final moments on the cross. Give me the perspective to prioritize my relationship with you, as I learn how to follow you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: Jesus died not to scowl at us for the price our sin forced Him to pay, but to smile at us in the joy of His eternal relationship with us. Let us shift your perspective to see He delights in you.


Love the greatest: Day 12 – 14th April - Tuesday

Reading: Matthew 27:46 & Hebrews 12:

He was forsaken so you wouldn't have to be. Just after making sure two people He loved would not be alone, Jesus had to face being forsaken by His Heavenly Father. Until that moment, Jesus had spent every waking moment of His life fully connected to God.

Every word His Father gave to Him, Jesus spoke. Everywhere Jesus went, His Father was there. But when Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He felt the weight of separation from His Father. The greatest agony He could ever experience unlocked the greatest opportunity Jesus would have to show His love for you.

As Jesus neared death on the cross, He was forsaken so you wouldn't have to be. We are not promised a life free from abandonment. People will abandon us, just as the disciples abandoned Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Occasionally, the pain of our circumstances can cause us to look around, wondering if God has abandoned us as well.

While there will be moments where you feel far from God, Jesus' death on the cross forever guaranteed that you will never be separated from Him. The moment Jesus felt apart from His father ensured that you would never have to spend a moment apart from Him. The enemy can use moments of loneliness and pain to distract you from the potential and purpose God has for your life.

But even in your greatest agony, God is there. He isn't waiting for your strength to rise above your feelings of abandonment. He's waiting for your faith to rise as you acknowledge your dependency on Him.

Open your eyes today to the persistence of His presence.

Prayer: Lord, I confess there are times in my life when I feel like everyone, even you, has abandoned me. Give me the faith to see that you have never left me. Help me to see that you were abandoned so I would never have to be. Let me focus on your presence today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: Even in your greatest moments of agony, God is there. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. What is one area of your life that feels empty and abandoned? What is one way that you can see God in this situation? As you face this struggle, seek ways to recognize God's presence.


Death & resurrection: Day 13 – 15th April - Wednesday

Reading: John 19:28 & Philippians 4:1-13

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers the only true solution to your distress: Himself. While you cannot escape thirst in your life, you can choose how you will fulfil this thirst.

Throughout His life, Jesus lived in direct connection with God and had access to the source of all life. So when Jesus gasped, "I thirst," from the cross, His sense of need may have seemed contradictory to the limitless resources He could have tapped into as the Son of God. Even in expressing His physical thirst, Jesus never spoke or acted without reason. While these words were uttered in distress, it was in His greatest distress that released His greatest purpose.

When Jesus declared His thirst in John 19:28, He was fulfilling the prophecies in Psalm 22:15 and 69:21. And while He spoke of His physical need that needed to be quenched, it brings to mind our spiritual thirst He knew would forever be unmet without Him.

Much like the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered in John 4, your soul will thirst for fulfilment every single day. But when you face moments of distress, the enemy will present an endless array of options for you to quench your thirst. The enemy wants you to thirst for… A better job that will pay you enough to relieve your financial insecurity. A relationship that satisfies the physical desires of your flesh. Newer, fancier material things that provide the joy you may be lacking. The list is endless … and attractive … yet deadly.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers the only true solution to your distress: Himself. When Jesus died on the cross, His love fulfilled your every need once and for all. He provides the peace your spirit needs to rest. - He provides the joy your spirit needs for strength. - He provides the purpose you need to make today matter.

Jesus' death doesn't guarantee a life free from distress. But it does make provision to get through the hard times. He invited each of us to place our faith in Him, who is stronger than any needs we may have.

God's not waiting for you to find another way to fill a void in your life. He's waiting for you to receive the fulfilment He's already made available to you … Himself. Embrace the unending satisfaction of His love.

Prayer: Jesus, Even in your greatest moment of distress, you fulfilled a purpose greater than anything I can ever imagine. I receive the fulfilment that only your love can bring. Everywhere I go today, give me the peace of knowing that I am complete in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: Memorize Philippians 4:10-13 as a picture of the peace, strength, and fulfilment that Jesus makes available to you on a daily basis.


The greatest sabotage: Day 14 – 16th April – Thursday

Reading: John 19:30 & 1 John 5:

It's not what I can do; it's what He's already done. With Jesus' dying words in John 19:30, He initiated the greatest sabotage in human history.

When Jesus said, "It is finished," the enemy was ready to celebrate the ultimate defeat of evil over good. But what the enemy intended to be a cry of defeat, Jesus used to speak eternal victory over death. Once and for all, Jesus used His final words to issue us the victory of saying, "It's not what you can do; It's what I have already done for you."

No longer would you have to get your act together to come into the presence of God. No longer would you have to strive under your own effort to earn God's love.

No longer would you have to follow a detailed set of rules and regulations to achieve your spot in Heaven. The triumph of the cross does not come by human effort. The victory of Jesus is received where your trying ends.

Jesus will never love you any more than He does right now. He's not waiting for perfection before He'll accept you. Jesus has already done everything you need to experience Heaven. He's not waiting for you to achieve the goals you've set for your life. He's not waiting for you to feel sorry for the price He paid.

He's waiting for you to be changed. He's waiting for you to completely surrender your will to His. Faith is not about a bad person becoming good; it's about a dead person becoming alive. The greatest triumph in the world - the victory of life over death - is available for you to receive today.

When you make this daily decision to surrender to God's greatest triumph, you enable yourself to experience His victory in every area of your life.

Surrender your unforgiveness. Resurrect love.

Surrender your disobedience. Resurrect the purpose God has for you.

Surrender your insecurities. Resurrect the security of your identity in Him.

Open your eyes today to the obedience and victory of surrender.

Prayer: Jesus. I know that you have overcome the world. The grave could not hold you down, Lord. You may have died on the cross, but you rose again. And today, Jesus, I receive the life you have made available to me through your victory over death. Change me, Lord, and shape me into the person you died for me to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Application: How have you changed since surrendering to Jesus? How has your outlook on life changed? How have your relationships changed? How has your purpose in life changed? Write down your life change story and share it with one person close to you this week.


His last words: Day 15 -17th April - Friday

Reading: Luke 23:46 & 2 Corinthians 5:

The Resurrection is not an event, it is a person. When Jesus spoke His very last words in Luke 23:46, His life on Earth ended. But His eternal reign in our lives was just beginning. Likewise, the end of this study is meant to be a new beginning in your relationship with Christ. The seven sayings that Jesus cried out on the cross, when paralleled with the way Jesus appeared to His disciples on the road to Emmaus after His death, are designed to be a Seven-Mile Miracle. By focusing on the significance of each of Jesus' final words, you may gain unique perspective on who Jesus is, what He has done for you, and how He wants to reveal Himself to you every day.

Interestingly enough, the very people that knew Jesus the best - the disciples that followed Jesus over the course of His life - did not recognize Him as they walked with Him to Emmaus in Luke 24. Still in shock from the events that unfolded just days earlier, the disciples likely saw the Passover meal they shared with Jesus in Luke 22 as their last meaningful time with Him.

When He sat down for the only meal He'd share with the disciples after His death, Jesus took the bread, blessed the bread, broke the bread, and gave the bread to His disciples. Every step of this process parallels the way Jesus works in and through you. Just as He took the bread in His hands, He takes you from a place of uncertainty and brings you into a life of faith, hope, and certainty. Just as He blessed the bread, He blesses you and favours you with a new life found only in Him.

Just as He broke the bread, He breaks you not to discourage you, but to increase your dependency on Him. And finally, just as He gave the bread to His disciples, He gives you to the world for the sake of His glory. These stages can be painful, but remember that God doesn't want to hurt you; He wants to reunite with you.

When Jesus broke bread with His disciples, the bread never left His hands. And when He finally stretched forward to give the bread to His disciples, they saw His nail-scarred hands and their eyes were opened to see Jesus as the risen Lord. Jesus wants to reunite with you today. Open your eyes to see Him as the resurrected Son of God.

Prayer: Jesus, you are powerful, loving, and faithful. Take me from my old ways, break me of anything holding me back from you, and give me to the world so that I may glorify your name. You are the Resurrection, Jesus, and I am forever grateful for the life you have given me. In your name, Amen.

Application: As you reach the end of this study, we pray that God has changed your heart and your perspective to bring you closer to Him. If God has stretched your faith and changed your heart in any way during this series, we want to celebrate with you.


Our Motivation as inspired in 1996 and still unchanged.

For a Church: - that is a Family, operating as one unit with “One Vision” and purpose, with a place of expression and ministry for each

Partner/Member in it.

For a Church: - that will have a strong emphasis on the Word of God

and Worship, cherishing the “Precepts of God”. Having contemporary

style and flavour being able to cater for the different sectors of our

City.

For a Church: - that will be a “Safe Place” taking in the hurting,

depressed, frustrated and restore them, giving them encouragement

and hope in Jesus.

For a Church: - that will develop every Member to discover their own

ministry gifting through Connect Groups, Care groups, Training

groups and Bible school, empowering them to use their “God given Talents”.

For a Church: - that every Member, Department, Small Group, and

Corporate Meeting is constantly sharing the “Good News” of Jesus

Christ as the Gospel is Advanced.

For a Church: - that will form a strong base of 1000 members that

know the “Joy of the Lord” who can Live, Love, Learn and Laugh

together.

For a Church: - that is progressively “Active in Missions”, ministerially and financially, overseas and locally, planting and

supporting a new outreach Church with Manpower, Resources and

Ministry every 5 years.

For a Church: - that has a consistent user friendly “Influence” and

impact into the City with Coffee Shops, OP Shops, Bookshops,

Training Centre’s.

For a Church: - that Facilitates “Care and Education” having its own

Christian School, Kindergarten, Day Care, Play Group and Mothers

groups.

For a Church: - that has its own simple yet “Practical Buildings” for

Church (1000 seat auditorium, Sunday school rooms and offices) and

School (Kinder to VCE of approximately 500 student) established on

approximately 10 acres of well set out land and gardens.


SUNDAY SERVICES:

TurningPoint Cranbourne

1785 South Gippsland Highway Cranbourne

(Opposite Devon Road)

10:30am & 6:00pm Services

TurningPoint Lyndhurst

Lynbrook Children’s Centre

25i River Redgum Place Lynbrook

10:30am Service

TurningPoint Koo Wee Rup

335 Rossiter Road

Koo Wee Rup

10:30am Service

Administration: PO Box 5422

Cranbourne VIC 3977 Phone 03 5996 3048

[email protected] www.turningpoint.asn.au

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.turningpoint.asn.au/

easter 2015

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