One on One: 100 Days w Jesus

In His Passion—Day 33 Our long look at Jesus’ life through the eyes of those He touched is coming to an end. It’s a story to keep reading for a lifetime—especially the Gospel of John. The disciple John wrote his gospel nearly 60 years after the events, so “that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing you may have life in His name.” Mission accomplished? As we read John 21 today, you have to wonder if John remembered this last morning around the

One on One in His Passion — Day 13 Why did I say that? Why didn’t I do something? Be honest, you’ve asked yourself this, too. Like the rest of the team, Peter ran when the soldiers arrested Jesus, but he didn’t go far. He watched everything unfold from the shadows, keeping an eye on Jesus until He disappeared behind the locked doors of the high priest’s palace. Even then, Peter stayed close. He warmed his hands around a small fire in the courtyard. Perhaps when someone poked

One on One in His Passion —Day 1 Jesus finishes what He starts. When we witnessed Jesus’ birth, we met people in Jesus’ backstory. He stepped into time, put on skin, and showed us God’s love, the ultimate Christmas gift. Through His ministry years, we watched Jesus heal and teach and connect with people. We learned how to “ love each other the way I have loved you.”   But never before or since can we see love better personified than in Jesus’ walk to the cross. Those are hard

One on One in His Ministry Years—Day 34 Jesus had as much time as everyone else, yet He was never in a hurry. He took the time to notice people, even the ones others overlooked. His favorite moments were when He caught His own being faithful. And when He did . . .    . . . Jesus rewarded the creative ones.  Mark 2:1-12 After Jesus brushed off the dirt and straw from His hair and shoulders, He likely looked up and laughed. Four young men peeked through the hole in the roof

One on One in His Ministry Years—Day 19 Everyone longs to be loved by somebody—to be someone’s “person.” To many, this desperate search has cost them a world of hurt, compromise, and loss. Too easily, we transfer this rejection to our relationship with God. If you’ve ever wondered if God could really  love you, then meet Jesus at the well. At Jacob’s Well that day in Samaria, Jesus planned a special date with, let’s call her Abby. He wanted a private conversation so He sent H

One on One in His Ministry Years—Day 1 First there was Bethlehem, and now, 30 years have gone by. Turn the page and Jesus is a middle-aged man, working for a living in northern Israel. He’s active in the synagogue, respected by the community, and the patriarch of His family. The Gospels pick up here in Jesus’ life as He begins His ministry as an itinerant teacher on the road—a road that eventually leads to Jerusalem and the reason He came in the first place. To be clear, He

One on One with Him in His Advent--Day 20 The fact that God sent them a personal invitation to the party is a truth we sometimes miss in all the attention on their extravagant gifts. That they came at all, traveling for more than a year across the desert to pay homage to a Jewish king, is reason enough to call them “wise.” Others may call them something else to set out on such a journey with nothing more than a bright star to point the way. When the wise men revealed God had

One on One with Him in His Advent--Day 19 In every generation, madmen walk the earth, scattering terror like seeds. The year Jesus was born, his name was Herod. Let’s call him, Herod, the wish-I-was-great. His 33-year reign over Israel reads like a clinical study in paranoia. Assassinating at whim, his name sent shivers up the spine of a nation. Herod hungered for Jewish respect and tried to bribe them for it. He built them a temple complex that rivaled any wonder of the wor

One on One with Him in His Advent--Day 1 Everyone you meet has a fascinating backstory. Just ask them about it. Where did you grow up? Who most influenced you? What factors shaped your path? What’s important to you? What do you love? In the year before Jesus Christ arrived on earth, His backstory was being written in the lives of a handful of people living in northern Israel at the turn of the calendar. Real people living mostly insignificant lives. All that changed when God

Everything good in your life with God happens because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the center—the heart and soul of your life. Twice every year, we pause and consider Jesus’ time on earth. We celebrate Christmas, when He came to live with us and remember Easter, when He died for us. A few days later, He conquered death itself and came back to life. ​ Now, in these snapshots from Jesus’ life, see His story from the perspective of those He touched. Look with yo