The Humility of the Cross
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus truly changes everything. It has changed the course of history, our calendar, how modern cultures value human life, our views of freedom and dignity, our compassion and charity towards others, our understanding of liberty and justice, how we think about arts and culture, and so much more. That the King of the universe would leave His throne to become one of us perfectly, so as to die as the worst of us, that we might be made perfect, is a mystery beyond compare. And we are the beneficiaries of this act of love in human history.
It’s hard to refuse someone who has given absolutely everything for you. Especially when that “everything” is infinitely more than the best you can offer. This gift should create in us one significant effect… humility. Our theme for the month of April at the Gospel Rescue Mission is “Humility That Lifts Up”. The world teaches self-promotion, but the Gospel teaches self-forgetfulness. Jesus showed us that the way up is down, that greatness is found in serving, not in being served. At the Mission, humility creates unity. It allows staff and residents to grow together, learn from correction, and treat every person with dignity… no matter their title or story.
Folks coming to the Mission often share that they want a different life than the one that drove them to us in the first place. Even being honest enough to acknowledge that can require humility, and for our team it is in listening that love learns. Life in our program is designed to exercise humility in ways that build up others while thinking of ourselves less.
It’s how we want to love our community, our neighbors, customers, donors, and family. When we lift others, God lifts us.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
So our entire team will be working to challenge each other and our resident population to look for opportunities to choose humility over pride, listening more and talking less (this will clearly be a challenge for this chatty Executive Director), encouraging and honoring others, and serving them from our hearts. True greatness is found in washing feet, in serving behind the scenes, and in lifting others up. Humility invites God’s favor because it makes room for Him to work, and when He does the work He gets the glory!
– Brian Bouteller, Executive Director
From Ritual to Relationship: Jimmy’s Walk into the Light
When you first meet Jimmy, you are struck by his attitude. It’s positive, it’s infectious, and it’s deeply rooted in a peace that he hasn’t always known. But as Jimmy will tell you, that peace didn’t come from the rituals of his youth or the comfort of a trust fund; it came from a “divine appointment” at the Gospel Rescue Mission.
Jimmy’s story began with a different kind of structure. Raised Catholic and baptized at birth, he moved through the motions of a traditional religious upbringing—catechism and the sacred sacraments. He grew up, married twice, and raised two daughters, eventually moving to Grants Pass five years ago to settle on land near where his grandmother once lived. To the outside world, it looked like a life of stability.
But underneath the surface, Jimmy was battling a cycle of addiction. He had cycled through 12-step programs and intensive outpatient care in San Clemente, living in a house overlooking the beach where he could surf and fish.
Yet, even with those resources, the “cure” remained elusive because it hadn’t yet reached his heart.
After his parents passed away from cancer, Jimmy found himself with a sizeable trust fund. In the world’s eyes, he was free. He split the money with his daughters, but in that season of perceived independence, he lost his grip on his connection with God.
“In doing so, I kind of lost touch with God,” Jimmy recalls. “And I started drinking again… just about every day.”
The physical toll was immediate. His youngest daughter noticed his health failing and took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, along with double hernias and vision issues. He was at the end of his own strength, broken in body and spirit. It was at this rock bottom that Jimmy found himself at the Gospel Rescue Mission. He doesn’t credit luck or a social agency for his arrival; he credits the Lord.
At the Mission, Jimmy began attending chapel twelve times a week, soaking in the Word. He discovered that while the world offers “death prevention” through handouts to the homeless, the Mission offers a true Pathway to Independence by restoring dignity through discipleship, structure and responsibility.
The most profound change, however, was in his relationships. Jimmy’s youngest daughter, who had previously not been baptized, watched her father’s transformation. Recently, at Edgewater Christian Fellowship, Jimmy didn’t just stand by—he got to baptize her himself!
Today, Jimmy is a “shining light” at the Mission. Whether he’s reading Proverbs in the chapel or planning to pull weeds in the garden when the sun comes out, his focus is no longer on his past mistakes but on his new Master.
“When God’s in your life, He knows exactly what He has planned for us,” Jimmy says. He has moved from a life of “blame-shifting” and “bad choices” to one of “biblical love expressed through action and service.”
Jimmy’s journey is a living testament to the truth we hold dear at the Mission: that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He came to us broken, but through the grace of God and the support of this community, he is putting the pieces of his puzzle back together—and this time, they are staying in place.
