Colossians 3:12-17. In an increasingly angry and hostile world, Christians can have the opportunity to shine brightly in contrast. Maturity of faith is evidenced by how you love others. Colossians 3 gives a road map to loving others well: Look like Christ, forebear and forgive, lead with love and be thankful.

Ed Stetzer, an expert in missiology, or the study of the church's mission to share the message of the Gospel, shares three realities of the Covid 19 pandemic that impact the church's work. First, Covid has caused a cultural convulsion that has rocked peoples' trust in institutions, politics, and even one another. Second, Covid is adding fuel to a Great Sort that is happening in society. People, in their disorientation are seeking security in groups who agree with their views, leading to an "us against them" mentality. Third, Covid is revealing layers of disengagement. Churches are finding their members either becoming more committed, or hanging on and waiting to see, or disconnecting altogether.

Colossiasn 2:1-9. Biblical Christians face many pressures to take their eyes off the primary importance of the Gospel--appreciating and sharing the good news that God offers forgiveness as a free gift. In a culture of people dividing up into "tribes" and causes, it's easy to be sucked into opinions, fears, and forms of manipulation, taking our eyes off God's truth and isolating us from unity with other Christians. There are many ways to resist capture, including being discerning about current culture, remaining unified with other believers, and, through our faith, standing against evil.

Luke 19:1-10. In a culture of outrage, it's tempting to turn away from or even hate people who are on the other side of issues we care about, but the Bible calls on Christians to love "outrageous" people. In the example of Zacchaeus we see Jesus moving toward him in love, even though he was likely a corrupt man. Ultimately Jesus saw Zacchaeus differently than the crowd did, seeing his "lostness"--his inner need to be saved by God. We must see people through the same lens, asking God to enable us to see all people as His image bearers, with empathy, and with humility.

2 Corinthians 5:17-6:10. The Bible describes Christians as being God's ambassadors, devoted to God's mission and representing Him to those who don't yet know Him. If we're in tune with the wonderful gift we possess as His children, and grateful for it, we will naturally seek to tell others about the opportunity to receive Christ. We will be most effective at sharing Christ when we cultivate sincere, caring relationships with others, when we cultivate our character, and when we focus on God's love for us, and not the other person's response to this message.

John 20:19-21. In a culture of heated debate it's easy for Christians to drift away from the main mission of the the church: to share the good news of forgiveness through Jesus' death on the cross, and to persuade people to consider it. Mission drift can easily happen during certain times, including when in "survival mode," when in great wealth, and when we focus only on doing good works. It's important to acknowledge the tendency to drift, and continually focus on our identity--"in Christ"--and the true mission of sharing Christ with a world in need.

The lesson we can learn from Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus, the tax collector, is if you are lost, Jesus is seeking you. The way Jesus initiated with the this most hated man is typical of his posture toward all people. He showed him mercy, grace, honor, and acceptance, as well as included him in the family of God. Jesus' only prerequisite is to acknowledge your "lostness." Being "found" by Jesus dramatically changes the course of people's lives just as it did with Zacchaeus, who made four-fold restitution and gave away half his possessions after being "found."

The story of Saul's radical transformation from an enemy of God who persecuted the early church with vengeance to his becoming the foremost evangelist who died proclaiming the Good News is a showcase for how God's grace and mercy can change anyone, even the one who is least likely in our eyes. Sometimes our spiritual passions are misplaced and don't align with God's plans for us. God's mercy and grace is nothing short of scandalous. No one is too much an enemy of God to be accepted by God. His invitation stand today for each and every person.

When John meets the risen Jesus in Revelation Chapter One, he falls face-down like a dead man. Jesus's appearance was so brilliantly different from the man he knew during Jesus' earthly ministry that John was awe-struck. Can this be the same man? Is Jesus the gentle lamb who is relational and approachable? Or is he the fearsome lion of Judah who will judge the earth? Is he immanent or transcendent? The answer is he is both! He is both king and friend which qualifies him to be our savior.

Peter's three-fold denial of Jesus was a failure of faith. As fallen humans, we over-estimate the strength of our intentions and faithfulness. Jesus anticipates our failures but has a vision for us beyond our failures. He forgives our failures and restores us relationally. He refines our character through our failures and redeems our failures.