Jesus is clear that His primary command in this life is to love God and love others
(Matthew 22:34-40)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
, which is how we glorify God.
And Jesus is also clear that our primary task to accomplish that command is to make disciples
(Matthew 28:18-20)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
. The way God has led us to
articulate how exactly we do that in the lake area of Austin, TX, is by inviting people to make a trade.
We believe that everyone is pursuing something. We believe that everyone is pursuing what
they think will deliver them an amazing life. But we further believe that if someone's
pursuit ends in anything other than Jesus, they've actually missed finding life and found death.
Jesus is the only one who can give us life now
(John 10:10)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
and life eternally
(John 20:27-30)
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
. We seek to lovingly invite our
neighbors to trade all the ways they're trying to find life, forsake them, and pursue Jesus.