Dear Church Family,

Last week, I encouraged you to stay connected over the summer. With changing schedules, travel, and all the good activity this time of year can bring, it’s easy to drift from the steady rhythms that help keep us grounded in worship, community, and spiritual growth.

Along those same lines, I also want to mention a powerful and visually striking film releasing in theaters next Thursday, April 30 called The Story of Everything: The Science that Reveals a Mind Behind the Universe. The film explores the order and wonder of creation, and our own Dr. James Tour is featured in it (along with John Lennox, Dr. Stephen Meyer, Peter Thiel, Brian Keating, amongst many others). As Dr. Tour shared with me, this could be a meaningful film for anyone with children or grandchildren heading to universities, for anyone who knows someone who is persuaded that science points away from God, or for anyone trying to think more clearly about the relationship between faith and science.

You can watch the trailer below, then visit thestoryofeverything.film for showtimes, locations, and tickets (even for groups). It will only be in theaters for one week initially, though if it performs really well, they may push for a second week.

Thankfully, the God who speaks through the vastness of creation is not distant from our tiny placement in the universe. He is at work all across this planet, drawing people to Himself through the gospel of Jesus. At CityRise, we are grateful to be part of that work through strategic partnerships, ongoing prayer, generous giving, and many opportunities to go.

With that in mind, I encourage you to visit cityrise.org/missions this week.

There, you’ll find upcoming mission trips, missions-focused gatherings, and training opportunities that can help you take a further step. Whether that means learning through one of the UBA Missions Cohort Trainings, exploring opportunities presented through the MedAdvance conference in Florida, or considering the Zambia mission trip coming July 2–12, there are practical, specific ways to generously give the gospel of Jesus Christ and even learn how to do it effectively.

We are thankful for partners like the Union Baptist Association (UBA), the North American Mission Board (NAMB), and the International Mission Board (IMB), which help strengthen and expand gospel-sharing ministry in so many different ways. Through these partnerships and others, our church family has opportunities to give and pray as well as learn, prepare, and go.

Perhaps the summer is a season for you to pray more intentionally for the nations; perhaps it’s a time to explore how the Lord might use your gifts, profession, generosity, or even your willingness to go. However He leads, let’s remain a church family connected and ready to say yes here and everywhere.

We’ll see you on Sunday, Church Family.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

P.S. Those of you attending CityRise Bellaire this coming Sunday, I hope you’re as excited as we are to install Pastor Tim Yeager as our new Bellaire Campus Pastor. Give Tim and his family some love and encouragement this weekend!

Somewhere along the way, you learned that your worth was what you produced. The better your resume, the more valuable you were. The more accomplishments you stacked, the more secure you felt. And for a while, it worked. Promotions came, recognition came, and you kept climbing.

Then something cracked. Maybe a season of failure. Maybe the quiet realization that applause never satisfies. Maybe the exhausting math of having to keep performing just to stay afloat. When your identity is built on performance, even success feels unstable, because you can always lose it.

Paul, the apostle who wrote most of the New Testament, knew that life. Before his encounter with Christ, he was building a religious resume that would have impressed anyone. In Galatians 1, he opens up about the day that foundation collapsed, and what replaced it changed everything.

The Gospel Was Revealed, Not Constructed
Paul anchors his entire message in the origin of the gospel. In Galatians 1:11-12, he insists that the gospel he preaches is "not according to man." That phrase carries real weight. Paul is not saying the gospel merely differs from human opinion. He is saying it does not originate in humanity at all. It is not a philosophy you build from the ground up. It is not a set of ideas you develop and refine. It was revealed.

The Greek word is apokalypsis, meaning an unveiling. Something hidden is made known. Paul is telling the Galatians, "My identity and my message were not constructed. They were revealed. Christ was revealed to me, and it changed everything." John Stott put it this way: "The gospel is not speculation, but revelation. It's not invention, but discovery."

That distinction matters. If the gospel is something we build, then we can modify it. We can adjust it as we go. We can elevate tradition until it sits beside Scripture. But if the gospel is something God reveals, then we have to receive it as it is.

The Resume That Almost Worked
Before Paul's encounter with Christ, his whole life ran on performance. Listen to how he describes his former self in Galatians 1:13-14: "You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers."

Notice the language. Advancing. Beyond many. Extremely zealous. This is the vocabulary of performance. If anyone could have built security on achievement, it would have been Saul of Tarsus. He would fit right in among today's high achievers, the driven ones, the ones determined to win every opportunity in front of them. His identity was built on success, respect, admiration, and being secure in the eyes of others.

If you looked at his resume on LinkedIn, you would want to connect with him. You would hope he answered your message. If anybody was doing it, he was. And then his entire foundation got blown up by Christ Himself.

How the Gospel Redefines Who You Are
Look at Galatians 1:15-16: "But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone."

That little word but carries the weight of the whole sentence. Paul has just described a life of achievement, effort, and striving. Then everything changed. On the road to Damascus, the light blinded him. Jesus stopped him mid-sprint. "Why are you persecuting Me?" His identity was no longer rooted in his performance.

Paul now roots his identity in three realities.

First, divine initiative. He was set apart before he was born. God chose him. It is the language of election. God picked him.

Second, unearned favor. He was called by grace. Imagine how radically this changed him. He went from performance, performance, performance, from achieve, achieve, achieve, to the realization that he had done nothing to earn any of it. All he had been doing was persecuting Jesus. He thought he was righteous. He thought he was zealous. He thought he had it all together. But God said, "You are nothing. And I picked you. I called you to be My own. I love you." Later Paul would write, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

Third, transformation. God was pleased to reveal His Son in Paul. Not just information being handed down, but a full re-formation of his entire life around the Messiah.

The gospel does not come to improve your identity. It comes to replace it.

That is not the same thing as saying the gospel improves your life. That framing is shallow and incomplete. The gospel takes hold of every part of you. It means God will often allow the very things you trust most, your competence, your effort, your reputation, your control, your ability to close a deal or raise money or perform, to be stripped down to nothing. He does this because He is for you. He is freeing you.

Legalism, License, or Liberty
Paul is writing to the Galatians because a false gospel is creeping in. Legalism. Rules heaped upon rules. Try harder, measure up, earn your standing. That path leads to enslavement. But there is another ditch on the other side of the road. License. "I am under grace, so I can do whatever I want. I will be forgiven anyway."

Most of us swing between those two poles. We either white-knuckle our way through a list of expectations, or we use grace as an excuse to drift. Paul is pointing the Galatians toward a third option. Liberty in Christ, walking in the Spirit. Not enslaved under a mountain of rules, and not free to live however we please either. A true freedom Jesus purchased, which produces a life He gets to shape.

Real Gospel Identity Doesn't Fear Examination
Paul then does something revealing. He invites scrutiny. In Galatians 1:18-20, he writes, "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie."

Three years. Paul did not rush. He did not get converted and start preaching the next week. He went to Arabia. He studied. He wrestled. He sought the heart and mind of God. There is a hidden season in his life that matters more than we realize.

God often does a deep work in people long before He does the visible work through them.
Healthy things take time to grow. Be careful of anything that sprouts up overnight. It tends to have no rootedness. Remember the parable of the soils. The shallow growth gets scorched. The deep growth bears fruit.

When Paul finally went to Jerusalem to visit Peter, he did not go to get his gospel from Peter. He went so that his gospel could be examined next to the apostolic witness. It could be heard, tested, and verified. And then Paul adds this striking line: "Before God, I do not lie." Why does he speak so strongly? Because everything is at stake. If the Galatians can be convinced that Paul is second-hand, insufficient, or incomplete, then the false teachers can move in and distort the whole message.

So, Paul opens his life to scrutiny and says, "Examine the facts."

Real gospel identity does not fear examination. If your identity is built on appearances and on the approval of others, examination feels threatening. Every question becomes a potential unraveling. But if your identity is rooted in Christ, what is real can stand in the light.

What to Do When Your Foundation Is Cracking
If you feel the floor shifting under you right now, if the resume is not working the way it used to, if the applause is quieter than it used to be, this may not be a disaster. It may be an invitation.

God sometimes strips away what we trust most. His aim is freedom, never punishment. The very things you were counting on to define you, your competence, your title, your reputation, your performance, may be the things keeping you from a deeper identity. An identity that cannot be lost because you never earned it in the first place. An identity rooted in divine initiative, unearned favor, and transformation through Christ.

You do not have to build your identity. You only have to receive it.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, April 19, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Because you give, CityRise had an incredible Holy Week. About a thousand people gathered at our inner loop Palm Sunday picnics and over 3,300 people worshiped at one of our worship gatherings on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Eleven people were baptized Easter Sunday. Our kids team welcomed over 1,400 people to our inner loop Easter Egg Hunt and connected with 32 families with no church home and over 200 currently not attending regularly. At our Missouri City Easter Eggstravaganza, about 300 people enjoyed hot dogs, popcorn, a bouncy house, and an egg hunt. If you’d like to give toward work like this and so much more, please make a physical donation during our time of offering, visit cityrise.org/give or click the give button in the CityRise app.

Happy Friday Church Family,
 
If you missed the email from last Saturday, we’re excited for a special Sunday in a couple weeks’ time. On Sunday, April 26, we will install Pastor Tim Yeager as the new CityRise Bellaire Campus Pastor! We are grateful for the Lord’s clear hand in this process and thankful for the way He has already been at work in Tim and Sydney’s lives. I hope you will join us in praying for them and celebrating this important step for our Bellaire campus.
 
As we steadily shift into summer soon, it’s incredibly easy to become caught up with travel, changing schedules, and good-but-inconsistent activity. Summer often feels more loose, but that does not mean we have to become disconnected.
 
In fact, summer can be a meaningful season for worship, rest, community, and fresh spiritual renewal.
 
That’s why we’ve created the Summer at CityRise page at cityrise.org/summer. It's a simple location where you can stay connected and plan for what is happening across our church family in the months ahead. You’ll find a lot of fun ways to stay plugged in with local opportunities for kids through senior adults, and you’ll also find mission trip information to take the gospel to other parts of the world.
 
More than anything, I want to encourage you to stay near to the Lord. Stay near to His people. Continue showing up for worship when you are in town (or bookmark cityrise.org/live if you’re away). Help your family stay anchored. Look for opportunities to serve, grow, and see what God may want to do in you during these freer months.
 
Take a moment this weekend to visit cityrise.org/summer and see what might help you and your family stay engaged and have some fun while you’re at it.
 
We’ll see you on Sunday, Church Family.

 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

We live in a culture that is full of ideas about what God wants from you. Some of those ideas are harmless. Others are quietly pulling you away from the gospel without you even realizing it.

You have probably heard them before. God wants me to be happy. God won't give me more than I can handle. If I live a good life, I'll be okay when I die. Just follow your heart. All roads lead to God. The list goes on. These ideas float around in our culture, and because they borrow the language of faith, they can sound like truth. They are not.

The more dangerous ones cut closer to home. The belief that as long as you stay on the straight and narrow, keep the rules, and avoid the big sins, God will be pleased with you. Or that being a Christian is mostly a matter of where you were born or what family you came from. These are lies, and they are the kind that do not feel like lies at first.

Why We Keep Adding to Jesus
There is a consistent human temptation to believe we need something more than Jesus. We need Jesus plus our performance. Jesus plus our obedience record. Jesus plus our family legacy. Jesus plus the right church attendance streak.

But every time we add something to Jesus, we are implying that what He did was not enough. And Scripture does not leave room for that.

In Ephesians 2:19-21, Paul writes: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people, and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and it rises to become a holy temple in the Lord."

The image Paul gives us is architectural. Jesus is not one brick among many. He is the cornerstone, the stone from which every measurement is taken, the reference point for every wall, every angle, every addition. When ancient builders set a cornerstone, they set it first, leveled it precisely, and then built everything else in alignment with it. If the cornerstone was right, the structure could be trusted. If something else became the reference point, the whole thing would drift.

The One-Degree Problem
Here is what makes spiritual drift so dangerous: it does not feel dramatic. Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to abandon the gospel. It happens by degrees.

There is a principle in aviation called the 1-in-60 rule. If a plane is flying even one degree off course, it will be off by one mile for every sixty miles traveled. That does not sound significant at first. But a one-degree error on a flight to San Antonio means you are a couple of miles off. The same one-degree error on a flight to New York puts you forty or fifty miles off course. Flying to London, you are over one hundred miles away from where you were supposed to land.

Our lives are not a single moment. They are trajectories. Every day we make decisions, form habits, and reinforce beliefs. If we allow even small deviations from the gospel of Jesus, those deviations compound over time. We end up somewhere we never intended to go.

This is why it matters so much to keep coming back to the cornerstone. Not just at salvation, but continually. Every decision measured against what Jesus has done. Every belief aligned to the truth of His resurrection and what that means for us.

What Happens When We Drift to the Right
One of the most common ways people drift from the gospel is into legalism. This is not a faraway theological problem. It lives in ordinary churches and in ordinary people who love God but have quietly replaced relationship with performance.

When the rules become the point, something breaks. The disciplines that were meant to connect us to Jesus start to become the thing we are performing for an audience. We get good at looking right. We learn how to present ourselves in a way that communicates health and stability. And we get very good at holding that presentation in place.

But underneath it, there is pain. There is turmoil. There are things going on inside that we will not let anyone see, because somewhere along the way we learned that being seen fully would cost us acceptance. If people knew the truth about what was happening inside of me, they would not accept me. They would not love me. They would not allow me to belong here.

That fear keeps people trapped behind a performance. And the longer you hold the performance, the harder it becomes to put it down.

I know this personally. I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were missionaries. They were literally on the cover of a book called The Christian Family. I was always in church, always involved, a chaplain at the Christian school I attended. By every external measure, I had it together.

But I knew something was off. I could feel it. I sat down with my Bible one day and just told God I did not understand why something felt so wrong when I was doing everything right. And God spoke to me clearly: You think you can do this all by yourself. You don't have a relationship with me.

That was the moment I realized I had all the rules and none of the relationship. And without the relationship, the rules are just a burden you carry alone.

What It Means to Build on the Right Foundation
We don't turn to ourselves. That is the plain message of Scripture. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." God does not put things in our lives so we can prove we can handle them. He puts things in our lives that are beyond our ability to handle, so that we stop looking to ourselves and start looking to Him.

The goal of difficulty is not self-reliance. It is dependence. It is the discovery that Jesus is not a supplement to your strength, but the source of it.

Jesus is not inviting you to a performance. He is not standing at the door of heaven with a clipboard, tallying up your obedience. He is inviting you into a relationship with the God of the universe who knows you completely, who created you on purpose, and who loves you with full knowledge of every flaw and every failure. He died to give you access to that relationship.

Keeping the Cornerstone at the Center
The practical implication of all of this is not complicated, but it requires intention. If Jesus is the cornerstone, then every part of our lives has to be measured against Him and aligned to Him. What we believe about ourselves. What we believe about God. How we handle failure. How we handle success. What we do when we are hurting. What we do when we feel proud. All of it goes back to the cornerstone.

When we start to drift, the answer is not to try harder. It is to return. Come back to the gospel. Come back to what Jesus has actually done. Come back to the truth that He paid it all and that you owe everything to Him, and that this is not a transaction but a relationship.

The gospel is not a starting point that you move past as you mature in your faith. It is the foundation you keep returning to your whole life. Everything else gets measured there. Everything else gets aligned there.

Jesus is enough. Not Jesus plus your discipline. Not Jesus plus your background. Not Jesus plus your good behavior record. The whole building of your faith rises because He is in it, and because everything is built on Him.

If there is something in your life that has quietly replaced Jesus as the reference point, today is a good day to set the cornerstone back where it belongs.



This blog is based on the message shared by Student Pastor Alberto Avila at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Check out the full message below!

There are some moments in life where you realize very quickly… you’ve trusted the wrong thing.

I was thinking this week about how many of us have become completely dependent on GPS.

And I don’t mean casually dependent—I mean fully surrendered.

You don’t question it anymore. If it says turn, you turn. If it reroutes, you assume it knows something you don’t. You just follow.

But every now and then… it gets it wrong.

When I was a kid in elementary school, our teachers made us write a letter to the President of the United States. We learned then what the address to the White House is. Does anyone know it?

Yes, that’s right – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Over Memorial Day Weekend in 2017, our family went to Washington D.C.

We rented an Air BnB in the city, and we walked all over our nation’s capitol.

Our first adventure was the White House. We set our from our little apartment and started walking to the White House.

So, I typed in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue into my Maps Application on my iPhone and we started walking.

And we walked…we walked by Union Station…and the Lincoln Memorial was just off to our right…you could see the monument.

And we walked some more.

And we walked and walked and walked…and we couldn’t see the historical sites…there were no vendors…we didn’t see the Mall where all of the Museums were.

And I figured my Maps Application was taking us to the quickest route without all of the tourists.

My wife would ask, “Are you sure we are still going the right way? It seems like we should have gotten there by now.”
 
I would say, “It’s just a little bit further. It’s just up here.”

We were walking through a neighborhood…and, you know, I hadn’t really walked a city before using GPS…but our team was all troopers.

As we got closer to the Freeway, we saw a McDonalds.

And we decided that we would stop into this Oasis and get some Fries and Diet Coke.

As we did this, it started to rain. And then it started to pour.

And what’s funny is that the GPS Map Application said that the White House was just across the Street from McDonalds. But when you arrive, this is the building you see…

Did you know that you can be just a little off, but be completely wrong?

Friends, this is where I earned the label, “Confidently Wrong,” in my house.

It’s actually a pattern…but I don’t have time to tell you the rest of my stories, but let’s just say, “If you are going to be wrong, be confident about it.”

You see, in some map applications, if you type in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it defaults to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Default: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
White House: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

So, after a 45 minute subway ride, we made it to our destination.

You see, I trusted the wrong information that sent us in the wrong direction.

Now here’s the reality.

When GPS gets it wrong, it costs you time.

When a financial decision goes wrong, it costs you money.

But when you get the gospel wrong…

it doesn’t just affect your life—it affects your eternity.

And that’s exactly where Galatians begins. Paul is writing to a group of churches that have not rejected Jesus. They haven’t abandoned church. They haven’t walked away from faith.

• They’ve done something far more subtle.
• They’ve started to adjust the message.
• They’ve begun to add to the gospel.

And Paul steps in—not casually, not gently, but urgently—and says:
There is no other gospel.
 
Now before we dig into the text today, I want to give you a bit of an overview of the entire book.

You see, Galatians provides us a proto-type, a playbook, for dealing with conflict on the core issues of the message of the Bible.

In his overview of the book of Galatians, Dr. Randall Smith said…
“Every great denomination, seminary, and church that has embraced a liberal theology and has rejected the Bible as the authoritative word of God did not start there.”

The Apostle Paul is writing an urgent letter pleading with the churches of Galatia. Now Galatia is an entire region in Asia Minor. These churches include Antioch of Pisida, Iconium, Lystry, and Derbe. They were started by Paul and Barnabas as they were on their first missionary journey in Acts 14.

• God was moving,
• and Paul was preaching in power
• and great things were happening
• and many people were coming to faith in Jesus.

But notice something that happens when Acts 15 opens up. They have just returned to Antioch in Syria. And then this is what happens:

Acts 15:1-5
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.  4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

This is going to spark the Jerusalem Council where they are going to wrestle with the doctrine of Salvation and what is required of Gentiles to be saved. These are the earliest Church Fathers.

Now, look at Acts 15:6-11.

Acts 15:6-11
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Now skip down just a few verses, as James is now speaking.

Acts 15:19-20
19 “Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.”

They are wrestling with what are we expecting of the people when they come to faith in Jesus.

And instead of heaping the entire law observances upon them, they make this declaration. Tell them to:

• abstain from things polluted by idols
• from sexual immorality
• from what has been strangled (animal sacrifices)
• from blood

Now, soon after this, this teaching of having to be circumcised that we saw in the opening lines of Acts 15, emerges in the region of Galatia to the churches that Paul has planted.

The initial emergence of this false teaching took place at Antioch Syria, the portion we come to in Acts 15.

But remember:

• They then travel to Jerusalem to debate it
• But it appears that these false teachers then head to these churches in Galatia, as this false teaching is the occasion of the letter to the Galatian churches.

Let me now show you the 6 part frame, and then we will dig into the first 10 verses.

When the Core Message of the Bible Comes Under Attack

Paul’s Framework

• Define the Central Argument – Ch. 1
• Address the Charges that the Message of the gospel is Rogue – Ch. 2
• Show how the message does not change in an ever-changing world. – Ch. 3
• Connect the Dots from departure to consequences. – Ch. 4
• Stick to Your Guns. Unapologetically call people to stand for the truth. – Ch. 5
• Call to Decision. Make a choice, but be willing to forgo peace so you don’t sacrifice truth. – Ch. 6

Now, let’s read Galatians 1:1-10.

Galatians 1:1-10
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Now, let’s look at Paul’s framework to remember what he is doing in Galatians 1 as he confronts them about drifting away from the Gospel.

When the Core Message of the Bible Comes Under Attack

Paul’s Framework

• Define the Central Argument – Ch. 1

Q: What is the core message that Paul preaches?
A: Paul preaches the Gospel – the Good News.

And here is his starting point of the Central Argument of the Gospel…

The Gospel Comes from God, Not Man

Galatians 1:1–5
Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul opens this letter by establishing something foundational.

This message did not come from man.

“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ…”

In other words:

• This gospel was not developed.
• It was not voted on.
• It was not shaped by culture.

It was revealed by God.

And if the gospel comes from God, then we don’t have the authority to edit it, adjust it, or improve it.

• We receive it.
• We proclaim it.
• But we do not rewrite it.

And Paul uses a title to introduce himself. That title is “Apostle,” which means, “Sent one.”

Now, in the New Testament, an Apostle is one who had seen the risen Christ and was commissioned by Him to go and preach the good news as His messenger. In other words, they were sent by Christ himself, to go and proclaim the forgiveness of sins.

So, not only is he saying, the Gospel is from God, but as he opens this letter up, he is saying, “I was sent to you by Christ himself.”

And then notice what Paul does. Paul anchors everything in the resurrection:

Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

The authority behind this message is not opinion—it is resurrection power.

But then Paul moves quickly from authority to content.

Galatians 1:3-5
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Grace – Goodwill freely disseminated by God; especially to the benefit of the recipient regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator.

Grace Acronymn:

• G – God’s
• R—Riches
• A—At 
• C – Christ’s 
• E – Expense

The truth of the Grace of God is that God poured out His wrath toward our sin upon Jesus Christ. And instead of punishing mankind for our sin (WE CALL THAT MERCY), He has put it on His Son.

Instead of Wrath, we are going to get the GIFT of GRACE – The KINDNESS and RICHES of God toward us.
                 
Peace – Harmonious relations and freedom from disputes; especially during the absence of war.

This is what is available to us.

Grace is the source.

Peace is the result.

You don’t achieve peace with God—you receive it because God has extended grace to you.

And then we come to the heart of the gospel:
“…who gave himself for our sins…”

This is not symbolic language.

This is substitution.

Christ did not come merely to show you how to live.

He came to do what you could never do.

He gave Himself—for your sins.

As Isaiah 53 tells us, “He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.”

Warren Wiersbe states:
To the person who has trusted Christ as Saviour, the real “Good News” is the Gospel: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures … He was buried, and … He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). It is the Good News that sinners can be forgiven and go to heaven because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. The Good News of salvation through faith in Christ is the most important message in the world.[1]
  [1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 682). Victor Books.

And then Paul says:
“…to deliver us from the present evil age…”

Now don’t miss this.

The gospel is not just about forgiveness—it is about rescue.

There’s a difference between helping someone and rescuing someone.

If your car breaks down on the side of the road and someone stops to help, that’s assistance. That’s helpful.

But if someone is caught in a current, being pulled under in the ocean, they don’t need advice shouted from the shore.

They don’t need someone saying, “Try harder. Swim better.”

They need someone who can get to them, take hold of them, and bring them back.

That’s rescue.

And Paul is saying:
Jesus did not stand at a distance and offer suggestions for your life.

He stepped in.

He gave Himself.

And He didn’t improve your situation—

He delivered you – he took you out of estrangement with God which was a dangerous situation, and lifted you to safety.
 
But notice the rescue is both eternal, but it is also for today – we are delivered from the “present evil age.”

Our faith isn’t just for a “graduation to heaven” someday. It’s for today.

• It’s life and light
• and wisdom from God for today.
• It’s joy and love from God.
• It’s protection, provision, inspiration, courage, and forgiveness.

Look at the phrase
“…according to the will of our God and Father…”

This was not an accident. The cross was not God reacting—it was God acting.

As we saw at Easter, this has always been the plan.

And Paul ends with worship:
“…to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Because when you understand the gospel rightly, it doesn’t just inform you—it humbles you and lifts your eyes.

And here is why Paul starts here:
Before he confronts them for drifting…
he reminds them what they are drifting from.
 
One of the reasons this series is called Set Free is because in Galatians there is a struggle presented – A Struggle that we all shift toward – Legalism –  (Which says…)

• Jesus got me started, but I have to do good.
• Or, the Church is the arbiter of Grace – I have to get the “Sacraments” the dispensing of grace, from the Priests.
• Or, If I live a good life, I will be “accepted by God. Heaven is my paycheck for living a good life.”

We struggle with Legalism… “Am I doing enough?”

The other side of the Struggle is LICENSE.
 
We hear the Good News that Jesus died for us and we say, “Great. I can live however I want because Jesus is always going to forgive me.” We abuse the grace of God because we still want to control our lives.

If we aren’t careful, we will justify all sorts of things saying, “Well, I am under grace. I don’t have to worry about any notion of the law.”

The message of Galatians is that there is a Liberty available to us as we walk by the Spirit. And that’s what we as a pastoral staff want for all of our lives. We don’t want to be given to “legalism” and the shame that comes by never feeling we are good enough, and we don’t want to live lives of “license” because we reason, “well, it’s all forgiven, I can do whatever I want.”

No, we want to recognize what God has done to redeem us and live lives of worship, sharing the Gospel with others.
 
Now notice how Paul's rhetoric intensifies. The second thing we need to see today is this:

Drifting from the Gospel is Deserting God

Slide: Galatians 1:6–7
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Now the tone shifts -- “I am astonished…”

Paul is not mildly disappointed. He is shocked. There is urgency here. There is concern. There is pastoral weight. He planted these churches. He poured out his heart with these people. And he expects more from them.

He says, “I am astonished…that you are so quickly deserting him…”

Notice what he says. He does not say you are drifting from ideas.

He says you are deserting Him. To leave the gospel is to leave God.

Why is that?

It’s because we need to feel like we brought something to the table.

We brought:

• Our good behavior
• Our church attendance
• Our service to the poor
• Our monies for the building project and the budget

We hate to come to our eternity empty-handed as if we had nothing to do with it. We don’t really want grace. We want acceptance through our goodness, our efforts, our kindness.

And this is where we need to be honest.

Most people don’t wake up one day and say, “I’m done with God.”

Drift doesn’t happen all at once.

It happens slowly.

If you’ve ever been in the water—at the ocean – you can be swimming, enjoying yourself, talking, and everything feels normal.

You look up, and you’re still in the water.

But then you glance back at the shoreline…and you realize you’re not where you started.
You didn’t feel the current.

You didn’t notice the movement.

But over time, you’ve been carried somewhere else.

That’s how spiritual drift works.

• You begin to rely a little more on yourself.
• You begin to measure yourself a little more by performance.
• You begin to carry weight that grace already removed.

And before long…you are no longer standing where you once were.
“…and are turning to a different gospel…”

And then Paul clarifies:
“not that there is another one…”

There are not multiple versions of the gospel.

There is one.

And anything that adds to it or reshapes it is not a better version—it is a distortion.

Look with me at 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

This is the simple good news of Jesus.

• Christ died for our sins – according to the Scriptures – in other words, it was promised.
• He was buried and raised on the 3rd day, according to the Scriptures – in other words, it too was promised!

The content of the Gospel message is Objective.

• It’s not a feeling.
• It’s not an idea or philosophy that changes.
• It’s anchored in an historical event where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and on the third day, his tomb was empty and because He rose from the dead.

And then 1 Corinthians 15 talks about eyewitnesses to the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:5-7
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

This was an historic event and these disciples went to their deaths believing that they had seen the Resurrected Christ. They died for this confession.

And Paul is asking, “how can you dessert our Lord Jesus?”

Galatians 1:7b
but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

And here’s the danger.

The distortion rarely looks obvious.

It doesn’t walk in and say, “Reject Jesus.”

It says:
“Jesus is good… but you need more.”
“Jesus saves… but you have to complete it.”
“Jesus forgives… but you should still carry the weight.”
“Jesus is our Lord…but you have to access Grace from the church through these steps you must do.”

And Paul says:
That is not adjustment.

That is desertion of Grace accessed by Faith, to acceptance based upon your works.
And this will hold you hostage. This will keep you busy. This will keep you uncertain if you will ever truly do enough. You aren’t free in this system.

You may be saying, “Oh, come on Pastor. Aren’t you making too big a deal of this? Can’t we all just have our approaches to how we access Christ? At least we are all claiming Christ as our Savior.”

But notice the strength by which Paul challenges this sort of thinking, and it’s our third point today…

III. A False Gospel Is Spiritually Deadly (Galatians 1:8–9)

Galatians 1:8–9
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Now Paul removes all ambiguity.

“But even if we…”
Even if I come back and say something different—don’t believe it.

“…or an angel from heaven…”
Even if something supernatural shows up.

Even if it looks powerful.

Even if it feels convincing.

If it contradicts the gospel—reject it.

Because truth is not validated by

• charisma,
• platform,
• or experience.
• 
  

It is measured by whether it aligns with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“…let him be accursed.”

This is strong language. Paul is not being harsh for the sake of being harsh.

He is being clear because eternity is at stake.

And here’s why clarity matters.

Those who study counterfeit money don’t spend most of their time studying fake bills.

They study the real thing. They handle it. They learn it. They become so familiar with what is true that when something is even slightly off—they recognize it.

And if you don’t know the true gospel clearly…you will not recognize a false one quickly.

And the false one will sound close enough.

• Close enough… to trust.
• Close enough… to build your life on.
• Close enough… to miss the truth entirely.

Listen to the words of Jesus.

Matthew 24:23-25
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.

It’s the subtle message. Or it’s the spectacular message. But if we don’t know the message and hold fast to it, you too can drift and then if you are not careful, desert the Lord.

So, the final natural question is this…who are you living for?

The Real Issue: Who are you living for?

Galatians 1:10
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul now brings it to the heart.

Why distort the gospel?

Because a modified gospel is easier to accept.

A gospel that says:
“You can earn this.”
“You can contribute.”
“You can prove yourself.”
—that appeals to us.

But Paul says:
You cannot serve both the approval of people and the authority of Christ.

At some point, you have to decide.

If you’ve ever posted something and then checked it again and again—
“How many people saw it?”
“Did anyone respond?”

—you know how quickly your sense of value can shift based on others.

Now take that same instinct into your spiritual life.

If your standing with God is based on how well you think you’re doing…

• you will live constantly checking.
• Constantly measuring.
• Constantly wondering if it’s enough.

And Paul says:
That’s not grace.
That’s performance.

Come Back to the True Gospel

So let’s come back to where Paul started.

“…Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins
to deliver us…”

That is the gospel.

Not what you do for God.

But what Christ has done for you.

And here’s the question:
What are you trusting in to be right with God?

Not what do you say.

What are you actually resting in?

• Is it your effort?
• Your consistency?
• Your track record?

Or is it Christ alone?

Because you cannot build your life on both.

You cannot say, “Jesus saves me—and I complete it.”

You cannot say, “Jesus forgives me—but I still have to earn it.”

So here’s the invitation today:

Stop adding to what Jesus has already finished. Because what’s done is done!

• Lay down the pressure to perform.
• Lay down the need to prove.
• Lay down the weight you were never meant to carry.

Some of you have been around church your whole life.
You know the language.
You know the expectations.

But if you’re honest, your hope has always been in what you do—
not in what Christ has done.

And today, you need to shift your trust.

Because there is only one gospel that saves.

And His name is Jesus.

And He has already done everything necessary

for your forgiveness, your freedom, and your peace.

There is no other gospel.

And you don’t need another one.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at our CityRise Bellaire campus. Check out the full message below!

Because you give, 13 high school seniors went on mission to Ecuador during spring break. The students led the two-day "boot ministry," where over 500 children across two villages had their feet washed, fitted with new boots, and heard the Gospel. Over 90 families in two other villages received food baskets as our team prayed over them and shared the Gospel. Through our ongoing collaboration with One Heart Global Ministries, we have witnessed incredible impact with the planting of 52 churches and countless lives transformed through salvation. If you’d like to give toward work like this and so much more, please make a physical donation during our time of offering, visit cityrise.org/give or click the give button in the CityRise app.

Church Family,
 
I’m grateful to share an exciting and meaningful update with you regarding leadership at our CityRise Bellaire campus.
 
Over the past several months, in collaboration with our Personnel Committee and Executive Council, we formed a Bellaire Campus Pastor Selection Committee to prayerfully discern the Lord’s direction for this role. Before looking beyond our church family, we believed it was important to first evaluate someone the Lord has already raised up among us—Pastor Tim Yeager.

Tim has served faithfully on our staff for eleven years. Throughout that time, he and his wife, Sydney, have loved our church family deeply and consistently. We have watched them grow in their walk with Christ, in their marriage, and as a family. We have also seen in Tim a growing desire to expand his influence and impact for the sake of the gospel. Because of this, we sensed it was right to seek the Lord’s will regarding his potential leadership in this new role before considering external candidates.
 
The selection team—led by David Steinbach and including Stephanie Whitfield, Robin Phillips, Kerry Notestine, Alli Sears, Aimee Yuan, and Hunter Bollman, with Executive Pastor Kirby Follis serving as staff liaison—approached this responsibility with great care and intentionality. After a thorough evaluation and interview process, the committee returned with a unanimous recommendation affirming Tim as the next Bellaire Campus Pastor.
 
Our Executive Council received the committee’s report on Wednesday, April 1, and likewise voted unanimously to affirm this recommendation.

We are thrilled to share that Pastor Tim Yeager will be installed as the new CityRise Bellaire Campus Pastor on Sunday, April 26.

During this transition, Tim will continue providing leadership to our student ministry team through July while also stepping into his new campus pastor responsibilities. As a result, we will begin an immediate search for the next student pastor to round out our student ministry staff.
 
Church family, this is a moment of gratitude and expectation. We are thankful for how God has been at work in Tim’s life and leadership, and we are expectant for what He will do through Tim and Sydney in this new season at Bellaire.
 
Please join me in praying for Tim and his family, for our Bellaire campus, and for our entire church as we walk forward together in this season of transition.


Expectant,
Pastor Roger

Plenty of people have real challenges with the resurrection of Jesus. That's not a modern problem. The objections surfaced immediately in the first century, and they haven't changed much since.

Some say the body was stolen. The disciples fabricated the whole story. Others suggest the disciples hallucinated, though explaining how multiple people share an identical hallucination at the same time is a difficult case to make. Still others argue the resurrection is a legend that developed gradually over decades. But when you look at the lives of the people who proclaimed it, they went to their deaths holding to this declaration: Jesus of Nazareth has risen from the dead. People don't typically die for what they know to be a legend.

Then there is the objection that comes from a naturalist framework, and it goes something like this: dead people don't rise. The resurrection violates science. That one deserves a careful look.

What Science Can and Cannot Say
Science is a powerful and reliable tool for understanding the world. But it's important to be precise about what science actually does. Science observes repeated patterns and behaviors in nature. It documents cause-and-effect relationships. Science says: this is what normally happens. What science cannot do is prove something is impossible.

Why not? Because science studies repeated, observable events. It cannot test a one-time, unique event. Consider a simple example: if you drop a ball one thousand times and it falls every time, science can reliably conclude that objects fall under normal conditions. But science cannot say it is absolutely impossible for anything to ever defy gravity under any circumstance. That claim would go beyond what the data can support.

So when someone says, "Science proves dead people don't rise," the more accurate statement is: science says dead people do not naturally come back to life. That is a description of normal patterns, not a declaration of impossibility.

The resurrection claim is not that dead people randomly revive all the time. The claim is that God acted in history in a singular, unrepeatable way. That shifts the real question entirely. The question is not, "Is resurrection normal?" The question is, "Is there a God who can act beyond normal patterns?"

That is not a science question. It is a question about God.

The Real Objection: John 20 and Doubting Thomas

The deeper objection to the resurrection is found in John chapter 20, verse 27. Jesus is speaking to Thomas, who has resisted belief in the risen Christ. Thomas has become famous for this moment. We call him Doubting Thomas.

When Jesus speaks to Thomas, He says: "Do not disbelieve, but believe."

The word translated "disbelieve" is worth slowing down on. In the Greek, it is the negation of the verb meaning to believe. It carries the sense of refusing to believe, being unwilling to trust, remaining unconvinced despite evidence. This is not passive uncertainty or honest confusion. This is a settled posture. It is volitional. It is a decision of the will.

That distinction matters because it explains why disbelief often persists even in the presence of evidence.

If the resurrection is true, then Jesus has conquered sin and death, and He is Lord. If the resurrection is true, then my life is not my own. If the resurrection is true, then I am called to repent before a holy God. The resurrection is not simply unbelievable. For some, it is genuinely inconvenient. Disbelief can be less about the evidence and more about what accepting the evidence would require.

Five Reactions to the Empty Tomb
John chapter 20 walks through five different responses people had to the empty tomb. The first is this: you can dismiss it.

Watch what Mary Magdalene does. In verses one and two, John tells us she came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away. She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

Mary Magdalene had a deep devotion to Jesus. After He cast seven demons out of her, she spent the rest of her life serving Him, honoring Him, and following Him closely. She was at the cross during His crucifixion, and John shows her as the first to arrive at the tomb that morning. Her devotion was real, rooted in what He had done in her life.

And yet, here is what she does with an empty tomb: she immediately reaches for an explanation that fits her existing framework. The proverbial "they." She doesn't know who "they" are, but someone must have moved the body. The tomb is empty, therefore someone took Him. It's a logical conclusion, except it is not the right one.

What is striking is not that she has an explanation. It's how quickly she reaches for it.

When Evidence Isn't Enough
As the story continues, John picks up Mary again in verse 11. Peter and John have already come and gone. Mary is standing outside the tomb, weeping. She stoops down, looks inside, and sees two angels in white, one seated at the head and one at the foot of where Jesus' body had been.

The angels ask her: "Woman, why are you weeping?"

She answers: "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."

She is standing in front of two angels and she still says "they." She doesn't stop to ask why there are two angels there. That is not a normal sight. Something about this scene should give her pause. But her framework has already decided what happened, and she processes everything she sees through that lens.

Then she turns around and sees Jesus standing there. She doesn't recognize Him.

Many have suggested that His glorified resurrection body looked different, and that may be part of it. On the road to Emmaus, two disciples walked and talked with Jesus without recognizing Him until He opened their eyes. But there is another layer at work in Mary's case. This is not a failure of eyesight. It is a failure of expectation. Mary has no category for resurrection. She is interpreting everything she sees through the assumption that death still has the final word.

This is where the language of disbelief becomes precise again. Disbelief does not simply mean uncertainty or confusion. It carries the idea of a refusal to trust, a settled posture that resists belief. Mary is not hostile. But she is still reading reality through a framework that cannot yet accept what God has done.

The Framework Problem
That dynamic did not stay in the first century. Many people today do not reject the resurrection because they have carefully examined all the evidence and found it lacking. They reject it because they have already decided what is possible and what is not. If dead people do not rise, then the empty tomb must have another explanation. The conclusion is set before the evidence is examined.

What John 20 shows is that it is entirely possible to be very close to the truth, to see the evidence with your own eyes, and still dismiss what God is doing because it does not fit within your existing framework or expectations.

The question is not simply a scientific one. It is a question of the will.

What are you doing today with an empty tomb?



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, April 5, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,
 
What a joy it was to celebrate Easter together!
 
Across our campuses and events—from Maundy Thursday and Missouri City Español’s Good Friday service, to two egg hunts across the city, Easter baptisms, and our nine Easter Sunday services—we had the thrill of seeing 2,989 come to worship and the privilege of meeting so many new faces and families. (Enjoy the suite of pictures at the end.) Some are new to the area, others are simply looking for a church to call home. If that’s you, I want you to know that we’re really glad you’re here.
 
And we want to help you take your next step!
 
At CityRise, one of the first steps we encourage is finding community through Community Groups.
 
Community Groups are where you can build real relationships, grow in God’s Word, and be known and cared for by others. They’re incredibly meaningful, and getting connected is simple because you can just show up!
 
There’s no registration process, no prerequisite knowledge, and no pressure. Our groups meet for classes on Sundays across all our campuses, and there’s always someone ready to welcome you in the classroom or at the Welcome Center to help you find your place.
 
You can explore available groups and when they meet at cityrise.org/communitygroups.
 
Our team would love to meet you and help you take that step into community.
 
Church Family, whether you’ve been here for years or just joined us this Easter, community is how we grow in depth and connection with one another. Don’t miss the opportunity to step into something that can truly shape your faith.
 
We’ll see you on Sunday, Church Family.
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

He is Risen…He is Risen, Indeed!

Church, before we open the text this morning, let me just acknowledge something that likely played out in a number of homes across our city today.

For many of you, getting ready for church this morning was not a peaceful, reflective, deeply spiritual experience. It was a coordinated effort.

You had a picture in your mind of what Easter morning was supposed to look like. Everyone dressed up. Everyone smiling. Everyone sitting together like a joyful, unified family.

And then reality showed up:

• Someone could not find their shoes.
• Someone spilled something at exactly the wrong moment.
• Someone didn’t want to come.
• And someone—without naming names—had an attitude the entire drive here.

And yet, in spite of all that, you said, “Let’s take a picture.”

And what followed was not one picture, but a sequence of attempts—thirty, forty, maybe more—until you finally captured something close to what you had imagined.

And even in the one you kept, someone is blinking.

Now here’s what’s interesting about that moment.

You had a picture in your mind of what things were supposed to be. But what you experienced didn’t quite match that picture. And that gap between expectation and reality created confusion… frustration… and a quiet sense that something wasn’t lining up.

That is exactly what is happening in John chapter 20.

Because the people who came to the tomb that morning had a very clear expectation of how the story was supposed to end.

And when they encountered something completely different—something they did not have a category for—they struggled to make sense of what they were seeing.

And what John does in this chapter is remarkable:

• He doesn’t just tell us that the tomb was empty.
• He shows us how different people responded to it.

Because the reality is this:
The empty tomb does not automatically produce belief.
It produces a response.

• Some dismiss it.
• Some examine it.
• Some are afraid of it.
• Some doubt it.

And a few… believe it.

So, before we go any further into the story, we need to stop and ask the question that sits over this entire passage—and honestly, over every one of our lives this morning:

What do you do with an empty tomb?

That question is not theoretical. It is not abstract.

Because how you answer that question determines how you understand Jesus… how you understand your life… and ultimately, how you understand eternity.

Now before we walk through the text, let me acknowledge something else.

There are real challenges people have to the resurrection.

And if we’re going to be honest on Easter Sunday—and we should be—we need to surface those.

REAL CHALLENGES PEOPLE HAVE TO THE RESURRECTION
A. “Dead people don’t rise.” (Naturalism objection)
Challenge:

• “Resurrection violates science.”

Response: But let’s spend a minute thinking about that.

Science describes regular patterns—not what is impossible

So, when we say this, we are making a distinction between:
1. What science actually does

Science observes:

• Patterns
• Repeated behaviors in nature
• Cause-and-effect relationships

Example:

• Objects fall due to gravity
• Dead bodies stay dead
• Fire burns
• Water freezes at certain temperatures

Science says: “This is what normally happens.”

2. What science cannot do
Science cannot prove something is impossible.
Why?
Because science:

• Studies repeatable events. Thus, it cannot test one-time unique events

Simple Example
If you drop a ball 1,000 times and it falls every time…

Science can say:  “Objects fall under normal conditions.”

But science cannot say: “It is absolutely impossible for anything to ever defy gravity under any circumstance.”

REGARDING THE RESURRECTION, The objection people make is:
“Science says dead people don’t rise.”

But that’s not quite right.

Science actually says:
“Dead people do not naturally come back to life.”

That’s a description of normal patterns, not a declaration of impossibility.

The resurrection claim is not:
“Dead people randomly come back to life all the time.”

The claim is:
 “God acted in history in a unique way.”

So, the real question becomes:
Not:
“Is resurrection normal?”
But:
“Is there a God who can act beyond normal patterns?”

So, the resurrection is not really a science problem.
It is a God question.

Another Challenge People Have to the Resurrection:
B. “The body was stolen.”

Problem with this view:

• Why leave grave clothes?
• Why would disciples die for a lie?
• Why couldn’t authorities produce the body?

Even early opponents used this claim (Matt. 28)

And then there is this Challenge People Have to the Resurrection:
C. “The disciples hallucinated.”

Problems:

• Group hallucinations are extremely rare
• 500+ witnesses (1 Cor. 15)
• Hallucinations don’t explain:
  • Empty tomb
  • Physical interactions (touching, eating)

Another Challenge People Have to the Resurrection:
D. “It’s just a legend that developed over time.”

Problems:

• Creed in 1 Cor. 15 dates within a few years
• Eyewitnesses still alive when accounts written
• Women as first witnesses (not culturally advantageous)

And probably the most common Challenge People Have to the Resurrection:
E. “I’ll believe if I see.” (Thomas objection)

Key insight: As we get into the text, I want you to see this…

• Jesus welcomes honest doubt
• But He calls for response to evidence

BUT HERE IS…
F. The Real Objection (Underneath All Others)
Most people’s real issue is not intellectual.
It’s volitional. Because, if the resurrection is true…

• Jesus is Lord
• My life is not my own
• I must repent

The resurrection is not just unbelievable…It is inconvenient.
 
“WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN EMPTY TOMB?”
1. You can dismiss it (Mary Magdalene)

John 20:1-2
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

John begins in verse 1 by telling us that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away.

That detail matters. It is still dark—not just physically, but in terms of understanding. There is no expectation of resurrection in her mind.

Now, who is this Mary Magadelene?

• She is one who has deep devotion to Jesus, living and dead.
• Her devotion was based on her gratitude for His delivering her from bondage to Satan through demon possession.
• She had been an observer at the cross and now was the first person at the grave.

Other Gospel accounts tell us that she was with another Mary and Joanna.

Notice what happens. Look again at verse 1&2.

John 20:1-2
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Here we see:

• A few facts 
• It was still dark
• Stone was taken away from the tomb
• She runs to Simon Peter and John and then we see…
• A Big Assumption
• “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb…”

That is her immediate interpretation of the evidence. The tomb is empty, therefore someone must have moved the body. There must be a logical explanation.

What is striking is not that she sees the empty tomb, but how quickly she explains it.

She has the right evidence, but is it the right conclusion?

Now, notice how this mindset persists in Mary. I will fast forward a bit…She goes to Peter and John…they run to the tomb. We will come back to them…

But after Peter and John are no longer on the scene, Mary is standing there weeping.

John 20:11-15
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

As Mary is standing outside the tomb weeping, she looks inside and sees two angels, yet even in that moment she continues to say, “They have taken away my Lord.”
 

• She doesn’t stop and ask a question.
• She doesn’t remark that there are actually two angelic beings in there that I am looking at.
• She continues down her reasoning.

Then she sees Jesus…but doesn’t see Jesus. She assumes He is the gardener.

This is not a failure of eyesight. It is a failure of expectation.

Mary does not have a category for resurrection, so she interprets everything she sees through the assumption that death still has the final word.

This is where the language of disbelief becomes important. Remember, disbelief does not simply mean uncertainty or confusion. It carries the idea of a refusal to trust, a settled posture that resists belief.

Mary is not hostile, but she is still interpreting reality through a framework that cannot yet accept what God has done.

Application: And that same dynamic is present today.

Many people do not reject the resurrection because they have carefully examined all the evidence and found it lacking. They reject it because they have already decided what is possible and what is not. If dead people do not rise, then the empty tomb must have another explanation.

What John 20 shows us is that it is entirely possible to be very close to the truth, to see the evidence with your own eyes, and still dismiss what God is doing because it does not fit within your expectations.
 
We are asking the question, “What do you do with an empty tomb?” Remember, all the claims of the Christian faith ride on this one moment in history.
 
“WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN EMPTY TOMB?”
1. You can dismiss it (Mary Magdalene)
2. You can examine it (John)

John 20:3-10
So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

In verses 3 through 4, Peter and John run to the tomb. John arrives first and looks in. Peter follows and goes directly inside.

What they encounter is described with careful detail. The linen cloths are lying there, and the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head is folded up separately.

This is not a scene of disorder. It is not the aftermath of a hurried theft. It is a scene marked by calm and intention.

Laundry Room vs. Folded Clothes
The scene here is the difference between when you immediately take your clothes out of the dryer and throw them on the counter or in a basket, to when you take them to the living room and fold them so you can go and put them away.

John 20:7
and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

And then John tells us in verse 8, “He saw and believed.”

That is a remarkable statement, especially when you read verse 9 immediately after: “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”

Notice this: John believes before he fully understands.

That is important. His faith is not the result of complete comprehension, but it is also not blind.

• It is rooted in what he has seen.
• He examines the evidence,
• and something about what he sees compels him toward belief.

This is one of the key features of the Christian faith. It does not ask you to abandon reason. It invites you to engage it.

• The empty tomb, by itself, does not prove the resurrection, but it demands an explanation.
• The question becomes: which explanation best accounts for the evidence?

For many:

• When you add to the empty tomb the eyewitness testimony,
• the transformation of the disciples,
• and the emergence of the early church in the face of opposition,

the resurrection is not a leap into the dark. It is a step toward the light.

And yet, even here, disbelief can remain.

Because at some point, the issue is no longer whether there is enough evidence. The issue becomes whether one is willing to follow the evidence where it leads.

Some dismiss the resurrection. Some examine it carefully.

But John shows us that even those who begin to believe can still be shaped by something else—fear.
 
“WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN EMPTY TOMB?”
1. You can dismiss it (Mary)
2. You can examine it (John)
3. You can fear it (Disciples)

Let’s get caught up in the story. Look at John 20:16-18.

Mary has just seen Jesus, and she assumes he is the gardener. Now look at what Jesus does.

John 20:16-18
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
 
So, for a point of clarity, I want you to notice two things:

• John has embraced belief that Jesus was no longer dead. He believed. But it was still coming together.
• Mary Magdalene had a personal encounter with Jesus, she hugged him, and then he told her to go and tell the disciples this fact.

Having these data points, notice what the disciples are doing. Look at verses 19-23.

John 20:19-21
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

They have heard the reports. They know the tomb is empty.

But they are still hiding.

So, check this out: Jesus then appears to them. And what is amazing is that his first words are not correction.

He had told them many times that he would be killed and rise again.

Remember, this even led to conflict with Peter.

Mark 8:31-32
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Friends, Jesus has been telling these guys that all that has unfolded was going to take place. But instead of rebuking them for not believing, he comes to them and he comforts them.

He says, “Peace be with you.”

That word “peace” is not casual. It is not a simple greeting. It is the declaration that what separated them from God has been dealt with. The cross has accomplished its work, and the resurrection confirms it.

Jesus then shows them His hands and His side. The marks of the crucifixion are still present, not as signs of defeat, but as evidence of victory.

And the text says, “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”

The word GLAD here means REJOICED. They Rejoiced when they saw the Lord!

So, here’s the movement:
Fear → Seeing → Rejoicing

But Jesus does not stop there. Look at verse 21.

John 20:21
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

The resurrection does not just calm fears. It creates purpose.

But what John 20 also shows us is this:
You can believe in the resurrection…and still live like it’s not true.

Which means the issue is not just belief. It is whether that belief has taken hold of your life.

It is possible to believe that Jesus is alive and still live as though fear has the final word.

There are many who would say they believe in the resurrection, but their lives are still shaped:

• by anxiety,
• by self-protection,
• by a reluctance to step into what God has called them to do.

John 20 confronts that disconnect. If death has been defeated, then the ultimate threat has been removed. And if the ultimate threat has been removed, then fear no longer has the authority to define how we live.

That brings us to the most explicit struggle in the passage, and perhaps the most relatable one.

“WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN EMPTY TOMB?”
1. You can dismiss it (Mary Magdalene)
2. You can examine it (John)
3. You can fear it (Disciples)
4. You can doubt it (Thomas)

John 20:24-27
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although 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, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples. When they tell him what they have seen. And the language used here where it says, “And the other disciples told him…” is in the imperfect tense, which means they told him and kept telling him. Which is why he makes such a strong statement, “Unless I see … I will never believe.”

This is not a tentative hesitation. It is a firm position.

And this is where Jesus’ words in verse 27 become so significant: “Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Disbelieve -- Greek Word: ἀπιστέω (apisteō);
It means:

• To refuse to believe 
• To be unwilling to trust 
• To remain unconvinced despite evidence

This carries with it the sense of a refusal to trust. Jesus is not simply inviting Thomas to gather more data. He is calling him to move out of a posture of resistance.

When Jesus appears again, He does not rebuke Thomas harshly. Instead, He meets him directly. He invites him to see, to touch, to examine.

And in that moment, the question changes.

It is no longer, “Is there enough evidence?”

It becomes, “What will you do with the evidence you have been given?”

Thomas responds with one of the clearest declarations in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God.”

This is not merely intellectual agreement. It is personal surrender.

And this is where disbelief reaches its critical point. At some stage, disbelief is no longer a matter of insufficient evidence. It becomes a decision not to trust what is now clear.

John then takes that moment and extends it beyond Thomas to every future reader.

“WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN EMPTY TOMB?”
1. You can dismiss it (Mary Magdalene)
2. You can examine it (John)
3. You can fear it (Disciples)
4. You can doubt it (Thomas)
5. You can believe it (You)

John 20:28-31
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
In verse 29, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That is not a statement about blind faith. It is a statement about trusting reliable testimony.
And then John gives us the purpose of the entire Gospel in verses 30 and 31: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Everything in this chapter is moving toward that outcome.

Not simply belief as an idea, but belief that results in life.

So, the question remains, and it is unavoidable:

What do you do with an empty tomb?

• You can dismiss it because it does not fit your expectations.
• You can examine it and remain undecided.
• You can acknowledge it and still live in fear.
• You can wrestle with it and hold on to doubt.

But at some point, disbelief is no longer a question waiting for an answer. It becomes a decision that has been made.

• And if the tomb is empty, then Jesus is alive.
• And if Jesus is alive, then He is not merely a figure in history. He is Lord.
• And if He is Lord, then the appropriate response is not casual interest or partial agreement. It is trust. It is surrender. It is belief.

He is risen.
He is risen indeed.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at our CityRise West U Baptist campus. Check out the full message below!

Because you give, CityRise families used their spring break serving the people of El Salvador. The 35-person team helped with medical care (including vision and dental), hosted two Vacation Bible Schools, built and delivered beds to those who don’t have any, delivered about 50 care packages to needy families, built the first playground at a school, and hosted a parent conference. If you’d like to give toward work like this and so much more, please make a physical donation during our time of offering, visit cityrise.org/give or click the give button in the CityRise app.

Dear Church Family,
 
Sometimes it’s the simplest moments that remind us most of who we are as a church. This was on full display at our Palm Sunday picnics at our CityRise West U Baptist and Bellaire campuses. It was a joy to spend time together, reconnect, and see so many from our church family enjoying the beautiful weather! (Be sure to check out a few photos at the bottom of this email.)
 
Throughout The Power of the Cross Easter series, we’ve walked through the story of redemption from its earliest pages in Genesis to the cross itself. We’ve taken time to consider the weight of sin, the promise of a Savior, and the cost of Christ’s sacrifice. Along the way, we’ve also responded through trust, surrender, and following Him more closely.
 
As we step into the heart of Holy Week, we’re arriving at one of the pivotal moments of Jesus’s final days before his crucifixion. Tonight, we will gather for Maundy Thursday, a meaningful time to reflect on His last supper, share communion, and prepare our hearts for what’s ahead. I hope you'll join us.

Here is a quick glance of our Easter weekend schedule:

And then, we come to Easter Sunday.
 
Sunday morning, through worship, baptisms, and the ultimate power of the gospel, we will gather to celebrate the empty tomb and the hope that comes with it! Because Jesus lives, we have a sure foundation for our faith and a real hope that carries into every part of our lives.
 
We would love for you, your family, and someone you invite to join us this Sunday at CityRise. (A reminder that there will be no Community Groups.)

Easter is our most attended Sunday of the year, which makes it a perfect opportunity to invite someone to come with you. We’ve made that simple! Visit cityrise.org/textinvite to send a personal invitation by text in just a few moments and a few taps on your phone.
 
We’re grateful for the various ways God continues to draw people in, and we’re expectant for what He will do in the days ahead through sharing His victory through the gospel, on Easter and all throughout the year.
 
We’ll see you on Easter Sunday, Church Family. He is risen!


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Several years ago, there was a story that circulated about a man who inherited a ring from his grandfather.

It wasn’t flashy.

It wasn’t impressive.

In fact, when he first looked at it, he thought it was costume jewelry.

So, he threw it in a drawer.

Years later, he was going through some old belongings and found it again. This time, he decided to take it to a jeweler—just out of curiosity.

The jeweler looked at it… paused… and said:
“Do you know what this is?”

He said, “Not really—just something my grandfather left me.”

The jeweler said, “This isn’t costume jewelry. This is a rare diamond… it’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

And in that moment, everything changed.

What he thought was worthless…

was actually incredibly valuable.

What he treated casually…was something of great significance.

Church, I wonder how often we do the same thing with the cross.

We’ve seen it so many times…
we’ve heard the story so many times…
that we can miss what is really happening.
Because when you look at the cross…

it doesn’t look like power.

• It looks like weakness.
• It looks like defeat.
• It looks like humiliation.

But what if what looks like defeat…is actually the greatest victory the world has ever known?

That’s what John 19 shows us.

Because in this passage…we don’t just see a cross. We see a coronation.

Let’s read it together.

John 19:1–3 (ESV)
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.

Today, we have a very simple outline. It’s one that I believe will greatly encourage you.

The Cross and the Crown

• The Crown He Wore
• The Crown He Wears
• The Crowns He Gives

I. THE CROWN HE WORE — THE SUFFERING KING

John 19:2
2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.

The Romans ruled with an iron fist. If you recall, after Jesus is born, the Magi came from the East and they asked Herod, “Where is he who is born king of the Jews?”

Remember, after Herod learned that he had been deceived, he sent soldiers to Bethlehem and had all boys, 2 years and under executed. There was no scenario that Herod was going to let a king rise from the Jews.

In this context, we see that the religious leaders of Israel speak to that insecurity in Pilate and bring a charge against Jesus that he is setting himself up as a king.

As Pilate interacts with Jesus, we see that he says, “I find no guilt in him.”

Look at John 18:38b-40.

John 18:38b-40
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Now, Barabbas was a thief. Some of your notes might indicate that Barabbas was an insurrectionist. Clearly, he is a rebel of some sort.

But notice two things:

• Pilate declares, “I find no guilt in him (Jesus).”
• Barabbas – His name means, Son of the Father.

Jesus is the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father in human form. It says at the beginning of John’s Gospel, “He took on flesh and dwelt among us.” And Pilate declares that he is innocent.

But they cry out for Barabbas. Barabbas was a troublemaker, whether that be as a thief or an insurrectionist, the goal with a guy like him is to contain him, quiet him, and imprison him. But he too is the son of the father.

As the people cry for the thief and insurrectionist to be released, and cry for the crucifixion of Jesus, Pilate makes a strategic move.

He decides he will have Jesus flogged or beaten, and then he will parade him around like a king. That should work. That should send the message that needs sending.

So, verse 1 indicates that they “flogged” Jesus. Let’s look at WHAT “FLOGGING” MEANT IN THE ROMAN WORLD

The Romans had different levels of beating, but what Jesus endured here is most likely severe scourging—the kind typically given before crucifixion.

The Instrument: The Flagrum

• A short whip
• Multiple leather strands
• Embedded with:
  • bone fragments
  • metal pieces
  • sometimes hooks

This was not just meant to hurt—it was meant to tear.

Now, WHAT HAPPENED DURING SCOURGING?

The victim would be:

• Stripped of clothing
• Tied to a post or stretched over a frame
• Beaten repeatedly across the back and sides

Each strike:

• Dug into the skin
• Then tore flesh as it was pulled back

Ancient sources describe:

• Skin being shredded
• Muscle exposed
• In extreme cases, even bone visible

Eusebius (describing Roman scourging):
“The sufferer’s veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure.”

WHY THE ROMANS DID THIS
This wasn’t random cruelty—it had purpose:
1. To Weaken the Victim

• Many died from scourging alone
• It ensured the crucifixion would be fatal

2. To Humiliate

• Public stripping
• Public beating
• Total degradation

3. To Terrorize Others

• A warning: “This is what happens if you oppose Rome”

Isaiah 53:5 says…
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.

The Hebrew word for “wounds” (or “stripes”) directly corresponds to this kind of beating.
This is not symbolic language. It is describing real physical suffering.

Now, as we get to verse 2 of John 19, notice after the beating, what these Romans Soldiers do.

John 19:2
And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.
 
Church, don’t rush past that.

They twisted together a crown.


Many believe the crown of thorns was like a wreath.

Dr. Jeremiah Johnston, a scholar on many of the relics of the Christian faith, especially, the Shroud of Turin, believed the crown of thorns to be more like a helmet that would encompass the entire head.

He says,
“When these thorns were dried out, they became like sharp nails.”

Imagine the suffering inflicted upon Jesus by these Roman Soldiers.

And notice all the material they had on hand:

• They had the thorns…
• They had the purple robe…

Could it be that the son of the father, who was trying to lead an insurrection, was the one who was to be treated this way?
 
Could it be that these items were planned for Barabbas?

These soldiers are staging something here:

• This is not random violence.
• This is a mock coronation ceremony.
• They are saying:

“You think you’re a king?
Let us show you what kind of king you are.”

They put:

• a robe on His back
• a crown on His head
• and Matthew tells us—
  they placed a reed in His hand

Matthew 27:29–30
29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.

That reed is not accidental. It is a mock scepter.

All throughout the Old Testament, the scepter represents kingship.

Genesis 49:10
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah…”

There was a promise that a King would come.

A ruler.
One with authority.
One who would reign.

Psalm 45:6
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

This king would rule…but not like with just any power—righteous power.

And when the King finally comes…
they put a reed in His hand.

A weak stick.
A prop.
A joke.
And then…
they take that reed…
and they strike Him with it. Notice the full scene again.

Matthew 27:27-30
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Notice it says, “They took the reed and struck him on the head.” – which means every blow drives the thorns deeper.

So now the crown wounds Him…
and the scepter wounds Him.
The very symbols of kingship…
become instruments of suffering.

And here’s what you have to understand:
This is not just physical pain. This is layered suffering.

• Physical pain
• Emotional humiliation
• Spiritual weight

And when they kneel before Him…it is not in worship…but in mockery.

They spit on Him. They laugh at Him.

This is a parody of coronation.

And yet…

even deeper than that…something else is happening.

Genesis 3:17–18
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.

The Thorns are not random. Thorns are the result of the curse.

They are a symbol of sin entering the world.

And now—the curse that was spoken over creation…is placed on His head.

He is not just suffering. He is bearing the curse.

Galatians 3:13
“Christ redeemed us from the curse… by becoming a curse for us…”
Those aren’t just thorns. Those are our thorns.

• Our sin.
• Our shame.
• Our rebellion.
• Placed on Him.

Isaiah 53:4
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.

So, when you see the crown…don’t just see suffering. See substitution.

He wore:
your sin…your shame…your curse…
So that you could receive:
His righteousness…His acceptance…His life.

And here’s the good news…
The crown He wore then…is not the crown He wears now.

The Cross and the Crown

• The Crown He Wore
• The Crown He Wears
• The Crowns He Gives

II. THE CROWN HE WEARS — THE REIGNING KING

Because if you stop at the cross…you will misunderstand Jesus.

The cross is not the end of the story. It is the turning point of the story.

Philippians 2:8–11
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Don’t miss that word:
Therefore – what’s that therefore, there for?

• Because He humbled Himself…
• God exalted Him.
• Because He wore the crown of thorns…
• He now wears the crown of glory.

And Scripture says:
God gave Him the name above every name.

The One they mocked as “King of the Jews”…is revealed as:
King of kings and Lord of lords.
And one day—every knee will bow…Not in mockery…but in worship.

Hebrews 2:9
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

“For a little while…” He wore thorns.

But now—He is crowned with glory and honor.

And then Revelation pulls back the curtain…and shows us what He looks like now.

Revelation 19:11-12
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
 
Notice something with me. Jesus is not just wearing one crown…it’s many crowns.

I showed you this image I had Ai make for my Christmas Eve Message. It is taken from the description in Revelation 19.




Q: Some ask, “Why does he have many crowns?”
A: And the answer is simple. He has many crowns because every authority belongs to Him.

And then—this is the contrast—Keep Reading in Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:13-15
13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Remember in Matthew -- they gave Him a reed.

But He rules with a rod of iron – This is his Unbreakable authority and Unshakable rule.

Here is what will be true when He comes again:
The reed they mocked Him with…will be replaced by a rod no one can resist.

Church—hear this clearly: Jesus is not waiting to become King. He is King right now.

He is King:

• Over your life.
• Over your circumstances.
• Over your future.

The One who wore thorns…now reigns in glory.

And now—this is where it becomes personal.

Because the story doesn’t stop with the crown He wore…or the crown He wears…there are also Crowns he Gives.

The Cross and the Crown

• The Crown He Wore
• The Crown He Wears
• The Crowns He Gives

III. THE CROWNS HE GIVES — THE GRACIOUS KING

At the cross…there is a great exchange.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Do you see the exchange?

Jesus takes your place…so that you can receive His.

Friends, Our Lord Jesus wore a crown of thorns…so that one day…you could wear a crown of glory.

Quote: John Calvin--
“Christ was dishonored with a crown of thorns, that we might be crowned with glory.”

Now, there are Five Crowns that can be bestowed on believers.

These are crowns given to believers—not as payment, but as participation in His victory.

Five Crowns Given to Believers

• A crown of life… for those who endure
• A crown of righteousness… for those who long for Him
• A crown of glory… for those who shepherd well
• A crown of rejoicing… for those who lead others to Christ
• An imperishable crown… for those who run the race faithfully

But don’t get lost in the list. Here’s the point:
Everything you receive…comes from what He already did.

These crowns are not earned like trophies. They are not wages for performance. They are grace gifts from a generous King.

Some of you in this room…you’ve never received that gift.

You’ve tried to:

• earn your way
• fix your life
• clean yourself up

But the gospel is not:
“Try harder.”

The gospel is:
“Receive what Christ has already done.”

Jesus:

• lived the life you couldn’t live
• died the death you deserved
• rose again in victory

So that you could be forgiven…restored…and brought into relationship with God

And the invitation is simple:
Turn from your sin…and trust in Him.

Not religion.

Not performance.

Jesus… the one who took our sin and shame upon himself.
 
Right now—where you are—

You can place your faith in Christ.

You can say:
“Jesus, I trust You.
I receive what You did for me.
I surrender my life to You.”

And if that’s your prayer…

Scripture says:

• You are forgiven.
• You are saved.
• You are His.

And for those of us who are believers…this is exactly what we remember at the table. This table is for believers, those who have taken Christ as their Savior…

Because the Lord’s Supper is a reminder:

• Of the body that was broken 
• Of the blood that was shed 
• Of the crown that was worn 

Friends, when you take the bread…remember, the One who wore the crown of thorns.

When you take the cup…remember, the blood that was poured out for your redemption.

And one day…
all of this leads somewhere.

Revelation 4:10–11
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”

Church—don’t miss this. The crowns He gives us…we don’t hold onto.

• We don’t build our identity on them.
• We don’t say, “Look what I’ve done.”

No—We take those crowns…and we lay them back at His feet.

Because in the end…it was never about us…It was always about Him.

“He wore the crown of thorns…He now wears the crown of glory…and one day…every crown will be laid at His feet.”



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at our CityRise Bellaire campus. Check out the full message below!

Because you give, our student ministry had a successful retreat filled with fellowship, growth, and meaningful moments. Students and leaders from all three of our campuses attended and built friendships together, forming a beautiful picture of unity across the campuses. Pastor Alberto’s lessons were a highlight and it was an amazing weekend of devotion, unity, and joy. If you’d like to give toward work like this and so much more, please make a physical donation during our time of offering, visit cityrise.org/give or click the give button in the CityRise app.

Some people are tired of hearing about the blood. It shows up at the doctor, it stains the field after a hard game, and then on Sunday morning there are songs about it. What is the big deal? The answer is simple: take all the blood out of your body and your other problems stop mattering. That is just as true spiritually as it is physically.

Hebrews chapter nine is one of the densest, richest theological passages in the entire New Testament. Right up there with Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 15 on the resurrection, Hebrews 9 lays out with precision what the blood of Jesus Christ actually accomplishes. This is not background theology. This is the foundation of why anyone can stand before a holy God without being destroyed.

Jesus Is a Better High Priest
The writer of Hebrews is addressing Jewish Christians who are being tempted to return to the religious system they knew before Christ. His answer across the entire letter is the same: Jesus is better. A better sacrifice. A better priest. A better covenant.

To understand why that matters, you have to understand the role of a priest. A prophet speaks from God to people. A priest moves in the other direction, from people toward God. A priest stands in the gap. A priest mediates. A priest handles the problem of sin, of uncleanness, of guilt, and of separation.

In the Old Testament, the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, exactly once per year. He did not walk in casually. He underwent ritual washings, offered a sacrifice for his own sin first, put on specific garments, and entered behind a thick curtain. Those garments had bells on them, and a rope was tied around his ankle. If he was not properly prepared according to the law, God could strike him dead. When the bells stopped ringing, they pulled him out with that rope.

The architecture preached a sermon. The curtain preached a sermon. The calendar, the washings, the rope around the ankle: all of it said the same thing. God is holy and you cannot simply stroll into His presence.

This is one of the first things both modern and postmodern people struggle with. We are very comfortable speaking of how God is loving, kind, merciful, near, and welcoming, and He is all of those things. But we do not pause long enough to reckon with the blazing holiness of God. The problem in the Bible is never that God is too emotionally distant. The problem is that He is so holy and we are so sinful that unless He makes a way, we cannot come near Him and live. This is why priesthood matters.

But Hebrews says Christ is not just another priest in the line of the old covenant. He is a better High Priest. He does not minister in an earthly copy. He ministers in the presence of the Father Himself. As Hebrews 9:11 says, "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation."

Every lamb, every sacrifice, every ritual in the Old Testament was not the destination. Those were signs. They were arrows in symbol form pointing forward to Jesus. If He is just one more religious leader, then you still need another priest after Him. If He is only a moral example, your conscience is still filthy. If He is just a martyr, your guilt remains. If He is only inspiring, you and I are still separated from God.

But He is the better High Priest, and that changes everything.

What "Once for All" Actually Means
Hebrews 9:12 is one of the most important sentences in the New Testament: "He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption."

Do not move past the phrase once for all too quickly. The writer uses it repeatedly throughout this chapter. The old High Priest had to return to the Holy of Holies every year. He had to repeat the ritual because the sacrifice was never final. Christ entered once. Not once per year. Not once per generation. Once for all.

And He did it with His own blood, for a specific purpose: securing eternal redemption.

Redemption is a word worth sitting with. It means to release by payment. It carries the picture of a ransom, of buying someone back, of setting a captive free at cost. When Hebrews says Jesus secured eternal redemption, the language matters. He did not merely create the possibility of freedom. He actually purchased it. He did not make a down payment and leave the balance to you. John Owen said it plainly: There is no more offering for sin because none is needed. The sacrifice of our Lord himself was sufficient, complete, and final.

This doctrine has enormous practical weight. So many people live as though Jesus made a down payment on their salvation and now they have to keep making installments. We act as though the cross got things started, and now our performance determines whether God keeps approving of us. But that is not what Hebrews teaches.

Why This Matters at the End
As a pastor, I have had the privilege and the challenge of being with people in their final moments. I have sat with people who are close to death, and I need you to hear this clearly: this theology matters most when everything else is stripped away.

When you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, His sacrifice is all sufficient. You do not have to wonder whether you have done enough. You do not have to perform your way into continued approval. The blood of Christ, the better High Priest who entered the greater tent not made with hands, has secured your eternal redemption. It is complete. It is final.

The Old Testament system preached that something better was coming. The curtain, the rope, the bells, the annual return of the priest: all of it said this is not enough yet. But when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple tore from top to bottom. Not from the bottom up, as if a man tore it. From the top down. Access to the Father was opened by the Father Himself, through the blood of His Son.

The Conscience That Gets Cleansed
Hebrews 9:14 extends this further: "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

The goal of the blood is not merely legal, though it is that. It is also deeply personal. The blood of Christ purifies the conscience. Dead works are the exhausting cycle of trying to earn what has already been given. When the conscience is purified, you stop serving God out of fear that you have not done enough and start serving out of freedom, because you know He has.

That is the difference the blood makes. Not just a position changed before God, but a conscience set free. This is why believers have sung about the blood across centuries. Not because blood is a pleasant subject, but because when you understand what it accomplished, it is the most freeing truth in the universe.

There was a movement in the 1970s and 80s in many mainline churches to remove songs about the blood from worship. The reasoning may have been that the language was too stark, too violent, too primitive. But when you understand the power of the blood, you do not try to remove the songs. You want to sing them louder.

Are you washed in the blood, the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

That is not a primitive question. That is the most important question a person can answer.

A Better Covenant, Sealed Once
Hebrews 9 also establishes the logic of covenant. A will takes effect only at death. It is not enforced while the one who made it is still alive. The first covenant, the Mosaic covenant, was inaugurated with blood. Moses took the blood of calves and goats, sprinkled the book and all the people, and declared it the blood of the covenant. Even the tent and the vessels used in worship were sprinkled.

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22).

The new covenant required the same. It required death, and it required blood. But the death was not the death of animals that could only point forward. It was the death of God's own Son, the one without blemish, the better sacrifice offered by the better priest, once for all.

Christ will not come a second time to deal with sin. That is finished. He will come again to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. The work is done. The redemption is secured. The conscience can be clean.

If you are still carrying the weight of wondering whether you have been good enough, whether God is still approving of you, whether the cross was sufficient for someone like you: Hebrews 9 is written for that question. The blood of Jesus Christ answers it with finality. You do not have to wonder. He has secured it, once for all.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,

This past Sunday was a remarkable one.

Celebration Sunday and our First Big Give gave us the opportunity to be amazed by what God has already begun through Pathways toward the future. As you can see from the photos below, as we shared the initial commitments together with joy and exaltation (and some streamers raining across the aisles), we gave a shout of praise and thanks, remembering that everything we bring ultimately comes from the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:16). Thank you for your faith, your generosity, and your willingness to take that first step.

Easter is right around the corner on Sunday, April 5, and it’s one of the most important opportunities we have all year to invite others into the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can find service times and locations below, and take a look at cityrise.org/easter for other Easter-season happenings at CityRise!

And now, Easter is just around the corner!

All this month, we’ve been studying “The Power of the Cross” and how the story of Easter begins in Genesis, carries through to Christ’s resurrection, and how the empty tomb gives us the hope we need today, two-thousand years later.

And as we look forward to Holy Week with Palm Sunday this weekend, we have several meaningful ways to gather. You can find them all at cityrise.org/easter, but here’s a quick guide:

• Palm Sunday Picnics at West U Baptist (11A & 12P) and Bellaire (12P)

• Maundy Thursday service at West U Baptist

• A Good Friday evening service at Missouri City Español

• Easter Egg Hunts on Saturday, April 4 (one at Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire and one at Missouri City)

• Easter Sunday services at
  • Bellaire: 8A, 9:30A, & 11A
  • Missouri City: 9:30A
  • Missouri City Espanol: 11:00A
  • West U Baptist: 8A, 9:30A, & 11A
  • Chinese (at 6104 Auden): 11A

Through these events and services, Easter is one of the most significant open doors we have all year to share the message of the cross. Many people we know are more open to attending than we realize! All they need is someone to reach out. I hope you’ll begin praying now about who God might place on your heart to invite.

To make that simple, we’ve created an easy way for you to send an invitation by text through your phone’s messaging app. It only takes a few seconds, and it could make an eternal difference. On your phone, visit cityrise.org/textinvite, and you’ll find a button that will automatically fill in a text message for you! All you have to do is fill in the phone number and any personalization you like.

Let’s continue taking steps into the next century through Pathways and into eternity through the gospel this Easter.

We’ll see you on Palm Sunday, Church Family!

 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

P.S. Happy Opening Day in Houston! Let’s go ‘Stros!

There is an old joke about a man who said, “I don’t understand why everybody makes such a big deal about blood. When I go to the doctor, I don’t want to talk about blood. When I watch a game, I don’t want to think about blood. When I come to church, I definitely don’t want to sing about blood.”

His friend said, “Well, that’s easy for you to say. But if you take all the blood out of your body, your other problems won’t last very long either.”

That is true physically, and it is true spiritually.

Because when you come to Hebrews 9, the writer does not apologize for the blood. He does not soften the blood. He does not move away from the blood. He moves right into it. Because the blood of Jesus Christ is not a side note in the Christian faith. It is not a strange leftover from ancient religion. It is not a primitive symbol we are supposed to outgrow. The blood of Jesus is at the very center of our hope, our forgiveness, our access to God, and our salvation.

Our series is called The Power of the Cross, and today we come to one of the clearest passages in all of Scripture about why the cross matters. Hebrews 9:11–28 shows us that the cross was not merely an example of love. It was not simply a martyr’s death. It was not just a moment of political injustice. It was the decisive, once-for-all, heaven-opening, conscience-cleansing, sin-bearing sacrifice of the Son of God.

And what I want to do today is not just give you bullet points. I want us to walk through this passage and feel its weight. I want us to understand not only what it says, but why it matters. Because theology matters most when it moves from the page into the soul. Doctrine matters when it answers the deep questions of the human heart: How can sinful people come near a holy God? What do I do with my guilt? Is my past really forgiven? Has Jesus really done enough? And what hope do I have when I stand before God one day?
So let’s begin in Hebrews 9.

Hebrews 9:11-28
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Introduction to the burden of the passage

The writer of Hebrews is speaking to people who knew something about religion, ritual, sacrifice, priesthood, tabernacle, holy places, blood, and covenant. They knew the old system. But he is showing them that all of it pointed forward to Jesus.

• Everything in the old covenant was shadow. Jesus is substance.
• Everything in the old covenant was temporary. Jesus is final.
• Everything in the old covenant was external. Jesus goes all the way to the conscience.
• Everything in the old covenant anticipated access. Jesus actually brings us in.

And that matters, because many people today are still trying to live spiritually as though Jesus only helps a little, improves a little, assists a little, nudges a little. But Hebrews says Jesus did not come to improve the old system. He came to fulfill it, surpass it, and bring in something better.

So let me give you the first great truth of this text.

1. Jesus offered a better sacrifice because He is a better High Priest

Hebrews 9:11 -- 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)…

That language matters. Jesus is not merely called Savior here. He is called High Priest.
Now what is a priest? A priest is one who represents people before God:

• A prophet speaks from God to people.
• A priest goes from people to God.
• A priest stands in the gap.
• A priest mediates.
• A priest handles the problem of sin, uncleanness, guilt, and separation.

In the Old Testament, the high priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement. He went in trembling. He went in carefully. He went in with blood. He went in on behalf of the people.

Why? Because sin had created a barrier between a holy God and a sinful people.

The tabernacle itself preached a sermon. Curtains preached a sermon. Boundaries preached a sermon. Washings preached a sermon. The whole system said: God is holy, and you cannot just stroll casually into His presence.

That is one of the first things modern people struggle with. We are very comfortable speaking of God as loving, kind, merciful, near, welcoming.

And praise God, He is all of those things.

And one writer said…
“But we often do not pause long enough to reckon with the blazing holiness of God. The problem in the Bible is never that God is too distant emotionally. The problem is that He is so holy, and we are so sinful, that unless He makes a way, we cannot come near Him and live.”

That is why priesthood matters.

But Hebrews says Christ is not just another priest in the line of old covenant priests. He is the better High Priest. He does not go through an earthly tent. He goes through “the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands.” In other words, He enters the true heavenly reality. He does not minister in a copy. He ministers in the presence of God Himself.

F.F. Bruce said that…
“Christ’s sacrifice is not one among many; it is the one to which all the others pointed.”
That is exactly the point of Hebrews 9. All those priests, all those lambs, all those rituals, all those sacrifices—none of them were the destination. They were signs. They were sermons in symbol form. They were arrows pointing to Jesus.

And here is why that matters --

• If Jesus is just one more religious leader, then you still need another priest after Him.
• If Jesus is just a moral example, then your conscience is still dirty.
• If Jesus is just a martyr, then your guilt remains.
• If Jesus is only inspiring, then you are still separated from God.

But if Jesus is the better High Priest, then He does what no one else can do: He brings you to God.

Hebrews 9:12
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Do not move too quickly past that. He entered once for all.

He entered not with borrowed blood, not with animal blood, not with symbolic blood, but with His own blood. And the result is “eternal redemption.”

Now redemption is a glorious word. It means release by payment. It carries the idea of liberation by ransom. To redeem is to buy back, to set free, to rescue at cost. So when Hebrews says Jesus secured eternal redemption, it means He did not merely create the possibility of freedom. He actually purchased freedom for His people.

John Owen said,
“There is no more offering for sin because none is needed.”

Why? Because the offering of Christ was sufficient, complete, and final.

And church, this matters because so many people live as though Jesus made a down payment and now they have to keep making installments.

We live like the cross got us started, but now our performance has to finish the job.

We live like acceptance with God rises and falls with this week’s spiritual record.

We live like if we have a good week, then maybe God draws near, and if we have a bad week, maybe He backs away.

But Hebrews says Jesus secured eternal redemption.

Not probationary redemption…Not partial redemption…Not weekly renewable redemption…Eternal redemption.

That means the power of the blood is not that it gives you a second chance to save yourself. The power of the blood is that Jesus saves completely.

That leads to the second great truth.

2. Jesus cleanses not only our record before God but our conscience within us

Hebrews 9:13-14 -- 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

The writer is arguing from lesser to greater.

• If under the old covenant those ceremonial acts had a kind of outward cleansing function…
•  “how much more,” verse 14 says, “will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

This is one of the most important lines in the passage.

Because the issue is no longer just ceremonial purity. The issue is conscience.

What is conscience? Conscience is that inward awareness of moral accountability before God. It is the inner faculty that accuses, convicts, troubles, bears witness. It is that place in the human soul where guilt lingers, where shame settles, where regret whispers, where failure echoes.

And the writer says the blood of Jesus purifies the conscience.

• Not distracts the conscience.
• Not numbs the conscience.
• Not suppresses the conscience.
• Purifies the conscience.

That means Jesus deals with guilt at the deepest level.

The old system could purify “the flesh,” meaning outward ceremonial standing. But it could not reach into the deepest chambers of the soul and bring peace there.

Animal sacrifices could symbolize cleansing, but they could not actually erase moral guilt before God. They could point forward, but they could not perfect the worshiper.

But Jesus can.

Why? Because His sacrifice was not involuntary, mechanical, or symbolic only. Verse 14 says He “offered himself without blemish to God.” He was the spotless sacrifice. He was morally pure. He was undefiled. He was sinless. He was, as Peter says elsewhere, a lamb without blemish or spot.

William Lane emphasized that, “The once-for-all character of Christ’s sacrifice is the foundation of Christian assurance.”
 
And you can feel that here. If the sacrifice is final and perfect, then assurance is possible. If the sacrifice is incomplete, assurance is impossible.

Now notice something else.

The text says Christ offered Himself “through the eternal Spirit.”

• This is a beautiful Trinitarian moment.
• The Son offers Himself to the Father through the Spirit.
• The whole Godhead is involved in our redemption.

Salvation is not Jesus trying to persuade a reluctant Father to love us. Salvation is the triune God acting in perfect unity to save sinners. The Father sends, the Son offers, the Spirit applies.

And why does this matter?

Because many of us know what it is to carry guilt long after the moment has passed. Some people in this room have sins they committed years ago, and yet the memory still has power.

• Some of you have repented, confessed, even changed your life, and yet inwardly you still feel dirty.
• Some of you are not living under the judgment of God anymore, but you are still living under the accusations of your own conscience.

And Hebrews 9 is saying that the blood of Jesus is powerful enough not only to forgive your sin objectively before God, but to cleanse your conscience subjectively within you.

• That does not mean you never remember your past. It means your past no longer owns your future.
• That does not mean you never grieve sin. It means you no longer wear it as your identity.
• That does not mean your conscience disappears. It means it is no longer your final judge.

Listen to the words of Thomas Schreiner. He states:
“The cleansing of the conscience marks the movement from external religion to internal transformation.”

My friends, the Christian faith:

• is not merely ceremonial.
• It is not merely cultural.
• It is not merely moral effort.

It is heart-deep cleansing through the finished work of Christ.

And notice the purpose…this is so good! The purpose? It is “to serve the living God.”

This is so important. Jesus does not cleanse us so that we can sit in spiritual passivity. He cleanses us so that we can serve.
 

• Grace does not produce apathy.
• Grace produces worship.
• Forgiveness produces obedience.
• Cleansing produces service.

Dead works are all the things we do apart from Christ to:

• justify ourselves,
• impress others,
• silence guilt,
• earn standing,
• manage appearances,
• and build our own righteousness.
• They are dead because they cannot give life.
• They are dead because they do not flow from faith.
• They are dead because they do not reconcile us to God.

But once your conscience is cleansed by Christ, you are finally free to serve the living God not as a slave trying to earn acceptance, but as a child who already has it.

That leads right into the next movement of the passage.

3. Jesus establishes a better covenant because His death was necessary

Hebrews 9:15
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

mediator -- A mediator is one who stands between two parties to bring peace, reconciliation, and agreement.

And Christ is the mediator of a new covenant.

Covenant -- A covenant is more than a casual agreement. It is a binding relationship established by God’s promise and terms.

The old covenant, given through Moses, was real, holy, and good, but it was preparatory and temporary. It could:

• reveal sin,
• restrain sin,
• symbolize cleansing,
• and point forward.

But it could not bring final forgiveness through the blood of animals. It could not perfect the worshiper.

The new covenant is better because Jesus Himself is its mediator, and His own death inaugurates it.

Verse 15 says a death has occurred that redeems from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Then the writer uses language of a will or testament.

The point is simple: death is necessary for the inheritance to be secured.

Now here we come to one of the great theological lines of the Bible.

Hebrews 9:22
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

That statement confronts modern ears and minds that ask:

• Why blood?
• Why death?
• Why can God not just forgive and move on?

The answer is because God is holy, and sin is not small.

We live in a world that tends to reduce sin to:

• mistakes,
• missteps,
• brokenness,
• weakness,
• dysfunction,
• or poor choices.

And certainly sin has effects in all those directions. But biblically, sin is deeper.
 
Sin is rebellion against the holiness and authority of God. Sin is moral treason. Sin is not just that we made bad decisions. It is that we have offended a holy God.

So, what does this mean about forgiveness? Because the Power of the Cross and the Power of the Blood is forgiveness for us. So, what does it mean?

It means that forgiveness cannot be reduced to divine leniency.
 

• Forgiveness is not God pretending evil does not matter.
• Forgiveness is not God lowering the standard.
• Forgiveness is not God waving sin through because He is sentimental.

John Stott famously said:
“The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man.”
 
That is what the cross is. At the cross, God does not ignore justice. He satisfies justice in the person of His Son.

That is why blood is necessary.

Leviticus tells us that the life is in the blood.

Blood signifies life poured out in death.

The shedding of blood means that sin’s penalty is real.
 
It means death is not an abstraction.
 
It means sin costs.

And this matters, because if you do not understand the necessity of Christ’s death, you will never understand the greatness of God’s love.

• If sin is small, then the cross is unnecessary drama.
• If justice does not matter, then the cross is divine overreaction.
• If guilt is not real, then the blood of Jesus becomes religious decoration.

But if sin is really as serious as Scripture says it is, and if God is really as holy as Scripture says He is, then the cross becomes the blazing intersection of justice and mercy.

• At the cross, God’s holiness is upheld.
• At the cross, God’s justice is satisfied.
• At the cross, God’s love is displayed.
• At the cross, sinners are redeemed.

And the writer reminds us that even the old covenant was inaugurated with blood. Moses sprinkled the people and the book and the instruments of worship.

Why? Because the relationship between a holy God and sinful people must be established through sacrificial blood.

But the old covenant sacrifices were repeated. Repetition revealed their limitation. They were meaningful, but they were not final. They were real shadows, but they were still shadows.

And so the question becomes: what kind of sacrifice can finally deal with sin?

• Only a perfect one.
• Only a sinless one.
• Only one of infinite worth.
• Only one who is both priest and sacrifice.
• Only Jesus.

This is why the theology matters. Because when you understand what Jesus was doing at the cross, you stop treating salvation like self-improvement.
 
You stop talking as if Jesus is merely helping nice people become a little nicer. You see that He is rescuing guilty sinners through His own blood.

And that brings us to the fourth great truth.

4. Jesus’ sacrifice is once for all, and therefore our hope is sure

Hebrews 9:23-24
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Verse 23 begins moving us higher. The copies of heavenly things were purified with earthly rites, “but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

Now look at verse 24 -- For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

That phrase should make your heart rise: “on our behalf.”

Another translation says, “Now to appear for us.”

Jesus is not absent. He is not inactive. He is not merely a figure from history we remember sentimentally. He is alive, ascended, exalted, and He appears in the presence of God on our behalf.

That means:

• The One who died for you now represents you. 
• The One whose blood secured redemption now stands in heaven for you.
• The One who put away sin by His sacrifice is now your advocate in the presence of God.

And then the writer presses the point of finality.

Christ does not offer Himself repeatedly. The old high priest entered yearly with blood not his own. But verse 26 tells us good news!

Hebrews 9:26b
But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
 
“once for all.” There is that phrase again…that phrase is one of the pillars of Hebrews – once for all!

The old sacrifices were repeated because they were insufficient.

Christ’s sacrifice is not repeated because it is sufficient.

R.C. Sproul used to say:
“The cross is not a recurring event; it is a finished work.”

That is exactly right. The power of the cross is not in endless repetition but in perfect completion.

Now notice the language: “to put away sin.”

• Not merely to postpone sin.
• Not merely to manage sin.
• Not merely to cover sin temporarily.
• But to put away sin.

That means Christ’s sacrifice actually deals with the thing itself. He bears sin, removes guilt, satisfies justice, and secures access.

And why does that matter?

• Because if Christ’s work is finished, then your hope can be stable. 
• If the sacrifice is enough, then you do not have to keep searching for another answer. 
• If Jesus has really put away sin, then the believer does not live under condemnation.

Too many Christians live exhausted because they have functionally adopted a theology of “once for all, plus me.”
 
Jesus died, yes. Jesus rose, yes. Jesus intercedes, yes. But now somehow, I must complete my standing before God with enough effort, enough purity, enough good days, enough ministry success, enough Bible reading, enough spiritual intensity.

But Hebrews will not let you do that.

• The cross was enough.
• The blood was enough.
• The priesthood of Christ is enough.
• The sacrifice of Christ is enough.

And then the writer ends with eternity in view.

Hebrews 9:27-28
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Here the passage turns from atonement to destiny.
 
Every human being has an appointment: death, then judgment.

That is not popular language in our world, but it is biblical language.

• Life is not endless delay.
• History is not random drift.
• Judgment is coming.

But for those who belong to Christ, His second coming is not about dealing with sin again. The sin question was settled at His first coming. He will appear the second time “to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

In other words, the cross secures not only forgiveness for the past, but hope for the future.
Salvation in the Bible has three dimensions.

• We have been saved from the penalty of sin.
• We are being saved from the power of sin.
• We will be saved from the presence of sin.

This passage ends by pulling us all the way into that final hope.

So Christian, lift your eyes. Your Savior is not only the One who died; He is the One who is coming again.

• The blood that justified you also secures your final salvation.
• The Priest who entered heaven for you will one day return for you.
• That is why the power of the blood is not only about Good Friday. It reaches all the way to the last day.

Why these theological truths matter in real life – So What?

Let me pause and bring all of this down to where we live.

• Why does it matter that Jesus is our High Priest?
  Because you need more than advice. You need representation before God.
• Why does it matter that Jesus offered His own blood?
  Because your problem is not superficial. You need a real atonement for real guilt.
• Why does it matter that your conscience can be cleansed?
  Because some of you are smiling in public while carrying shame in private.
• Why does it matter that a covenant required death?
  Because forgiveness is not cheap, and the love of God is more costly than we imagined.
• Why does it matter that Christ’s sacrifice was once for all?
  Because if it was not final, you could never rest.
• Why does it matter that He is coming again?
  Because this broken world is not the end of the story.

Have you trusted Christ and the power of His shed blood to save you from your sin?

A – Admit
B – Believe
C – Confess



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at our CityRise West U Baptist campus. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,
 
This coming Sunday, March 22, is Celebration Sunday, and it’s exactly what it sounds like, a morning to celebrate and give thanks for what God has already begun through these early stages of Pathways. We’ll share a special glimpse of what God is already setting in motion through commitments and rejoice together as a church family. So many of you have already taken faithful first steps in Pathways, and we’re grateful for the way God is moving through His people.
 
But there’s another part to Sunday where we can show that gratitude.
 
Sunday is also our First Big Give! We will all have the opportunity to take a tangible step forward and present our first offerings. For many, it will be the first time turning a commitment into an act of generosity. For others, it may be their very first step into Pathways. Either way, it’s going to be a meaningful event for every one of us.
 
We’re very excited to share and celebrate with you!

Easter is right around the corner on Sunday, April 5, and it’s one of the most important opportunities we have all year to invite others into the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can find service times and locations below, and take a look at cityrise.org/easter for other Easter-season happenings at CityRise!

We’ll see you on Sunday, Church Family.
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, steady progress is being made at our Missouri City campus. It is exciting to see newly framed walls that will allow for even better ministry for our kids and will be welcoming to newcomers. The plumbing tunnels were covered up with dirt and are ready for concrete to be poured. If you’d like to give toward work like this and so much more, please make a physical donation during our time of offering, visit cityrise.org/give or click the give button in the CityRise app.

Last summer, Wendy and I had the opportunity to visit a unique place in the world. We spent a few days in Barcelona, Spain, and one of our must-see destinations was La Sagrada Familia. It's a massive basilica that many of you have probably heard of, and some of you have visited. I had heard of it, but I didn't really know much about it before we went.

It was designed by Francisco Paola del Valle in the late 1870s and into 1880. He oversaw construction for one year, 1882 to 1883, before the famous architect and artist Antoni Gaudi took over in 1883 and oversaw the project for 44 years until his death. Here's what makes it remarkable: as of this morning, that basilica is still being built, 140 years later. They're still adding to the top. You can go all the way up inside it, but the truth is, it's still becoming what it was always designed to be.

And yet, Francisco Paola del Valle knew exactly what this building would become. The plan had been drawn. It had been designed. It had been dreamed. Now, 140 years later, it's still coming to life, but it is doing so according to that original vision.

Easter works like that.

God Had a Plan, and That Plan Is Being Fulfilled
God had a plan, and nothing we have experienced, done, or carried in our lives surprises Him. Nothing falls outside the scope of what He had designed from the very beginning. That should bring us a great deal of comfort, especially as we begin a five-week sermon series called "The Power of the Cross," moving toward the celebration of Easter.

Looking at Genesis 3 and Luke 24, we find that the cross was woven into the very fabric of God's blueprint, even before people were created, even before time began.

The cross was not God's emergency response to our colossal failure. He didn't look down and think, Oh no, they really messed this up. Now I have to come up with something else. Plan A didn't work. God is bigger than that. Much bigger than that.

From the very beginning, He revealed through Scripture that a wounded deliverer would crush the serpent and redeem His people. That's what He set out to do. And indeed, it is what He has done.

That truth brings me real comfort: God had a plan for our soul-crushing dilemma before we even knew we had one.

The Fall: What Went Wrong in the Garden
When sin entered the garden, it shattered trust. It perverted desire. It introduced guilt, shame, curses, and death into a world that had been entirely perfect.

Genesis 3:1-6 gives us the account: "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God actually say, "You shall not eat of any tree in the garden"?' And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die."' But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

This moment represents a seismic shift in how Adam and Eve viewed their place in the garden. Go back just one verse to Genesis 2:25 and you find this: "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." In literally one breath of Scripture, everything perfect that God had created in the garden is shattered through the sinful choice perpetrated by the serpent and agreed to by the first two humans.

What Life in the Garden Actually Looked Like
These were people intimately and perfectly created by God. He loved them. He walked with them every day. They were in constant fellowship with Him. They lived in a lush garden where every single provision for their well-being was freely available, requiring very little effort on their part. They were completely comfortable with who they were and how they had been made.

Genesis 2:15-17 shows us their standing before the fall: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"

God created trees that were good for food, plants, and animals, but among them, two trees in particular stood out: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God specifically told Adam not to eat from the second one. He set clear parameters around what was off-limits in the garden. Everything is yours. Nothing is withheld except this one thing.

Why God Built in a Choice
This raises a fair question. If God is perfect and creates a perfect world with perfect people, how does this kind of colossal failure happen?

It comes down to what real love requires. For Adam and Eve to truly love God, to fully obey Him and walk with Him in genuine relationship, God had to build in a choice. He had to create the possibility of refusal so that their love and obedience could be real. Forced love is not love. God built human beings for fellowship, to walk with Him, and for that fellowship to be meaningful, they had to be able to choose it for themselves.

They chose otherwise, and the consequences were immediate and severe.

There Is No Plan B
A scarlet thread runs through all of Scripture, from Genesis through Revelation, pointing consistently toward the power of Jesus to overcome the problem that entered the world in Genesis 3. Sin, guilt, shame, death, and the curse are not problems that caught God off guard. They are precisely the problems He designed the cross to solve.

This is not a salvage operation. It was never a course correction. God's Plan A is complete. It is perfect. It is exactly what He designed it to be, and He had no need for a backup.

His way is the only path to restored relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you're looking for answers to the age-old problem of sin, curses, death, and guilt in this world, the answer is Jesus. You can know, before you leave today, that you have taken hold of Him as your Savior. It really is that straightforward.

The Comfort of a God Who Never Panics
The cross was never an afterthought. God did not look at human history and improvise. He looked at human history and executed the plan He had already written.

That matters because it means nothing in your life is outside His knowledge or beyond His reach. The brokenness you carry, the ways you have failed, the mess you are currently standing in, none of it surprised Him. None of it required Him to rethink the plan. From the very beginning, He saw it all, and He designed a way through.

La Sagrada Familia is still under construction, but it is becoming exactly what its architect designed it to be. The same is true of God's redemptive plan. It has been unfolding for thousands of years, and it is becoming exactly what He always intended: the full restoration of what was lost in the garden, accomplished through the cross, secured in the resurrection.

That is the power of the cross. And that is where we are headed this Easter season.



This blog is based on the message shared by Executive Pastor Kirby Follis at our CityRise Bellaire campus on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,
 
I know many of you are enjoying Spring Break this week, whether that means traveling, spending time with family, or simply enjoying a lighter flow of traffic around town.
 
This past Sunday we began our Easter sermon series, “The Power of the Cross.” As we move through these weeks leading to Easter, we’ll be reflecting on the power of the life-changing truth of what Jesus accomplished through His sacrifice and resurrection.
 
If you’re away this Sunday, you can always join us online! We have livestreams and replays each week at cityrise.org/live, and we’d love for you to stay connected wherever you are.
 
And as Easter approaches, now is a great time to begin thinking about who you might invite. Easter weekend is one of the most meaningful opportunities we have each year to welcome friends, neighbors, and family members to hear the good news of Jesus.
 
You can find all of our Easter service times and special Easter-related events at cityrise.org/easter.

I’m praying that these weeks leading up to Easter on Sunday, April 5 will deepen our gratitude for the cross and renew our hope in the resurrection.
 
We’ll see you on Sunday, Church Family.
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, CityRise is able to provide help and hope to cancer patients in need through Mercy House Ministries. For 30 years, Mercy House has provided free housing to cancer patients world-wide through donations. What once began with one house has now grown to three locations and 16 bedrooms in the Houston area. If you feel led to serve in this ministry, please contact Celina Pena. If you’d like to give toward work like this and so much more, please make a physical donation during our time of offering, visit cityrise.org/give or click the give button in the CityRise app.

Dear Church Family,
 
Over the past few weeks, our church family has experienced some truly special moments together as Pathways has begun to unfold. Advance Commitment Night (February 22) and Commitment Sunday (this past Sunday, March 1) were filled with worship, testimonies, prayer, and the quiet courage of people stepping forward in faith.
 
One of the central Scriptures guiding this season is 1 Chronicles 29:16: “O Lord our God, all this abundance . . . comes from your hand and is all your own.”
 
In that passage, God’s people were bringing offerings for the building of the temple, and David reminded them of a powerful truth: everything given to the Lord ultimately comes from Him. That perspective has shaped Pathways from the beginning, from us recognizing that we simply return to God what already belongs to Him.
 
Advance Commitment Night was especially memorable. Close to 200 people gathered for worship and testimonies at the West U Baptist campus, and many took an early step of commitment toward the Pathways vision. Afterward, on the playground and future site of the Gallery space, we shared ice cream and conversations about the hopes for what God may do through the (next hundred) years ahead.

Then on Commitment Sunday across our campuses, many more joined in that same spirit of faith—submitting commitment cards, praying together, and taking part in what God is beginning through Pathways. 

For those who are still praying about their next step, you can submit a commitment anytime at cityrise.org/pathways.

Looking ahead, we want you to be ready for Sunday, March 22 when we’ll gather for a special morning called Pathways Celebration & First Big Give. During our services, we’ll share a Pathways update on commitments and encourage everyone to bring their first gift toward Pathways.

A quick reminder that Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend, so don’t forget to spring forward Saturday night! And since Spring Break begins for many families next week, we’re praying that those who are traveling enjoy a refreshing and safe time away. Don’t forget you can livestream CityRise services anywhere in the world at cityrise.org/live!
 
Thank you for continuing to pray, participate, and step forward in faith during this Pathways season. We’ll see you on Sunday, Church Family!
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Any work built for the Lord will outlive the one who builds it. That is the profound reality woven through King David's final act as king of Israel, and it carries a question worth sitting with: are you building something that will still matter when you are gone?

When we worship, another generation will worship after us. When we give, another generation will be blessed by it. When we build the Lord's house, another generation will rise to lead in that house. And when we sow into God's kingdom, people we will never meet will reap from that sowing. This is what the Bible calls a lasting legacy, and it is not accidental. It is intentional, sacrificial, and rooted in a purpose larger than any single life.

In 1 Chronicles 29:18-25, we find King David in his final sacred assembly. He has led Israel for 40 years. He is a great king, described as a man after God's own heart, and now he stands before the nation for the last time. He has gathered the people, received their offerings, and prayed over their commitment to build a temple he will never set foot in. What he says and does in these closing moments reveals a pathway of permanent purpose worth studying carefully.

Permanent Purpose Begins with Hearts Anchored in God's Purposes
Verse 18 records the closing portion of David's prayer: "O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts towards you."

David is not praying a small prayer. He is not praying a temporary prayer. Notice the language he uses: "keep forever," "preserve continually," "guard permanently." He is asking God to establish His purposes in the hearts of His people, not just for that generation but for every generation that follows. The phrase "direct their hearts" means to make them steadfast, unmovable in God's ways.

This is the foundation of building a lasting legacy: a heart aligned with the heart of God. Because hearts shape households, and households shape generations.

Sociologist Richard L. Dugdale studied this in 1877 when he traced 42 different men in the New York prison system back to a single ancestor, a man named Max Jukes. The results were staggering. Jukes' descendants included 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically destroyed by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants studied, 300 died prematurely.

But a contemporary of Max Jukes tells a different story. Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan pastor and theologian in the 1700s, known for deep faith, remarkable intellect, and strong moral character. He entered Yale at 13 and later became president of Princeton. Alongside his wife Sarah, he had 11 children and built a family life centered on daily conversation and prayer. The legacy of that faithfulness is almost impossible to comprehend. Edwards' descendants include one United States vice president, one dean of a law school, one dean of a medical school, three U.S. senators, three governors, three mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates.

This is what sociologists now call the five-generation rule: the example you set in your family, or fail to set, carries ripple effects through at least the next five generations.

David was praying for exactly this. God, anchor these people, their children, and their children's children in Your purposes. Make it permanent.

How you run and finish your race matters.
Permanent Purpose Looks Beyond the Current Leader to Future Leaders Yet to Come
Verse 19 shifts David's prayer from the people to one person in particular: "Grant to Solomon, my son, a whole heart, that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, that he may build the palace for which I have made provision."

David's final prayer for his son has three movements. First, he prays for a whole heart, asking for integrity, devotion, and undivided loyalty. Second, he prays for obedient action, that Solomon would keep God's ways and perform them, not just know them. Third, he prays for a fulfilled calling, that Solomon would build what God has ordained for his life.
My father has always encouraged me in three phrases: Good job. Keep it up. Stay near to the heart of God. Fulfill your calling. It would be a shame to mess it up now. That is a father speaking life into the next generation. David does the same here. His prayer is not simply, "Lord, help my son do well." It is, "Lord, shape him to carry Your work forward. Give him character, courage, capacity, and completion."

But here is the deeper truth: Solomon is not the end of the story. He is simply the next chapter. As David prepared what Solomon would build and lead, another leader would follow Solomon, and another generation after that.

This is why building the Lord's house matters. It becomes a launching pad for future generations, a spiritual home for people not yet born. It is a place where new faith is formed, new leaders are raised, and new worshipers are shaped.

David was not building God's house for himself. He would never even see it completed. He was building for the future because God's purposes outlive any single person, including David himself.

Every Act of Generosity Becomes a Platform for Someone Else's Tomorrow
The assembly responds to David's prayer with wholehearted worship. They bowed their heads, paid homage to the Lord, and offered sacrifices in abundance: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with drink offerings for all Israel. "And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness." Then Solomon was made king the second time, anointed as prince and priest, seated on the throne of the Lord in place of his father David.

The scene is remarkable because of what it represents. An entire generation giving with joy, not compulsion, toward something they may not fully benefit from themselves. They are investing in what comes next. Their sacrifice would fund the construction of a temple that would serve generations they would never meet.

That is the nature of kingdom generosity. Every offering made in faith becomes the foundation someone else stands on. Every prayer prayed over the next generation creates spiritual momentum that carries forward. Every commitment made to the house of the Lord extends its walls into the future.

Building a Lasting Legacy Is an Investment in People You Will Never Meet
This is the heart of David's final message: the things you build for God outlast you. The temple was not just a building project. It was David's investment in the future of God's people, made concrete through preparation, sacrifice, and prayer, even though he would never enter its courts.

We have the same privilege today. We can invest in something that will outlast us, something that will have impact far into future generations and into eternity. We can make commitments that declare we are standing for the house of the Lord. We can give, pray, serve, and build with the full understanding that the return on that investment will not always be visible in our lifetime, and that is exactly the point.

Permanent Purpose Produces Generational Fruit
The passage ends with this summary of Solomon's reign: "And the Lord made Solomon very great in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel."

What David planted, God multiplied. What David prepared, God honored. The faithfulness of one generation created conditions for blessing in the next.

That is the promise embedded in a life built for permanent purpose. The harvest is not always yours to hold. Sometimes you prepare the soil, plant the seed, and another generation brings in the crop. But the sowing is never wasted. God accounts for every act of faithfulness, every sacrifice made in His name, every prayer offered over the next generation.

King David shows us what it looks like to live, lead, and finish well. He anchored his heart in God's purposes. He prayed for future leaders. He built something he would never see completed. And he did it all with gladness.

That is building a lasting legacy. Not for our own name, but for God's kingdom, for the generations that follow, and for the people we will never meet who will one day worship in the house we helped build.

The question is not whether your life will leave an impact. It will. The question is what kind.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Check out the full message below!