Paying Ridiculous Attention To Jesus

Join Rick for the fourth episode in a new series—“THE HARVEST.” We know that Jesus defines goodness, and that boldness is one of His primary characteristics. So however Jesus lives out boldness is good. So let’s explore the many different ways Jesus lives and acts boldly, and discover how that might challenge or fuel the way we live… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Visit the Jesus-Centered Daily Web Site for a FREE Downloaded Sample https://www.jesuscentereddaily.com Or Sign Up for the FREE 7-Day Devotional Series, Drawn from the Jesus-Centered Daily https://www.mylifetree.com/jesus-centered-daily-download/?fbclid=IwAR2H19A3iHl53Rl7OUrJLWkq3NkFjSFlxTUnngBOAeZ

Join Rick for the third episode in a new series—“THE HARVEST.” Delight is central to the personality and relational norms of Jesus. We think we understand delight as a simple concept, but it’s really the portal into a deeper life with Him… So here we explore an encounter Jesus has with a woman as He travels through the region of Tyre and Sidon—pagan territory and the traditional home of Jewish enemies. Jesus has, on purpose, taken His disciples through the “bad part of town,” where the people believe in false gods and harbor resentment and disdain for Jews… And there He happens to meet a woman who turns out to be extraordinary… And He reacts to her with “intense delight”… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=

Join Rick for the second episode in a new series—“THE HARVEST.” Jesus has invited us to attach to Him, like a branch in a Tree. And when we do, we produce fruit “after its kind.” Service is one of His tastiest fruits. So, is serving others a natural thing for us to do, or is it unnatural? Is service to others necessary for the survival of the species, and therefore motivated by self-interest, or is it not necessary for survival? Can service be prescribed and learned—can you be “trained” to serve as a discipline—or does it have to be heart-motivated? Let’s explore the heart of service by taking a deep dive into an iconic encounter Jesus has with His disciples. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centere

Join Rick for the first episode in a new series—“THE HARVEST.” Fruit, we know, comes from a tree. Without the tree, no fruit. And each tree produces a certain kind of fruit. Jesus has invited us to attach to Him, like a branch in a Tree. And when we do, we produce fruit “after its kind.” But Jesus is no ordinary fruit tree—out of one Tree many varieties of fruit are naturally produced. So, we’ll explore each variety, and track it back to its source in the Tree, who is Jesus… In this episode we explore maybe the tastiest fruit from that Tree—“Brave.” Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Visit the Jesus-Centered Daily Web Site for a FREE Downloaded Sample https://www

Join Rick for the ninth and final episode in the series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” Jesus had 11 encounters with the demonic in the New Testament—and those are the encounters we know about. It’s clear that dealing with demonic entities was a common part of Jesus’ everyday life. And, as we’ll see in the story we’re about to explore, Jesus didn’t just, well, whack these demons when He encountered them—He had a relationship with them. But we can learn a lot about the heart of Jesus, and the Kingdom of God He has invited us into, by paying closer attention to His relationship with demonic influences. A none are more intimate, and more epic, than His encounter with “Legion.” I’ve invited special guest Billy Hallowell to explore this story with me… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-T

Join Rick for the eighth episode in the series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” Even though Jesus makes the heart and essence of children a major theme of His teaching and His everyday life, His relationship with children has largely been ignored. The heart of children and the questions of children and the dependence of children and the habit patterns of children are the key to living into the Kingdom of God… In this episode we explore why Jesus elevated children as an example to us, and how we can live as children in the real world… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Visit the Jesus-Centered Daily Web Site for a FREE Downloaded Sample https://www.jesuscentereddaily.com Or Sign

Join Rick for the seventh episode in the series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” Let’s ask a big question: WHAT did Jesus come to do? We say, and it’s true, that Jesus came to redeem us. To offer His life in exchange for ours. To give us abundant life and a place in the Kingdom of God that He’s “gone ahead to prepare for us.” All of this is true—and yet, from His own perspective, WHY did Jesus come? What is His passion, purpose, and motivation? We find the answer to that question in the “Why?” of His Father—the most influential person in His life. We know, because Jesus says so… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Visit the Jesus-Centered Daily Web Site for a FREE Downloaded Sampl

Join Rick for the sixth episode in the series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” We’ll explore the heart of Jesus through the lens of a woman who never actually meets Jesus, but plays a significant role in history because of Him. Noticing what Jesus notices is vital in our relationship with Him. It changes everything. So, what does Jesus find beautiful, and why? Perhaps the best example of noticing the beauty Jesus notices is His observation of the “Mystery Widow” in Mark 12. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to live a life that's “free indeed” because we’re wholly dependent on Him. Join us for exclus

Join Rick for the fifth episode in a new series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” We’ll explore the heart of Jesus through the lens of two otherwise obscure men who happened to experience an extraordinary encounter with Jesus on their way home to Emmaus, a small village seven miles from Jerusalem. We know the name of one of these two (Cleopas), but not the other. We traditionally think of these two travelers as male disciples, but Cleopas’ companion is most likely his wife—so let’s call them Mr. & Mrs. Cleopas. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to live a life that's “free indeed” because we’re wholly

Join Rick for the fourth episode in a new series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” In this episode we’ll explore the heart of Jesus through the lens of a broken and traumatized woman who became one of those in Jesus’ inner circle. She’s important to focus on during Holy Week, because she was there at every step—along the Via Dolorosa, on Golgotha, at the tomb when He was buried, and at the tomb when He rose from the dead. Her name is Mary Magdalene. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to live a life that's “free indeed” because we’re wholly dependent on Him. Join us for exclusive behind-the-scenes insi

Join Rick for the third episode in a new series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” In this episode we’ll explore the heart of Jesus through the lens of the man who calls himself “The Disciple Jesus Loved.” His name is John, brother of James and son of Zebedee and Salome. In the time of Jesus it’s a common humility to refer to yourself in the third person, but John could’ve tagged himself “the smart one” or “the fast one” or “the loud one.” Instead, he identifies as someone beloved by Jesus. Why? Well, when you’re close to someone, you get “infected” by that person… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to

Join Rick for the second episode in a new series “JESUS-PEOPLE.” We’ll be exploring the heart of Jesus through the lens of his friends and enemies. In this episode we encounter Nicodemus, who is an old man when he first meets Jesus. He’s a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ancient equivalent to our Supreme Court. He is mentioned just three times in the Gospel of John. But his first meeting with Jesus is under cover of darkness, because Jesus had become quite controversial among the Jewish religious leaders, and it was risky to show any interest in Him. We can learn a lot about Jesus by paying close attention to how he related to this distinguished and wise leader, and how Nicodemus related to Him. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/147

Join Rick for the first episode in a new series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” We’ll be exploring the heart of Jesus through the lens of his friends and enemies. You can learn a lot about a person by paying attention to the people that love him and the people that hate him. Dr. Peter Kreeft, a Boston University professor and C.S. Lewis scholar, says: “The Greek word used to describe everyone’s reaction to [Jesus] in the Gospels is ‘thauma’—wonder. This was true of his enemies, who killed him. Of his disciples, who worshipped him. And even of agnostics, who went away shaking their heads…” In this episode we’ll explore the heart of Jesus through the lens of His most-famous enemy—Judas. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jes

Join Rick and Becky for this “re-podcast” BEST-OF episode from two years ago—“What Is the Meaning of Life?” In the past three years, this episode had the most listeners. Next week, Rick will begin a new series called “Jesus People”—exploring the heart of Jesus through the lens of his friends and enemies. Meanwhile, in this BEST-OF episode Rick and Becky take on the big question that lurks in the background for all of us: What is the purpose and reason for living? Although we all have different answers to what matters to us, what is our path to a “truly alive” life? We’ll look at how Jesus framed the meaning of life to those he encountered. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=15997944

Join Rick for the 10th episode of the series KINGDOM COME. We’re coming out of a very active hurricane season, and weather experts warn we’re entering into another in 2021. Hurricanes are frightening because they’re dangerous and destructive. But it turns out that hurricanes keep our planet alive by roiling the waters of our oceans so deeply that their nutrients are widely redistributed, causing rapid growth of the carbon-dioxide-eating phytoplankton and, thus, keeping the Earth from boiling over. In the Kingdom of God, when we experience hurricanes in our life, we find new life. Let’s meet, again, the Hurricane whose name is Jesus… Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8

Join Rick for the 9th episode of the series KINGDOM COME. Miracles are startling, because they're supposed to be impossible, right? And in this episode I tell a personal story that certainly qualifies as a miracle on every level. But the foundation of this miracle is not in the physical impossibility of what happened, but a revelation during my chance encounter with a man on a beach who reminds me a lot of Jesus... In this episode we explore “Miracles,” and the heart behind them. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to live a life that's “free indeed” because we’re wholly dependent

Join Rick for the 8th episode of the new series KINGDOM COME. We are magnetically drawn to stories of hope and perseverance. That’s because perseverance is both heart-breaking and inspiring. It’s almost impossible to ignore. So, what are the common threads in all our stories of perseverance? Desperation. Vulnerability. Dependence. But especially “Hope and Fear and Conviction.” Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to live a life that's “free indeed” because we’re wholly dependent on Him. Join us for exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, sneak peeks of new resources, opportunities to

Join Rick for the 7th episode of the new series KINGDOM COME. Rick often uses a favorite phrase to describe the mission of Jesus: He came to make beauty out of ugly. Not “pretty”… Beauty. In a very real, practical, visceral way, beauty-making and beauty-revealing is exactly what Jesus is doing in the world, and in your life, right now… We need “beauty-fighters” in this season of ugly… And it’s always been a season of ugly in the world. Will you join? Let’s explore the central quality of Jesus’ heart, infecting the whole Kingdom of God—“Beauty” Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends ready to go all-in with Jesus—to

Join Rick for the 6th episode of the new series KINGDOM COME. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, whose life we celebrate this week, led during a time of great division and racial tension and disillusionment in the country—like our time today. He’d experienced pain and brutality from others, over and over. But he was much more than a civil rights leader—he was a pastor planting seeds of the Kingdom of God in a fallow soil. He proclaimed: “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude…” It reminds us of what Jesus said about forgiveness—“Seventy-Times-Seven…” Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a group of friends re

Join Rick for the 5th episode of the new series KINGDOM COME. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus launches His ministry by doing something He’ll never do again—simply “talking at” a large crowd of people for a long time. Why does He do this? There’s a clue at the end of Matthew 6, when He says: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” When He says “Above all else” it’s a distinct declaration—of all the things we’re pursuing in life, this is the highest pursuit. Here let’s explore what “Above All Else” means in our everyday life... Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Have you joined the Pigs? We're a