3 Ways We Plan to MAKE ROOM

John 6:1-15

The Fourth Sign: Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). ²A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. ³Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

⁴Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. ⁵So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” ⁶He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

⁷Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ⁹“There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

¹⁰Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. ¹¹Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹²When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” ¹³So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

¹⁵Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Questions:

• If this passage is true, how does this change the way I act TODAY?
• Response can be a shift in actions, thoughts, and/or beliefs. What is God inviting you to shift today?

Take it With You TO CHURCH.

We are excited to have you along on this adventure as part of the Valley Church family. You are the answer to many prayers of those who came before you! Are you ready to commit to the vision and mission and to see what God has in store for our next chapter of ministry? Continue praying over what God is asking you to make room for and bring your commitment card to church this Sunday.

Funday

Get the whole family (or some friends) together for a time of fun and meaningful conversation. Use the questions below as discussion starters around the dinner table or on your drive somewhere.

You can even make it a fun game: Without looking at the list of questions, ask each person to randomly choose a number between 1-10.  They get to answer the question that corresponds to their selected number. Repeat for as many rounds as you’d like!

1. Share about a memory or tradition that involves bread (It could even be a sweet bread like a cake, muffin, gingerbread, etc.)
2. What is the best trade you’ve ever made?
3. What are you most excited about when talking about the Make Room ministry expansion?
4. How do you think the boy felt when he watched Jesus feed a huge crowd with his lunch?
5. How do you think the disciples felt when they collected the leftovers?
6. What do you think the crowd told their friends after they witnessed Jesus multiply the fishes and loaves?
7. How have you seen God show up when it seemed like there just wasn’t enough?
8. What part of the giving guide stood out to you or changed the way you thought about giving?
9. What’s a sacrifice you think God is calling you to make for the sake of others and His kingdom?
10. What something you learned about God’s view of money and giving during this Make Room journey?

Luke 5:17-26

The Lord of the Harvest

The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
¹⁷On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him. ¹⁸Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. ¹⁹Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

²⁰Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

²¹Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²²But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? ²³Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

²⁵Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. ²⁶Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

Questions:

• If this passage is true, how does this change the way I act TODAY?
• Response can be a shift in actions, thoughts, and/or beliefs. What is God inviting you to shift today?

Take it With You TO DESTROY IT.

What keeps you from getting closer to Jesus? What keeps you from getting others to Jesus? Take some time today to list out some of those barriers and talk to Jesus about them. What is he asking you to break today in the name of healing?

When you meet with your Life Group, you get to take action! Rip the roof provided after your group discussion. Not able to meet this week? Write your barriers on a piece of paper and rip it up at home.

Remove Barriers
This week is about removing BARRIERS that keep us from getting to Jesus. What holes do you need to rip to get closer to Jesus? What needs to be removed in your life to make room for God to move?

As a fun way to illustrate this idea, look in your junk drawer or elsewhere and post on your social or story the weirdest thing you’re holding on to. Be sure to share and tag us on Facebook and Instagram.

Why do we hold on to things that aren’t serving us? Let’s clear out what’s in the way and make room for what’s better!

Matthew 9:35-38

The Lord of the Harvest
³⁵Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. ³⁸Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Questions:

• If this passage is true, how does this change the way I act TODAY?
• Response can be a shift in actions, thoughts, and/or beliefs. What is God inviting you to shift today?

Take it With You TO PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER.

How could you offer yourself to God for the harvest? On Sunday you received the following handout with ideas for ways we can reprioritize our resources for the crowds who need Jesus’ love. Put the handout where you’ll see it often and begin to pray how God might move you to be involved. 

Make Room Together

At Valley, we make room for neighbors to become friends … and pray that we see those friends become family through the Gospel!

So here’s an amazing opportunity to make room in your schedule and on our campus for relationship-building: Check out all the activities happening tomorrow during Love You Des Moines Family Day, and invite a neighbor, colleague or friend to join you for one of them.

Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission
¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 1:1-11

Prologue
¹In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ²until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit Promised
⁴On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Ascension
⁹After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.¹⁰They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Questions:

• If this passage is true, how does this change the way I act TODAY?
• Response can be a shift in actions, thoughts, and/or beliefs. What is God inviting you to shift today?

Take the THE WORD with you.

Hide God’s word in your heart by (temporarily) tattooing it on your wrist! The design includes the first letter of each word in Acts 1:8 to help you memorize it this week!

Easter is Good News that’s meant to be shared!

Don’t keep it to yourself! Take time to tell someone in your life about Easter. Here are a few ideas:

• Share a photo from your Easter celebration on social media.
• Tell a friend, neighbor, classmate or colleague about your favorite part of Holy Week.
• Post a photo of your Make Room Guidebook and share something you’ve learned or appreciated.
• Share a Holy Week post from Valley’s social media.

John 12:23-26

²³Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

Questions:

• If this passage is true, how does this change the way I act TODAY?
• Response can be a shift in actions, thoughts, and/or beliefs. What is God inviting you to shift today?

Take the GOOD STUFF with you.

Today is a great day to invite your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to celebrate Easter! What better way to demonstrate how God brings dead things to life than to share our Easter invitation? Continue praying for God to show you the opportunities he’s lining up for you to share the good news of Jesus.

Let’s make room in your busy life to attend a Good Friday gathering tonight at 5:30 or 7 pm.

Does it seem a little strange to call it Friday Funday when we’re reflecting on Jesus’ death on the cross? We get it. Entering into the Easter story starts dark, but we know what’s coming. Jesus is alive!

Luke 4:14-21

Ministry in Galilee
¹⁴Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity. ¹⁵He was teaching in their synagogues, being praised by everyone.

Rejection at Nazareth
¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As usual, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written:

¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

²⁰He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

Questions:

• If this passage is true, how does this change the way I act TODAY?
• Response can be a shift in actions, thoughts, and/or beliefs. What is God inviting you to shift today?

Churchwide Get-Together

Valley Community Center
Friday, March 22
5-7 pm

Hey Valley Church! Let’s “BE FAMILY” by taking time to do the things that families do together – celebrate, share a meal, catch up on life.

This is a unique opportunity to get together with no agenda at all – just hanging out and enjoying being part of this beautiful Valley Church family. Stay for 10 minutes or the whole time!

• Free food / snacks / drinks
• Tailgate games
• Bounce houses
• Open gym