Growing up, I remember wearing a WWJD wristband and seeing these four letters on notebooks, bible covers, bookmarks and jewellery.  These four letters were a great check for me on decisions I was considering, temptations I was trying to withstand and situations I was facing - to help me stop and I ask myself ‘What Would Jesus Do?’.  

I don’t see so much of the merchandise these days, but I hope we never lose the heart of that question.  Because as Christians we have the great honour and great challenge of being the body of Christ - His physical presence and His ambassadors in our world today. Just as He is the light the world, Jesus also calls us the light in our world.  We are His city on a Hill - the place and people that the world can come to meet Jesus.  

Sadly the church today is rarely seen that way.  When people meet Christians they often encounter judgement not mercy, legalism not life; they find an exclusive clique not an inclusive community.  Most sad of all, we aren’t truly representing Jesus - who came with grace and truth, offering both to every person He encountered.  

So this term, we are going to consider some of this encounters.  Because we don’t need to guess ‘what would Jesus do’, we just need to read, understand and apply together what we know He did.  Through the great encounter gospel writer John, we will get to see a God who entered our world, sympathised with our weaknesses, graciously worked with our faults and ultimately gave Himself to enable a relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Through these ‘Encounters with Jesus’ let’s ask God to be transforming our encounters with others - so that through us, people might see and find Jesus, and through Jesus enjoy a true and eternal relationship with their Heavenly Father.  

Ben