In the first century, the cross was the ultimate symbol of suffering, shame, and humiliation—an instrument designed to break bodies, crush spirits, and humiliate. Yet Jesus flipped its meaning entirely. A King on a cross who still retains His kingship and builds His Kingdom? C'mon now! That’s crazy. Following such a King? That’s risky and makes no sense. Everything in us resists it because it feels upside down—disappointment, discontentment, “never-enough-ness,” and “if-only-ness” whisper that this isn’t our kind of kingdom. We’re tempted to compete, to accomplish, to strive to thrive or just to survive. But the way of Jesus reframes all of it. The cross is no longer a curse to avoid but an invitation to embrace—a way of life that calls us to choose surrender over control, service over status, and even losing over winning when love demands it. This way won’t make you less productive; it will make you better productive—rightly ambitious and deeply impactful for the “you”s around you. It’s the better way. The Way of the Cross. The way of Jesus. And choosing that way changes everything. - Pastor Jason
where it's ok
to not be ok