Valley Life Church - Yakima

Why Only Jesus Is Worthy of Our “Everything”

Pastor Jon Verwey Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? — Mark 8:34-37 NIV “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship To bind a Roman citizen is a crime;  to flog him is an abomination; to slay him is like killing a relative;  to crucify him is—what?  There is no fitting word that can possibly describe so horrible a deed. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it,  but whoever loses their life for Me and the gospel will save it. v. 35 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? vv. 36-37 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. — 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT Jesus alone is worthy of our “everything”—because only He can turn it into something good, beautiful, and lasting. As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it.  Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. …you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. — 1 Corinthians 11:28 NLT  Have I surrendered my life to Him—given Him my “everything”? Do I believe all that we are remembering and proclaiming in communion?

Pause – Worship

Come Sit at the Feet of Jesus

Pastor David Pietsch Luke 10:38-42 NIV Practice 1: Come Sit Practice 2: Follow Practice 3: Delight

Who Do You Say I Am?

The Question That Defines Our Eternity 01/18/25  Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. — Mark 8:27-30 NIV Who do you say I am? v. 29 But what about you? Who do you say I am? v. 29a You are the Messiah v. 29 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”  — Mark 8:31–33 NIV the Son of Man v. 31 Get behind me, Satan! v. 33 Who do you say I am?

Jesus Is Enough

Learning to Live Like It’s True 01/11/26   “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” — C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity We don’t need more signs, more stuff, or more control—we need to stay connected to Jesus and trust that He truly satisfies because He is more than enough. During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” 4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. — Mark 8:1–10 NIV … because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. — Mark 6:34 NIV  “…they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat “ v. 2b “There is a God–shaped vacuum in the heart of each man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” — Blaise Pascal “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” — Attributed to Jim Carrey (commonly quoted; source uncertain) “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me?… I think, God, there’s got to be more than this.” — Tom Brady, 60 Minutes interview, 2005 (CBS News with Steve Kroft) 11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. — Mark 8:11–13 NIV …without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. — Hebrews 11:6 NIV  14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” — Mark 8:14–21 NIV They all ate and were satisfied… — Mark 6:42 NIV  …the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. — Mark 6:43 NIV The people ate and were satisfied v. 8a …the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over v. 8b We don’t need more signs, more stuff, or more control—we need to stay connected to Jesus and trust that He truly satisfies because He is more than enough.