Sunday AM Recap
March 1, 2026
Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/eyiD1eV_vMo?si=NSlAyZA-Q7qceahh
Pastor Jeff Spangler opened the service with prayer over the War with Iran.
Rachael Gilmore led worship.
Early Childhood Worship
Link: https://youtu.be/ADKCNjnfsOc?si=WRFQ3URJeuPuZ3O7
You’re Invited! Week 1
Story: The Parable of the Great Banquet
Verse: 1 John 1:9
Message: Pastor Jeff Spangler
“Level Up Part 2: Bloom Where You’re Planted”
As we are learning to build expectation - in every opportunity we have to be before the Lord in the portal at CCC, prayer that we walk away with something. We need some doors opened.
Level up: Part 1. Was for a mature people.
There’s going to be those roads and path you need to walk, but in walking those, you may not understand the fullness of what it happening until you start. And it may be paths you don’t want to go on.
Level up part 2:
What’s the road to Girard? We have several, and we have highways and roads with names, but not with the name “road to Girard.” That’s not how we name roads.
But in the Hebraic mindset, in the Biblical mindset, the roads are named for the destination:
Road to Emmaus
Road to Damascus
So we are on the Road to Emmaus…in other words, the road to a DESTINATION. There are many ways to get there, not everyone’s road to Emmaus is the same!
Jesus is:
The way - the path, the road, the journey
The truth - know the truth and not the counterfeit
The life (put the Hebrew in) - it’s plural, LIVES. You will live a lot of lives, a lot of seasons
Whatever you think is your identity, God has more for you - if you level up. Things will change as we mature. And there’s always room to level up
Title: “Level up part 2: Bloom where you’re planted.”
Many potted plants in the Spangler household. Kandy can recognize when a plant needs to change pots. One of these plants is an aloe vera plant that started out very small. But over time it has grown - like their love. (Awwww…) The plant started to become tall enough that it was too big for the pot, and on and on.
Bloom where you are planted. The plant got bigger and bigger - there’s a purpose in the replanting.
The size of the plant should be equal to the size of the pot. Small plants don’t belong in big pots. (Matthew 25:14-30)
Importance of root system development for growth. (Psalm 1:2-3)
The purpose is multiplication and fruitfulness. (Genesis 1:28)
Mark 4:30-32
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
Another parable with the mustard seed:
Matthew 17:20
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Faith as small as a mustard seed - don’t despise small beginnings, sometimes you just need to bloom where you are planted. Don’t reach for a bigger pot when you’re not ready. Maybe you are in a small pot on your road to Emmaus and you feel like you’re being pruned.
God is ALWAYS about your multiplication. Don’t interpret that because you’re not being wrecked that you’re fine. Don't stay in something because you think you got away with it. Mess around and find out.
The Lord is more interested in your change than you are. He’s a good gardner!
We don’t have to have it all figured out, we just need to bloom where you are planted. Your circle. Your family. Your sphere of influence.
Bloom where you-re planted - you may not show fruit, but you have to check your root system.
Back to Mark 4:34
He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
And then check out the beginning of the next sections:
Mark 4:35-40
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
He explained the parable..AND THEN THAT DAY…(verse 35)
As we are challenged in the days to come, He is not going to leave you where you’re at.
The little aloe vera plant hard at work, and then in the next pot, kept working, grew more. As the pot got bigger, it kept growing and brought friends with it. It’s now big and heavy. It’s outgrown Jeff’s capacity to care for it.
Maybe it’s time to divide out its friends so it starts to have friends.
When Jesus speaks to us, it’s immediate to us - He has said “build expectations” and “level up” - so it’s time to dig in and study and do some things in ways you haven’t before!
Jesus calms the storm - what do we know about it?
Jesus - good guys
The disciples - bad guys (?)
The storm - bad guy?
That day - Jesus says let's go to the other side, and then He laid down to go to sleep. He gave DIRECTION about going to the other side.
Jesus names roads with destinations (unlike us) - let us go up, other side, Road to Emmaus, Road to Damascus.
Whatever you're in today, Jesus is saying it’s time to go to the other side - today it’s time to LEVEL UP. GO TO THE OTHER SIDE.
We might now know it yet - but we all want to be on the other side.
Verse 35:
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”
Wherever we are, He wants me on the other side.
Jesus is WITH THEM. Jesus is WITH YOU.
Whatever you’re in right now - He says to us today, let’s go to the other side.
In the world we are in right now, war with Iran, all around us - we need to discern what is true and what is not. LEVEL UP.
We think we know so much…were you THERE when He created the world?
Verse 36
Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
Were the disciples obedient or disobedient? Extremely obedient. They did what He told them to do. He didn’t give them the destination, and we often make assumptions about what He really says.
He said “let us go” and they went.
On the way, they encountered a FURIOUS storm. When you say yes to Christ, the enemy will FURY at you. Fear tactics to freeze you.
He had JUST taught them about having faith as a mustard seed.
When He moves you to the other side, He will see you bloomed and planted.
The storm didn’t disrupt the disciples because they were disobedient. Sometimes that’s what happens. But sometimes a furious squall will come up when you’ve been obedient - sometimes hard things come up, even in your obedience.
The obedience can be a challenge. The Lord needed to know what was in their hearts - not their heads but their hearts.
“We’re going to go to the other side" - of what He just taught them
Verse 37
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Have you ever been in a situation where you just KNOW there’s more happening? You’re more concerned?
Verse 38
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
Isn’t just like Jesus that as we are facing this squall in our own obedience - and we assume Jesus is asleep. These are hardened fishermen, they have seen storms before, and the best response they can come up with is “SOMEBODY WAKE UP JESUS!” That’s their best guess.
In our craziness moments, those aren’t our finest moments. There are things happening and will happen that will freak you out - and not necessarily because of your disobedience but because of your obedience.
He tells you ahead of time so that when it happens you’ll believe him. (See previous messages.)
He had JUST taught them: “if you have just this much faith, you’ll get to the other side.”
Do you ever feel like you’re trying and trying and you don't know what to do?
Verse 38
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
Jesus is supremely unworried. Everyone else is freaking out - but He has this.
Verse 39
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He got up and He rebuked…the storm.
What is a rebuke? “I see what you are doing and I am correcting it.” A rebuke in love is correction.
He didn’t rebuke the disciples. He rebuked the STORM. He stood and rebuked THE STORM. You’re so afraid right now that Jesus is going to rebuke you that you freeze. But in this example, He doesn’t rebuke the, He spoke to the STORM.
QUIET. BE STILL.
And immediately the storm stopped. That is CRAZY. That thing that raged against them - stopped.
Verse 40:
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Why are you so afraid? It’s an honest question.
Lord, I want to level up, but I’m afraid. Help me!
Mark the day: March 1, 2026. God is saying: “let’s go over to the other side.” And no matter what comes, we know He is with us…”Lord help me to the other side.”
Verse 40 - do you still have no faith?
The Gardens that are coming are not for you, it's for THEM. Is your planting and blooming for you or for THEM?
If you have the faith, and if it’s planted, you can find yourself restful in the midst of chaos. You rebuke the winds and the waves.
The calm is not going to come because of what you do. It’s going to come because of who HE is. Bloom where you are planted.
Colossians 4:5
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
Invitation. What is the purpose of leveling up?
Genesis 1:28
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The service ended with a series of decrees by Cathy Spangler and the blowing of shofars:
Jesus is LORD of this city. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess HE IS LORD!
Our divinely powerful weapons will take down and dismantle enemy strongholds and take captive those policies, attitudes, and structures that oppose GOD AND HIS WORD in this city!
GOD’S Kingdom is coming and His will be done!!! In this city.
The prince of the air (who IS defeated) has NO jurisdiction over the “airways” and internet of our city.
Our GOD is arising in this city and His enemies will scatter!
We stand firm on this city actively resisting the spirits of Ishtar, Enchantress, Mammom, Molech, Baals, Leviathan, and Jezebel! Their power is quenched by the prayers of the saints guarding our walls!
We speak to the dry bones of this city “Come alive!” We speak to the sleepers “Awaken!” Blow the Shofar! It’s time! City of Pittsburg, receive the new wine!
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