Together #forSalem

We all know that feeling when we’ve eaten too much junk and how it affects our physical health. Many of us are feeling something very similar in our emotional and spiritual health right now. Maybe it has to do with what we’ve been allowing our hearts and minds to consume. How can we change our “diet” to improve our emotional and spiritual health? The answer can improve your entire view of the world around you.

If we’re honest the religion most of us have experienced is often empty and lifeless. That’s why Jesus not only rejected religion but brought something completely different and so much better. Following Jesus isn’t about religious routines and rituals… it’s about experiencing a true and meaningful life now and forever.

Jesus forgives and restores, and he will never give up on you.

Religion makes us feel we are always one opinion, mistake, or sin away from being rejected. This makes us either hide who we really are, work really hard to stay in line, or simply walk away from the whole idea. Jesus gave us a better way. A way free of rejection and full of healing.

Religion and rules. They usually go hand-in-hand and are used for the powerful few to control those 'below’ them. Jesus created a new way… a better way. A way that prioritizes people over rules. A way that has provided freedom for millions of people.

Why are Christians so judgmental? If Jesus himself said, “Do not judge,” then why are the people who claim to know him the best often the best at judging others? The answer and the solution might surprise you.

What often keeps us from understanding the real Jesus is all the religion that's been wrapped around his movement. As we peel back the layers and take a closer look, we see that the same things we reject about religion Jesus also rejected. In this episode we discover that following Jesus doesn’t mean we have to change everything about ourselves and conform to religious expectations. Following Jesus means transforming into even more of who we were created to be.

Often winning means someone else loses. We win arguments and lose friendships. It puts us all in a constant spiral of anger and revenge. Following Jesus offers another way. There’s a better way to win.

We pop in on Michael & Donna for another 'hearth session' at home as they sing Unstoppable God & Your Love Awakens Me. Despite all of the chaos, we hope these songs bring hope and joy and peace and life into your day. Feel free to sing along, or just listen.

"All you need is love." "Why can’t we all just love each other?" For many the idea of LOVE changing society seems like a naïve idealistic dream. “That’s not how the real world works,” we argue. Maybe we don’t understand REAL LOVE.