"Born Again: Finding New Life in Christ"
Pastor Saz delivered a powerful Mother's Day sermon at Courageous Church that resonated deeply with everyone seeking renewal in their lives. Drawing from Jesus's nighttime conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, she unpacked what it truly means to be "born again" - a concept that's often misunderstood but contains transformative power for all of us.
The heart of her message was simple yet profound: no matter who you are or what your past looks like, you can start over. This truth applies whether you're already considered "good" like Nicodemus was, or if you've wandered far from your faith journey like Pastor Saz courageously shared from her own life.
What made this message particularly compelling was Pastor Saz's vulnerability in sharing her personal testimony. After finishing university as a theater teacher, she described entering a "year of purposelessness" that led to working at a bar, drinking heavily, and experimenting with drugs while maintaining a Sunday church facade. In her words, she "could talk the talk and walk the walk" while living a completely different life the rest of the week. Her October 2006 moment of returning to Jesus, marked by writing in her Bible "on returning to Jesus," demonstrates the turning point that's possible for anyone.
Pastor Saz brilliantly explained the two components of being born again that Jesus described to Nicodemus: being born of water and born of the Spirit. Being born of water symbolizes lifestyle changes - the external behaviors we need to modify. Throughout Scripture, water represents transition from old to new, from slavery to freedom. But Jesus doesn't stop there. Being born of the Spirit addresses the deeper issues - what Pastor Saz described as the Holy Spirit dealing with her underlying lack of confidence, purposelessness, and need for authentic community after she put down the bottle.
Perhaps the most touching aspect of this Mother's Day message was the parallel drawn between motherhood and God's acceptance of our messes. "As a mother, I don't want perfection from my children," Pastor Saz explained. "I don't want performance... what we want is the real person." Similarly, God isn't asking us to bring our best performance or religious facade - He's inviting us to bring our worst, our struggles, our real selves, so He can make us new.
This sermon reminds us that Christianity isn't about religious performance but relationship - bringing our darkest questions like Nicodemus did and finding a God who already knows what we're really asking. It encourages us to find Christian community where we can be honest about our struggles and receive guidance from those who are "one step ahead" in particular areas of life.
Whether you need a complete life restart or just renewal in a specific area, Pastor Saz's message offers hope: new life is available through both our choices and God's spirit working within us. As she concluded with the familiar words of John 3:16, we're reminded that this transformation isn't just for a better life now but connects us to eternal life with the God who loves us enough to make all things new.