Diamond Vision
Early in my Sophomore year in High School, just before Christmas, I had the opportunity to see “A Christmas Carol” (ie. “Scrooge.”) in a “theatre in the round”
in Hollywood. (I remember I was a Sophomore because a pretty Senior girl who had tickets asked me to go and even drove…but my high hopes were soon dashed….but that is another story!)
The play was wonderful! However, I kept wondering how it was being viewed by the people across from me as well as from the various angles in the audience that circled the performance. I mean, literally, every seat would see the play a little differently….like a many faceted diamond! After the play, we even took some time to circle the stage trying to picture how each angle saw the play!
Jesus –and what He means to us – is like a many faceted diamond. In one sense, He means the same for each of us….but in another, who He is and what He offers to us is different for each one of us depending on what we are going through in our lives. Further, even as we individually live our lives in the constant change of circumstances and struggles, He is there for us every day exactly as we need Him to be, a multi-faceted diamond! Perhaps this is why the Bible has four different books that narrate Jesus life – to begin to show us this many-faceted diamond that IS Jesus! Perhaps this is why, in the first chapter of the book of Romans alone, the word Gospel – Good News – is used seven times concerning Jesus! Jesus is Good News for each of us in every facet of our lives!
In the next few weeks, we will explore Jesus in “Diamond Vision,” looking to understand a little better the many faceted ways that His love would touch our lives and the lives of all in the multifaceted realities of our lives. This is Good News!...to receive and to give away! Where/how do you need a Savior in your life?
Each message will feature a unique video. If you want to share the video on it's own they are available on our videos page.
Sat.,Sun., February 17th/ 18th “Falling Plates”
Growing up, our ever day plates were made out of Pyrex – pretty much unbreakable unless you were really trying. But on special days such as Thanksgiving or Christmas or a Birthday, mom would get out “the good plates.” These were different. If you dropped one of these, it would shatter. And on top of this, these plates had been passed down from my mom’s mom to her. They were MUCH MORE valuable than the Pyrex plates. Today, we compare our lives to falling plates – not the Pyrex kind but the Valuable kind – and how Jesus would put us back together. This is Good News!... to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., February 23rd/24th “Freedom Within”
These are two common words put together in an uncommon way, yet expressing the longing of each of us. Freedom. We usually talk about this in a way that focuses outside of ourselves in the sense of, “being free to do what I want.” Within. What is inside of us. Hidden. Private. But what if we brought the “within” out into the light? Where/how are you in a prison – enslaved – inside? And what would it mean to be free. Because Jesus brings freedom….inside! This is Good News!... to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., March 3rd/4th “Paper Hats”
Hats. A cowboy wears one type of hat. A ship’s captain another. And a common sailer another. And a king another! In a sense, the kind of hat we wear determines how we see things…and how we live in our world. How do you see things? What hat are you wearing? And how is that working for you? Did you know that Jesus came to give us a “new hat?”….a new way of seeing things? And did you know that it was meant to change everything?” Where do you need this? This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Sat.,Sun., March 10th/11th “Flow”
When we were in Denver, a large water pipe ruptured across the street from the church. They had it fixed in a couple of days, strongly telling us that the water was fine. Yet, for days afterward, when we turned on the water, it came out brown and fresh and healthy!...so we can be healthy. Today, we focus on the “water” we drink for our soul. How healthy has it left you? Did you know Jesus is called the “water of life?” Here is refreshing, clean, healthy, water for your soul, whatever your need! This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., March 17th/18th “The Search”
On one backpacking trip, my brother and I were hit with an unexpected blizzard. It was so fierce, we got out the maps and walked out a shorter way. When we got home, we found out my parents had called “Search and Rescue” who were getting ready to try to find us. The problem? They would have looked in the wrong area!....Where are you lost in your life? Where do you hope someone is searching for you? Where do you need to be found? There is someone who is searching and who knows right where you are! His Name is Jesus. And He has come, and is coming for you! This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!
Sat./Sun., March 24th/25th “Newly Forged”
Do you remember the first “Karate Kid” movie? The patience of a young man, who has come to an old Karate Master to learn Karate, is sorely tried as he is told to do such things as paint a fence and wax old cars. Finally, he loses his trust and with it his patience, calling out the older man….who then shows him that the movements he was doing over and over again in the work was training him in the movements of Karate. In a sense, they were “forging him” to be what he wanted to be. Where, deep down, do you want to be –perhaps even need to be - “different?”….maybe even not knowing what this means? What would you say if you were told that Jesus, somehow, through every experience and all situations, is working according to His plan to forge you into exactly who you should be as you walk in Him? This is Good News!...to receive and to give away!