Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled Jesus' Unpopular Ideas was written by Anne Cetus.

For 15 years, Mike Burden held hate-filled meetings in the memorabilia shop he ran in his small town.

But in 2012, when his wife began to question his involvement, his heart softened.

He realized how wrong his racist views were and didn't want to be that person any longer.

The militant group retaliated by kicking his family out of the apartment they'd been renting from one of the members.

Where did he turn for help?

Surprisingly, he went to a local black pastor with whom he'd clashed.

The pastor in his church provided housing and groceries for Mike's family for some time.

When asked why he agreed to help, Pastor Kennedy explained,

Jesus Christ did some very unpopular things.

When it's time to help, you do what God wants you to do.

Later, Mike spoke at Kennedy's Church and apologized to the black community

for his part in spreading hatred. Jesus taught some unpopular ideas in the sermon on the Mount. Give to

the one who asks you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.

That's the upside-down way of thinking God calls us to follow.

Though it looks like weakness, it's actually acting out of God's strength.

The one who teaches us is the one who gives the power to live out this upside-down life in whatever way he asks of us.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew

Chapter 5, verses 38 through 48.

You have heard that it was said said eye for eye and tooth for tooth

but I tell you do not resist an evil person if anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to them the

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