Palm Sunday – March 29, 2026
The Starting Point
Looking Back: Over the last seven weeks we’ve been working through a question: What are you willing to give up to make room for God to move?
Looking Ahead: Prayer Changes Everything
INFORMATION: The Next Steps In A Mission
John 15:4-5 (NLT) – “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
That word remain—in Greek it’s meno. Abide. Stay connected. Don’t let go.
1. Jesus Commanded Them to Abide
- Fruitfulness flows from our connection to Jesus, not strategy
- John 15:5 – “Apart from me you can do nothing”
- He’s giving them the battle plan: Abide. Stay close. Don’t let go
2. Jesus Prayed Before He Surrendered
- The most powerful prayer ever prayed
- Matthew 26:39 (NLT) – “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine”
- Prayer changes everything. Prayer brings hope, healing, and connects us to the Father’s heart
3. Jesus Sent You and Me
- Abiding and praying are not the destination. They are the launch point
- John 20:21 (NLT) – “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you”
- Fasting makes room for God. Our prayers move the heart of the Father. And then Jesus sends you
INSPIRATION: The Father Is Already Watching
Luke 15:20 (NLT) – “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”
Why This Matters:
1. We’ve been working to make room for God with a purpose – For seven weeks we made room and prayed. We are aligning with the Father, watching the horizon like in Luke 15.
2. Prayer is the next chapter – We’ve been making room. Now it’s time to fill that space with prayer that aligns with the Father’s heart—prayer that brings hope, healing, and brings those we’re praying for back home.
MOTIVATION: The Gap Is Invitation
Obstacle 1: “I don’t know how to pray for the people on my heart”
- You don’t need a scripted prayer. You need a surrendered one
- Jesus modeled it: “Not my will, but yours.” That’s a complete prayer
Romans 8:26 (NLT) – “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words”
Obstacle 2: “I don’t know what to say when I invite someone”
- The woman at the well didn’t have a theology degree. She had an encounter
- She ran back to town and said two words: “Come and see”
John 4:29 (NLT) – “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did!” Her whole town came to meet Jesus
The ACT Framework:
A — AWARE: See people the way the Father sees them.
C — CARE: Show love so practically they can’t miss it.
T — TELL: Share your story and extend the invitation.
TRANSFORMATION: Hope. Healing. Home.
Six weeks ago we were asking: What are you giving up?
Today the question is: Who are you inviting on this journey?
You are a sent one. Following Jesus, sent on a mission. Easter Sunday is one of the most natural open doors of the year to say to someone distant from God—Come home.
Action Steps:
- Give the invite card away this week
- Keep praying—don’t stop now
- Believe God hears our prayers for our region
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community