"Guys, this stuff is not optional for a Jesus follower. You were created in the image of God. To be fully human, you need to be like him. You’ll never be a “god,” but you can be “godly” for the very best life possible. For the very best life possible for you and to give those following in your footsteps the best chance you can give them."

Reference:

Frazee, Randy. "Believe: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus." Zondervan, 2015.

"Bottom line … if this is the Word of God, if this really is the story of the Word of God, God revealing himself to us culminating in Jesus … the craziest thing in the world would be to sit in on a shelf and ignore it. Why do so many reject it? Because, bottom line, they want to be the boss. But guys, we’re Jesus followers …, and when God talks, we listen. All of us want to live a life that matters. All of us want the strength necessary when times get tough. All of us want the best life possible … for now and for forever. Well, guys, digging in this is part of how we get there."

References:

Frazee, Randy. "Believe: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus." Zondervan, 2015.

"Thunder." The Chosen, Season 2, Episode 1, Angel Studios, April 4, 2021.

"What if there was a great story, a story that is so good that it would change your life? What if there was a story with you as one of the main characters? A story of conflict and resolution? I believe there is a great story that you will find only gets better the more you hear it, especially when you find yourself in the story. It’s the story God tells..."

#believe #whatwebelieve

Reference:

Frazee, Randy. "Believe: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus." Zondervan, 2015.

Here it is: The Bible says that God made us in his image. So we twist it around and figure that means God must be something like us. We’re like, “If we are God’s selfies, doesn’t that mean God is kind of like us, on steroids maybe?” Well … No! Heck no! That would make him a pretty puny God, wouldn’t it? And the real God is not … puny!

Frazee, Randy. "Believe: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus." Zondervan, 2015.

"Bottom line, our ideas about God are all over the map. And … I don’t know if you’ll buy this … yet … Listen, guys, if you believe in some kind of make-believe God, if it’s not the real thing, it’s not going to help you. It’s just going to mess you up. And people believe the weirdest things about God."

#capcity #capitalcitychristianchurch #unfiltered #raw #real #authentic #God #whoisGod

Reference:

Frazee, Randy. Believe: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus. Zondervan, 2015.

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"I love the line from The Chosen that we started with. “Get used to different.” Jesus’ disciples had the same expectations that everyone else had. They thought the Messiah would be this great leader, a spiritually intelligent man who would be a conquering king and lead the Jews out of their oppression.

But he was different. He broke expectations all the time and rarely fit in anyone’s mold. And even better, he embraced it. Most leaders of rebellions and wanna-be messiahs would hide in the mountains until they felt like they had enough momentum and power to stand a chance. Not Jesus. Jesus lived right next to regular people. He interacted with anyone interested in giving their time to him. He frequented the places of worship and the places of commerce. He existed out in the open.

So when we think about being followers of Jesus, it requires us to get used to different. We have to embrace it."

Reference:

"Invitations." The Chosen, created by Dallas Jenkins, Season 1, Episode 7, Loaves and Fishes Productions, 2017.

Being the Bad Guys: How to Live for Jesus in a World That Says You Shouldn't. McAlpine, Stephen. The Good Book Company, February 1, 2021.

We’re in this series we’re calling “Being the Bad Guys.” Because … we used to be the good guys, right? Christians were pretty much respected, and our values were pretty much accepted … we were the good guys. But our culture is shifting. And more and more often, we are not the answer; we’re the problem. What we believe is … mocked; what we value is rejected. Some of those out there think that trying to do life with God, for God, God’s way, can hold you back.

Now, there is a pretty easy way for us bad guys to be considered good guys again. All we have to do is … compromise. Just … go along, right? Or maybe, hunker down, keep your head down, and don’t stand out. The problem is, if you’re trying to be one of their good guys, you will have a problem with Him. And, bottom line, what God thinks of you is way more important than what they think of you … right? Right?? Anyway, here goes. A story of some “people of God” who tried the strategy of compromise; hunkering down, keeping their heads down, not standing out … like we’re tempted to do, sometimes.

Okay, here’s kind of the big idea … the big idea I’ll be unpacking this morning. Here it is: “If God is your Father, you must be my brother.” Or, if you’re a girl, “If God is your Father, you must be my sister.” How cool is that! Or, if you want to be a little more redneck: “If God is your daddy, you must be kin!” Look around, guys … It works for most everybody in this room. Everybody eventually, I hope. We’re kind of a weird family, but we are family. Do you buy that?

Next message in our Being the Bad Guy Series.

Even though Jesus knew it’d be tough, he gave us a job to do. He says, “You guys … you Jesus followers … you are the salt of the earth.” And then he says, “You guys … you Jesus followers … are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5.13, 14) You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world. And when the world accepts us, that’s pretty easy. When it doesn’t … well, then we have some options. Four options, I think, and only one of them … is God-honoring.