Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:10] Welcome back to the weekday podcast. First of all, happy New Year. I'm so grateful you're here on day one of the year, starting the year with the weekday podcast. I'm so very grateful. Pastor Chuck and I love putting these together. And our. Our hope really is to add value and encouragement to your day. 2026 is going to be incredible. Well, so far this week, we've talked about God's love and that it's wider than we think and it's costlier than we realize. Today, I want to talk about the part of John 3:16 that may be the most personal, because it's the part that tells you who the invitation for. John 3:16 says that whosoever, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. And then in verse 17, he says, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. And so this little word that's in here is very, very powerful and simple, but explosive. It's the word whoever or whosoever now, not whoever has it together. It doesn't say whoever behaves. It doesn't say whoever grew up in church or whoever cleaned up first. It literally just says whoever. And that literally is the heart of God. That the invitation is open, the RSVP is available, the room is available at the table. But in John 3:17 is the part that we often forget that God didn't send his son to condemn. Which means if you picture God with his arms crossed and disappointed and irritated and rolling his eyes, that picture did not come from Jesus. Jesus says, the posture of God towards you is a posture of rescue.
[00:01:45] Saved, not shamed. And this is where so many people honestly get stuck. They assume, well, I'm too far, I've done too much, I'm too late.
[00:01:54] I'm not the type. But the Gospel literally says whoever.
[00:01:58] And the honest part of this is powerful. This invitation is wide, but it must be received.
[00:02:05] At some point, you say, yes. At some point, you stop negotiating. At some point, you stop holding God at arm's length and you simply trust.
[00:02:14] Belief in the Bible is not just agreeing in your head, belief is trust. It's saying, jesus, I can't fix me. I can't save me. I'm putting my full weight on you.
[00:02:26] So today, think about that. That his invitation is for whoever, and his welcome is real.
[00:02:33] So here's your next step today. If you've been hesitating, stop negotiating right now. Wherever you are, just say this Jesus, I trust you. I receive you. I am saying yes. And if you've already said yes, whether it was a moment ago or years ago, say it again today.
[00:02:51] Not out of fear, but out of love. Have a great day. We'll see you back here soon.
