Real Jesus in a Real World

Hard Times with Real Jesus

Hard times.  Most of us have experienced them.  They may look different, but they are all...hard.  That's when the truth of "hard times - strong Jesus" matters most.  What happens when an elderly homeless woman's life meets that of a "street preacher"?  Her challenge, "What-you gonna DO?"  shows him, and us, what really matters.  And how about when the love of that strong Jesus echoes in the question posed in the middle of an unpleasant conversation in a soup kitchen serving line, which begins with "Can we talk?"  Enter strong Jesus and His transforming love....  Finally, in the aftermath of the death of their grandmother and the fire that then destroyed her home, two grandsons discover a fireproof box in the ashes.. What it contains will change their loves.

Real Jesus - All Together...Yes, ALL.

Jesus' definition in action of ALL and TOGETHER and probably quite different from ours.  Our first response might be some version of "but that's not fair!"  Isn't it a good thing that His definition of "fair" is so full of love?  Love...yes, for ALL, TOGETHER.  Including...A family participating in a "virtual hymn sing" from home during mass isolation during a pandemic.  Young Bobby is ready.  He has the perfect song list!  And then a big brother who learns that God's "all together", and God's "fair" are (thankfully) not the same as ours.  Finally, the powerful, ture love and inclusion a church janitor shares with a woman sitting outside on a bench who says she "just wouldn't fit" - and the powerful ways God's "together" changes both their lives.

Real Jesus - For ME?

Jesus People.  Many times, we just aren't sure we're good enough, or_____ enough.  But the truth is that each of us is "enough" for Jesus to love - no matter what.  This week, we'll meet...Kids in a group for those who'd lost loved ones, as they realize that Jesus is everywhere, every time, for everyone.  And then meet a little boy named Christopher, who learns the difference between vengeance and Love's "Golden Rule".  Then imagine the encounters that lead to the opening of a sandwich shop called "God's Doin's".  Finally, we'll meet a man named Ned as he shares with an addiction recovery group about "all the seeds God's planted in my life and all the ways I've tried to kill them..."  Five years clean and sober, his life is a powerful example of the never-giving-up love of Real Jesus - yes, even for him.

Real Jesus - For REAL

REAL.  How would you define that word?  Here's one definition:  Right in the middle of "it", whatever "it" is.  That describes the presence - and the love mission - of Real Jesus.  For example...The challenge faced when someone notices a "Jesus" bumper sticker on your vehicle...and a cross necklace on you.  They ask, "Does that REALLY mean He's in charge, or...?  And a man who's disgusted as he overhears someone saying, "My God this, ...and my God that..."  He wants to know, who owns who...for REAL.  Then, as elections draw nearer and nearer, how would you answer the question, "Who are you voting for?"  What if the answer - for real and in everything - was...Jesus, not just on one special day, but every day?  Finally, we'll meet a boy who's about as real as it gets in his reliance on the love-power of Fral Jesus as he speaks about the "Bathroom Prayer"...say, WHAT?  Yep, for REAL!

Real Jesus = Real Purpose

Purpose.  If someone were to spend a day (or a week, or a __) with you, how might they describe your purpose in life?  This week, we'll encounter some people exploring that real, and deep, question.  What IS you real purpose?  Overwhelmed.  Single parenting three kids, parents miles away in assisted living, working from home in the middle of a worldwide pandemic...Maria discovers the joyful strength of real, life-giving purpose.  And in the aftermath of the death of his beloved wife, Carl looks back at his life's "purpose history".  But what NOW?  Then we'll meet Bob.  97 years old and on a mission trip in a city recovering from a major flood.  His real life purpose changed lives...beyond counting.  Finally, we'll meet another guy named Bob, whose Civil Air Patrol group was part of a Habitat for Humanity build.  His life-purpose motto - "trust and go", was put to the test when big challenges came up...Real Jesus - Real purpose to last a lifetime!

Real Jesus = Real Love!

Real love.  REAL Love.  REAL.  LOVE.  HOW real?  Good question.  Answer: As real as it gets.  No wait, more real than we can ever imagine.  What might that "real love" be like?  Well, here are just a few real examples.  First, meet Billy.  He's sitting at the "time out" table.  Uh oh...not good...until he gets a dose of Real Jesus.  When love-soaked grace moves in... wow.  And then witness the power of that real love as a Black teen invites his white friend (and son of a leader in the local Whate supremacist group) to church.  What happens next is all about the real love.  Then we'll go shopping with a child who is inspired by that same real love to go on a "More God-Cookies!" mission.  Fun!  Finally, what if our automatic (often trained from childhood) "thank you" response was transformed into a lifelong habit and mission to spread the Real love of Jesus?  We'll meet a grandmother who did just that.  Real Jesus Love in action!

Real Jesus = Real Vision

How might our lives be different if we saw everything through the lenses of the powerful love of Real Jesus?  This week, we'll meet some people who did their best to do just that.  From homeless, living in a car with her mom...to living in the "huge-est house ever", with all kinds of pets too!  From standing by a fellow student who's being bullied...to having an amazing new friend!  From the depression of graduating from high school amid the shutdowns of a worldwide pandemic...to the amazing open doors to a dream future!  And from 97 years old to age 3...bit by bit, year by year...how did that happen?  Meet Irv - amazing, Jesus-vision Irv!

Real Jesus = Real Persistence

Steadfast.  Persistent.  What comes to mind when you see or hear these words?  How about "steadfast, persistent love"?  That's what Real Jesus is all about - all the time, every time.  This week, we'll meet a grandson who brings the power of Real Jesus's persistent love and grace into the life of his grandmother as she recovers from a debilitating stroke.  And I'll share what I call "legacy of love" words from two very different grandmothers (literally a world apart).  Then, what about the power of an attitude of persistent, steadfast thanksgiving rooted in the powerful love of Real Jesus - which gives true and amazing strength as a woman nears the end of her earthly life.  Thanksgiving?  Yep!  And finally, we'll meet Ana, a self-described "hospice expert", who has "graduated" from hospice care three times.  In her, we'll experience the power of the steadfast, persistent, thankful love of Real Jesus.  Real Jesus = Persistent, steadfast LOVE!

Real Jesus = Real Strength

"Be strong".  When life gets tough, we often hear some version/variation of these words.  What if the most helpful words were instead, "Tough times - strong Jesus"?  What IS "real strength"?  We'll meet a high school athlete who seeks the real (and amazing) Jesus-strength she sees in her autistic brother.  And then there's an amazing woman named Beatrice, in hospice care nearing the end of her earthly life...middle name - Grace.  Lifelong strength - Real Jesus.  And what if, when you thought of "joy", it's definition became J.O.Y. = Jesus On You?  Meet Mabel and Simon, whose JOY in the midst of very challenging times give them strength beyond imagining!  Finally, we'll join a group of students who are raising vegetable seedlings to be planted in a local community garden.  They discover that strong soil = strong plants, and as they re-pot the baby plants, they think about the strength of planting their lives IN Real Jesus.

Real Jesus Says - Imagine with Me!

Imagine this...imagine that...Our imagination often steers us, even when we don't realize it.  Imagine.  Know that Real Jesus is all about real, last-through-anything love, imagine...imagine an addiction recovery group which meets in a church building.  "My friend told me this group was for everyone.  That does their "everyone" really mean?  Imagine you've just moved into a new apartment.  Someone brings you cookies...and a message that's far from welcoming...and a man whose in-laws "sure know who's going to Hell"...wow.  And who does the church belong to?  Answer:  Real Jesus.  Yes, really.  But often it like quite the opposite.  Imagine what church would look like, act like, if "church people" really WERE Real Jesus love people...imagine!  Finally, imagine meeting someone in a local coffee shop who looked very different from the last time you'd seen them there.  Now they just...glowed...with joy.  "I've found my people," they say.  "They're REAL Jesus people.  Imagine...