God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.

Acts 18:5-6

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Acts 18:5-6

People with Enthusiasm

One time a friend of mine was knocking on doors in a Portland neighborhood just asking people if they wanted prayer about anything or if they needed help with anything. He came upon a woman who was the mother-in-law of one of the founders of a popular fitness franchise and she was in the mood to talk. She shared with him how her family started out seeking a certain demographic for their customer base, specifically people who were overweight, out of shape, and needed to move more to improve their health. But that didn’t turn out well at all. Eventually they shifted their focus to people who loved to exercise. And it was then that the whole thing took off. Today that fitness franchise is wildly popular. There’s one just down the street from where I live and they can be found all around the world. Competitions are broadcast on ESPN.

People With an Interest in Hearing About Jesus

We should always be praying for the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. But sometimes there’s something to be said for going where people are interested in hearing about Jesus. That’s the place where Paul came to in today’s passage. Maybe that’s a word for somebody who’s reading this right now.

I will offer this one caveat though. Sometimes if you love someone really well, they might become interested in hearing about Jesus.

“Father, please pour Your Holy Spirit out upon us and inspire us and guide us and direct us to share Jesus with those You want us to share him with. And please bring to us people who are interested in Your Son Jesus. People who have enthusiasm for hearing about Jesus. Use us for Your kingdom Father.

“In Jesus’ name we ask this of You.

“Amen.”

Notes:

Image of friends in conversation by Cedric Fauntleroy via Pexels

Available on Amazon! Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus)

Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others.

Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including:

• Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God’s love to others.
• How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman’s love languages (and how you can too).
• The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ’s extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions.
• How to respond to critics the way Jesus did.
• How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did.
• How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat).
• How Jesus didn’t love everyone the same (and why you shouldn’t either).
• How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself–he even napped–and why you should do the same.
• How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end.

With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God’s definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too.

A life of loving like Jesus.

(Kindle, hardcover, and paperback now available on Amazon.)