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if Hey, welcome to Prairie Lakes. We are so glad that you're here and we are going to start off this weekend this message in a special and unique way and it is going to be a privilege for us across Iowa. All of Prairie Lakes to welcome two new campus pastors. So Prairie Lakes, this is one of the great things we get to do as a multi-site church.

We Are One Church on many corners with one Mission. We're going to find people help people know Jesus no matter what so this is what we get to do today. And I'm going to ask Manny Pollard our new Decora CP in yourself and tell us tell us what's going on.

Well, hey Prairie Lakes. My name is Manny Pollard and on behalf of my family Kim Josh Asher Kennedy and Brooks. We just want to thank you all for the prayers and support. We're just very excited to be part of the community in Iowa and specifically in Decorah and be a part of what God has planned for that location and for that town in, Northeast, Iowa.

Excellent unless you one question for you real quick. So you're Colorado boy. I am so obviously you're a Bronco fan. I am not. Oh my gosh. I'm this is unbelievable right now hand the mic over. Like you got hired. I'm Andy Sayer and my wife Leah and Addie Eva Violet and Luke.

We we come to Osage and we're excited about being a part of Mitchell County. We're excited about being apart Prairie Lakes something special going on here and and we're just thrilled about getting started in in the community there. Yeah. Amen. Kevin McCullough is one of our elders in the executive part of our Elder board, and I've asked Kevin if he would lead us in commissioning and praying.

Yeah, Prairie Lakes. Let's say stand. It's extend a hand and let's welcome these guys. Father we just we thank you. We thank you for your just continued blessing on Prairie Lakes and just on Iowa Lord. We're so excited and thankful to be able to welcome these two men and the leadership. They're gonna bring to Prairie Lakes into these communities Lord over the coming days weeks months our prayer is that them and their families will just be able to engage and connect with their communities at a very deep level Lord, let it be known and evident to them in the community. The Prairie Lakes is present is engaging and is welcome and trying to just be on mission for you Lord welcoming all and giving all a place to search for and find you Lord and thank you for Manny with thank you for Andy. Please be with their families as they transition and we ask this all and your son's name. Amen. And I pray later give my hand to Cross Iowa. Yeah.

All right. Hey, thanks everybody. What a privilege for us to be able to to do that together. And man. We we have been praying for those two and their families so really grateful for that. All right. So let's let's move here's what's gonna happen my friends. We are kicking off fall. Okay, and we're gonna do a series called moved and the whole point of move is that is to is to lay out what we would call the discipleship pathway and this idea that being stuck and stuck in a spot just isn't where any of us wants to be it's a bad feeling to be stuck whether it's your your marriage or your job or a relationship or your workouts being stuck is is not where you want to be.

But most importantly as the church. We want to dive into this area of the heart of Christianity of Jesus of the spiritual side of who we are and to be stuck in the spiritual side of Our Lives as a bad place to be because here's what we know.

What's on the inside always comes out? The deepest wounds aren't the the scars on our skin the deepest wounds are the scars on our heart on the the inside stuff because that's what counts the most and we believe that Jesus is the master of the inside stuff. So to be stuck spiritually is a pretty crummy and I'm not even say dangerous place to be So, how's the church here's what we want we want you to move on your spiritual journey. We want to help you find out where you are and how to move.

To where God wants you to be. So here's a picture. Here's a framework for us. We have this this this discipleship path and really what it does. This is a journey that all of us are on all of us. And it's a way for us to kind of identify. That's that's where I'm at on the discipleship path right now. And then what we want always to have happen is this idea of movement and we're gonna talk about this for for four weeks. We're gonna we're gonna walk through this. So we're gonna go to to these four areas and we're gonna talk about what it means to be here. What's what's the move here? And and how do I move from where I'm at? Okay, so so that's what we're trying to do. Now. Here's what we're gonna sit this weekend. We're gonna sit in this spot discipleship path. We're all of us have been all of us and some of us are right now and and if you're not there, I promise you that there's somebody in your little Iowa that's in this spiritually curious phrase and we're gonna speak to that this weekend now, we're kind of walking over this one because well, we know that we have lots of people in our little hours that are uninterested and they're actually frankly they're not here they're uninterested and we have a different ways that we're trying to reach them and grab them primarily.

It's you trying to get them. Okay, but when someone becomes Known to us at Prairie Lakes, you know, they become known in some way. They they start attending regularly. They they sign up for something they they start giving you know, they they get part of a group or they start serving but they become known then then that that moves them from uninterested to spiritually curious and this is where we're going to sit this weekend. So what we always want to do is this let's just go to the Bible First let's just go and I'm gonna we're gonna go to three and counters that Jesus had with spiritually curious people and what we're going to learn we're going to see is how does Jesus respond and react what does he do with spiritually curious people? So let's all move together on this one. Okay, so so here's the first place we're going to be when everybody go to John chapter 3 and we're going to be in the story of Nicodemus. Now, there's there's a lot to these stories. So we're not putting the text on the screen really want you to look them up with me. Okay. Now I know some of you don't have Bibles with you. That's okay. You've got your phone. Just pull it out.

You could even just type in you can Google this the John 3 Nicodemus. It'll come up there are Bibles and some of our chairs are appeals across Iowa, but we encourage you to get your eyeball on the word itself. So, it's Matthew Mark Luke and John and John is the fourth gospel much go to John chapter 3 now John chapter 3 is famous for that verse that most of us have heard or seen John 3:16 right for God. So love the world right that verse that he gave us one and only son that who ever believes him should not perish but eternal life, right? There's the the big picture of why Jesus came into what he does. Okay. Now what leads into that verse is this story about Nicodemus in John 3. So let's walk into it together and we'll go to three of them. We'll talk about so let's start with John 3 verse 1 here it is now there was a Pharisee A man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling Council. So let me just clear up any confusion because we have a lot of spiritually curious people. So a Pharisee was a was a part of a Judaism. It was one of the sects of Judaism and Pharisees were very kind of known for for they were for kind of a rigidity to the law.

Right? They had all the laws had to follow them all and and when you start reading through the gospels, here's what you're gonna find that Jesus did most of the time fight against these guys doesn't mean they're all bad because they weren't they were trying to do what they thought was right, but they ended up kind of banging against the kingdom of Jesus was trying to bring so that Nicodemus was a part of this but he was unusual because he was spiritually curious Nicodemus. So back to text look what it says. He came to Jesus at night and said Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher who has come from God for no one could perform the signs you're doing if God were not with him and just sit.

That just for a moment. So here's Nicodemus. He is religious on the outside. Right? He's he's got all the trappings of a guy that's kind of got it together and he's a part of the the unreligious group.

But he comes to Jesus why. Because he's stuck. And he's spiritually curious about about what this means. He's stuck in a spiritually curious spot. And that the story goes on and just I'll go a little bit farther and in Jesus replied very truly. I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God unless they're born again and then Nicodemus again spiritually cures, but how can someone be born when they're old Nicodemus asked surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born and then Jesus answers and tell us about being born of the spirit. Right? So so this is Nicodemus, but I want you just to see this about him.

He was a very religious person. Who was very spiritually curious because here's what we know. Sometimes really religious people are really simply missing. Jesus In fact, there are some of you right now.

That one of the reasons you have pushed away from Jesus or pushed away from the church or pushed away from even Christianity is because you've known some of these really religious people who are really missing Jesus. In other words. They have a lot in their head.

But it hasn't really sunk to their heart and it hasn't really moved from their head to their heart to their hands. They don't listen. They don't obey the things that Jesus said to do. obey and act like Jesus Is How We Define spiritual depth and Jesus said here's what's most important love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul all your mind and all your strength and then he said and love your neighbor as yourself.

And my friends a lot of us have known religious people. Who Yak a lot and who put on a good show, but they don't know Jesus. And that's that's a tough spot to be in but here's one. Whose spiritually curious even though he's got a lot stuck in his head.

All right. Let's go to the second encounter. Of a spiritually curious person. Let's turn over one chapter to John chapter 4. Now. This is the encounter that Jesus has with the Samaritan woman. Okay, so so there's a lot in here and it's a long story. I'm gonna try to encapsulate it for you, but let's go to the text and and let's start with it. Let's go to verse 4 to start. Okay.

Now it says now he had to go through Samaria talking about Jesus. Okay? So he came to a town in Samaria called sicar near the plot of ground. Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's Well was there and Jesus tired as he was from the journey sat down by the well, it was about noon.

Okay, so get the picture. Here's some background. You may not know. So the Jews from from the Israel, they didn't like the Samaritans though. They had the same Roots. They they hated each other. And in fact in the Jewish World. It was really made you unclean to be a part or touch a Samaritan. And in fact when they had to travel they would sometimes go across the Jordan and go around Samaria and make their trip longer then go through but Jesus and his group went through now, he stops they're tired. He's sitting in a well and it's about noon which is another little clue.

Because noon was the heat of the day and most people and in that Society it was women who went and got the water from the well remember they didn't have tap water coming to their house like we do they had to go get their water. So most women either come early in the morning or later in the evening and the cool of the day not In the Heat of the day. So if you were coming to the well and the Heat of the day, there was a reason that you were and probably because you were on the outside looking in well with that scenario go back to it. Let's find it verse 7 says this So when a Samaritan woman came to draw water Jesus said to her will you give me a drink and his disciples has gone into town to buy food and the Samaritan woman, right? Here's what she said. She said to him. You're a Jew and I'm a Samaritan woman.

How can you ask me for a drink for Jews without associate with Samaritans and Jesus answered her? If you knew who it is that asks you for a drink you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. Sir, the woman said you have nothing to draw with and the wealth is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself as did also his sons and his livestock and The Story Goes On right and Jesus begins to talk to her about I can give you a water that's living water and then he gets down to this spot.

And and he says to her and he says he says to her look at verse 16. He says he's told her go. Call your husband and come back. I have no husband she replied. And Jesus said to her. You're right. When you say you have no husband. The fact is that you've had five husbands. And the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true and and The Story Goes and he and it's it's a beautiful story read it this week, but I want you to see this.

Here's the spiritually curious woman. Who was wondering what this really is all about? And what we realize from her like a lot of us who are spiritually curious. She was thirsting for more than a physical relationship could give her. She was thirsting for more than what she had and we don't know the circumstances behind her five husbands. We have no ideas. I'm going to say, oh she's such a center, you know, maybe not.

Me maybe they all died different ways. Right? Maybe she in that in that system. She got her husband died you go to the brother the brother dies. Maybe they all had a line of cancer. We don't know but here's what we do know about her whatever situation she was in. She was spiritually curious because she was thirsty for more than what any relationship was able to give her.

Her life was full. of people but it was empty. on the inside So that's the third encounter. That's the second counter. Let's go to the third one now for this one. I need you to to turn back in your Bible to Mark chapter 10. So, it's Matthew Mark Luke John go to Mark chapter 10.

Now in Mark chapter 10, this is it's another encounter with with a spiritually curious person and just get to it. Okay. So in Mark chapter 10 go to verse 17 and here's how it starts. Right? It says as Jesus started on his way a man ran up to him. Now this this same story is told in Matthew Mark and Luke. So they you know, how the great thing about the Bible is three different authors inspired by the Holy Spirit telling the same Jesus story from their perspective or the perspective that they heard it from aspired by the spirit. So they each give a little different detail and and Mark is probably the most complete of him. So that's why I chose this one.

So as Jesus started his way a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him good teacher. He asked what must I do to inherit eternal life. In Jesus. Why do you call me? Good Jesus answered. No one is good. Except God Alone.

You know the Commandments you should not murder. You should not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud honor your father and mother, you know, you kind of gave a list of some of the top 10 right that then Commandments. teacher he declared all these I've kept since I was a boy.

And just catch this now Jesus looked at him loved him. one thing you lack he said Go and sell everything you have and give to the poor then you'll have treasure in heaven then come follow me. If this the man's face fell he went away sad.

Because he had great wealth. So here's a spiritually curious person. Jesus encounters him and what we learn about this spiritually curious person is having lots of stuff doesn't mean having lots of Happy. He's got it all.

And yet he knows that he's missing. So I want us to go back and I wanted to take notes. Now. I want you to notice three things about Jesus when it comes to these three encounters with spiritually curious people because that Jesus Who acted that way with those three 2,000 years ago is the same Jesus?

Who lives today the same Jesus acts the same way? And loves and believes the same way that Jesus is the same. So let's go to these. Let's go back. I want you. I want to there's gonna be three things. I want to see about Jesus. Okay. Here's the first one. Jesus loves spiritually curious people.

so do we Really got it. Jesus loves spiritually curious people and so do we I could have picked out 20 other Encounters of curious people on the outskirts looking in coming to Jesus for something. They're missing something. They know they don't quite have it. Right and something's wrong on the inside. Jesus loves spiritually clearest people these three write the the the Nicodemus the Pharisee the Samaritan woman with the multiple dead husbands the Rich Young Ruler had everything these three all had different ages. We assume they were all definitely in different stages. They had different backgrounds. They have different genders. They were most likely from different socioeconomic classes, but she know what with Jesus it didn't matter who they were or where they've been or what they've done or even what's been done to them. He loved them.

Because Jesus loves spiritually curious people. Jesus loves people who don't have it all figured out who don't have their acts together. Jesus loves people who are asking that question. Jesus loves people who know that they're missing something. This is what Jesus Does Jesus loves these people and in fact, if you remember back into that one story of the Rich Young Ruler Mark notes this in verse 21, Jesus looked at him.

And loved him. What did he do to get Jesus love? He didn't do anything. Did he obey Jesus so then Jesus no, he walked away from Jesus. my friends Jesus loves spiritually curious people and so do we and this really is for Prairie Lakes Church.

This is really where the rubber meets the road for for us. This used to becomes the dividing line of of people who stick and and people who don't this is a this is a dividing line for that. We have got to be a place prolix. We've got to be a place. We're spiritually curious people people who don't have their act together people who don't have it all figured out people who have doubts and fears and are wondering people who who want to take it. They're living with the step. They want to take is we've got to be a place where they can walk into.

and that means that we are going to deliberately be a place that isn't a typical Church here's the deal at Prairie Lakes note this we are going to look a lot more like the crowd Around Jesus. And a lot less like the crowd around the Pharisees.

Jesus loves spiritually curious people and since Jesus Does so do we and we're gonna act like it. So there's the first thing that we can see about Jesus and how he responds. He loves spiritually curious people. All right.

Here's the second thing that we can kind of pull out of Jesus interaction with them. Jesus loves authentic people and so do we Okay, Jesus loves authentic people.

and and so do we here's what you can see about these three. They were authentic in their Journey. They weren't shading and they were hiding and they weren't trying to impress and one of the one of the pictures of one of the definitions for us of all in authenticity is when you're trying to be somebody you're not or you're trying to get people that to think that you're better than you're really are and that's inauthentic.

But here's what we see about these people. Those is Jesus love their curiosity. He loves their authenticity and he's not put off by it. Go back to that that story of of Nicodemus in John 3, right? So so look at this. This guy's the the ruling religious leader.

When he walks down the hallway people get out of the way when he walks in the street people do one of these he's that guy. He came to Jesus At Night. And he said rabbi. We know that you're a teacher has come from God for no one could form the signs you're doing if God were not with him. He's not asking a question yet.

He's simply being offended going. I am struggling with this. This is some I can't add up. I can't put this together. He's just processing what's going on inside of him. He's just trying to move forward.

From a spot that he's spiritually stuck in. Jesus loves authentic people contrast that with with some of the stuff that we've now listen, we're all in authentic at times, okay? But I can tell you what can push people away from the kingdom or push people away from the church. He will put push people away from Jesus are these inauthentic people contrast what we just saw with Nicodemus?

Has it all together, but it missed that he really does that. He's got a real question and encounter with with a guy not that long ago. And he came up to me. He said, you know one of those something like this. Hey Pastor John he's just you know, I'm just not sure we're gonna stay around here. We're just you know, we're we're just not really happy. We're not getting fed, you know just not really feeling it and that was the we're not really feeling it anymore. And I'm like, oh, I'm you know, I'm sorry to hear hear about that and I said, hey, can I let's enter can we interact and ask some questions?

And I wasn't trying to be a jerk and I wasn't trying to do any gotcha because you know, hey God moves in strange ways. And so I just looked at me now and I just said hey, so so just tell me about how you're doing. How's your walk with Jesus you mean how? How's your daily time with him? How's your Bible reading your prayer? You know, how you doing with just giving him some room to work? Wow, not really. I I really kind of I'm not under very good thing I go. Oh, yeah. Well, you know, we all kind of struggle with that and then I say hey, so are you coming to church regularly? I'm gonna you are you coming in and you're coming with open hands and saying here. I am God and you know because a lot of the stuff that we do, you know, it's it's it's a little bit like we just want to build we want to just keep building on this Foundation all the time and that's kind of what we do and he well no, we've been really, you know kids got soccer and stuff. So we're we haven't really been there very much like oh, yeah. Okay. Well that that with busy family. That's too bad and then I say so well, are you in a group or are you in a relationship A discipleship relationship with someone where they're kind of kind of feeding into you and maybe some accountability you got any of that? No, I don't. I don't really have that I said, well you have anybody that's kind of not there yet that that that that that's leaning into you as a follower of Jesus. Well, no, I don't really have I got a neighbor, you know I said I didn't want a while but that not I guess not so you serving well, no, we're You busy. Are you given I'm just too busy.

And then I find out two months later that he's going through a divorce and he's bankrupt because mcgammon. To my friends just just hear me. Listen, we all got our issues. Right and we're still no matter Church even for him. I can tell you this. Jesus loves authentic people Who aren't will who are willing?

to deal with the big stuff on the inside and not worrying about protecting their ego authentic people aren't hiding to protect their ego or reputation. They want to move forward even if it costs them some ego and reputation. Jesus loves authentic people and so do we and so do we Here's the third one now. Okay, here's the third one in these encounters with Jesus. So he loves spiritual cures people. He loves authentic people. Jesus loves questions.

And so do we asking questions and having questions even doubts isn't wrong. We just spent a month in the Psalms and things were learned about the Psalms of this they are raw and authentic and they're filled with questions like God. Why right? So we just spend a month sitting in that but hear this God is literally okay with your questions.

He even enjoys them. He's not put off by your doubt. Go back to the text and just just catch this right every one of these encounters. The the spiritually curious purpose was full of questions. Here's Nicodemus. How can someone be born when they are old Nicodemus ass surely. They cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born like but now that's a question. Okay, that's a question and then later Nicodemus says this but but how can this be? Right so so he he wasn't afraid and Jesus didn't go you shouldn't ask questions just believe right. He didn't do that this American woman, right? Look what she says. She said to him. You're a Jew and I'm a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a question for a drink and she did that multiple times throughout the story and then the Rich Young Ruler, right? He rolls up the Jesus. What's he say fell on his knees? He's a good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus is not afraid of questions. In fact, just the opposite. Jesus loves questions.

It would have been so easy to just be Iowa nice. You know, I have a nice this somebody says something You have no idea or you really want to talk about something. You're not really doing it. So you just kind of go ahead and Nod your head. You just kind of Nod on Iowa. Nice. Oh, yeah. Yeah. No, I believe that. No. Yeah. No, I understand that. Right doesn't that that's so that's so not good.

None of these spiritually curious people or Iowa nice. They just nod and pretend they know what they didn't know. And Jesus loves that he loves questions. He loves when it comes to him. Just just literally literally, I love it when this happens. Okay. I love it when this happens.

This is this is called this is this is the beauty of this I meet with all kinds of different different people than in guys, and I love it. I meet with an executive type of guy. highly educated Who's in a spot where he he's stuck and he I hear this again. And again, these guys are are making good money. They're high up in their organizations and and and and I'll be talking to meet with him and and they'll say something like this. I'm just I'm just so ignorant about the Bible. I don't I'm I I don't know anything and I don't know anything about what this Walk With Jesus. I don't know anything.

How do I do that? There's nothing better. When someone can put their ego their pride other things aside and just ask a question and be honest about it. We are never afraid of questions just two weeks ago at the Cedar Falls campus after the service a guy brings up his girlfriend and he says hey she really wants to talk to you and I say great. She's she's got a question and she says well I grew up, you know, I grew up this and I grew up that and it was far from Christian stuff and I grew up this and that but I'm really curious and I have questions about this Jesus.

Can I ask somebody? I wanted to give her a bear hug me and yes, yes. Yes, and yes, you can because that's what we do, right? That's what we do. I'm interested right? He's not fazed by our questions at all. He's not even surprised.

by our sin Okay, our friends. Listen, Jesus loves questions. and since Jesus Does so do we Back to the pathway. Okay back to the pathway. If you're finding yourself, right no matter what part of the journey you're on and again, we're going to go here and we're gonna go here and we're gonna go here.

And if you're finding yourself stuck, and if you're especially for you, if you're in the spiritually curious spot today. And and you just want to know you want to know what's my next step like what's a what's a small step for me to take? What's what's a move that I can make? Okay. What what does that? What does that look like?

You're already become known you move from here to here. But here's what I want you to do. Okay, here's what I want you to do. I want you to text this right now pull out your phone right now or just write this down so you can do it later, right? But text the word moved to 99581 and here's what's going to happen.

It'll direct you right to a website that we designed just for this movement. on the discipleship path And it'll give you six or seven or eight kind of small steps of movement so that you can move on the discipleship path. Okay, so that that really please do.

Please don't stay stuck. Okay. If you're spiritually curious. And my friends those of you who are followers of Jesus you have spiritually curious people in your world. Jesus loves them. He loved their authenticity and he loves their questions.

And so should we so should we? Now you may be in the spot of the big move today where you step over the faith line, and that's the big one to move from spiritually curious. To new believer that may be you today and in just a minute your campus Pastor is going to come up and he's going to walk us down what this next move is like so a cross Prairie Lakes right now. Let's pray together, okay.

So father, thank you for this beautiful picture. of Jesus encounters with spiritually curious people and that same Jesus. Does the same thing today? Help us to be more like Jesus. And his name we pray. Amen. Amen.