At Terra Nova, Hank Fortener of Mosaic the following insights:
“After an intense message caused many to walk away from Jesus.
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about (Jesus’ message), Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:53-69 NIV)
When things go wrong, where else would we go?
What would it be like to live somewhere else? Ever apologize for where we live? Ever resist others’ critiques about your city?
We need to be in the center of a city that needs hope so badly. We get to be a community of hope that heals souls!
Ever have the same sort of resolve about someone you love? To who else would you go?
When baby Cora was born and struggled to breathe, the rest of the world disappeared. Hank and Sueann had no other concern.
When things go badly, where does your soul go for life?
Peter had resolve even after so many other left Jesus. “You have the words of eternal life!”
We existed in God’s imagination before we were created!
God speaks to all of us. The way we know the voice of God is to know the words of Jesus. Does the thought you have resonate with the words of Jesus?
When you have a voice in your head that is dark or points towards harming others or diminishes who you are, that isn’t God’s voice.
You can look at art and never understand it until you know who the artist is and his or her story.
Look at the Creator to understand who we are!
“You are the holy One of God” – Peter to Jesus
In other words, “You are going to heal us and make us new from the inside.”
We are free of our sin and shame. We couldn’t come up with one thing that has more power than Jesus.
We don’t live in a world with bumpers on the corners or caps on the outlets. We don’t live in a safe word. We get bruised and broken.
Too many people who follow Jesus walk around feeling unloved and powerless! Too many of us have given power to voices who aren’t speaking truths to us.
Are we going to go to Jesus and eternal life or we going to go back to what has never worked out for us?
God created nothing more beautiful and more important than you.”
