10:30a Worship - 2nd Sunday in Lent - Pastor Tom's Farewell

Devotional

Day 1: The Hungry Caterpillar’s Sunday

A tiny caterpillar emerges ravenous, eating through fruits and sweets until sickness strikes. On Sunday, he chooses one green leaf—simple, sustaining. The story mirrors Jesus’ tomb-to-resurrection journey: death’s cocoon bursting into Easter wings. What we consume matters, but true life comes through Christ’s resurrection nourishment. [19:50]

Jesus used a child’s story to reveal cosmic truth. The caterpillar’s transformation mirrors His victory—not through excess, but surrender. Just as the butterfly emerges unshackled, Christ’s resurrection frees us from sin’s stomachache.

What “junk food” distracts you from Christ’s sustaining Word? This week, replace one distraction with five minutes in John 3. Where might simplicity open space for resurrection joy?

“He built a small house called a cocoon around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks, and then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon and pushed his way out and…he had become a butterfly!”
(Adapted from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His resurrection leaf—the cross that became life. Ask Him to highlight one craving He wants to replace today.
Challenge: Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to a child or friend. Discuss how Jesus transforms our “cocoons.”

Day 2: Nicodemus in the Night

Nicodemus creeps through shadows, seeking Jesus under moon’s cover. He calls Him “teacher” but stumbles at rebirth. Jesus redirects: birth isn’t earned, but given—water, Spirit, wind. The Pharisee’s titles melt before grace’s demand. [21:18]

Jesus confronts our midnight calculations. Nicodemus’ academic rigor couldn’t parse kingdom math. Salvation isn’t a thesis defended, but a child received. The wind of Spirit blows where it will—even into secret doubts.

When have you approached God with résumé in hand? Write one achievement you cling to, then pray: “Uncurl my fingers.” What would it look like to enter His presence empty-handed?

“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.’”
(John 3:5, NIV)

Prayer: Ask the Spirit to sweep through your hidden places like night wind. Confess one thing you’ve tried to control.
Challenge: Write a question you’re afraid to ask God. Place it under your Bible—leave it there until Friday.

Day 3: Wind Where It Chooses

Jesus likens Spirit to prairie gusts—unpredictable, untamed. Nicodemus hears rattling windows; disciples feel storm-calming hands. South Dakota winds carve landscapes and lives, bending wheat but breaking dead branches. [30:35]

God’s Spirit reshapes without permission. We map life’s trajectory, but He redirects like spring squalls. The disciples’ fishing nets became Gospel nets; a Pharisee’s caution became bold burial spices.

Where are you resisting the Spirit’s draft? Step outside today—let wind remind you of His unseen work. What rigid plan might He be loosening?

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
(John 3:8, NIV)

Prayer: Pray for courage to release your five-year plan. Thank Jesus for His faithful detours.
Challenge: Stand outside for three minutes. Note wind’s direction and force. Journal where Spirit might be blowing you.

Day 4: Cody’s Basketball Nets

Cody packs nylon nets, ignoring Pastor Tom’s protests. A flat tire, canceled plans—yet the Spirit reroutes them to Sun Valley’s rusty hoops. The boy climbs his father’s shoulders, replacing decay with gift. [36:05]

God wastes nothing. Cody’s obsession became worship; a grumbled “yes” birthed divine appointment. The Spirit repurposes our quirks and compulsions when we release them.

What odd passion might God use for His glory? Offer Him your version of basketball nets—hobbies, heartaches, half-formed hopes. How could surrender multiply their purpose?

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28, NIV)

Prayer: Present Jesus one seemingly useless skill or desire. Ask Him to bless it for kingdom work.
Challenge: Text someone a specific encouragement about their unique gifts.

Day 5: The Ultimate Jesus Trip

Broken vans, canceled projects—the mission trip unravels. Yet the Spirit steers them to Sun Valley’s youth center. Laughter echoes as Cody’s nets swish. Tom’s frustration becomes awe: God writes better stories. [34:32]

Jesus’ cross seemed a disaster—until Sunday. Our detours often lead to His destinations. When plans crumble, Christ rebuilds with resurrection materials.

Recall a time failure birthed blessing. How might current disappointments hide divine redirection? What if your “flat tire” is holy ground?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
(Isaiah 55:8, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for a past disappointment that became gift. Surrender today’s frustration to His higher ways.
Challenge: Share the “Cody’s nets” story with someone facing disruption.

Sermon Summary

A decade of ministry gives way to a season of transition into part-time rural service while remaining rooted locally. Announcements and practical details frame the gathering, including Lenten midweek worship and a celebratory release from a long-term call. A children’s moment with The Very Hungry Caterpillar becomes a vivid theological image: the caterpillar’s consuming, cocooning, and emergence models death and resurrection and points forward to Easter. The gospel reading from John 3 centers on Nicodemus’s night-time visit and Jesus’ insistence that entrance into God’s kingdom requires new birth and the movement of the Spirit.

Two metaphors anchor the reflection: birth and wind. Birth shows the radical vulnerability of dependence and the humility required to be remade; wind illustrates the Spirit’s unpredictable direction that cannot be fully controlled or scheduled. A mission-trip story from an urban youth center exemplifies how plans can be upended and how the Spirit redirects faithful intentions into unexpected ministry — a teenager’s simple act of replacing basketball nets becomes a sign of Spirit-led love. Theological conviction sharpens into pastoral care: faith functions less as doctrinal correctness and more as a posture of trust that allows God to lead through brokenness.

The narrative draws the images together around Good Friday and Easter: the cocoon of the tomb gives way to resurrection life, and the giving of God’s only Son reveals a saving love that does not condemn. Communion follows as a tangible enactment of that new life, and the closing blessing sends people into daily practice of being the body of Christ. Throughout, vulnerability and trust receive sustained emphasis as the practical spiritual disciplines that invite the Spirit to restructure personal plans into communal, resurrection-shaped service.

Key Takeaways

1. Vulnerability opens the way to rebirth Vulnerability refuses certainty and exposes the need for dependence that new birth requires. When dependence replaces control, spiritual formation begins in earnest; that dependence looks like humility, receptivity, and a willingness to be remade. Embracing smallness prepares the heart for resurrection life that cannot be manufactured. [28:39]
2. Spirit moves beyond human plans The Spirit disrupts carefully made agendas and reroutes energy into unexpected ministry opportunities. Openness to that disruption turns frustration into divine appointment, where ordinary gifts become extraordinary signs of love. Trusting the Spirit requires surrendering the timetable of outcomes and honoring providence when plans unravel. [36:05]
3. Faith is practiced trust Faith centers on trust more than intellectual mastery of doctrine. Real faith commits oneself to following the Spirit despite fear, doubt, or social status. That posture transforms how decisions get made and how communities bear one another through transitions. [36:55]
4. Death precedes new, embodied life The path to eternal life moves through a form of dying—a letting go that makes resurrection possible. The cocoon and the tomb function as necessary thresholds where old identities fall away and new life emerges capaciously communal. This pattern shapes personal transitions and the church’s communal calling toward service. [38:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:13] - Announcements and transition
[14:16] - Opening hymn
[16:24] - Children’s story: hungry caterpillar
[20:57] - Gospel reading: John 3
[25:23] - Vulnerability and trust explained
[31:35] - Spirit-led mission story
[36:55] - Faith defined as trust
[52:33] - Communion and blessing
[63:37] - Sending and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 3:1-17 (ESV)
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [...] 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” [...] 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Observation Questions

Jesus uses two metaphors in John 3: birth and wind. What do these images reveal about how someone enters God’s kingdom?
In the children’s story, how does the caterpillar’s transformation mirror the pattern of death and resurrection seen in Jesus’ story? [19:50]
What unexpected act of service did Cody perform during the mission trip, and how did it challenge the group’s original plans? [36:05]
According to the passage, why does Jesus emphasize that God’s love is about salvation rather than condemnation (John 3:17)?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus compare spiritual rebirth to a baby’s vulnerability instead of a more “controlled” process? How does this challenge Nicodemus’ (and our) expectations?
The wind metaphor highlights the Spirit’s unpredictability. How does the mission-trip story illustrate this idea in a practical way? [36:05]
The caterpillar’s cocoon is compared to Jesus’ tomb. What does this suggest about the purpose of seasons of waiting or struggle in our lives? [19:50]
Jesus tells Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (v. 7). Why is this command both hopeful and unsettling for someone like Nicodemus, who already has religious knowledge and status?

Application Questions

Vulnerability requires admitting we can’t control outcomes. What is one area of your life where you’re clinging to control instead of trusting God’s timing? How could you practice surrender there?
The Spirit redirected Cody’s small act (replacing nets) into meaningful ministry. What ordinary, practical gift (time, skill, resource) could you offer God this week, even if it feels insignificant?
The cocoon phase involves waiting in darkness before new life emerges. Are you in a “cocoon” season now? How might God be reshaping your identity or purpose during this time? [19:50]
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, possibly to avoid scrutiny. Is there a part of your faith journey you’ve kept hidden out of fear? What step could you take to bring it into the light?
The mission trip’s flat tire and canceled plans became a “Jesus trip” moment. When has a disrupted plan in your life led to an unexpected opportunity to love or serve others? How did it change your perspective? [34:32]
Jesus says eternal life starts now for those who trust Him (v. 15-16). What would it look like to live today with the confidence that God’s love has already saved you—not condemned you?

Sermon Clips

36s

#JesusTrip

“and a setting of trust so that we can grow in service and love. But I always tell the young people, it doesn't become a Jesus trip until something goes wrong. When you've got your plans working and everything is going fine, it's your trip. But the Jesus trip comes when it becomes difficult. For the theologians among us, that's called the theology of the cross. The whole idea that god shows up in the brokenness and the weakness in the least likely places you would see. So that became a Jesus trip.”

37s

#BringTheNets

“Well, it comes time to go on the trip. And the night before we leave, one of our high schoolers, a boy named Cody, calls me and says, pastor Tom, can I bring a couple of basketball nets? Well, Cody ate, drank, lived, and breathed basketball. And evidently, he had seen in that video that in the parking lot outside of that youth val youth center in Sun Valley, there were two basketball hoops and they each had a straggly net hanging by one string.”

47s

#FaithIsTrust

“Because sometimes there's a tendency for us to think if I have the right understanding of this scripture passage, that's faith. Or if in our Lutheran tradition, if I have the a right understanding of the apostles creed or the 10 commandments. That's not faith. Faith is trust. That could be this entire sermon. It's it's this quiet one on one sermon that Jesus delivers to Nicodemus, that it's not his academic training. It's not his position as a leader. The only thing Nicodemus needs is that spirit to blow him into this new thing that God is doing through Jesus Christ.”

39s

#BornOfTheSpirit

“But then he continues, but we don't know where it's going. It may go over that next rise and a cold front may come from the other direction and that wind may go a place that we could never guess. Jesus says, so it is with everyone who is born of the spirit. This vulnerability and trust. This trust that the spirit is going to be sweeping us into the work that only god knows.”

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