Point of Grace Online Worship - April 19, 2026

Point of Grace Worship  4.19.26  Sermon Notes – “Risen Jesus Deals with My Default to Self Reliance ”

John 21
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 
“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” 
He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 

Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. 
Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 

Jesus is dealing with something in Peter that has been his “Achilles heel” in following Jesus. 
Peter’s most vulnerable place is his “self-reliance”.  Jesus, being the good shepherd and loving disciple maker, knows Peter must experience the death of “self-reliance” to live the “Jesus reliant” life he was designed for.
This is our primary issue as well.
Peter’s failed self-reliance, epically portrayed in the three denials after Jesus’ arrest, are the  “elephant in the room” context of the John 21 story.   

Luke 22
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves……
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
…….. 54 Then seizing him (Jesus), they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly. 

Luke 22 pulls the curtain back to see the discipleship pathway Jesus was leading Peter on to deal with his “default to self-reliance” problem.  It is the problem of our “original sin”.

-        The disciples in general were blinded to their sin of “self-reliance,

-        Jesus predicts Peter’s “self-reliance failure” and intercedes for him. 
What failed was Peter’s reliance on himself.  What succeeded was Jesus’s prayer.

-        Peter’s faith (which was God’s gift to him) did not fail. 
Peters flesh (self-reliance) broke under the pressure of fear and went for self-preservation. 

In John 21 the Risen Jesus deals with the epic fail of “self-reliance” and presents Peter with the gospel of “Christ’s sufficiency and supremacy” which had birthed a “Jesus-reliant” faith in Peter. 

Ways gospel of Jesus shows up.

1.     Miraculous catch of fish.

2.     Breakfast –  “The kindness of God leads us to repentance.”

3.     The Gracious Restoration Questions

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 
“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” 
He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.  

4.     The renewed call, “Follow Me”

Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. 
Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”  

The Jesus-reliant life is a life of radical vulnerability. It is the life of Jesus, the One we follow.
Jesus stretched out His arms, in vulnerably humble love, to receive all our sin and pride and the catastrophic fallout and epic fail of our default to self-reliance……. as He stretched out His hands on the cross.

Now those nail-pierced resurrected hands open up to us today inviting us to come into His redemptive embrace.  He still says, “follow me… deny your self-reliance … leave it at the altar… take up your Jesus-reliant life and follow me into the world that needs my Gospel of open hearted and outstretched hands love.”

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 12, 2026

Point of Grace Worship  4.12.26  Sermon Notes – “The Risen Jesus Deals with Our Default to Disbelief”

Do we have a “Default to Disbelief” problem?

John 20:19-30

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 

How does the Risen Jesus deal with our “Default to Disbelief” then and now? 

Notice the evangelistic heart of the Risen Jesus on full display!

-        Jesus seeks out Thomas and creates a crux moment to deal with disbelief “Stop being disbelieving and become believing!”

-        Jesus blesses those who would believe without seeing (including us).  Jesus trusts that the testimony of the apostles empowered by the Holy Spirit is sufficient to create faith. 

-        The heart of Jesus for people to believe pours out of John.

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The “you” is to be taken personally.

“One collects everything possible about a dead prophet.  It all one has of him. But one tells only enough about a living person to introduce one’s hearers to him.  For the disciples and John in particular Jesus was alive.”  Leon Morris  

Notice the confession of Thomas! This is a man of great faith!

-        Jesus, You are “My Lord and My God” 

Notice the “help” Jesus gives to move us from ‘disbelief to belief”!

-        Listen to the Apostle’s testimony     (Read the Gospels – He is present in His Word) 

-        Yield to His gracious kindness as He leads. 

-        Look at His wounds. 

-        Drop your conditions and believe!   

“My Lord and My God”

Point of Grace Online Worship - April 5, 2026

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 29, 2026

Point of Grace Worship   3.29.26     Sermon Notes – Palm Sunday - “Pursuing Humility”

“Pursuing Humility” 
  A Lenten Journey  

What is “biblical” humility?

Humility is the “personal posture” of radical reliance on God as the animating center of our being and living. 
Humility denies “self” that place of power and yields to God as the rightful holder of that position.

Humility is a posture of the heart that does not come naturally but is to be pursued. 
We can be assured God is at work forming humility in us. 
The question becomes am I yielding or resisting His transformational work in my life.

How do I join Him in my transformation by “Pursuing Humility”?

Palm Sunday – “Jesus – Humility’s Potential Unleashed”

Matthew 21:1-17

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna, to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[g]?”

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. 

“See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey…”   

Jesus comes as “your King” –

-        Accepted the royal messianic title, “Son of David”

-        In complete command of himself and this moment

-        Is humble but not modest – “a force to be reckoned with”
     He made outlandish claims about himself, always forcing His identity on you.
     He did outlandish things acting as if He owned the place.

-        Compels all who encounter Him to “Crown Me or Kill Me”

“Listen, this is the first point. Jesus Christ, when he comes to any city or anybody, he says crown me or kill me. Nothing in the middle. Jesus's forcing everybody's hand. Crown me or kill me. Now my suggestion to you is that that's what he does, not just to Jerusalem. He does that to any intellect and to any heart He encounters.”    Tim Keller

You will either surrender to Him as your King or fight Him as your enemy. 

Jesus comes as “Your king, gentle and riding on a donkey”   

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9) 

How can a king be “victorious” and “lowly riding on a donkey”?

            What king would go to war on a donkey?  He would be better off on foot or on a war horse. 
            If he is coming into battle on a donkey He is coming to die. 

Every problem, all of our misery, all of our fighting, everything is caused by sin.
What is sin? It is the servant putting him or herself in the place of the king.
Therefore, what are we going to do about sin?
What are we going to do about the horrible state of the world?
Other religions say we send messengers and we tell people please stop putting yourself in the place of the king. But Christianity says,  “That's like sending band aids for a heart wound”. Christianity says the king comes and puts himself in the place of the servant.
Whereas sin is humanity putting itself where only God should be. Salvation is God coming and putting himself where we should be, receiving the death penalty, dying for our sins.
And don't you see what Jesus is doing here? Do you hear it? Jesus is saying to us. He's saying to everybody. He is saying when he's riding in on this donkey instead of a steed. He's saying,
”I'm the king, but not a king like you think you need. You’ve got a slavery that goes far deeper than the slavery of Rome. And if all I do is liberate you from Rome? What are you going to do about being liberated from death.
 I've come to give you real liberation”
See the paradox. And here's what's so beautiful about this. The gentle king. The dying king. The servant king, The king that is higher than the heavens and yet comes so low. The king on a donkey. See if this king comes into your life. He will turn you into a gentle king. He will turn you into paradoxical royalty. The whole point of the gospel is we are saved through weakness, not through strength.
Tim Keller

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 22, 2026

The Character of Humility                                                                                  3.22.26

Expressing Humility: Creature | Confidence | Character

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

John 13:1-5

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Philippians 2:1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

“And part of the point of Philippians 2 is to say…this is the model for how to be Church, for how to be Christian…We have to go the same way. We cannot give ourselves airs and say that because we're Christians, we are the top people, we're okay, we're doing fine, we ought to run everything. No. Because we are followers of Jesus, we should share his humility. We do not regard our status as something to exploit. We regard it as constituting a vocation like that of Jesus to go to the place where the world is in pain, to weep there, to pray there, to bring God's healing, the healing of the cross where it is most needed.”

-        NT Wright

“I am a fan, and student, of right doctrine, rich theology, and insightful Church history, but we cannot speak about right theology, sound doctrine, and biblical practices while negating and abandoning Christ-like character and the fruits of the Spirit…

We cannot dissect Scripture or unpack systematic theology while negating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

-       Zach Meerkreebs

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  

Fruit, is for others. Fruit is meant to be eaten, not left on the vine (or tree) to glory in itself or slowly rot. The nature of fruit is to bless.

-       John Tyson 

John 18:3-6

So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 

“Jesus of the Scars” 
Edward Shillito (1872-1948)

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;

Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;

We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,

We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.

The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;

In all the universe we have no place.

Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?

Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.

If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,

Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;

We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,

Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;

They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;

But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,

And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 15, 2026

MOVING IN HUMILITY FROM A MISPLACED SELF-CONFIDENCE

 TO A CONSECRATED CHRIST-CONFIDENCE

Point of Grace - Pflugerville, Texas

March 15, 2026 

INTRODUCTION

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. 

True Biblical Humility:

Moves Us from Misplaced Self Confidence

To

A Humble Christ-Confidence!

I.  WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH MISPLACED SELF-CONFIDENCE

       A. Peter…

 Matthew 26:33

Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. 

Luke 22:61

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. 

      B. Paul….

 Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body,

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Philippians 3: 4-6

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  

Philippians 3:7-9

But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 

II.   THE SECRET TO A CONSECRATED CHRIST-CONFIDENCE 

IN HUMILITY… 

        A. _________________________ with __________________________ 

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ…”   

Luke 9:23

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves,

take up their cross daily and follow me.” 

       B. ___________________ on Christ _____________________________ 

Galatians 2:20

“…and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”  

Colossians 1:27

Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

Philippians 2:13

It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

Matthew 19:26

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. 

Matthew 19:26 (The Message)

No chance at all if you think you can do it yourself.

Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it. 

Luke 10:19

I have given you authority… 

       C. _________________ that You are ____________________________ 

Galatians 2:20:

“I have been crucified with Christ…and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me….The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Romans 5:8

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  

CONCLUSION

Point of Grace Online Worship - March 8, 2026

Pursuing Humility – A Lenten Journey 03.05.26

+ + + 

What is “biblical” humility?

• Humility is the radical reliance on God as the animating

center of our being and living.

• Humility denies “self” that place of power and yields to

God as the rightful holder of that position.

• Humility is a posture of the heart that does not come

naturally but is to be pursued.

 + + +

 We can be assured God is at work forming humility in us.

• The question becomes am I yielding or resisting His

transformational work in my life.

• How do I join Him in my transformation by “Pursuing

Humility”?

 + + +

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and

learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is

easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

+ + +

1.Humility can be learned.

2.Knowledge of GOD.

3.Knowledge of SELF.

+ + +

Key Characteristics

1.Non-Programmed

2.Student-Led

3.Simplicity

4.Global Impact

+ + +

The Fear of the Lord.

Humility.

+ + +

“Humility is the consent of the creature to let God be

all.”

-Andrew Murray-

+ + +

“The call to humility has been too little regarded in the Church

because its true nature and importance have been too little

apprehended. It is not something that we bring to God, or that He

bestows; it is simply the sense of entire nothingness that comes

when we see how truly God is everything. When the creature

realizes that this is a place of honor, he consents to be-with his will,

his mind, and his affections—the vessel in which the life and glory

of God are to work and manifest themselves; he sees that humility

is simply acknowledging the truth of his position as creature and

yielding to God His place.”

-Andrew Murray - Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness-

+ + +

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn

of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created,

in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether

thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all

things were created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:15-16

+ + +

9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time

we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Galatians 6:9

+ + +

Take a risk and share the score of where you are at?

1-10

•10 is I am fully energized, not weary or loss of

heart

•1 is I am going to quit and disappear

+ + +

Weariness does not = Weakness

+ + +

Fatigue is a human signal not a

Spiritual Flaw

+ + +

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that

we are but dust.

Psalm 103:13-14

+ + +

Identity Confusion

Confusion between two things:

•Being and Doing

•Becoming or Performing

 + + +

 The most impressive thing about

you and the most epic thing you

can do is to just live in the fact that

you are loved by the Father.

 + + +

 Write your testimony.

 It raises the level of love that Jesus

loved you so much that he pulled

off the mission that was YOU.

 + + +

 Your Resiliency is going to come

from your beloved-ness, not from

your competency.

 + + +

 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good

 Galatians 6:9

 + + +

 He is much kinder and gentler and

for you than you probably think.

 + + +

 Confrontation - “Jesus, I invite You

to confront my limits with your

love.

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Point of Grace Online Worship - March 1, 2026

Point of Grace Worship   3.1.26     Sermon Notes – Lent 2 - “Pursuing Humility” 

“Pursuing Humility” 
A Lenten Journey

 What is “biblical” humility?

Humility is the radical reliance on God as the animating center of our being and living. 
Humility denies “self” that place of power and yields to God as the rightful holder of that position.

Humility is a posture of the heart that does not come naturally but is to be pursued. 
We can be assured God is at work forming humility in us. 
The question becomes am I yielding or resisting His transformational work in my life.

How do I join Him in my transformation by “Pursuing Humility”?

1 Peter 5:5-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

“I am sure there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own. I had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart are to be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, just as they were of the Master, and further, that this humility is not something that will come of itself. But that it must be made the object of special desire, prayer, faith and practice. As we study the Word, we will see what very distinct and oft-repeated instructions Jesus gave his disciples on this point and how slow they were to understand them.”
Andrew Murray – Humility -The Journey Toward Holiness

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“By saying, “take my yoke, learn from me”, He is saying for them to “adopt and learn My ways of living and carrying the loads of life … I am gentle and humble in heart … you will find rest for your souls”

Jesus’s humility – “His radical reliance on His Father” as the animating, emanating center of His being” – was key to His “yoke” to be learned by His disciples.

Three Helpful Postures and Prayers in Pursuing Humility

Confrontation – Confession – Lament  

Confrontation - “Jesus, I invite You to confront pockets of pride in me.”

Inviting Jesus to confront our pockets of pride and self-reliance so we might yield to Him is unnatural but so necessary in our pursuit of humility. 

Psalm 139:23-24
 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Confession – “Jesus, I confess my sin and brokenness ……………, forgive and cleanse me with your blood.”

Confessing sin, brokenness and sin’s toll in our lives, opens us up to His forgiveness, restoration and healing, 

1 John 1:7-9
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 51
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 

Lament – “Jesus, I am hurting, confused, frustrated…… are You even there? …. Help me hold on to You!”

In suffering and pain we are prone to “take over” (pride) and give up on God … even blame Him.  Learning to lament in His Presence while living through suffering, grief, loss and despair opens us up to help and hope from Him.   He can handle my complaint!

Psalm 13
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me. 

Confrontation - “Jesus, I invite You to confront pockets of pride in me.”

Confession – “Jesus, I confess my sin and brokenness ……………, forgive and cleanse me with your blood.”

Lament – “Jesus, I am hurting, confused, frustrated…… are You even there? …. Help me hold on to You!”