Westside Church

I’m convinced the church looks more like Jesus when we are defending other people’s rights, rather than our own. When we are giving away and living generously, rather than demanding our own way. And if that scares you or makes you feel like you will lose something, then you now understand why this was so hard for Jesus’ disciples and why it feels so counter-intuitive in our world. We are Christians first, Americans second. Our primary identity is to be followers of Christ. Paul writes so much about how we are foreigners and aliens in this world. Our ultimate loyalty is to Jesus. That doesn’t mean we can’t be patriotic and fight for social justice. It simply means, my allegiance is to THE King.

I hiked the last 2,000 feet of Mt. Bachelor after a day of study and prayer. It was so quiet and peaceful and just what my soul needed. One of the reasons Jesus often went to high places to pray was so that he could get above the noise. I’m convinced we can’t truly hear Jesus, represent His way, or walk according to His Spirit when our eyes and ears are full of everything else. We’ve inundated our lives with news and social media that’s negative and anti-each other, so much so, that it is near impossible to hear the voice of Jesus. And in times like these, we need His voice more than all others. The only way that we can bring the hope of Jesus into our world is if we give Him more time and space to speak into our lives. #lifelovejesus #westsidechurch