Jesus never promised an easy life, but He guaranteed that He would be with us no matter what. So, when the fear comes and we, like Peter, feel like we are drowning, all we need to do is look up and find His hand waiting to pull us up and onto firm footing.

When you've been hurt and there's bitterness and you want to hold a grudge, the way of Jesus is forgiveness. And when it wakes you up at night, the answer is forgiveness. Rest is found in forgiveness. Forgiving someone doesn't mean that you invite them back into your life. Forgiving someone doesn't mean you set yourself up to be hurt again. The whole point of Jesus's way is to move forward, not to keep looking over your shoulder at the past.

There are numerous evangelism styles: In your face style, life story style, serving style, intellectual style, relational style, invitational style. Which style are you? Remember you don’t have to be who you are not. But he has made you who you are so that armed with the power of the Holy Spirit the you that you are will be a powerful witness for him in your Jerusalem.

“Go and do likewise.” Jesus didn’t say to sit and think about what I’ve explained. He said Go and do. From the story of the Good Samaritan, we can take away this reality: Unleashing compassion is almost always inconvenient; it’s almost always messy. See the need and serve. Go and do likewise.

The Person/sinner/Tax Collector Matthew was loved and connected to Jesus. Matthew was not an outsider by his own doing. His career path and actions had disconnected him from his own people. His nationality had disconnected him from a government that paid him. But Jesus made all the connections work in the life of the disconnected.

Timothy is part of the world changers. Paul’s fingerprints are all over the first century, the first years of the church, and the New Testament. Timothy and his generation of leaders are why we’re still talking about it all. Timothy imitated Paul, who imitated Jesus. But some people imitated Timothy, and people imitated them and imitated them. We get to continue this great tradition of the faith.

Maybe you’ve been following Jesus for a long time and you’re exhausted from your fight or you’re struggling with friends leaving you or what people have said about you or you’re dealing with something that is beyond what you can bare, remember that Jesus died so He may be with you in your suffering, and remember that He rose again and will redeem your suffering.

Holy is not a simple word. It’s a weighty word, a heavy word. Holy isn’t just an adjective. Holy means “Set Apart.” When you live for the purposes of God, you are set apart. You may have all kinds of plates spinning and other things that fill your days, but they are all under the umbrella that you have been set apart—you have a holy purpose, one worth living and dying for. And Paul makes it clear. Holy is not something there because of something you are or did. It is all because of Him. God is the one who makes you holy because of Jesus.

Even when there is a separation between how we want to live and how we’ve been commanded to live, even when we disagree with truth, there is love that continues to draw us closer and closer to Jesus. Truth doesn’t call for hatred of those who aren’t following the truth. Truth is a standard set in motion for us to obey. When my kids don’t obey me, I don’t hate them. I love them. I hurt for them, and I may even hurt because of their disobedience, but I continue to speak the truth and believe that the truth is still what’s best.

The ability to look like Jesus doesn't take a program or an organized event. We’re provided with moments, little moments, non-headline moments, to serve others. We are on mission when our lives reflect Jesus. When we serve others like Jesus served others in the little things and in the details of life, we are on mission. FCC seeks to be a place that serves others.