ZOE (pronounced zo-aye) – from ancient Greek meaning LIFE
noun

1. of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God through the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed

In John 10:10, Jesus proclaims the life He came to bring. The life He was referring to was more then just the eating, breathing, sleeping, working life most of us live. We were designed for more then the nine-to-five job, the house with the picket fence, the wife and the 2.3 kids, the dog, the minivan, baseball, apple pie, and two weeks paid vacation. That was the life that most of us have settled on pursuing, not the life we are meant to pursue.

The Greek word for life in this context is “ZOE” and it communicates a life full to the absolute, belonging to God, that is vigorous and active, real and genuine. It points to more then just an existence, but a life where blessings flow abundantly and purpose is lived out on a daily basis with passion. Most importantly, the ZOE life is one lived out in a covenant relationship with God through Christ, where God bares the responsibility for the direction of our lives, and our only obligation in return is to pursue obedience and righteousness in His sight.

This is the life of discipleship we were made for, and yet this life is preached in too few pulpits. What would happen if the picture we painted of the Gospel was one of this ZOE life? How would this version of the Gospel message differ from the versions the world has come to identify us with? What if we truly experienced ZOE in our own lives?