Pastor Wes Morris

Hebrews 11:8-11 (TLB) Abraham trusted God, and when God told him to leave home and go far away to another land that he promised to give him, Abraham obeyed. Away he went, not even knowing where he was going. And even when he reached God’s promised land, he lived in tents like a mere visitor as did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise.

Abraham did this because he was confidently waiting for God to bring him to that strong heavenly city whose designer and builder is God.

Sarah, too, had faith, and because of this she was able to become a mother in spite of her old age, for she realized that God, who gave her his promise, would certainly do what he said.

✓ FAITH OBEYS BEFORE IT UNDERSTANDS.

Hebrews 11:8 (NIV) Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

Luke 5:5 (NIV) “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”

✓ FAITH ENDURES THE IN-BETWEEN SEASONS.

Hebrews 11:9 (TLB) And even when he reached God’s promised land, he lived in tents like a mere visitor...

✓ FAITH HOLDS ON TO WHAT GOD HAS SAID, EVEN WHEN WE HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET.

Hebrews 11:11 (NLT) It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.

II Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) We walk by faith, not by sight.

I. SAY “YES” TO ONE SMALL ACT OF OBEDIENCE.

John 2:7-8 (NLT) Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

Psalm 119:60 (GNT) Without delay I hurry to obey your commands.

II. FOCUS ON WHAT GOD IS DOING, NOT WHAT I’M FEELING.

Psalm 42:5 (NLT) Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!

III. SPEAK GOD’S PROMISES OVER MY SITUATION.

Hebrews 10:23 (NLT) Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Pastor Bria Bradshaw

John 11:17–27 ESV Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

✓ Yesterday’s Disappointments

John 11:21 “Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

✓ Tomorrow’s Distance

John 11:23-24 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Key Thought: Jesus doesn’t just want us saved, He wants us ALIVE!

1. We Come Alive

Galatians 2:20 ESV 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.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2. The World Comes Alive

Romans 6:4-5 ESV We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Pastor Bria Bradshaw

John 8:12 (ESV) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The Problem: We can give off the illusion of light in the way we live, but it is artificial.

Genesis 1:1–5 (ESV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:14-19 (ESV) And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night…” 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars…19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

The more Jesus shines in me, the better He shines through me.

1. Let the light in to transform.

Question: Is there any place within me where God doesn’t have the freedom to shine?

2. Let the light in to reveal the truth.

Question: Where in your life are you telling God, “I’m good. I’ve got this part right.”?

3. Let the light in to lead you.

Question: Are you done leading you?

Pastor Wes Morris

John 10:11-15 (NLT) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

I. WE ALL WANDER.

Isaiah 53:6 (NLT) All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

II. THE FATHER KEEPS CALLING.

John 10:27-28 (NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Isaiah 43:1-3 (TLB) The Lord who created you says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up - the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior.

Romans 5:8 (MSG) God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

III. THE GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS US HOME.

Luke 15:5-6 (NLT) When he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.”

The Gate | June 8, 2025
Pastor Wes Morris

John 10:1-10 (NIV) Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.


✓ OFTENTIMES WE CONFUSE GOD’S PROTECTION WITH RESTRICTION.



✓ WE LIKE THE IDEA OF CONTROL MORE THAN THE POWER OF SURRENDER.



✓ WE ALLOW GATES FROM OUR PAST TO REMAIN OPEN.



I Peter 5:8 (NLT) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.



John 10:10 (NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.



THE GATE


I. KNOW HIS VOICE.

John 10:3-4 (MSG) The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.

Isaiah 43:1 (NLT) Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.

John 20:14-16 (NIV) She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”



II. TRUST HIS PROTECTION.

Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT) Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Psalm 23:4 (GNT) Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.



III. WALK IN HIS FREEDOM.

John 10:9 (NIV) I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Pastor Wes Morris

John 15:1-4 (NLT) I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

√ OUR FAITH FEELS DRY.

√ WE CAN LOOK THE PART BUT WE’RE NOT LIVING THE LIFE.

II Timothy 3:4-5 (TLB) They will betray their friends; they will be hotheaded, puffed up with pride, and prefer good times to worshiping God. They will go to church, yes, but they won’t really believe anything they hear. Don’t be taken in by people like that.

√ WE SEARCH FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL SATISFY.

Psalm 63:1 (NLT) O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

I. STAY CONNECTED. (ABIDING)

John 15:4 (NLT) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

Matthew 18:19 (NIV) Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

James 5:16 (NIV) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

II. EMBRACE PAIN. (PRUNING)

John 15:1-2 (NLT) I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

Romans 5:3 (NLT) We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

III. BE FRUITFUL. (PRODUCING)

John 15:5 (NLT) Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (TLB) When the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

John 15:10-11 (NIV) If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Pastor Wes Morris

John 6:24-35 (NLT) So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you…

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

√ IT'S POSSIBLE TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND HAVE THE WRONG HEART.

John 6:26 (NLT) Jesus replied, “The truth of the matter is that you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you believe in me.

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

I Samuel 16:7 (NIV) Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

√ WE FIND OUR DEEPEST SATISFACTION NOT IN WHAT GOD GIVES, BUT IN TRUSTING WHO HE IS.

John 6:29 (NLT) Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Exodus 33:12-15 (NLT) Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me...14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

√ THE GREATEST GIFT GOD GIVES US IS HIMSELF.

John 6:35 (NLT) I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

I. I CHOOSE GOD‘S WORD OVER THE WORLD’S WAYS.

Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT) During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

II. I CHOOSE SURRENDER OVER STRIVING.

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

III. I CHOOSE LASTING PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE.

Isaiah 26:3

Pastor Bria Bradshaw

John 21:1-3 ESV - After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

✓ WHAT'S FAMILIAR

✓ WHAT'S CONTROLLABLE

John 21:4-8 (ESV) Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

1. WHO WE DEPEND ON CHANGES.

Question - Where is God inviting you to no longer depend on you?

John 21:9-14 (ESV) When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

2. WHERE WE GO SEARCHING CHANGES.

Question - What have you been out searching for?

John 21:15-17 (ESV) When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

3. WHAT WE BELIEVE CHANGES.

Question - What is God saying about it?

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