teaching/sermons/col-1-15-20/expansion/icoc_alpha_omega/clean/28-christ-is-your-life-chelsea-novack-icmc-2025-womens-session.md

Christ is Your Life | Chelsea Novack | ICMC 2025 Women's Session

Col 1:15-20 prep relevance: RELEVANT

Why kept: Full exposition of Col 3:1-15 — raised with Christ, crucified life (put to death the earthly nature), chosen life (clothed in Christ), tied to the Mary Magdalene resurrection narrative.

Key excerpts:

00:00:00 Good morning, campus women! I am so ready to be with you all today. My name's Chelsea. Like I said, my family and I live in Boston now. Last year, we moved from leading a region of college students in New York City to leading a region in the Boston Church of Christ. And like Hannah said, this is my 17th ICMC. And I'm 35, and I'm not ashamed. I'm about to be 36. And complimenting my skin care is the greatest thing anyone could ever say to me. So thank you, Hannah. I work very hard on that regimen. This was me and my husband at our first ICMC. I just had to share this picture. Look at how I'm looking at him, guys. It's so embarrassing. And the more embarrassing part is I taught him how to dance. If that tells you anything about how I dance. But here are my three boys. Yes, I raised all three of these boys. And I love being the only girl in our family because I don't have to share my Sephora budget. Amen? I love being the only girl. our family because I don't have to share my Sephora budget. Amen. I love being the only girl. I can be my own diva. But let's dig in. You know, Colossians 3, in my opinion, is one of the best chapters of the Bible. It starts off in verse 1 saying, Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above and not on earthly things. Since we became Christians, we should not be living the same way as we did before. We should be seeking heavenly things, not the things of this earth. Our minds should be seeking what things, not the things of this earth. Our minds should be seeking what is spiritual, not worldly. As disciples, we should care about the things Jesus cares about. We should think about the things Jesus thinks about. We should spend time on the things that Jesus spends time on. Our dreams should be Jesus' dreams. Where Jesus goes, we go. When we became disciples, we decided to die to our earthly actions and behaviors. But to seek God with all of our hearts and minds requires daily decisions. Verses three and four say, for you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. Your life should be hidden with Christ. If you are a disciple, God looks at you with the same holiness and perfection as Jesus. with the same holiness and perfection as Jesus. The Holy Spirit in you is constantly working to transform you, to make you holier and more like Jesus. And as this transformation happens, you should identify more with Jesus than you do your natural self. Our lives should look more and more like Jesus on on this earth and then when jesus comes back we get to be resurrected with him in heaven my first point is called the resurrected life to live a resurrected life that means that jesus is your life he is your king your world your love your everything and the end of colossians 2 is saying that if you want to be more spiritual, you can't do it through behavior modification. The beginning of Colossians 3 is telling us in order to be more spiritual, we need more Jesus. And so today I want to look at the story of a woman who lived the resurrected life. And she was also the first to bear witness to the resurrection. Her name is Mary Magdalene. And Mary Magdalene has always been one of my favorite Bible characters. She was possessed by seven demons. Do we have any horror girlies in here? Like, this is the film I'm ready to see. But she went on to be one of Jesus's closest companions and coworkers. If a woman who was possessed by seven demons could go on to be a close confidant of Jesus and a bold minister of his resurrection, then surely our past does not need to define our future as well. Amen. So y'all ready to meet the new bestie? Here we go. Her story starts off in Luke 8. Who is Mary Magdalene? Here's where we meet her. In Luke 8 verse 1, it says, after this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Mary, called Magdalene, from whose seven demons had come out, Joanna, the wife of Cusa, the manager of Herod's household, Susanna, and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. So Mary was among some of the few women who traveled with Jesus and the 12 apostles, supporting his ministry out of their own resources. Usually rabbis did not allow women to travel with them or be their students. But Mary traveled with Jesus, supported his ministry, and learned from him. In all but one list of women who traveled with Jesus, Mary comes first, signifying that she was a leader. And not only that, but her story makes it evident that she was a close friend of Jesus. Sisters, Jesus has always meant for us to be a crucial part of his ministry and his life. Now remember her background. She had been possessed by seven demons. Talk about an awkward phase. Imagine some of those conversations she had with her friends. Like, oh, remember when that demon made me set your house on fire? I'm so sorry. Awkward phase. I think of the bravery it must have taken for her to go from being possessed by seven demons to then traveling with and contributing to the ministry of Jesus. Mary is a woman who had a crucial role in Jesus's ministry while also having an obscure background. while also having an obscure background. She experienced immense physical, emotional, and social pain due to demon possession. I wonder if those in ancient times who suffered from demon possession would relate to any of our more stigmatized illnesses today, like mental illness. For most of my life, I've struggled with severe depression and anxiety. Before I became a disciple, I was actively self-harming, had to be hospitalized multiple times, and it was very severe. When I was a young Christian, I still went through bouts of depression and anxiety. There were seasons when I was managing it well, and then seasons when I was just trying to make it through the day. Then after I had my kids, I went through another season of severe depression and anxiety. And this was worse than anything I had before. This was while I was in the ministry. And I had just shared at a big conference about overcoming mental health issues, and I felt like a total failure. And during this time I immersed myself in the Bible and in prayer. I spent hours a day reading the Bible, praying, being open with spiritual advisors. Honestly it was one of my strongest times spiritually. But I was sick. This anxiety had a stronghold on me and continued to get more intense instead of better. I sought treatment from mental health professionals and I was diagnosed with OCD, which is actually a mental health disease. I basically at this point, I basically run on medication, therapy, the Bible, coffee, chocolate, all the essentials. But I've been able to recover now and my OCD is manageable. But to be real, OCD still brings daily discomfort and occasional torment into my life. I have a unique kind of OCD where I suffer from debilitating intrusive thoughts and time-consuming compulsions. And this is something I battle every single day. When I was first diagnosed, it brought up a lot of deep insecurity in me. I had a lot of thoughts like, why do I have to be the poster child for mental illness in ministry? Is God really still with me if I battle dark thoughts? What does this mean about me? But through all my time in the Bible, I am more sure than ever that I am seen, known, and accepted by Jesus. A couple of years after I recovered, my brother died by suicide. This brought into question everything I believed about God, everything I believed about my family, my life, and myself. This was the pain of a lifetime. It was life-altering, and my family and I will never be the same. So yes, I've had some demons. And I've wondered if Mary Magdalene had to battle the same doubts and questions about her identity as I have. Following Jesus so closely was a huge life change for her. I wonder if anybody recognized her as that girl that used to be demon-possessed. I wonder what kind of nightmare memories and flashbacks she held. I wonder if she was tempted to feel out of place among Jesus and his disciples. But regardless, she was seen, known, and accepted by Jesus. My second point is called the crucified life. All of us in this room,

00:10:00 have had some demons. There is a reason we all turned to Jesus. And some of these demons are due to sins of the world. Our world is run by evil, and therefore there's illness, abuse, and tragedy. When we experience these things, it is not our fault. This is true about Mary Magdalene, and this is true about my mental illness. This is true about a lot of what the sisters just shared. And I bet all of us in this room suffer from some consequences of sin that wasn't our fault. It is the aftermath of living in a sin-filled world. But we do have demons of sin that each of us battle with. And this is what Colossians 3 teaches on. We can either contribute to the problem of sin or we can contribute to the solution of Jesus. Colossians 3 verse 5 says, Therefore put to death whatever belongs to your worldly nature. Just because you're baptized doesn't mean you're not drawn to worldliness anymore. Our demons are always going to try to haunt us and gain control of our lives again. So let's look at the sins that are mentioned here in Colossians 3. The first one it talks about is sexual morality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. When I became a disciple, I repented of my sins, but it was so hard to forgive myself for my past sexual morality. I remember feeling insecure all the time. There was one time I literally hid from a guy. This was not in any way how God wanted me to feel. He didn't want me to feel insecure about my past. He had already forgiven me, but it was hard for me to see myself differently than that worldly girl. And Satan used this to his advantage. In college, a guy who was very much my type started taking interest in me. He started trying to spend time alone with me deliberately. And at first I went with it, but then I started noticing some red flags in him. You know, and here's the thing, guys. He was actually a brother. So now I have to have a big sister moment, okay? A red flag is a red flag is a red flag, amen? So I got some input from disciples and realized this was a very brotherly behavior. And one day he even called me when he saw my roommate's car wasn't there and asked if he can come over. Now I was out with the roommate in her car and played that message for her on speakerphone. Was like, what is up with this guy? But if I hadn't been reading my Bible or in close relationships like I had with that one roommate, I was able to just play that on speakerphone too. I think I would have fallen for it, honestly. I went away to do an internship for that summer, and he called me the whole summer. And when I got back, he said, you ignored me all summer. Because I did. I literally just rejected each call. And you know what I said when he confronted me on it? Yes, I did. I look back and I'm so grateful I didn't let that guy mess with my purity. He had no good intentions for our friendship. That would have ruined me. And y'all, my husband has all the green flags. I'm so grateful I waited for him. But a few years back, the campus ministers in New York did a survey trying to figure out specific reasons. We were trying to identify reasons why people were leaving God. The number one reason was for a relationship. Satan will pick a pretty boy or girl. Satan will pick a pretty boy or girl. They will say the right things. They will come out of vulnerable time. And it will be hard to say no. But guess what? Titus 2, verses 11 to 14 says, For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Jesus teaches us to say no. He transforms us into being women who are eager to do good. Protect your purity. Is there anything or anyone that God is calling you to say no to? Is there anything or anyone that God is calling you to say no to? The next thing the scripture talks about is greed. And maybe you're not greedy with your money because y'all don't have money. That's not a knock. That's just true. No. But you may be greedy with other things. You may be greedy with your gifts. You may be greedy with your gifts. You may be greedy with your resources. You may be greedy with your time. Maybe you excel in your job, have hundreds of followers on TikTok, are brilliant and top of your class, but do not give a single gift to the church. That is greed. The Bible says this is idolatry, the same as bowing down to a statue. If you feel the need to hold on to your gifts or your time and not share them with God or people, it could come from selfishness or from fear. could come from selfishness or from fear. Idolatry comes from not trusting God. And sisters, when you give things to God, he will not let you come back empty. And even if you did, are you really ever empty if you have God? The next thing this scripture talks about is anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language from your lips. All of these things stem from a lack of self-control. Now, emotions are healthy and normal. Emotions are not the problem. And if you don't feel like you're aware of your emotions or not sure if you're in touch, I have some extra you can borrow. I'm really generous like that. But Satan wants you to use, Satan wants to use your emotions against you. He wants you to feel like you have no other option but to sin. He wants to shame you in your emotions and add guilt, hurt, and chaos to the mix. And here's the thing. If you feel angry often, you might be hurt. thing, if you feel angry often, you might be hurt. How does the Bible tell us to handle our hurt? It tells us to resolve it. This is spiritual maturity. Do you have sisters you felt malice towards? Are you slandering them? There's probably hurt there that requires resolution. And the last thing the scripture talks about is it says, do not lie to each other. We can do this by living with deceit or secret sin. My husband and I started dating around the same time as some of our best friends. And while they were dating, they became distant, they became isolated, and they became consumed with each other. I would ask her how they're doing, and she was always vague. And one day we were talking about purity, and she just made a little comment that sounded like there was more there. And so I did the brave thing. I asked her, are you being impure? And she opened up that they had been in serious impurity for months. opened up that they had been in serious impurity for months. Suddenly, the distance, the awkwardness, her being hard to connect with, it all made sense because she had been living a lie, and she was tormented. They both ended up getting completely open, repenting, eventually getting married, going into the ministry, and are a pillar couple in the New York church. When people hear their story and that they have this background, they're shocked because they're known for being two of the most high-charactered people. Their transformation was radical, and it all started with honesty. Is there something you need to be open about today? Our demons are no match for Jesus. In one gospel account of Jesus dealing with demons, we see the demons begging Jesus and asking permission from him to send them into pigs. Sin is pig-worthy, not worthy of you. Sin is not good for us. We are not living up to our fullest potential when we're in sin. Sin messes with our personalities. It messes with our self-esteems. It messes with our relationships. And when the Bible speaks strongly about sin, it's not out of punitiveness. It's out of protection. Colossians 3, verses 9 and 10 says, You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on your new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge and image of its creator. The resurrected life is a transformed life. We have crucified our old selves and have been resurrected into a new self. But what does this new self look like? Colossians 3 verse 12 tells us to clothe ourselves with qualities of Jesus. New fits bring a new vibe, bring a new personality, bring a new energy. Have you ever had that one friend that tries to completely change their aesthetic like every year and you all just kind of go along with it? Yes. That friend for me is Gigi. She's here in this room. Gigi has gone through many eras. She had her pimple patch era.

00:20:00 which y'all are icons for that. Millennials don't have that kind of self-esteem to walk out with a pimple patch on their face. I will forever respect you all for that kind of behavior. She had her oversized clothes era. She had her cottagecore era. She had her cool girl era. And for Gigi's bachelorette party, we all dressed up, all her bridesmaids dressed up as different Gigi eras, and we did a fashion show for her. And I claimed her most embarrassing phase, which was her iconic random Guy Fieri shirt phase that she wore to everything and was super proud of. So this is me with Gigi. She's dressed up as Guy Fieri here, or I'm dressed up as Gigi in the Guy Fieri shirt with the pimple patches, all that. She's dressed up as Guy Fieri here, or I'm dressed up as Gigi in the Guy Fieri shirt with the pimple patches, all that. But here's my favorite Gigi look. Bridal Gigi. So I'm actually going to have Gigi come up right now. She's going to share a little bit about her transformation. She's going to share a little bit about how she lived the resurrected life buenos dias mis hermanas hello my name is Gigi that is the infamous me and I am a campus minister in the New York City Church of Christ. Thank you. That activity, besides getting married, of course, was my favorite moment of the whole weekend. And witnessing the fashion show and seeing the very questionable outfits that I wore throughout my life really made me realize how much I've grown throughout the years, especially my teen years. I devoted my life to God when I was 15 years old. I still remember feeling so excited coming out of the waters, ready to take on the world to please God with my entire life. But little did I know that Satan was also very excited to plan to pack my life with challenges, not just outwardly ones, but inwardly ones as well. As time went on, I slowly began to feel myself shift from trying to please God with my life to seeking the approval from other Christians. My value is what people thought of me and how much I did for God. However, when I got to college, things became a lot more complex. The only way, oh, whoopsie, sorry, something happened. But COVID was at an all-time high when I was in college. My classes became really difficult. I was an engineering major. And I was actually put on academic probation. Everyone knew what they were going to do after college. And I was confused if I wanted to go into engineering or ministry. A lot of factors I was not expecting to hit me all at once. A lot of factors I was not expecting to hit me all at once. I tried my best to present myself as reliable and a trusted disciple. Even though all the chaos was happening, I led dGroups, I sang in worship, I was part of the core group, planned devotionals, you name it, I did it. However, with all of my time serving, I realized I was just performing. I wasn't making it about God at all. In matter of fact, I completely disregarded my times with him, setting myself up for failure. I became burnt out, stressed, and more than anything, overwhelmed to the point where I started slipping back into my old habits from when I wasn't a disciple. During that time, Chelsea started leading the ministry, and we began building a friendship. I shared the surface level struggles just enough to seem honest, but deep down I was terrified to share things. I was scared if she knew too much, then she'd realize I wasn't worth her time. I was scared if she knew too much, then she'd realize I wasn't worth her time. But I think a part of her always knew that there was more under the surface. The straw that broke the camel's back was when all my friends started dating. I was the only one left that was single. And of course I was excited for them, but deep down within I was angry with God. I didn't see all the things I was doing for his church as something to reward myself with. And I was so upset because didn't he see everything that I was doing? Didn't I deserve someone to love me and even notice me? That was the cry of my heart, loud, bitter, and buried beneath the service of my service. On the outside, I was doing all right, but inside, I was starving for affirmation, for intimacy, for someone to tell me I mattered. So I started looking for it in secret places. want to tell me I mattered. So I started looking for it in secret places. Night after night, I'd open Safari and deliberately watch pornography or read a broadica. I pursued my own pleasure through masturbation, knowing it was wrong. And that craving spilled over into my everyday life. I started cheating on exams, flirting with guys in my classes just to feel wanted, at cheating on exams, flirting with guys in my classes just to feel wanted, manipulating situations. I was deceitful, and I knew it. But I told myself I was fine, because hadn't I earned a little something for everything that I was doing for God? I thought, too, well, I'm already so far away from God. What's the difference if I just make this sin, if I choose to go through with this? And the deeper I fell into that mindset, the more bitter I became. I started resenting my friends, especially the ones who seemed to have everything that I wanted, a relationship, attention, confidence, peace. I didn't celebrate them. Rather, I compared myself to them and pulled away, trying to protect my peace. Not only did I distance myself from my friends, but I put a gaping hole between me and God, only reading my Bible when I got to church, and sometimes not even that. But the truth was, I was angry at God and everyone I thought that he was blessing. In Colossians 3, 12 to 4, it says, Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. My life was not reflecting this. It was actually quite the opposite. That was the verse, a couple of verses of love. And I remember at a sleepover when I accidentally confessed some of my sins. I didn't even mean to do it. It just became such normality for me that it just slipped out. And I'll never forget the face of the sister. It was full of shock and then it morphed into concern. And she then further started to ask me questions and listen to me and ask me about my thoughts on the situation. Honestly, I was shocked that I even said anything, and so I instantly tried to collect myself and retreat back to joking around and not making a big deal, thinking that she'd just laugh along with me. But instead, she just simply looked at me and she said, gee, this is serious. Have you talked to anyone else about this? I didn't answer her. I just cried because by then I needed, I knew that I needed help and I wanted to get out of that situation. I even thought about telling Chelsea, but then I convinced myself it would look better if I fixed the problem on my own first. Like I had it all together and only then go for her for support. And during that time, I did what I always did. I promised to never do it again. Put passwords on my phone and everything and cut everything off. Ask God for forgiveness and then just move forward with my life. I plan to meet up with Chelsea at a camp, even prep myself for the questions that my friends ask me, and try to come up with excuses and soften the blow with how much I've changed, how much I've learned. But nothing could have prepared me for the big question that she asked me. She asked me if I thought I'd repented of my sins. I took a second, came up with something, I don't remember what I said. And then she asked me what I thought repentance looked like. You see, I knew what it meant for me when I was 15, but I realized I needed to rediscover what it meant for me at 21, or even at this age now. And I'm so deeply grateful that she loved me enough to ask me that question, because honestly, I would have never asked myself that question. It convicted me. But not just the question itself. It was the fact that she didn't answer the question for me. She challenged me to go find it, to search the scriptures, to relearn how to build my conviction from God's word, not from people, not from culture, relearn how to build my conviction from God's word, not from people, not from culture, not even from what I've always assumed to be true. So I wanted to do the same for you guys. I'm not going to tell you what repentance is. I'm going to ask you, what does repentance look like for you? And more importantly, does your view of repentance match what God's word says? Or have you reshaped it into something more comfortable, something that doesn't actually require much surrender? In Ephesians 1, 3 to 5, it says, praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

00:30:00 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be homeless and holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship or daughtership through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will. This scripture was my first start to repentance. Remembering my why. I had become so dazzled with all of the distractions of life that I forgot my true purpose to be a daughter. And not just any daughter, his daughter. And for a long time in my walk in discipleship, I struggled to believe that truth. It was easy for me to believe God was a good father to everyone else. But for me, it was so hard because deep down I didn't feel chosen. I didn't feel like a loved daughter. And really reflecting on this scripture wrecked me like so bad. It reminded me that I've always been seen. I've always been known long before I even lifted a finger, said a word, or even was a thought in my parents' mind. God already set his heart on me. I'm chosen. The whole chapter of Ephesians one is so great. It says where it's predestined, forgiven, loved without conditions beyond all doubt. And when I see him as that kind of father, good and safe, repentance doesn't feel like a punishment. It starts feeling like I'm coming home. It becomes a joy to be more like him, to walk in his ways, to trust him, to imagine him looking at me and smiling. Not because I'm perfect, but because I'm his. So this joy makes these things that Paul talks about in Colossians 3, not burdens, but invitations. I want to put on humility, kindness, patience, and love. I want to live unafraid to ask hard questions, even awkward ones. And I want to not pretend to know what's best for me, to go the extra mile, not just being honest, but being vulnerable, especially in my sin. And more importantly, I want my life to become someone whose compassion and attentiveness reflects the character of my father. I want people to see him in me because Because before Paul calls us to put anything on to clothe ourselves, he reminds us of who we already are, God's chosen people, holy, deeply loved. And when you finally believe you are those things, you stop chasing identity in different eras in your life, and you start walking in destiny. Thank you. When you live the crucified life, your resurrection speaks to the world. Gigi actually, her and her fiance got featured in the New York Times for having their first kiss on their wedding day. But you know, going back to Colossians 3, verse 5 says, Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature. Jesus taught this too. In Luke 9, it says, Then he said to them all, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up, it says, then he said to them all, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow me. Christians are supposed to live life following Jesus, even following him to the cross. And Mary literally did this. Scripture tells us that she followed Jesus, stayed with him while he was on the cross. All the disciples deserted him and fled. Mary and a few other women followed Jesus to his crucifixion. She did not leave Jesus's side. She did not draw away from Jesus. Jesus did not draw away from her when she was demon possessed, so she would not draw away from her when she was demon-possessed, so she would not draw away from Jesus and his death. I wonder if the reason Mary stayed was because she was a woman who understood pain. Jesus didn't abandon her at her worst, so she would not abandon Jesus. Colossians 2 verse 20 says, I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in Jesus. Colossians 2 verse 20 says, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to participate in the suffering of Jesus, to participate in the cross, to die to our sins and to live for Jesus. Without Jesus going to the cross, there is no Christianity. And in the same way, if your life has not been crucified with Christ, you're not really a Christian. Without a crucified life, you can't live a resurrected life. My last point is the chosen life. We're pick up with mary's story in john chapter 20 it says in verse 11 but mary stood outside facing the tomb crying as she was crying she stooped to look into the tomb she saw two angels in white sitting there one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus' body had been lying. They said to her, Woman, why are you crying? Because they've taken away my Lord, she told them, and I don't know where they've put him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus. Woman, Jesus said to her, why are you crying? Who is it you're looking for? Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, sir, if you've removed him, tell me where you've put him and I will take him away. Jesus said, Mary. Turning around, she said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni, which means teacher. Don't cling to me, Jesus told her, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord. And she told them what he had said to her. So when Mary doesn't find Jesus in the tomb, she sits outside the tomb crying. I think Mary was so used to being with Jesus every day that she couldn't physically stand to be far from him. She never stopped seeking Jesus. Her heart and mind were set on things above. But Mary was not perfect. The truth is she should not have been surprised to find Jesus missing. Jesus had been telling his disciples about the resurrection. had been telling his disciples about the resurrection. She should have known he would not be in the tomb on the third day, as he said. I think Mary was a bit stuck here. She knew she loved Jesus, but she also knew she was missing something. She kept coming back to the tomb and she kept missing Jesus. Do you ever feel that way? and she kept missing Jesus. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel stuck spiritually? Like you're around Jesus all the time, but you can't really find him? There are three things Mary does. She turns around, she goes, and she recognizes his voice. Twice in the story, we see Mary turn around. She sees the tomb and then she turns around and sees Jesus. Another way to say turn around in the Bible is the word repent. In this story, we see it took her two times to truly repent. But you know what? She didn't stop looking for Jesus. And Jesus rewarded her by letting her be the first to see him. Repentance is a lifestyle in the resurrected life. Keep repenting. Keep turning around. Do not quit. You hear me, sisters? Do not quit you hear me sisters do not quit Mary repents and then she obeys Jesus tells her go he says don't cling to me but go Mary could have happily stayed there forever holding on to Jesus if it was her, it would be her and Jesus forever. But Jesus had a mission for her. Mary went from doubting his message to delivering his message. During this time, women were not considered reliable witnesses, and I'm sure her crazy past would have made her considered even more unreliable. But Jesus chose her to be his first witness. And think of all the things that happened due to Mary's boldness. She was the first to tell the story of the resurrection. We are here now because of her faith. And just as Jesus bestowed the honor to Mary to share his message with others, Jesus bestows the same honor on you. Just as Jesus believed in Mary, Jesus believes in you. Mary, one woman with an obscure past, changed the entire world. Imagine what God wants to use you for. Are you willing to be a Mary on your campus? It feels safe and comfortable to hold on to our own relationship to Jesus for ourselves. But what about the world?

00:40:00 God told Mary to go, and he is telling you to go. Do not hold on to this message for yourselves. Share it with others. And lastly, Mary recognized Jesus' voice. Mary was able to recognize Jesus' voice by the way he said her name. This is one of the most intimate connections you could have with a person. Jesus really knew Mary. He knew her fears, her heartbreak, her desperation, her disappointments. He saw Mary. He accepted her despite her past, despite her imperfections, despite her mistakes. despite her imperfections, despite her mistakes. Sisters, Jesus sees you. Jesus hears you. He knows you. He accepts you. He values you. He cherishes you. Despite what you do, despite how you feel, despite your mistakes, you are his. He says, do not cling to me for I am ascending to your father and your God. He is speaking truth into her. He's reminding her of her identity. I wonder if she was feeling hopeless at the grave. Maybe she was afraid of going back to being that demon-possessed girl. Maybe the doubts and demons started creeping back in her mind. But they all ran away by the single voice of Jesus. Sisters, do you let the voice of Jesus transform your life? Do you take time to hear Jesus' voice every day to speak truth into you, to speak identity into you? I bet Mary was familiar with hearing lots of different voices. I mean, she was demon possessed, right? But the second she heard Jesus's voice, she recognized it. but the second she heard Jesus' voice, she recognized it. I believe that came from spending every day with Jesus. Is Jesus' voice the loudest to you? Is it louder than the videos you watch while you're doom-scrolling? Is it louder than the voice of that person calling that you know you shouldn't be talking to? Is it louder than any toxic self-talk? Is Jesus's opinion on a controversial topic louder to you than any other opinion? We need to spend time, oh sorry, we need to spend time in our Bible every single day in order to be familiar with Jesus' voice. Having your quiet time is not a daily chore. It's your time to hear Jesus' voice, to hear Him say your name. You can't have a healthy relationship with someone without communication. And if you don't take time to let God's words dwell in you richly, you are not experiencing a healthy relationship with Jesus. I love the way Mary says, It's easy to imagine her heart crying out. The relief she felt when realizing Jesus resurrected. Does the word of God bring you relief? When I imagine Mary hearing Jesus' voice, I think of the character Eliza in the last scene of Hamilton, her final cry. So we're going to watch this scene, and I want you to think about Mary having this reaction to seeing Jesus. Oh, I can't wait to see you again. this reaction to seeing Jesus. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? I think Mary's cry sounded and looked something like that. The cry of a woman whose dreams came true. Jesus was Mary's dream come true. I think in this moment she realized she made it. It was all worth it. And I think each of us will have this exact moment with Jesus in heaven. When we will finally see his face. We won't have any more demons, any more doubt. We will be with God. We will see his face and we will literally hear him say our name. Mary went from being filled with demons to full of divine dignity. She went from being possessed by evil to possessing the qualities of Jesus. She went from doubting his message to delivering his message. She went from being filled with many voices to filtering to just the one voice of Jesus. Let's live the resurrected life. Let's leave our demons with Jesus. Let's live the crucified life. Let's turn around and let's repent. And let's live the chosen life. And let's bring as many women as we can as possible to hear his voice. Let's be women who recognize his voice. Amen.