Judah Smith - Jesus Is

Praise for JESUS IS _____.

Judah Smith is a unique gift to my generation. In Jesus Is _____, he will motivate you to let go of your preconceived, limited view of Jesus so you can embrace who He really is in our livesmore real and relevant than we have ever imagined.

STEVEN FURTICK, LEAD PASTOR, ELEVATION CHURCH AND AUTHOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER GREATER

There is not another human being on earth whom I know personally who could tackle a book subject like this as well as Judah Smith. To Judah, Jesus is everything. And from that platform he writes this book. I eagerly await its impact in my city, New York City, and beyond... Its overdue.

CARL LENTZ, LEAD PASTOR, HILLSONG CHURCH, NEW YORK CITY

As you read through this book you will discover that Jesus is not at all like you thought and so much more than you imagined.

CHRISTINE CAINE, FOUNDER OF THE A21 CAMPAIGN

This book gives any readerregardless of where they are in their faith walkthe inspiration to redefine and reignite a new relationship with Jesus.

TOMMY BARNETT, SENIOR PASTOR, PHOENIX FIRST AND FOUNDER OF THE LOS ANGELES DREAM CENTER

This book will set you on a journey of falling even more in love with the unending characteristics of the greatest man who ever lived.

BRIAN HOUSTON, SENIOR PASTOR, HILLSONG CHURCH

Who is Jesus to you? Finding the answer to this question will change your life forever. Judah Smith is on a mission to share the truth about Jesus, and if you are searching to know more, you will find it in Jesus Is ______.

CRAIG GROESCHEL, SENIOR PASTOR OF LIFECHURCH.TV AND AUTHOR OF SOUL DETOX: CLEAN LIVING IN A CONTAMINATED WORLD

If you truly grasp the concept of this book it will change your life. We all have questions about our faith. Judah has a gift of navigating through all the religious rhetoric and sheds light on who God is, in a way Ive never seen before. At the end of this book I guarantee you will feel loved by your Creator.

JASON KENNEDY, E! NEWS CORRESPONDENT

This book will inspire you and make you laugh at the same time. It will also challenge and encourage you. As always, with Judah it is all about Jesus.

NICKY GUMBEL, VICAR OF HOLY TRINITY BROMPTON AND PIONEER OF THE ALPHA COURSE

Why let your past failures hold you back when Jesus has already paid for them? Judah, as a positive force, teaches what he knows, loves, and believes in... Jesus. As hell often say Im a Jesus guy.

RYAN GOOD, STYLIST FOR JUSTIN BIEBER AND PRODUCER OF TV SHOW PUNKD

Jesus Is . Student Edition

2014 by Judah Smith

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Published in association with the literary agency of Fedd & Company, Inc., P.O. Box 341973, Austin, TX 78734.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from THE KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible, public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-7180-2245-7

ISBN: 978-0-7180-2248-8 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smith, Judah.

Jesus is -- : discovering who He is changes who you are / Judah Smith. -- Student edition.

pages cm

Undescore mark appears after Jesus is in the title.

1. Jesus Christ--Person and offices. I. Title.

BT203.S615 2014

232--dc23

2014022191

14 15 16 17 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to the community I have been privileged to be a part of since I was thirteen, the City Church. This is our journey.

Contents

by Bubba Watson

Sometimes God takes your life for some crazy twists and turns. Thats the story of my life, actually.

In case you havent heard of me, Im a professional golfer. If youve ever watched golf, maybe youve seen a guy who uses a pink club. That would be me. Long story, so dont ask. Anyway, besides the pink club thing, Im best known for having won the Masters Tournament a couple of times (2012 and 2014).

When I first heard the name Judah Smith, my dad was just weeks away from being called home to heaven. My trainer started talking to me about a great young pastor named Judah Smith from Seattle. A few days later, Judah and I connected through Twitter, and then we started communicating back and forth.

Soon after, my dad passed away. Hed been battling cancer for a while, but nothing prepares you for your dad dyingeven when you know its coming. I was closer to my dad than to just about anyone else. He was my coach on and off the course. It was a rough time.

Judah was quick to send me some encouraging messages from the Bible. It was a heartfelt gesture and really meant the world to me. I had no idea at the time that Judah was going through the very same thing. His dad was fighting cancer too. Just two months after my dad passed, his dad died as well.

I remember what happened next like it was yesterday. Five days after his dads death, I wrote Judah and asked him if he wanted to come down to my house to play golf. What can I say? Judahs a pastor; he shared Bible verses. Im a golfer; I shared the green. Judah and his family packed their bags and came for a visit.

Like I said, God takes you for some crazy twists and turns. The only way you can explain my friendship with Judah is that God made it happen. Judah has helped me be stronger in my relationship with Jesus. He has been a great role model in all areas of life. He has helped me be better at asking God for help with decisions and trusting him every day. As our friendship has grown, he has taught me to be a better husband, better dad, better friend, better listener, better everythingexcept maybe a better golfer!

How does he do it? He just shares Jesus. Thats what gets Judah started and keeps him going. He wants to help people meet Jesus and become more like Jesus.

I hope Jesus Is _____ Student Edition will help you do exactly that. Its a simple message, but its the kind of message every one of us needs to hear.

Im thirty-three years old, and I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, which means I love coffee and complaining about the weather. Im a husband, a father of three, and an okay golfer. Im also a pastor.

That last bit often makes people feel awkward. They try to watch what they say around me, which mostly makes me laugh. They think I cant relate to them. They think Im always holy, always perfect, and always judging what they do.

That is a stereotype, of course: a false idea of what a pastor is. Im as human as the next guy. I make mistakes, I tell jokes, and I like to eat food that is terrible for me. Just like you.

Over the last few years, Ive been on a journey that has challenged my stereotypesof myself, of sin and sinners, of Jesus himself. Its hard to describe how much it has changed me, but I do know this: Ill never be the same again.