Weekly Roundup: Sunday, April 13, 2025
As he rode into Jerusalem on the back of an animal, everyone had the same question: Who is this guy?
He healed people. He spoke with authority. He taught forgiveness over revenge and love instead of hate.
He didn’t just talk about peace—He embodied it.
But here’s the twist: The same people who cheered for Him on Sunday called for His death by Friday. Because he didn’t meet their expectations, he didn’t approach reality the way they wanted.
Sound familiar?
What if Jesus isn’t here to fit your story but to invite you into His?
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Weekend Prayer
Gracious God, As we walk into this Holy Week, help us not to rush to the empty tomb but to sit in the mystery of the cross, trusting that resurrection is coming. Amen.
Wisdom Nugget: Jesus doesn’t come to meet our expectations—He comes to transform them.
A Question to Consider: What expectations of Jesus am I holding onto that may be getting in the way of truly following Him?
Meme of the week
Dad Jokes
Therapist: What's been up lately? Chocolate Bunny: I don't know, Doc, I just feel so hollow inside.
What kind of jewelry does the Easter Bunny wear? 14-carrot gold!
Leadership Reflection:
Great leadership doesn’t pander to popularity; it stays faithful to purpose. It means being willing to disappoint in the short term to stay aligned with truth in the long term. It means embracing the cross before the crown. It means walking the harder road of humility, grace, and sacrifice—because that's the road that leads to transformation.
It means choosing character over charisma.
Conviction over convenience.
Faithfulness over flash.
Because true leadership isn’t measured by applause, but by fruit.
Not by how many follow you, but by how well you follow Christ.
Not by how high you rise, but by how low you're willing to stoop to serve.
Jesus didn’t win by conquering Rome—He won by conquering death.
And He didn’t do it with a sword, but with a cross.
So when leadership gets lonely…
When the crowd grows quiet…
When people question your path…
Remember:
The goal isn’t to be liked.
It’s to be faithful.
Great leaders aren’t remembered for pleasing everyone.
They’re remembered for standing firm when it mattered most.
For choosing sacrifice over spotlight.
And for pointing people, not to themselves, but to the One who laid it all down.
That’s the kind of leader the world needs.
That’s the kind of leader Jesus calls us to be.
Pastor Jamey
Photo Taken By Me
Book I am reading this week
Looking for God in Messy Places: A Book About Hope by Jake Owensby
Podcast Worth Listening to:
Articles that caught my eye
Barbara Brown Taylor: On Feeding Birds, Good Friday, and Neighborliness
Producing Something This Stupid Is the Achievement of a Lifetime
11 Plants You Can Plant In Spring That Will Last Through Summer
Found Interesting on Social Media
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia
Weekly Blessing and/or Quotes
"Many admire Jesus the teacher, but not Jesus the crucified. Yet it’s only through the cross that we are truly set free." — Tim Keller
When the crowd turns, may you stay near. When disappointment speaks, may faith rise. When surrender feels like loss, May you remember: resurrection is coming. Amen.
