About a month ago I saw a clip from one of Francis Chan's sermons on youtube.

In it, he recalled a time when a gang member near where he lived got saved and joined his church (in Simi Valley, CA). The former gang member attended for several months until he decided to leave. Chan met with him to ask him why he left. What the man said is heartbreaking, but very true.

"My gang was like a family. We looked out for each other and cared for one another. I thought the church was going to be like that too, but it wasn't."

John wrote in the book of 1st John that people will know we are disciples of Jesus if we love one another.

Often we think people (and especially unbelievers) will know we're Christians if we don't drink when everyone else is, or if we are pro-choice, or if we go to church once a week and give money to earthquake victims.

No one has ever come up to me in a restaurant after I turned down a beer to say, "I noticed you aren't drinking. Tell me about this Jesus."

How will they know I am a follower of Jesus? By how much I love other followers.

God, forgive me for my selfish, immature bickering and slandering of your children.

Jacob