Sunday AM Recap
August 2, 2026
Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/kHugkmG9sso?si=jdz-gry7rXKyLT0Y
The service opened with praying over Anna Ozbun as she begins her 4 month missionary internship in Guatemala with Reach World.
Follow Anna’s adventures here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589061413020
Reach World’s website: Anna's Internship
Apostle Susan Powers prayed Numbers 6:24-26 over Anna, and she was anointed and prayed over by the church leadership in agreement with the church. Anna also shared what she would be doing and had an encouragement for the body of CCC to minister to the children, just as they had for her throughout her life.
Stacea Kuehn led worship.
During worship, Rachael Gilmore had the following Words from the Lord:
(Sung) I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again. I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again. I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again, believe Me, I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again. I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again, believe Me, I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again. As in the days of old, you will see the fire in the sky, you will see smoke arising from the enemy's camp. You are not alone. I am with you. And I have made a way where there was no way and I’m going to do it again…All this is yours. I have taken the land, now all this is yours. I have taken the land, and now all this is yours. I have taken the land, I have taken the land, it’s time that you ruled and joined….
(Spoken) He says, “Put on the full armor of God, Beloved! I have given you all that you need! The helmet of salvation that covers your mind, I have given you all that you need! The breastplate of righteousness, not yours, but Mine.” He says, “Put on your belt of truth and gird up your legs,” He says, “Put on your boots, the shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace,” and He says, “Gather up your shield of faith, and take up your sword, and hold the land! Hold the land that I have taken for your behalf! Hold the land, beloved! The enemy cannot go where you do not invite him in! So hold the land! Put on your whole armor! Not just a piece here and there, I’ve equipped you to stand in the midst of battle and to hold the land. I have done a thing in this place, and I will continue to move, I will continue to burn all that is not of Me, you will see miracles in this place, but you must hold the land, you must hold the land.” He is doing what He has never done and what He has always done, because this is the inside, outside, upside down kingdom, where it means I get to live if I die in him, and I die to gain this life!
(Spoken) Woe to the enemy of the King on His wedding day. Who is this, coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her Beloved. She is not weak, she is not without power, she is a joint heir of the King of Kings , and He says “This one, she is Mine, this is My bride. Woe to the enemy. This battle is not over. I have established I have established her, and she is mine.”
No early childhood worship today.
Message: Pastor Jeff Spangler
“Finders Keepers, Loser Weepers”
“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.” - I Corinthians 4:1
We have been entrusted. And we heard during worship - hold the land. Hold to the boundaries He has given us. Ask what you have been entrusted with. Are you tending that?
Ask good questions. And know that there is a requirement. With power comes responsibilities.
Prove faithful. (Callback to last week’s message and the story of Abraham and Lot.)
There’s not a magic ingredient here. It’s important to understand every one of us is walking out our sanctification, and it won’t look the same for everyone.
Example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego’s story - prove faithful.
Changes.
Transitions.
So we decide BEFORE - I will not bend my knee to you.
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” - Daniel 3:16-18
The four things we’ve been looking at:
We’ve been entrusted with something.
He has revealed things to us.
There is a requirement.
It must be proven.
This week’s title: “Finders Keepers. Losers Weepers.”
What do you think of when you hear this phrase? Annoying kids? Whiny children? Did you know that phrase has been on the earth for a long time? This phrase came from a law in the Roman Empire. This got lost as the empire expanded and people moved. The Law was written: “Finders are the keepers of what they find until an owner contests what you have.”
Security wasn’t great so there were those that abused this. But there was a process for getting your stuff back: The owner could contest it by taking a number of steps including stripping down, holding a tray, entering a house wearing nothing but a loincloth, and demanding your stuff back with a witness. A judge would make the final decision.
Matthew 10:32-39
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c]
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Pick up your cross…but He hasn’t gone to the cross yet! The culture is all around them, and they know what it means.
“Find your life and you will lose it.” These instructions were coming on the heels of the instructions he gave them about going out in ministry. It was about going forth into the world, into people’s homes - but keeping their focus.
Roman soldiers could abuse “finders keepers,” and you could cry about it all you wanted. After all, those that judged it were the Romans anyway. Finders Keepers did not work well for the conquered people of the Roman Empire. The concept sounds radically different from “if they ask for your cloak, give them two.” Finders keepers, losers weepers was literally the law of the land. Jesus was literally telling them to practice the opposite.
Are you holding onto what was? We are moving into a time where he who tries to find his life will lose it and those who lose their life will find it. Are you looking back at Egypt or looking forward?
God’s not saying the loser is the weeper…instead of being a finder that you get to keep, be willing to give it away.
We have to move away from WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME. What are you holding onto in Jesus that you have a Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers attitude? As if we are sitting on the judgment seat and we get to decide.
We think we have all that people need…but we need to be slow to speak, quick to listen. LISTEN. To others…to God…it’s not about what YOU HAVE. It’s about what THEY NEED.
39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Loses my life FOR MY SAKE. We tend to leave off that last part.
We can stand and not be a weeper because we lost. Meekness is not weakness. Real power, real meekness, is having the power and choosing to not use it. Blessed are those!
DO IT FOR HIS SAKE. Not yours. DO IT FOR HIS SAKE. It’s not about you, what you’ve done before, what you think you've messed up on, whatever. DO IT FOR HIS SAKE.
And if we do this - we find it!
And we are different!
Go back to the story of the fiery furnace in Daniel again - sometimes it’s hard! Sometimes we feel the heat! But we can still say - “let my life be a pleasing sacrifice unto You.”
But Jesus didn’t just speak to this just once.
John 12:25
25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Another way: be content on what you have, in plenty and in want. (Apostle Sue: Paul said that IN JAIL, by the way.)
We must be obedient to HIM as we go, no matter what.
Other examples:
Luke 17:33
Mark 8:35
Luke 9:24
Matthew 16:25
I can’t save myself. I can’t love myself more than my God. I can’t keep my life, it’s not my own. IT IS WRITTEN.
Why would it be said with different words and times?
Matthew as a writer - Jesus as King
He who tries to find it, will lose it - authority, righteous judge
25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. - Matthew 16:25
Mark as writer - Jesus as servant
35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. - Mark 8:35
How many of you are servants of the most high God, and you don’t know His business, because you don’t seek to be a friend! You don’t ask questions! That’s what’s being written about in Mark.
Luke as writer - Jesus as man
33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. - Luke 17:33
24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. - Luke 9:24
Jesus says to you - “if you try to save your own life, you lose it. “I’m a good person, of course I will go to heaven.” (Example: Lot moved to the city, trying to save his own life.)
IT’S NOT YOURS. IT’S HIS.
In contrast to Lot’s example, look back at the example of Abraham - he immediately followed through, even unto the point of the death of his son. He didn’t yield. He didn’t try to save himself. (At least, not this time.
John as writer - Jesus, beloved.
25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12:25
The One Jesus loved - as He loves all of us.
John was writing about who loves the wrong things…we love Jesus…and we love cheeseburgers…and sometimes we love the one more than another
In this culture they were used to Finders Keepers Losers Weepers, and Jesus is saying - let it go. Stop trying to find your life and save your life.
Matthew 16:22-27
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Verse 25 the key verse
For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
You do not have in mind the concerns of God (see 1 Corinthians 2). Worldly mindset or spiritual mindset? Peter was speaking from a “good” place but not from a God place. Jesus knew this world was not going to save him. (Of Mice and Men example. Chokes the life out of the thing he loves.)
If we can let go - how many more blessings can we spread?
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
Requirement - as said before.
We don’t consider it LOSS - as we are a friend to the commander, as we are a bride to the bridegroom. Up close and personal. We have heard the message and are prepared so that when we are in the fiery furnace, we are READY.
26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Whatever you worship up the mountain will own you at the top. Moses example - face to face with God. Food, fear, etc., was not his god. Nothing kept him from God!
Keep your eyes ONLY ON JESUS. This is why He came! This is what He modeled for us! He who lays down his life will find it! You don’t have to persecute yourself…just love the Lord your God more than anything else. What have you held onto so hard that it’s costing you your sanctification?
John Bevere: “Obey even when there is no obvious personal benefit.”
Whoever loses his life will find it. Whoever holds onto his life will lose it.
Don’t live in “Finders Keepers Losers Weepers.” Don’t be part of the Roman culture. Don’t take what is not yours and treat it as your own.
The judge would base his decision on possession vs ownership. Possession is just holding on - whether you own it or not. You’re just holding onto it. Do you have possession of Jesus? Or does He have OWNERSHIP of your life? You can have possession but no ownership. And that which possesses people seeks to own them. Sometimes our decisions change our ownership.
Construction example - widening roads - lots of cones, concrete bunkers, etc. Road construction.
It’s confusing. The road is rough and dirty. It seems worse than just leaving it alone. Especially when you have to stop. You can be really annoyed by all this.
OR.
You can say…
“Lord thank you for a safe road that is coming. Thank you for making the old new. It's rough and dirty, but I see smoothness and the potential for things to be faster and safer. Thank you for something better in the midst of chaos.”
Which do you see FIRST?
TRUST THAT HE KNOWS MORE THAN YOU DO.
The Lord said to Pastor: “This is for your good at your temporary inconvenience.”
Invitation: at your temporary inconvenience
Galaxies and light example - we serve a God so big, in a universe so big, that we see light from galaxies that are so far away they don’t even exist any longer. Maybe God is using you and when that light gets to someone, you aren’t even there anymore. It’s a temporary inconvenience - He holds the universe and measures it with his hand.
Atoms - we can’t even fathom and understand what’s at the center - He’s in the middle. He’s a big, big God, and a very detailed God, and He says lose your life, and you will find it.
TRUST THAT HE KNOWS MORE THAN YOU DO.
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