Steve Roach – NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper – Jesus’ Mission Was You

Steve Roach on January 16, 2026

“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy… Jesus was known as the son of Joseph… Adam was the son of God.”

Luke 3:22-23, 28 (NLT)

JESUS CAME FOR FLAWED PEOPLE

The beauty of this passage is how personal it becomes. Jesus, loved by the Father, took on a fully human life, stepping into our story to change our eternity. Because of Adam’s sin, we all find ourselves in sin, darkness, and death. But in Jesus, we can all find hope. In Romans 5:18–19 (NLT), we read, “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners, but because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”

In 2010, a group of Chilean miners were trapped underground for 69 days. Rescue crews worked around the clock to reach them. When they were finally pulled to the surface, one by one, their families cheered with tears and joy. That is what Jesus does. He came into our darkness, not to shout advice from the surface, but to enter the pit Himself. He did not offer a ladder and tell us to climb. He became the way out. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He brings us up from death to life, from lost to found. His mission was you. His mission was to bring you home. That is real love.

If Jesus went to such great lengths to include you in His mission, how will you live in response? What step of faith is He calling you to take?

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.

Digging Deeper – Jesus Came for Flawed People

Steve Roach on January 15, 2026

“Jesus was known as the son of Joseph… Kenan was the son of Enosh. Enosh was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God.”

Luke 3:23, 28 (NLT)

JESUS CAME FOR FLAWED PEOPLE

Luke’s genealogy is more than a list of names. It tells a story. It is a story of broken people, unlikely ancestors, and sovereign grace. Unlike Matthew, who traces Jesus’ line to Abraham, highlighting Jesus’ Jewish roots, Luke takes us all the way to Adam. Why? Because Luke wants us to see that Jesus came for everyone: Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, outsider and insider. What do all these people in the lineage of Jesus have in common? They are all flawed. They are all sinners in need of rescue. Jesus came for flawed people. After all, that is the only kind there are.

Don’t you just love a good bargain? Most of us do. Whether it is a garage sale, a secondhand store, or the clearance rack at the mall, we all like a good deal. What we do not often like is getting home and realizing that our good deal was not that good after all. It is an especially bad deal if we did not notice the “as is” tag.

Most of us are leery of “as is” items. Some stores call them slightly irregular. Sometimes they are called seconds. But whatever you call them, it is simply another way of saying, “These are damaged goods.” Most stores give you fair warning. This item is sold “as is.” You are going to find a flaw, a stain that will not come out, a hole, a zipper that will not zip, or a seam that is not straight. There will be a problem. This item is not normal. There is a fundamental rule on this rack: no returns, no refunds, and no exchanges.

The good news is that Jesus knew what He was purchasing when He redeemed us on the cross. He knew our condition, and He knew that He would never want to exchange us. Once we are His, we are His forever.

Read Luke 3:23–38. Pick one name that stands out. Look up their story. How does their life reveal God’s grace?

Digging Deeper – Jesus Understands Our Humanity

Steve Roach on January 14, 2026

“Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.”

Luke 3:23 (NLT)

JESUS UNDERSTANDS OUR HUMANITY

Yesterday, we said that at Jesus’ baptism, He was declared to be fully God, God’s eternal Son. In the very next verse (v. 23), Luke wants us to also see that Jesus is fully human. Jesus stepped out of heaven and entered real life with real struggles. He knew exhaustion, hunger, grief, and temptation, yet He lived without sin. His humanity was not a limitation. It was a bridge. He became like us so He could reach us. He walked among us to lead us back to God.

Luke emphasizes both Jesus’ humanity and divinity. The people knew Him as Joseph’s son, a carpenter from Nazareth, but heaven knew Him as the Son of God. The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus was both. He fully understands what it means to be human, yet He alone had the power to redeem.

His life shows us how to live. His strength in the face of temptation gives us hope. His compassion in weakness offers comfort. Jesus did not just come to save us. He came to walk with us.

During a marathon, a runner collapsed just short of the finish line. Rather than cross without him, another runner turned back, lifted him onto his shoulder, and walked the final stretch together. When asked why, he said, “Because he could not finish alone, and I could not leave him behind.” That is what Jesus does for us. He does not leave us in our weakness. He enters it with us.

How does knowing Jesus understands your struggles personally help you face them today? Where do you need to rely on Him more?

Digging Deeper – Jesus is Fully God

Steve Roach on January 13, 2026

“And the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.'”

Luke 3:22 (NLT)

JESUS IS FULLY GOD

This moment in Jesus’ baptism is a powerful glimpse into the Trinity. The Father speaks, the Son prays, and the Spirit descends. Heaven itself opens to affirm who Jesus is. In this moment, He did not become God’s Son at His baptism. He always was. But this moment made it visible and undeniable to the people watching and to us today.

The Father’s words were full of meaning to those listening who were very familiar with the promises of the Old Testament. When He says, “You are my dearly loved Son,” He is quoting Psalm 2:7, a messianic psalm describing Christ’s coronation as the eternal King. When He says, “You bring me great joy,” He is referring to Isaiah 42:1, which says, “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me.” Jesus is both the Servant who would suffer and the King who would reign. In a single scene, God affirms Jesus’ love, authority, and mission.

During a youth basketball game, a player made a great move and scored. Amid the noise, one voice rose above the crowd. “That’s my boy!” his dad shouted with pride. The son beamed. In that moment, everyone knew he was loved and seen. That is what the Father did for Jesus. He publicly declared, “This is My Son.” It was affirmation, love, and commissioning all at once.

The amazing truth is that God feels the same way toward His children who have been adopted into His family by grace through faith in Jesus. Have you received God’s affirmation in your own heart? When you consider your identity, do you believe you are dearly loved and sent by God?

Digging Deeper – Jesus Understood the Mission

Steve Roach on January 12, 2026

“One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized.”

Luke 3:21 (NLT)

JESUS UNDERSTOOD THE MISSION

Jesus did not need baptism for repentance, as the others John baptized did. He had no sin to confess. John was hesitant to baptize Him, but Jesus insisted and stepped into the water anyway. Why? Because He came to identify with us in our humanity and to live the human experience. Symbolically, He stepped into the water to preview the mission He came to fulfill: to die, be buried, and rise again.

His baptism was a living parable. It showed that He would one day go down into death on our behalf and rise to bring us new life. It was a moment of divine clarity and a clear understanding of His mission. His baptism marked the beginning of a public journey that would culminate in the cross and resurrection.

We often think of baptism as symbolizing our commitment to God. But here, it is Jesus’ commitment to us. He was showing that He would go where we could not, do what we could not, and make a way back to God.

Imagine a lifeguard who sees someone drowning. He does not shout instructions from the shore. He dives in. That is what Jesus did. He did not shout at us from heaven. He did not stay distant from our sin and suffering. He came down into the water with us, not to be cleansed Himself, but to begin the rescue.

Here is another way to look at it. During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Dr. Kent Brantly volunteered to treat patients even though it put him at risk. Eventually, he contracted the virus himself. When asked why he went, he said, “God called me to go. I was not called to comfort but to obedience.” Jesus did something even greater. He did not just risk His life. He gave it out of obedience to the mission of His Father.

Have you stepped into the waters to be baptized to show that you have turned from sin and turned to Christ in repentance and surrender? If not, register for our next baptism in The Springs at NorthStar. You can find all the information about how to register and what to expect by following this link: https://northstarchurch.org/baptism.

Digging Deeper – Knowing Jesus is Everything

Steve Roach on October 24, 2025

“So that I could gain Christ and become one with him.”

Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

KNOWING JESUS IS EVERYTHING

Paul wanted one thing above all: to know Jesus more personally and deeply. His past achievements, his reputation, and even his religious practices were no longer his identity. He saw Jesus not as an addition to life but as the very center of it.

Jesus once told a parable about a man who found a pearl so valuable that he sold everything he had just to own it (Matthew 13:45–46). Why? Because nothing compares. That is the kind of discovery Paul made. Knowing Jesus became the priceless pearl, worth every exchange, and he never looked back.

Years ago, a Hall of Fame baseball player donated his entire collection of trophies and memorabilia to a small-town school. Over time, the school relocated, and many of the items ended up in storage. Decades later, a janitor cleaning out an old closet found a dusty box of awards that had once meant the world to the sports world. They were forgotten. That is what Paul is saying: earthly success eventually gathers dust, but knowing Christ never fades.

What “trophies” are you clinging to for identity or meaning? Are you ready to trade them in for something lasting?

Digging Deeper – Only Jesus Can Make Me New

Steve Roach on October 23, 2025

“Rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.”

Philippians 3:9 (NLT)

ONLY JESUS CAN MAKE ME NEW

Paul realized that being made right with God couldn’t be earned. It’s a gift received by faith. No amount of religious effort or moral behavior could cleanse his heart. Only Jesus could do that. That truth changes how we live. We don’t perform to earn love; we live from a place of being deeply loved already.

Max Lucado writes about the story of an old, broken violin left in the attic. It sat silent, its strings rusted and body cracked. One day, a skilled violin maker found it, took it down, replaced the wood, tuned the strings, and polished the finish until it produced music again. The violin could not restore itself; it needed an artisan’s care. Likewise, we cannot repair our souls by effort alone. Jesus is the artisan who restores, renews, and gives us new life by grace.

There was once a man who spent most of his life trapped in guilt over choices he had made decades earlier. He tried self-help programs, philosophy books, and motivational seminars, but nothing worked. One night, someone invited him to a Bible study, where he heard the gospel clearly for the first time. That night, he surrendered his life to Christ and later said, “I thought I had to clean up to come to God. I didn’t realize He was ready to meet me in the middle of my mess.”

This is the gospel: we don’t achieve righteousness; we receive it. Christ did what we couldn’t do. Our job is to trust Him. When we do, our shame is replaced with peace, and our past no longer defines us. Our role is not to rework ourselves by force, but to surrender ourselves and trust Him. He does the transformation.

Are you trying to fix yourself before you fully surrender to Jesus? Come as you are. His grace is the starting point.

Digging Deeper – What the World Values is Temporary

Steve Roach on October 22, 2025

“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

WHAT THE WORLD VALUES IS TEMPORARY

When Paul says, “everything else is worthless,” he’s not exaggerating. He’s putting life in perspective. The things we tend to chase, such as fame, money, influence, and image, are temporary. They don’t last. But knowing Jesus? That’s eternal. That’s the one pursuit that truly satisfies and endures.

There was once a man who built a beautiful sandcastle by the sea. He worked for hours, sculpting towers and walls, protecting the castle with moats and deep trenches. Finally, at the end of a weary day of building, the tide came in, and in a matter of minutes, the sandcastle washed away as if it had never been there. He stood by the shore empty-handed, amazed that such beauty could vanish so quickly.

Like this man’s story, we can spend our lives making earthly investments, like those sandcastles. But when the waves of time, loss, or change rise, they disappear. However, for those who invest in their relationship with Christ and in things that will matter for eternity, those investments will remain.

Consider the plight of a businessman who once devoted his life to building an empire. He spent years climbing the corporate ladder, amassing wealth and recognition. But when his health began to fail, he realized he had spent so much time investing in things that could not last. One day, sitting in a hospital room, he told his son, “I built towers of money but forgot to build a life with God. Don’t do what I did.”

What are you building your life upon: sand or rock? What “sandcastle” areas in your life need to be replaced with the solid foundation of Jesus?

Digging Deeper – Success Won’t Satisfy Me

Steve Roach on October 21, 2025

“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.”

Philippians 3:7-8 (NLT)

SUCCESS WON’T SATISFY ME

Paul once lived for accomplishment, status, and the applause of others. But after surrendering his life to Christ, everything changed. Success wasn’t the goal anymore; knowing Jesus was. That’s still true today. You can reach the top and still feel empty. You can achieve more than anyone around you and still feel like something’s missing. Paul is reminding us: success is not the savior our hearts long for.

Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Tom Brady once said in an interview, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? There’s got to be more than this.” That statement could be echoed by many standing at the top of the ladder of success. It proves that even the world’s greatest achievements can’t fill the spiritual void in our hearts. Only Christ can fill that void.

Knowing Christ gives our lives a deeper meaning than success ever could. Paul isn’t saying your work doesn’t matter. He’s saying it can’t define you or satisfy the deepest longings of your soul, such as love, acceptance, and lasting purpose. Let Jesus define your worth, not your wins. Chasing achievement is exhausting, but walking with Jesus brings purpose and peace.

What area of your life are you trying to “prove” yourself in right now? What would it look like to lay that down and rest in the approval you already have in Christ?

Digging Deeper – Religion Can’t Change Me

Steve Roach on October 20, 2025

“We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort…”

Philippians 3:3-6 (NLT)

RELIGION CAN’T CHANGE ME

Paul had an impeccable religious record. His résumé was spotless by the standards of his day. But it didn’t bring him peace, joy, or a real connection with God. That only happened when he met Jesus.

In our modern lives, it’s easy to believe that going to church, doing good things, and avoiding bad things will make us right with God. But religion without a relationship is powerless to transform our hearts.

Tim Keller once said, “Religion says, ‘I obey, therefore I’m accepted.’ But the gospel says, ‘I’m accepted, therefore I obey.’” That truth changes everything. Religion often keeps people stuck in fear or pride. But being a Christian is about a personal relationship with Christ, where the Holy Spirit makes His home in our hearts and works to make us look more like Jesus daily.

In this grace-filled relationship, we don’t obey to earn love; we obey because we are already loved as much as we will ever be loved.

Many people mistake proximity to church for intimacy with God. But going through religious motions can’t remove guilt or change the heart. Paul realized that even though he followed every rule, his heart was far from God. Only Jesus can deal with our sin, break our pride, and restore our right standing with God.

A man once visited a gym faithfully for months, checking in at the front desk every day. He wore the gear, drank the protein shakes, and posted about his workouts online. But here’s the catch: he never actually worked out. He never lifted a weight or ran a mile. He assumed that just being in the environment would be enough.

That’s how religion without relationship works. It gives the appearance of transformation, but the change never reaches the heart.

Ask yourself: Am I trusting my religious performance, or my relationship with Jesus? What spiritual habits are helping me grow closer to Him?