Seeing Jesus
Illustration
Stories
Kirk shouted as he ran through the doors of the school after his friend. “Hey, Johnny!”
“Hey Kirk.” Johnny paused at the bottom step. “What’s up?”
“You know that football play we were working on at practice?” Kirk said. “The one with the fake out and then the pass?”
“Sure. It’s complicated, but should be worth it if it gets us a touch down.”
“When it gets us a touchdown.” Kirk grinned. “Anyway, I was talking to Rick, Sammo, and Tim. They want to practice it sometime this weekend so we can show coach that we can do it. You up for some extra practice?”
“Sure.”
Kirk clapped Johnny on the back. “I knew you were a team player. The guys are all free Sunday morning so we’ll meet at 9 am and spend a couple of hours perfecting it.”
“Sorry.” Johnny shook his head. “I can’t Sunday morning.”
“Why not? There’s no school on the weekend and I know you’re not scheduled to work until Monday night.” Kirk frowned. “Don’t you want the play to work?”
“Of course I want the play to work. It’s just that I’m not free to practice on Sunday morning.” Johnny rubbed his chin. “What about Sunday afternoon?”
“Maybe. I’d have to check with the others.” Kirk tilted his head. “What are you up to on Sunday morning?”
“Church.”
“Church? You go to church?”
Johnny nodded. “I sure do.”
“Huh. I mean I went sometimes when I was younger with my Mom.” Kirk looked carefully at his friend. “Can’t you skip a week and practice with us instead?”
“No. Check with the others about Sunday afternoon. I might be able to do right after lunch if I have some notice.”
“Okay.” Kirk frowned.
“Is there a problem?”
“No,” Kirk said. “You know that everyone thinks you’re a decent guy, don’t you? I mean even the people who don’t like anyone think you’re okay.”
“Thanks, I try.”
“So I don’t think you need to go to church in order to make God forgive you or for you to think you’re an okay person.”
“I don’t go to church because I think God is mad at me. I go because I know God loves me and wants the best life possible for me.”
“Huh.” Kirk paused. “I remember that from Sunday school and that’s cool. So any chance that since I said that you decide that you don’t need any more church and can skip this week?”
Johnny smiled and shook his head once more. “No, I’m going to church on Sunday morning.”
“Okay.” Kirk started to turn away but turned back. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you need to go to church?”
“It’s my time to see more of Jesus and to get focused on being the person I know God wants me to be,” Johnny said. “I kind of think of it as spiritual practice. Jesus is my coach and my role model and church is my time to get ready to be more like him in life.”
“Okay. I guess I can understand that,” Kirk said. “But why do you need to do that every week?”
“Same reason we practice so hard for coach on the football field and why you and the guys want to run that play. You get to be the person God wants you to be by giving everything and not holding back or doing things halfway in faith.”
“Huh. I never thought about it that way.”
“Well, Jesus gave everything for me and expects me to do the same in my life. I go to church in order to be the most generous, compassionate, and faithful person I can. I read my Bible and pray each day and then on Sunday I go and the pastor inspires me and the serve helps me get ready for whatever I is going to happen in the week to com.” Johnny said. “I mean I want to give 100% to God because I know that Jesus gave everything for me.”
“Wow. I’ve never heard anyone describe it that way.” Kirk furrowed his brow. “You go to the church down by the river, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Service is from 10 until noon.”
“Okay. I’ll tell the others that we’re not available until afternoon.”
“Sounds good.” Johnny started toward the buses that were lining up in front of the school. He stopped and turned around. “Did you just say ‘we’re not available’?”
“Yeah. Mom is always pestering me to go to church with her and maybe this week I’ll go with her. We go to the church out near the highway.”
“I’ve been there before. You guys have a great choir.” Johnny smiled. “Text me the time the others can meet.”
“Will do. Thanks Johnny,” Kirk said. “For both the talk and for being willing to practice.”
“My pleasure, my friend,” Johnny said. “My pleasure.”
“Hey Kirk.” Johnny paused at the bottom step. “What’s up?”
“You know that football play we were working on at practice?” Kirk said. “The one with the fake out and then the pass?”
“Sure. It’s complicated, but should be worth it if it gets us a touch down.”
“When it gets us a touchdown.” Kirk grinned. “Anyway, I was talking to Rick, Sammo, and Tim. They want to practice it sometime this weekend so we can show coach that we can do it. You up for some extra practice?”
“Sure.”
Kirk clapped Johnny on the back. “I knew you were a team player. The guys are all free Sunday morning so we’ll meet at 9 am and spend a couple of hours perfecting it.”
“Sorry.” Johnny shook his head. “I can’t Sunday morning.”
“Why not? There’s no school on the weekend and I know you’re not scheduled to work until Monday night.” Kirk frowned. “Don’t you want the play to work?”
“Of course I want the play to work. It’s just that I’m not free to practice on Sunday morning.” Johnny rubbed his chin. “What about Sunday afternoon?”
“Maybe. I’d have to check with the others.” Kirk tilted his head. “What are you up to on Sunday morning?”
“Church.”
“Church? You go to church?”
Johnny nodded. “I sure do.”
“Huh. I mean I went sometimes when I was younger with my Mom.” Kirk looked carefully at his friend. “Can’t you skip a week and practice with us instead?”
“No. Check with the others about Sunday afternoon. I might be able to do right after lunch if I have some notice.”
“Okay.” Kirk frowned.
“Is there a problem?”
“No,” Kirk said. “You know that everyone thinks you’re a decent guy, don’t you? I mean even the people who don’t like anyone think you’re okay.”
“Thanks, I try.”
“So I don’t think you need to go to church in order to make God forgive you or for you to think you’re an okay person.”
“I don’t go to church because I think God is mad at me. I go because I know God loves me and wants the best life possible for me.”
“Huh.” Kirk paused. “I remember that from Sunday school and that’s cool. So any chance that since I said that you decide that you don’t need any more church and can skip this week?”
Johnny smiled and shook his head once more. “No, I’m going to church on Sunday morning.”
“Okay.” Kirk started to turn away but turned back. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you need to go to church?”
“It’s my time to see more of Jesus and to get focused on being the person I know God wants me to be,” Johnny said. “I kind of think of it as spiritual practice. Jesus is my coach and my role model and church is my time to get ready to be more like him in life.”
“Okay. I guess I can understand that,” Kirk said. “But why do you need to do that every week?”
“Same reason we practice so hard for coach on the football field and why you and the guys want to run that play. You get to be the person God wants you to be by giving everything and not holding back or doing things halfway in faith.”
“Huh. I never thought about it that way.”
“Well, Jesus gave everything for me and expects me to do the same in my life. I go to church in order to be the most generous, compassionate, and faithful person I can. I read my Bible and pray each day and then on Sunday I go and the pastor inspires me and the serve helps me get ready for whatever I is going to happen in the week to com.” Johnny said. “I mean I want to give 100% to God because I know that Jesus gave everything for me.”
“Wow. I’ve never heard anyone describe it that way.” Kirk furrowed his brow. “You go to the church down by the river, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Service is from 10 until noon.”
“Okay. I’ll tell the others that we’re not available until afternoon.”
“Sounds good.” Johnny started toward the buses that were lining up in front of the school. He stopped and turned around. “Did you just say ‘we’re not available’?”
“Yeah. Mom is always pestering me to go to church with her and maybe this week I’ll go with her. We go to the church out near the highway.”
“I’ve been there before. You guys have a great choir.” Johnny smiled. “Text me the time the others can meet.”
“Will do. Thanks Johnny,” Kirk said. “For both the talk and for being willing to practice.”
“My pleasure, my friend,” Johnny said. “My pleasure.”
