We live in a world that teaches us to hide our true selves. Maybe we’re afraid of being seen. Or maybe we’re ashamed of our pasts. Or we got hurt the last time we put ourselves out there. Whatever the reason, we hide. But Jesus comes as the light of the world, to illumine our dark places with the infinite love of God. How does his light transform us?
Continue readingRemaining in Love
No one wants to admit it, but we’re all really bad at being loved. Our inability to receive love poisons all our relationships. How can we learn to remain in Jesus’ love so that we can share love with the world around us? What does it look like to remain in the true vine?
Continue readingThe True Vine
We live in a mechanized world. The buzz words of the day are ‘productivity’ and ‘efficiency’. But we’re not machines – we’re organic, flesh and blood. Jesus calls us to be not productive, but fruitful. What’s the difference? And how can learning to remain connected to the vine of Jesus help us avoid total burn out?
Continue readingThe Good Shepherd
Karl Marx famously claimed that religion was the ‘opiate of the masses’. He meant what we know – religion can be a powerful means of controlling people. This was as true in Jesus’ day as it is in ours. How can we learn to spot religious manipulation? And what tools do we have available to us to learn to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus himself?
Continue readingMore than Magic Tricks
Why do you follow Jesus? Many of us follow because we want Jesus to change our circumstances, to work a miracle in our jobs, families or bodies. But Jesus’ aim isn’t to improve our lives. Rather, he seeks to invite us into something new. If we look to Jesus simply to prop up the life we already have, we won’t follow him all the way to the Cross.
Continue readingA Defense of the Faith
Does the idea of fighting about religion make you nervous? Of course it does! But we’re so often taught that we have to defend our faith against people who don’t believe. After all, Jesus himself said, “I am the Way”. But what if Jesus’ words weren’t a line in the sand, but an invitation to life? How can we find a better way to engage our non-believing neighbors with vulnerability and love?
Continue readingWho Broke Our Calendars?
Do you ever feel like your calendar is broken? Like you wish you had the power to add hours, days or even weeks to your schedule? When did our lives get so out of control? And who is running our calendars? On this Easter Sunday, we celebrate the God who took control of time by raising Jesus from the dead. How does his resurrection free us to take control of our lives, to live in the freedom Jesus gives us?
Continue readingMonday Messiah
We like to claim that Jesus’ resurrection changed the world. But how? How does it matter that Jesus was raised from the dead not on Sunday, when we worship, but on Monday, when we dive back into our ordinary lives? In this series, we explore the “I Am” statements Jesus makes in John’s Gospel to see how the new life Jesus offers us is as immediate and relevant as ever, right where we live, work and play.
How does Jesus change not just our Sundays, but our Mondays?
JR. Forasteros - April 1, 2018
Who Broke Our Calendar?
From Series: "Monday Messiah"
We like to claim that Jesus' resurrection changed the world. But how? How does it matter that Jesus was raised from the dead not on Sunday, when we worship, but on Monday, when we dive back into our ordinary lives? In this series, we explore the "I Am" statements Jesus makes in John's Gospel to see how the new life Jesus offers us is as immediate and relevant as ever, right where we live, work and play.
More From "Monday Messiah"
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Puppy Faith
What happens when God disappoints us? It happens to every person of faith eventually – we come to realize that God isn’t here to be part of our story, to fit into our agendas. Palm Sunday is a warning sign: that disappointment can lead to us abandoning God (or crucifying him!). How can we learn to let God be God and sweep us up into HIS story – a story of new life and transformation?
Continue readingSeeds of Resistance
When we confront the big evils of the world like racism or school violence, we often feel paralyzed. What can we do in the face of these behemoths it’s easy to label ‘demonic’? It’s counterintuitive, but Jesus calls us to small, consistent acts of faithfulness. His death casts out the evils of the world, so we are called not to be effective but faithful, trusting that his power is at work in our small acts of love.
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