JESUShaped 2024 Archives

For over 30 years, Heartlight has shared articles to help people live for Jesus in everyday life. While we are no longer publishing new articles, this enduring collection features relevant pieces throughout the year to encourage faith, offer biblical perspective, and speak to real-world joys and struggles.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas blessing

We pray the Lord blesses you with the grace of Jesus' presence this Christmas!

Sharing in the Joy!

Phil Ware takes into John 4 and Samaria with Jesus and let's Jesus speak to us about the sower and the harvester rejoicing together.

O God, please, will you let me see a little harvest... Please!

Let's Go Somewhere Else

Phil Ware talks about spending time in communion with God so that we can know best how to respond to those who need compassion and yet help us keep to our mission.

Why would Jesus leave someone behind?

What is CORE: Finishing

Phil Ware brings his series on 'What is CORE!' to a close, giving us a short summary to help us remember these three CORE passages and what they teach and call on us to do.

I remain convicted that these passages give us the CORE of what we must believe and practice as Jesus' disciples.

What is Core: Worshiping

Phil Ware finishes his series on What is Core by talking about worship and the importance of meeting together in big and small groups, but also living out the life God has called us to lead, being a reflection of the righteous character and gracious compa

Why do we put so much emphasis on worship in the box and not in our everyday lives?

What is Core: Communing

Phil Ware talks about what is core to our faith and then ties it to everyday meals as well as our celebration of the Lord's Supper and the things of first importance in 1 Corinthians 15:1-7.

When we gather in Jesus' name, something transcendent happens: the Lord is present with us!

What is CORE: Training

Phil Ware continues his series on What is CORE focusing on the training -- teaching to obey -- element of the Great Commission.

Our practice of omitting from the Lord's Great Commission is more likely based on our preference for the attractional model of doing church.

What is CORE: Baptizing

Phil Ware continues his series on "What is CORE" by talking about baptism and why it is important.

God has given us a way to experience the saving work Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.

What is CORE: Going

Phil Ware continues his series on "What is CORE" by focusing on Jesus' final and intentional last command to make disciples of all nations, and emphasizes the first process of doing that: GOING!

True disciples of the Lord haven't stopped going ever since Jesus commanded it!

What IS CORE: Disciple-making

Phil Ware continues his series on "What is CORE" by focusing on Jesus' final and intentional last command to make disciples of all nations.

When I die, my prayer is that Jesus will tell me that my life has honored his final command with even more passion and purpose. How about you?

What Is Core: Believing

Phil Ware begins a series of messages on what is core, or what is at the heart of what we must believe and do to be true disciples of Jesus, today.

What is most important for us to believe and do as disciples of Jesus, today?

Eating and Leftovers

Phil Ware reminds us that our times at the Lord's Table should be filled with the same kind of people who joined Jesus at the table when he was on earth!

Why the connection between Jesus and 'the leftovers' and why does the modern church not have the same relationships?

What Is CORE? Jesus!

Phil Ware stops at the mid-point in his series on What is CORE to review and look forward to what is ahead.

How do we know what passages of Scripture are most essential?

Cruciformed Disciple

Phil Ware finishes his four part series on Peter and following Jesus by focusing on Jesus transforming and cruciforming him into a great servant for the Kingdom of God.

If the Lord can transform Peter with his failures, imagine what the Lord can do with you.

The Misunderstanding

Phil Ware shares his third post on The Question, Peter's confession of Jesus and how he had to be broken before he could really understand what his confession meant.

Without understanding the cross, we turn Christianity into another human contest about self-importance.

Heaven's Window

Phil Ware shares his second post in his four article series on Peter's confession, focusing this time on our tendency to reduce faith to words and not actions and discipleship.

Doesn't discipleship involve more than just saying the right words?

Resurrection Sunday!

This is a harmonization of the accounts from the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, of the resurrection appearances of Jesus on the first day of his resurrection.

Have you read the story lately?

The Question

Phil Ware begins a four post series on Jesus' question to the disciples about who they thought he was and Jesus comes and asks us this question personally, so what will our answer be?

When's the last time you thought about life's most important question?

Connecting People of Other Cultures with Jesus

Phil Ware continues his series on 'The Andrew Effect' and connecting people with Jesus, this time focusing on including people of other cultures, races, and languages.

Are we willing to take the risk and reach outside our comfort zones to connect people with Jesus?

Connecting Those Who Want to Help Others with Jesus

Phil Ware continues his series on The Andrew Effect focusing this week on bringing those who want to help others in need to Jesus and connecting them and their resources to the Lord.

In a world of so much hurt and so much need, are we going to remain paralyzed to help because of a lack of faith?

Connecting Those We Know with Jesus

Phil Ware continues his series on 'The Andrew Effect' by focusing on connecting those we know with Jesus.

O, God, our hearts ache for them to know Jesus, please help us know how!

Connecting with Jesus Personally

Phil Ware continues his series on The Andrew Effect focused on connecting others with Jesus as our life's mission.

Can I really know Jesus?

Reflecting the Servant Heart of Jesus

Phil Ware talks about a university honoring students for their acts of service and it leads him to wonder how we honor God's servants today.

How do you honor a servant who is not trying to be noticed but simply trying to do good things for others?

Learning to Hear and Experience Jesus

Phil Ware shares how we can experience Jesus in our lives based on Jesus' promises and Matthew's story of Jesus in his Gospel.

We all need to discover that Jesus is not just alive and interceding for us at the right hand of God, but he is also present with us now as our resurrected Lord, Savior, and friend.