How to Find Clarity | John Challinor

Well, good morning. I don't know about you across

screens, so Paulding, good morning to you, and

Baghdad, good morning to you, and anywhere you

find yourselves, like Mike and Debbie, who are

in Colorado Springs, I don't know what you experience

through a screen, but may we have more of the

Holy Spirit moving in our lives. I don't know

what you sense God is up to, but I do know this.

He sees you. He knows you and he wants to speak

to you today. There is a holy confidence that

if you will open yourself up and you will let

the Holy Spirit have his way with you today,

meaning let him speak, let him guide, let him

convict you, you will leave here differently.

And let's be honest, that's why you showed up.

I don't think anybody shows up to church just

because they're like, this will be boring and

then we'll get out of here. Right. I hope that

I hope that what God's doing is he's stirring

in you. And I hope that's happening with you

here across screens like the Holy Spirit is just

as present in Colorado Springs as he is right

here. I can't I can't get the image out of my

head, you guys, of the earth with no strings

attached. And that God knows every single person

on there, so not only is there no strings holding

it up, he knows every single person on there,

he knows every single person in this room, he

knows every single thing that's on your heart,

and he knows exactly what you need. That's the

holy confidence of this moment. If not, let's

just go home. Formula One started early because

of the storm. I can go watch Formula One. I'm

sure you can find something that you think is

better than Formula One. I doubt it, but sure,

try. We're heading into a new collection, and

it's called Where Is Your Limit? Maybe personalize

that. Where is my limit? Now, sometimes we create

collections, and we're like, oh, we want you

to remember the title. I don't care if you remember

this title or not. I care that you remember the

question, because I think the question is important.

But where is my limit? Where is your limit? But

what I really hope and what I really feel is

there is a cultural moment here that the church

needs to have a conversation about, that we need

to be engaged in, that we remember the concepts

and the conversation, and that's what we carry

forward because we are in a cultural moment in

2026. And what I mean, kind of to highlight this,

is this idea of what is my limit and how this

all works. I got to play around with one of these

this week, so I was like, I'm going to play with

it some more. But just to show you that it is

on and is working, if I can figure out how to

make it work, right? You can wave because you're

on. It is not a kiss cam, people. It is not a

kiss cam. We don't need no Coldplay moments up

in here. That's a bad joke. You shouldn't laugh

at that joke. But just to prove that it is on.

But isn't it interesting that if we go over here,

and I was to ask you what you see, what is that?

Bass guitar. You didn't even say guitar. Well

done. You came right out the gate with bass guitar.

But here's what's interesting, right? If we do

this. Maybe. What is it? It didn't change what

it is. The answer is still a bass guitar. Right?

But you're not able to make out the detail that

you once could, right? Same as if I go over here,

which I'm going to make you all sick right now.

Okay, I need you to do me a favor. This is a

pedal board, just so we're clear. Can you tell

me the make and model of the numbers on each

pedal? Anybody? Why not? Because it's out of

focus. If you're taking notes, my view becomes

distorted. It's okay. It's blurry for you guys.

You're not on camera the whole time. It's blurry.

They can't even make out who you are. You're

fine. If you're taking notes, my view becomes

distorted when the focus is wrong. My view becomes

distorted when the focus is wrong. There's a

story. In Luke chapter 22, in the life of Jesus,

Luke 22 · chapter mention

and maybe just kind of as a let you know what

I'm doing instead of just doing it. And you're

going, what was that all about? I don't want

you to be confused. And so you ever watch one

of those movies or TV shows and they kind of

show you what happened here and you don't really

have all the details. So you're like, I don't

know what this is. Like, why did they do that?

Or who are they? And then the rest of the time

they backfill with the story. So you're like,

oh, that makes sense now. It's kind of the same

thing here. We're going to jump ahead in the

story and we're going to ask the question, how

did they get there? And in Luke 22, 47, it says

this. While he, Jesus, was still speaking, a

crowd came up and the man who was called Judas,

one of the 12 was leading them. He approached

Jesus to kiss him. OK, so we're given this moment

in time where. To catch everybody up, you had,

Jesus had disciples, then he had 12 disciples

that he called to follow him. Those 12 disciples,

it says that Judas is one of those 12, one of

the ones that was closer to Jesus. It's been

a lot of time with Jesus walking with him. And

the next thing it says in verse 48, but Jesus

asked him, Judas, are you betraying the son of

man with a kiss? He's calling Judas out. He's

going, Judas, you're here to betray me. And I

don't know how you feel, but this guy walked

with Jesus. This guy saw the good, the bad, the

indifferent, the moments of Jesus that were mundane,

the moments that were super important. He heard

Jesus talk about what's really vital, what Jesus

was here to do. And yet one of the 12, he didn't

get it. You could say his view is distorted of

who Jesus is. Because his focus is in the wrong

place. And so you have this moment. It's okay,

I feel the same, honestly. Verse 49 says, when

Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen,

so they see this crowd coming, they see the betrayal,

they said, Lord, should we strike with our swords?

And one of them struck the servant of the high

priest, cutting off his right ear. So we're told

in the story now, another one of the 12 who've

been with Jesus, he whips out a sword like, and

the ear's on the ground. Because you build the

kingdom of God one ear at a time, okay? Let me

ask you, when did Jesus say the kingdom was going

to be taken by swords? Anybody remember that

if you've been around Jesus for a while? No.

There's nowhere where Jesus says that his kingdom

is going to be put in place through violence.

And yet, one of his followers, one is betrayed,

another one of the 12, he's cutting off ears.

And you start to get this picture of like, how?

How did we get to this point, which Jesus says

in 51, but Jesus answered after cutting off the

right ear, no more of this. And he touched the

man's ear and it healed him. What was that like?

You just watch the guy's ear get cut off in front

of you. And it doesn't say that Jesus picks up

the ear, by the way. It says that he touches.

His ear and heals him, which tells me that Jesus

doesn't need to use all the old stuff to make

things new. He doesn't need it. And so you have

this moment where you go, what is happening?

How did we get here? If you jump back, we're

going to go to Matthew because Matthew kind of

lays out the story a little in a little more

detail for us. But the story right before what

we just read. There's a moment that happens in

Matthew 26, 36. Then Jesus went with his disciples

to a place called Gethsemane. So he goes to a

garden with his disciples. He said to them, sit

here while I go over there and pray. He took

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with

him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Okay, a couple of things just to make sure we're

in the story together. So Jesus comes to the

garden. He takes all the disciples and he goes,

hey, you guys stay here while I go over there

and I pray. You just sit here while I go over

and pray. And then he takes three of them with

him and he takes them further. Now they're separated

from the group and they're along with him. And

it says specifically that he becomes sorrowful.

This is really important that we keep these parts

straight. Jesus is becoming sorrowful and troubled.

Jesus is the one who is experiencing the sorrow

and experiencing a troubled soul. Verse 38, he

said to them, my soul, my soul is overwhelmed

with sorrow. So now he's speaking to the three.

My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point

of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. Hey,

for anybody in the room that are like feelings

shouldn't be shared, Jesus didn't get the memo.

I had somebody text me in between. He goes, man,

what stands out to me is that Jesus shared his

feelings with them. So he expresses, he expresses

my soul. My soul is overwhelmed to the point

of death. And so what does he tell them to do?

Stay here and keep watch. That word keep watch

is to be actively intentional in alertness. You

are actively intentional, right? Like you are

working at being alert. There's undertones here.

So it's larger than just stay awake, guys. This

is like, no, I need you. I need you to be active

and intentional. You have a role to play in my

sorrow being over and my soul being overwhelmed

to the point of death. There's a moment here

where he says, he says, not only is it or the

wording there, not only is it that you are. that

you are active and alert and intentional, but

you are spiritually attentive to what is happening.

He's telling them, be spiritually alert. Be spiritually

alert. Know what's happening in these moments

in the kingdom, in the bigger picture of God.

Be spiritually alert. Hey guys, my soul is overwhelmed,

but what I need from you is that you are spiritually

alert with me. Verse 39, going a little farther,

he fell on his face. Fell with his face to the

ground and prayed. So now Jesus, who's overwhelmed

to death, begins to pray. My father, if it is

possible, may this cup be taken from me, yet

not as I will, but as you will. What is Jesus

doing? He's overwhelmed. He's on his face. But

notice what he does. He prays. And what happens?

God aligns. God the Father aligns his will. It's

in prayer that Jesus is aligned. It's in prayer

that Jesus gets focus on what God the Father

in the big picture is doing. And he, in that

moment, aligns himself now to the Father. It's

through prayer that he does that. That when his

soul was overwhelmed, when he didn't know what

to do, when he is to the point of death, it says

that he falls down and he prays. And in that

moment, his... Spirit is aligned with what God

wants. He's aware of what God's calling him to.

He's aware of what God's doing in the moment.

Verse 40, then he returned to his disciples.

Remember the ones who were active and spiritually

attentive? And found them sleeping. I don't know

how you feel. I would have kicked them. I'm just

being honest. Like, if I'm overwhelmed to the

point of death and you go to sleep, That's not

a good time. Couldn't you men, Jesus says, couldn't

you men keep watch with me for one hour? He asked

Peter. We were sitting in a teaching prep, teaching

team this week, and somebody said, it's interesting,

he talks to Peter. It's kind of fascinating that

he talks to Peter, because he's referencing a

group, but he singles out Peter. And I just got

some processing. Why would that be? Well, you

go to the story before it, and what do you find?

They're sitting at the communion table, right?

I don't know what your background is, the Eucharist,

the Lord's Supper, whatever that is, right? They're

sitting in the upper room at the last meal together

where Jesus gives the communion command, so to

speak. And in that moment, what does Peter do?

Peter's like, I got you. This is not going to

happen. In fact, I'll go to prison for you. In

fact, I'll die for you, Jesus. To which then

Jesus is like, hey, yeah, there's going to be

this whole thing about you denying me. But Peter's

what? Peter is the guy that's standing up and

going, no, we're with you. We'll go to death

with you. Isn't it interesting that we love the

big things for God? No, if it means we're going

to do this for the kingdom, we'll go do that

for the kingdom. And Jesus goes, you know what?

I just need you to be aware of your own soul

and pay attention to the spiritual temperature

around you and what I'm doing. And we're like.

Isn't it interesting that when God asks us to

do the little thing, we often can't do the little

thing, but we're so committed to the big thing.

Notice what he says, watch and pray. Watch and

pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I don't doubt it, you guys. My whole world for

you, God. And we mean it, right? Like our spirit

is like, yes, there's something right about this,

right? And yet we fall at the slightest thing.

Our spirit is so willing, like I'll go and die

for you. Just don't ask me to stay awake right

now. You can feel the humanity in the whole thing

where we go, no, I get this. This resonates.

Notice what he told them. He said, verse 41,

watch and pray so that you will not fall into

temptation. It's interesting that word temptation.

So, so first of all, Jesus gives them an invitation

to pray. So in the midst of like. falling asleep

and not being able to do, and the flesh is willing,

or the spirit is willing, flesh is weak. He goes,

hey, pray. Pray. Slow down and align yourself

with God the Father. And he goes, specifically

align yourself that you won't fall into temptation.

Now, the word temptation is the idea of trials.

Don't fall for the trials that are coming, is

what Jesus is saying. Now, some scholars... that

are way smarter than me, that wrote books and

commentaries and all that kind of stuff. They

claim that there's different camps out there,

but one of them is, no, Jesus was telling them

they were going to face similar things, so be

ready that you don't fall into those things.

I don't buy that. I buy that Jesus is in the

moment with them and Jesus is teaching them something

that will be vital. And so I believe that he's

telling them, hey, don't fall. Pray, get spiritually

aligned with God so that when you step from this

moment, the trials you're about to face, you

don't fall into the temptation that's there.

I mean, think about it for a second. Think what

happens from this moment. They leave this moment

and we're cutting off ears. We leave this moment

and one of the guys who's been integral with

Jesus at this moment denies Jesus. They begin

to hide. They scatter and hide. They're confused.

They don't understand what's happening. So they

hide some more after he's raised from the dead,

right? There's all these things that you go,

he was preparing them by trying to align them

to what God was doing and they missed it in the

moment. Verse 42, he went away a second time

and prayed. My father. If it is not possible

for this cup to be taken, unless I drink it,

may your will be done. He's aligning himself

through prayer again. When he came back again,

he found them sleeping because their eyes were

heavy. So he left them, verse 44. So he left

them and went away once more. He gets back and

they're sleeping again. He's like, I'm done.

I'm done with you guys. I'm just going to go

do my thing. So he left them and went away once

more and prayed the third time saying, The same

thing. So he aligns himself the third time. Then

he returned to the disciples and said to them,

are you still sleeping and resting? You guys

have had like hours. You're still sleeping? Look,

the hour has come and the son of man is delivered

into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go. Here

comes my betrayer, which gets us to the point

we started out at. In Luke chapter 22, same story

Luke 22 · chapter mention

is captured. A few more details are added. Luke

Luke 22:39

22 verse 39, Jesus went out as usual to the Mount

of Olives, to the garden of Gethsemane, and his

disciples followed him. On reaching the place,

he said to them, pray, pray that you will not

fall into temptation. Sounds familiar, right?

Like we just went through this, you just heard

this, right? Like pray that you don't give in

to the trials ahead. He withdrew about a stone's

throw beyond them and knelt down and prayed,

Father. If you are willing, take this cup from

me, yet not my will, yours be done. So he's aligning

himself in prayer. We've already covered this.

It's all similar. Look at this, verse 43. An

angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened

him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly,

and his sweat was like drops of blood falling

to the ground. An angel came and strengthened

him. I was like, wait, excuse me? Because there's

a group of people that are sleeping. But the

same opportunity is given to them. Jesus goes

and he prays and he aligns himself with what

God is doing. And it says that as he does that,

the outcome of that is that an angel shows up

and ministers to him and strengthens him and

gets him ready for what's ahead, which tells

me that the same thing was available to the disciples

and they completely missed it. Right, the same

opportunity. I mean, think about it. My mind's

been like racing with this lately because I'm

like, oh my gosh, there's so many times I'm in

a moment that I just like, I'm gonna do it. We'll

just keep pressing through. And I'm like, how

many times have I maybe missed an angel showing

up and ministering to me because I didn't slow

down and align myself with what God was actually

doing? What if you have angels available to you

today? What if what you're going through, God's

already ready and willing to provide what you

need to get through it? But you're too busy doing

what you need. Listen to what it says. Verse

45, when he rose from prayer and went back to

the disciples, he found them asleep. We're like,

yeah, we already read this. We know they were

sleeping. Listen to these next words, exhausted

from sorrow. He adds that detail. exhausted from

sorrow. I read this, you guys, like a couple

of months ago, and I'm like, I have never seen

that before. First, I have never seen that Jesus,

in the midst of his own sorrow, he actually cares

for them like a father with his kids. He goes,

pray that you, he's helping them in the moment

that he is overwhelmed to death. And I'm like,

that's amazing, first and foremost, because I

wouldn't have done that. But the only way you

do that is if you're aligned to God. And so in

that moment, what I didn't see is they were exhausted

from sorrow. Exhausted from sorrow. That wording

in the original means that they were carrying

a burden so great, it overwhelmed them to the

point they could not function. They were carrying

something so great, the grief that they were

carrying. Now, hang on. What did we read in the

last story? Whose was the grief and the sorrow?

Jesus. And what have they done? They've taken

the sorrow and grief from Jesus, and they're

now choosing to what? Carry it. It was never

theirs to carry in the first place. And because

they're carrying something that wasn't theirs

to carry, they're exhausted and missing what

God's doing in there. In their life. They're

missing the moment of angels ministering. They're

missing the moment of aligning. They're missing

the moment of purpose and mission. Why? Because

they're exhausted. Isn't it interesting? Exhaustion.

Right? It's just cultural. You ask somebody how

they're doing. I'm exhausted. What do they actually

mean? I'm beyond my limits. It's too much. I

got nothing left. Hey, I'll go first, you guys.

There are times when I do not want to walk upstairs

at the end of the day and tuck my babies into

bed. I'm just done. I gave it all away. I got

nothing left to do. I don't want to walk upstairs.

I don't want to sit with you because I'm exhausted.

Wait, what am I called to? Those babies upstairs.

Isn't it interesting? Exhaustion. Exhaustion

is a way of saying I'm spread too thin. What

do we do with spread too thin? I got too much,

which is another way of saying what? I'm beyond

my limit. These guys are beyond their limit because

they're carrying something they were never asked

to carry. I wonder how many of us, God hasn't

actually called us to what we're doing. God actually

hasn't asked us to carry what we're carrying,

but we just. did it anyways. And now we're like,

I don't know. It's interesting. Culturally, culturally,

even the world around us, right? Just in case

you were wondering what brand the keyboard was.

Because I know you've been wondering for a long

time. You too can purchase, just kidding. But

isn't it interesting when things are in focus,

we have clarity. We know exactly what to do.

Jesus knew exactly what to do. Through prayer,

he'd what? He'd aligned himself and he saw as

God saw. He wasn't distorted in his view at all.

He had clarity, which by the way, you guys, this

is Matt. Say hi to Matt. He hates every minute

of this. But he's phenomenal at keys and we're

very grateful for that. But isn't it interesting

that I would say the culture around us is geared

towards exhaustion. Think about it for a second.

You have a device. And that device means that

you're always on, always accessible, that there

are always expectations, even when you are in

your house and the doors are closed and it's

just you and maybe by yourself, maybe with your

roommates, maybe with your family, but you're

still accessible and you're still on. We weren't

created to live that way. I don't know how you

feel. There's some mornings I get up and I got

such purpose. I know what I'm doing. And then

I remember I didn't text that person back. And

before I'm done, it's 30 minutes later. And what

I intended to win my day with, I didn't win it

with. Right? The very devices that we hold are

geared towards mental exhaustion. It's interesting

that, you know, you... You can have clarity in

a moment, but then the world around you work

and all of a sudden your view is distorted. Think

about it for a second. You meet people, you guys,

and people ask you, hey, how are you doing? Oh,

I'm just busy. I've just been going, going, going,

going. And we say it like it's an identity. Because

somewhere along the way, the clarity that we

once had, we start to believe. We start to believe

that my busyness is my identity. And so we start

to run faster because somehow my busyness has

made me important. Somehow, if you're not busy,

man, you are a sluggard. That's a Bible word

in case you're wondering. You can look it up.

It's in Proverbs. But that's the culture. The

culture tells you that you're important if you're

busy. Really? Because I don't read that in the

Bible. We have a cultural system around us. And

the cultural system around us tells us all kinds

of information. You ever notice? I don't know

how you feel, but I am so tired of actors that

I don't know that are old, that died, and you

feel you need to give me a notification that

they died. Or maybe you know my algorithm, so

you just keep popping notifications that you

think I'll click on. And it's just information.

Maybe it's a news feed for you. Maybe it's the

war. You just keep getting more and more and

more information. If that's not enough, now we

got devices, AI, that we can get any answer we

want anytime on anything. And it's just more

information. And information is overloading.

And what? It wears you down. The culture around

you is geared towards you being exhausted. You

don't think this is true? I was driving my middle

school to school. The other day, and I've got

a Red Bull coin in my car. It's a Max Verstappen

coin somebody gave me. And so it just sits in

my car. And if you flip it over, just in case

you're curious, he's a four -time world champion

because you need to know that information. And

she goes, hey, Dad, can I take your Red Bull

coin to school? I'm like, sure. She comes back

the next day. She puts it in there. I go, what

did you do with it? She's like, I just showed

it to some of my friends. We had conversations.

I was like, what did you guys talk about? She

goes, we're talking about energy drinks. They

love Red Bull. She goes, you know what, Dad?

Middle schoolers are crazy. All they care about

is energy drinks. She goes, and if it's not energy

drinks, then it's coffee. And if it's not coffee,

it's candy. Middle school, you guys. Why? Because

there's a culture around us that says you need

that to cope. We had a conversation in our teaching

prep. And Joanne, who was up here leading us

earlier, Joanne had some time off. And during

that time off, she asked herself a question.

If I need a third cup of coffee today, what am

I doing that's too much that I need a third cup

of coffee? That was her barometer. And some of

you are like, a third cup? Man, I'm on my tenth.

But don't be surprised that the world around

you is geared to distorting your view. We're

told in Scripture that the enemy controls the

world. The enemy of God controls the world. If

you want a name, Satan controls the world. Now,

what does that mean? That means that he has set

up a system of this world, the culture of this

world, to work against the things that God is

trying to do. So why are we surprised that we

have a culture of exhaustion? Why are we surprised

that we're always going when Jesus is remedy?

Listen to this in verse 46. Why are you sleeping?

He asked them. Get up and pray so that you will

not fall into temptation. You will not fall for

the trials. What does he tell them? Get up and

what? Pray. Get up and pray. What is the answer

to a culture that is trying to get you to live

outside of your limits, specifically with exhaustion?

Get up and pray. Why? What happens in prayer?

The Holy Spirit will align to you the places

that he never called you to be. The Holy Spirit

will align for you the places that he never asked

you to push yourself into. I mean, you think

about it. Anybody with a business, what's your

goal of your business? To do what? Scale that

sucker. Did God ask you to scale it? Or did God

just want to meet your provisions for it so it

provides plenty of time for other stuff? Isn't

it interesting? Like, when is enough enough?

I might step on some toes, maybe. When are your

kids' activities enough? When are your activities

enough? I love, I've come to love communion.

I can't say that I always loved communion because

it felt ritual to me. But in the last, I don't

know how long, decade, maybe longer, God's given

me such a love for communion. And here's why.

I mean, you can take this out. It's not the best.

It's a dried up little piece of cracker, dried

up little piece of bread. If I had my way, we'd

have sourdough for everybody. But it's so significant

to my journey with Jesus. Because what this little

piece of wafer does, cracker does, is it centers

me back on the person of Jesus. It centers me

back on hope. The disciples end up with despair

because they're not aligned with what God is

actually doing in the kingdom. They're not aligned

with purpose. They're not aligned with mission.

I wonder, your distorted view, Your exhaustion,

what is it costing you? Well, how I figured that

out is I come to the table where Jesus said,

my body's given. And I meet him in this space

where there is mystery because he meets me here

and he meets you here. And the Holy Spirit wants

to talk to you. So we're gonna take some time

just for you to have a conversation with the

Holy Spirit. Where, where am I not aligned with

you? Where am I missing what you're doing? And

so the next moments are yours and then we'll

take it all together. Thank you. on the night

that Jesus was betrayed, he made a statement.

He said, this is my body given for you. What

that meant was they would not have to give theirs

to save themselves. That he showed up to save

them, to align them to a new mission, a new kingdom,

to a new king. But he also did it willfully.

Why? Because he was aligned with what God had

called him to. And so in this moment, it's a

moment of remembrance, but it's also a moment

of pulling us forward. God, what are you aligning

me to? What are you calling me to? What are you

calling my family to? Because God, I want to

give this life where you've asked me to give

it. And so he gave them bread. And he said, take,

eat, do this in remembrance of me. He took a

cup of wine and he connected it to his blood

that was going to be shed. But he used a word.

He said, it's new. It's new. What I'm doing is

a new covenant. It's a new contract between humanity

and God. And in the new covenant, the new contract,

because of his blood, You are completely forgiven.

Anyway, happy for forgiveness? Like, come on,

I'm there. Like on my worst day, I get his best.

Are you kidding me? But he connected for us that

this new covenant would change everything, where

grace would be abundant. Where even in the midst

of my exhaustion and missing it, there would

be grace to bring me back. And so he handed them

a cup. He goes, don't forget, it's in my blood.

Take drink, do this in remembrance of me. Would

you pray with me, God? Thank you, thank you,

thank you for who you are. Thank you that you're

so good to us. Thank you that you meet us and

you speak to us. God, in these next moments,

as we let our voices rise to you, would you?

Be the one we look to. God, we choose to look

to you. God, would you reveal to us before we

leave this place, would you continue to speak?

Because God, where else are we going to go but

you? Would you align us before we leave this

place with what you are doing in our lives, in

our calling, in our purpose, in our meaning?

Would we find our value in you? And so God, as

we declare, we look to you. Would you ignite

our souls today? Thank you for loving us. And

everybody said, amen.