Mud and the Masterpiece: Seeing Yourself and Others through the Eyes of Jesus
Overview
Every person you see—including the one you see in the mirror—is a masterpiece. Why were “sinners” so attracted to Jesus yet repelled by the religious? It had everything to do with the heart of Jesus. They sensed that Jesus was for them—not against them. When broken, sinful people feel repelled by Christians, we must honestly assess whether our hearts reveal the heart of God or subtly reflect the heart of the Pharisees. Burke believes that ultimately, our impact in a broken, hurting world will show what’s in our hearts.
Through an engaging study of Jesus’ encounters with imperfect people, combined with real-life stories of ordinary people having Christlike impact, this book will inspire you to reveal the masterpiece in you and those around you.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
- Encourages Christians to “do right” as a way of combating negative stereotypes
- Focuses on seeing ourselves and others through the eyes of Jesus as a tool for reaching others
- Discusses the interactions Jesus had with others and what made them so powerful
- Part I: Seeing Through the Eyes of Jesus
- A Glutton, Drunk, and Friend of Sinners
- Unshockable
- Restoring Value
- Calling Out the Masterpiece
- Speaking Truth in Love
- Respecting Freedom
- Sharing Their Pain
- Sharing Jesus’ Good Message
- Hardened Mud and the Hammer of Truth
- On Mission With Jesus
- Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things
- Create Relational Momentum
- Serve Your Neighbors with Your Neighbors
- “Come as You Are” Learning Space
- Everyone Can Develop Someone
- Accelerate and Multiply with Worship and Teaching
Top Highlights
“March also notes that people’s identities change and grow and greatly influence their decision” (Page 74)
I wish all believers loved people who are far from God like John Burke does. Burke captures a unique aspect of a missional life in Christ that we can easily fail to grasp: We can be missional but on the wrong mission. Mud and the Masterpiece reminds us of our desperate need to join Jesus in the messy work of life-on-life discipleship.
—Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research
John is a man who not only knows Jesus, but that Jesus really saves and redeems broken people and makes them trophies of his grace. This book gets into the heart of the ministry that has characterized John’s distinctive contribution to the contemporary church—that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
—Alan Hirsch, founding director, Forge Mission Training Network
Hope is a dangerous thing. This book drips with hope. Burke is a master storyteller and his stories, woven together with the electric stories of Scripture, grab the heart and ignite the mind. Burke helps us believe that God can do more in and through us, with everyday people we meet in everyday situations. Pick up this book, and your hope will rise.
—Doug Schaupp, growth coach, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
In Mud and the Masterpiece, John has once again captured a fresh vision of a Jesus who is not only worth following, but orienting and giving our entire lives to. In simply but poignantly looking at Jesus’ various interactions with people throughout the Gospels, he is able to underscore the call Jesus gives to us in each conversation, a call that goes beyond clever ministries, strategies, or apologetics. It’s the call to be found in a story much larger than ourselves.
—Mike Breen, global leader, 3DM
John Burke is the author of No Perfect People Allowed and Soul Revolution, and the founder with his wife, Kathy, of Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. Since 1998, Gateway has grown to over 4,500 members, made up mostly of unchurched people who began actively following Christ at Gateway. John is also the president of Emerging Leadership Initiative (ELI), a non-profit organization, working to help church planting pastors and ordinary Christians “raise the church out of the culture.” John has spoken in 15 countries to over 200,000 church leaders and Christians about reaching a postmodern, post-Christian culture.