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If someone only read the last chapter of a book and said, "I don't get it," how would you respond? Or if someone watched just the last five minutes of a movie and then told you, "The ending doesn't make sene," what would you say?



You'd probably say, "That's because there's more to the story."



This week, we look at the strange ending of Mark's Gospel that, if we read it on its own, will leave us bewildered and unsatisfied. But, when we understand Mark's ending in the light of the whole story, we realize it's not really an ending at all, but an invitation to a new beginning of life with Jesus.

Reading a novel or watching a TV series is a huge time and emotional commitment. As we experience the ups and downs of the characters, we become more invested in them and more intertwined with them until their story becomes more and more our story. This is why, no matter how good the rest of the story is, we feel so let down by bad ending. We protest, "That can't be how it ends! Those can't be the final words of the story!"



This Easter, we look ahead to the end of our story. We look to eternity. We rejoice in the hope that the resurrection of Jesus means neither sin, nor shame, nor sickness, nor death is the end of the story. They don't get the last word. Jesus does.

In the 1980's and 90's, the TV series Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous took us inside opulent homes marked by a level of luxury most of us couldn't imagine in our wildest dreams. The 2000's exploded with reality shows, many of which centered on the lives of the most successful and beautiful people on the planet. But, by the 2010's, a tidal wave of social media platforms had flooded and changed the social landscape - instead of us tuning in once a week to sneak a peak into the lives of celebrities, celebrities began offering us a picture of what their lives are like every day.



What was meant to be fun and entertaining, and even humanize many of our heroes, came with an unintended consequence: comparing every aspect of our lives to theirs.



This week in our series The Life & Lyrics of David we'll see how comparing our lives to the lives of others is the first step down the dangerous road of envy.

You know those sleepless nights and anxious days you sometimes have? How often are they born out of your fear of failing to come through on an upcoming project or commitments? How many times have you made it to the day that caused your week's-long stress, only to crush it and be commended by those around you?



On the other hand, how many times did the day arrive and it crushed you? You fumbled the presentation, look foolish in front of those you respect, or fear the person you let down will never speak to you again.



But how many times, once a few days, weeks, or months go by, have you realized that wasn't the end of the story? How many times has the person you thought you failed forgiven you and the relationship has somehow been strengthened. How many times has failure closed one door, only to force you to consider another door, which opened up a bigger and better path?



We're stepping away from our Life & Lyrics of David series this week to examine the life of a disciple of Jesus who learned, over and over again, that Jesus doesn't fear our failures as much as we do - because with Jesus, failure is never the end of the story.

You're hungry. Not just hungry. Hungry for your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant. You've got time in your day, money in your account, and now, keys in your hand. There's no traffic, every light is green, and there's a spot right by the front door. Things couldn't be going any smoother.



Until you get to the front door and find it locked. And notice the sign taped to the door. And its message sinks in. They're not just closed today. They're closed for good.



Downcast, you sit on the sidewalk. You lose track of time. Your stomach growls, snapping you back to reality. And the reality is, you're still sad. And hungry.



It doesn't matter where you eat. Nothing will satisfy like the meal you'll never have again. So you walk into the place next door. You order. You sit. You eat.



But your eyes go wide. Your mouth is watering and your tastebuds dancing. Could it be? Yes! This meal is better than any you've ever had before! You just found your new favorite restaurant.



And it's all because things didn't go according to plan.



This week in The Life and Lyrics of David, we pick up where we left off last week: David is anointed king of Israel. But the next story isn't what we expect for someone who's just been dubbed king. Join us as watch how David navigates a moment in his life when things don't seem to be going according to plan.

Some of us let fear cripple and sabotage our success before we even start. Some are blessed in ways that have enabled them to never let fear stand in the way of chasing something significant.



But what if what we're chasing will only be temporarily significant? What if, instead, we chased things of eternal significance?



What if instead of asking God to back our plans, we asked him to open our eyes to what he's doing in our world? What if we pleaded for the faith to believe he wants us to join him in his work to do what only we can do?



This week, as we conclude our series The Cycle of Grace, we're looking at what it means to be truly fruitful in our walk with Jesus as we partner with him to bring the kingdom of heaven to our corner of the earth.