Hello beautiful Saints!

Despite the constant reminders of the brokenness of this world (earthquakes, riots, loss of loved ones, people breaking into our building & stealing things...) I hope you all have your eyes fixed firmly on Jesus who is the author & finisher of our faith. I've become increasingly aware & convinced that radical love is the greatest way to grasp our identity, our greatest source of motivation, our greatest strategy to reach people & change lives as well as our greatest form of spiritual warfare. If I start to sound like a broken record with this message please let me know. I'm not promising I will do anything about it but feel free to let me know anyway. God is love & IN HIM there is no darkness at all & Jesus is the fullest most crystal clear image & understanding of the radical love we have or ever will have. So why would we fix our eyes on anything or anyone else?

Much love to all, Chris

Last week someone asked me why I believed in & followed Jesus & I want to use this email to share with you the "readers digest version" of my answer. 1) In John 6.68 Jesus starts to get a little too radical & people begin leaving so He turns & asks Simon Peter if he would like to leave also & his response is: "Lord, where else should we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We have believed & have come to know that you are the Christ, the son of the living God." I believe that life, health, forgiveness & wholeness (in this life & the life to come) is found in Jesus & in Jesus alone. 2) I firmly believe the evidence we have (testimony, history & especially scripture) concerning what he taught & did to be incredibly reliable & 3) I believe following His teaching is the very best way we as humans can live life. Jesus did so many things but one of the main things he did was to show us a new way to live, a way of life rooted in love, mercy, forgiveness, peace, generosity...if only the world (not to mention the church) would listen & follow. 

Chris