Sermon Reflections from Chosen, Not Forgotten | Alex Hardt | June 8, 2025
Pastor Alex used as his example from our culture the movie Lilo and Stitch. The theme of Chosen, Not Forgotten is demonstrated by the little girl Lilo who is not wanted by others, has no friends and feels unloved. She does have those who love her but because of her pain she is unable to recognize them. Stitch is a mischievous alien who is cast out because he does not ‘fit the mold, or fit in’ with his society. Their worlds collide when Stitch crashed to earth and is found by Lilo. It is a charming tale of ‘family’ that gives us a good example of God’s family as we were not physically born into God’s family but were brought into the family of God by our faith in Jesus. Once we loved Jesus we were family or Ohana, which is the Hawaiian word for family. Once Lilo embraced Stitch as family she said nothing could separate them. I particularly like that analogy as once we love Jesus in our hearts we are His forever.
Ephesian 1:3-6 in the Message translation helps me to understand the mind and purpose of God regarding us. “3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” Paul says in Romans 5:8-9 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” God knew who we were and knew we were sinners and yet, He still loved us. He loved us enough to make a plan to redeem us through His Son, Jesus. Once we accept Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us on the cross we belong to him. I have a sister in Bible Study Fellowship that loves John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.’ Not a Saturday goes by that she does not praise and thank God that we are untouchable by Satan and belong to God eternally though our faith in Jesus. Amen! No one who loves Jesus is left behind or unloved. A favorite verse of mine from the Old Testament reinforces this for me. 2 Chronicles 16:8b-9a ‘ Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” This verse provides me with a great mental picture of the eyes of God looking down upon me. He is not just looking, lazily but actively searching to protect and keep me from harm.
Every person matters to God and as family we all belong together. When Jesus was praying in the Garden, John 17:22-23 “ The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Jesus wanted us to be one with Him and family supporting and loving one another. Each of us is valuable to God and each of us has a purpose in His kingdom.
Pastor Alex closed with Romans 12:4-6. Here is the passage from the Message “In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pride fully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.” All of us has a purpose and design. One year during vacation Bible School, we had as our memory verse Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” This reminds us that we were created by God to do His work and bring Him glory. Alex ended with God created you on purpose for a purpose
Don’t forget as live and work with others this week- God is watching, supporting and using you to give His message to a hurting broken world.
Linda
Ephesian 1:3-6 in the Message translation helps me to understand the mind and purpose of God regarding us. “3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” Paul says in Romans 5:8-9 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” God knew who we were and knew we were sinners and yet, He still loved us. He loved us enough to make a plan to redeem us through His Son, Jesus. Once we accept Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us on the cross we belong to him. I have a sister in Bible Study Fellowship that loves John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.’ Not a Saturday goes by that she does not praise and thank God that we are untouchable by Satan and belong to God eternally though our faith in Jesus. Amen! No one who loves Jesus is left behind or unloved. A favorite verse of mine from the Old Testament reinforces this for me. 2 Chronicles 16:8b-9a ‘ Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” This verse provides me with a great mental picture of the eyes of God looking down upon me. He is not just looking, lazily but actively searching to protect and keep me from harm.
Every person matters to God and as family we all belong together. When Jesus was praying in the Garden, John 17:22-23 “ The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Jesus wanted us to be one with Him and family supporting and loving one another. Each of us is valuable to God and each of us has a purpose in His kingdom.
Pastor Alex closed with Romans 12:4-6. Here is the passage from the Message “In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pride fully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.” All of us has a purpose and design. One year during vacation Bible School, we had as our memory verse Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” This reminds us that we were created by God to do His work and bring Him glory. Alex ended with God created you on purpose for a purpose
Don’t forget as live and work with others this week- God is watching, supporting and using you to give His message to a hurting broken world.
Linda
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LINDA'S BLOG
Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass
Watch on Youtube
LINDA'S BLOG
Linda is a member of Crossroads church and regularly blogs about her faith.
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Discovering God is a fresh look at how God is moving in our lives. Rooted in the Crossroads Church community, we reflect on sermons, share stories, and explore everyday moments where God invites us to grow. Join us as we take steps toward Him together. Learn more at www.wearecrossroads.church.
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