Love and hate get described as opposites. But what if fear actually stops love more often than hate? How can we overcome fear to make a move?

I want to have an ordinary love story. I don’t want to exceed expectation. Average is the goal. When I die, I don’t want to have made any difference at all. Do those statements sound right to you? Are those goals for your life, what you are wanting to achieve? It’s ridiculous to even ask the question, isn’t it? Wishing is different than achieving; you can see the differences by the actions. So which are you choosing, ordinary or audacious?

What could you do if you were free? Truly free from fears that hold you back? What will people think? What if I look dumb? Being terrified of failure holds you back and actually leads you into the ultimate way of failing. Jesus shows us how transformative the power of love can be, especially as it sets us free!

Have you ever had to clean up a mess and people give advice how to clean it up better? How did you feel about that? To be honest it makes me mad because if you want to help, then jump in and make yourself useful! Which way do you think of God, advisor or helper? This week why not invite some people to join you as we discover how love doesn’t “help” from a distance, but works up close in our messes and successes.

I used to play a game in our pool. I would float with my eyes shut and guess my location in the pool. I had a perfect record for guessing—every time was completely wrong! Drifting changes your position way more than you realize. It is way too easy to drift life. Are you at this time? “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love,” is the words of this hymn, and the story behind it. Don’t let it be your story as well.

Fear. Anxiety. Those are feelings people have when thinking about facing Jesus or going to church. Maybe it’s because of how they have been treated by Christians. But somewhere along the line, we’ve lost the truth of a label Jesus received in Matthew 11:19, “friend of sinners.” Why don’t we reclaim this truth, that Jesus welcomes me just as I am.

When thinking on characteristics of relationships, faithfulness is often overlooked. That is, until it disappears... But God is faithful! Always. His faithfulness is unending (even though undeserved)! God leads us from a heart of love, wanting us to trust Him and thrive.