Good Friday Service SWD

Welcome to Mercy City Church. And thanks for listening to today's message. Mercy City is a church in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is committed to connecting people to the heart of God and the house of God. We can't wait to connect with you and hear more about your story. So make sure you fill out our online connection card that you can click in the description. Thanks again for listening and enjoy today's message.
Hello, guys, thank you for joining us for Good Friday services. While they're getting everything up and ready, I'm just going to explain a little bit of what we're doing tonight. So we have a couple of people, some panelists that are going to be sharing a little bit of their story and their testimony. Each one of these people are on different levels in their faith in their relationship with the Lord. They've all dealt with different situations in their faith journey. But they've all met the person of Jesus. And while their stories are different, they're very similar in that and so our hope with this is that you would leave encouraged and inspired. And yeah, we get to hear their stories. So let's give it up for our panelists.
Awesome, guys. All right. So I get the honor and privilege of introducing our panel this evening. And we're gonna start on the far left, we have Landon give it up for Atlanta and guys. We're Hindon actually oversees our coffee team serves on their tiles. So if you guys come Sunday mornings, and the coffee is delicious. Give give landed a hand there on that one. Yeah, there we go. And then also, in the middle, we have Lacey Lacey actually leads our Connect track team. So she's the one once you guys decide, hey, Mercy cities, my home church, I'm ready to dive in. And I want to I want to volunteer I want to serve, you actually get the opportunity to get in a little closer with Lacey as she leads the Kinect track. And then you can clap for Lacey. There you go. And then we have Braden. And when I was talking to Kelsey earlier about this, I always just looked at Braden has a leader and I realize there's not a specific team that he leads other than who you will claim every single opportunity he gets to volunteer, whether it's in baby's coffee, setting furniture on a stage running lights and sound. So Braden oversees our opportunity, fulfillment. So guys, let's get let's give it up for our panel one more time.
All right. So what we're gonna start with is they're gonna share their testimonies. But first, we're gonna we're gonna start with just one word to describe your testimony. Start with Braden.
My word would be surrender.
Minus pursuit.
joyful. Okay, all right. So surrender, pursuit and joyful. So now if we if we were to zoom out to capture more than one word, but not the full story, give us kind of quick bird's eye view of your your story, your testimony.
Yeah. So I grew up in a Christian household. I kind of always just modeled my faith autumn off my parents, you know, check the box, go to church just kind of did what they did. And hey, I'm a Christian. So I thought that was good enough. So I followed throughout the motions, kept doing that throughout high school. And once I left, on my own, I was like, you know, I'm gonna start doing things my own way. You know, I went to church, just to kind of keep my Christian card and, but it wasn't that often. And, you know, it's kind of that but I kind of just started feeling lonely. After a while though. I started like losing hope. But I also knew that there was like something else out there. I just didn't know what it was. So after some time, I got married. My wife started trying to go to church more, we went church shop. And just because, you know, that's a husband and wife do so I just, you know, but during that time, I felt the Lord kind of stirring in me, you know, now looking back on it, I knew there was something kind of building in me and we found mercy city, and the Lord can open my eyes and I saw people with joy and hope and peace and I'm like, you know, I, I want that. I didn't know what that looked like, but I just knew that that's what I needed. So I got involved As as much as I could, I'm trying to search for it. And the Lord just kept working in my life. And then one day, Jesus said it was tiring. And I just said, you know, I, I'm surrendering everything. And I found that hope, and that joy that I'm looking for.
That's so good. Thank you so much later. All right, Lacey. Let's zoom out a little bit. And let's hear a little bit more of your testimony.
Well, mines pursuit because I've always been pursuing something. I grew up in a household where there was a not very much affection and an affection that I needed as a girl and a woman and having three brothers as well didn't help my case at all. So I've always been searching for that fulfillment of being wanted or needed, or just good enough, I guess. And so, as I've grown up, I've gone. I've taken myself to local churches, whether it's been with friends, or you know, just after high school, I got involved in one on my own. But there's always been a void inside of my heart that has, you know, needed to be fulfilled, I guess. And so I was constantly looking for, and I've always known that Jesus was probably the answer, but I just didn't know how to get there. And so when I was going through life, about three years ago, I was at the lowest point, where I could possibly be my business wasn't going the way that I desired it to be. It was my livelihood. I had broken relationships that just never seem to pan out. And I was talking with a friend, and she was just basically like, You need Jesus. And so I took that to heart. And I got online and found a Bible group or with six other women across the United States. And we just grew that bond. And I had heard about mercy city, and I found them in the courthouse lawn. And they were so fun, they were welcoming, and they're joyful. And they were just full of life. And I knew I just had to check it out. So I did, we ended up coming here and checking it out. And through that it taught me a lot about growing a relationship with Jesus. It's more than just attending every Sunday. It's more about getting into the Word and learning about who he is and what he's done for us. And so that's kind of just how I got here.
That's so good. Guys. Give it up for Laci. Braden to repeat the same question, you know, the drill. Let's hear a little bit more of your your testimony.
Yeah, so I grew up a lot like Landon, I grew up in a Christian house went to church almost every Sunday. And my, my view or perspective on what Christianity meant was, you know, try and be a good person be, you know, morally good as much as you can. And at the end of the line, I hope that, you know, I have more pluses on my report card than minuses and that's how you got in as long as it outweigh the other one. And that's just that's kind of how I viewed it, and grew up, went to college, then and I met the woman that would eventually become my wife, but we're just early dating and kind of talking about our beliefs and, and Christianity and religion, and she grew up in a different background than me. And she's like, No, that's, that's not how it goes at all actually. Well, that seems weird. I don't know. Tell me more than and then she told me about salvation. And that basically, my mental report card had absolutely nothing to do with it and that everything that I can ever do, good or bad, was covered by what Jesus did on the cross for me and then there is nothing there's nothing that I could do to either one get in the way of that or or to out earn that either I could never deserve it. And And yeah, that all I had to do though was just give him my life and so that at that point, then I I did, but just like this very little amount and then at that's, that's all I knew, you know, that's kind of how it starts with everybody. I feel like you say you give your life but you don't really know Okay, what does that mean? But you know, it took a little while for that to marinate and to grow for me. I wasn't a you know, I wasn't a microwave Christian. I was. I was a crock pot probably. So, you know, that was fast forward then. Five, six years and we're coming back to Nebraska. And i i We experienced Joining a local church to Mercy city was when we joined. And I kind of started to get the idea, okay, like I'm holding on to this. And as long as I hold on to all these other parts of my life, I, you know, I say I've given this much to, to Jesus, I have all this over here, but the more that I give him, the more that he's going to pour back out on the meme. And so yeah, just, that's where the surrender came in, the more I surrendered, the more that more that God would pour back out onto me.
That's good. Let's get right into touch on a little bit, you mentioned that you started by giving just a little, like, surrender just a little, what was what was the first part of your life that you surrendered?
I think it was mostly just that the smallest part was just a little bit of intentionality. And then the first big thing I really gave, which kind of seems backwards, from what I talked to a lot of people about, finances came really easy for me to then surrender to God. And I think a lot of that, going back to the modeling, I saw that really well in my house growing up, you know, my parents were very good, faithful and their tithe. And, you know, even when it didn't seem to make sense, you know, they still are faithful with that. So that that was an easy one for me to see. Okay, yeah, that's one way I can give a little bit more. And so yeah, that was, that's kind of where it started. So
you started by giving a little, taking little steps and little steps. And then fully surrendering, and just knowing a little bit more of your story. I know that from a very young age, you kind of had your career plan, like written out ready to go, it's gonna happen no matter what. How's that going for you?
Well, I, you know, it's still open to see how it's gonna go. But it took a pretty drastic turn. About six or eight months ago, I, I had, like, you said, I had this idea of where my career was going, I had this plan, and it was everything was falling into place. And then there was a shift, and there was a relationship change, and it was, okay, I could, I could keep forcing my way, and try to make this work the way that I see like, or that I thought that it should, or I can listen to what God is prompting me and, and just let go of that, and be open to what he has for me. And that that's been the biggest shift in, in my faith journey. To in my entire life was just giving up control of my career in my, what I what I viewed as successful in my life, too. And that, yeah, just allowing him to do with my life what he sees, and I thought that would be painful. I thought it'd be you know, is every every Christian sphere that, you know, I get my like, Jesus, now I'm gonna be he's gonna send me over to Africa to be a missionary. And I was like, I was like, I don't want to do that. I don't even like going to Lincoln. You know, keep me in the rural Nebraska be great. But know it. Yeah, you know, I thought I was losing everything that I wanted. And but through this, I've just found so much peace and so much, just purpose that because it's not what I want to do with it. And I know that I can't, I can't like I can't screw it up. Like I can't, I could try as but as long as I'm laying my life down for Jesus, and he's working through me and, and I'm in alignment and obedient to Him that He, I can't even I can't mess it up. It's gotta be good. If it's coming from God. That's so
good. That's so good. So you're surrendering more and more and more, but you're being in the times that you're surrendering, are giving more of your personal flesh wants, you're aligning yourself and becoming more obedient with Jesus? What's the fruit in your life? look like? What does the harvest look like in your life?
Yeah, I, the piece, like I mentioned that, you know, the I'm not, I'm not searching for other people's approval of me anymore. As much as I mean, it's, it's a work in progress. Everything is but but I see that, that shift and that necessary change. And, yeah, I don't have to do what everybody else thinks I should do. But I just do things with confidence, knowing that what I'm doing is what Jesus has called me to do. And my confidence, the source of my confidence comes from Him not from my own, because it used to be, oh, I'm only as confident as I think I can be successful. And now it's, well, whether I fail or if I'm successful, you know, it's what God wants me to do. So it's got to be for a reason and I'm confident that that's really
good. So you're you're finding your confidence coming from Jesus. And with that I just reading over your testimony a little bit. You had mentioned that there's there's no shame anymore if it those days, sometimes we have more minuses and we got pluses Uh, so so we're not carrying that that shame anymore? How has that shifted your mindset and stuff out of just you personally about your family life, your marriage, stuff like that?
You know? I, I think it kind of just goes back again to the piece. And what I'm doing is not it's not for me, and it's not you know, it's not it's not what I picture, which has so many errors that could come along. But when it's like I said in God's plan it even if there are errors and hardships and stuff like that, I know there's deliverance through it.
That's really good. So you see, it is no longer your plan. You're giving it to God. And you're saying, Jesus, whatever you want me to do, do it. That's so good. Guys. Give it up for Braden.
Okay, Lacey, you chose the word pursuit. And Braden just touched a little bit on like, hey, Jesus, whatever, whatever you want. I'm going for that. Let's, let's kind of rewind your story a little bit. What did you see yourself pursuing in the natural before you gave your life to Jesus,
um, friendships, always. Money, any type of materialistic thing that would give me some pleasure at the time. Yeah, I was just very, I felt broken and just longing for someone just Just love me just a little bit to make me feel the way I needed to feel. And that was hard, because in the Hume, humans are most likely not going to be able to give you what you absolutely need. And so that's what I've learned on this journey is that Jesus can fulfill those things for you. And I've felt that the loneliness is gone, the unworthiness is gone. And the shame, the guilt, it's all gone. And it's not gone forever, it will creep back up, because that's the enemy's plan. But Jesus because of his sin, because of what he did for our sins, that I'm able to let all that go. And so by creating relationships with people who are like minded in Jesus in Christ, and just building their relationship as well, you can rely on those people to bring you out of those dark places. It's a vulnerability, you have to be vulnerable to share what you're feeling. Because if you keep it down deep inside, you're gonna fester on it. And that's where that's where you're gonna get to the low spots. That's basically what I did. I like I'm a failure. My business is failing, I'm failing, I have no, no, nothing, I don't know where to go. So I was alone. But when I started opening up to people and say, This is how I'm feeling, they were able to just pray it out in through the prayers. Jesus literally was able to work those out and just bring hope for the future. And my life has changed dramatically. I'm not doing what I thought I was going to do. Like I lived a very comfortable life. And it got hard. It got very hard being a single mom, they don't know stay at home mom. But I wish but you know, like, I didn't have a full time job. So I was piecing it together. And now I might say that I'm financially doing well, you know, and it is because I've been faithful in my tithe as well, in where you give a little bit, he will give back abundantly. And so it's just knowing that little piece and just having a little bit of faith and trust that he's going to provide that. And so
that's so good. So Lacey, when when you gave us the quick rundown of your testimony, your story you mentioned, even at a young age you were you're going to church with friends. And I just know from reading your testimony that it's not something you guys did as a family a whole lot. But you felt like you were pursuing something you didn't know what it was. Did you feel like you were running from something in while you were in pursuit of of joy? Success? Sure. When you were in that pursuit?
Yeah, I guess I was always running from something to something. I mean, I feel like that's kind of just how we do things, but I'm just Yeah, running from the past, you know, where I felt broken and hurt and, you know, people I mean, without expressing yourself and learning how to communicate, people don't know what you're feeling and they can't fulfill those needs, unless you open up your mouth and speak and I didn't know how to do that. And so, you know, I just thought by, you know, seeking out the people that's gonna fulfill that, you know, would solve all my problems, but it didn't, it really did not. So. Yeah, running from whatever just to get somewhere is basically all I did so. Gotcha.
So, and knowing a little bit about you and doing life with you, I know that you are connected somewhere. But you were just more attending, you weren't truly diving in and getting planted in there. So once once you got planted into a local church, where do you see the biggest growth in yourself at?
So yeah, I attended the Catholic Church, and it was like an every Sunday, I'm going and I'm going to leave and I'm going to get my daily dose. And then next Sunday, I'll go back. And I did this for a very long time. And but the community aspect was not there, like I could walk into that church do the mundane things they do every Sunday, and then leave. But I was not building connections, people were not reaching out seeing how I was doing, people were not reaching out and, you know, just praying for me or anything like that. So when I found the local church, there was a shift in people that I saw the joy, the peace, the love. And just examples that I've never received from people that do not have Jesus, I guess. So. By getting in community, it brought out just more of me, like, it's pushing me to be more, it's pushing me to have a relationship with them. It's teaching me teaching me how to have a relationship with Jesus. Because, you know, it's, it's hard, it's hard to open up your Bible and read it for five minutes a day, especially when you don't really understand it. But that's what's been so cool about all this is I was literally sitting there the other day, and I'm like, Oh, my gosh, I understand it. Because Jesus, well, he will work through those words and make you understand it and put those pictures in the head. And so by that, or just praying, or worshiping in my car for five minutes a day, and just asking for a good day. You know, about three months ago, at my current job, I was just feeling like, this is not where I belong. Like, I just didn't feel like I knew what I was doing, even though I did it for seven years, but I didn't know what I was doing. But recently, I've just been like, I got this like, like, I completely understand it. And I just do feel it's because I've been faithful in him that he and he heard my cries he heard where I was lacking and how I didn't feel like I was good enough for my job that he's putting that confidence back into me. And he's built on that boy, so
so so you've since kind of confidence in Jesus, similar to what Braden has been able to rest your confidence or you mentioned, when like the community aspect, like you found Jesus through community? Where do you think that your mindset has shifted? Because in the past, I know you were very well known in the community, the community of Seward, and kind of a pillar of the community. Where's your mindset shifted from? Lacey to community of Jesus?
That's a tough one. I mean, basically, it just goes down to it's not my will it, I can't control what's going to happen to the person I'm talking to, you know, I can help them. But it's, it's not my responsibility. But I have Jesus that I can ask him, What is my next step with this situation or whatever, and he can help me through those situations. So it's grown me in ways in that sort of way that I feel like I can be more of help to people within the community, because I'm speaking life into them. I'm speaking love into them, I'm helping them feel ways that they've never felt before and that there is hope, even in the dark times. So it shifted, and it was hard because I felt like I let a lot of people down. I felt like a lot, let a lot of people down. But I knew it was the right step. For me. I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for Jesus, I think I would still be in the same situation I was. But by obedience and surrendering that aspect to him, he was able to, you know, bring me out of the darkness. That's been fun. Yeah, that's
so good. So Lacey brought you out of the darkness got you. deeply connected in a community of people. One thing that you wrote in your story that I loved so much was the sense of loneliness points to a need for Jesus. How has that like when you're feeling lonely? Because like you said, then it means going to try to sneak back in it's still everyday that Jesus has already given you. So when you're syncing that how has that changed your your daily rhythm?
Well, I'm very bad at communicating. I think I pointed that out earlier. but it is it's a little about vulnerability and just saying texting one of your friends in Christ and just saying, Hey, I'm having a bad day, these are my thoughts or whatever for them to just hug you. One, it's just more of a physical touch, I think, but also pray for you out of those things. And so it's the vulnerability. I forgot the question, but it's the vulnerability to just just let people in. You know, and so many people in my generation, I feel like our parents just swept our feelings under the rug like, Oh, you're fine, go to your room. Heard that a few times. But you know, like, but that was not maybe I should have gone to my room. But I needed to talk about it. And I do need to talk about and that's something I've learned through all of this is my story. As you guys can tell, you're probably resonating with a little bit of it, a little piece of it. But we all have like minded thing. I have things related, similar to Braden sent similar to land in there, boys. So like, we can all have relation, but it's okay, sharing it. You know, you don't have to share all the hard things, but just sharing a little bit. Just resonate with other people. Yeah.
Awesome. So Well, guys, give it up for Lacey. Thank you so much for being vulnerable. Okay, Landon. Now, you mentioned you at a young age, you grew up in the church, you've modeled your faith, or your faith journey after your parents. And then, as you got older, you mentioned, once you got out of high school, you did your own thing. What does it look like to do your own thing? Like what? you elaborate on what that means?
Well, I just started looking for things that would give me just happiness and what I thought was what I was looking for. And that stuff was just temporary. And it was just stuff I it, it would last for a day, a night. Oh, you know, just it was I just, I would seek in relationships, I'd seek it and material things. And I just, it just, it just made things worse, really.
And then you mentioned, once you got married, you wanted to do the right thing of taking your family to church, and you got connected to a local church. And you seen the joy that you were yearning for that you were longing for? When did you notice a shift inside yourself? Where you started to actually truly experience the joy?
Yeah, so that that actually took took some time. It took a lot of me fighting God on it. You know, and I had people in my wife pushing me and literally telling me, like, just go for it. And I just kept fighting that and it took I'd say it took almost about a year before I was Jesus is like, like I said before, like come on, man. So yeah,
it's so then when when you finally did go for it, it you started to notice a change inside yourself. Was it just inside yourself? Or did it carry over and other parts of your your life as well? Yeah,
I mean, it. I could just see it affect all aspects of my life. I could see what it was doing. My with my relationship with my wife and my daughter and how I got how i Father, my daughter, and it started going into work. And now I'm just like, it's just a complete 180 of what I used to feel so. So
you found the joy, you're looking for the joy in Jesus? Is that strong feeling of joy? Always present? Oh, no.
No, it's not. It really is a daily. It's a daily surrender. Each morning when I wake up, it's just like, God, you know, this is all I got. But I know you gave it up for me. So why can I you know, so. It's just something that I have to pursue every day. And there's days where I might feel lonely, but I know I can pray and look to the Father for comfort and joy.
That's so good. So you trying to model your faith after your parents trying to check the same boxes they were checking, Lacey, you being in pursuit of something tangible, something that you could say hey, I made it. Then saying yes to Jesus and pursuing something completely different. and Braden over you're trying to turn in his report card at the end of the day, saying, hey, I want I want in those pearly gates. You guys all seen the mindset shift though. It's no longer about my x, it's no longer about my duties. Instead, it's about surrendering and giving it all over to Jesus to experience true salvation. And, guys, you know, oh my god, we don't have to have it all together, we have all we need. So, guys, I want to thank you so much. Thank you so much for sharing your stories. Thank you for leading from a place of vulnerability. Thank you for everything you guys do, guys, let's give it up for our panel.
Guys, so we we share our stories. Because we know just how impactful that Jesus has been in our lives. And we know just how impactful he can be in your guys's life as well. So as Lacey said, There is something about our stories that you guys could resonate with. Maybe they said something that spoke to you. And you're like, hey, that I can resonate with that. But when Jesus came down and lived a perfect life, and died a gruesome death, he did it because your story matters. He paid for your life, not for you to take for granted. Not for you to continue on with how you are living life. But instead, so you can say yes. So you can surrender the troubles you're going through the things you don't understand. And it's not so then you got to feel guilty or ashamed if you're not doing it for somebody else. Because he doesn't want your life to go for somebody else. He wants your life to be turned over to him and to live for Jesus. And in doing so it will inspire, it will encourage it will impact somebody else's life so much that they can also experience true salvation and say yes to Jesus. Christ. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you, Kelsey. Kelsey is gonna pray us in here. Tonight can be impactful. Jesus is here for you. He has died for you. There is nothing else he would rather have that for you to say yes.
So we're gonna go back into worship. The panelists are actually going to come up and be the prayer team tonight. So if you had something in one of these stories that resonated with you, we'd encourage you to come up and get rare receive prayer from them. But I'm gonna praise and worship so Heavenly Father, we just thank you Lord, for what you did on the cross. We just think you that there would be boldness and confidence in this room guy, we thank You that people would open up their lives and share part of their story share part of what you are doing on the inside of them just so it could help somebody else know and understand that they're not alone. So God we thank you for what you're doing in this place. It's in your mighty Name Jesus we pray, Amen.
Thanks again for listening to today's message. For more information on all that God's doing at Mercy city, or to share how the message has impacted your life. Visit us online at Mercy City DOT church or on social media.