<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-635 size-full" src="https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2.png" alt="How did the story of a man who taught and practiced unconditional love become associated with hatred and oppression for so many people?" width="1800" height="384" srcset="https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2.png 1800w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2-300x64.png 300w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2-1200x256.png 1200w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2-768x164.png 768w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2-1536x328.png 1536w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-1-2-1400x299.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" />
How did the story of a man who taught and practiced unconditional love, peace, and kindness; who spent his life defending the poor and the marginalized; a man who even forgave his killers while they executed him unjustly — whose life inspired a radical movement that is still impacting the world thousands of years later — how did this man’s story become associated with hatred and oppression for so many people? And how might we all rediscover the promise of the love his story represents? Those are the questions at the heart of He Gets Us. 
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We’ve done a lot of homework on our culture. We researched how people feel about each other and what they think about Jesus and Christianity. We’ve connected with thousands of people of various faith traditions and those who claim no religion. We spoke to all kinds of people — different backgrounds, religious beliefs, and, yes, political affiliations. And this is what we’ve learned: From politics to sexuality and religion, so many of us feel like our values, beliefs, and identities are under attack by the ideological “others” around us. Many perceive those who differ with them on issues of justice, dignity, and humanity as not just wrong or misguided but also as evil. As enemies. We often see these “others” as close-minded, selfish, hypocritical — and if we’re honest, many of us respond in kind. 
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The more ideologically defensive we become, the more we are willing to sacrifice things like kindness, patience, and the respect and dignity of others for the sake of victory — the righteous ends justifying the dehumanizing means. And it’s tearing us apart. We experience it in politics, in the workplace, in schools, and even in churches. And at the heart of the conflicts is a fundamental disagreement about what it means to be good. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-636 size-full" src="https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3.png" alt="Image for the He gets us movement agenda page that has a quote that says: &quot;Throughout our shared history, Jesus has represented the ultimate good that humankind is capable of aspiring to." width="1800" height="250" srcset="https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3.png 1800w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3-300x42.png 300w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3-1200x167.png 1200w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3-768x107.png 768w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3-1536x213.png 1536w, https://content.hegetsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Headline-2-3-1400x194.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" />
Throughout our shared history, Jesus has represented the ultimate good that humankind is capable of aspiring to. And though some no longer believe in God, most are still compelled by the idea of a person capable of unconditional love for others despite their differences. But many of us simply cannot reconcile the idea of that person with the way our culture experiences religion today. Whether it’s hypocrisy and discrimination in the church, or scandals both real and perceived among religious leaders, or the polarization of our politics, many have relegated Jesus from the world’s greatest love story to just another tactic used to intensify our deep cultural divisions. 
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How did we get here? And what might we learn from the example of Jesus to help move beyond the  animosity we feel for one another? How can we rediscover the life and teachings of Jesus, the world’s most radical love activist? That is our agenda at He Gets Us: to move beyond the mess of our current cultural moment to a place where all of us are invited to rediscover the love story of Jesus. Christians, non-Christians, and everybody in between. All of us.
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He Gets Us is a diverse group of Jesus followers with a wide variety of faith journeys and lived experiences. Our work represents the input from Christians who believe that Jesus is the son of God as well as many others who, though not Christians, share a deep admiration for the man that Jesus was, and we are deeply inspired and curious to explore his story. We look at the biography of Jesus through a modern lens to find new relevance in often overlooked moments and themes from his life. If you’d like to join us, you’re invited. Below you’ll find several resources to explore the story of Jesus for yourself.

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A new way to explore the story of Jesus’ life and teachings.

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<h3>Tying it all together</h3>
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Community, forgiveness, gratitude, hope — all of these things that Jesus taught and modeled have measurable effects on our mental health, lives, and neighborhoods. It seems that Jesus valued and prioritized mental health. He <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/jesus-practiced-self-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protected personal time</a> and rest for himself on many occasions. Safeguarding our health is one of the best ways to practice self-love, and Jesus famously taught those around him <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/what-does-it-mean-to-love-your-neighbor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;to love one another as yourself.&#8221;</a>
Perhaps the way and teachings of Jesus aren’t just a list of rules but a helpful blueprint for human flourishing. After all, how can we flourish and encourage others to do the same if our mental and physical health isn’t protected? What do you think?
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Everywhere we turn, there’s noise…bad news, endless opinions, and pressure to keep up. It leaves many of us anxious, restless, or simply worn down. But what if the way forward isn’t just found in self-help or quick fixes? What if both science and the teachings of Jesus point to practices, like rest, connection, and forgiveness, that can actually quiet the chaos and strengthen our mental health?

Jesus, Science and Mental Health

Dr. Avery Hoenig completed her undergraduate study at Southern Methodist University and earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She has worked in private practice for over 15 years and uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help older adolescents and adults manage mood- and anxiety-related symptoms.
Dr. Cristina Sevadjian graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&amp;M University, a master’s degree in counseling from Dallas Baptist University, and her doctorate from the APA accredited school psychology program through Texas Woman’s University. She has worked in the field of psychology for 20 years and has a variety of experiences serving individuals in the following settings: home-based treatment with the juvenile probation department, Green Oaks Psychiatric Hospital, local children’s hospitals, public school districts, and private practice.

Doctors References

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199001000-00004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamarck, T. W., et al., Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. 52, No. 1, 1990</a>
Schnall, S., et al., Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 44, No. 5, 2008
Bayer, J. K., et al., Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vol. 23, No. 4, 2018
Baskin TW, &amp; Enright RD (2004). Intervention studies on forgiveness: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling &amp; Development, 82(1), 79-90. 10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00288.x
Lawler KA, Younger JW, Piferi RL, Jobe RL, Edmondson KA, &amp; Jones WH (2005). The unique effects of forgiveness on health: An exploration of pathways. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28(2), 157-167.10.1007/s10865-005-3665-2
Lee Y-R, &amp; Enright RD (2019). A meta-analysis of the association between forgiveness of others and physical health. Psychology &amp; Health, 34, 626-643. 10.1080/08870446.2018.1554185
Harvard Health: Giving thanks can make you happier 
<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier" target="blank">https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier</a>
Iodice JA, Malouff JM, Schutte NS (2021) The Association between Gratitude and Depression: A Meta-Analysis. Int J Depress Anxiety 4:024 <a href="http://doi.org/10.23937/2643-4059/1710024" target="blank">.doi.org/10.23937/2643-4059/1710024</a>
Aaker, J., &amp; Liu, W. (2008). The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(3), 543-557. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/588699" target="blank">https://doi.org/10.1086/588699</a>

Science References

28 Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you.

Matthew 11:28

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:34

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13:34

<span data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.“&quot;}" data-sheets-userformat="{&quot;2&quot;:13089,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;11&quot;:4,&quot;12&quot;:0,&quot;15&quot;:&quot;Avenir&quot;,&quot;16&quot;:10}">37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.“

Luke 6:37

35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Acts 20:35

“Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Luke 17:18

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27

31 The second is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:31

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Luke 6:31

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Yeah. He really did.
We don’t always use the word “struggle” to describe Jesus. But maybe we should.
Because his life wasn’t just about sermons and miracles. It was also about pressures and pain. Grief. Exhaustion. Being pulled in every direction. Sound familiar?
Jesus didn’t live in a peaceful, easy world. He lived under a powerful empire that watched and controlled everything. A society that misunderstood him. Friends who didn’t always show up. Systems that didn’t bend for anyone, especially a working-class carpenter from the sticks (Nazareth wasn’t exactly a booming metropolis).
Jesus knew burnout. Anxiety. Loneliness. Seen as a threat for challenging the existing social and political order, Jesus experienced government oppression. He lived under Roman occupation—a regime that taxed the poor into deeper poverty, silenced protest with violence, and used public executions to keep people in line. It was a system that protected the powerful and punished those who called for justice. He faced betrayal from friends and suffered sleepless nights and the crushing burden of carrying other people’s pain as well as his own.
He got tired.
He got overwhelmed with emotion.
He wept.
He asked God hard questions.
Jesus knew the crushing weight of everyone’s expectations… and he knew what it was like to feel completely alone. He knew what it meant to care deeply in a world that didn’t always care back. But he didn’t numb out. He didn’t self-medicate. He didn’t shut down. He stayed present. Jesus kept pursuing and practicing compassion.
But, so what? Is any of this relevant thousands of years later? Well, consider this: so many of us today are dealing with similar issues. Inflation and an uncertain job market may have you feeling burned out. Perhaps you are one of many Americans working multiple jobs to keep your family afloat. The aftermath of social distancing, coupled with social media, has radically changed our interactions, leaving some to feel more disconnected and alone than ever.
Some of us feel that politics aren’t fair, while others still feel hurt about things that happened in the past. So, what’s the solution? We won’t pretend we have the answers, but Jesus left clues about how we might manage. If you could simplify his teachings and methods to a singular idea, it would be this: that everyone deserves to live good, full lives.
He didn’t want to see others struggle and barely scrape by, he wanted everyone to thrive. He desired a world that was just and equitable for all. He dedicated his life to this idea. With that in mind, maybe his way of handling life’s hardships can help us deal with ours.

Did Jesus struggle?

6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 

He got overwhelmed with emotion. 

John 4:6

33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 

He wept. 

Mark 14:33-34

35 Jesus wept. 

He asked God hard questions. 

John 11:35

46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 

Matthew 27:46

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We’re taught that greatness is defined by our status, achievements, and the amount of recognition we receive. But Jesus had a different idea. He exemplified and taught others that greatness was beneath the surface. That true greatness is defined by the content of our character, hearts, and willingness to serve others. 
What does it mean to be great? We spend so much of our lives chasing greatness—trying to be successful, admired, or the best at what we do. But does that kind of greatness ever truly satisfy? Jesus showed us a different way. He didn’t seek status or power. Instead, he measured greatness by love, humility, and sacrifice. He cared for the overlooked, served those in need, and willingly put others before himself. He showed us that the greatest thing we can be is a humble servant—willing to give, to sacrifice, and to lift others up.
What if we pursued that kind of greatness? What if we measured our lives by how we care for others rather than what we achieve? In this video, we explore what true greatness looks like—and why it might just change everything.

Do we have greatness all wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Su2_5_7bNQ

We’re taught that greatness is defined by our status, achievements, and the amount of recognition we receive. But Jesus had a different idea. He exemplified and taught others that greatness was beneath the surface. That true greatness is defined by the content of our character, hearts, and willingness to serve others. What does it mean to be great? We spend so much of our lives chasing greatness—trying to be successful, admired, or the best at what we do. But does that kind of greatness ever truly satisfy? Jesus showed us a different way. He didn’t seek status or power. Instead, he measured greatness by love, humility, and sacrifice. He cared for the overlooked, served those in need, and willingly put others before himself. He showed us that the greatest thing we can be is a humble servant—willing to give, to sacrifice, and to lift others up.What if we pursued that kind of greatness? What if we measured our lives by how we care for others rather than what we achieve? In this video, we explore what true greatness looks like—and why it might just change everything.Learn More at https://hegetsus.comRead more about Jesus and greatness at https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/is-our-pursuit-of-greatness-leaving-us-dissatisfied.Explore More Videos about Greatness: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnz8xykx15ONNP95rdl-eoeKnJV05GP5v&si=4XhJlOxPKgGIB6Wq.00:00 Does our obsession with greatness fuel dissatisfaction 00:04 Thinking being great solves our problem00:07 Working hard to be great00:10 Focusing efforts in the right direction00:13 Searching for fulfillment in success00:16 Greatness means being celebrated00:22 Why we are divided, anxious, and frustrated00:27 Our desire for greatness is leaving us empty00:31 Looking at the teachings of Jesus00:35 A different way of thinking about greatness00:39 Greatness beyond achievement and reputation00:43 Jesus showed greatness in caring for others00:49 True greatness is found in humility and service00:54 Acts of kindness defining greatness01:00 A world shaped by selfless service01:06 What would the world look like if we pursued this?01:16 How great would that be?

Challenging Our Notions of Greatness Through Jesus’ Example

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Our friends at the Bible Project put together a 9 part video series designed to introduce the main beliefs of what it means to be a follower of Jesus through a study of the overarching storyline and themes of the Bible.
While He Gets Us focuses on the story of Jesus’ life on Earth, this series explores the basics of the Christian faith. There are videos clarifying what Christians mean when they use terms like God, Heaven and Earth, Gospel, sacrifice and atonement, salvation, and the Holy Spirit. It explores the origins of the Bible too.
We like this series because it explains basic Christian beliefs in a self-paced journey that clarifies Christianity for skeptics, Jesus followers, and everybody in between.
For more information on Bible Project, please visit: https://bibleproject.com

A unified story that leads to Jesus

The Bible is a collection of books, all of which emerged from the history of ancient Israel. It is the most influential book in the history of Western and much of Eastern civilization. People have a lot of opinions about the Bible’s message, but let&#8217;s just start with what it is. In this video, you&#8217;ll get a condensed history of how the Bible came into existence and the different forms of the Bible in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christian traditions.
We’ll also look at what the Bible says about the Bible. In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, the author Paul describes the entirety of Scripture (which, at the time of writing, would have referred to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible) as being “breathed out by God” (verse 16). Your translation may say “inspired by God.” The Greek word used here is theopneustos, which literally means “God-breathed.” This is how the biblical authors viewed the Hebrew Scriptures—as God-breathed. And the apostle Paul believed that within this divinely-inspired literature, we can find the salvation that comes through Jesus (verse 15).
Though the Bible includes many different books, it is one unified story. The Hebrew Bible tells one story that leads to Jesus (Luke 24:27), and the New Testament continues that story and describes Jesus and his followers advancing his Kingdom on Earth. And this compelling story has transformed the lives of millions of people, transcending time, age, gender, and culture.
So what is this story? We’ll take a look at that next!

Part 1: What is the Bible? A brief history of one of the most influential books in history

“In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1)
Both the prelude and beginning to the story of the Bible begin with God.
The God portrayed in the Bible isn’t always easy to understand. No matter how good it might sound, there isn’t an analogy that works perfectly. (Sorry, “sun,” “water,” and “three-leaf clovers”!) But what if we could better understand what it is that we can’t understand?
In this video, we will explore the complex identity of the God of the Bible and see how it all leads to Jesus.
In this reading, you’ll look at several different verses in the Bible describing God (the Father), Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Part 2: God What do Christians mean when they say “God?”

The story of the Bible begins with God creating the Heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1).
What comes to your mind when you think about Heaven? Clouds, angels, eternal singing, and pearly gates? Maybe a place where all of your dreams come true or you live in a mansion on a street paved with gold?
What comes to our minds when we think about Heaven is oftentimes largely influenced by culture and the popular imagination. But what does the Bible actually teach about Heaven? And what is Heaven’s relationship to Earth? Understanding the biblical view of Heaven and Earth is incredibly important in grasping the story of the Bible.
In this video, we explore the surprising biblical view that Heaven and Earth are meant to overlap and see how Jesus is on a mission to bring them together once and for all.

Part 3: Heaven and Earth Most of what we think about heaven is not actually in the Bible.

As we continue in the story of the Bible, an important theme shows up on the first page. The Bible teaches that humanity was created in the “image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27). But what does that mean?
This video on the image of God traces the idea of humans as co-rulers alongside God, commissioned to develop the world and its resources. How has this human vocation been compromised by our selfishness and evil, and how did Jesus open up a new way of being human through his life, death, and resurrection?
Let’s take a look!

Part 4: Image of God Did you know the Bible says God looks like you… or vice versa?

Humanity was created in the image of God, and God tasked humanity with using their own creative power and imagination to spread order and beauty into all of creation. But they rebelled against God and chose to define good and bad for themselves, spreading chaos and disorder throughout creation.
But there is hope. In chapter 3 of Genesis, we read about a mysterious promise of a future deliverer who would one day come to confront evil and rescue humanity.
The story continues, and in this video on the Messiah, we trace this promised “snake-crusher” (Genesis 3:15) through the family of Abraham, the messianic lineage of David, and ultimately to Jesus, the Messiah who defeated evil by first letting it defeat him.

Part 5: Messiah The Bible follows the story of a promise made and the man Christians believe fulfilled it.

At last the story reaches its climax. And in his Gospel account, Matthew introduces Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah—the “snake-crusher” promised in the early pages of the story.
But Jesus wasn’t what the people were expecting.
In this video, we trace the origins of the word “gospel” and see how it ties the story of the Hebrew Bible together with Jesus and his announcement of God’s Kingdom. The Gospel is the declaration of a new kind of king who has come to usher in God’s Kingdom rule on Earth. Jesus brought God’s rule and reign to the world in a very upside-down way, which is the best news humanity could ask for.
As part of the Scripture references, you’ll find Matthew chapter 5. This chapter is part of what is commonly known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” In Jesus’ most famous sermon, he speaks about life in his upside-down Kingdom. As you read, consider the ways Jesus’ Kingdom is different from the kingdoms of this world.

Part 6: Gospel of the Kingdom What is the good news, and why do Christians believe it?

In what might seem like a surprising twist in the story, Jesus is killed. (Spoiler alert: he comes back to life!)
But why did Jesus have to die? God is on a mission to remove evil from his good world, along with all of its corrosive effects. And he wants to do it in a way that does not involve removing humans.
In this video, we’ll explore the theme of sacrifice and atonement. We’ll look at how God “covers” over human evil through animal sacrifices and see how that ancient ritual ultimately points to Jesus and his death and resurrection.
In the Scripture References below, you’ll read through several passages written by New Testament authors about the meaning of Jesus’ death.

Part 7: Sacrifice and Atonement The story of Jesus includes his death, but it doesn’t end there.

As the biblical story continues, the book of Acts tells the story of the earliest followers of Jesus. Throughout the book, we see the Spirit of God guiding and directing Jesus’ followers.
But remember, this is not the first time God’s Spirit appears in the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-2)
Throughout the Bible, the Spirit of God is described as animating, sustaining, empowering, and transforming. 
In this video, we’ll explore the original meaning of the biblical concept of “spirit” and what it means for God’s Spirit to be personally present in all of creation.
Ultimately, the Holy Spirit was revealed through Jesus and sent out into the lives of his followers to bring about the new creation. And when the biblical authors look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises in the new creation, they envision a world permeated with the Spirit of God.

Part 8: Holy Spirit What do Christians mean when they talk about the Holy Spirit?

At the beginning of the story, humans are presented as creatures of Earth and of Heaven. God makes humanity from the dirt, but then he exhales his divine breath (Spirit) to bring the creatures to life (Genesis 2:7). God also appoints humanity to rule over all creation as his image (Genesis 1:26-28) and even invites them to share in his eternal life by eating from the tree of life (Genesis 2:16).
But of course, that’s not what happens. Humanity joins in a cosmic rebellion and forfeits their access to eternal life (Genesis 3), and they become corrupt and violent (Genesis 4, 6, 11). So the biblical story doesn’t begin with humanity falling from perfection. Rather, it begins with a lost opportunity, or as the apostle Paul puts it, “humanity falls short of the glorious status God purposed for them” (Romans 1:23 and 3:23).
From this angle, the rest of the biblical story is about God raising up a new human who will be his eternally faithful partner in ruling the world. And this is fulfilled in Jesus. This is why the apostle Paul calls Jesus the true “image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the last Adam&#8221; (1 Corinthians 15:45). His death and resurrection established him as “the new humanity” who rules with God over Heaven and Earth (Ephesians 1:19-21).
And those who trust in Jesus are invited to share in his new humanity through the Spirit that he is breathing upon his people still today (Romans 8:9-11). This is what it means to live as followers of Jesus in the world today: advancing the upside-down Kingdom and spreading the new creation throughout the world through the power of the Spirit.
And our hope is in the future day when the new humanity will join Jesus in the new creation and God’s ultimate purposes for creation will be fulfilled.
The end of the story is only the beginning.

Part 9: The New Humanity We conclude by unpacking one of the most challenging concepts in the Bible

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It’s probably not a stretch to say we all want to be happy. But right now, it seems most of us aren’t. At least not totally. To be precise, 97% of the thousands we asked across America are sick of something.

He Gets Us spent weeks traveling across the country trying to find out why — why we’re so divided, anxious, isolated, and frustrated. We don’t have all the answers, but we started to suspect that our discontent could be tied to the fact that so many of us pursue fulfillment and flourishing by pursuing greatness. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. This country was built on the pursuit of greatness. The American dream is all about bootstrapping your way to success and happiness and fulfillment. We want to build successful businesses, pad our reputations and our bank accounts, and make it to the top. That’s the proven recipe that will make us happy and content, right?

But the dream isn’t panning out. We talked to people all across the country from every walk of life. We sat down with people who have made it to the top and people who are climbing back from rock bottom — and we’re pretty much all sick, at least a little. So, are we aiming at the wrong thing? Jesus seemed to think so.

If you rewind the clock to 2,000 years ago, you start to see that, like us, people carried all sorts of discontent around with them, and, like us, they desired greatness. There’s this moment in the Bible where Jesus’ disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest, and when they asked Jesus to settle the argument, he flipped the definition of greatness on its head. He said the greatest is the one who is humble — the one who serves. For Jesus, it wasn’t about getting to the top; it was about lifting others up. And this humble service that Jesus was talking about? It was also his response to the discontent he saw all around him.
So, what’s at stake here? If Jesus is right about this, following him in pursuing his version of greatness, there’s a potential that not only will we help other people overcome their discontent, but we also might find we’re pursuing something that doesn’t come up empty — a greatness that actually leads to fulfillment.
DIVE DEEPER:

97% of us are sick of something. Are we sick of the same things?

Jesus went searching for the dissatisfied. What if we did the same?

Is our pursuit of greatness leaving us dissatisfied?

Despite our pursuit of success and greatness, many still feel unfulfilled, suggesting that the traditional path to happiness may be flawed. By redefining greatness through humility and service, as Jesus taught, we may discover a fulfillment that transcends status and ambition.

Explore whether the pursuit of greatness leads to fulfillment or dissatisfaction.

Is our pursuit of greatness leaving us dissatisfied? - He Gets Us

Is our pursuit of greatness leaving us dissatisfied? 

Is being great, as our society defines it, really that great? Or, is greatness quite the opposite of what we think it is? In this video, we explore how Jesus redefined true greatness and what it might mean for us. All of us.

What is greatness?

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Luke 22:24-27

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.

Mark 9:33-37

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While all eyes were on the Superdome for the Big Game, we turned our gaze with New Orleans’ own Jon Batiste and his Love Riot to uncover stories of greatness in the Ninth Ward. NOLA is often defined by resilience, but we found something even deeper—the kind of greatness that sees a need and responds with the kind of love, leadership that leads to transformation.
From the graffiti-covered walls of BMike’s studio to the classrooms of Carver High, from the bridges of the 9th Ward to the sacred steps of the Second Line, we met a community that refuses to be defined by tragedy. Instead, they create, teach, and rebuild—not just for survival, but for a future where greatness is measured by how we care for one another.

A Greatness Story: New Orleans’ 9th Ward

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The Bible is the most influential book in human history, but what is it exactly? Our friends at Bible Project put together this 19 part video series that introduces the Bible and its unique design, various genres, and unified story.
The Bible can often seem like a weird ancient book that many people use to say different things. These things can even sometimes lead to using the Bible to oppress or hurt others or the world. And on top of the confusion, reading the Bible can also be tedious and confusing, so most of us just stick to the parts we know and understand.
While He Gets Us focuses on the story of Jesus’ life on Earth, this series explores all of the sections of the bible, its literary styles, characters, parables and more. It explores the origins of the Bible too.
For more information on Bible Project, please visit: https://bibleproject.com

How to read the Bible

The Bible is a collection of books, all of which emerged from the history of ancient Israel. It is the most influential book in the history of Western and much of Eastern civilization. People have a lot of opinions about the Bible’s message, but let&#8217;s just start with what it is. In this video, you&#8217;ll get a condensed history of how the Bible came into existence and the different forms of the Bible in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christian traditions.
We’ll also look at what the Bible says about the Bible. In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, the author Paul describes the entirety of Scripture (which, at the time of writing, would have referred to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible) as being “breathed out by God” (verse 16). Your translation may say “inspired by God.” The Greek word used here is theopneustos, which literally means “God-breathed.” This is how the biblical authors viewed the Hebrew Scriptures—as God-breathed. And the apostle Paul believed that within this divinely-inspired literature, we can find the salvation that comes through Jesus (verse 15).
Though the Bible includes many different books, it is one unified story. The Hebrew Bible tells one story that leads to Jesus (Luke 24:27), and the New Testament continues that story and describes Jesus and his followers advancing his Kingdom on Earth. And this compelling story has transformed the lives of millions of people, transcending time, age, gender, and culture.
So what is this story? We’ll take a look at that next time!

Part 1: What is the Bible? A brief history of how this small library of books written over hundreds of years became the most influential document in history.

The Bible is a really large book made up of the Old and New Testaments, which themselves are made up of many books. There’s a lot of ancient history, poetry, and letters written across the span of 1,500 years. On top of that, there’s a cast of hundreds of people over this period of time. Who can keep it all straight?
It can be easy to get lost, not only because it’s an ancient text but also because the book is large and complex.
Despite this variety and diversity, the Bible shows a remarkable unity. The most dominant type of literature in the Bible is narrative. The Bible opens with “in the beginning,” and the second to last paragraph concludes with “and they reigned forever and ever.” Narrative makes up 502 chapters—or 43 percent of the text. That’s nearly half the Bible! On the other hand, poetry makes up 33 percent of the Bible (387 chapters).
Although the Bible is diverse and may appear fragmented at first, it ultimately presents itself as a unified epic narrative that leads to Jesus. There is one main plotline weaving the different books and stories together.
Once you grasp this core storyline and how all the books fit together, you can open the Bible at any point and you’ll know right where you are and what’s going on.

Part 2: The Story of the Bible If you want to read the Bible for yourself, start with the narrative.

The Bible is a collection of many books telling one unified story from beginning to end, but all those books were written in different literary styles.
First and foremost is narrative. It makes up a whopping 43 percent of the Bible! 33 percent of the Bible is poetry, and then the rest of the Bible (24 percent) is written in prose discourse.
Most books have a primary literary style, like narrative for example. But then embedded within the narrative, you’ll come across poems or parables or collections of laws. Every book is a unique combination of literary styles.
Reading the Bible wisely requires us to learn about the ancient literary styles used by the biblical authors. These writers expressed their ideas and claims through a variety of different types of literature, and this video will explore why it&#8217;s important to distinguish them so we can better understand the message of each book.
There&#8217;s one more unifying feature of biblical literature that’s really important and really cool, and that is what we’ll explore next.

Part 3: Literary Styles in the Bible How to read the poetry, ancient law code, and narrative storytelling, and letters in their original context.

Each time period and culture produces its own unique kind of literature. In order to read the Bible well, we need to keep in mind the ancient Near Eastern context and the type of literature produced in this period of time.
The Bible is written as ancient Jewish meditation literature, and it’s meant to draw readers into a lifelong journey of reading and meditation. The Bible is designed as a multi-layered work, offering new levels of insight as you reread it and allow each part to help you understand every other part.
In Psalm 1, we read about the ideal Bible reader. It’s someone who meditates on the Scriptures day and night. In Hebrew, the word “meditate” means literally to mutter or speak quietly. The idea is that every day for the rest of your life you slowly, quietly read the Bible out loud to yourself. And then you go talk about it with your friends and family, pondering the puzzles, making connections, and discovering what it all means. And as you let the Bible interpret itself, something remarkable happens. The Bible starts to read you. Because ultimately, the writers of the Bible want you to adopt this story as your story.

Part 4: The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature We tackle the challenges of reading ancient Eastern literature in a modern Western context.

Nearly half of the Bible is written in narrative. So in order to understand the Bible more fully, it’s important that we learn how to read this style of writing. With biblical narrative, we are not watching security footage of these ancient events. We’re reading an artistic, literary representation of the story of Israel. The goal isn’t just to tell us about something that happened, it’s also to discern the meaning of these events.
A key element in biblical narrative is the plot—the arrangement of characters and events to convey a message. The Bible uses plot embedding, meaning there are multi-layered biblical storylines.
Level 1: One overall storyline of the Bible. 
Level 2: The multiple movements of that overall storyline. 
Level 3: The hundreds of individual narratives that make up each of these movements.
All of these individual events are framed within a larger context that exists within an even larger context. All of this context gives these events deeper meaning. A single story’s meaning is only determined by the relationship of all its elements to the whole text.
How the authors frame the story and what details they choose to emphasize all help to convey what they are trying to communicate to the reader.
In this reading, pay attention to the plot of the story of Gideon. Notice how the short scenes, like Gideon and the fleece, are combined with other scenes to create a larger plotline. As you read, do your best to trace the conflict and resolution through the entire plot. How does this help you see the message the author is trying to get across?
In this video, we’ll explore these concepts and more.

Part 5: Plot in Biblical Narrative Understanding how ancient authors used plot differently than we do today.

Most of us think of characters in the Bible as either sinners or saints, good or bad. At least that’s how Bible stories are often presented to children. In this video, we’ll explore the ways biblical authors present characters as more complex and morally compromised than we usually imagine.
Biblical authors use characters as vehicles for their message primarily through showing rather than telling. A narrator’s comments about a character are fairly rare in biblical narrative (such as physical appearance, as in Joseph’s looks, Saul’s stature, Esau’s hair, etc.). Additionally, direct characterization is extremely rare in the Bible (such as describing someone as evil, good, righteous, wise, foolish, etc.). Biblical authors give you the outline of a character, but you have to fill in the rest based on what you read in the text.
For example: 
&#8211; Esau is hairy, meaning that he’s “outdoorsy,” primitive, and behaves like an animal. 
&#8211; Eli is old and blind, meaning he is literally and relationally blind, since he ignores the rebellion of his sons. 
&#8211; Saul is tall and David is short, emphasizing their contrasting characters. Saul imposes himself from above, and David humbly allows God to exalt him from below.
Characters’ names also often indicate their role in the story. 
&#8211; Saul = “the one asked for” 
&#8211; Abram/Abraham = exalted father / father of a multitude 
&#8211; Israel = struggles with God 
&#8211; Adam = humanity
Biblical narrators prefer to show people’s character rather than tell you an evaluation. Instead of moralizing about characters’ decisions, biblical narrators simply show you the decisions and consequences of characters’ decisions and allow you to ponder the significance.
God is the only character who continues through every movement of the biblical narrative from beginning to end, and this tells us something about the purpose of these stories. The fundamental purpose is to reveal God’s character, identity, and purposes in history.

Part 6: Character in Biblical Narrative Explore the sophisticated ways the Bible gives shape to its characters

Every story has to take place somewhere, and very often, locations have a special meaning or significance evoked by events that already took place there. Biblical setting utilizes both place and time. As the biblical story develops, places begin to take on a symbolic/meaningful significance based on what has happened there.
Example: Garden of Eden &gt; the east &gt; Babylon: The human spiral of sin and selfishness moves from the garden to Babylon, as we see in Genesis 1-11.
&#8211; Adam and Eve are banished “to the east” (Genesis 3). 
&#8211; Cain is banished “to the east” (Genesis 4). 
&#8211; People move “to the east” to build Babylon (Genesis 11:1-2). 
&#8211; Babylon becomes a superpower in the story, eventually exiling the family of Abraham. 
&#8211; Egypt, Moab, the wilderness, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem all become loaded with more and more meaning as the biblical story develops.
You can tell which events are most meaningful to the author’s message by what gets the most “air time.” For example, Mark chapters 1-10 cover around three years, and chapters 11-16 cover seven days in Jerusalem—30 percent of the story for just seven days! Additionally, there are other meaningful periods of time in the Bible. For example:
&#8211; Increments of 40 represent periods of waiting and testing (e.g. Noah in the boat, Moses’ time on top of the mountain, the spies’ time scouting the promised land, years wandering in the desert, Elijah’s journey in the desert, and Jesus’ journey in the desert). 
&#8211; Three days and nights 
&#8211; 70 days/years
In this video, we’ll explore how biblical authors use setting in the narrative to either meet the reader&#8217;s expectations or mess with them. Paying attention to location and time in biblical stories can unlock deeper layers of meaning.

Part 7: Setting in Biblical Narrative Every aspect of every story tells an even deeper story - even the place and time.

Design patterns are one of the key ways the biblical authors have unified the storyline of the Bible. Individual stories across the Old and New Testaments have been coordinated through repeated words and parallel themes.
One of the most important design features of biblical narrative is repetition. This technique creates patterns that guide the reader’s focus and help them know where to look for meaning. By following a word or phrase that is repeated significantly in a story or section of text, we can better decipher or grasp the main message of the text (For example, notice how the word “good” is used in Genesis 1).
Repeated words can unite a whole string of stories, but this kind of unifying technique can work in different ways too. Sometimes entire stories or scenes are designed to repeat elements of other stories. This involves not only repeated words but also parallel narrative patterns, themes, and sequences. For example, the “see and take” pattern shows up with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 16), and David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). The “salvation through waters” pattern appears in creation (Genesis 1), the flood narrative (Genesis 7-8), and the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14).
In this video, we’ll take a look at these patterns and more to see how they highlight core themes of the biblical story.

Part 8: Design Patterns in Biblical Narrative When something is repeated, it’s important.

The Gospel narratives have two main goals: 
1. To faithfully represent the story of Jesus—that the crucified and risen Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of Israel and the true King of the world. 
2. To persuade the reader to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and become his disciple.
The four authors frame Jesus’ story in a unique way for distinct purposes. Each author has carefully edited, arranged, and designed the core stories about Jesus to emphasize unique facets of Jesus’ character. So what do each of the accounts emphasize?
Matthew portrays Jesus as a greater-than-Moses figure who fulfills the promises of the ancient Scriptures and whose resurrection has enthroned him as the King of Heaven and Earth.
Mark emphasizes the mystery and misunderstanding caused by Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom of God. He shows Jesus as the unexpected Messiah and highlights the paradox of how the exalted Messiah can only be recognized in the humbled, crucified Jesus.
Luke highlights how Jesus brings the Gospel to the nations. He shows that Jesus is empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Old Testament promise that God’s salvation would reach beyond Israel to include all nations.
John introduces Jesus as Israel’s God become human, presenting signs that demonstrate the truth of his messianic claim and his offer of eternal life for any that will trust in him.
The Gospel authors deeply believed that Jesus rose after death and fulfilled the ancient story told in the Hebrew Scriptures. And they proclaimed that joining in this belief and following his teachings would change our lives forever! The Gospel accounts are persuasive texts that invite the reader to consider their own relationship to Jesus the Messiah.
The Gospel narratives offer the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life and teachings, but how often do we really take in their literary artistry from beginning to end? How can we reconcile the fact that there are four accounts with differing stories? This video is all about learning to understand and respond to these unique books!

Part 9: The Gospel The climax of the story, but not the end.

Jesus was a master teacher. Some of his most well-known teachings are told in short stories called parables. The four Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—tell the “good news” that God’s Kingdom has arrived on Earth through Jesus. Jesus himself announced the Kingdom of God through his famous teaching called the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). This same sermon is preached “on the plain” in Luke chapter 6. Jesus also brought God’s Kingdom into reality through his healings, miracles, and the creation of a renewed family of Israel.
One of the most common ways that Jesus communicated was through stories, or in Greek, parabole. Parables can often be seen as illustrations or explanations relating to morality or religious truth. This assumes that there is a basic abstract idea that the parables help to illuminate, but this doesn’t capture how and why Jesus used parables. Parables are more than short stories.
The parables are beautiful and entertaining, but they are often cryptic. How can we read parables in a way that leads to understanding? That’s what this video is all about. You’ll be introduced to key concepts and passages that will guide your own exploration of the parables of Jesus.

Part 10: Parables How a master teacher used short stories to change the world.

Thirty percent of the Bible is made up of ancient poetry. That’s a lot! Poetry is everywhere in the Bible, and some biblical books are entirely poetry. Most of the Hebrew prophets wrote masterful poems, and the majority of God’s speech in the Bible is represented as poetry. It’s also very common in biblical narrative for the story to pause while a character breaks out in poetic song.
Nearly all human cultures with a common literature have ways of separating functional, utilitarian language from intentional, expressive, and artistic language, namely, poetry. And all cultures develop unique patterns of poetic speech or conventions for how poetic speech works. For example, metered rhyme is a feature of classic Western poetry:
Roses are red, violets are blue, 
Sugar is sweet, and so are you.
And a haiku, a traditional Japanese style of poetry, uses specific line length and syllable structure—three poetic lines and the numbered syllable pattern: 5-7-5.
An old silent pond… 
A frog jumps into the pond, 
splash! Silence again. 
&#8211; Matsuo Bashō
The Ancient Israelite poetry found in the Bible doesn’t fit any kind of master system like meter (though some think so). However, the Israelites were aware of a certain kind of speech that was poetic, dense, and distinct from normal speech. They even have vocabulary for it.
“Song” (Hebrew, shir / shirah) 
Exodus 15:1: “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song…”
“Psalm” (Hebrew, mizmor) 
Psalm 3: “A mizmor of David.”
“Lament” (Hebrew, qinah) 
2 Samuel 1:17: “David lamented this qinah over Saul and Jonathan.”
These compositions show a unique, cultural form of Hebrew poetry, not a formal system but a series of characteristics.
1. Rhythm: Hebrew poetry is shaped into a line-rhythm or verse. It is not metrical (based on syllable counts); rather, it’s a form of free verse poetry. 
2. Terseness: Hebrew poetry is concise, using as few words as possible to communicate as much as possible. 
3. Parallelism: This refers to the correspondence and relationship of one verse or line to another.
Poetry is a rich and artistic form of human communication, but it is often the most difficult to read. In this video, we’ll explore the unique characteristics of biblical poetry, so you can discover its beauty and power for yourself!

Part 11: The Art of Biblical Poetry How ancient writers wielded a powerful artform.

Metaphor is our fundamental way of thinking and perceiving the world. We use conceptual categories based on familiar experience to describe unfamiliar and complex realities. They provide the framework for how our minds make sense of the world around us, and they govern all of our thinking and language.
Every culture has its own way of developing metaphors and imagery unique to their history and experience. Similarly, biblical poetry draws on a core cultural understanding of the world from which the poets develop images and metaphors.
Basic conceptual metaphors are not the unique possession of a poet, but rather of the poet’s culture. And the creative poet will adapt these basic metaphors in unexpected directions, creating new ways of conceiving reality.
The rich metaphors in biblical poetry are rooted in images from earlier biblical narratives. That’s how metaphors work in the Bible. You need the narratives to understand the poetic images, and the images reveal deeper meaning in those narratives.
The best way to become familiar with the basic conceptual metaphors used in the Bible is to meditate on the Torah (i.e. the first five books of the Bible). The Torah provides the basic conceptual world in which biblical imagery makes sense, especially Genesis 1-11.
For example: 
1. The ideal state is a mountain, garden temple (Genesis 1:8-10; Exodus 15:13, 17; Joel 2:1-3; Psalm 48:1-3). 
2. Danger and death are found in the chaotic waters, but safety and life are found in the the river of Eden (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 18; Psalm 69; Isaiah 17:12-15). 
3. The ideal state of shalom, or peace, is humanity living among the animals (Genesis 1:28-30; Deuteronomy 32:20-24; Hosea 2:18-19; Isaiah 11:6-9). 
4. God’s ideal for creation is found in the garden of Eden (Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 92:11-15; Jeremiah 17:5-8; John 4:13-14). 
5. Covenant and marriage are ways that God talks about his relationship to his people (Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:2-5, 8; Hosea 3:1-5; Revelation 21:1-3).
Understanding how metaphors are used in the Bible is an essential tool for reading biblical poetry. Any time someone references one thing to describe another thing, they are using metaphorical thinking whether they realize it or not. Metaphors are everywhere in the Bible and in our everyday speech. In this video, we’ll explore this crucial aspect of biblical language.

Part 12: Poetic Metaphor How the Bible uses symbolism in nature to tell a deeper story about God and humanity.

There are 150 poems broken up into five sections. The first two sections explore the complicated story of David and his royal family. The third section focuses on the tragedy of Israel’s exile and the downfall of David’s royal line. And the fourth and fifth sections rekindle the hope for the Messiah, a new temple, and God’s Kingdom on the other side of exile. Then the book ends with a five-part conclusion, praising God for his faithfulness.
Each poem has been expertly crafted and intentionally placed within the book to create a storyline from the book’s beginning to its end. At the beginning of Psalms, there’s a short introduction, Psalms 1 and 2, which lays out the main themes of the entire book by reviewing the biblical storyline—God’s original intent for humanity, humanity’s disobedience, and God’s promise of a future human, the seed of the woman, who will come and defeat evil and restore the world.
Psalms is an invitation to a literary temple where you can meet with God and hear the entire biblical storyline retold in poetic form. The poems have been designed for a lifetime of slow rereading and reflection—these prayers and laments and songs of praise are meant to become ours. They’re poems for exiles who are learning to live by God’s wisdom and seek God’s justice in the world as they hope for the coming Messiah and the Kingdom of God.
In this video, we’ll explore the design, shape, and main themes of this marvelous book, which was crafted to be read from beginning to end.

Part 13: The Book of Psalms Deep dive into the Bible’s largest poetry collection.

The books of the Hebrew prophets are some of the most challenging books of the Bible to read and comprehend, but they are also some of the most beautiful books! Learning to read them takes some effort, but it is totally worth it.
The fifteen prophetic books are a mosaic collection of narratives, poems, and essays that represent the message of the Israelite prophets. These collections have been expertly crafted over a long period of time, and they were eventually integrated into the larger collection of the Hebrew Bible.
Here are some fun facts about the prophetic books:
1. The prophetic books take up as much page space in the Bible as the entire New Testament (27 percent). 
2. Jesus and the apostles constantly quoted from the prophets to explain how Jesus was bringing Israel’s story to its fulfillment (77 times in the Gospels and 98 times in the rest of the New Testament).
The prophets are the bridge between the past story of Israel and the covenant and the future story of God’s rescue plan for the world through Jesus.
Each prophetic book has a unique design and organized flow of thought, but it’s rarely chronological. Reading the prophets is a lot like listening to a symphony. There’s an opening introduction to all the main themes, but then the work is broken up into multiple movements or sections. But if you pay attention, you’ll hear the key themes being repeated and developed throughout the book, and then you’ll begin to see how all the parts fit together.
Key insights from the prophets:
1. God loves justice: Israel had been called to a higher level of justice than the surrounding nations, especially in the treatment of their land and the poor (See Isaiah 1:10-20). 
2. God gets angry at evil: The prophets give a lot of space to God’s exposure of evil among Israel and the nations. It can be intense, but it reveals how much God cares about the goodness of his world (see Hosea 13). 
3. God has hope for our world: God refuses to let Israel’s sin get the last word, so all the prophetic books contain profound images of future hope and restoration for God’s people and for the entire world (see Isaiah 11:1-9).
In this video, we’ll learn how these prophetic books contribute to the storyline of the Bible and why it’s worth learning how to read them more attentively. Let’s take a look!

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