One of the most comforting things someone can say when you walk into a crowded room is: "I saved you a seat." A saved seat says: I expected you. I wanted you here. There is room for you beside me.

Jesus said something like that to Zacchaeus. And He's saying it to you.

Pastor Robert Castro

This is Part 3 of our four-part series, Open Doors. In Luke 19, we meet a wealthy but lonely chief tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree just to see Jesus — because the crowd was blocking his view. The people nearest to Jesus were making it hardest for someone else to see Him. And Jesus stopped, looked up, called him by name, and made room for him.

In this message, we ask three questions that every follower of Jesus must honestly face:

• Are You Willing to SEE Them? — The crowd saw Zacchaeus's reputation. Jesus saw his hunger. You will never make room for someone you are unwilling to see. This message shares the story of Letitia Wright (Shuri from Black Panther) — battling private depression behind public success — until a friend named Malachi refused to look away and invited her to a Bible study where she encountered Jesus.

• Are You a BARRIER or a BRIDGE? — It is possible to be close to Jesus without reflecting the heart of Jesus. The crowd followed Jesus, listened to Jesus — and blocked Zacchaeus. They celebrated grace for themselves and resented it for someone else. Are people climbing over your attitudes to see your Savior?

• Will You MAKE ROOM for Them? — Jesus didn't wait for Zacchaeus to fix himself. He said "Today. Immediately. I must." Jesus entered the house first — and Zacchaeus changed from the inside out. We also look at Manny Pacquiao — whose transformed life led him to turn hotel suites near championship fights into Bible study rooms and invite his opponents to worship after defeating them in the ring.

"Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place." — Henri J. M. Nouwen

This week's challenge: Ask God for one person to see, one barrier to remove, and one opening to create.

Since Jesus made room for us — we must make room for others.

Key scriptures: Luke 19:1–10

Discover how to win in life using the biblical winning formula that transforms how you live: Winning in Worship + Winning in the Word = Walking in God's Will. A powerful deep dive into Romans 12:1-2 with practical steps to align your life with God's good, pleasing, and perfect will.

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