This Sunday for Palm Sunday, Dr. Brian Thomas lead us through John 12:12–36a in his sermon titled, “The Hour Has Come.”

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The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!”

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

We look forward to worshiping with you!

"Peace Under Pressure" | Acts 23:12-35

Hostility toward the gospel is nothing new. In fact, in Acts 23 we find the apostle Paul at the center of a deadly plot—more than forty men have sworn an oath to kill him. Humanly speaking, it looks like Paul’s mission may be coming to an abrupt end.

But Luke wants us to see something deeper. What appears to be a threat to Paul is actually part of God’s plan to move the gospel forward. Just a few verses earlier, the Lord had told Paul that he would testify about Him in Rome. And no conspiracy, no hostility, and no opposition will stop what God has determined to accomplish.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been asking: How do Christians respond when the gospel is met with hostility? We’ve seen that we can share our testimony—how Christ transformed our lives. We’ve seen that we can build credibility through humility, forgiveness, and clarity about the heart of the gospel: that Jesus Christ died and rose again for sinners like us.

This Sunday, we’re going to see something even deeper: where our peace under pressure comes from. When circumstances are hostile, confusing, or even frightening, we can still have peace because God is not absent. He is actively at work, and He is firmly in control. He holds us fast.

The Bible reminds us again and again that we only see a small part of what God is doing. Behind the scenes, His purposes are unfolding perfectly. That’s why, after losing nearly everything, Job could say with confidence:

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)

The question for us this morning is simple: Do we believe that? And if we do, how does that truth give us peace—even in the hardest situations?

Looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday as a church family. Our sermon is called, Peace Under Pressure. Will you join me in praying that God would come and do in our lives something powerful that fills us all with hope, courage, and peace? See you Sunday. Invite a friend

This Sunday, we looked at Acts 22:30-23:11, where the apostle Paul faces intense hostility—yet God uses that very pressure to grow Paul’s character and advance the gospel mission. Scripture reminds us that our trials are not accidents; they are “necessary” moments where God strengthens our faith and shapes our witness.

Just as Paul’s opposition became a surprising doorway for gospel opportunity, our own hardships can become platforms for clarity, credibility, and courage. When we respond to suffering with trust instead of panic, and faith instead of fear, people around us see the power of Christ at work in real time.

Our message this Sunday is called Resistance and Refinement. Let's explore how God uses the struggles we’d never choose to accomplish the purposes we could never imagine—and how our response to hardship can shine the hope of Jesus to a watching world.

Join us each Sunday at 9 or 11AM as we seek our Lord Jesus with you all. Hope you will join us and invite a friend.

Watch the full sermon on our YouTube Channel - Or check out our website at www.waterbrooke.church.