Jesus, after discussing the nature of blessing with the Canaanite woman, proceeds to shower blessings on Gentiles. But why would he do this? Isn't Jesus Israel's Messiah? Yes he is, but more than that, our Savior is the means through which God will fulfill his promise to Abraham and bless all peoples.

God is at work in us accomplishing His purpose in the body of Christ. We are not passive in this process as we are called to "work out our salvation." In this we experience divine enablement and human responsibility, an interaction between the free will of man and the sovereign grace of God. Jesus Christ is at the center of this work and that has radical implications for how we live.

Gentle, rolling waves give way to white caps. Ocean spray turns to crashing tide. The sun slips behind the clouds, and a cold shiver replaces the contented comfort of its rays. Quiet concern swells to fear. Feet slip on the soaked deck. Hands grasp for something steady. Heads turn, shielding their eyes from the whipping wind. In the midst of the storm, our hearts long for safety, crave security, ache for the shore. And if we were warned ahead of time of the impending danger, our minds play cruel tricks – what ifs and if onlys mock our desperation. Things we’d clung to in calmer days reveal their uselessness. We toss them aside in haste to save ourselves. If we aren’t careful, fellow travelers are mistaken for excess baggage, and should-be teammates square off in opposition. There is a madness in the storm. Chaos fuels fear. Desperation clouds judgment. Hopelessness threatens faith.

Gentle, rolling waves give way to white caps. Ocean spray turns to crashing tide. The sun slips behind the clouds, and a cold shiver replaces the contented comfort of its rays. Quiet concern swells to fear. Feet slip on the soaked deck. Hands grasp for something steady. Heads turn, shielding their eyes from the whipping wind. In the midst of the storm, our hearts long for safety, crave security, ache for the shore. And if we were warned ahead of time of the impending danger, our minds play cruel tricks – what ifs and if onlys mock our desperation. Things we’d clung to in calmer days reveal their uselessness. We toss them aside in haste to save ourselves. If we aren’t careful, fellow travelers are mistaken for excess baggage, and should-be teammates square off in opposition. There is a madness in the storm. Chaos fuels fear. Desperation clouds judgment. Hopelessness threatens faith.

As a continuation of our look at living a radical, Christ-centered Life, we look forward into how, although the church is made up a radically diverse body of believers, we are all called to the same radical purpose in Christ.

Isaiah, a prophet of God, had been commanded to proclaim the Word of God to his wayward people. Despite his fear and despite the persecution that would come, Isaiah proved to be a faithful prophet because he encountered God in a radical way. Our view and desire of God transforms the way we walk before him.

Bryan Glass is a graduate of Louisiana State University and is currently enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary where He is pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian Education degree. He is passionate about partnering with parents to help students of all ages dedicate their lives to life-long worship and service to Jesus Christ through the truth of God's Word and the love of God's people. Bryan and his wife, Kristin, are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Gloria and Julia.

Two years had passed since Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned in Caesarea. At this point, Paul understood that the tension between himself and the Jews was primarily caused by Christ’s resurrection (Acts 25:18-19). I can’t help but think of the powerful words: “He is risen!” It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence. Ever since Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He is risen. Not just alive. Risen. He conquered death, and it no longer looms. He is risen on that first Easter morning. He is risen on the day of Paul’s trial. He is risen today. I’m not even sure that verb tense would be possible apart from the power of God. Our minds can hardly fathom it, but our spirits – filled with His Spirit – beat with the faith that it’s true: He is risen, indeed!

Two years had passed since Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned in Caesarea. At this point, Paul understood that the tension between himself and the Jews was primarily caused by Christ’s resurrection (Acts 25:18-19). I can’t help but think of the powerful words: “He is risen!” It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence. Ever since Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He is risen. Not just alive. Risen. He conquered death, and it no longer looms. He is risen on that first Easter morning. He is risen on the day of Paul’s trial. He is risen today. I’m not even sure that verb tense would be possible apart from the power of God. Our minds can hardly fathom it, but our spirits – filled with His Spirit – beat with the faith that it’s true: He is risen, indeed!

We become slaves of Christ because we've been set apart by God. He is at work in us and has called us into a fellowship in the Gospel. He is also committed to complete His work in us, which has radical implications for how we live.

After rebuking the Pharisees for their failure to obey God and correcting the disciples concerning the nature of man's uncleanliness before God, Jesus heads off into the land of the Gentiles. There Jesus meets a woman who is outside of the covenant people of God and yet begs for blessing from the Messiah.