The Gospel is Good News
Isn’t it amazing how bad news is often covered more than good news in news portals of today (TV, Internet, Newspapers)?  Not only is bad news covered more often, but it travels faster and is more widespread. Similarly, Christianity has sometimes gotten bad press.  Someone might say “Christianity is just a bunch a rules and religion” or “Christians are so judgmental and hypocritical.”    This passes on from one negative opinion or experience to another until it can become a collective opinion of a generation.  For example David …

…then learn to serve people well AND take care of yourself well.  Know who you are, enough to know what it means serve from a place of security in God, not an insecurity before people. This is how Jesus served his followers well.  He wasn’t a door mat for people to walk on, where he served them hand and foot, but he served them out of a clear identity of who he was and made sure he and his followers had enough time to pray and rest, to replenish their …

The world is made up of an incredible mosaic of people, with much diversity, yet having one common humanity:

people of every age, and every generation in history
people of different genders and marital status
people of diverse “tribes”, languages, and nations
people in every aspect of society at large.

But regardless of how one categorizes people, God loves us all.  The Bible shows us that the birth of Christ is incredibly significant for all people.  The truth is God sent His Son Jesus for all people, because all people are sinners, and God was motivated by …

Is anything worth more than your soul?
What would you benefit if you gain the whole world, but lose your own soul?
Mark 8:37, 36  (NLT)
 
Let’s assume Jesus knew the spiritual significance of a soul.  God has placed incredible value on the human soul – “is anything worth more than your soul?”  The soul is what makes us living beings unique from anyone else, yet the same in that we are all equally valued by God.  Souls are what makes people “eternal” beings, able to comprehend the spiritual and walk in relationship …

Following Jesus is an adventure of “living by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).  Living by sight has only temporary benefits, but living by faith impacts the eternal (and spiritual) reality of God’s Kingdom.  Living by faith means living everyday with your attitudes and decisions before God, trusting him to guide you and bless your work, your comings and goings, your interactions, your decisions, your rest, your play, your eating and drinking.  It’s a relationship with God that touches, influences, and transforms your everyday life and people around …