NorthStar Church Blog

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

John 21:4-6 (ESV)

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ILLOGICAL OBEDIENCE

 

These men are skilled fishermen. They have grown up on the water, making their living catching fish. They know every nuance of the trade; from the way the currents move to the subtle signs of a potential catch. Yet, for some reason, they followed this man’s advice. Simply by following him, they went from catching zero fish to not being able to haul all of the fish in.

 

This is a call back to when Jesus called the first set of disciples in Luke 5. Jesus asks if they have found any fish and they respond with a short “no.” I bet it was said with a cutting tone. “Who is this guy asking about our fish? Who does he think he is?” I almost hear Peter in this moment echoing his words in Luke 5:5, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” You can hear the exhaustion in his voice, still feeling the emotions of all he had been through the past few weeks as he experienced his rabbi being crucified.

 

I wonder how reluctant they were to drop their net on the other side? “Sure, we’ll give it a shot, but nothing will come of it! Let’s just drop it in to show him there aren’t any fish.”

 

Sometimes the commands of Jesus make very little sense in the world we live in. With the pressure to get ahead by any means necessary, to do whatever makes your heart happy, and to prioritize ourselves over anything or anybody else, it can seem as if the commands of Jesus would set us back. Why is obedience important? We must remember that God is not just our Savior, but also our Creator. He designed us and knows how our body best thrives within the parameters of his design.

 

Proverbs 3:5-8 speaks to the wisdom of trusting the Lord:

⁵ “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.”

 

Friends, my hope for you today is this: that we would seek God with all that we have and would see that He is worth it! That we would trust Him even above our own desires. Let’s lean on His wisdom, even when it seems counterintuitive, knowing that His ways lead to true fulfillment and life to the fullest.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

¹After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ² Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

John 21:1-3 (ESV)

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WHAT DO YOU DO WITH DISAPPOINTMENT?

 

We all face disappoint, don’t we? Think back to the Easter message… Mary Magdalene’s dreams were shattered, but in the garden, Jesus appeared to her. She wasn’t the only one at the tomb that day. John had seen enough; he believed. Peter, on the other hand, left the tomb that day unsure of what to do with his crucified rabbi.

 

After appearing to Mary Magdalene, Jesus appears to all the disciples in the room they were hiding inside. He appeared again to Thomas so that he might believe since he wasn’t in the room the first time. Up to this point, all the disciples had laid eyes on their resurrected rabbi; but how did they respond to seeing this risen Savior? Peter… he goes fishing. Not the reaction you’d expect. If I saw a dead person walking, I am finding a camera crew, putting my lucky numbers into the lottery, or preparing for the Walking Dead.

 

Why did Peter go fishing? I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but I believe there are two possible reasons: Either he is resorting back to his comfort and what was familiar, or he is unsure what his life will look like, so he gets to work to make a living.

 

Neither of these responses are inherently wrong; but, after walking with Jesus and listening to his teaching for three years, why would anybody revert to fishing? In John 20:21 Jesus sends the disciples out to share the good news of what he’s done, but Peter hangs his “gone fishing” sign on the door.

 

When you face disappointment, do you return to old habits or question God’s goodness? These are typical reactions. We may return to old sin habits, activities that aren’t helpful for our walk, or to try to muster all of our strength to be self-reliant and forget God.

 

Peter tried to take a hard moment in his life and fix it all with his hands when Jesus had already fixed the situation! Just last chapter, Jesus encourages them to Live Sent and breathes on them the Holy Spirit. There is no better solution than this!

 

It’s easy to sit on this side of Scripture and think “Peter, get it together! How could this be your response?” But think back in your life; how have you reacted when face with difficult moments? When life’s disappointments hit, do you return to your old ways of seeking comfort and relying on yourself?

 

I know that this can easily be my response, but it shouldn’t be so.

 

A famous pastor who faced many hardships in his life, Charles Spurgeon, once said this: “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” Life can always bring difficulties, but I pray that the response of our church is to recognize that the waves of hardship should encourage us to cling closer to the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their one year old, Emery. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

John 20:16 (NLT)

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JESUS CALLS US BY NAME

 

I am horrible with names! Thankfully, in my line of work I can get away with calling almost everyone “Coach,” but it’s not always that easy. There are all sorts of tricks to help you remember someone’s name when you meet them for the first time. The one that works best for me is to link their name to something or someone else. I have come up with some ridiculous things to help me remember names, but usually when I’m intentional about remembering a name it sticks.

 

There is power in hearing our names spoken aloud. According to seen.io, “being called by our name generally makes us feel recognized and valued, uplifting our mood and self-esteem.” Having a unique name that is usually said wrong, I can attest to that mood boost when I hear my name spoken aloud correctly.

 

Do you know that Jesus knows your name and calls you by it? In those moments where the sunrise hits you just right or the words to a song speak to you right where you are, those are some of the ways Jesus calls us by name. Mary was weeping and searching for Jesus, and it took just one thing to bring her to the reality of his presence – her name. As we discussed on Wednesday, he spoke her name, then sent her on Holy assignment.


He is doing that for us today. He calls you by name and gives you a Kingdom assignment prepared in advance for you and you alone. He’s calling you specifically to live sent in a unique way.

We may not audibly hear Jesus speak our name but if we lean in close, we will hear him in hundreds of other ways as he speaks to us through creation, music, his Word, and his children- our brothers and sisters in Christ.

After hearing her name Mary got and followed the instructions from Jesus. He is calling you too. Calling you to lean in, to trust him, to rely on him, to seek him first, to walk in the freedom that was blood bought and paid for on the cross. He is calling you by name to live sent!

 

PRAY

Jesus thank you for being a personal Savior that calls us by name. Thank you that you don’t leave it up to us to figure out what you are calling us to do for your Kingdom. We are your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which you prepared for us in advance. Father, let us hear you when you call us, let us feel the nearness of your presence and be filled with your holy confidence to walk out in obedience your calling in our lives each and every day. In Jesus’ name I pray- Amen

 

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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.

 

 

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.”

John 20:13 (NLT)

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JESUS IS THERE IN THE ROUTINE

 

Have you even been in a season where you felt like you couldn’t find Jesus? We know that He is always there, omnipresent at our side, but there are times when it feels like He is nowhere to be found.

 

Prayers come back empty, praises fall flat, time in The Word just feels like a bunch of words. What do you do? How do you respond when you’re doing all the “right” things, looking in all the right places for Jesus, but keep coming up empty handed?

I used to think these seasons were an indication that I needed to change it up, stop my Bible-in-a-year plan and start a topical devotion. Stop journaling and start reading more theology books. That maybe my quiet time had become too routine, and I was just checking boxes. So, a fresh plan would be the answer. I was wrong!


It took a couple years of completely getting off track for me to slow down long enough and hear the Lord tell me to stop changing what was working. Yes, routine can get, well routine, and it’s easy to check a box instead of lingering in the presence of Jesus- especially if you’re like me and enjoy crossing things off your list! But what He has taught me is to not stop looking for him in the places I know he has been most visible to me.

Mary was looking for Jesus in the exact spot she last saw him. She didn’t see the empty tomb and run to the next town to find him. She stayed put and didn’t stop searching for him until he revealed himself to her.


Wherever you meet with the Lord and feel His presence best – keep going to that place. In those times that He seems to have disappeared, lean in closer and don’t stop seeking after Him until you find Him.

PRAY

Jesus thank you that even in the times you feel far away we know you are still there. That no matter what we feel we can trust you are with us. Help us to faithfully push through the seasons of searching for you and give us renewed perseverance to lean in closer to you. Let us not rely on a feeling but a knowing- a knowing that you are always with us and let that be the fire that burns within us to be desperate for more of you. Fill us to overflowing with the joy and hope that only comes from you. In Jesus’ name- Amen

 

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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.

 

 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned to him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord.”

John 20:16-18 (NLT)

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JESUS CLEANSES US COMPLETELY

 

As I was this the Lord gave me a nudge. He reminded me of how personally special Easter is to me and asked me to share it with you, because maybe you’re where I was on Easter Sunday nine years ago.

I was walking with Jesus and doing the best I could to fully embrace my redemption, but the truth was I was completely shackled by the weight of shame from my past. I wasn’t walking in the sin that had held me captive for so long, but I still felt like I was living a lie. That if anyone really knew who I had been or the things I had done, they’d never talk to me or invite me back to “Godly” things. So I worked hard to avoid anyone from my past and focused on the future. I divided my life into two parts-  Before Jesus and After Jesus, and in no way could those two world collide.

 

I wonder if Mary Magdalene ever felt that way. I wonder if she ever worried that she’d see someone from her “before Jesus” life and they would not believe her transformation was real. Or, if she feared anyone from her “after Jesus” life would find out the deepest, ugliest secrets from her past.

 

I have to believe she battled those thoughts and fears just like I did, and like so many other believers do. But that’s why this Easter message is so special to me in such a personal way that could only be delivered by Jesus.

 

He revealed himself first to the one with the most scandalous past. Not only that, but she was the one he charged with telling the first ever complete Gospel story! Talk about a redemption! 

On Easter Sunday 2015, as I was dead smack in the middle of one of the hardest physical and emotional battles I have ever walked through, every single chain was broken as I fully understood, accepted, and embraced the forgiveness I had been given.

Just like Mary, I was not defined by my past, nor did it determine my future!

Friend, I don’t know where this finds you, but if you are like I was, struggling to break free of the weight of shame and guilt, I pray now in the mighty name of Jesus that every chain would be broken as you soak in the beauty and redemption of today’s passage!

PRAY

Jesus thank you that by your blood our sin and shame is paid in full! Father, thank you that we are forgiven and free and not defined by our past. Thank you for the cross, for bearing the weight of my punishment so that I can live a transformed live here and now as I await forever with you in Glory. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray- Amen

 

 

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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.

 

 

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT)

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TURN TO JESUS FIRST

 

Let’s be honest: when things get tough, most of us don’t seek the Lord first. I know my go-to first reaction when the hard rolls in is to freak out. I have a PhD in catastrophizing (insert faceplate emoji here). If it’s an unhappy email from a work colleague, a misunderstanding with someone in my family or abnormal test results from the doctor, the first thing my mind does is go straight to the worst-case scenario. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200. 

 

Over the years, through lots of prayer and intentionality, I have gotten better at more quickly turning my thoughts to the One who will give peace and bring answers. I have given myself the grace to feel the feelings but quickly ask God what His truths are considering the circumstances. I have a routine each morning when I meet with Jesus that includes affirmations of who He says I am. When I am reminded each day that I am known, seen, loved, cherished, redeemed, held, enough, valued, wanted, called, anointed, appointed, and set apart it helps me to stand more firmly when the wind begins to blow. My mind more quickly shifts from catastrophizing to remembering –  who He is, who he says I am, all he has done for me – and I trust that He’s not going to stop now. When the hard hits, let’s be intentional about locking eyes with Jesus first, or at least more quickly, because he is our strength!

PRAY

Jesus thank you that you never tire of us not seeking you first. Thank you for your patience with us when we eventually come to you weary and worn down from the troubles we are facing. You meet us right there in the middle of it, and pick us up and carry us through. Help us to seek you first. Remove in us the tendency to panic or seek resolutions from anything other than you. Set our hearts on fire for more of you Jesus! In your name I pray- Amen

 

 

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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.

 

 

Mary was standing outside the tomb Crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.

John 20:11 (NLT)

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WEEP NO MORE: THE TOMB IS EMPTY

 

We all have those seasons when the hits just keep coming. Wave after wave, it’s all you can do to tread water and keep breathing. Whether it’s health, finances, or relationships there are limitless things in this world that threaten to steal our joy. When I answered the call into full time vocational ministry eight years ago, I distinctly remember a conversation with my new supervisor, who told me to “hold on because the attacks from the enemy were about to get bigger.” I was fully aware of the very real impact of spiritual warfare but didn’t see how I was now somehow more susceptible to it. It didn’t take long to realize he wasn’t kidding, and the arrows flew at my family and I at a seemingly never-ending pace. From little things like my car refusing to crank for no reason, to bigger things like scary diagnoses and funding hardships, the attacks were coming non-stop.

 

It wasn’t that my job or title as a missionary made me more of a threat to the enemy, but the fact that I was now 24/7 locked in on doing what we call here at NorthStar Church – “living sent.” I was being intentional about having Gospel conversations with coaches and athletes and discipling others to do the same, just like you are doing in all the places you do your daily life!

 

It can be easy in these seasons to do exactly what Mary did- stand outside the tomb and weep. Weep for the difficulty, for the loss, for the sheer exhaustion of it all. But don’t stop there! If we simply stand outside the proverbial tomb of our circumstances and weep, we miss out on the hope. Yes, Mary had a very real response to the tangible circumstances, but she didn’t stop where her feelings left her. She stooped down to look inside and found an empty tomb. She didn’t know what she was seeing at first, but soon her weeping turned into rejoicing.

 

No matter your season of life, know and trust that Jesus wastes NOTHING.  I tell my coaches and athletes all the time in the face of hardships that never has God said, “Well, I didn’t see that coming! Now what?” We serve a God who orders your steps and prepared good works for you in advance! Not only did He know what was coming but he knows the way through it and exactly how it will be worked for your good and His glory! The tomb is empty friends. Remember in the weeping to stop and look for Jesus.

PRAY

Jesus thank you for the empty tomb! Thank you for the reminder that it’s ok to weep and to feel all the feelings that come with the hard seasons – but we can’t stop there. Thank you that all our days have been ordered according to your plan and purpose for our lives, and that even in the moments we can hardly keep our head above water, you are there with us in the deep, making a way through to the other side. We love you Father and we ask you to help us to feel your nearness like never before! In Jesus’ name- Amen!

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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.

 

³² Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

Luke 23:32-38 (ESV)

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WHY GOD BECAME MAN

 

In the late 11^th century St. Anselm the archbishop of Canterbury wrote a book entitled Cur Deus Homo (or, in English, Why God Became Man). In this theological masterpiece, he considers why it was necessary for the Incarnation to take place to redeem mankind. His reasoning goes something like this:

 

• Man’s sin rendered him indebted to God
• Man, being of lowly estate, cannot repay to God that which He is due
• Only God could be capable of paying such a debt, though it would not be fitting because it is not His debt to pay
• Therefore, only one who was truly man and truly God could redeem humanity

 

This reasoning is consistent with the Scriptures. In Colossians 1:19-20 Paul states, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” It is at the cross that this debt is paid in the person of Christ, making forgiveness possible for mankind. But the cross is more than just that. It is also victory. Just as Jesus came into the world “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), he also came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). St. Anselm also puts it like this, “The devil, who defeated the man whom he beguiled through the taste of a tree, should himself similarly be defeated through tree-induced suffering, which he, the devil, inflicted.” When these things are considered, it is beautiful that our redemption should be procured in this way.

 

On this Good Friday, we stand in awe of the fact that God, in His grace, would offer us not only forgiveness, but also the victory anticipated in the resurrection of Easter morning.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

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A PLAN THAT IS DEEPER STILL

 

In the final moments of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis unpacks the idea of the Atonement – that is, how the sacrifice of Christ on the cross makes us right with God. Edmund, the youngest brother of the four Pevensie children, betrays his siblings by delivering them to the White Witch. She presumptively declares her victory over the lion Aslan, stating:

 

Fool…do you think your master can rob me of my rights by mere force? He knows the Deep Magic better than that. He knows that unless I have blood as the Law says all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water.

 

Lewis uses the moment to illustrate the human predicament of sin. For “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23) and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). In mythical analogy, the Law of Narnia allows that the life of a traitor is forfeit to the Witch: “You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to kill.”

 

In a twist, however, Aslan – the lion who portrays a Christ figure and the very Creator of Narnia – offers to give his life in place of Edmund. He explains:

 

Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back into the stillness…before Time dawned…she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead…Death itself would start working backward.

 

And so Aslan sacrifices himself and the Deeper Magic reverses the curse of death. The witch’s “victory” becomes her undoing. This is what is meant by Paul in 2 Cor 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Christ forgives our trespasses by the shedding of His blood at the cross – this is the Atonement.  On the eve of the crucifixion, the presumptive victory of the devil is undone by a plan that is deeper still.

 

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Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.