The problem with saying you should follow Jesus because he’ll make your life better is what happens when life isn’t better.

And the problem with saying you should follow Jesus because of his example is that life is full of people who do exemplary things.

Or saying you should follow Jesus because he died for you, when history is full of courageous people who did just that.

But when the reason people in the first century followed Jesus becomes YOUR reason for following Jesus? That’s where you find a truly transformed life.

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✅ Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you can stay up to date on What Jesus Says About topics important to you:
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? New videos drop every Thursday at 12PM CST!

– – –

☞ Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chris_paavola

– – –

ABOUT WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT
This channel is a quick and easy place for you to find What Jesus Says About topics important to you.

No 30-minute sermons. No five-dollar words. No hard sell. We just let Jesus speak for Himself so you can respond for yourself.

WHY I DO THIS
What Jesus Says About is sponsored by THRED.org, an organization committed to open and honest conversations about life, faith, and Jesus. You should check them out on the interwebs at: https://www.thred.org

I’m a husband. I’m a father through adoption and foster care. I’m also a pastor of a church. My life mission is to “do whatever it takes so as many as possible can see Jesus”. This channel is one of the ways I live that out. <br> <h3>Auto Generated Captions</h3>

[gentle music]
(Shutting of car door.)
– I believe the teachings
of Jesus improve my life,
my relationships and make me happier.
But, that’s not why I follow Jesus.
And I believe the example of Jesus
makes me a better person.
The way he cared for the
outcast and the marginalized,
women and children, people of
a different race than his own.
But that’s not why I follow Jesus.
I even believe that Jesus died a horrible
and courageous death,
and that he died on a cross for my sins.
But, that’s not why I follow Jesus.
So why do I follow him?
It’s for one simple reason:
I believe Jesus rose from the dead.
I believe what billions of followers
Jesus through history believe–
that Jesus actually physically
rose from the grave.
And that when he did, he conquered death,
he changed history and
he changed their lives.
And if you’re ever going to follow Jesus,
I know you have so many questions,
but my encouragement to you
is to answer the one question
that stands above them all:
“Did Jesus rise from the dead?”
Because however you answer that question,
it changes the way you live, what you value
and it changes the way
you answer every question
to follow.
[gentle music]

Somehow, it’s fitting that we’re spending Easter indoors.

Social isolation and social distancing during the Coronavirus has changed the way we live. Businesses, schools and even churches have turned online because of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and quarantine efforts.

But when we celebrate Easter at home, we suddenly have a new perspective to consider the importance of the resurrection of Jesus.

– – –

✅ Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you can stay up to date on What Jesus Says About topics important to you:
https://youtube.com/c/whatjesussaysabout?sub_confirmation=

? New videos drop every Thursday at 12PM CST!

– – –

? Read the entire account mentioned in the video for yourself:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20%3A1-23&version=NIV

– – –

☞ Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chris_paavola

– – –

ABOUT WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT
This channel is a quick and easy place for you to find What Jesus Says About topics important to you.

No 30-minute sermons. No five-dollar words. No hard sell. We just let Jesus speak for Himself so you can respond for yourself.

WHY I DO THIS
What Jesus Says About is sponsored by THRED.org, an organization committed to open and honest conversations about life, faith, and Jesus. You should check them out on the interwebs at: https://www.thred.org

I’m a husband. I’m a father through adoption and foster care. I’m also a pastor of a church. My life mission is to “do whatever it takes so as many as possible can see Jesus”. This channel is one of the ways I live that out. <br> <h3>Auto Generated Captions</h3>

Christmas morning is special, but #11 in our countdown shows us how none of it would matter if it weren’t for another morning.

Every day leading up to Christmas I’ll count down the “25 Things Jesus Says About Christmas” to see how it changes the way you and I celebrate the season when we go straight to the source!

#Vlogmas

– – –

✅ Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you can stay up to date on What Jesus Says About topics important to you:
https://youtube.com/c/whatjesussaysabout?sub_confirmation=

? New videos drop every Thursday at 12PM CST!

– – –

? Read the entire account mentioned in the video for yourself:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A21-23&version=NIV

– – –

☞ Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chris_paavola

– – –

ABOUT WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT
This channel is a quick and easy place for you to find What Jesus Says About topics important to you.

No 30-minute sermons. No five-dollar words. No hard sell. We just let Jesus speak for Himself so you can respond for yourself.

WHY I DO THIS
What Jesus Says About is sponsored by THRED.org, an organization committed to open and honest conversations about life, faith, and Jesus. You should check them out on the interwebs at: https://www.thred.org

I’m a husband. I’m a father through adoption and foster care. I’m also a pastor of a church. My life mission is to “do whatever it takes so as many as possible can see Jesus”. This channel is one of the ways I live that out. <br> <h3>Auto Generated Captions</h3>

hey everybody my name is crisp Avila no
it’s not Easter we’re celebrating
Christmas by counting down with the 25
things Jesus says about Christmas to see
how it changes the way you and I
celebrate the season when we go straight
to the source
okay so let’s play a game I don’t have
ever played the game taboo but I
described something without saying the
word and then you have to guess what the
word is so here we go Elvis saying I’ll
have this kind of a Christmas
Bing Crosby is dreaming of this kind of
Christmas let’s keep going the singer
burl ives wants you to have this kind of
a Christmas and then last one when Santa
gets on the sleigh flies away with the
reindeer he shouts this down to
everybody below okay so the point is is
we’ll see a number eleven of our
countdown the adjective that you throw
in front of Christmas white Christmas
blue christmas holly the adjective you
throw in front of christmas really comes
down to what you’re celebrating this
time of year so Jesus is walking from
village to village and kind of
northeastern Israel for much of his
ministry and he’s teaching healing
preaching doing all that kind of stuff
but then he takes a turn south towards
the city of Jerusalem and gives us
number 11 in our countdown when he says
I must go to Jerusalem and suffer many
things and I must be killed and on the
third day raised to life and here Jesus
is saying he’s got to go right into the
lion’s den so to speak and face off with
the religious leaders and the Roman
leaders at the time we’ve talked about
Jesus’s death and suffering already in
our countdown but here Jesus gives us
why we celebrate Christmas in the first
place followers of Jesus don’t celebrate
Christmas because Jesus was a nice guy
and we don’t celebrate Christmas because
of anything he really even taught or
that He healed a lot of people or had a
lot of influence and really we don’t
even really celebrate Christmas because
of his tragic death followers of Jesus
started celebrating the birth of Jesus
because they believed he did what he
said he would do here that he would be
killed and on the third day raised to
life if those first century followers
don’t firmly believe that they see Jesus
risen from the dead you and I never hear
about him in other words no Easter no
Christmas so does this change the way
that you and I celebrate the season well
sometime in the next few days whenever
you hear the word Merry Christmas stop
and consider
why is it Mary have the courage to get
introspective and go deeper here is it
more than family and goodwill and toys
those are good things but is it Mary for
a deeper reason because according to
Jesus and the account of the Angels
singing over Bethlehem it’s a Merry
Christmas because his life didn’t end in
a grave and he claims that if you put
your trust in him and follow him then
your life won’t end there either and I
know that so much of December is
pointing forward to Christmas morning
and it consumed so much of her thoughts
but but I think it’s an awesome
opportunity for you and I to consider
another morning to consider Easter
morning and I ask ourselves what do I
think happened that morning however you
answer the question of what happened on
Easter morning determines what kind of
agency will be put in front of the word
Christmas now that is not all that Jesus
says about Christmas in fact I’ve got a
playlist right over here of the other 25
things Jesus says about Christmas I’d be
honored if you would take a look also if
you like this video don’t forget to hit
like and subscribe thanks so much and
Merry Christmas

Join us for our next large group gathering: Sunday, July 27th at 10AM