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splash, no immediate result, no measurable return on investment.
Humble, hidden, sacrificial love is how we, too, can live as Jesus’ witnesses. And as we do, something entirely upside-down happens: We find the gratification and fulfillment we were chasing in all the wrong places.
The English“ witness” is a common translation of the Greek word martus, which is also translated as“ martyr.” To be Jesus’ witness was virtually synonymous with being his martyr, losing one’ s life by association with him. But even apart from persecution, a sacrificial death to self( a martyrdom of sorts) has always been central to living as his witness. Jesus was the first witness, the first martyr, in this“ upside-down, come alive by dying” Kingdom. And now he calls us to become like him. matters. But what will matter most is how you loved the people you got to love your days
alongside. All of our stories will get weighed on the scale of love.
What on that scale weighs heavy and what measure as light?
Do your best to live accordingly today. That’ s witness.
Excerpted with permission from The Familiar Stranger by Tyler Staton. Copyright 2025, Thomas Nelson. As the years of your one, brief life fade, what will matter most profoundly is not your work, accomplishments, or reputation. All of that
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Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, and the National Director of 24-7 Prayer USA. He is passionate about pursuing prayer in the honest realities of day-to-day life. Tyler is the author of Praying Like Monks, Living like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer and Searching for Enough: The High-Wire Walk Between Doubt and Faith. He lives in Portland with his wife Kirsten, and their sons Hank, Simon, and Amos. 32