In this immersive 24-day Advent experience, Red Letter Revolution invites participants to reflect deeply on the "red letter" teachings of Jesus—those words of hope, challenge, and transformation that are often highlighted in red in many Bible editions. Each day, we will explore a specific passage where Jesus' words speak directly to the heart, offering guidance on living a life marked by love, justice, and humility.
This journey is not just about understanding Jesus’ teachings but also about applying them to our lives and the world around us. Through reflection questions, practical applications, and a spirit of curiosity, participants will discover how these timeless teachings can inspire personal growth, deepen relationships, and promote positive change in today’s complex and divided world. Whether you are a seasoned believer or exploring faith for the first time, Red Letter Revolution is an invitation to live out the message of Jesus in real and meaningful ways this Advent season.
When I was a child, I was fascinated with the red letters in the New Testament, simply because they were RED. I learned to read very early and read everything that crossed my field of vision. I read cereal boxes, cans of soup, even tags on pillows. If it had words, I wanted to read them. But nothing thrilled me more than the words attributed to Jesus because they were the only red letters I had ever read. And so I read them over and over again from our family Bible and later from the Bibles I bought with my own money as a child. Believe it or not, when I was younger, I was so into the Bible and those red letters that I once bought a micro-Bible that came with a magnifying lens so that I could carry the whole Bible around in my pocket. I would just comb through the red letters day in and day out and get as excited as a child would reading Harry Potter some years ago. The words of Jesus were always near me. And then, when I later started reading more of the rest of the Bible, I discovered that, with the red letters at the forefront of my mind, I saw all of the rest of the scriptures in a different light. I could very much sense a coherence that I think is rarely taught in church on Sundays.
With this Red Letter Revolution Advent Journey, it is my hope that participants will get to see the teachings of Christ in a whole new light. But, in order to do that, we will have to see this as simply the first step in the journey. The intention is that after reading and discussing these lessons, you will choose
to reread the rest of the Gospels and the Letters of Paul and the other Disciples anew. And then follow those with reading the Hebrew Bible also known as the Old Testament–all in light of the red letters. All the while, asking the question, “How do these teachings apply to my life today?” My belief is that in taking this approach, you will discover that a part of you has been hidden in these teachings–a better part that Jesus came to reveal. It is that which he referred when he said to Martha in Luke 10:38-42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I am thrilled to engage with you all in this RED LETTER journey. This will be an opportunity to reconnect with Jesus and journey with his teachings in our modern times. The hope of this revolution is that everyone who engages with the materials and accompanying video will find courage to take up their crosses and walk in the newness of life Christ brings. This program is not meant to offer easy answers. But rather, to live with the questions that are inevitable when we strive to choose love over fear, light over dark, and life over death. Links to new videos will be added daily. So check back for the entire 24 day journey.
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This 24-day Advent journey, Red Letter Revolution, has been an invitation to step into the words of Jesus with curiosity, reverence, and an open heart. The "red letters" are not merely words on a page; they are calls to action, opportunities for transformation, and reminders of the boundless love and justice at the heart of Christ’s teachings. As we reflect on these teachings, we find ourselves invited to live more fully into the values they proclaim—compassion, humility, and unwavering commitment to love in the face of a world that often calls us toward division and fear.
Yet, this journey is just the beginning. As you move forward, consider how these teachings resonate in your life and ripple into your communities. What does it mean to live with the "better part" that Jesus speaks of—a life shaped by love, unshaken by worry, and anchored in grace? Take what you’ve read and discussed here as a lens through which to revisit not only the Gospels but all of Scripture, asking how they guide your role as a follower of Christ in today’s world. Let this be an invitation to embody the red letters in your daily actions, becoming vessels of God’s enduring peace and love, and leaders who bring light to those longing for hope.
It has been a joy for me to put this program together. As a child, my efforts to excite people about the RED LETTERS fell on deaf ears. And so, for a long time, I kept this treasure to myself. But, in this season, when Jesus has been scapegoated yet again and used as a justifications for so many of our failings to love as he loved and lived as he lived, I felt inspired by the thought that the words attributed to him might take on a new life in many of our hearts. My prayer is that this program will add to the lives of the participants and will begin an inner revolution of perfect love that casts out fear.
The words of Jesus serve as both a mirror and a window—revealing His divine character while also reflecting the truths about our own. His teachings about love, humility, forgiveness, and justice challenge us to confront our values, intentions, and actions, exposing the parts of ourselves that align with His call and those that fall short. They invite us to move beyond mere self-awareness into transformation, showing us what is possible when we live in alignment with God's vision. In this way, the red letters not only teach us about Jesus' heart but also illuminate our own, drawing us into a deeper understanding of who we are and who we are called to become.
Just as Jesus' words were spoken into a particular historical, cultural, and spiritual context, the call to embody those teachings in our lives is also profoundly contextual. The revelation of how we live out His teachings arises in the specific places, times, and relationships we inhabit. Our neighbors, communities, and the challenges of our world today are the arenas in which the character of Christ within us is revealed. In this way, His words remain living and active, speaking uniquely into every era and situation. They remind us that, like Jesus, we are called to engage the world with courage, compassion, and creativity, offering a faithful response to the needs of our particular moment in history.