“I don’t care who you are. Atheist or Christian. MAGA or woke. Catholic or Protestant. Republican or Democrat. Trans or cis. Conservative or liberal. Evangelical or progressive. Or anything else you can think of. The world would be a better place if all of us were a drop more gracious than we are right now.”…
The commands of Jesus!
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21) Christians often stress that they need to obey the Bible.The Bible is filled with thousands of commands – do we obey them all?No Christian obeys them all, and each Christian has their preferred commands.We need to be honest about this pick…
Immersed in the fullness of God!
“But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17) The Spirit of God is the personal presence and power of God, with us and in us.God breathed this Spirit in Adam and Eve when they were first created (Genesis 2:7).This was more than just physical breath, it was God’s own…
The glory of His love through us!
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) Reflecting God’s love (Exodus 34:6-7) is how we glorify God.God-like love produces the greatest of all works.As we freely have received God’s love, we freely share it.When we seek to love like this, Jesus is working…
The true way to life with God!
“Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.” (John 14:12) Jesus came to bring humanity back into its loving relationship with God.This is the ‘where’ that Jesus is going, and ‘where’ He is leading us.God comes to us through Jesus, in order to bring us back to God.When we see Jesus in…
The door is open, you are welcome!
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) The disciples know that trouble is brewing, and they are worried.They are in Jerusalem where the temple, the house of God, is.There are barriers to getting in…
Following Jesus just as I am!
“Will you really lay down your life for me?” (John 13:38) In the past I’ve sung the song ‘All to Jesus I surrender, I surrender all!’I also sang ‘Though none go with me, still I will follow!’Even then I could hear Jesus whispering in my heart: ‘Really???’I’ve come to see my own faith more realistically.Peter was…
The mark of Jesus’s followers!
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) How is this a new command if the summary of the OT Law to love God and others?What makes this command new is in how we are to love: as Jesus has loved us.Jesus…
Willing to break bread with them!?!?
“As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.” (John 13:27) The disciples did not know what Jesus was talking about, but Judas did.Judas had already gone to the religious leaders, and made the plan to betray Jesus.But perhaps his conscience was still holding back, and he was hesitant.Maybe Jesus would change, and become…
Reproducing Jesus in us!
“Discipleship gets shrunk in our imaginations to information transfer. We picture a curriculum, a class, a few months of catechesis, and a certificate of completion. The New Testament envisions something far larger and far more dangerous: the actual reproduction of Christ’s life in ordinary human beings, scattered into every possible context, so that His redemptive…