A relationship with Jesus is too good to miss!

As we continue to reach our community with the grace and truth of Jesus, there will be times we are going to have to go the extra mile. That can be difficult when someone just doesn't "get it" or when they simply see things differently than you, but that is what Jesus calls us to do.

Mark 2:5 starts with, "When Jesus saw their faith..." We can also read that as, "When Jesus saw their commitment..." These men were willing to do anything to bring their friend to Jesus because they knew he could change their friend's life.

As we commit to reaching our community with the grace and truth of Jesus, let's remember the example Jesus sets for us -- Jesus changed the world one person at a time.

Jesus was often accused of "eating with sinners," but there's a reason he did so. When we break bread together we also break down barriers. Jesus demonstrated that sharing a meal together changes things. It can help us reach our neighbor with the grace and truth of Jesus. 

The conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at the well shows us how we can reach people with grace and truth. The woman responded to that conversation by choosing to believe in Jesus as savior.

Who is Jesus leading you to have a conversation with?

We reach with love because love rewrites our story, and the love of Jesus changes our story forever.

As we strive to follow Jesus, we must remember the importance of our words. We grow where we are loved and we avoid where we are not.

We must constantly ask ourselves, "do my words draw people closer to Jesus?" or "do my words push people away from Jesus?"

We don't remember Matthew for his profession (tax collector) -- we remember him for who he followed (Jesus). At the end of our life, people will remember us by our relationships, not our resume.

Jesus is asking us to partner with him in the life of his Church.

How can we become even more intentional to reach our community with the grace and truth of Jesus?

• REACH HERE: Maximize current facility to more effectively meet the needs of the community surrounding us and your family

• REACH THERE: Reach our growing community north of us

• REACH EVERYWHERE: Improve our technology to continue to reach everyone, everywhere

To learn more about the REACH Initiative, please visit our website at worthingtoncc.org/REACH

We reach people with compassion.