Pastor Dave shares a message focusing on the greeting of peace from Jesus to the terrified disciples locked away in hiding during the time between the crucifixion of Jesus, his burial, and resurrection. Jesus' greeting expresses to them He is their peace - He is again present with them to restore and renew life for them. He will do the same for any fearful follower who welcomes Jesus into one's place of fear and anxiety. Jesus brings wholeness and assurance into our uncertainty.

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How do you miss the most important team meeting of all time? The original disciple Thomas is absent the very first time Jesus appears to his chosen followers since they all abandoned him in shock and fear a few days earlier when Jesus seemed to just give up. After witnessing his arrest, abuse, trial, and horrible execution on a Roman cross, those same followers now saw their scarred Lord alive again! What a gift for us to know that Thomas, despite his inability to accept the eyewitness testimonials of his close brothers in the faith, was not cast aside. Jesus allowed for this bewilderment, and not holding it against him, directly declares the second appearance for Thomas to touch his wounds. Thomas is overwhelmed by the sudden nearness of the physical presence of the resurrected Jesus! His life joins with the others in being forever changed! 

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In the letter of 1 John we find the declaration (4:13-21) that we cannot separate our experience of God's love from our quality of loving relationship with our brothers and sisters in the faith. Disciples of Jesus do not get to choose whether to love other disciples. Period. It is an essential ingredient in our journey of faith. We love because he first loved us...if we say we love God but do not love our siblings in the faith (the church), we are called liars by God. We do not get the option to disconnect our relationship with God from one another. So we are stuck with one another like family. We come to realize we cannot truly mature in our faithful love without other disciples to practice this discipline and self-sacrifice. 

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In the midst of Jesus' growing pressure and friction with the established religious authorities, he steps aside for a timeout with his committed followers. Matthew 16 provides the scene of Jesus probing for the impressions and understandings from his friends. Two questions are posed to them: Who do others say I am? and Who do you say I am? Wisdom calls us to ensure Jesus is truly our first and foremost life leader. We too have to answer those questions. We are present day disciples of Jesus and have the same responsibilities to him as our Lord. If we find Jesus is anything less than the ultimate, trustworthy leader of our lives, we need to act to change this. How? Learn the scriptures to know all he said and taught and did. Pray sincerely in pursuit of relationship with him which grows continually.

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Do you have a life passion- some interest that compels you to engage? How can we make sense of our experience of faith and the descriptions in the scriptures, as in the main text: Psalm 37:1-6? Marriage as covenant relationship can shed some light. Consider how such a covenant relationship grows, deepens, endures - flourishes. It takes personal investment of time and commitment and interest. Our spiritual relationship provided through Christ Jesus has the same need on our part to invest our time, focus our attention, and reinforce our commitment to relationship. Would you like to recover your "first love" and find your true heart's desire is Jesus?

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Recent turmoil sparked by another school shooting- this time in Florida- has for the first time apparently gotten traction with a growing social movement pressuring our governmental and business entities to act in the best welfare for child safety. Times like these may shake our foundations- our hope. These kinds of scenarios tend to cause inner reflection on what our real life's anchor is; what do we stand on? What can we trust to stand up under such pressure and uncertainty? The writer to the "Hebrews" in the New Testament passionately challenges, urges those Jewish disciples of Jesus to withstand social pressure to distance themselves from Jesus as their conviction to identify as THE Messiah of the Jews, and ultimately, the Savior of the world. Then in Mark 4 we have the words of Jesus calling for disciples to pay attention to his teaching. How are you paying attention to Jesus' teaching and gaining increasing understanding? This is the key to security and safety of our hope in Christ to be our true anchor for our souls.

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What to do while we wait. It is particularly challenging in our era for people within our culture, trained by the accelerated pace of change and possibilities, to wait for anything- bad or good. People might say, "I can deal with it; just don't make me wait!" But what if we have no power over the waiting? What about when we discover we actually have surprisingly little control over our lives - including awaiting events to happen? The risen Jesus changes everything once we encounter his overwhelming love that even conquers death itself! Even waiting without control over our circumstances becomes transformed by the trust and peace we receive and nurture through knowing Jesus and his love.

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How does Jesus define loving him? Regardless of how we express or feel love to Christ Jesus, he concretely informs his committed followers of the way he defines it: obedience. Twice in the passage from the gospel of John (chapter 14) Jesus declares this standard of love expected from his disciples: do what I tell you. Trust me with your life- with doing and thinking along the line I give you- not according to your own mood, opinion, or latest sensibility. Jesus would go on to declare his final word on the mission expected of his fully devoted followers: Go to all people and tell them about me. Baptize them as the sign of new relationship with me, and then teach them to obey everything I have taught you. (Matthew 28). Then note how the parable of the traveling owner expresses the intention of Jesus for our sharing the gift of faith and testimony we receive. What does Jesus see as the role of "witnessing" about him?

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