Are You for Real?: Jesus in His Own Words

Within these pages, you and I will begin a journey together in which we become willing to reveal our ugly, hidden stains. We will see how they don't have to bring shame, but can actually become badges worn which say, "Other people know the real me and accept me anyway, just as I am." The more we advance technologically, the easier it becomes to hide behind text messages, pictures posted on the net, and short status updates, which all paint an unreal picture of self. It gets to the point where all people know about us is the image we give them. Someone on the other side of your façade might very well be asking, "Are you for real?" -Dare to take off the mask of pretending to be more than you actually are. -Explore why you may be afraid to show others who you really are. -See how Jesus reaches out with compassion to the worst of sinners, if they do not hide who they are. Become willing to reveal your true self to Him. -Watch Jesus give His strongest condemnation to Pharisees, who pretend to love God while actually serving self. Be challenged to consider who you really live for. -Consider whether or not you need Dr. Jesus to perform a pharisectomy within you. As we launch out on this journey, take a red-letter edition of the New Testament along with you. A modern version such as the New Living Translation would be great. You will discover that a full one fourth of the words of Jesus, which are written in red, are Jesus' dialogues with mask-wearing Pharisees. It's a shame we have typically considered Jesus' clashes with hypocritical Pharisees to be irrelevant today. The cry for unmasked living could never be more needed than in this generation.