Jesus Our Advocate

First Sermon of 2026Scripture references: Hebrews 7:25 (NLT)1 John 2:1-4 (NLT)Cognitive Dissonance: The mental stress or discomfort felt when holding two conflicting beliefs; when your actions contradict your beliefs. Cognitive Dissonance drives a person to one of three outcomes:Change your beliefs.Change your actions to align with your beliefs.Justify your actions to rationalize the discomfort away.Cognitive Dissonance impacts our spiritual lives because it breeds instability (James 1:5-8, NKJV)Cognitive Dissonance causes spiritual impotence (unable to produce fruit)Fruit: the provable evidence that you know God1 John 2:3-4 (NLT)Luke 13:6-8 (NLT)Exodus 32:7-10 (NLT)Intercession of the Advocate: forces God to recognize we're still His peoplealways asks for Pardonreminds God of His promises