"Simply put, Jesus has made me a better human."

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book, The Genius of Jesus (p. 18). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Erwin goes on, "Or maybe, Jesus made me human again.

"The data goes far beyond my own personal experience. For more than two thousand years, millions of people across the world have been transformed through their faith in Jesus Christ. If you were a cultural anthropologist looking to examine this phenomenon from a purely scientific perspective, you would have a massive sample size. The control group stretches across all of modern history, every economic and educational stratum, and virtually every culture across the face of the earth."

He says, "Academics even have a term for how a culture is transformed through belief in Jesus Christ: 'redemption and lift.' In his book Underdevelopment Is a State of Mind, economist Lawrence E. Harrison observed how the Christian mindset had a measurable effect on the economic development and prosperity of societies. His analysis focused not on the ceiling of wealth but the living conditions and well-being of the common citizen. Simply put, certain mindsets and belief systems create the internal psychological mechanisms needed to rise above poverty when the opportunity is given. The valuing of education, the treatment of women, the emergence of an entrepreneurial mindset, personal responsibility for choices: All these were elevated in Christian societies. Harrison was not in any way advocating for the validity of believing in Jesus. He simply identified an economic reality. Even if Jesus is only an idea, that idea changes the way humans approach life. Is there any other idea that has ever brought that kind of change?

"From a purely historical perspective, this would have to be identified as a work of genius. But it’s a different kind of genius than the one we’re primed to spot. Jesus’s genius is missed because it is comprehensive rather than contained in a particular discipline."

He continues, "Genius, as a rule, is not transferable. You could spend your life with Mozart and never become a great composer. You could spend your life with Picasso and never become a great painter. If you spent your life with Michael Jordan, you still wouldn’t make it to the NBA unless you were six feet six with a forty-inch vertical."

Erwin then says, "With Jesus, his genius is dramatically the reverse. His genius, it would seem, is contagious. When you align your heart with Jesus, it begins a process of transformation. Soon you begin to live your life as Jesus would. There is, if I could use the phrase, a transference of genius. Because of Jesus, I have watched people who have been reckless in their relationships begin to value others above themselves. I have seen men overcome a lifetime of arrogance and choose to define their lives by the strength of humility. I have known individuals of significant wealth move from a life of greed to a life of generosity. I have experienced the beautiful transformation of those trapped in depression and hopelessness finding new eyes to see the beauty and wonder of life."

He truly does make in us. Have you found that true? Yes, yes!

“We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 118). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But is that all that is important? Jon says, “We want to realize an immediate return from whatever we invest in. I am prone to this way of thinking in so many areas of my life. ‘I paid a lot for that meal, yet the portions were not that big.’ ‘I invested two hours in that movie, and it was just okay.’ ‘I went to church, but the sermon wasn’t that profound.’ We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives. But beauty doesn’t fit within that framework. When Mary anointed Jesus with oil, there was an immediate outcry against her extravagant generosity. ‘It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ (Mark 14:5) One gospel depicts the disciples crying, ‘Why this waste?...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...

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