Discovering Jesus

Let’s talk about Jesus. Welcome to my cyber chaplaincy office. Grab a cup of coffee, take a seat and settle in for a while. While you are here, look, read, and listen, but most of all think. It will not be long before you see that following Jesus is not for the weak of mind or faint of heart. On first glance, you may see what appears to be just a collection of seemingly disconnected stuff.  Yet, on closer examination, you will discover everything on this page comes together to tell a coherent story about a revolutionary, life-changing Jesus who matters every day, not just on Sunday morning. He came to make us followers, not fans or groupies. Following Jesus is about relationship, not rules or religion. His followers, called disciples, are intentional people who follow his example because we love him and want to glorify him with our lives. My sincere prayer is that you are, or become, both a heart and mind follower of Jesus.

What we are being told, in many cases, falls far short of the expectations Jesus had for his disciples. The Christian experience of people sitting in folding chairs in many contemporary churches, large and small, bears no resemblance to the faith for which first-century Jesus followers willingly gave their lives. There has been such a backlash over “legalism” that sanctification is something many must pursue on their own because they are not hearing about it in church. Yet the apostle Peter didn’t mince words. “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16 | NIV) Few ever hear a message on holiness or engage in Bible study on the topic. Far too many of us believe Jesus set no standards for those who would follow him except to love God, love others and make disciples.

After his first sermon on Pentecost, When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37-38 | NIV) It takes more than a raised hand in a room full of closed eyes for a person to become a Christian.

Many may be baptized, but few have any understanding of repentance and fewer still have an appreciation of the power that accompanies the Holy Spirit’s indwelling and leading as experienced by those in the first-century Church. Jesus never asked anyone to raise their hand. Instead, he proclaimed, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 | NLT). And that was just the beginning. After he laid out what he expected from his disciples on one occasion, people turned away and, “many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’” (John 6:60) The fact is, we must accept it if we wish to follow Jesus.

Is it possible that you accepted an incomplete gospel? Could you be on the wide road and not even know it? If so, would you want to know? This website is not intended to be a substitute for a church or community of faith. It is merely a doorway to help sincere people know what they believe and why they believe it. Join us as we sit around the kitchen table with a few friends and revisit what Jesus taught.

Revised: 12/18/2022