I love being a part of a church where the people are so real.  So genuine.  So authentic.  It’s a church where people love God and love others and they aren’t afraid to show it.  It’s a church where someone will walk alongside a complete stranger to simply love that person where she’s at.  It’s a church that wants to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the cause of orphans.  And fight for the widows (Isaiah 1:17).  It’s a church where the people are willing to sell their possessions and give to those who have needs.  A church that isn’t about a building.  It’s about people.  People who are willing to step out in faith and do what is humanly impossible, simply because they believe that all things are possible with God.

Don’t forget that March 13 is Daylight Savings Time.  Spring forward one hour on Saturday night.

Read through the Bible and you will encounter countless stories of imperfect people.  I love it!  As strange as it might sound, I find it very comforting.  It means that there is hope for us. 

You may have noticed that we’re not perfect.  We are a messed up, imperfect bunch of people.  And yet, God still loves us.  Go figure!

In John 4 there is a wonderful example of this.  Through Jesus encounter with a woman at the well we see that there’s no place He won’t go and there’s no person He won’t welcome.  There’s no limit to His love.

At Cross of Christ, one of our core values is to be encouraging and accepting of everyone.  As Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near” (NLT).

So how about it?  Who do you know that needs to be encouraged?  Who do you know that needs a little motivation?  The woman at the well was so encouraged by Jesus’ words that she went and told everyone about Him.  The result was that many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because of what she had said.

It’s amazing what a little encouragement can do.  So how about it?  Who can you encourage today?

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.  For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2 NLT).

Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days before beginning His ministry.  It was for Him a time of reflection and preparation.  During the forty days of Lent, we join Jesus in being led by the Spirit.  We too use the time to reflect on all that He has done for us, as well as prepare for the journey that lies ahead. 

Lent consists of the forty days before Easter, and it begins with Ash Wednesday.  Why “Ash” Wednesday?  Well, in ancient times, when Christians mourned their sins and repented of them, and they would often exhibit their sincerity by having ashes on their foreheads.  This practice continues in many Christian churches as they observe Ash Wednesday, which happens to be today.

Prayer and fasting have also played an important role during the season of Lent.  In the wilderness, Jesus did both.  Today individuals will often choose to give up something during the forty days of Lent, much like giving up food when fasting.  I know of someone who is giving up soda, something she really loves but knows isn’t necessarily good for her.  The idea is that when she craves it, she can pray instead of drinking a Diet Coke.  It’s simply a way of meeting physical needs with spiritual nourishment, something we should do every day of the year.

Whether or not you choose to give something up for Lent, use these forty days as an opportunity to meet with God as you reflect on where He is at work around you.  And as we join with Him, may we be reminded that we don’t live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4 NLT).

Today there are many different views concerning who Jesus is, what role He played in history and what role He still has in our lives.  The answer that the Bible gives is that Jesus is God’s one and only Son, sent by His Father in heaven to come to earth for one purpose – to die on a cross for the sins of the entire world.  But that’s not where the story ends.  Just as Jesus was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 

So why Radical Jesus?  Well, the answer is in the word itself.  We often think of radical in terms of a person who has views that are way different from our own.  But according to its definition, radical actually means “of or from the root; fundamental.”

It’s Jesus who teaches us how to live.  He is the root of our faith; the foundation upon which our life is built.  And His teachings are central to what it means to be church.  So get ready as we prepare to discover the radical life Jesus calls each of us to live.  In February and March we will journey through the Gospel of John.  Together we will experience the redemption He brings, as we follow in His steps and carry on the mission of a Radical Jesus.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have a clue when it comes to ordering coffee.  With all the choices it’s so confusing to me.  Do I want a coffee, a latte, or a mocha?  Should it be short or tall?  Wet or dry?  Will it be a single, a double, a triple, or even a quad?  And was that with whip or no whip?

In his book Fearless, author Max Lucado writes, “If only we could order life the way we order gourmet coffee.  Wouldn’t you love to mix and match the ingredients of your future?  ‘Give me a tall, extra-hot cup of adventure, cut the dangers, with two shots of good health.’  ‘A decaf brew of longevity, please, with a sprinkle of fertility.  Go heavy on the agility and cut the disability.’  ‘I’ll have a pleasure mocha with extra stirrings of indulgence.  Make sure it’s consequence free.’  ‘I’ll go with a grande happy-latte, with a dollop of love, sprinkled with Caribbean retirement’” (pg. 125).

While it would be great to know how everything was going to work out, I think we all realize that life doesn’t work that way.  Life is complicated.  Like ordering coffee.  And it comes with its share of surprises and changes.  That’s why to live it – we need faith.

The Bible says we are meant to live by faith, not sight.  As Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannout see” (NLT).

As I’ve come to learn, in life there are things that need to become more uncertain before they become clear, for it’s there that our faith in God increases.  This is where we give up control, trading in our need for details for the absolute certainty that God is good – all the time!

I’m okay being clueless when it comes to ordering coffee, as long as it tastes good.  Just like I’m okay not knowing how everything is going to work out.  “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” the psalmist writes.  “Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8 NLT).

Join us this Sunday at 9:30 AM as we taste and see that the Lord is good – all the time!  We’ll be finishing up our series on living by faith, not fear.