The Central Moment

Are you being made fun of for being a Christian? Have you lost friends, or even a job, because you became a follower of Jesus? Take heart -- you are on the right track. Jesus has overcome!

There is a stress-inducing belief that we can operate under our own power, manage in our own strength and serve out of our own resources. But Jesus’ radically different way of living invites us to his strength and fruitfulness.

We all need advocates in our lives -- people who will be with us, stand up for us and not abandon us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus promised it and we can experience it!

Are there mansions in heaven? Or is Jesus preparing something much greater for those who follow him? He is the way, the truth and the life!

In the words of Dr. Darrell Johnson: “The greatest power in the universe is the weakness of sacrificial love.” That kind of love not only captures the highest of human aspirations but it embodies Jesus' way with us.

We cry out in praise to Jesus because there is no one like him. There is no one who has loved us like he has loved us; there has been no sacrifice made like the one he has made for us; and there has been no kingdom like his that will finally bring peace to our world.

Jesus’ remarkable parable of the prodigal son is, at the same time, both touching and troubling. It is a touching depiction of the restoring beauty of God’s grace and yet a troubling picture of our resistance to it.

There is a religious spirit that can so easily counterfeit a true relationship with Jesus. That false spirit minimizes grace, holds on to prejudices and reduces spiritual life to rules. It would cost Jesus a lot to confront that spirit, but he did!

Jesus has your number. He knows how to capture your heart and engage you in his mission. It may take a boat-sinking, net-breaking miracle -- but he knows how to get your attention and call you to follow him!

What boxes have we put Jesus in? Boxes of familiarity or unbelief or tradition? Let’s let him explode those boxes with his relentless, compelling self -- the promised Messiah and Lord of all.