Central West End Church

Our world is in desperate need of peace, and this passage is just one of many examples. But it also shows us the counter-intuitive way that God brings the peace we so desperately need.

We long for things like love, meaning, justice, goodness, beauty, and truth, but we’re constantly being let down. That makes it really hard to keep hoping. This passage gives us what we need to keep longing and hoping.

One of our biggest assumptions - and biggest problems - is the idea that we human beings have the power to make this world the place it ought to be. Christmas calls that assumption into question and shows us where the real power is. But only if we understand what Christmas really is. 

One of the biggest challenges at Christmas is to stand back far enough to see what the gospel really is. When we do, we find out that the gospel is far more shocking and challenging than we ever imagined. But also far more comforting and transformational. This passage shows us how.

Spiritual disciplines are practices within our power that put us in a place where we can be transformed by God. But the goal of it all is love. A transformed heart is a heart alive with the love of God. This passage shows us what that looks like and how it happens.

Evangelism is considered arrogant and intolerant in our culture. But in this passage, Jesus shows us that bearing witness to the good news about himself is the most important thing we could possibly talk about, and he shows us how to do it with grace and respect. 

The question of purpose affects every human. What is your purpose? What were you made for? As we continue exploring Christian spiritual disciplines, the discipline of service has powerful implications for our quest for purpose.