Pressure Cooker Pt. 2 (Mother’s Day)| Chris & Rachel Gross | Radiant Life Church

Come on.

>> There's something about when we come to

the Lord and just begin to realize, wow,

he just loves me. He loves me right

where I am. And when I just give myself

to him, everything gets lighter,

everything gets easier, and not because

life changes even necessarily, but

because it's not us and it's not us in

control. And you know, I think when we

look to today and we look at what we're

going to be talking about and looking at

pressure and a pressure cooker and how

do we live life when there's just rising

pressure in all areas of our life, uh

what a truth that is for us to surrender

our lives, to surrender and make things

less complicated. Instead, give them to

the Lord. And so, that's where we're

going to be going today. And we're going

to continue our sermon series in John

chap 18. We're going to be in verse 1

through 11 today and just kind of seeing

what he has uh what he has for us. And

today on Mother's Day, want to just

realize, be sure that you know, we see

there are mothers in the room. You're

like, "Woo, there's people in your your

uh in life today in this room that you

feel Mother's Day is a difficult day.

Not an exciting or celebratory day, but

a difficult day. Maybe because of loss

or because of situations or whatever it

may have been in the past. And we want

you to hear that wherever you are today,

you are loved. You are cared for. And we

pray that Jesus speaks to you and moves

in your life and does something special

in your life. He's got you. He sees you

and he knows you. And so we're just so

thankful this morning. So so thankful.

But as we jump in this morning, we

thought we'd take a couple of minutes.

And we are in the middle, I would say,

of just a a season where some things are

changing. Maybe that's every season in

life. Uh but there's some changing

things in life right now for us,

>> right? Every time you think you've got

it all figured out, then something new

happens. Something changes and things

look different. I mean, that's how it

is, right? Just every season.

>> Absolutely. And we're going to talk

later, so you don't necessarily have to

get it yet. But what do we do when the

cup we carry is not one we want to

drink? What do we do when there it's

like I don't want this. I don't I don't

want this to be a part. I don't I don't

want this to be a part of my life. And

so, we're going to get there and see

what Jesus did in a moment just like

that. But thought we'd mention a few

quick things that I would say are we're

in the middle of we're trying to figure

out uh in life and where we are. What

might be a good one?

>> Yeah. So, one of the big ones right now,

our oldest daughter, Lizzy, she just

graduated from high school and she also

graduated from South Eastern University

with her associates degree in

ministerial leadership. And in the fall,

she is leaving us and heading to

Springfield, Missouri to finish that

degree. She's going to be studying

music, studying worship leadership, and

that's a big change. Lizzy brings a ton

of life to our house. She's full of

energy all the time, right? She wants to

be with people all the time. She's like

everywhere. And I I cannot imagine our

home without her in the fall, right?

>> Or even here at the church without her.

Today was I think one of her last times

she gets to lead worship with us because

she'll be in kids church for the next

few months. And so,

>> which just real fast, just so everyone

knows, our kids director, Emma, she's

going to be going to Southeast Asia on

an awesome twomonth missions excursion

experience. And so, Elizabeth is going

to be jumping in and helping us out this

summer. And and uh Liz Clark, she's

going to be helping us be sure we're

rolling. And Elizabeth's going to be

running the dayto-day. And so, so

thankful for Emma. And in fact, be sure

to be praying for her. She's got another

couple weeks and then she is out of here

uh for a couple months. Uh but be

praying also for Elizabeth this summer

season and for our amazing kids. So many

kids every Sunday that are here and are

apart. So that that's a great one. When

I think of college, another part is

we've always felt that we are supposed

to try to do a couple of things with our

kids which one are we want to give them

a co a car at least through college. Now

when we think of a car through college

is great, but we have five kids. So that

means in one exact season, depending how

long they stay in college, that could be

like six cars that we have to have. It's

like, Lord, how do we do it? Or wanting

to support them in college with a a

chunk of money. It's like, Lord, we

don't know, but we feel it's going to

happen. And so we keep saying, Lord, I

I'm not sure, but it's going to happen.

Now, this one, this next one is special

to you. Not so much me, but

>> Yeah. So, we're going on vacation. We

leave Wednesday.

>> That is special. I'm looking forward

>> special. That's amazing. Um, but we're

going to Utah and I've been looking

forward to this because, you know, we're

going to go see all these really cool

things and watch all this fun stuff and

then all of a sudden my reels on

Instagram have been full of like, hey,

look at this hike. Look at this. This is

awesome. And then they're like, "This is

so dangerous. Look, this person died

here a couple weeks ago." And all of a

sudden, I am like less I I'm excited,

but now I'm feeling a little bit of

fear. I'm a little nervous about I'm

envisioning us walking on this trail

that only one person has died on in the

last six years. But yet somehow in my

brain I'm thinking they're all going to

die.

>> It was 13 days ago though. So

>> it was so it was like so fresh and I'm

like oh lord do we really should we

really do this? Do we really want to do

this? And all all of a sudden what was

like super exciting feeling to me now

feels like uh I don't know about this.

What are we doing? Should we do this? Is

that right? And so you can pray for me

>> because we're doing it today have to get

over it. So

>> it's for me.

>> Uh one more. You know, I think when we

think of healthy life, what is a healthy

life and a healthy lifestyle? What does

that look like? And so the last six

months we've been super intentional

about working out and about being

healthy and about just trying to really

take care of ourselves. But the more

important part, but I think they go hand

inand is also the spiritual part and

being really intentional obviously with

daily Bible reading, being in the word,

spending time with Jesus, letting that

be everything in our life. And it's

amazing to see as we go that we always

maybe like all of you probably you can

be hard on yourself. I missed a day or

it's not going or the scale's not doing

what we want or the the the weights

aren't doing, you know, all of the

things of life. And do we get

discouraged by the difficulties or do we

push through and keep going? I don't

know how many times I'm like, it's not

about the scale for either one. It's not

about the scale. It's not about losing

weight. It's about being healthy. And as

we grow and we're healthy and we let God

move, then it's all going to work out,

including maybe the things that we want

to see on a scale or in our Bible time,

>> right? We always want things to be fast

and to go quick. And really what we're

just doing is being disciplined, being

consistent, because we believe that

discipline breeds discipline. And so if

we're disciplined in certain areas of

our life, then we're going to see that

take place all across our life. So it's

discipline and that's hard sometimes.

>> And so when I think of maybe what you

heard Caitlyn talk about a few minutes

ago or maybe one of these really really

practical things that you're like, I

could I could relate with that of fear,

maybe even something other people are

like that's not something you need to be

afraid of, but you are. You're like,

what is going on? or or maybe it's

something with your kids or maybe it's

transition or maybe something's new or

maybe something's not going like it

wanted you wanted it to. We all can be

in these places. And I think when we

look at John 17 as we head to John

John 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18 and where we're headed here

uh today, we look back and we see Jesus

with his disciples in a place where

everyone has elements and fears and

worries and concerns and things that are

happening. But the biggest one of all is

everything is about to change. what was

normal is not going to be normal

anymore. There's going to be a new

normal. Uh but it's not going to be like

it once was. And that's where we're

going to be diving in today and thinking

here about this story. And maybe today

we could really think the mind of Christ

under pressure. We see a few things.

We're going to see torches and weapons

and betrayal and chaos. Everything all

happening at once.

>> Hold on. Hold on. Are we watching

Princess Bride today?

>> That's a great idea. I love it. Princess

Bride. That's got all of it. Like

literally, that is Prince's bride right

there.

>> It's the Bible. It's the Bible.

>> But yes, the Bible. It's John chapter

John 18 · chapter mention

18. And uh so it's going to be a great

great morning. And so I'm just looking

forward to it. Let's take the next 20

minutes or so and see what God would

speak maybe to the moms in the room,

maybe not to the moms in the room, to

whoever you are. And let's see what the

Lord will do this morning.

>> Right. The first thing that we're

noticing is that we're seeing the same

moment in time happen in John chapter

John 18 · chapter mention

18, but it's a different kind of

pressure for the two, right? We've got

Peter that panics and we've got Jesus

who steps forward. The same pressure,

two different minds. And that contrast

is where the story connects to us so

deeply, right? It's not just parenting.

It's not just being a mom, but it's to

all of life. And specifically to us as

moms, it's that pressure doesn't always

come in a neat package, right? It's not

always this pretty thing that like that

we think is just pressure. It's small

things. It's um the the little things.

It's the relationships. It's tension.

It's our responsibilities. The things

that we're like, I didn't ask for this.

I have literally looked at the Lord in

the middle of a circumstance and been

like, "God, I never asked for this."

Homeschooling my kids is one of those

that I said, "I did not want to be a

teacher. I did not go to school to be a

teacher. God, I didn't ask for this."

And yet, he puts us in some of those

positions. And it's not pressure, I

think we have to understand, isn't

something that's happening to us. It's

not the external circumstances, but it's

what's happening inside of us. And it's

how we're responding to those outside

pressures. So today, this isn't all

about being a perfect mom. It's for all

of us that we all need to have the

better response in the situations that

we encounter.

>> Absolutely. You know, I think when we

think of that, the big question driving

today is when pressure hits, do you

panic or do you trust the plan of God

for that moment? That's the big

question,

>> right? Emotional stability, it doesn't

come from taking away the pressure. It

comes from how we respond and that

response comes through our surrender. So

the goal today is that we're going to

learn how to step forward when stress we

see stress when pressure happens. We're

going to learn how to take those steps

how we're going to move forward and

we're going to take a step back. And so

we're going to look at three things

today or three thoughts of what we

should do when pressure rises. as a mom,

as a dad, as an employee or an employer,

as a student, a child, whatever

situation you might be in, we're going

to look at a few things for how do we

respond under pressure.

>> That's right. The first thing we can all

learn to do in times of pressure is

pause the moment. Now, when I think

about my son Chandler, my youngest, he

loves he he's got the controller. He

really loves to control the controller

>> and he loves to get in places and it

drives the other kids nuts and he'll

pause it and then he'll go back and

he'll pause it and like maybe watch the

same thing three or four or 10 times and

you're like I don't know why but you

know I think he's actually pretty smart.

He gets to the moment where it's big in

the movie or the show or the episode and

all of a sudden says I want to see that

again. That was the moment. And what

would happen if that's what we did in

life? And maybe we can't go back, but if

we internally say, "This is a big

moment. I'm going to pause. I'm going to

slow down and I'm going to see what the

Lord would have for me." John 18 opens

uh everything that we talked about last

week in chapter 17 is now about to begin

to roll. The the the season and the the

scene, you could say, the story is about

to continue on. Jesus had anchored

himself in the father. He had trusted

his disciples to the truth of the word

to love and to settled hearts to say,

"You've got the helper that is coming

beyond us. It's going to be good. It's

going to be great." But now it's time

for movement. Movement is about to

begin. So Jesus leaves the quiet place,

the intimate place with the father and

steps into darkness and betrayal and

arrest and suffering and all of the

things that are coming. It's a difficult

moment reminding us that the strength to

stand in hard moments is formed before

the hard moment. Jesus with God before

the hard moment so that when we get to

John 18, he could accomplish the plan of

God. And so let's look today at John

18:es 1-4 and then we'll continue on uh

throughout our time together. But it

says, "When Jesus had spoken these

words, he went out with his disciples

across the brook Kedran where there was

a garden which he and his disciples

entered. Now Judas who betrayed him also

knew the place for Jesus often met there

with his disciples." So Judas having

procured a band of soldiers and some

officers from the chief priests and the

Pharisees went there with lanterns and

torches and weapons. Then Jesus knowing

all that would happen happened to him

came forward and said to them, "Whom do

you seek?"

>> Well, can we see here? We see that when

panic rises, "Pause." That sounds really

practical, but it's really something

spiritual. It's a one of the most

spiritual moves we can make to take time

to pause and to not move so quickly when

we start to panic because panic always

wants speed, right? Panic wants

something to happen. Now, when you feel

panic, you're like, "Something must

happen. Something must change." But John

18 shows us something different. Jesus,

he's surrounded by chaos. He's

surrounded by the weapons. He's

surrounded by betrayal in this moment.

Many reasons to panic. Yet, he doesn't

he doesn't rush. He doesn't jump to the

next thing. Instead, he asks a question.

He creates space for for you to think

and for you to ponder. He slows that

moment down long enough for the truth to

come to light.

Early in our marriage, uh I will say I

used to somehow manage to spill things

all the time. I still do, but that's

more so because I'm carrying too many

things and like when your bag hits you,

your coffee spills everywhere.

>> That's the next sermon we're going to do

together.

>> Yeah, we'll have to work on that. That's

not so much about speed. It's like maybe

carrying too much. I mean, come on,

somebody. We could lay some things at

the altar, right? Um, but I would move.

I would move so fast like sitting at a

table like to grab something or do

something. I spilled my drink all the

time.

>> I I feel like every single meal somehow

it was all the time.

>> I'd spill it on myself. I'd spill it on

him. I'd spill it on the people there

with us. I'm like, what is wrong with

me? I am old enough for my coordination

to be better than that. And yet, I would

do it all the time. And Chris would just

look at me. He'd be like, "Slow, slow

down." I'm like, "Yes, I know." And you

know what? I think I've learned because

I don't spill things all the time.

>> You don't

>> either that or I set them further away

from me. So, I can't I don't know. One

of the two.

>> It's growth either way. It's growth.

>> So, the but this is where I want to talk

to moms for a m moment. Okay. A lot I

said already that a lot of pressure

happens not from what's happening

outside of us, but about what's

happening inside of us. And I think that

we can look at our external

circumstances

so much like the baby is crying. I have

to feed the kids. I'm working this job

and I have to clean here and I have to

do this and all of this stuff that we're

feeling and then we start to feel

overwhelmed. And it's not because of all

that stuff so much. Yes, there are times

when the Lord asks us to lay something

down and we need to be obedient and say

that is not for me in this season and I

need to not do that. But so often it

comes because of what we're feeling

inside because we have put the pressure

on ourselves that we have to do it all.

We have to be perfect. We have to make

it happen. Like what Caitlyn was saying

before, that's not what that Lord has

asked for us. The Lord's asked for our

obedience and our surrender. And so it

it has nothing to do really with what's

happening outside, but really what's

happening inside.

Pausing, taking time is not weakness.

Pausing is kindness. It's kindness to

your own soul. And so remember that

you're not just you're not failing

because you feel pressure. It's not

failure to feel that you are human.

That's right. Like if you didn't

remember, you are human and the world

wants to tell you you are super human

and you have to have it all figured out

and all together. But you are human. And

so it's not failure to take a second and

have to pause.

>> Absolutely. You know, when you think of

this story, you think of Jesus who he

says, "Whom do you seek?" And we're

going to look in a few minutes, but I'm

going to jump ahead. And you see Peter,

he doesn't pause. If you know the story,

he he pulls his sword and he starts

cutting ears off and stuff like I'm not

sure. I just have to go real fast.

Pastor Nate, like if you're ever going

to pull the sword out, I don't know if

the ear is the number one spot like to

just try to cut off. But that's what

Peter uh went for. And you know, he's

thinking that this is good. It's it's

happening. He he's standing up for

Jesus. But panic-filled situations and

reactions almost always create

collateral damage.

>> When I'm responding to the moment

instead of waiting on what the Lord has,

then we've got to clean up messes and

issues and problems in the future. Peter

cared tremendously about Jesus, but

panic didn't lead him to the right

things or to the right results because

he jumped outside of the father's plan.

So, think of it today. Panic is loud,

but wisdom is patient. Panic jumps you

to something maybe you shouldn't be at,

but wisdom says, "Lord, what do you have

and what do you want me to do?"

>> And this moves far beyond like one of

the most important roles that a person

can have as being a mom. But it moves

well beyond that. It moves into your

workplace, the email that you send

because you're upset about something or

the conversation that you have because

you just want to win and you have to

fight for for you what you have. The

decisions that you make because your

anxiety is tired of waiting and so you

just jump at a decision and you jump at

a thing.

Pausing doesn't mean that you're going

to ignore the problem. Pausing means

that you refuse to let fear decide what

your next move is. Some of the most

healing moments of my life didn't come

quickly, but it came from slowing down

long enough to sit and know what the

father wanted me to do, what God was

asking me to do, so that I could respond

in love instead of responding in

control. Because firing something off is

almost always because we're trying to

take the control, not allowing it just

to sit and figure out what it is that

God wants to say. So, someone might need

to hear this today. We don't have

swords, but we do have tone. And our

tone matters.

>> How big is that, right? Anybody else?

Thankfully, you shouldn't probably carry

a sword to work. But boy, our mouth, our

tongue, what we say, what we do, how we

say it

>> can matter so much. And you know, I

think this is something we've had to

learn together because if you didn't

know, I'm a guy, she's a girl. We

process things a little bit differently,

>> right? He wants to fix things

>> and she wants to understand and talk it

through.

>> Yeah, I do. But panic, panic doesn't

need either one. It just needs a pause.

We don't have to fix it. We don't have

to talk it out. Sometimes we just need

to pause.

>> Pause. And I'll tell you what, our best

conversations are not when we hit it

head-on and right in the moment when

everything's t intense, but when we just

wait a minute, maybe five minutes will

change everything in a conversation or

in a situation or in a battle that

you're facing together, whatever it

might be. So, we've learned that pausing

often saves us from cleaning up later.

>> You could say it this way. Pause now

>> or apologize later.

>> Or apologize later. And guys, I know

there's some guys in this room that you

hate it. You hate to have to apologize.

So, this is what I would encourage you.

You need to apologize when you need to

apologize. But if we pause longer, we'll

apologize less. And that's a win for

everyone.

>> That's right. So, here's the first

challenge today. Not just for moms, but

for all of us this week, okay? When

panic rises, what do we do? We pause.

When panic rises, pause before we

respond, before we decide, before a

conversation.

>> And you know, it might be just praying

one sentence. Not not like 10 or 15 or

having to do this whole devotion, but

maybe it's just a quick pause and it's

Lord, would you lead me in my next step?

Lord, would you lead me in my next word?

And that could be at your office with a

project that you don't know how to

accomplish. Lord, would you lead me?

That could be with a co-orker or someone

that you really don't want to pause. You

want to tell them what you think. Lord,

would you lead me? Let me talk like you

do. Maybe it's with our wife or our

kids. Wherever it would be, let's pause.

That one sentence can make such a huge

difference because the goal isn't to

eliminate pressure. It's to change who

leads when pressure shows up.

>> That's right. That's right. So that

leads us into our next thing that we

have to decide when pressure is on the

rise. And that the second thing is that

we need to release control.

We have to release control. That's so

hard, isn't it, Pastor Chris? It is.

>> It is. So let's look at the next several

verses in pastor or in John uh chapter

18. It's verses 5-10. And they say,

"They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus said to them, I am he. Judas who

betrayed him was standing with them.

When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they

drew back and fell to the ground. So he

asked them again, "Whom do you seek?"

And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

Jesus said, "I answered you that I am

he. So if you seek me, let these men

go." This was to fulfill the word that

he had spoken. Of those whom you gave

me, I have lost not one. Then Simon

Peter having a sword drew it and struck

the high priest's servant and cut off

his right ear. One of the hardest things

for us as moms and honestly for a lot of

us is realizing how control often

disguises itself as care. We think if I

just manage this better, if I just do

all these things and I just make sure. I

think that's my my thing I say to the

kids all the time. I'm just making sure

you're okay. It it is we think that it's

care. But really it is pressure. It's a

way of exposing the truth that our grip

becomes tighter. And the more our grip

becomes tighter, the more we try to

control, the more anxious we feel,

right? And so trying to have all that

control. So instead of peace increasing,

fear starts leading and that's what we

end up doing. The control doesn't calm

us down. That's what we're trying to do

is try to take away that anxiety, trying

to take away that fear by trying to

control it. But it doesn't do that. It

doesn't calm us. Instead, it exhausts

us.

>> So that means when the kids are on the

edge of the mountain in Utah, you're

going to be good. Not going to check in.

That's right.

>> Yes.

>> I might Can I say don't run? Like stop

running.

>> Okay, I guess that's okay. That's okay.

Wisdom is allowed as well. Wisdom is

allowed.

>> Across the bridge, I think we should

hold on to the rail.

>> I love it. But when you think about this

and you think of Peter's response in the

garden, right? He's like all in. He's

pulling swords out. He's doing the

things that it's like, "Ah, I don't know

if that was what God had. In fact, I do

know because Jesus is like, "Stop it.

Knock it off." Right? He takes control.

He swings first. He reacts. But John

makes it clear. Peter wasn't wrong

because he cared too much. Right? It

It's not like, "I don't care. I'm doing

this." It's that's not what it is. But

it's the wrong place that we put our

trust. And instead, we allow panic to

rise. And panic always convinces us that

control is the solution. When in

reality, control is often the source of

the chaos we're trying to stop. Jesus is

the source. Right? panic. It promised

safety but delivers collateral damage.

>> And this shows up everywhere. It shows

up in our conversations where we

interrupt instead of t sitting and

listening because we think we have the

answer. It shows up in our relationships

where we push instead of trusting. It

shows up when we micromanage because we

don't feel safe unless we're in charge.

And this is especially true for moms,

right? I already I think alluded to this

a little bit because love the love that

we have for our family it has trained us

to protect the ones that we love and so

we we try to take control but when

pressure rises that protection quickly

turns itself into control and that

control feels powerful. It feels like we

h have it all figured out but it rarely

produces peace for us in our lives. If

control actually stopped anxiety,

I think we'd all be free. So many of us

because we we can struggle with that

because we we feel fear and we feel

anxiety. If that anxiety could fix it,

then we would not have any problems. Yet

it doesn't, right? We we don't see that

happen.

>> And you know Jesus, he stops Peter

immediately. He doesn't shame him. He

doesn't lecture him, right? Sometimes I

think that's what we feel like ah what

have I done or God hates me or no that's

not it.

It's simply put your sword in its

sheath. In other words, this is not how

the father plans to move forward. In

other words, he's saying Peter, you're

not in control. Let the father be in

control in this situation. Peace isn't

found in winning the moment. It's found

in surrendering every bit of control.

Lord, I give it to you. Jesus isn't

passive here. He's decisive, but his

decisiveness comes from trust in God, in

the Father, not fear. And that's the

difference.

>> And this is something we've had to learn

in real time because one of us wants to

fix everything and the other one wants

to just talk it through and figure

everything out.

>> And both of those come from love. They

both come from I care for you. I want it

to be fixed. I want to take control. I

want to make it happen. But neither one

brings peace into a relationship or into

a home or into a situation. So we've

learned to ask a better contra a better

question. Is this about control or is

this about trust? So that we can really

think through it because control feels

strong but trust actually is.

>> So here's our second challenge for the

week. Protect your peace more than your

control.

>> You don't have to manage everything. You

don't have to fix everyone. You don't

have to carry what God never intended

for you to carry.

>> And when we stop holding on to things so

tightly, we actually make room for

surrender. Because if we can't be

surrendered, if we're holding on to our

own thing, we have to be willing to open

our hands and let it go and give it to

the Lord. And that leads us into our

final thing today, which is how to keep

the peace in our lives when the pressure

rises up. And so this next verse that we

have, the last verse today really show

us us that we need to surrender the cup.

Verse 11. So Jesus said to Peter, "Put

your sword into its sheath. Shall I not

drink the cup that the father has given

me?" After the chaos, after the sword

swing, after the panic, Jesus says

something that slows the whole scene

down again. Put your sword into its

sheath. Shall I not drink the cup that

the father has given me? And this word

cup here, it matters. It matters in

scripture. The cup represents what God

allows, what he assigns or what he does

not remove even though it will cost

something. Maybe you've been in a place

and you're like, I I don't want this

cup. I I don't want to deal with this

sickness or I don't want to have this

situation in my life. But I want you to

know Jesus isn't surprised by the cup.

He sees what your cup is and he saw his

and he named it. Instead of resisting

it, he surrendered to it.

>> Surrender to the father is not weakness,

but instead it's trust.

>> And so I want to speak really honestly

for a minute to us in the room,

especially us moms. A lot of the

pressure that we feel in our life comes

because we're fighting a cup that we

don't want to drink. It's because we're

having to do something that we don't

want to do. And sometimes that is in

those everyday little things like I do

not want to change another diaper. I

love this baby but I don't want to do

that. And we we fight that. So we feel

sorry for ourel because h I have to get

up in the middle of the night or oh I

have to deal with this thing because

we're fighting what God has placed

before us in that moment. It could be

responsibilities that we feel that just

feel heavy because we have to be dealing

with it. It could be a season of life

that we didn't ask to be in. Maybe the

season that you're in was not expected

and it isn't pretty and we're fighting

that. It could be a a moment of

transition in your life where like we

have with Lizzy where we're feeling

pride for our daughter and grief at the

same time because she's not going to be

here, right? So, when we feel those

things, not fighting that cup because

the cup when we fight it causes us to

panic. That's when we feel all that

pressure because we don't want to be in

the season that we're in. And you can

feel two things at the same time. And we

tell ourselves, if I just fight harder,

if I just take more control, if I stay

on edge, then it's all going to if I

keep people safe, it's I'm going to have

it all figured out and it's all going to

be fine if I just do all those things.

But what actually happens is we lose our

peace when we start to look at the cup

God's given us and resent the cup

because it's not what we wanted. And so

while we're trying to protect

everything, we lose our peace. But

surrender doesn't mean that you stop

loving. It doesn't mean you stop caring.

It doesn't mean you stop fighting. But

it means that you stop carrying whatever

God has placed for you, the things that

God's given you that you weren't meant

to carry alone. That is the key. We are

maybe meant to carry that cup, but we

weren't meant to do it by oursel.

>> Peter, our peace is not found in

resistance. Peace is found in surrender.

Jesus is calm here. Not because the

pressure is small. It's the opposite.

It's massive. But because his posture is

settled, he trusts the father with the

outcome. He's given it to him already.

And this is crucial. Jesus doesn't say

the cup is easy. He says the cup is

given. Meaning there's purpose even

here.

>> Pressure doesn't mean God is absent. It

often means God is forming something

deeper than comfort.

We walk through these seasons and

through these moments when it's hard and

we don't want it, we don't like it, we

don't know, or maybe it's great and we

want to just stay in that forever. And

that's not what it is. We've got to give

it to the Lord. Peace isn't the absence

of a hard cup, but confidence in who

handed it to you. And maybe someone

needs to hear today. God's got you. He

loves you. It doesn't mean it's easy. It

doesn't mean all this is simple. No, but

he's got you. and he has confidence that

with his spirit and his strength, you

can make it. He's going to walk every

step with you.

>> So many of us are exhausted because

we're resisting reality instead of

surrendering to grace. Instead of giving

it to the Lord, we're fighting our

season instead of asking God, how do you

want to meet me here? What does God want

to do in you and through you in the

season that you're in? How does he want

to be something to you that maybe he you

wouldn't see him as if you weren't

walking in that season? Surrender isn't

giving up. It's letting go of the belief

that you have to hold everything

together.

Some of the anxiety that we carry. It

isn't from the cup from itself, but it's

from refusing to place that cup into the

hands of God. So, you don't have to like

the cup, but you have to trust it to the

father.

>> Absolutely. This has been real. you

mentioned a moment ago, Elizabeth, or we

didn't mention this before, but our kids

get into an age where all of a sudden

they have crushes on people and it's

like, what is happening? Or if it's

finances trying to set them up for their

future or if it's vacations, whatever

those things are, there's continual a

cup that's given. Some that are super

fun and others that you're like, can we

skip this part? Can we can we just take

a a pause on this? Like a forever pause

on this?

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> And no, the Lord gives those things to

us. He entrusts them to us for our good

or maybe for somebody's good around us

so we can fulfill his plan.

>> Right. What used to feel familiar now

starts to feel unknown. And we've had to

learn again that peace doesn't come from

trying to control the next chapter.

Right? But it comes from surrendering

the next chapter that we're in.

>> And you have to remember you can't have

peace and have to control everything at

the same time. It's impossible.

>> So, here's the third challenge today for

anyone who's feeling under pressure

right now. Name your cup. You got to

name it so that you know what it is. But

it's not to resent it. It's not to deny

it, but it's to bring it honestly before

God. You have to recognize what is it

that you're fighting. What is it that

he's put you in so that you can honestly

come before the Lord and give it to him.

>> And then you have to choose surrender

every day. And not just once. If you've

got it down to once, that's great. But

if you're like most of us in the room,

you continually bring it to the Lord.

You continually give it to the Lord.

Lord, you've got it. Help me.

>> And when you surren when you learn to

surrender the cup, then you will make

room for peace. And that's where we will

find our peace.

>> So here's the simple way we carry this

into real life. When panic rises,

>> pause and pray one honest sentence.

Lord, lead my next step. And when

pressure tries to make you grab control,

>> release it and protect your peace more

than your power.

>> And when the weight feels heavier than

you expected,

>> then name the cup and surrender it back

to the father.

>> Remember, you don't have to eliminate

all the pressure.

>> But you do get to choose who leads you

through it

>> because pause the moment. Release

control. Surrender the cup.

>> And let peace replace panic in your

life.

You know, I think as we close this

morning, whether you're a a mom in the

room, maybe whether you're in a season

that it's easy and fun, or maybe it's

so, so difficult. These things are so

practical, but it's about that first

step of pausing. It's about looking to

the Lord. It's about saying, "Lord,

you've got it." And when we do, you can

make it through anything. And I want to

encourage you if you're in an especially

difficult season, an especially

difficult moment even right now that you

would just ask the Lord, would you come?

Would you give me your wisdom? Would you

help me? For some of us in the room, we

want to control every single thing there

is. We want we want to we want to be in

control. We want to be telling it what

to happen. And we have to realize that

sometimes that's not what we're called

to do. We don't get to control it all,

but we get to surrender it all. and let

Jesus tell us what our next step is. So

that we can be healthy, so we can have

peace,

>> so we can love well and pour the love of

Jesus out to his world.

>> Pastor Rachel, would you mind as we

close, as we think through that, would

you mind just praying a prayer of

blessing over us and uh just that God

would use us, but also specifically

today, the moms, the ladies among us,

that they will feel blessed and honored

in a special way.

>> Absolutely. Father, we thank you so much

for today. God, we thank you for this

word that reminds us that we're not in

control, God, but you are. And so today,

God, we pause and we take a minute to to

say, "Lord, have your way." God, we

pause to say, "Lead my next step, Lord."

And God, we give it to you and we place

it in your hands. And God, I pray that

today if there's anything, any person in

this room, Lord, who needs to surrender

something to you, Lord, that you would

just show them what that is, the things

that they're holding on to, the things

that they're trying to control, God, and

that they would surrender it to you

today. That they'd lay it at your feet.

Father, I pray that you would be with us

today, God, that you would bless us.

You'd help us to walk in your peace.

You'd help us to walk in your goodness,

God, in your faithfulness, Lord. May we

recognize who you are and that you are

always good, God, and we can trust you.

Father, I pray you would bless the moms

in the house today, God. I pray that you

would give them just sweet sleep

tonight, Lord. God, that this day would

be full of just relaxing, God, and would

be full of love, Lord. Whatever it is

that they love to do, Lord, I pray that

they would be able to do that. And God,

that they would feel the love of their

families today, God. And they would feel

the love of you most of all, God. that

they are seen, that they are known, that

they are loved, God, and whatever stage

of momhood that is, Lord, if it's the

waiting mom, if it's the hurting mom, if

it's the mom in the trenches, Lord, or

if it's the a grieving mom, Lord, I pray

that any of them today, Lord, would just

feel the love of the father. So, be with

us today, God. You are so good and we're

so grateful for you and who you are and

who you are in our lives. So, we love

you today, Jesus. Be with us. We thank

you. It's in your name I pray, Father.

Amen.

>> Amen. Amen. I want to say one more thing

before we close this morning, and that's

that if you are here and if you've never

given your life to Jesus, you've never

said, "I want to make you the Lord of my

life." Then here in a moment, Pastor

Nate, he's going to be right up here at

the front. And as the service ends, I

want to encourage you. Talk to whoever

you came with or come talk to Pastor

Nate. Or maybe you just need

encouragement. you just need a little

boost in your life and you you need to

have someone just pray with you that

Jesus will walk with you this week. Come

talk to Pastor Nate. But we are so

thankful. That's what we're all it's all

about is saying, "Jesus, lead us." And

if that's your first time, you need to

rededicate. Don't leave today without

taking that step of just asking, "Lord,

forgive me of my sins. Make me new. I

make you the Lord of my life, in your

words, in your way." And he welcomes

you. And there's nothing quite like it.

Well, I'm thankful because this morning

it's Mother's Day all day long. In fact,

and for all of our mothers, our ladies

over 18 years old today, uh we have a

special free treat for you, which we

have a a coffee, specialty coffees out

front in the coffee truck. And uh so we

just want to invite you to go enjoy. In

fact, hang out. It's a beautiful

morning. Stay 5, 10, 15 minutes, 20

minutes, meet somebody new. If you say,

"I don't know anybody." Let's fix that

and walk up to someone and say, "Hey, my

name is Chris." Tell them your name,

though. And uh meet somebody new today.

Meet a few new people. and we want to

celebrate and just be an encouragement

to one another. So, be sure to hang out

out front for a few minutes. And in the

process, if you have children here

today, this seems perfect. If there's a

husband in the house, why don't you,

dad, go get the kids. Let let the wife

go and get some coffee, get in line,

then you can meet up with them. So, uh,

some of you dads, maybe that'll be your

first time ever doing that. You should

go get the kids. Uh, then meet them out

there. And uh let's have a great

morning. Uh the rest of our morning

celebrating the moms, the ladies with

the motherly heart in the house today.

And we're just so thankful for you and

uh nothing quite like it. We would not

be literally we would not be here

without our moms. So we're so thankful

for you and pray a blessing on you.

Thank you, Rachel. So much fun to preach

and to get to do this together. Uh

there's nothing quite like it. So let's

give let's give Rachel this morning just

a applause. Amazing. Amazing as always.

But as we exit today, we'll say the the

big line together.

>> All right.

>> Be careful what you watch. Be careful

what you listen to. Be careful what you

talk about. Savor the presence of Jesus.

Have a great Mother's Day.

You said,