NorthStar Church Blog

 

“He isn’t here. He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.”

Matthew 28:6 (NLT)

---

 

THE GREATEST UPSET OF ALL TIME

The resurrection of Jesus is not just a moment in history. It is the defining moment of all history. Death had never lost. Every person who had ever lived eventually experienced it. Death was undefeated—until Jesus stepped into the ring.

Scripture makes it clear that this was always God’s plan. Jesus Himself said in John 11:25 (NLT), “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” Long before Easter morning, Jesus had already declared His authority over death. In 1 Corinthians 15:55–57 (NLT), Paul later celebrates this victory by saying, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?… But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When the women came to the tomb on Easter morning, they expected to find a body. They were there to anoint His body with spices. Instead, they found a victory. The stone was moved, the tomb was empty, and the message was clear: Jesus had done exactly what He said He would do. What happened that morning was not an accident or trickery. It was not luck or legend. It was God’s plan unfolding exactly on time. The resurrection proves that nothing can stop what God has already determined to do.

In 1980, the U.S. Olympic hockey team faced the heavily favored Soviet Union. No one gave them a chance. The Soviets had dominated the sport for years. Yet, against all odds, the underdog team won in what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” The victory shocked the world. In a far greater way, the resurrection is the ultimate upset. Death was the undefeated champion, but Jesus defeated it in a rout.

What situation in your life feels impossible or unbeatable right now? How does the resurrection remind you that God is not limited by impossible situations?

---

Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Growth at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton.  He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.

 

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” 34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” 36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Luke 5:33-39 (NLT)

---

WHY CHANGE FEELS SO HARD

 

---

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” 34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” 36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Luke 5:33-39 (NLT)

---

A SOFT HEART HOLDS NEW WINE

 

HEART — What Is God Forming in Me?
Jesus says new wine needs new wineskins. Old wineskins become stiff and brittle. If new wine is poured into them, they burst. Over time, our hearts can grow guarded or rigid, especially after disappointment. But the work God wants to do requires a soft, responsive heart.

Reflection Questions
• Where might my heart have become guarded or hardened?
• What would it look like to become more open to God again?

Prayer
Lord, soften the places in my heart that have grown rigid. Help me stay responsive to Your Spirit.
Amen.

---

SOUL — What Is God Revealing About Himself?
Truth About God: Jesus pours new life into hearts willing to be renewed.
Worship Prompt: Holy Spirit, I welcome Your renewing work in my life.

---

STRENGTH — What Action Is Faith Requiring?
Practical Challenge: Ask God to reveal one place where you’ve grown resistant.
Embodied Action: Take one step toward openness today through forgiveness, honesty, or surrender.

---

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” 34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” 36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Luke 5:33-39 (NLT)

---

JESUS ISN’T HERE TO PATCH MY OLD LIFE

 

HEART — What Is God Forming in Me?
Jesus says you don’t tear a patch from a new garment to fix an old one. Sometimes I want Jesus to simply improve my life, reduce stress, or fix problems. But Jesus didn’t come to patch the old version of me. He came to make me new.

Reflection Questions
• Where might I be asking Jesus to fix something He actually wants to transform?
• What old pattern or mindset am I holding onto?

Prayer
Jesus, give me the courage to release the old things that no longer belong in my life. Help me trust the new work You want to do in me. Amen.

---

SOUL — What Is God Revealing About Himself?
Truth About God: Jesus transforms lives rather than simply repairing them.
Worship Prompt: Jesus, thank You that Your grace renews me completely.

---

STRENGTH — What Action Is Faith Requiring?
Practical Challenge: Identify one old pattern that no longer reflects who Jesus is shaping you to be.
Embodied Action: Replace that habit today with a new response that reflects faith.

---

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” 34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” 36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Luke 5:33-39 (NLT)

---

TRUSTING THE SEASON YOU’RE IN

 

HEART — What Is God Forming in Me?
Jesus tells them there will be a time for fasting, but this wasn’t that time. I’ve noticed something about my personality: I love clarity and structure. But walking with Jesus isn’t always that tidy. Some seasons stretch us. Some seasons slow us down. Some seasons are full of joy. Jesus reminds us that spiritual practices are not about checking boxes. They are about responding to what God is doing right now.

Reflection Questions
• Am I trying to force a spiritual rhythm God isn’t asking of me right now?
• Where might God be inviting me to trust the season I’m in?

Prayer
Lord, help me stop striving to manufacture growth. Teach me to trust the season You have me in. Give me humility to follow where You’re leading today. Amen.

---

SOUL — What Is God Revealing About Himself?
Truth About God: Jesus leads our spiritual growth with wisdom and perfect timing.
Worship Prompt: Jesus, I trust Your leadership in my life, even when I don’t fully understand it.

---

STRENGTH — What Action Is Faith Requiring?
Practical Challenge: Ask God, “Lord, what are You inviting me into right now?”
Embodied Action: Write the answer down and take one small step toward it today.

---

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

33 One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” 34 Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. 35 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” 36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Luke 5:33-39 (NLT)

---

MISSING THE POINT

 

HEART — What Is God Forming in Me?
I’ve noticed something about my heart over the years: it’s really easy for me to drift into “doing the right things” spiritually while missing the point entirely. In Luke 5:33–39, the Pharisees were concerned about fasting. On the surface, that sounds like a great question. But Jesus’ answer reveals something deeper: they were missing Him.

Sometimes I can do the same thing. I can read the Bible, pray, attend church, lead a study, and still be more focused on doing faith right than actually being with Jesus. Jesus reminds them that when the bridegroom is present, the point is celebration and relationship.

Reflection Questions
• Have I been focusing more on spiritual performance than relationship with Jesus lately?
• Where might I be doing the “right things” but missing closeness with Him?

Prayer
Jesus, bring my heart back to You. When I drift into performance or comparison, pull me back into relationship. Help me love being with You more than proving something for You. Amen.

---

SOUL — What Is God Revealing About Himself?
Truth About God: Jesus desires relationship with us more than religious performance.
Worship Prompt: Jesus, You are not distant from me. You invite me into joy, relationship, and closeness with You.

---

STRENGTH — What Action Is Faith Requiring?
Practical Challenge: Take 10 minutes today to sit with God without asking for anything or trying to accomplish anything spiritually.
Embodied Action: Simply thank Jesus for being present with you.

---

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

 

 

²⁹ And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.

Luke 5:29 (ESV)

---

 

DEPTH vs. FUN

 

Tackling pride can be a soul-searching, messy process. If pride truly is the first sin, then it is also the most universal sin. As I reflected on this week’s verses, one in particular grabbed my attention because it stood in contrast to the others.

I do not know whether Greek has a specific word for party, but that certainly seems to be what Levi was hosting after he decided to follow Jesus. If I invited you over to my house and told you that not only would there be chicken wings, chips and dip, and a fruit and veggie spread, but that Henry’s was catering the rest of the meal with its entire menu, you would probably ask, “So when do I show up to the party?”

A large group of people. A great feast. Reclining at the table.

I did not grow up Christian. I had this idea that Christians were sort of like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons, dry, stale characters you could tolerate but would not go out of your way to be around. Not many parties happening at the Flanders house.

Do you know what changed that?

Beginning at Easter 2008, it was the men I met at NorthStar Church. Some are still there, while many have moved on to other churches and cities. Men like Mike, C.A., Marlon, Jamie, Daniel, and many others. I saw a masculinity that was strong yet grace-filled. They walked upright, but they still laughed. They would plan marriage retreats in fun cities and then turn around and feed children who would not have a meal once school let out.

That became my goal for every group we ever led, and it can be summed up in two words:

Depth and fun.

If it is deep but not fun, eventually you burn out, and then the depth no longer matters. If it is fun without depth, it becomes shallow, and you are anchored to nothing.

I have always had this thought: if it is really deep, we need to find a way to make it more fun; and if it is fun, we need to find a way to add depth.

I cannot remember who came up with the idea, but our couples group had an annual tradition of grabbing Thanksgiving bags for the Big Give and all showing up at ALDI at the same time. We would count down, then each family would race through the store trying to fill the list as fast as possible and be the first family to finish.

There may have been a little underhandedness, with items mysteriously disappearing from other contestants’ carts (looking at you, Fishers), but I cannot tell you how gratifying it was to walk out those doors laughing, get our quarters back, and gather around a large table at Buffalo’s or the much-missed Lulu’s.

And in the middle of a difficult lesson on surrendering pride, God wanted us to notice that Levi threw a party for Jesus and his friends.

Ask yourself:

HEART: Where do the deep, meaningful things I am doing to build God’s kingdom need more fun? Where are the fun things I love doing, and how can I add purpose to them?

SOUL: Would I describe my relationship with God as deep, fun, or both?

STRENGTH: This week, identify one person or group you have been meaning to invest in and plan something enjoyable with no agenda other than being together. Depth does not always need a curriculum. Sometimes it just needs a table, a meal, and enough time to laugh. Then show up.

May today you go in peace, surrendered to God’s sight, that which is good, free from shame and pride, and go deep — but have fun.

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

 

---

Curt Bowen is a husband, father, and group leader who loves engaging in apologetics, theology, and good BBQ. A thrill-seeker at heart, he enjoys roller coasters and has an appreciation for snakes—just not the conversational type.

 

 

30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

Luke 5:30-31 (ESV)

---

 

PRIDE vs. HUMILITY

 

Is pride merely a sin, or is pride the sin?

There is a term in philosophy called ontology, which is the study of the nature of reality itself. It seeks an anchor to reality, often called grounding. In the same way that we might ask why a person has unexpectedly lost weight and has elevated liver enzymes, an oncologist may discover that cancer is grounding those symptoms, and then ask an even deeper question: what caused the cancer?

The church father Augustine viewed pride as the first sin. Not merely that it was the first sin committed in the garden by Adam and Eve, but that it is ontologically the grounding of all other sin.

Because what is pride?

Pride is a manifestation of the ego that lifts the self above God.

Pride does not merely question God; pride accuses God.

If Jesus was divine, then the Pharisees and their scribes were quite literally telling God, You are doing something wrong. You should be doing things our way.

But perhaps that sounds too far-fetched, you might say. They did not know Jesus was God at the time. He was simply another rabbi in their eyes.

But that is precisely the point about pride: we are always limited in knowledge.

You never know whether the neighbor you are judging for neglecting their yard is actually in and out of chemotherapy treatments. Every person you speak to, whether in real life or online, carries a deep and detailed story you do not know.

I had a business partner working on a deal with me in the summer of 2025. Certain things were promised, but the arrangement fell apart when he took a leave of absence. Then an email arrived in my inbox, sharply rebuking both him and me. Use your imagination.

What the sender did not know was that my partner’s leave of absence was because he was trying to move his wife into a new facility in Oklahoma after chemotherapy had stopped working. She met Jesus that September, leaving behind four children, all under the age of twelve.

The person who wrote that email did not know.

And I am not angry with him, because I have done the same thing. I am as guilty as anyone of pride. I can be sneaky, quick to judge, and arrogant because I think I have figured it all out.

Pride is the hardest sin to diagnose because it is like an anchor resting on the ocean floor at the end of a long chain, while all we notice is the ship being tossed on the surface.

If you want to truly sail, you need humility.

A humble heart assumes the best in others until proven otherwise and holds itself with the strictest modesty possible.

The smartest people I have ever met say this phrase more than anyone else:

“I don’t know.”

Satan ultimately could not elevate himself to equality with God because he did not know what God knew, he only thought he did.

None of us will ever fully know, and there is freedom in admitting what reality imposes upon us:

God is all-knowing. I am not.

If He says it, I believe it. If He calls me, I will obey.

Ask yourself:

HEART: Is there a friend, family member, neighbor, celebrity, politician, or someone else you have judged while knowing only part of their story?

SOUL: Have you accused God? Not questioned Him, but said something like, “God, if only You had…”

STRENGTH: This week, before you send that email, make that call, or fire off that response, pause and ask what you may not know about the other person’s story. Then decide.

May you go in peace today, surrendered to humility.

13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:13–14 ESV

 

---

Curt Bowen is a husband, father, and group leader who loves engaging in apologetics, theology, and good BBQ. A thrill-seeker at heart, he enjoys roller coasters and has an appreciation for snakes—just not the conversational type.