jeff’s blog

had some fun out at riverside yesterday…

i can put up more pictures if you’d like, but here’s one, with a video as well…

May you shoulder your cross
and follow Christ
unafraid to lose your life for the Gospel.

May you be constantly mindful
of the value of your soul,
always striving to journey
toward the full and complete life found in Christ.

And may you never be ashamed of the Son of Man
honoring and showing Him in the entirity of your life
perpetually found
in the warm embrace
of a loving Savior

bread.
wine.
a garden.
a trial.
a ruler.
a prisoner.
a crowd.
soldiers.
whips.
beatings.
a road.
a hill.
a cross.
nails.
a cry.
a spear.
a burial.
a stone.
a tomb.
an empty tomb.
a Savior.
a Lord.
our Lord.

May you come to the banquet table of Christ, spread freely for all.

May you proclaim that the Lord is your God,
that you trusted in Him,
and may you rejoice
in the salvation He brings.

the 10 d’s of dealing with disagreement / what to look for in a church

so i played around with some HDR stuff today… the results were significantly better than the last time i tried, even though there’s some serious banding across the photo… anyway, i thought i’d post one of the falls, and maybe do another tomorrow if i get a chance.

a quick shot i took a few weeks ago but just edited today…

played around with some flowers in james’ flower bed today. enjoy…

What was it that made Jesus different?

What set him apart from every other person in the crowd?

Was it his teaching ability – his deep and profound lessons that made everyone marvel at his wisdom?

Was it his charisma – his ability to bring hundreds and hundreds of people to himself and speak to them about things that many of them didn’t want to hear?

Was it his political agenda – the hope that surrounded him that this might finally be the one who would redeem Israel?

Maybe.

But as I watch the life of Jesus, I see one thing that sets him apart from all others I have ever seen. There have been other great teachers, and people with amazing charisma, and other political giants, but there has never been anyone, to my knowledge, who has been able to love like Jesus.

He loved people.

Any time, any place.

It didn’t matter what it cost or what it meant to his schedule. It didn’t matter what it looked like to others, or how wretched their life was. He constantly – time after time – stopped everything that he was doing,
no matter how “important” it was,
so that he could love people.

“Go and do likewise.”

when i read about the life of Jesus, what i’m struck with time and time again is how he treated people - and so often how we fall short of treating them in the same way. Jesus made people feel special. he made them feel wanted. he made them feel important. he didn’t talk down to them or talk at them, but rather he talked with them. many times our interactions with people - people in general - aren’t guided by the spirit of Christ. they’re just the people who bring us a drink at sonic, or who check us out at the store, or take our money at the toll booth. i think what sets Jesus apart from us is that he made each and every person the most important person in the world when they were around him.

may we each look at the people around us in a different way - through the eyes of Christ.

In the footseps of the King,
may you journey to the cross.
From cheering
to jeering crowds
may you drink in the fullness of emotion -
heights of joy
depths of sorrow,
embracing the heart of Christ.

May present sounds and sights
constantly remind you
of the call and purpose of your journey -
and walking toward Golgatha
may you eagerly invite others
to witness
the compassion of the cross,
the power of the empty tomb,
and the hope of a resurrected Lord.

recap of previous week’s on-campus presentation. questions of science - what questions is science good at dealing with, and what questions can it not answer?