April 22, 2018

Many today consider it silly to fear God, but people of ancient times knew better. Those encountering the majestic, divine presence were leveled by it. Sometimes God gets too close for comfort. His brilliant holiness illuminates our sin, leaving us no place to hide. That’s when Jesus touches us. He says, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.”

April 15, 2018

We fear what we don’t understand. We prefer our circumstances to be safe and predictable. But how seldom they are! Whether we’re afraid of the eerie or our own inadequacy, Jesus reaches out his hand and says, “It is I. Don’t be afraid!”

April 8, 2018

Once you speak up for someone, you may be left out and lied about. Once you stand up for something, you may be pushed around and pushed aside. People with power may hurt you, but Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of them. They can only kill you.”

April 1, 2018

You’ve been wounded. You’ve known betrayal, grief, loss, hopelessness. Then God sends you someone

who’s walked their own path of pain, and through their comfort you receive your own healing – still wounded but healing. The Bible says of Jesus, “By his wounds we are healed.” By his wounds, he heals our broken relationship with God. By his death, he heals our broken way of life. And amazingly, he allows us to represent him as fellow wounded healers. That’s the miracle of belonging to the community of Christ.

Good Friday 2018 - March 30, 2018 by FaithWestwood UMC

Maundy Thursday 2018 by FaithWestwood UMC

March 25, 2018

We watch movies and read books because we love getting wrapped up in a good story. Stories inspire us. They move us and make us see ourselves differently. When we identify with people and their stories, we are changed. Jesus was a storyteller. His stories connected with people more deeply than factual instruction ever could. Your life in Christ has created a string of personal stories – stories that are meant to be shared.

March 18, 2018

When a friend shows up to help, what a wonderful surprise that is! It means so much to know you’re not alone. Their presence says, “You’re important to me.” Their generosity says, “I’m a friend you can count on.” Jesus made it his mission to serve. His disciples have been serving ever since. And the miracle is the spiritual curiosity it creates.

March 11, 2018

It’s a mysterious truth. Nothing establishes rapport quite like eating together. Conversation flows freely. We laugh together. Barriers are broken. We let each other into our trusted circle of friends – all because we gathered around a table to share a meal. Eating together was Jesus’s top way of saying, “I accept you.” And it has much the same impact today.

March 4, 2018

People feel most valued when they’re listened to. By listening to someone’s stories, we discover that person’s deepest self. Those stories come out when we get beyond functional communication and focus on the individual, when we ask questions and then not interrupt. And God will always let us know what’s next when we learn to listen.