When two people come together and say “I promise” to each other and then make it their life’s project to fulfill those promises to each other, they can become one. And if two can become one, it gives us an even greater hope: that perhaps heaven and earth were made for each other, and still more, that human beings were made for union with God. And that’s what our brand new series, “I Promise,” is all about.

Fear is universal, manifesting differently in each individual, but pervasive nonetheless in our anxious society. From the fear of wars and terrorism to economic instability and personal uncertainties, it touches every aspect of life, including dreams, relationships, and mortality. Yet, amidst this fear, the message of Jesus to his disciples offers a profound reassurance: His presence brings peace that transcends understanding, inviting believers to embrace a life anchored in his promises of wholeness and flourishing.

Peter was committed to following Jesus to the very end, no matter what. And then…he wasn’t. On the night that Jesus was arrested and subjected to an illegal trial, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. Peter was not the courageous leader of the disciples he thought himself to be. Undoubtedly, Peter became overwhelmed by guilt and the inevitable shame that filled the cracks in his identity.

Doubt is an uncomfortable topic for most followers of Jesus. It challenges us to reflect on those nagging questions we have no answer to. If the resurrection changes everything, it means that Jesus doesn’t just want to show up in our moments of strength and faith. He also shows up amid our uncertainties, hurts, and doubts.

An encounter with Jesus changes everything forever. The first encounter we will be exploring in this series is that of the first person to meet the risen Jesus, Mary, at the garden tomb. Mary was there to process her grief and despair. She was there to grieve her dashed hopes, the inevitable disappointment that settles in on us when death steals our desired future. Can you imagine? Can you relate?

The final chapter of Jonah begins after the surprising revival in the great city of Nineveh. Jonah is as angry with God as he has been at any point in the story. After all that Jonah has been through, seen, and done, he seems not to have learned much at all. It turns out that there were some pretty significant disconnects between what Jonah knew about God and what Jonah wanted from God.

Despite his best efforts, Jonah now stands on the shores of the one place he never wanted to go, Nineveh. Of course, he is not the same man he was when he first tried to run from God. Jonah has changed because God has continued to pursue him. Just as God continues to pursue each of us, he is the God of second chances.

The belly of the great fish, where Jonah has been stripped of everything but hope in God, becomes the unexpected setting for Jonah’s renewal. Jonah finds a new platform to praise the living God in a place normally known only for death and despair.

When we first meet Jonah, we are told that God calls him to deliver a message to Nineveh. He is commissioned to share God’s message with the enemies of God’s people. Jonah’s commission becomes an existential crisis. The implications of God’s love leads him to hop on the first ship he can find to Tarshish, the farthest place from Nineveh he can get. But even here, God’s love cannot be outrun.

No matter where you are in your faith journey: a weathered saint, a skeptical guest, or someone in-between. God wants you to know the ultimate goal of spiritual formation is Christ-likeness. There’s nothing else. And Christlikeness is the life of love.