Jesus…The Perfect Example for Making Authentic Connections

Jesus was nothing like the superheroes we love and admire today. Historians say He didn’t hang out with the cool kids, the rich, or the powerful. He was the last person anyone would think would be king. At one point, someone scoffed about His hometown, “Has anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nazareth basically had the same reputation as Liverpool before four shaggy-headed musical geniuses made history by sweeping the world with their tunes. But here came Jesus, bursting onto the scene, with a ragtag bunch of guys that no one thought twice about. Like David, He was gathering His own group of “mighty men,” and also like David, He couldn’t have cared less about the optics.

Jesus was never politically correct. He was an equal-opportunity irritator, dissing religious leaders and annoying the government. Jesus only cared about one thing: connecting people (you and me) to God. Period. Got one? Good. Repeat. Got another one? Great. Repeat. These were real followers, people whose hearts were transformed by coming into contact with Jesus, not just thumbs-up and heart emojis.

Jesus’s birth and life became the fulfillment of over 300 ancient prophecies. He didn’t come to earth as a mere man like his great-great-great (etc.) great-grandpa, David. And he wasn’t just a “good man” or a “man after God’s own heart.” He was God on earth. Jesus was and is the ultimate hero. He is a flawless, perfect, omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere at once), omnipotent (all-powerful) being…the true God.

The Real Connection

When Jesus was on earth, He didn’t go about making people “perfect.” He didn’t create His own “image.” He didn’t teach coping skills to troubled people. He didn’t filter the difficult parts of life. He spoke truth, lived truth, taught truth, and walked around as truth personified. He ripped the two religious parties—the Pharisees and Sadducees. He called them “whitewashed tombs,” saying they might look good on the outside, but they were dead on the inside. He could have been talking about influencers or social media addicts today. He could have been talking about Republicans or Democrats. He could have been talking about me.

Who wants to get in the way of those words? Ouch! But Jesus talked that way because He loved people. And He loves us today. He even loves people who have made Him their enemy! He loves the mess-ups, outcasts, and untouchables. He came to spring people out of their fake, addicted, and troubled lives and set them free.

From Outcast to Evangelist

One outcast whose life Jesus reached was a woman from the hated Samaritan ethnic group. He met her at a well in the middle of the day, during the highest heat. She was most likely there to avoid meeting up with most people, who came when it was cool. She was a Samaritan, hated by Jews, and a woman with a bad reputation, hated by her own Samaritan people. Harsh.

Jesus saw something different in her, something that others didn’t see. He saw a woman longing for real connection. So, He reached out to her and said, “Give me a drink.”

When Jesus asked her for a drink, He didn’t really need her help to get a drink. This was Jesus. He was with God creating lakes and oceans. He was with Moses parting the Red Sea. And His first miracle was to turn water into wine. No, He didn’t need help with a beverage.

Jesus asked her for water because He wanted to draw her focus to her own dry condition. He wanted her to see her parched life, her own thirst, and all the dead-end ways she tried to satisfy that thirst.

She responded, “I don’t have a bucket.” Jesus explained that He had living water He could give her. He said that if she drank it, she would never thirst again. Jesus had her attention. She said she would really, really like some of that “living water.”

She admitted her need, but she was really saying, “Please help me so I don’t have to be trapped. I don’t want to keep sneaking back here and hiding. I don’t want to have to keep performing. I don’t want to be so mad and angry. I don’t want to keep being so…thirsty for life. I want real life.”

The woman was in a trap of her own making, caused by her own choices and her attempts to correct those choices through the wrong means. She was dying for an authentic connection with someone who really loved her. Until that moment, she had lost hope.

Jesus said, “Okay, go get your husband.”

Then she admitted another need: “I have no husband.”

Then Jesus stunned her. He said, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband.”

She was probably thinking, Have you been following me on Instagram? Or maybe, Stalker?!

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.” But no. He is not a prophet. He has just revealed that He is the Messiah. He is the Savior all of Israel has been hoping for.

This man, who acknowledges her, knows every detail about her hurting heart and ugly past. She is stuck in a trap. Jesus sees her for who she is and for who He made her to be. He affirms her worth. Only Jesus, who cannot be trapped, can set trapped people free.

In that moment, the woman believes. Her thirst for being known and loved is quenched. This woman is no longer ashamed of herself. She no longer feels the need to hide from people. Instead, she runs back and tells everyone in her village, “Come and meet the man who told me everything I ever did. Could he be the Messiah?” (You can find the full story in John 4:7-29.)

The village outcast became the village evangelist. This is what hope looks like.

Movies often elevate humanity above God. (Narcissists!) But a life centered around the love of Jesus is the only way to have the life that we long for and the life we are made for. And in this crazy world, we need Jesus and everything He gives us. Hope. Peace. Joy. Friendship. Loyalty. Honesty. Forgiveness. Faithfulness.

Jesus gives us all the things we are looking for in our own lives and in our authentic relationships. He has already done everything necessary to give us all of this. It’s just that many of us haven’t made that connection yet.

Grab a copy of my new WSJ & USA Today bestselling book, Overliked, and discover ways to live the life God has called you to live.

If you want to learn more about how to make that connection with Jesus—and with others in your life—I invite you to check out my new book, Overliked: Finding Direction, Courage, and Meaningful Relationships in a Society Crippled by Social Media. Join the thousands of others who are also on this journey to the life-giving, authentic relationships you so desire!

Until next Monday, find your hope in Jesus!

~Pastor Rob

Aka, P-Ro

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year Devotional 

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

The First Three Chapters 

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.


Make It the Best Year Devotional

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

 

Exclusive Live Webinar – “How to Help Your Teen Break Free of Social Media Addiction”

While it might not (yet) be considered a clinical addition, many in society can’t go 5 minutes without checking their phone to see how many likes they have for their latest post, or how many comments people have left. And our teens are especially susceptible. After all, they’ve been all but raised with a device in their hands. How do we help this next generation deal with the debilitating side effects social media can have on us? In this 90-minute webinar, Pastor Rob will discuss the issue and provide practical ways we can help our teens navigate these formative years in a positive way. There will also be a live Q & A session at the end. (A link to the recorded webinar will be provided after the live event.)

Overliked by Rob Singleton is a tome for such a time as this. Even though I work on television, I also make a living through social media. Coincidently, right before I started reading the pre-release copy, I had checked my "Likes'" and numbers on social media! How was I doing? Were my numbers growing? Declining? Did a few drop off?  
 
It's so easy to get our self-esteem and self-worth tied to those likes and numbers.  
 
Through Pastor Rob's book, we learn how frivolous and fake it can all be and ultimately, how it can lead to a miserable and unfulfilled life if left unchecked. The tools, scriptures, and "change of heart" takeaways that Pastor Rob provides at the end of each chapter help considerably shift the focus from there…to in here. He gently, but with statistics and examples, gives us a guide us to live a more authentic life.  
 
In the book, Pastor Rob says, "Honesty is what sets us up for authentic relationships," and isn't that what we really all want? 
 
As a woman over 40 in Hollywood, the expectations have never been higher. Overliked sites that, in one 12-month period, YouTube logged 169 billion views just for beauty-related content. Beauty is good… perfection is lethal. And don't I know it? I am on high-definition TV with glaring set lights, standing next to 20- to 30-year old young women daily; it's a test to stay solid and secure in your own skin.  
 
I was posting perfectly lit and curated pictures of my "Beautiful" (heavily filtered) life; people followed and viewed but scrolled right along. However, when I let down the curtain, turned off the filter, and decided to share my real-life sorrows and struggles with cancer, the comments, words, notes, and numbers flooded. People want to see my honesty and weaknesses because they can relate.  
 
Overliked shows us that when we pretend to be perfect, the only person we are hurting is ourselves.  
 
Pastor Rob's easy and relatable storytelling draws the reader in. We find that our weaknesses become our strengths to help us touch, encourage, and heal others, not just impress them.  
 
Thank you for this very needed and essential book that helps us realize that being real is the only way to have a true connection with our Lord and our friends and family. 
 
In Overliked, through story references of David, we learn the Lord encourages us all to ignore appearance and stature. "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
 
This book is an important message for developing authenticity in our lives, which is far more critical than adding strangers, getting fake followers, and creating a heavily-filtered life experience. I promise you will really "LIKE" it.