Hours before his own death, Jesus' concern is singular. He wants his disciples to know how much he loves them. More than removing dirt, Jesus is removing doubt.

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me" (John 10:14 NIV).

He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes.

How would you have responded if Jesus, knowing everything about you, knelt before you to wash your feet?

Jesus' love does not depend upon what we do for him. Not at all. In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are. You don't have to look nice or perform well. Your value is inborn. Period.

He gives us more than we request by going deeper than we ask. He wants not only your whole heart; he wants your heart whole.

Trust God's hold on you more than your hold on God. His faithfulness does not depend on yours. His performance is not predicated on yours. His love is not contingent on your own. Your candle may flicker, but it will not expire. God's love for you does not—will not—end.

Don't confuse God's love with the love of people. The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God's love. He loves you right where you are.

Right there in the middle of a world which isn't fair. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body which gets sick and a heart which grows weak . . . On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you. And the

Of all the things you must earn in life, God's unending affection is not one of them. You have it. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.

GOD LOVES YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, BUT HE REFUSES TO LEAVE YOU THAT WAY.

No problem is unsolvable. No life is irredeemable. No one's fate is sealed. No one is unloved or unlovable.