We Take JESUS Seriously…Ourselves? Not So Much

PLC Core Value #2 | Pastor Sean Kelly

Let’s just put it out there. Faith should never feel like a pressure cooker. At PLC, we believe following Jesus is the most serious, life-altering, eternity-shaping thing you’ll ever do. But walking with Him shouldn’t squeeze the joy out of your soul or turn you into a humorless robot quoting Scripture on autopilot. If it does, you might be missing the point.

Jesus had a lot to say about humility, love, and the upside-down nature of His Kingdom. But He never asked His followers to be buttoned-up, hyper-religious rule enforcers. His harshest words were aimed at the spiritually smug.

The people He seemed to enjoy the most? The ones who knew they needed grace. The ones who didn’t take themselves too seriously and were more honest than polished. Probably the kind of people who snorted when they laughed.

We believe joy is not optional. It’s essential. Real joy (the kind that stays steady even when life is shaky) comes from knowing God is in control and we are not. That truth doesn’t make us passive. It makes us free. Free to be present. Free to be honest. Free to walk with Jesus without pretending we’ve got it all figured out.

So what does this look like at PLC?

It looks like people who care deeply about their mission but still crack dad jokes as they go about it. (Keep reading to the end to be enlightened with a new dad joke I recently found. You’ll thank me…or not.)

It looks like passionate worship followed by a potluck where the ratio of desserts to main dishes is 4:1.

It looks like serving with everything we’ve got and still being able to laugh when things don’t go as planned.

It’s a serious commitment without a serious ego.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less. It’s being secure enough in Jesus’ love that we don’t have to be the center of attention. That kind of humility keeps us grounded. It also keeps us real.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to perform or pretend in church, we want you to know you don’t. We’ll walk with you in joy, stand with you in grace, and yes, we might even laugh with you when things get awkward.

Bring your whole self. Questions, quirks, baggage, and all.

Jesus will bring the grace.

Now, for what you’ve really been waiting for…the dad joke:

Why did the scarecrow win an award?

Because he was out-standing in his field.

You're welcome…or I’m sorry. Possibly both.

[Read more: We Take Jesus Seriously…Ourselves? Not So Much]