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Over the past few days I’ve received a number of e-mails about Sunday’s message on Mark 5 and I’ve loved every one of them. They have challenged and encouraged me to go back to the text - expectant of what God still has to teach me. I know that I speak for Andy when I say that we are so grateful as you engage us in conversation. Don’t stop!!!

One of the people that had e-mailed me pointed out something that I wanted to share with you. As she was looking at the end of Mark 4 and Mark 5 she noticed that in three of the four stories the characters get what they want in the end - Jesus calms the waters and wind, the woman is healed of a 12 year disease, and Jairus’ daughter is raised from the dead. And while all of this is nice and good - she pointed out that life doesn’t always work out so cleanly. Storms rage on. People remain sick. Children die. And she’s right. Even when we surrender our fears to Jesus, our problems don’t always go away.

Which leads to a hugely important question: are you willing to surrender your life and turn over your fears even if you don’t get what you want? To quote the e-mail I received, “are we willing to be changed even if our situation doesn’t?”

This question is at the heart of our walk with Jesus, and one we must all answer for ourselves. Why do we surrender to Jesus? Why do we follow him? Why do we give him lordship over our lives? Is it so that we’ll get what we want in the end?

Jesus invites us to follow him not because doing so gets us what we want or punches our ticket to heaven. Jesus invites us to follow him simply because he loves us and wants us to know life to the fullest.

Ok. Keep the e-mails coming. I’m going to spend some time thinking through these questions right now. I invite you to join me.