Alive - by Dave Smith

ABOUT THIS BOOK
Whether you’re someone who would consider yourself a seeker or an
explorer, a nominal Christian or a fully committed Christian, hopefully
this brief overview, together with the further information, will give you
a firm foundation for us to build on. Our focus in the rest of the book
will be on six of the key appearances of Jesus (two of them in one
chapter). As you read the original source material, bear in mind that
while they were first written to give us evidence for the resurrection,
they also show us how Jesus uniquely transformed the lives of all
who met him – filling them with new love, hope, peace, freedom and
purpose. As author and preacher Tim Keller highlighted: ‘Jesus
recognized temperamental differences and met each person at their
point of need...He gives everyone what they need when they need
it…What Jesus is telling us all is this: “I know you individually. Your
path is going to be your own. It’s not necessarily going to be like that
of the person next to you. I want you to follow not them but me.”’ 15
The main difference is that whereas the first-century witnesses saw,
heard and sometimes touched Jesus physically, we now experience
him spiritually – through the real, unseen person of the Holy Spirit,
who comes to fill us with the loving presence and power of God.
The great news is that if Jesus is still alive, he can transform our
lives today – filling us with all that we need to live life to the full: with a
love that is greater than our insecurities; with a hope that is greater
than our disappointments; with a peace that is greater than our fears;
with a freedom that is greater than our failures and with a purpose
that infuses our lives with real meaning.
As well as the primary focus on how Jesus being alive can help us
become more fully alive now, we’ll also keep in the background our