The Lent Series - Part 1

 

   This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on 1st March 2026, by Colin. For the audio , please click here.  For the worship, please click here. 

From the River to the Wilderness: Standing Firm in Times of Testing

Last week, we began reflecting on the Lenten season — a time of lengthening, a time of preparation, a time to center our lives once again on Jesus.

Lent marks the forty days leading up to Easter. In the busyness of life — work, responsibilities, gadgets, endless notifications — we can easily lose focus. These forty days invite us to slow down, to practice spiritual disciplines, and to realign our hearts with Christ.

Jesus said when you give, when you pray, when you fast — not if. These are not optional extras for the Christian life. They are expectations.

But today, we turn to a powerful moment in Scripture that teaches us what it means to stand firm in testing.

A Mountaintop Moment

In Gospel of Matthew 3:13–17, Jesus comes to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

John hesitates. “I need to be baptized by You,” he says.

Yet Jesus insists. Though sinless, He identifies with humanity. He humbles Himself. He steps into the water — not for His own repentance, but for ours.

When He comes up from the water, something extraordinary happens:

• The heavens open.
• The Spirit descends like a dove.
• A voice from heaven declares:
  “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

In that moment, Jesus’ identity is publicly affirmed. The Father speaks. The Spirit descends. The Son stands in obedience.

It is a mountaintop experience.

But immediately after comes the wilderness.

From Jordan to the Desert

In Gospel of Matthew 4, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Notice this carefully:
He was led by the Spirit.

The wilderness was not accidental. It was purposeful.

Life often swings like a pendulum. One moment, everything feels aligned. The next, we find ourselves in a dry and testing season. Mountaintops are often followed by valleys.

Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. And then, at His weakest physically, the tempter came.

The First Temptation: Appetite and Identity

“If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus was hungry. Hunger is legitimate. The need was real.

But the temptation was to satisfy a legitimate need in an illegitimate way — to bypass trust in the Father.

The enemy also attacked His identity:
“If You are the Son of God…”

Yet the Father had just declared who He was.

Jesus responds with Scripture:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

He quotes from Deuteronomy, recalling how Israel failed in the wilderness by grumbling and doubting.

Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded.

Fasting reminds us that we are spirit before we are appetite. It trains our spirit to lead our body, not the other way around.

The Second Temptation: Presumption vs. Faith

The devil then takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and even quotes Scripture:

“He will command His angels concerning You…”

Yes, the enemy can quote Scripture — but often misapplies it.

The temptation here was not faith, but presumption. Faith trusts God. Presumption tests God.

Jesus replies:

“It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”

How important it is to know not just what is written — but what is also written.

True faith does not demand signs. It does not manipulate God into action. It rests in obedience.

The Third Temptation: The Crown Without the Cross

Finally, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world:

“All this I will give You, if You bow down and worship me.”

This was a shortcut. A way to gain the crown without the cross.

Jesus had come to redeem the world — but redemption required suffering.

He answers:

“Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”

No shortcuts. No compromise.

The same temptation exists today — success without integrity, glory without sacrifice, gain without obedience.

But the way of Christ is always the way of the cross before the crown.

The Good News: We Have a Victor

Adam failed in the garden.
Israel failed in the wilderness.
We fail often.

But Jesus did not fail.

He passed every test. He resisted every temptation. He remained faithful where humanity fell.

And our hope is not in our righteousness — but in His.

He is our great High Priest. He is our perfect sacrifice. He stands victorious on our behalf.

Standing Firm in Our Wilderness

Lent is not just about reflection. It is about preparation.

When we leave the safety of worship and enter the “wilderness” of everyday life, our faith is tested:

• When we are misunderstood.
• When finances are tight.
• When illness strikes.
• When prayers seem delayed.

In those moments, remember:

• You are a beloved son or daughter of God.
• The wilderness is not permanent.
• God is shaping your heart.
• The Word of God is your weapon.

Read Scripture until you are fed. Pray until your spirit is strengthened. Fast until your appetites are aligned.

And when the testing ends — as it did for Jesus — the angels minister.

This Lent, Move Forward

As we continue this season:

• Let your giving be generous.
• Let your praying be persistent.
• Let your fasting be sincere.
• Let your identity remain secure.

From the river to the wilderness, from the cross to the crown — Jesus has shown us the way.

And because He overcame, we too can stand firm. Amen.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Don't Miss the Moment - Part 1

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on 1st February 2026, by Colin. For the audio , please click here.  For the worship, please click here. 

Don't Miss the Moment - Part 1

The Power of Timely Giving

Money is one of those topics many of us feel awkward talking about. We’ll happily ask someone where they’re from, but asking about their income? That feels intrusive. Even in churches, conversations around money and giving can feel uncomfortable or overly private.

Yet when we look at Scripture, we discover something surprising: Jesus spoke openly, intentionally, and frequently about money.

In fact, nearly 15% of Jesus’ recorded words deal with wealth, possessions, giving, and greed. Out of His 38 parables, 16 directly address money and stewardship. The Bible actually speaks more about possessions than it does about prayer, heaven, or discipleship. That alone tells us how significant this subject is to God.

Jesus made it clear: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our giving reveals the true temperature of our hearts.

A Moment That Mattered

One of the most powerful stories Jesus used to teach about giving is found in Mark 14 and John 12—the story of the woman with the alabaster jar.

The setting is Bethany, a small village just a few kilometres from Jerusalem, during the Passover week. The city and surrounding villages were overflowing with people who had travelled to celebrate one of the most important Jewish festivals. Jesus was dining in the home of Simon the leper—likely a man who had been healed by Jesus—and, according to John’s account, Lazarus was also present, the man Jesus had raised from the dead.

Imagine the atmosphere: testimonies of healing, restoration, and resurrection filling the room.

Then, in the middle of this meal, a woman enters with an alabaster jar of pure nard—an extremely expensive perfume. Without hesitation, she breaks the jar and pours it all over Jesus.

This perfume was worth 300 denarii, roughly a year’s wages. By today’s standards, this was not a small or casual gift. It was extravagant. Lavish. Costly.

“Why This Waste?”

Not everyone was impressed.

Some of those present—led by Judas—reacted with indignation. “Why was this perfume wasted?” they asked. “It could have been sold and given to the poor.”

But Scripture tells us Judas wasn’t motivated by compassion—he was motivated by greed.

Jesus, however, immediately defended the woman.

“Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me.”

What others called waste, Jesus called beautiful.

He went on to say something extraordinary: “Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Two thousand years later, across cultures and continents, we are still talking about her act of worship—just as Jesus said we would.

More Than Giving—True Worship

This woman didn’t give out of obligation. She didn’t measure out a few drops. She broke the jar.

Her giving was worship—extravagant, sacrificial, and deeply personal.

She also did something prophetic. While the disciples struggled to understand Jesus’ coming death, she seemed to grasp that His time was short. Jesus said she had anointed Him in advance for His burial. She recognized the moment—and she didn’t miss it.

Later, other women would come to Jesus’ tomb with spices to anoint His body, but they arrived too late. The opportunity had passed. Jesus had risen.

Moments matter. Opportunities to give don’t always come again.

Our Alabaster Jar

Each of us has an alabaster jar. God has entrusted us with resources, time, and opportunities. The question is not whether we will give—but how.

Will we offer a token gesture?
Or will we respond with wholehearted worship?

Giving is not about impressing people. It’s about seeking the commendation of Jesus—the One who sees the heart behind the gift.

As a church, we are invited to reflect, pray, and ask:
“Lord, what would You have me give?”

This isn’t about pressure or comparison. It’s about obedience, faith, and worship. When we give generously, we participate in what God is doing—supporting His work, standing with those in need, and advancing His kingdom.

Don’t Miss the Moment

Life is uncertain. Opportunities are fleeting. But moments of worship—when seized in faith—echo into eternity.

May we be people who recognize the moment.
May we be people who break the jar.
And may Jesus look at our giving and say, “That is a beautiful thing.”

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Why is the Resurrection pivotal?

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on April 9th 2023  by Colin D Cruz. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.

Why is the Resurrection pivotal?

No other event in history is as important as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

It’s so important that the celebration of Easter is rooted in the word of God. It’s not about eggs and bunnies. 

“Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.” - Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭50‬-‭54‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” - Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭55‬-‭56‬ ‭ESV‬‬

5 emotions associated with Easter :

1. The first emotion associated with Easter is sorrow. The women went to the tomb to embalm his body. Peter was first a fisherman, he just had to fish every day and it might have seemed like a mundane job until Jesus called him to follow him. He saw so many miracles, that the fisherman’s life was so shaken. He would’ve been shaken. But then Jesus died. He must have gone from being hopeless to being full of hope to being hopeless again. He, like the women, were full of sorrow. On the Emmaus the 2 disciples in Luke 24 “And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.”‭‭ - Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬.

2. Fright: “While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words,” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬. The angels met with the women and they were afraid. 

3. Joy: “So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬. When we come to know that Jesus is not dead anymore but is alive. They were running to tell the disciples about it

4. Worship: “And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬. Our lives must be punctuated with worshipping this risen Saviour. 

5. Hope: Death does not end the existence of people. Every human being who has ever lived will live forever. Believers and unbelievers will live forever. The message of the Bible is that we will live forever either in heaven or hell. We will all live with a new body. One day we will have a resurrected, glorified body. 1 Cor 15, the resurrection guarantees that we will be raised with Christ. Resurrection is not just one feature of Christianity. It is the linchpin. 

Acts 2: 22-24 

“"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

Peter talks about the miraculous life of Jesus, his death and his magnificent resurrection. He gives 1 verse about Jesus’ life, one line about Jesus’ death and 9 verses on his resurrection. Jesus died for our sins but by rising up He won the victory over death forever. 

Today where are you in your emotions? Jesus can do the impossible. Whatever situation you may be in, take it to Jesus. You might be in fear. But when he is with you in the boat, do not fear. 

Maybe some of us need to worship. Make your whole life a life of worship. There is hope in Jesus- for eternity and for today. Jesus is with us even today. The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone. After Jesus rose again, Christians met on Sundays, not on the Sabbath. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.  

Chosen - A People Who Fear the Lord

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on February 19th 2023  by Lasya. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.

The Fear of God 

Q. What is the fear of the Lord? 

The word fear refers to reverential awe. Reverence is defined as a feeling or attitude of deep respect, love, and awe, for something sacred. It is a heart posture. 

It is NOT being afraid of God. In fact, being scared to come into his presence generally indicates a guilty conscience (E.g.: Adam and Eve) and is not the outworking of a reverent awe of God. 

This fear of the lord is not the fear which drives us away from him but the fear that instructs us on how to rightly draw near to him. 

Every good parent trains their child in 2 things with regard to their relationship:

• To know that they are deeply and unconditionally loved 

• To honour them with a reverential fear. 

An imbalance in either direction is detrimental (not to the parent) but to the growth of the child. God is a good father and belonging to him requires us to know these 2 things - that we are unconditionally loved and that he is wholly holy and worthy of our reverential awe. Today we don't have a dearth of messaging - in culture or in the church - that you are loved and worthy of love. But the fear of the Lord is avoided and that’s what we are going to address today. 

Q. Why do we need the fear of the Lord?

There are tons of cautionary tales in the bible right from Adam and Eve, Saul, Solomon, to Ananias and Sapphira. But we don't even need to go that far. We need to fear the Lord because of 2 things 

1. Because of who He is

1. In creation: who is God? Is he the mighty mountain or the blazing sun or the endless ocean? Who is 

Gen 1:1 -5: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Gen 2:7 “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

Job 38 to 42. (excerpts)

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
    and caused the dawn to know its place,
that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
    and the wicked be shaken out of it?

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
    or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.

These questions go on for 4 chapters to answer Job and his friends saying - I am God and you are not. He is the potter and we are the clay, he is the author and we are the pages. We are His creation, the people formed for His good pleasure. 

1. Response - 

1. Awe and wonder: Wonder is defined as “the rapt attention and deep emotion caused by something extraordinary.” Awe is “the feeling we get in the presence of something vast that challenges our understanding of the world.” Our lives have shrunken down to screens- it’s all smoke and mirrors. But the psalmist says in Psalm 8:3-4 “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” . We need to behold him.  And when we do, we surrender. 

2. Submission/Obedience to him and to one another (Eph 5:21). When we see his majesty in creation we rightly see ourselves 1 Peter 5:6 (humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God). 

2. In redemption - Hebrews 9:12-14 ”12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify[f] for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our[g] conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Millions of people have died before Jesus and after him, some have even been resurrected but not one of them could have purchased eternal redemption for us. He is the redeemer, there is no one else. 

1. Response - 

1. Repentance comes before redemption. Job 42 “ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”, Acts 2, John the Baptist. Repentance is not punishment - it is mercy. It is a gift. 

2. Living set apart (holiness)- 1 Peter 1: 14-19 “14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Culture can impact how we process holiness. Eg: Lot’s children gave birth to the Moabites and ammonites. So it is important to be set apart by the standard of the word of God. Egs of what the Bible calls sin and are a common practice in culture (lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, wrath, envy, and pride.) - Work related, sex-related, etc. How to recognise and act on the conviction of the Holy Spirit. (Personal example) . The fear of man v. The fear of God 

3. In glory - John referred to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved and reclined on his chest at the last supper, but on the Island of Patmos, he sees this very Jesus in his glory. Rev 1: 12-18, “2 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”‭‭ ‭ESV‬‬ The presence of God is not a plaything - it is fearsome! 2 samuel 6:5-7 (story of Uzziah)

1. Response - Worship Rev 4:8-11  “And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

2. Because of what it does for us 

1. It’s the beginning of wisdom - Proverbs 1:7. Wise in your own eyes- illustration - law students 

2. It is for our safety - Psalm 34:7( the angel of the lord encamps around those) Pro 29:25 ( the fear of man lays a snare but whoever trusts in the lord is safe) 

3. To turn away from evil - Job, Pro 16:6( by the fear of the lord one turns away from evil)

4. For blessing- Pro 22:4(riches and honor and life); Pro 8:14(counsel, wisdom, insight and strength); Psalm 115:13 (bless those who fear the Lord) 

We have a prophetic sense that a mighty outpouring of his spirit is coming. We don't just want a sense of the presence of God, we want him! We want to see the power of the holy spirit at work in us and in the world around us. Since we have this expectation, we need to get ready. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.