The question we want to ask you, both today and in the coming weeks, is this:
In your life, what are the things that you need, perhaps desperately, that deep down, you know only God can deliver in you, for you, and through you?
Things like:
We invite you to prepare for Resurrection Sunday - Easter - with the expectation of Resurrection Power…IN YOUR OWN LIFE! Cards will be available each week for you to ask God in your prayer life, allowing our staff to pray over those requests with you.
But please, remember that this is about your intimate relationship with God when we ask, “What is it that you need that only He can fulfill?"
God encourages you to approach Him with boldness and faith—so don’t hesitate to ask for what you truly need!
"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do." (Psalm 139:1-3 NLT)
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)
God doesn't merely tolerate our concerns—He treasures them because He treasures us.
"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" (Isaiah 43:19 NLT)
"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
The space between what someone does and why they do it is a vast territory for misunderstanding.
"The greatest mistake in human judgment is believing you understand others' motivations, when in truth, you're only seeing your own reflection in their actions."
Maya Angelou
But God? Oh, God sees differently.
"Now the LORD said to Samuel, 'You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.' But Samuel asked, 'How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.' 'Take a heifer with you,' the LORD replied, 'and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint.’" (1 Samuel 16:1-3 NLT)
"When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, 'Surely this is the LORD's anointed!' But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’" (1 Samuel 16:6-7 NLT)
"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship.”
C.S. Lewis
While people are looking at your resume, God is reading your heart. While others see your mistakes, God sees your potential.
If you are failing at something or have failed at something - you are in great company.
Maybe today you feel like David—overlooked, underestimated, and assigned to the background. Take heart. The God who saw David in that distant pasture sees you too. What He sees might surprise everyone else, but it doesn't surprise Him. He's known what was in your heart all along.
God doesn't just see your heart—He knows it completely. Nothing is hidden from Him, and—here's the beautiful part—He loves you anyway.
"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.” (Psalm 139:1-2 NLT)
God's vision isn't just penetrating—it's comprehensive.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT)
"A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart." (Proverbs 21:2 NLT)
"Search me, God, and know my heart... See if there is any offensive way in me." (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)
His love doesn't diminish with knowledge. It doesn't waver with discovery. Unlike human love, which can be conditional and fragile, God's love deepens with knowing.
The God who knows you most completely loves you most fully.
One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” (Luke 5:17-26 NLT)
"We're all just beggars telling other beggars where to find bread."
Ruth Bell Graham
Jesus doesn’t recoil from what He sees; He responds with compassion.
Though God sees everything in our hearts—every thought, every motive, every secret sin and struggle—He still adores us and welcomes us into His family.
He didn't just give him the ability to walk—He gave him the gift of belonging to God's family. God wants to do that with the hearts He sees so clearly—not expose them, not shame them, not reject them, but redeem them, transform them, and welcome them home.
So, what does all this mean for us today?
First, it means we can stop pretending. Stop exhausting ourselves with facades and masks and impression management. The One who matters most already sees the real you—and loves you anyway.
Second, it means we can find hope in being known. While human knowledge often leads to rejection, God's knowledge leads to redemption. He doesn't discover who you are; He already knows. And His response is always love.
Third, it means we can begin to see others as God sees them—looking past appearances to the hearts that matter. Because the truth is, every person you meet today carries a heart that God sees clearly and values deeply.
He still calls you His beloved. He still invites you home. He still says, just as He did to that paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven. Rise, and walk in new life.”
