Church Events or Simply Life?

This past Sunday, our church had yet another killer conversation about living as citizens and agents in the kingdom of God (this is becoming a habit).  It all started with a comment about our network-wide Christmas party (which is Tuesday night).  The couple that was hosting it said that they had invited some of their unchurched friends to the party.

And they purposefully didn’t tell them it was a church event.

In the past, that would have sparked further conversation along the lines of, “Oh, dear.  Are you ashamed of our church and ashamed of Jesus?”  Not this time.  Instead, it sparked a great conversation about church events.  As the conversation continued, we came to the conclusion that separating church events from the rest of life isn’t a good thing to do!  Why?  Because it continues to encourage the compartmentalization of life instead of bringing all life under the Lordship of Jesus.

Think about it.  We have church time, work time, home time, family time, football time, date time, TV time, dinner time–all these little compartments of time.  It’s fragmented our schedules and thus fragmented our life.  What happens is that the truly important gets pushed to the back burner while the urgent continues to dominate the schedule.  We find that we “don’t have time” for the truly important.  I’m quickly coming to the conclusion that we’ve really deceived ourselves.  Our church is slowly realizing it.

As the conversation continued, we talked about how the life of the church should simply be life.  In the New Testament, the church did life together.  They didn’t “go to church” and then forget about the community for the rest of the week.  The community–life–was their week.  They ate together.   They hung out together.  They served each other.  They loved each other sacrificially.  They didn’t have to submit every event to the leadership for approval–they simply did it.  Sure, it wasn’t perfect, and there were often problems (heck, they were imperfect people just like us, and that can get messy), but they committed all of life to being under Jesus’ Lordship.

So our Christmas party isn’t a “church event.”  It is what will hopefully be the beginning of something revolutionary in the life of our church.  We’re simply doing life together, and those outside the church who come to the party will experience the budding life of our community.  Does this mean do everything “flying by the seat of our pants”?  Yes and no.  I’m hoping our church can get to the place where we can call each other up and say, “Hey, let’s do dinner tonight.  Who’s bringing what?”  I’m hoping our churches can continue to do life together after this Christmas party, no matter how many disciples and churches sprout up in our network.  And I’ll continue to talk about and practice intentionality–that as we do life together, we intentionally bring others along to experience the life of our community and see the difference that Jesus is making in our lives.  As we do this, we’ll be loving people and serving the world.  Not through “church events”, but through Christ-centered life.

Living as an Agent of the Kingdom of God (Part 7)

We’ve spent the last six posts talking about the kingdom of God and what it means to be an agent of the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is upside-down.  Agents of the kingdom live as Jesus told them to live–a third way.  We aren’t to retaliate or run; we aren’t to hate or ignore.  We’re to live in such a way that others notice.  Some will hate us for it.  Others will notice.  Others will want to follow Jesus.

If we’re going to live as agents of the kingdom of God, here are some things that must change (by no means is this an exhaustive list):

1. Our finances.  Even though our economy is in the crapper and some of us are worried about our jobs, this is an excellent chance to exercise faith in God to provide our daily bread.  Agents of the kingdom are to be generous people.  This means we must rethink our finances.  We need to take a hard look at what we’re spending our money on.  Do we really need the deluxe cable package (who can watch 200+ channels anyway)?  Do we really need the top-of-the-line cell phone plan?  Do we have to drive a new car?  As agents of the kingdom, we need to think through all of these things.  Financial health isn’t just about being debt free so we can plan for retirement.  What if it’s about imitating Jesus by lowering our standard of living so that we can raise the standard of living for others?  Churches need to think about their finances and assets as well.  What if, instead of new churches lusting after property and buildings, they continue to rent and use their finances to help others in Jesus’ name?  What if churches that already own facilities would work with their local governments to find ways to use their property to shelter the homeless?  Yeah, your building may have a funny smell from time-to-time, but when we help the distressed in Jesus’ name, it’s a sweet aroma to God.
2. Our time.  Most of us would have to admit that our schedules are way too full.  Why do we think we have to be so busy?  An agent of the kingdom imitates Jesus by carving out time alone to be with God in solitude.  Agents of the kingdom carve out time to do life together.  Agents of the kingdom use time to assist and serve others.  What do we need to do to give, not just part of our time, but all of our time to God?
3. Our jobs.  Many of us see our jobs as what we do to provide for our families.  What if, instead, we see our jobs as mission fields?  What are ways we can serve our co-workers?  What are some ways we can use our jobs to introduce others to Jesus?  One of our churches has three guys who work the weekends at the local Wal-Mart distribution center.  One of them is Reber, who will be replacing me next year when we move.  He started talking to his buddy Joe about Jesus.  Joe noticed the changes in Reber’s life, and when Reber started his church, Joe was there.  Last week, Joe baptized his buddy Heath, who had seen the difference in both Reber and Joe’s life.  Heath started connecting with Reber and Joe’s microchurch, and Joe recently baptized Heath.  Now, the Wal-Mart distribution center has three guys on the weekends who are looking to take back that place of business for the kingdom of God.  How can we do that?
4. Our homes.  We tend to see our homes as our sanctuary away from the stress of life.  Agents of the kingdom, however, use their homes as hubs of the kingdom.  They’re hospitable.  They open their homes to others in their church community to hang out, share meals, do life, and discover Jesus.  Yeah, it can be a pain in the ass sometimes–cleaning up when you just want to leave stuff be, or missing your favorite TV show in order to hang out with others.  But it is totally worth the price.  But what if we took it further?  I recently read a book where the author said that we do a lot of talk about being pro-life.  We tend to vote for pro-life candidates.  Some of us go to pro-life rallies.  But if we’re really pro-life, we need to provide shelter to teen mothers and start adopting some babies that would otherwise have been aborted (and he meant opening up our homes).  What are other ways that our homes can be hubs of the kingdom?

There are other ways that we need to think about how an agent of the kingdom would live, how we can make the jumbo shrimp gospel a reality.  So now it’s your turn–what are other ways we can live as agents of the kingdom, living out the jumbo shrimp gospel?

Living as an Agent of the Kingdom of God (Part 6)

Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ opening words in his sermon on the plain in Luke 6.  We saw how living as a citizen of the kingdom of God is oxymoronic.  Today, we dive deeper into what Jesus said.  Look at his words in Luke 6:27-38,

But I say to you who hear, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.  If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.  Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.’

I recently read through this section of Scripture with my six-year-old daughter, Annagrace.  Her response is profound (we adults are too distracted to get this):  “Dad, that’s stupid!”

Did my kid call Jesus stupid?  Yep.  And she’s right.  Before you go and condemn my kid to the outer regions of hell, think about it…

Remember, Jesus said these things in a politically unstable society.  The Jews absolutely despised Roman occupancy.  Pockets of resistance were put down violently by the Romans, and it wasn’t all that rare of an occurrence.  People were ready for a Messiah.  Here he was, telling people the gospel of the kingdom… and it wasn’t what they expected at all.  It was the jumbo shrimp gospel.  Oh… and the Jewish people couldn’t eat shrimp.  No wonder many of them eventually deserted Jesus!   When you look at how our society and culture opperate, it really does seem as if Jesus has lost his marbles.  But let’s take a closer look…

First, Jesus says this: ”But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”  Jesus’ audience was surrounded by the enemy daily.  Signs of Roman occupation were everywhere.  They sought overthrow, and Jesus tells them that living in the kingdom involves… loving your enemies and doing good to those who mistreat you?  That’s stupid!  But that’s the upside-down, jumbo shrimp gospel.  We think that enemies are people to be hated, scorned, and resisted.  Not so if you’re an agent of the kingdom.  We’re called to sacrificially love those who oppose us, and not just in our theology or in an idealistic way.  We’re to actually do it.

Look at what else Jesus says, “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.”  For those of us who’ve been Christians for awhile, these words are so familiar that they have no meaning for us.  Think about it:  if someone hauls off and punches us, what would our natural reaction be?  One of two things:  retaliation, or running away in fear.  Jesus says that an agent of the kingdom lives a third way.  If someone hits you, do not retaliate and do not run.  Look them in the eye (with love) and offer them the other side of your face.  In Jewish culture, this meant a backhand, which was seen as degrading and over-the-top.  By not retaliating or running, and by offering the other cheek to your enemy, you show him your dignity as an citizen of the kingdom and expose the sinfulness of his anger and aggression.  You disarm him.  If he doesn’t strike back, you’ve shown light into darkness.  If he strikes again, then the utter sinfulness of his brutality is abundantly evident to those around you.

Let’s look at one more.  “…and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.”  This sounds very tame.  Here’s what Jesus really says:  if someone takes your outer garment, strip naked and give him your underwear, too.  We’re so used to having a closet full of clothes that this loses all meaning for us.  Remember, Jesus is addressing many who are poor, who may only have had one outer garment and one inner garment (the tunic).  If they couldn’t pay a debt, those taking them to court may have taken their outer garment until their debt could be paid.  Jesus says, if someone does this to you, go ahead and give them your underwear.  Strip naked… and expose the filth of their greed.

The rest of Jesus’ sermon is in the same line of thought:  living as an agent of the kingdom is a lifestyle, a lifestyle lived as an alternative to the sin and decay of our culture.  It disarms people, not through violence, but through living out the implications of the gospel.  It seems ridiculous, and it seems far-fetched.  Some of us may even think that this isn’t going to be reality until Jesus returns and the kingdom comes fully.  But Jesus calls us to live this way now.  He practiced what he preached.  He loved his enemies.  While being nailed to the cross, he prayed for those who abused him, continually saying, “Father, forgive them…”  During the illegal trials that took place the night before his death, he was punched, spit on, and had his beard plucked out.  He didn’t resist, nor did he cower in fear.  He turned the other cheek.  When they stripped him of his cloak, he allowed them to take his tunic as well (which the soldiers gambled for underneath the cross).  He taught and showed us how agents of the kingdom are to live.  He showed us how to practically live out the jumbo shrimp gospel.

Tomorrow, I’ll wrap up the series with some thoughts on what this means for us.

Living as an Agent in the Kingdom of God (Part 5)

This series of posts has been about living as an agent in the kingdom of God.  We’ve looked at how Jesus proclaimed a “jumbo shrimp gospel”.  We’ve seen how he intentionally made oxymoronic choices for the makeup of his apostolic band.  Today, we’ll look at what Jesus talked about when it came to living as a citizen and being an agent of the kingdom of God.  We’ll look at a few sections of Jesus’ sermon on the plain found in Luke 6.

And turning his gaze on His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.  Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heave; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.  But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.  Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.”  Luke 6:20-26

Living as an agent in the kingdom of God:  oxymoronic.

In our way of thinking, it is the rich, the well-off, the happy, and the respected who are blessed.  That’s what the “American Dream” (well, it’s really more of a nightmare) is all about.  Comfort, security, the pursuit of happiness–the very definition of “middle class.”  Yet, the kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom.  It contradicts our thinking.  It doesn’t make sense.  It’s the kingdom of the jumbo shrimp gospel.

The kingdom belongs to the poor. (Luke doesn’t specify as Matthew does–it’s both poor in spirit and poor in economics).
The kingdom belongs to the hungry.
The kingdom belongs to the depressed.
The kingdom belongs to the outcast, insulted, and marginalized.
Such were the prophets–poor, hungry, depressed, outcast, naked, persecuted.

Is it a sin to be rich, well-off, happy, or respected?  Some would say, “Yes” without exception.  I would say that it depends.  If it’s at the expense and to the harm of others, yes.  But there are good, honest people who are well-off and respected.  So why does Jesus warn them?  Because things like wealth, extra provision, happiness, and reputation can cloud our vision.  These things put barriers between people and full faith in God to provide our daily bread.  Who needs faith when we can provide for ourselves?  This isn’t to say that poverty and hunger automatically put someone in a position of faith.  But it does mean that they don’t have certain barriers to faith that wealth and provision can build.  Those who fall for the deception that these things bring fulfillment will find themselves ultimately poor, hungry, depressed and outcast.

In the kingdom of God, the tables are turned.  The kingdom is flipped upside-down.  The kingdom belongs to the marginalized.  It is the jumbo shrimp gospel.  

On Monday, we’ll get practical and see what Jesus says about living as an agent in the kingdom.

Living as an Agent of the Kingdom of God (Part 4)

Jesus didn’t roll like we think God would.  He wasn’t proceeded by a huge marketing campaign.  There was no “viral buzz” surrounding his arrival.  He didn’t show up all blinged out.  He was born to poor parents in a stranger’s house and slept in a feed trough.  Shepherds were his first visitors (today’s equivalent would be anyone who’s career is shown on “Dirty Jobs”).  No fanfare, no hype.  Oxymoronic.

Not only did Jesus arrive in an oxymoronic fashion, he lived it and taught it.  He didn’t choose the religious big wigs of the day (which, if Jesus would have waited until our time to come, means that he probably wouldn’t have chosen guys like Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, or Joel Osteen to hang out with).  Instead, he chose several foul-mouthed, blue collar fishermen, a tax collector who ripped off citizens by charging too much, and a political radical who would probably rather have slit the tax collector’s throat than hang out with him.  Again, if Jesus showed up today, he would probably have chosen a group of guys with a make up similar to this:  a couple of self-employed mechanics, the dudes from American Chopper (before the TV deal), a porn star like Ron Jeremy, a member of the Young Republicans, and a Marxist idealist.  Imagine the first dinner time conversations among that group!  Jesus would have invested himself in these guys for awhile and then given them the mission to go change the world through the good news of the kingdom.  That’s essentially what Jesus did–he picked the guys who we wouldn’t have picked.  A rag-tag group of oxymorons.

That’s how Jesus rolls.  He proclaims the gospel of jumbo shrimp.

Many of us may feel like Peter did when Jesus called him to follow Him.  We’ve experienced what Jesus can do, but we don’t feel worthy to really follow Jesus as an agent of the kingdom.  Like Peter, we may feeling like saying, “Depart from me, Lord.  I’m a sinful man.”  The truth is, we’re not worthy.  But Jesus makes us worthy through his death and resurrection.  He calls us to be agents of the kingdom.  And he takes a lot of pleasure in calling, investing in, and transforming those that we may turn a cold shoulder to.

Drug addicts.  Sex addicts.  Persons in poverty.  Alcoholics.  Porn producers, stars, and consumers.  Those who have no one else to turn to but Him.  Those who will take no credit for themselves.  If we’re not like that–if we’re proud or if we like the limelight–then God will do what He must to help us to get there.  Before we can be an agent of the kingdom, we have to die to self.  As we become agents of the kingdom, it is increasingly less about us and more about Jesus.

Tomorrow, we’ll start looking at what Jesus said about living life as a citizen of the kingdom.

Living as an Agent of the Kingdom of God (Part 3)

So what does jumbo shrimp have to do with living as an agent of the kingdom of God?  How are agents of the kingdom living, breathing oxymorons?  Before we answer the how, let’s look at the why.

Why are we to be living, breathing oxymorons?  Because Jesus was.

Think about it for a second.  The all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present second member of the Trinity decided to invade His creation by putting on skin–by becoming human.  Now if I were God, and I decided to come live with those I had created, I know exactly how I’d roll.  To quote the American philosopher Jay-Z, “Big pimpin’, spendin’ cheese.”  I’d be a high roller.  Big money, big home, big power, big entrance, big mind-blowing special effects.

Jesus didn’t roll like that.

Jesus was born to impoverished parents who were scandalized before they were married because the plan was for His mom to get pregnant via divine invitro before she got married.  His parents couldn’t fill out the Roman IRS EZ form, so they had to make a trip to go pay some taxes.  He was born in a stranger’s living room and his first crib was a stone feed trough.  His first worshipers weren’t A-listers.  They were social outcasts–dirty, filthy shepherds (which was one of several undesirable careers in first century Palestine).  Growing up, he couldn’t go to school because of the scandal created by his birth.  Instead, he went home, submitted himself to his mother and earthly dad, and took up the family trade until it was time for him to fulfill his mission–to preach the gospel of the kingdom until he was to give his life for the kingdom.

Rich becomes poor.  Death brings life. The God of the universe chose to live oxymoronic. 

He showed us through his teaching what living as an oxymoronic agent of the kingdom looks like.  We’ll start looking at that tomorrow.

Living as an Agent of the Kingdom of God (Part 2)

Yesterday I posted about a conversation our church had about the kingdom of God and what it means to live as an agent of the kingdom of God.  That conversation was a great start to what will hopefully be a continuing dialogue (between each other and with God) about what it really means to follow Jesus and be a citizen of the kingdom.  This post will start fleshing out this question:

How do we go from passive observers of a religious ritual to active agents of the kingdom of God?

Here’s the short answer:  jumbo shrimp.

Hopefully, you recognize that phrase as the most popular oxymoron ever used.  “Oxymoron” comes from a combination of Greek words that mean “sharp” and “foolish”.  Sharp fool… how ironic that the word oxymoron is, in and of itself, an oxymoron.  An oxymoron is a combination that shouldn’t make sense at all because the terms involved in the phrase or sentence contradict each other.  All shrimp are tiny, and some are slightly larger than others.  In reality, no shrimp are jumbo (unless there’s an as–of-yet undiscovered species of shrimp the size of a Hummer).

To live as an agent of the kingdom of God is to be a living, breathing oxymoron.   What does that mean?  You’ll have to come back tomorrow…

Living as an Agent of the Kingdom of God (Part 1)

And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”  Mark 1:14-15

Yesterday morning, our church came across a verse in Luke where Jesus declares that he must go to other cities and preach about the kingdom.  It spawned a really cool conversation about what the kingdom is, and what it means to be a part of the kingdom of God.

I grew up in a tradition that equated the kingdom of God with the church.  For years, I believed that teaching hook, line, and sinker without really taking a look at it.  Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of praying, thinking, and reading about the kingdom of God (a.k.a. the kingdom of heaven), and it’s been really cool to challenge my thinking about what the kingdom of God is. 

Consider Jesus’ words above in Mark 1 (which was first written for a Roman audience, and would have really caused tension).  He says that the kingdom of God is at hand, and that people must repent and believe the gospel–the good news… the good news of the kingdom.  The gospel is about the kingdom of God, and at the heart of the gospel of the kingdom is the king, Jesus Christ.  The kingdom of God is built upon the fact that the king came to live among us, to show us and teach us how to live and love, and to ultimately die for humanity’s sins and thus create a new community of forgiven sinners through His death and resurrection.  Because of this, we now have direct access to the king Himself, and can become a citizen of His kingdom.  That really is good news!

What spawned this post (and however many more may follow) is this:  I asked my church whether the kingdom of God is a reality now or not.  Almost all of them said, “No.”  Part of that answer is right.  The kingdom of God hasn’t yet fully come.  That will not happen until the return of our King, which will bring the final judgment of humanity before God, and the renewal of all things.  But the kingdom of heaven really is at hand–it’s close.  It is a reality now!  The church is the outpost of the kingdom.  It gives the rest of fallen humanity a glimpse, a taste, and opportunity to experience kingdom life–even though it isn’t fully realized yet.

I’m not 100% sure, but I think this could be what contributes to the attitudes, thinking, and actions of some Christians.  If the church is part of the kingdom, and we’re to invade the realm of Satan with the gospel of the kingdom, and if we’re to introduce people to Jesus by giving people a glimpse of kingdom life… then we may be in trouble here in the American church.  People who look at the church from the outside get the idea that kingdom life is about attending a building, singing some songs, listening to a dude talk about Jesus (or how to have a happy life) for thirty minutes or so… and that’s it.  Not only that, but the church is coming under increased hostility from outsiders who see us as a bunch of hypocrites (and, in many ways, they’re correct).  As we look at what a follower of Christ is to be in the pages of the New Testament, it’s more akin to James Bond than it is to passive seminar observer.

So how are we to go from passive observers of a weekly religous performance to living as agents of the Kingdom of God?  More on that tomorrow…

What if Starbucks Marketed Like the Church?

I watched this video recently, and it made me want to laugh and cry all at the same time, because once upon a time, our church was there.  Watch this…

It makes absolutely no sense to the coffee (or any other) business.  Having been down this road in our church (anyone remember the ol’ “Connect Cards”?), it now makes no sense to me for churches to do this.  And yet, is there any approach better for most churches?  I don’t know.

This journey of discovery we’ve been on since early ‘07 has been so eye-opening for me.  We’ve all struggled with stripping the layers of the old way of doing things.  A few found it too uncomfortable and decided to part ways with us (which is fine).  But one thing that is becoming abundantly clear as our churches are starting to mature is this:  a life transformed by Jesus Christ is far more powerful than any marketing campaign.

As we continue to chase God in our churches, may our transforming lives be our advertising.  May our churches be attractive to those who don’t know Jesus because of the mission we are on with Him.  May we seek to find ways to include people in community life so that they can see Jesus in us.

What are some ways you’ve seen this truth in action–that a life transformed by Jesus is more powerful than an advertising campaign?

Stories of Transformation from the Grottoes Church

I love hearing stories of how Jesus is transforming people and using people to advance His kingdom.  This past Monday, our church got together (I had to be out of town to preach at another church, so we moved our gathering back a day).  We ate together, talked about life, and then I asked a question before we celebrated the Lord’s Supper:

“How has Jesus been working in your life recently?”

Wow…

Ricky and Shelby Lopez have overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where they now are–newlyweds figuring out how to honor Jesus.  When I asked this question, they looked at each other and talked about Ricky deciding to take his Bible to work so that during his lunch break he could read Luke in preparation for our gathering to night.  Ricky works construction.  Construction workers typically aren’t known for reading their Bible over their lunch break.  Ricky said the reactions of his co-workers varied from surprise to taunting.  He wasn’t phased by it.  Shelby then talked about how their son Mason has caught on to praying before meals.  They’ve decided to adopt the custom of holding hands as they pray.  They told us that Mason now holds out his hands automatically when they sit down to eat and finishes the prayers with his version of “Amen.”  They’ve gotten this habit so ingrained that they pray before eating anywhere, and her family has started to notice and participate.  Ricky and Shelby are now looking at starting a new faith community in their home, and they have some friends who are interested.

Margaret came out of a religious tradition that emphasizes personal effort to get right with God.  She and her husband came to Discovery several years ago.  It’s been amazing to see the change Jesus has brought to their lives.  Margaret talked about her job as manager at the Augusta Co-op in Staunton.  When she first got there, it wasn’t exactly a bright spot in the business community (and that’s putting it nicely).  It’s taken several years, but she now has a crew that is learning how to work together and care for each other and their customers.  Since coming under her watch, the Co-op’s reputation has improved greatly.  Sales have gone up so much that Margaret will be able to surprise her workers with bonuses in time for Christmas.  She’s told about how she now sees this a part of a process to bring Jesus into her workplace… of invading the Co-op and reclaiming it for the kingdom of God by showing her employees and customers the love of Jesus.

Jesus is definitely alive and well and doing amazing, remarkable things in the lives of people who formerly were far away from Him!