Beachside

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Day 21

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The writer tells his readers in Hebrews 13:5 that God promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Since Jesus is God and he never changes, we can be confident that his promises hold firm today. He won’t leave us, even if it sometimes feels like he has. 

This Easter, as we celebrate what happened all those years ago, the cross and the tomb remind us that, while he will never leave us, he is quite familiar with being left.

In the garden at his arrest, his followers fled.
The crowds who shouted “Hosanna in the highest” changed their cries to “Crucify him!”
Peter denied that he knew him three times.
And, finally, Jesus cried out from the cross, 

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?””

— MARK 15:34

The popular teacher was abandoned to his fate.
Can you imagine the loneliness?
Can you imagine the emotional pain he endured, knowing the world he had created had turned its back on him?And his Father let him die a lonely death. 

Perhaps that pain is why he made that promise.
Guys, listen: I promise I will NEVER leave you.
I will NEVER abandon you.
I will NEVER allow you to go through what I went through. I remember the pain. I am intimately familiar with the loneliness. I remember what it felt like to have everyone turn on me, the Maker of the universe. I loved them far more than they knew, and they all shunned me. I remember that, and because I remember that, I will NEVER let you go through it. 

The world might leave you. Your family may abandon you. Your boyfriend or girlfriend might leave. Your kids might turn 16 and leave with the car every evening at 5:00 p.m., but you will NEVER be alone again. I will make sure of that. 

I am with you. I am ALWAYS beside you. In your worst moment, I’m right there. In your best moment, I’m right there. When you feel good about yourself, I’m there. When you feel like you’re the worst and you’ll never figure it out, I’m there.  

Jesus was abandoned at the cross. By everyone. So, let’s be clear: when you feel abandoned, he gets it. 

But you only FEEL abandoned. You never really are.
He won’t let that happen. 

You may not feel lonely or abandoned today, but it’s likely you will one day. Be encouraged. Because of Jesus, the one who stared down loneliness, death, sin, and shame on the cross, you will never be alone!

Thanks for joining us for the past 21 days! We hope this has been encouraging for you and we can’t wait to celebrate Easter with you this morning at 9:30 and 11:00 at Beachside Online! www.Online.Beachsidecc.org

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 19

In his famous last words on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  What was finished, though? We’re still dealing with the consequences of sin and shame and all kinds of pain. So what did he mean?

Let’s start with this: While Jesus was hanging on a cross, in significant pain, he said, “It is finished.” Who says that? As far as his followers could tell, things were not going according to plan.  Perhaps they were saying the same thing later when they reviewed the day back at the hiding spot. Maybe Andrew looked at John and said, “Well, looks like it’s finished. Game over.  We lost. Jesus is dead, and we didn’t defeat Rome or anything.” But that’s not what Jesus was talking about.  

“It is finished” was Jesus’ victory statement.  It tells us that he was in on his own death.  He knew this moment was coming.  He was not hanging on the cross thinking, Shoot. What do I do now? This was not the plan. No. The cross was exactly the plan. 

From the beginning of creation, Jesus knew this was going to happen.  The Maker of the universe knew he would come to earth and take the best weapon of his enemy— death—and place it squarely on his own shoulders.  

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. But Jesus had not sinned.  He was not due a wage of death. He had not earned death.  The only way that death could enter his world was if he allowed it—if he invited it.  And so he did.  He invited death upon himself.  That’s why he wasn’t freaking out on the cross. He was fulfilling God the Father’s plan when he said, “It is finished.”

God’s long-standing plan to fulfill the Law—so we could be perfect, without sin— is what was finished.  He had created a system called the law by which people could know how to behave if they wanted to be perfect in his eyes.  Of course, nobody was.  Until Jesus. And by being perfect, Jesus was able to satisfy the demands of the system and be humanity’s Savior.  When he said, “It is finished,” he was declaring the end of the old system and the arrival of a new way, through himself, to be in right relationship with God.  

What does “it is finished” mean for you and me? It means we are no longer bound to a system. There is no performance path to God.  There is nothing we can do to impress him or get closer to him. All we need is a Savior, and his name is Jesus.  

God’s not tired of your failure.  He’s not waiting for you to get it together.  He did away with that system through Jesus.  

As Easter approaches, you may be tempted to think that God has a problem with your imperfection. If so, as you look at the cross, remind yourself that the old system is finished and you have a Savior. That was the plan all along.

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 18

On more than one occasion, people went out of their way to get the attention of Jesus in the four Gospel accounts of his life. A woman fights through a crowd to get just a small touch of his shirt. A tax collector climbs a tree to get a look. Men travel miles and miles to ask for the healing power of Jesus. And over and over again, when people come to him in desperation, crying out to him for help, he obliges. Others tried to turn the desperate people away, but Jesus seemed attracted by their desperation. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find a story of desperate people doing what they must to get Jesus’ attention.  

“As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”

— MATTHEW 20:29–34

Why were they willing to shout and fight for the attention of Jesus?

I think they were desperate.

They had no other options. They didn’t have it all together and were past the point of pretending they did. They needed Jesus and they knew it. 

Simple questions today:
Do you feel your need for him?
Are you desperate for him?

When our finances are a struggle . . . we need him.
When our marriage is in crisis . . . we need him.
When our kids are straying . . . we need him.
When our health is failing . . . we need him.
When we’re lonely . . . we need him.

At least those are the times when we FEEL our need for him. 

The truth is that we ALWAYS need him—for joy, adventure, success, forgiveness, strength, kindness, patience, breathing . . . for life itself. For all that we are, we need Jesus. 

Have you been shouting to him because you know you need him?
Or have you forgotten your desperation?
We don’t like feeling desperate. It’s not all that attractive, at least not to those around us.
But to Jesus? Jesus is attracted to our desperation.
He is impressed by our willingness to admit our desperation. Give him a shout.

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 17

What you see is what you get…right? The saying is more or about putting it all out on the table for someone else to see. Our eyes tell us so much about something or someone. We make decisions and determinations based on what our eyes tell us. Have you ever thought, though, that our eyes might need protecting? 

No, you don’t need to wear goggles all day, but you do need some eye protection.

You need to keep some things away that can wreak havoc on your life and the entry point is located on your face. At least that’s what Jesus says. His follower Matthew records it like this:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ”

— MATTHEW 6:22

The eyes.

The eyes allow entry to our minds, which are connected to our hearts—the engines for our lives. Protect the eyes and you protect the heart. Protect the heart and your life will shine as it’s intended to shine. Let down your guard at the point of the eyes and your heart will be impacted.  Darkness can enter. Darkness is blinding. It does damage. We stumble in the dark. Our lights can begin to dim . . . but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can guard our hearts by guarding our eyes.

How is your eye protection? Impenetrable? A few small cracks? Nonexistent? Has your light been fading as more darkness comes in through your eyes? 

Is what you’re seeing starting to impact the way you’re living? Are you filling your eyes with light? Or darkness? 

Get some friends. Share your goals. Admit your weaknesses. Shore up the protection. Get your eyes healthy again. Jesus said we’re the light of the world. We will struggle with that if we allow darkness to keep creeping in.

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 16

When Jesus was alive, I wonder if his disciples took notes.

Was somebody writing down all the stuff that happened along the way? I don’t think they were because they never expected him to die on a cross. They planned on him being around as long as they were. There had been death threats, but he always escaped. He could heal blind people and make food appear out of nowhere and walk on water and turn water into really good wine. He was untouchable. There was nothing to worry about. So, no, I don’t think they wrote things down.

And yet somehow in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we find very detailed accounts of important conversations, stories, and moments they shared with him. 

One such conversation is found in John 16.

The disciples were a few years into serving as his closest followers. Impressive miracles had taken place. They had seen him do fantastic things and they were likely expecting more. Circumstances were good. Their hearts were likely at peace when he dropped a bombshell on them. He told them he was going to be leaving and they would be scattered, possibly killed, and definitely would be full of grief for a time over his demise. Their world was about to be ripped apart. Then look what he told them at the end of the conversation: 

““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.””

— JOHN 16:33

Huh? You told us you were leaving, we would miss you, we might be killed and scattered and hated . . . and you told us this so that we would have peace? How does that work? He went on: 

““In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””

— JOHN 16:33

I love this about Jesus.
He told them the truth about life . . .
It’s not easy.
Circumstances will get rough.
Politicians and people will argue.
Race relations will be challenging.
You will disagree with one another.
Your hearts will be broken. 

The behaviors of your teenaged children will cause you stress, marriage won’t be easy, growing your character will be rough—life isn’t easy or fair or comfortable all the time. 

In THIS world you WILL have trouble. BUT in a world full of trouble, there is a way to have peace. 

And the path to peace is not paved with pretty circumstances.  
The path to peace is paved by his victory. He defeated all enemies of peace. 

In this conversation, he told them he was going away and they would not see him . . . but then after a bit, they would see him again. And when they saw him again, their peace would be solidified because they would know for sure that he had overcome the world. They were going to watch him die. Then they would see him alive again. That is how they would know that he was the boss of all the trouble, which meant they didn’t need to worry about the trouble because they knew trouble’s boss. They just had to hang with the boss. Know the boss. 

We all face trouble, and if you are faced with a lack of peace as you experience the trouble, don’t focus on the trouble. Get to know the boss. He’s the source of peace, because he’s not worried about things he already knows he has overcome. He is your source. Don’t let trouble fool you into thinking you can’t live in perfect peace. You can. 

Welcome

Twenty-one is a reading plan we created with the hope that it will help you connect with God and prepare your heart for Easter. We’re glad you’ve opted to join us on this journey and look forward to celebrating Easter with you!

Text BEACHSIDE21 to 97000 to receive these readings straight to your mobile device every morning.

Day 15

Jesus knew that the hour was upon him when he would be handed over and led to his very painful death on the cross.

Can you imagine what would be going through your mind in those moments?
Could you honestly think of anything or anyone else?
Could you knowingly be hours from your own death and still have the presence of mind to make sure you set one final example for those you were leading? 

Jesus did.

Check out what he does on his final night with his followers: 

“So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ”

— JOHN 13:4–5

That’s crazy. 

It’s been said that humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. In his most difficult moments, Jesus controlled his own mind enough to consider the needs of others. Can we do that? 

If you and I knew that we were about to be tortured, could we do that?
Thinking of others is tough enough in the good times, but in the tough times?
In your worst moments, who are you thinking of most?
Probably you. 

That’s how it is with all of us. Not so with Jesus.

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

— JOHN 13:12–15

Struggles didn’t stop him from serving.
All followers of Jesus face struggles.
That is no reason to stop serving.
To follow him well, we must become servants regardless of our circumstances.

Going through a challenge? Serve.
Been down on your luck? Serve.
Struggling in your marriage?
Singleness got you in your feelings?
Job situation looking bad?
Finances miserable?
Family on the struggle bus? 

You are probably tempted to focus on the trials in front of you.
But if you are a follower of Jesus, he would tell you to think of others. 

Put them first. 

It’s amazing what serving does to the anxiety caused by our problems.
It’s like medicine for our souls and Jesus knew that his followers needed to see that medicine in action in his life.

In his worst moments, he thought of them and served. 

Who can you serve today?