Tag: Jesus

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Easter The Gospels

A Meditation on Maundy Thursday

close up of mans and womans dirty feet covered in mud
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

He was their leader. The disciples hoped this was the beginning of a coup that would bring the Romans to their knees and usher in a new Davidic kingdom. So they were naturally shocked when he began to wash their feet, displaying the dirty business of Maundy Thursday.

It was a filthy job fit only for a slave. Yet here he was, stripped down to his undershirt and washing their dirty, ugly feet. This wasn’t the kind of coup they were expecting.

photo of person standing on grass illustrating dirty business of Maundy Thursday.
Photo by Edward Eyer on Pexels.com

The disciples were horrified. Peter said what everyone else was thinking (He usually did). “No! You’ll never wash my feet!” He couldn’t bear to think the Messiah he looked up to would humble himself to the point of humiliation.

But Jesus made it clear that Peter would have no part in this kingdom if he refused. So he continued by washing all twelve disciples’ feet, including the one who planned to turn him in to the authorities.

When Jesus finished, he wrapped up his lesson.

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

John 13:13–15 (NKJV)

He gave them a new command, or mandate, to love one another. That isn’t easy. It’s the dirty business of Maundy Thursday.

Categories
Bible Gospels

Official T-shirts

Cartoon of two happy, proud men. One has a shirt that says, "Disciple #7. The other has "Disciple #3" on his shirt. The caption reads, "The disciples felt special when they received their official t-shirts."

When I drew this, I was thinking how great it would have been to be Jesus’ disciple and get official t-shirts. Did they know they were part of something really big?

Continue reading “Official T-shirts”
Categories
Bible Marketing

The Golden Rule of Marketing

Every day, we are bombarded by messages. Some of them are based on fear. Other messages attempt to smear an opponent. Many invade our lives without us realizing it. But a quote by Garth Brooks reminds me what should be the golden rule of marketing.

“Here’s my whole marketing idea: treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Garth Brooks

If we followed this rule, there would be little fear-based marketing. We would not experience deceptive advertising practices or false claims. There would be no scams or pyramid schemes. Perhaps, we could get to the point where we could trust others because all marketing would have integrity.

It is a requote of The Golden Rule, from the Bible.

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

We can spot unfair rules fairly easily. This rule, when equally applied, makes it impossible to be unfair, deceptive, or manipulative. In addition, this rule makes us think of long-term gain instead of short-term results.

Would we make the same decisions if we knew we would face the person we were marketing to? Do we look at our targets as people or objects?

Practical Marketing?

Is this type of marketing practical? After all, we must focus on the metrics. We must meet the monthly sales goal or else! Can we treat others the way we want to be treated and still have a marketing career?

I believe we can. We must if we want to be a part of the solution instead of the problem. Marketing is a powerful tool. When we combine it with psychology, we can subtly influence others.

When we treat others well, we make our surroundings better. We can believe in a product or service and market it well. But at the least, we should treat others with integrity and respect. That should be the golden rule of marketing.

Categories
Christianity motivation

Passion Brings Possibilities

Passion for our work and life is a curious emotion. If what we are doing fires us up, time and difficulties vanish. But if we are not careful, challenges can begin to extinguish our flame. That is why it is so important to keep our fervor because passion brings possibilities.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_1fb24

What Fires Our Souls?

This quote by Jean de La Fontaine fires me up! What is it does the same for you? Is it a god-given talent that you love to use? Could it be the people or place you grew up with? How about the family you are raising?

In our world, passion gets confused with the love someone has for another. And yes, that is one facet of passion. But it is much more than romantic love.

We may be good at something. But as I learned from a friend, we can have talent, yet our passion lies somewhere else. We may excel at our jobs, but long for something more fulfilling. When we find our enthusiasm, passion brings possibilities.

The Passion of Christ

When I first heard that phrase, I was confused. Society’s definition was all about romantic love. Why would anyone call Jesus’ road to the cross a passion?

But today, I see that emotion was the key to Jesus’ commitment. Why else would anyone give up their life for anyone else? Everything within us wants to live as long as we can. While it is true some contend with tragic situations and emotions that cause them to take their lives, it is a whole other level to willingly give one’s life for the sake of the other. Such sacrifice is profound.

Passion causes us to have hope and a future. It brings possibilities far beyond our imaginations. Never discount the value of passion. It not only makes life worth living, but it also renews life.

Christ’s passion for us caused the impossible to become possible. It is amazing how passion brings possibilities.

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children's ministry children's ministry cartoons Christianity Christianity Religion Cartoons

The Mysterious Span of Time

Cartoon of a boy and a grumpy, old man. The man says, "Yes, I know Jesus. No, I wasn't there when he began his ministry."
Previously Published in "Kidzmatter Magazine."

It’s hard for kids to experience how long the span of time really is. To them, history is anything that happened before they were born. And it is true, isn’t it? It’s just that they have a hard time imagining an older person’s history wasn’t in the time of Bible stories or dinosaurs. To them, the Gettysburg Address and the fall of the Roman Empire all happened in that little span of time we call history.

I remember my Mom saying, “Just you wait! One minute you’re ten years old. The next minute you’re thirty-five.” Of course I didn’t believe her. Now I am older than she was at the time. Yes, you blink and time speeds by. But that doesn’t mean I lived during the time of Shakespeare. He wasn’t a cousin and we didn’t hang out together.

Time happens fast, and it drags on. I remember wondering if I would ever make it out of second grade. It must have been quite a boring year for me. I am happy to announce I made it through and then some. And so did my kids. Where did all the time go?

Time is an enigma. Embrace it and make the best use of it. Yes, you can tell them you lived at a time before smartphones. And you can patiently tell them cars and electricity was invented way before you were born.

Do you have any stories of kids having humorous issues with the span of time? Leave a comment and let us know?

Cartoon of a boy and a grumpy, old man. The man says, "Yes, I know Jesus. No, I wasn't there when he began his ministry."
Previously Published in “Kidzmatter Magazine.”