A lonely thief.

An unwelcome dinner guest.

A hardened criminal facing his final hours on earth.

What do all these people have in common?

(I promise this isn't the beginning of a bad joke…)

They all faced the messiness of life. Some made the mess themselves. Some were thrown headfirst into a mess that they had nothing to do with. But they all felt left out in some way. And then, one day, something changed. It wasn't that they suddenly became UNmessy. Their lives weren’t magically made perfect. But each one, through different circumstances, came face to face with Jesus, and he invited them to be part of God's story. He didn't leave them out.

(Okay, dramatic intro over…) Hi, I’m Michael. That's me at Zaxby's. (Only Zaxby's sweet tea can make me smile like that.) I love stories, especially stories of redemption where characters get another chance. I believe the Bible is full of these kinds of stories. Stories where messy, flawed people get to be included in what God is doing. (And trust me, I am as messy and flawed as they come!)

I don't know what your opinion is of the Bible, or Jesus, or God. Whatever it is, you are welcome here. I started writing Nobody Left Out because I wanted to explore Bible stories through the lens of God's love for all people. So even if you're not a "Bible person," you're invited to come along and take a peek into these stories. We can wrestle with them together, even the messy ones!

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