WEEK 2
HEAVEN IN MY STORY

Freely You Have Received

Jesus doesn’t send the disciples with something they earned. He sends them with something they received.
They are not carrying perfection.
 They are carrying grace.
They are not carrying credentials.
 They are carrying encounter.
And so are you.
Heaven isn’t a debate. It’s a testimony.

Matthew 10:5–8
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

We often disqualify ourselves from sharing our faith because we don’t feel ready.

“I don’t know enough.”
“I don’t have all the answers.”
“What if they ask something hard?”

But Jesus never said,
 “Freely you have mastered — now go teach.”

He said,
 “Freely you have received — now go give.”

You are not sharing theology as much as you are sharing transformation.

The gospel is not just information.
 It’s an interruption.
 It’s a rescue.
 It’s a change.

If Jesus has changed your life, even in small ways, you are already carrying something eternal. Heaven moves through stories.

The blind man had a simple testimony:
 “I was blind. Now I see.”

That was enough. Your story may not be dramatic. It may not be messy. It may not be radical. But it is real. And real stories carry weight.

When you tell someone what Jesus has done in your life —
 the peace He gave you,
 the forgiveness you experienced,
 the freedom from shame,
 the hope in grief —
You are not arguing them into heaven.
You are opening a window.
Your story becomes a bridge.

Slow down and revisit your own journey.

• What was my life like before I knew Jesus?
  
  
• What was I searching for?
  
  
• Where did I feel empty, stuck, afraid, or lost?
  
  
• How did I meet Him?
  
  
• What has changed in me — internally or externally?
  
  
• Where do I see His faithfulness over time?

Not polished.
Not rehearsed.
Just honest.

Share your story in our prayer group so your church family can be encouraged!

Jesus, remind me what You’ve done in my life.
Bring back the gratitude.
 Bring back the wonder.
Give me courage to share simply — not perfectly.
Help me speak with humility, not pressure.
Let my story carry Your glory.
Use my words as seeds.
 You handle the growth.

Amen.

Invite “Your One” to Easter @ VantagePoint

This is the moment.
Not because Easter is an event.
But because Easter is the gospel.
Resurrection is the center of the story.
You don’t have to explain everything.
You just have to extend the invitation.

“Hey, would you come sit with me this Easter?”

“I’d love for you to experience this with me.”

Freely you have received.
So freely give.

Heaven in your story might begin with courage and continue with an empty seat that doesn’t stay empty.

This week:

1. Invite “your one” to Easter. Make it super simple this week. Download one of these invites and text it to them with a simple message like:
   
   “Hey! My church is having services this Easter, and I really wanted to invite you to join me for one of them. Let me know which service times you’re free for and if you want to come with!”
   
   
2. Pray daily for their heart to receive the invite.