Believe

Let’s just visit about Jesus today. Just Jesus. When we read the New Testament in the Bible, especially the Gospels, we are reminded of the many ways Jesus lived among people while on earth. For some he gave them love because everyone else had abandoned them. Then there were those who he personally invited to follow him on his journey to the cross. They visited with him, ate with him and walked with him every day. (That would be an amazing gift.) He also healed. He healed so many people. Some needed physical healing and some experienced spiritual healing. Most of all he took the traditions and the practices that everyone lived by and rearranged them. He changed the rules. There is freedom in rearranging and changing the rules.

The Gospel of John is different from the other gospels. One of the reasons it is different is because the writer of John wanted people to BELIEVE in Jesus. He wanted people to take a leap of faith and truly BELIEVE instead of only doing things right. John 5:1-9 is a great example of how we need Jesus. In this passage, a crippled man had been sitting by a pool of water for years waiting to be healed. Because of his condition, he was never able to enter the pool of water to be healed. After 38 years of being crippled, Jesus came and healed him. He did not have to enter the water. He simply had to BELIEVE. The rules no longer applied.

I wonder how many of us (or how many people we know) are sitting near the healing power of Jesus, but silly rules are keeping us away from Jesus. Too many “should-ofs” and “could-ofs” keep us sitting by the pool waiting our turn. Jesus works differently when we BELIEVE in him. There is no waiting period or line to stand in to reach Him. His rule is simple…BELIEVE without a doubt and you can exchange your chaotic day for a day of peace. You can drop your anger and pick up pure love. You can find joy even in difficult moments. His way of life takes less energy and offers more fulfillment.
We believe in a lot of things. It is nice to be reminded that it is important to renew our belief in Christ. When we do, everything else just makes sense.

Join us every Thursday as we explore practices that connect us with our Creator God. God’s greatest desire is to BE with us. Spiritual practices keep us in the flow of the Holy Spirit and God’s presence. We are thrilled you are here and @Practice with us. This simple moment can be a retreat from daily life and a space for you to BE with God in your every day activities.

Meredith and Steven Bell share many things in common and share many differences. They met 24 years ago in Dallas, Texas while studying theology. With each having a science degree already, they both decided a theology degree was the next right step. For the past 24 years, they have served communities in ministry together in a number of different ways. The relationships they have built along the way with friends, colleagues and churches is a blessing to their lives. The biggest blessing is being parents to two amazing young women. From diapers to driver’s licenses, they have parented, laughed, sacrificed, loved, prayed, cried, and grown together. Their differences simply make life interesting. Growing up in different states, listening to different music, enjoying different hobbies and just seeing the world around them differently keeps conversations lively! You can find Steven at First Methodist Church of Shreveport most days unless he is looking for waterfowl with his dog, Sam. You can find Meredith writing grants for non-profits and coaching people in ministry. More than anything, you can find the Bells living grateful lives. We are grateful to live in Shreveport and even more grateful to join with others to spread hope, love, and faith in the community!