Pastor Matt Sturdivant explored John chapter 2, highlighting two key scenes that reveal Jesus' transformative mission. At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, demonstrating that He brings something entirely new rather than just improving what exists. Using the stone purification jars representing the old system, Jesus showed He offers heart transformation, not mere behavior modification. Many believers settle for "water level Christianity" that's safe and shallow, when Jesus offers a "good wine level life" full of joy, power, and Spirit-led living. Significantly, this first miracle happened at an ordinary celebration, showing Jesus cares about every part of our lives - family, work, stress, and even our messes.

The second scene, Jesus cleansing the temple, revealed His confrontation with corrupted worship. What was meant to be a house of prayer had become a religious Marketplace exploiting worshipers. Jesus wasn't just cleaning a building but declaring a shift - He Himself would become the meeting place between God and humanity. After the cross, the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom, removing the barrier between God and people. Pastor Matt concluded with four applications: stop settling for water Christianity, invite Jesus into ordinary life, let Him flip tables in corrupted areas, and build life on the risen Jesus rather than religious systems. The extended podcast discussion clarified that John 2 doesn't license indulgence in alcohol or anger, but calls for submitting all freedoms to Christ's lordship.

In this podcast episode from the sermon on John 1:35-51, titled "Come and See: Being Found by Jesus," the pastor examines the calling of Jesus's first disciples to illustrate how salvation works. The passage shows John the Baptist referring his own disciples to Jesus, which was unheard of in that culture, demonstrating God's initiative in salvation. When Jesus turns and asks the disciples, "What are you seeking?" it reveals that questions are often better than answers and that Jesus is always the initiator in our spiritual journey.

The episode emphasizes that salvation is initiated by God, responded to by people, and applied through relationships. The life-changing invitation to "come and see" becomes a model for how believers should invite others into a relationship with Jesus. Pastor Matt explains that we find people using Andrew's immediate response to bring his brother Simon (later called Peter) to Jesus as an example. The message also touches on baptism as an act of obedience that follows salvation, not something that saves us, but rather evidence of our response to God's grace. The sermon concludes with practical applications about how believers can extend four types of invitations: to get to know someone better, to share burdens through prayer, to invite people to church, and ultimately to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.

In this message from John 1:35-51, Pastor Matt explored the big idea that salvation is initiated by God, responded to by people, and multiplied through relationship. He emphasized that while salvation is entirely God's work through grace, it demands a human response of repentance and faith in Christ. Pastor Matt highlighted the significance of Jesus's first recorded words in John's Gospel: "What are you seeking?" - calling this the mother of all questions that exposes the heart and leads to life's most important question: "Who is Jesus?"

The sermon demonstrated how Jesus's simple invitation "come and see" created a multiplication effect throughout John 1:35-51. Andrew heard John the Baptist point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, followed Jesus, and immediately brought his brother Simon Peter. Philip was called by Jesus and then found Nathaniel with the same invitation: "come and see." Pastor Matt emphasized that God uses found people to find people, and challenged the congregation to be witnesses rather than attorneys - simply sharing their story rather than feeling they need all the answers. The message concluded with a focus on baptism as a public declaration of faith and first step of obedience, encouraging believers who haven't been baptized to take that step.