The rest of the story

The Rest of the Story

God isn’t finished with you. The resurrection means your story doesn’t end in fear, brokenness, or confusion—God is writing “the rest of the story” through transformed people who know who they are in Christ and take the risk to share the good news.

Point 1 — Pray for Enlightened Hearts (Hope, Inheritance, Power)

Text: Ephesians 1:18–20

  • Hope: not wishful thinking—an “unwavering conviction” that God has you and has a future for you.
  • Inheritance: the real finish line (Sandra’s “crown” illustration: eternity outweighs anything here).
  • Power: the same power that raised Jesus is available for inner change—“please transform me… please change us.”

Point 2 — Know Who You Are in Christ (Grace That Transforms)

Text: Ephesians 2:4–10

  • You’re not just saved—you’re made alive, redeemed, and seated with Christ (identity before feelings).
  • Grace isn’t permission to drift; grace transforms—gratitude becomes the engine of obedience.
  • You are God’s workmanship / masterpiece, created for good works prepared in advance.

Illustrations

  • Tapestry: we stare at the tangled back; God sees the front—meaning, design, purpose.
  • Kintsugi: God doesn’t hide the cracks—He fills them with “gold,” making the repaired places part of the beauty and the testimony.

Point 3 — Mark’s Abrupt Ending Is a Mirror (Fear Isn’t the Finale)

Text: Mark 16:1–8

  • The women run away afraid, bewildered, silent—and Mark ends it there.
  • But that “ending” can’t be the real ending—because 20 years later the gospel is being read to believers, and 2,000 years later we’re here: somebody took the risk and spoke.
  • Key line: “The gospel is only the beginning… we may be afraid… but that’s not where we’re going to end.”

Landing the Plane

  • God is writing the rest of the story:
    • Enlightened hearts (hope, inheritance, power)
    • Secure identity (seated with Christ; grace that transforms)
    • Courageous witness (we don’t end in fear)
  • Call to response:
    • Prayer (for renewed hope + courage)
    • Confession (bring cracks into the light)
    • Commission (one concrete “next step” before leaving)

Discussion Questions (Small Groups / After-Service)

  1. Where do you feel most “bewildered” or stuck right now?
  2. Which is hardest to believe today: hope, inheritance, or power?
  3. What “crack” have you been trying to hide—and what would it look like to let God use it?
  4. What’s one small risk you can take this week to move from silence to sharing?