This Is the Day | Conrad Bess | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

This Is the Day

Red Rocks Church • Mar 31, 2026 • 45 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this Palm Sunday message, Pastor Conrad Bess examines Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and challenges us to elevate our expectation of God. While the crowds sought temporary relief from Roman oppression, Jesus wept because they missed the true source of lasting peace—reconciliation with God through Him as the cornerstone. Believers are called to align their hearts, households, finances, and daily lives around Jesus as Lord.

Themes

Expectation in WorshipJesus as the CornerstoneTrue Peace vs. Circumstantial ReliefPalm Sunday and the Triumphal EntrySurrender and Alignment

Key Points

1.
Our level of expectation in worship can often limit our experiences and encounters with God.
2.
During the Triumphal Entry, crowds praised Jesus expecting political liberation from Rome, but Jesus arrived humbly on a donkey bringing spiritual peace.
3.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people desired temporary, circumstantial relief rather than true spiritual peace and reconciliation with God.
4.
When we fixate solely on fixing immediate problems, we risk treating Jesus as a helper or fixer rather than our Savior and King.
5.
Believers are given an unshakeable identity as a chosen people, royal priesthood, and God's special possession, which external circumstances cannot take away.
6.
True peace and spiritual stability require establishing Jesus as the primary cornerstone of our hearts and choices.
7.
Realigning our daily priorities—including our businesses, finances, households, and conversations—around Christ ensures our lives stand on a firm foundation.

Sermon Moments

“Expectation can be the single most limiting factor in the encounter and the experience that we have with the God that loves us.”

“Instead of riding in on a war horse, signaling that he came for conquest and for battle, scripture tells us that he comes humbly and riding on a donkey, which would mean that Jesus came in peace.”

“He wept... It implies that he wailed with a frustrated desire over the missed opportunity.”

“He came to set them free from the things of destruction, and they were so fixated on their momentary circumstance.”

“Peace will always be fleeting if Jesus is just helper but never savior.”

“An answer at best brings relief for the moment that you're in. And Jesus provides and sustains a peace that actually hovers above all of that.”

“You call a king when you need someone to rule and to reign over your life and your heart and your story.”

“This is the day to put him back as the cornerstone of your life and your conversation.”

This Week

Align your heart's expectations with the praise and declarations you speak in worship this week.

Bring all of your practical needs and urgent worries to God, trusting Him as both your Helper and your Savior.

Re-anchor your daily security in your God-given identity as chosen, called, and held as His special possession.

Invite a friend, family member, or neighbor to upcoming Holy Week services to hear the gospel.

Make Jesus the primary cornerstone of your business and daily work by seeking His guidance in key decisions.

Surrender your financial life and household priorities to Christ, ensuring your choices reflect His kingdom values.

Realign your daily conversations and prayer life around Jesus, contending faithfully for what He has called you to do.

Remember This

True and lasting peace comes not from temporary circumstantial relief, but from surrendering every area of life to Jesus as our unshakeable cornerstone.

A Challenge for You

This is the day to put Jesus at the center of your business. This is the day to put him in the middle of your finances. This is the day to put him at the middle of your household. This is the day to put him back as the cornerstone of your life and your conversation... but if you're not aligned, the whole thing falls.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.