Courage and Obedience.

Fearful and Numb.

I’m not proud to say, these two words have been spitting around my thoughts the past few weeks.

Yesterday, as I entered the presence of God in worship at church, tears conquered me. My soul had stumbled into this rotten place. I tend to disqualify Jesus before He even has a chance to work.

As I pictured Him {God} peering into that little spot where worship surrounded me, I knew that He could see, He could feel me, He could understand…me.

This is Jesus.

He shows up in the most unlikely ways…He meets us in our very unlikely hearts.

I want you to meet someone today. This is my friend Cody [in the blue]. She’s one of the amazing 20-somethings in the community group I get to lead through Elevation Church.

From the first time I met Cody, I loved her. She’s got a spunky personality, not afraid to share her opinion, and she is passionate about the gospel.

What these 20-somethings I lead don’t realize is how much THEY inspire me. Cody is no different.

This weekend Cody did something inspiring that moves me to tears just writing this…she decided to get baptized. It was an incredible moment and I was so blessed to witness it with my friend Katie, front-and-center.

Courage and Obedience.

Those were the two words Jesus whispered in my heart as I watched this 20-something and 100’s of others make public their decision to follow Jesus…forever.

It took a message of a simple truth – obey and follow Jesus- but it took great mounds of courage to rise up and say, “Yes, me.”

Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what Jesus is doing by watching it lived out in the lives of others. There’s nothing minimal about that.

That is Jesus.

Jesus exuded Himself all around me as I sat watching these baptisms…one after the other, after the other.

Our faith in Jesus will bring battles. We will feel frustrated, want to give up, feel a need to run or numb ourselves away from life.

But Jesus had battles too. Plenty…more than you or I. That never stopped Him.

I feel like God shouts from heaven, “Stop crying, roll your sleeves up and get back out there. I am all around you!”

Today I am challenged…looking to my left, my right, in front of me, behind me are all people who allow me to see Jesus working in incredible ways.

And maybe you, like me, have felt a little numb…a little weak…a little fearful. Below is a powerful video of people who took great courage and obedience this past weekend.

Sometimes we just need to see…

This is Jesus.

Follow from Elevation Church on Vimeo.