What is the compelling why that drives your life? 

Jesus being in our midst until the end was His explicit promise in Matthew 28:20, which says, “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:20 NKJV. Knowing that Jesus is with us in our midst through the Spirit is a strong encouragement, yet it is also a challenge.

Just ask any human being on the planet and they’ll tell you that the thing most human beings fear, next to speaking in front of their classmates in middle school, is death. It is fear that has paralyzed so many people from being able to truly live and it is fear that causes so many people to be easily manipulated  and controlled by those with power.

John wrote an open letter that was to be circulated and read to seven literal churches in ancient Asia Minor (or modern-day Turkey), but was intended to address the Church from that time, to our time, even until the end of time.

“You see, what we see the Holy Spirit doing for David is He mightily fills a teenager, and as a byproduct, gives him spiritual gifts, that as he uses them to the glory of God, begin to open up doors for him.”

“…I just believe there’s a movement of youth rising up just waiting for some of you “Samuels” from the older generations to call them into fulfilling their Spirit-anointed purpose; to guide, mentor and release them into mission!”

“…God is trying to teach Samuel, and us in the 21st century, how to see people, especially youth, how He sees them.”

How do we create a safe space for youth to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives?

Now I know calling people to repent of their sins has its place, but did you notice that Jesus isn’t recorded in this story as calling out the egregious nature of his long list of sins?

Notice that the joy of Zaccheus stands in sharp contrast to the grumbling criticism of the crowd. And their accusation against Jesus was nothing new…

Now, right away, I’m already struck by the fact that even though the crowd was unwilling to accommodate Zaccheus’s “differentness” in order to help him see Jesus, he would not be deterred from seeing Jesus!

Are the spaces where we do life on a regular basis, really safe spaces for people to experience Jesus? And if not, then how do we create safe spaces for the worst sinners, and the different, to experience grace?

“How much do you matter to God, especially when you’ve experienced church hurt?”