They stopped short, sadness
written across their faces. LUKE 24:17
NLT

“The things that happened
to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful
miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people.
But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be
condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who
had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.” LUKE 24:19-21 NLT

Our false expectations
of God lead us into disappointment

Why am I discouraged? Why
is my heart so sad? PSALM 42:11 NLT

Then Jesus said to them,
“You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote
in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to
suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them
through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the
Scriptures the things concerning himself. LUKE
24:26-27 NLT

Suddenly, their eyes were
opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said
to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the
road and explained the Scriptures to us?” LUKE
24:31-32 NLT

A real view of God
satisfies the soul

I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! PSALM 42:11 NLT

For he satisfies the
longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. PSALM 107:9 ESV

Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my
side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me.
Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” JOHN 20:27-29 NLT

And within the hour they
were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and
the others who had gathered with them. LUKE
24:33 NLT

A real encounter with Jesus
ignites us to action

So you
see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead
and useless. JAMES 2:17 NLT

But these
are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his
name. JOHN 20:31 NLT

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