Fall Creek Christian Church

This Week...Red Letter Challenge: Hearing and Obeying the Teachings of Jesus Jesus said some pretty amazing things. People quote him. Others write books about what he said. Theologians parse his words down to the very letters to squeeze out as much meaning as they possibly can. Some Bible translations put all his words in red so we don't miss them. Beyond the study, the "Wow!" and the highlighting of his words, there appears to be a disconnect between the hearing of them and the obeying of them among his followers. Crazy, right? Well, the time has come for that to end. For the next 40 days, we will be challenged through our Sunday morning messages, groups/classes and a personal devotional book to connect hearing and obeying. The goal? To be molded by the Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus.

This Week... Jesus Has Sent Me Ananias who? He slips in and out of the pages of scripture so fast that we hardly notice him. It's a wonder we even find his name. I doubt there's this huge line of people in heaven waiting to get to talk to him. Abraham? A big line. King David? His autograph is a hot commodity. Joshua - the warrior leader? No doubt everyone is looking for a fist bump from him. Ananias was just "a disciple" that the Lord Jesus himself tapped for a big job. The job? Lead Saul, the soon to be Apostle Paul, to Christ. Lay hands on him. Give him the Gospel. Baptize him. Then what? Disappear from the pages of scripture to never be heard or seen again. Easy, right? No. Beyond hard. Saul was hunting down people like Ananias and Ananias knew it. So, why not just slip out the back and remain out of the Biblical story? Well, he was a disciple. It's like this... 

This Week...What Child is this? No doubt this question circled around and around in Joseph's head. We don't know how he first heard about it - his betrothed being pregnant. Mary may have told him. If she did right after the angel spoke to her, she then disappeared for three months to her cousin's house. If later, maybe his mom or his aunt noticed the enlarging womb and told him the earth-shattering news. What a shock! None of it made sense to him. This was not something Mary, his Mary, would ever do. He was right, of course, but it took an angel to enable him to overcome the evidence of infidelity. Now what?

This Week...Horns and Shouts Joshua definitely feels like one of those guys that you want on your side. He was fearless and up for whatever. After spending so much time with Moses and the Lord, this man was ready to fight wherever and whenever God told him to do so. As the first fight neared, how outrageously odd it must have felt to hear the Lord's battle plan. If not for the amazing demonstrations of God's power he had already seen and the in-person visit from the Lord's army commander, he probably would've chuckled and said, "Yeah, right!" The battle plan was more than a little suspect. Joshua (and all of us, too) needed to understand and embrace the reality that God loves to accomplish impossible tasks by impossible means inviting imperfect people to be a part of it. Think Jesus with the five loaves and two fish feeding thousands using the disciples as the waiters. What were Joshua's orders? 

This Week...A Living Sacrifice Even the most casual study of the interaction of people with God in the Bible reveals an inseparable connection between obedience and sacrifice. We were made by God and for God. We simply do not function as we were made to function independent of him and his instructions. His call for unconditional obedience is non-negotiable. Jesus wasn't fuzzy about this truth and many stopped following him because of it. "Deny yourself, take up your cross(die) daily and follow me" isn't a real crowd-pleasing slogan.  Abraham was tested by God again and again and again. His final test? Sacrifice your son. God's tests will either break us or bring us to the heights of a relationship with him where the returns are out of this world. What did Abraham do? Great question! 

This Week...Never Forget We are challenged repeatedly in scripture to remember. Too often, the urgency of the moment and the power of our emotions draw us into patterns of thought that distract from the information we have stored in our memories. This information, when sourced from God's word provides the correct perspective on our present realities and the wisest course of action in the midst of those realities. Bottom line: Forgetting is a real problem with real consequences. As we near the end of our study in Esther, we find our two heroes, Mordecai and Queen Esther, working very hard to make sure that this mighty deliverance of the people of Israel from the scheme of her enemies would never be forgotten. They had no confusion or lack of appreciation of the imperativeness of remembering. This week we will find ourselves challenged and encouraged to "Never Forget."

This Week...Hard Obedience At some level, all obedience is hard. Surrendering our mind, will, body and heart to God for his purposes is not only a tough choice to make, it's a tough choice to maintain. It's one we need his help to make. Now, add to that struggle a directive from God that is so hard that you simply can't make sense of it. Your heart sinks. The cold sweat breaks out. Surely, God doesn't want me to do that. During this series we'll be looking at a snapshot of five people who were asked to do something so hard, that either an angel or God himself had to give them the orders, or they simply couldn't have believed it was really coming from God. The truth is, all of us have been and are going to be called to hard obedience. These stories will help encourage and prepare us to yield ourselves when those moments come.

This Week...Greatness The greatest of all time or the G.O.A.T., as it is often called, sparks lively debates in our culture. Typically, the reference is directed to a sports figure. Opinions are plentiful and passionate. Interestingly, Jesus had much to say about greatness. Not surprisingly, we see Jesus' comments on greatness wonderfully reflected in the conclusion of our adventure with Esther, Mordecai and King Xerxes. Are you great? Are you willing to walk in the sandals of heaven's G.O.A.T.? 

This Week...Victory The opportunity for victory and victory are not the same things. Last week the people of Israel were given a chance, for which, they rejoiced. But now, it's time to fight. The anti-Semites that permeated the entire Medo-Persian empire did not die when Haman died. He was the front man, not the army. What will happen now that the day selected by purim (lots) months earlier has officially arrived? Does their story help us understand what Paul said when he wrote, "I have fought the good fight."? Don't miss this timeless discussion.

This Week...The Big Turnaround We all love the turnaround story. The story that begins with a person in a very bad place, either by their own choices, the choices of others or just because of the reality we live in a fallen world, but ends with their triumph. Most of the time they have had to make some hard decisions, sacrifices and/or commitments in order for the turnaround to become a reality. The book of Esther is just such a story. In the chapter this week, we see much of the extent of this turnaround for Esther, Mordecai and the Jewish people.  

This Week...A Time to Speak King Solomon observed in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for everything, "a season, a time for every activity under heaven." As we come to Esther 8, we find that the time has come for Esther to speak. For years, she has kept her identity secret in word and, as far as we know, in practice. She was born and raised Jewish. Yet, at her adopted father's instruction, she told no one. Once the genocidal edict was issued, she could no longer be quiet. Too much was at stake. Her position, her privileges and even her life were nothing compared to the need to step up and speak out. She, however, was no bull in a china shop. She was shrewd. She was humble. She was patient. And yes, she was bold. It's time to find the answer to the question that Mordecai had asked way back in chapter 4, "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"

This Week...It Just So Happened C.S. Lewis made this quote-worthy comment many years ago, "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." It wasn't by chance that Mordecai and Esther were in the capital city of the Medo-Persian empire. It wasn't by accident that Esther was stunningly beautiful. It wasn't by chance that Mordecai overheard the plot to kill the king and saved his life. It wasn't by chance that Haman took offense at a Jew and plotted to annihilate all the Jews. It wasn't by chance that Esther refrained from telling the king her true desire for one more day. The "it just so happened" moments of life remind us to maintain our hope and confidence in Jesus even in the midst of the darkest of days. 

This Week...The Intersection of Life and Faith Esther's bold words have been spoken -- "If I die, I die." She came to a decision. It was not necessary for her to live, but it was necessary for her to do what she must. It is true that she was only one person, but it was also true that she was one person. In God's economy, one person matters. She felt compelled to act. She said she would act and then prepared to act. But, would she? The revelation of one's core convictions are found not in their words but rather in their actions. What was revealed when her professed faith intersected with life? What is being revealed as our professed faith intersects with life? There is much to be seen as we continue through our study of Esther.

This Week...Such A Time As This Esther was scared. Understandable, evil had crept in and was now threatening her very existence and that of her family. This week we look at just a few verses that hold three very important questions. First, “Can we be protected from evil?” Second, “If we do nothing, what will happen?” Third, “How do we know what to do?” We will dive into these questions as we continue to see God moving through the book of Esther. 

With the fate of the Jewish people on the line, Mordecai knows the clock has begun to tick. He attracts Esther's attention and then tells her that it's time to rise up and save her people. Not only does the news of Haman's plan come as a shock to Esther, but Mordecai's request puts her back on her heels as well. "Umm...Mordecai, I don't think you know just exactly what you're asking." So, here it is, Esther's crisis of faith. It wasn't her first one and undoubtedly wasn't her last. If we are following Jesus, we will experience them, too. What we do next will leave an indelible mark on the timeline of eternity or...not. 

Five years after Esther ascended to throne as queen, another foreigner ascended to power, the number two position as a matter of fact right behind Xerxes himself. He crosses paths with Mordecai who we have just met in chapter two and road rage ensues. Hatred of Mordecai and hatred for all of the Jews came very easily to Haman. He was proud and he carried grudges. Haman knows which buttons to push with Xerxes and before he's done, another bad idea becomes an irreversible law of the Medes and Persians. Pride, hatred, conspiracy, revenge, genocide...it feels as if we're reading today's headlines. Where is God? 

As we continue further into chapter 2 of Esther this Sunday, we nearly get whiplash at the pace of the story. We are barely introduced to our two protagonists, Esther and Mordecai, and the next thing we know she's queen of the entire Medo-Persian empire and Mordecai is risking his life to expose an assassination plot against the king! Whoa! Nothing less than the providential hand of God is at work. Look for it as you read this chapter in preparation for our conversation. Esther whose name is most commonly interpreted as "star" (her Jewish name Hadassah means "myrtle") is argued by some to be more appropriately interpreted as "hidden." An interesting foreshadowing to the complete absence of any overt reference to God. And yet, his presence is undeniable and his voice loud and clear.     

The author of Esther continues his conversation about this pagan king, his queen, and his advisors all the way through verse four of chapter 2. (You already know that because you've been reading the story...right? ) The author is simply letting us know what happened in order for Esther to ascend to the throne as queen of the Medo-Persian empire. However, it also exposes through this king the hard truth that we are not in control. We may acknowledge that we're not, but secretly we think we are and find ourselves doing life as if we are. Sooner or later, the delusion of control is exposed and we find ourselves in places we really don't want to be. There is a better way. We'll talk about that this weekend!  

How does a book where the name of God never appears, where there is no prayer, no worship, no mention of Jerusalem, no mention of the promised land and only one vague reference to the Jewish law make it into the Bible? The book not only is in the Bible, but it contains one of dearest stories to the Jewish people even today and is celebrated every year during the Feast of Purim. The name of the book is Esther. The answer to that initial question is found in the reading and study of her story as she, an orphaned, exiled Jewish girl, rises to become queen of an empire and saves her people from annihilation. This week we begin our journey with Esther. As we engage, our hearts will begin to rise in passion to take our place in our world for such a time as this.

This Week...A Debtor No More "I'm debt free!!" the caller proclaims into the telephone. The host celebrates with them and they continue their conversation about living in the rare air of a debt-free life. I change the station. Some of us know that wonderful feeling and some of us didn't even know that was a thing. In our story this week, we find two people who are both debtors to God. They both encounter Jesus, but only one walks away debt free. Free, from that moment forward, to live her best life. Their story invites us to assess our own level of spiritual liberty.  

This Week...Seeking and Finding Wealth, power, influence, Zacchaeus had it all. Sure, those he cheated didn't think much of him, but the privileges that wealth brought him were worth it. Zacchaeus was living his best life. He could do anything he wanted to do. He could go wherever he wanted to go. With the Roman sword there to back him up, he was practically untouchable. And yet, he still felt compelled to get a glimpse of Jesus. Not only did he a get a glimpse of Jesus, he had him over for dinner. What happens next is nothing short of divine.  

The nerdy kid who becomes the hero of their high school. The number 14 ranked basketball team that makes it to the championship. The inspiring story of a single mother who starts a successful business. We all love an underdog story! There's something within us that wants to see the "little guy" win. This week, Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah to the most unlikely person you can imagine. He turned her life upside down, and I believe that he wants to do the same for us.

Jesus came, lived the perfect life, died on the cross for our sins and raised himself from the dead. He told us he came so that we might have "life and life to the fullest." Looking at the lives around us including our own, there's doesn't seem to be an abundance of full lives. People are angry. They're fighting with each other. Addictions of all kinds are destroying lives. Fear dominates the headlines as well as our own hearts. Does an encounter with Jesus have the potential to bring about a fresh start in life even in a world filled with hate? Over the course of the next four weeks, we'll dig deep into the stories of four vastly different people as their lives intersect with Jesus. As a result, they begin to experience their best life. Maybe, just maybe, they can help us find ours.

Most often, when we try to find or reach someone and aren't able to, it's disappointing and frustrating. Easter morning was no exception. Jesus' friends came to his tomb to give him a proper burial and his body was gone! He wasn't there. Quickly, however, their disappointment and frustration turned into great joy. Stunned, they saw him, touched him, talked to him and even ate with him. He raised himself up from the dead! Very intentionally, after his time to return to heaven had arrived, he led them to Bethany, the same place where he raised Lazarus weeks earlier. There, he blessed them as he ascended out of their sight. They returned to Jerusalem rejoicing, armed with a message capable of paving the road from earth to heaven for any who believe -- "He's alive!"

Jesus knew what was coming. Yet, in ways mysterious, his foreknowledge did not liberate him from its harsh realities. He told the disciples up front that their friend Lazarus' story would not end with his death. Nope. It would end with the Son being glorified bringing glory to the Father. Sickness, death, "Where were you?" direct hits, grief, mourning and weeping left Jesus exploding with guttural groans and sobs. He was broken in the very graveyard he knew his friend would leave very shortly. So many questions. Later, Lazarus himself feasted with Jesus at a dinner that was given in Jesus' honor. Perhaps it's simply not possible to have the feast without the graveyard.  

The subject of life after death is one that will never lose interest for people. The Bible tells us that God has set eternity (a sense of forever) in our hearts. There's a built-in understanding that our brief time on planet earth is not the end of our story. Everyone, even if it's to reject it, responds to the life after death question in one way or another. Jesus raised at least three people from the dead before he himself rose from the dead. Each instance was filled with significance and meaning. During this series, we'll pursue the life after death question through the lenses of these life after death stories. It's kind of a big deal. After all, if it's true that there is life after death, then all of us go somewhere forever.

With his pen nearing the time he puts it back in the ink bottle, Paul closes his second letter to the Corinthian church with a call to decision. At some point in time, the conversation has to end and people have to make their decisions. Paul has made his defense of his authority and his Gospel. Along the way, he has taught them and us wonderful truths. Now, he calls them to decision. He tells them what he has decided and now the proverbial ball is in their court. In this bold finish, he provides incredible insights about decision making we all need to know. 

As Paul begins to wrap up his defense of his apostleship, he lays out a puzzling apparent contradiction -- "When I am weak, then I am strong." No doubt his original audience found it confusing as well. After all, when we're strong, we're strong. When we're weak, we're weak. Everyone knows that. The Corinthians were all about the strong and the flashy. The worldly skills of these false apostles were quite impressive to them. Here, in II Corinthians 12, Paul reveals truth that will inspire and liberate all of us. The burden of maintaining an image of strength is absolutely exhausting. Paul goes so far as to say that he is glad to boast about his weaknesses. This week is shaping up to be a life-changing conversation. 

As we head into II Corinthians 11, Paul's confrontation of the false teachers who are attempting to lead the Corinthian church astray does not let up. Their devotion to Christ is on the line. Paul lays out in detail how his ministry is completely different than theirs. He doesn't bring rhetorical genius to the table. He brings his scars of love. As we read, a deep reflective pause is in order. As a Jesus follower, we know the destiny of people who say "no" to Jesus. For Paul, that reality influenced every part of his life. It's our turn to meet people with grace. We have been sent here by God for just such a time as this. Take some time to read II Corinthians 11 this week.

Paul's letter to the Corinthians takes a sharp whiplash-producing turn over the last four chapters. Some postulate that the last four chapters are really the hard letter he was referring to earlier. In any event, Paul goes off. There remains a few in Corinth who are personally attacking him, his ministry, and most troubling the very gospel message that we all believe as Jesus followers. He has to respond and respond he does. As he launches into his defense of himself and his message, he paints an amazing picture of what a Jesus follower looks like. No doubt it provided a dramatic contrast to those who were attacking him. For us, it provides an amazing opportunity to assess our walk with Jesus. Do we look like that? I can't wait to share this wonderful word with you this Sunday morning. Please read ahead -- II Corinthians 10.  

This week Paul enters into a prickly and uncomfortable conversation about giving. As it turns out, the church at Corinth had committed to give financial support to the mother church in Jerusalem. About a year had gone by and their promised gift was yet to be given. In response, Paul writes chapters 8 and 9. In them, he lays out the foundational principles for giving that are to guide Jesus followers from now until Jesus comes back. What are they? Let me encourage you to read these two chapters very carefully in preparation for a conversation this Sunday. I think you just might be surprised.

As we continue to work our way through Paul's letter to the church at Corinth, he continues to pour his heart out to them. He shares how deeply he struggled in writing his last letter to them within which he laid out some hard truth. He didn't want to be so confrontational but knew he had no other choice. It absolutely ate him up inside wondering how they would respond to it. Their response? This week we'll examine it detail. The reality is we will all be asked to deliver hard truth and we will all be asked to receive it. It's a non-negotiable part of the process of becoming more like Jesus ourselves and helping others become more like Jesus. In our discussion, we'll be able to walk away with a reasonably clear answer to the question, "Are we accurately handling the hard truth in our lives?" The blessing to those who do? No regrets.

Last week Paul revealed the wonderful truth that a believer in Jesus receives a new identity. They become a new creature, a beloved child of God! Part of that new identity includes being an ambassador for Jesus. Wow! He continues this conversation by revealing through his personal testimony what the marks of a truly engaged ambassador are. He wanted the church in Corinth to be able to spot false ambassadors and be able to assess the condition of their own ambassadorship. Were they living consistently with who they were? Inescapably, we are confronted with the question, "Are we?"

An incredible amount of time and energy and resources has been invested into the question, "Who am I?" We have DNA searches. Online searches. "Self-discovery" seminars, books, and courses. It's been countless years where people young and old have said, "I just need to go find myself." The desire to know that answer is a common human reality. The answer, from a Biblical perspective, is found exclusively and finally in one's connection to their Creator. A Jesus follower knows who they are -- God's adopted child. The Bible puts forward many powerful and instructive identity statements about God's children that too often are neglected. Paul, in II Corinthians 5, holds nothing back in calling God's children to be true to who they are. 

We like to protect items of value. That’s why we put valuables in cases, behind glass, or even in a safety deposit box. Most of us would avoid placing a diamond necklace in a plastic grocery bag for safe keeping, but this weekend we’ll hear Paul tell us that we’re doing something even more outrageous. Join us for service, as we look at 2 Corinthians 4.

As Paul continues his letter to the troubled church in Corinth, he continues to pour out his heart. He knows there are some in the church who are slandering him even after his last visit and hard letter he had sent earlier. Their forward progress in the faith was under threat of being hindered. Some wanted to dismiss Paul. Some wanted to get even with those who opposed Paul. What a tough situation. He was led to pursue the path along which spiritual breakthroughs are found. It was the path of love. This week we'll marvel as Paul navigates this difficult terrain with the love of God illuminating the way.  

Power in weakness? Now that's a real head scratcher. Those two words do not belong together, or do they? In Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth, he repeatedly alludes to this strange combination. The world's understanding of weakness and power is simply not the same as that which is presented by Paul in this letter. I believe we're all a little tired of pretending we have everything figured out, together and under control. We're struggling but don't want to admit it. We're wanting to experience God in wonderful ways, but we keep on refusing to cry out the one word that unlocks the door to his power. That word? "Help!" These next several weeks we will be taking a deep dive into this letter. In doing so, I hope and pray that we will begin to personally experience power in weakness. 

  In Matthew 15:9, Jesus presented our working definition of religion for this three week series. Here it is, "Man-made ideas taught as commands of God." The worship that came from these man-made ideas he described as a "farce." Those who used their man-made ideas to cancel the word of God he called "hypocrites." They claimed to be following God, but worked very hard to put their self-serving agendas ahead of God and his word. As much as I may want to throw stones at the religious leaders who constantly harassed Jesus, I find versions of their problems lurking in my own heart. What about you? Additionally, some of us believe something presented as "God's word" but is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Yikes! Finally and sadly, some of us have rejected a pursuit of Jesus based upon misinformation about what that means. Our goal this series is to highlight these three problems Jesus had with religion and to make sure neither we nor others fall victim to them.  

How hard is it to celebrate another's healing miracle when we didn't get ours? When someone else gets the job? When someone else's womb is full? When someone else's baby makes it to term and is alive and healthy? When someone else's addiction is broken? When someone else no longer suffers under the dark clouds of depression? When someone else's spouse is faithful and loving? The "no" answer from God has rocked the faith of so many of us. The pain overwhelms all our theological explanations leaving us in an emotional quagmire that we simply cannot think our way out of. Perhaps it is fitting that we conclude our series on Failing Faith in a graveyard. Now what Jesus? Now what?

Many people today are very quick to mock the Bible. Global flood, a talking donkey, walking on water, invisible God, dead people being raised to life..."Seriously, does anybody really believe this stuff?" they scoff. Self, cynicism and skepticism are the idols of choice in our secular humanistic culture. The net effect of this continuous barrage from our world forces us to face the reality of our doubts. Thankfully, Jesus never ran off the honest doubter. The most famous one was one of his disciples, Thomas. He asked Peter, "Why did you doubt?" He encouraged them to move past doubting to belief, but he never belittled them as they struggled to get there. This week, we'll eavesdrop on this extremely poignant moment where Thomas and Jesus meet after the resurrection, the doubter and his Savior.

Unanswered prayer. Deep cries of the heart ignored. Unresolved questions. What ever happened to "Ask and you will receive."? Where's the goodness of God in the badness of life? "Help!", we cry and no help comes at least in any form we can recognize. Elijah was deeply troubled when his perception of who God was didn't match the realities within which he found himself. His take on what should be happening didn't line up with what was actually happening. Then, God showed up. He came to dismantle the box Elijah had created for him. He revealed some fundamental truths to Elijah which prepared him to finish his incredible ministry on earth. Perhaps our faith can be informed by his journey.

For any of us who have spent more than a few minutes on Planet Earth, we are fully aware that something's not quite right. There is a pervasive injustice to life that is deeply disturbing to our souls. Upon any honest reflection, we recognize that everyone including us is deeply flawed. Awakened by God's grace, we turn to Jesus for forgiveness and help. We begin to walk with him. We sincerely study his word, connect with others who believe in him, and with his help obey what he says. Along the way, we pick up ideas here and there about God. We try to assemble a coherent system of a relationship with him that we operate within and within which we fully expect him to operate as well. Then it happens. Life. Our system doesn't work. We sputter along now with doubts and confusion. We're uneasy. Then it happens again. Life. We simply cannot resolve the tension between what we thought and believed about God and what is happening in our lives. Our faith is shaken. We're in a crisis. Now what? In this series, we'll honestly pursue the tension of those moments when what we thought we knew about God doesn't work in the real world. People in the Bible did it all the time, why shouldn't we? 

After a taking a beating for preaching about Jesus, the disciples rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer for Jesus. Whenever I read that, I scratch my head. My take on suffering is ... well, let's just say, "not that." I'm suffering averse. What about you? I'm certainly grateful Jesus was willing, that the Apostles were willing, that many over the millennia were willing so that the Good News would exist and that we would receive it. This week we see it again ... suffering leading to salvation. Perhaps we'll find some encouragement to reconsider this whole suffering thing. Perhaps one day, by God's grace, we'll take our place among those who suffered well for Jesus. I'm looking forward to the journey of walking through this remarkable salvation story with you this Sunday. God bless!

What would you do if you won a million dollars? Chances are most of us would pay off our debts and/or the debts of our loved ones. Why is that? Simply put, debt payoff is freedom. Debt stalks us, keeps us up at night and stirs our anxieties. To have that removed by someone or to remove that for someone else...O my! What joy, gratitude and even love. This week we witness two people in debt encounter Jesus. One knew it. The other didn't. Their debt wasn't mere dollars and cents. It was far more significant than that. The incredible lessons from their story are ones we simply cannot afford to miss.

God has made each of us to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves. The world tries to create substitutes, but the soul only becomes pacified with those. The soul comes to rest only in God's eternal family. This week we'll watch as thousands enter into the Jesus Movement. It's an amazing scene that inspires us to examine our lives and invites us to take our place in the story. See you Sunday!

It's a terrible thing to be forgotten. For no one to notice us. No one to acknowledge us. To have our lives pass by without as much as a ripple is a devastating thought. Thankfully, no one has to do this life or the next forgotten. The great news for all of us, as our character in this week's story found out, is that we acknowledge his name, we are recipients of the promise of being remembered. 

Story after story, we see that when Jesus shows up, someone's life is turned upside down. This week, we see Jesus show up, and an entire city is turned upside down by a woman who uses her gift of hospitality, her wealth and her time to further the Kingdom. 

Encountering Jesus was truly a remarkable event for everyone who had the privilege in the Bible. The truth is, it's still an awesome experience even today when someone responds to his call. As he did in the Bible, he continues to tap people on the shoulder and say, "Come follow me." This invitation to follow him always begins with a change of direction for all who are willing to take him up on his offer. It's simply not possible to have a more dramatic change of direction than we see in this week's story. As one person's initial call unfolds, we find Jesus calling another to be a part of this story resulting in him being pushed to move passed his fears and experience Jesus in fresh and new ways. Don't miss this week! It's going to be an amazing time together! 

Life comes at us pretty fast. We're making decisions at a tremendous pace. Some really bad. Some really good. Most somewhere in between those two extremes. The ones that tend to get us are those that are just a little off. It's just a small step off track we reason. However, as we walk it for awhile, we get further and further away from where we ought to be. We wonder what happened as the consequences begin to mount up. I believe our pint-sized wanderer in today's story was in just such a place. For understandable reasons, he was hated by his neighbors, but that fact didn't change anything. Apparently, his heart had hardened ... that is until Jesus came to town. Don't miss the conversation this weekend as we consider the mystery of how hard wandering hearts find their way back to where they belong.

"Found it!" Whenever we hear that phrase or get to say it ourselves, it's typically followed with some sort of celebration. A high five. Arms up in victory. Tears of joy. Why? When we find something we've been looking for, an internal longing is satisfied. It's a big deal. Our conversation this weekend revolves around a story that is fulled with seeking and finding. The principle characters are Philip, an Ethiopian, and God himself. There's so much seeking and finding in this story it's hard to keep up, but we'll give it a go. See you this weekend!

The expression "love at first sight" is familiar to all of us. I certainly remember the uptick of my pulse when I first met my beautiful wife over 30 years ago. Now however, my love for her is informed by all these years of life together. True knowledge as opposed to mere physical and emotional attraction cause my heart to beat a little quicker. God's love for us is unconditional, undeserved, immeasurable and from full and complete knowledge of who we are from moment one. The wonder for you and me now is encountering this incredible love and growing to love him in return. During this series, we'll pull up a chair and watch as others encounter Jesus for the first time and consider together the implications for what we see for our lives.