We love good news. And the title of our blog is all about good news.

But first, the bad news: We are in trouble with the God of the universe. He is the creator of everything - light, gravity, beetles, blue whales, astroids, and people. And those people did not esteem, acknowledge, or submit to their creator.  And their progeny have only continued in the same vein of rebellion. Every single person is born with two terrible identities - immorality and mortality. Everyone is evil and everyone dies. That is bad news. But such a dreadful situation is prime for a spectacular rescue. Jesus, the son of God, came into the world to save sinners (those who have rebelled against God and his glory). He took the place of rebels and died in their place, so that if anyone trusts in him they will inherit righteousness and eternal life - the two things desperately needed. Peter, in his second letter, wrote that grace and peace with God are possible because Jesus' "divine power has given us everything necessary for life and godliness." That is good news.

But of course, while this good news is simple and straight-forward, few believe it. In Romans 10, Paul argues that though everyone must hear, not all have obeyed the good news. Heart change has to happen. How? God uses simple, ordinary, broken people to put God's great power on display.

2 Corinthians 4:6–7 (ESV)

⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Cassidy and I were ordinary people, immoral and mortal like the rest of mankind. And then God opened our eyes and showed us the glory of this good news in his son, Jesus! And now we are still ordinary people, earthen jars, but with a great treasure to share with the world.

Our goal is to make disciples, but we are under no illusion that there is any power in us to change people. That power is found in Jesus alone. And we are so thankful that when Jesus sent his disciples out into the world he promised them, "Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age." So we go with confidence, knowing that the one who goes with us is greater than all the evil and darkness in the world. He overcame that darkness in our own hearts and minds and we believe he can do so in others.

We are but merely jars of clay

Our weakness plain and on display,

So prone to crack when we are thrust,

So quick to crumble into dust.

Completely useless when alone,

We have no glory of our own.

O how we need someone greater,

The living voice of our Creator—

The one who gives us life and breath

And takes the sting away from death.

He overflows our earthen jars,

Repairing all our cracks and scars.

Such sovereign grip and tender care,

That when perplexed, we don’t despair.

We’re poured out, but not depleted;

Often bruised, but not defeated!

We share in both his death and strife

That in Him we might have new life.

Do not lose heart beneath the weight,

For momentary is our state!

And tho our shell will waste away

Our inner self is new each day.

Not through things seen, which soon are gone

But through the LORD, who wakes the dawn.

Not for a second to forget,

How much we owe; how great the debt!

May we give praise to Him who paid it,

And give each day to Him who made it!