Kindred in Christ,

 

When my child was about two years old, they had a favorite new phrase: “I believe in you.” For months, it was everywhere. They said it to baristas, neighbors, dog walkers—anyone who crossed their path. It was their way of trusting, connecting, and sprinkling a little love into the world. The phrase carried a weight far beyond their years.

 

One night, I was exhausted—balancing seminary, work, parenting, and life—and I sighed at the kitchen table, staring at my computer. My child looked at me, placed their little hand on my arm, and said: “I believe in you.”

 

In that moment, the phrase landed differently. It wasn’t just a catchphrase or something repeated without thought. It was a lifeline—a deep and tender reminder that belief is never abstract. Belief is lived, relational, and powerful.

 

This Sunday, we continue our series Costly Grace: Following Jesus in the Face of Empire. We’ll explore what it means to believe in Jesus through a sermon titled Costly Belief, based on 1 Corinthians 1:18–24 and John 3:13–17. These passages invite us to see faith not as a set of doctrines or rules, but as trust and relationship—something that asks something of us.

 

True belief in Jesus is costly because it moves us beyond comfort, beyond self-interest, and into a life of solidarity, care, and hope. It’s the kind of belief that transforms communities, challenges empires, and turns the logic of the world upside down. It’s the kind of belief that says mercy is stronger than vengeance, love is stronger than fear, and care for the outcast is more faithful than seeking status or dominance.

 

Just as my child’s words reminded me of what really matters, our faith can transform the world when we live it in this way. Believing in God is inseparable from believing in one another—in those whom the world forgets or dismisses, and in the possibilities of love over hate.

 

Come ready to be believed in—and to believe in others.

 

Alongside you,

 

Pastor Paul Ortiz