Inside this tract are the following words:
Fluffy white clouds hover in the pristine blue sky. A red road leads enticingly up the conical green hill, further adventures beckoning in the snow-capped mountains beyond. The houses look like the houses you drew as a child; the hot air balloon invites you into a delightful daydream.
Maybe your picture of Jesus is a bit like this cheery, simplistic image – a cut-out in a white gown and sandals, arms outstretched. He might be three-dimensional, but he’s not real in your mind.
Jesus was Jewish, born to an unmarried teenage mother. He spent his early life in Egypt as a refugee. He worked as a carpenter and at the age of 30 burst into the public consciousness with outlandish claims to be God.
He never married but treated women with unheard of respect and love. He called out hypocritical religious leaders and hung out with the promiscuous and the rejected – calling them to radical transformation while offering them unprecedented honour and acceptance.
When he was 33 he was tortured and savagely executed. His body was put in a tomb, guarded by Roman soldiers. On the third day the tomb was empty. Countless witness accounts tell of his physical resurrection.
Two thousand years later, otherwise sane people talk of having met him, and how he has changed their lives in dramatic ways.
Could he change yours? Maybe it’s time to start exploring …
The days are longer, the sun is sometimes visible in the sky, ice cream vans hover
in suburban streets tempting us with soft whip – and what your church needs is a
cheerful, sunny banner to mirror the general mood! Our team have come up with
this vibrant summery design you can customise for your context.