Following Jesus was never meant to stop at belief. It was always meant to move into mission.

In this closing sermon of the Encounters with Christ series, John Gunter explores what happens after people meet Jesus. Looking at John 20 and Luke 24, we find disciples hiding behind locked doors, weighed down by fear and uncertainty. We also find travelers on the road to Emmaus, disappointed that life had not gone as they had hoped.

Into both stories, Jesus comes near.

He speaks peace before they fix their fear. He walks with them before they understand what He is doing. Then He sends them out with purpose and with the gift of the Holy Spirit. This message calls us to live as people who are not just changed, but sent.

Key Themes:

• Jesus meets us in fear and uncertainty
• Peace comes before clarity
• Disappointment does not mean God is absent
• Those who encounter Jesus are sent into the world with purpose

📖 Scriptures: John 20:19–22, Luke 24:13–35, Psalm 46:10

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Resistance often looks like control, pride, or protecting our image. Jesus meets us there.

In this message, John Gunter walks through the story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who was wealthy but isolated. Though rejected by others, Zacchaeus was also holding onto a life shaped by power and gain. Yet his curiosity led him to seek Jesus, and in a moment that defied cultural expectations, Jesus called him by name and chose to stay at his house.

This encounter reveals that transformation does not begin with perfection. It begins with surrender. Zacchaeus responds not because he was forced, but because his heart was changed in the presence of Christ.

This sermon also challenges the listener to consider the posture of the crowd. While Zacchaeus moves toward Jesus, others resist through judgment and pride. The question becomes personal. Are we drawing near, or are we holding back?

Key Themes:

• The danger of pride and protecting our image
• Jesus seeks those others have written off
• True change flows from an encounter with Christ
• Grace invites surrender, not performance

📖 Scriptures: Luke 19:1–10, John 10:3, Luke 5:31–32

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Long suffering can wear down even the strongest faith. Jesus meets us there.

In this message, John Gunter explores the story of the woman who had been suffering for twelve years. Her condition left her isolated, exhausted, and without answers. Yet in a moment of hope and desperation, she reaches out to Jesus and experiences immediate healing.

This sermon highlights the power of faith, even when it is small. It also exposes the weight of shame and how it keeps people from stepping toward Christ. Jesus does not respond with rejection. He responds with compassion, calling her daughter and restoring both her health and her identity.

Through this encounter and the surrounding story of Jairus’ daughter, we are reminded that Jesus has power over both long suffering and even death itself.

Key Themes:

• Faith does not have to be perfect to be powerful
• Shame loses its power when it is brought into the light
• You can be near Jesus and still miss a true encounter
• God is still working even when the answer feels delayed

📖 Scriptures: Mark 5:25–34, Leviticus 15:25–27, Numbers 15:38–39, Malachi 4:2, Romans 5:8, Hebrews 4:15–16

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