Real Jesus in a Real World

The Turnaround Power of Real Jesus Love

Turnaround Power.  What comes to mind when you think about that?  Perhaps it's realizing that there's no "quicksand" times in life that the love power of Real Jesus can't and won't pull you out of.  Or maybe it's in the difference between what one child calls "science teacher heaven" and "Jesus' teacher heaven:  And then there's the high schooler caught with drugs in his school locker who's given a choice: juvenile detention...or community service time spent helping at a place called the "Death to Life House".  Talk about turnarounds!  Last, we'll meet a "travelin' man whose afternoon "weeding with Jesus" draws him into the turnaround lane of Real Jesus love.  That's the amazing turnaround power of Real Jesus love!

Fill Up! - with Real Jesus Love

Take a mi8nute to ask yourself - What am I "full of"?  There's a common expression, "They're full of it!", which might make you wonder...full of WHAT?  Then, you might look for evidence to help you decide the answer to that question.  A very good question indeed, because what we are "full of" defines who we are.  But no matter what we find ourselves "full of", the love-fuel station of Real Jesus is always available to clean our life's fuel tank of whatever isn't lifegiving and refill it with His love-power.  Filled...and refilled...all the way through our whole lives.   Like when Tim visits a real village well like he'd read about in the Bible and is surprised at the variety of containers people bring to fill.  It makes him think of all the different people ("potential love containers") Jesus is ready to fill up with His love.  Then, what could a recent lottery winner and a child coming to the Communion Table in a worship service have in common?  Fill it up - with what?  And what about a young person preparing to be baptized who plans to be a "100% Jesus' guy"?  Now that'll need continual Real Jesus love tank fill ups for sure!  Finally, when a man seeking to escape gang life comes forward for prayer during a worship service meets a church deacon, both are changed forever at together their life's fuel tanks are cleaned and filled brim-full with the love power of Real Jesus.  Fill up!

Real Jesus: The Habit of Choices

Choices.  You may have heard something like: "Choices add up."  Or maybe: "Choices make habits, and habits define who you are."  Both quite true.  And Real Jesus?  His choices are always all about love.  Not just any love either, but last-through-and-beyond-anything love.  That's the habit of living love.  So, when you're alive and living into and out of THAT kind of love.  what are you "dead to"?  We'll listen in to a high school hallway conversation about just that: dead...to what?"  And then we'll consider the difference between "careful" and being "care-FULL".  Where might a growing habit of being care-FULL lead?  Next, we'll hear about where a habit of "fishing with love" might lead.  Imagine that...  And finally, what would you think of an invitation to join the "God's Gang of Love" in the midst of some very different choices?  What's the power of building a life habit of Real Jesus love choices!

Real Jesus - The Love Evidence Adds Up!

Evidence.  When we're trying to figure out of something is true and reliable, we look for, and collect, evidence.  This week, we'll look at some of the powerful evidence for the presence and love-power of Real Jesus at work in the world.  And it adds up!  First, we'll meet Dana, a resent nursing school grad who thinks he has his future career path figured out.  And then...the evidence starts adding up to something quite different than he'd ever imagined.  Then we'll sit with a group of kids thinking and talking about the time twelve-year-old Jesus disappeared in the middle of a busy city festival - without His parents' knowledge or permission!  Grounded, right? That's what the initial evidence looks like.  But then, a whole different kind of evidence starts adding up!  And when you think of the power of pennies and nickels, you might think you'd need a whole lot of them to make a difference, but then that love-evidence says something surprising...  Finally, we'll listen in to a group of children sharing a song about joy deep in our hearts.  A child in the group shares his grandpa's sadness at having "nothing to leave you when I die", and his realization that everything his grandpa is leaving him adds up to an amazing, love powered inheritance.  And the evidence of that is still adding up!

Real Jesus Says...Can You Hear Me NOW?

Real Jesus - the ultimate love-powered "holy troublemaker" is on the loose - everywhere!  But people often don't notice, pay attention, listen, or follow His road of love-directed life.  And then there are those times when His "Can you hear Me NOW?  gets our attention.  For example, when ten-year-old Theo wants to change his name - until he learns about the "Theo" in the Bible.  When he starts truly listening to the voice and love of Real Jesus, his life is never the same!  And then we'll listen to a group of chaplain students as they talk about the many ways the love voice of Real Jesus echoes and guides through the wilderness times of life.  And diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a woman hears that love-powered voice in and through a tiny plant growing in the crack of her windowsill.  And finally, we'll take a tour through a child's drawing of what a life spent paying attention the "can you hear me NOW? voice of Real Jesus might be like.  Can you hear Him NOW?

At-One-Ment with Real Jesus

This week, we'll look at the word "atonement" up close and personal.  What makes up that word?  Is it just a "this for that" kind of thing?  What's underneath all that baggage (some not so great) that it often carries?  Think about it this way: At-One-Ment.  Being literally At One with Real Jesus, because that's the goal, the mission, of Real Jesus and His love-power.  At one with the power of love itself.  First, we'll listen in to a group talking about how the cradle and cross of Jesus are connected forever - at one - to continually connect and empower us to love.  Then picture a student chaplain entering a secure forensic unit in a mental hospital - only to be greeted with, "...so glad to meet you!  I'm Jesus Christ, but you can call me J.C. if you want.  What?  And we'll meet some folks in an addiction recovery group who realize the power of this "at-one-ment" in the face of temptations to "do stupid".  Finally, we'll see the amazing difference a member of a mission team makes as he steadfastly acts out his "at-one-ment" with Real Jesus - no matter what anyone else says.  Now that's the real power of "at-one-ment" with Real Jesus!

Real Jesus - Hang On!

Hang On!  Helpful words, but how can you hang on when you feel like you've got nothing left to hang on with?  And/or to hang on to?  That's when the amazing presence of Real Jesus is most powerful - and always available.  First, we'll meet Tom, a self-described "snowbird traveler", a dwelling-less guy who travels miles every year, doing add jobs in exchange for food and or money.  What he hangs onto fits neatly in his pocket - assuring him he always has something to "hang onto".  Then we'll sit with an exhausted hearth care worker in the midst of the worldwide covid pandemic, and a military veteran of six combat tours of duty.  Finally, we hear the wise, strong words of Mary, a participant in a Bible study of "crazy end times" as she describes the hang-on rock solid strength of Real Jesus love - strong from the "beginning to the end of time" itself.  Hang on!

Real Jesus: Healing Love

Healing love - the powerful, can't diminish or extinguish it kind of love - now that's all about deep down, under all the hurt and mess healing.  Healing underneath and beyond all the limitations or definitions anyone might experience (or promote).  One man describes this powerful healing love as the "sin removing laundry soak".  Real Jesus offers.  An ER doctor speaks of the power of this healing love that flows through him to his patients "even and especially when I've got nothing left".  And a man wakes up from surgery to discover he's blind.  Where's the healing in THAT?  Then we'll hear about the power of this healing love in the midst of the indescribable, sudden loss of a son and a daughter.  Finally, the power of everyday sharing of the healing love-light of Real Jesus, which can shine in the darkest times we could ever imagine.

Real Jesus: Love Makes a Difference

Sometimes we look around at all the craziness in the world and we think...what difference could love make?  The obstacles and enemies to that love seem so big, so insurmountable...but then we see.  The love-power of Real Jesus can - and does - literally make all the difference in the world.  Like when Mary Belle has to move from her home of decades into an assisted living community, and her son Tom is left in charge of "going through your dad's and my things".  Or one boy's difference-making response to a classmate who says, "...except mean people.  I think all that love just bounces off them."  And then we'll go to the store with a girl and her mom.  A girl whose voice rings out across the aisles as she says, "I HATE rules!"  What rules, you might wonder.  And then it all changes as they decide to go "shopping with Jesus".  Hmmm...And finally, we'll meet jenny, who surprises (OK, shocks) her mother when she insists on inviting a girl who has been mean (OK, bullying) her to a special party event.  What a difference!

Real Jesus: Contagious Love

What do you picture when you hear or see the word "contagious"?  Probably nothing good, right?  But what if...what if the MOST contagious thing you could ever imagine is also the most strengthening, healing, positively amazing thing?  That's exactly how the love power of Real Jesus works - it's contagious beyond anything we could ever imagine, and it's GOOD!  First, we'll visit the classroom of a teacher named Ping, who's trying to teach his young students about viruses.  Contagious viruses.  Yike!  Until young Marta introduces him to The Love Virus - wow!  And what do you imagine might happen if people tried to hold down or limit that all-powerful love?  Look out!  It's mighty contagious!  Then we'll meet a teacher who's been told that a new, "challenging" student will be joining her class.  When that contagious Real Jesus love enter the picture - what a difference!  And finally, we'll join a family at the dinner table as they remember their beloved grandmother and share about the eternal "love-tag" she spread.  Contagious love!