This week I started a new series on Jesus as our example.  And I am looking at who Jesus was on the inside, what made him tick.  Because many of us know the stories of Jesus’ miracles and his teaching but not on who Jesus was on the inside.  And this week, I taught about Jesus as an Unbridled Lover.  Again, please disconnect the cultural perception of using this term Lover with sexual overtones.  Instead I used lover in the purest sense as a lover of people.  And as mentioned this love is unbridled — uncontrollable, unconstrained, unrestrained, uncurbed, unstoppable, runaway kind of love.  And that love brought him in contact with many “disreputables”- people who were ostracized and shunned by his culture.  He regularly showed his love to tax collectors, fishermen, women, Samaritans, foreigners, widows, and even children — all of whom were not welcomed by the religious elites.  And I could not help but think about people in our day and culture who are not usually welcomed by the religious elites (i.e. self-righteous churches) — people like minorities, foreigners (immigrates), LGBTQ, and others on the fringe.  It is as if we are afraid associating with others in the world will taint us or ruin our reputations.  But Jesus was not concerned about what people said about him, He just loved.  And we are called to do the same.  If you listened to the sermon, I issued some homework for our members: to think of one way we can reach out to the people in this area and report it back to me.  I hope that Groveland Missionary Church will take up the example set by our Lover Jesus and touch some of the people in our area that others might deem untouchable.