When I was in grade seven a group of guys and I went over to a friend’s house after school to play a game. We were tired of the usual board games we played, The Game of Life, Monopoly, Risk, so we decided to try something new. One of my friends suggested poker and the rest of the guys enthusiastically agreed – everyone except me.
I had no idea how to play poker. I didn’t know the difference between a flush and a full house. I didn’t know what it meant to fold or to call. I didn’t know how to play poker. To be honest I still don’t know how to play. The only thing I really understood was how to go “all in.”
I had watched enough TV to know that going all in meant taking every chip you had and pushing it into the center of the table. I understood that you did this when you thought you had the winning hand, and sometimes when you were just bluffing. Unfortunately I didn’t know how to bluff and I had no idea what a winning hand looked like. I ended up going all in and going out of the game very quickly.
That after school lesson in poker was where I learned to hedge my bets, to play it safe, to hold back from going “all in.” When I went all in I went bust and I became the butt of my friends’ jokes. I didn’t want to take that risk again.
Going “all in” in poker is risky, you could win big or your could go bust. The prudent thing, the safe thing to do is to hedge your bets, to hold back a little just in case things don’t work out. It is true in poker and it is true in life.
Have you ever lost out by going “all in?” Has that impacted your life and willingness to go “all in” in life?
Many of us are looking for a “sure thing” in life. So, we hold back and we don’t go “all in.” While this tactic may keep us in the game, it also causes us to miss out on the opportunity for something big to happen. Sometimes in life you just need to risk it all and go “all in.”
This weekend we are talking about going “all in.” We’ll be looking at Mark 3:20-35 and three very different responses to Jesus. We’ll explore what it looks like to hold out and what it looks like to go “all in” with Jesus. I hope you’ll take the risk and join us this Sunday because you just might find that Jesus is worth going “all in” for.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Kirk
Israel Trip
Join Pastor Kirk and Britton on a journey through Israel, following in the footsteps of Jesus. Grow as a disciple of Jesus as you visit places you have read about in the New Testament. The words and life of Jesus will come alive in a new way. For information, contact Pastor Kirk at kirk@mylivinghope.ca.
For further information, join us February 24 at 7 pm at the church as Pastor Kirk talks about the trip.
Date Night Tour – Clean Comedy for Couples
Looking for something to do with that special someone in February? Join us for the Date Night Tour, a night of clean comedy with Daren Streblow & Timmy Boyle. Come prepared to laugh as Daren & Timmy create a night you won’t soon forget. Plus enjoy a live game show as 5 women and 5 men battle on Date Night Feud. Tickets are $15 and are available online or at the church.
Living Hope 101 – Discovering Church Membership
Have you been attending Living Hope for a while and would like to really make it your home? Join us on Sunday, March 3 for lunch as Pastor Kirk talks about who Living Hope is and how you can become a member of Living Hope.
Coming Events
| February 17 | Baptism Opportunity |
| February 23 | Date Night Tour – Clean Comedy for Couples |
| February 24 | Israel Trip Information Night |
| March 3 | Living Hope 101 – Discovering Church Membership |
| March 10 | Ambrose University Alumni Night |
| July 29 – August 2 | Kids Camp |
