Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
- John 8:30

The Gospel of John is full of twists and turns. Jesus went from being a relatively unknown teacher to being a controversial prophetic figure. Crowds followed him and abandoned him. He refused to abide by the comfortable, pre-arranged roles that society offered him.

Today, many people all around the world believe in Jesus. Although we’ll see this week that Jesus calls us to more than mere belief, believing in Jesus is vitally important.

People believe lots of things. As we celebrate the 4th of July, we might find ourselves believing that it’s okay for adults to eat hot dogs every once in a while, that fireworks should happen every weekend, and that we have been blessed with a wonderful gift to get to live in the United States of America. These common beliefs pull us together.

Believing in Jesus pulls us together too. As we place our trust in Jesus more and more each day, we experience more and more common ground for our life together. We also discover that we have things in common with men and women who live in other places around the world and who have lived at other times in history.

Take some time today to thank Jesus for the blessings he’s given you: food and fireworks, family and friends, a place in a wonderful country. And take some time to ask him to connect you well with the people around you as you and the people around you grow in your belief in Jesus.