Tag Archives: jesus

The Struggle Religious People Have with Jesus

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I read the New Testament through for the first time when I was in college. My favorite sections were the parts with Jesus in them. Don’t get me wrong — I loved the writings of Paul. I enjoyed the Revelation. Hebrews was great. I enjoyed Peter, James, and John. But my favorite parts were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — the books that told the story of Jesus.

What I liked best was how Jesus spoke. He told it like it was — cutting through the fat, addressing issues with clarity. He silenced his critics. No one could stand up to him.

When I graduated and went into pastoral ministry, I couldn’t wait to preach on the life of Jesus. But through the years, I’ve noticed that preachers don’t do that a lot.

There are many reasons for this, but one is that Jesus is tough. Jesus says tough things. He is offensive. The most troubles I’ve had in ministry have been times I have been telling the people what Jesus says. Jesus speaks of something that lives deep inside our hearts. Something called sin. And religious people hate to be told about their sin.

This podcast explains some reasons that people resist Jesus and practical counsel on how to avoid doing so.

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Why Christianity Isn’t Working for Some People…

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“It is virtually impossible to read the Bible and not see the truth that God expects His people to invest into His kingdom what He has given them, which typically involves other people. In fact, Jesus warns us that if we try to hoard what we have, will lose our lives. Perhaps this is why there are so many who claim to know Christ but whose lives are characterized by an absence of joy and a presence of depression or boredom. Ministering to others is not merely a mandate to “paid professionals.” It is the calling of anyone who claims to be a Christian. In fact, it is often at the intersection of our life with that of another that God does His most remarkable, joyful, and permanent work.”

~Fran Sciacca in To Serve With All Your Strength, p. 38.

What Jesus Loves in Children…

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Don’t you love children?  Years ago I heard a story about a little girl who, during a lightning storm, was running from window to window smiling widely at the sky.
Her mother said, “Rebecca, what are you doing?”

“I am smiling out the window!”

“Why in heaven’s name are you doing that?”

“Look at the flashes, Mom! God’s taking my picture!”

I am not sure that God was taking Rebecca’s picture. I don’t know that God needs a picture. He can always see us.

But I do believe that God has a heart that loves like a father, like a mother, like a grandfather, like a grandmother. He loves us as children. In an indirect way, Matthew 18:1-6 addresses this kind of love in God’s heart.

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