What does it truly mean to live with open hands before God? In a powerful message, Pastor J drew from Matthew 5-10 to illustrate how holding life too tightly—like trying to grasp water or clutch a butterfly—only leads to losing what we're desperate to keep. Through vivid imagery of the Sermon on the Mount, dramatic healings, and the sending of disciples, he revealed three transformative dimensions of living under Jesus's authority: receiving His words, resting in His works, and releasing our lives for His mission. Using compelling analogies, from African monkey traps to lifeguard rescues, Pastor J illuminated how our tight-fisted control actually imprisons us, while surrender to Christ's authority brings unexpected freedom. The message crescendoed with Jesus's paradoxical truth from Matthew 10:39 that "whoever loses his life for My sake will find it," challenging the congregation to examine where they need to loosen their grip—whether in obedience, trust, or surrender. The urgent call was clear: open your hands to receive Christ's authority, for only in releasing control do we discover the life He intends.
