Welcome to More Like Jesus
What More Like Jesus Is and Why It Matters
For over a decade, I’ve been writing notes in the margins of my Bible: reflections, observations, moments where Scripture came alive in unexpected ways. Last year, I felt the Lord nudge me to share them publicly, so I began sending weekly emails to those who follow the ministry I lead, Invite Ministries.
People responded. The most consistent comment: “You have a unique way of looking at Scripture.”
Over time, I realized what they were responding to was a core conviction I hold: it’s not principles about Jesus that change us, but the person of Jesus—encountered through his story. Now, after a year of refining my approach through real-time feedback, I’m ready to begin at the beginning.
More Like Jesus officially launches January 1, 2026.
The complete story of Jesus.
This is the complete story of Jesus, and an invitation to experience Jesus the way the first disciples did: with wonder and confusion, failure and discovery, one moment at a time.
For most of Christian history, people encountered Scripture differently than we do today.
They didn’t start with analysis. They started with story. Beginning with the disciples, and then in the years, decades, and centuries that followed, people learned about the story of Jesus first, and then about doctrine and theology later.
Somewhere along the way, we reversed the order. We started with theology (what to believe) and began to treat the story as illustration or proof.
We learned to analyze before we learned to experience.
Theology matters deeply, and we have gained precision, but we’ve also lost something essential: the formative power of encountering Jesus through his story.
More Like Jesus attempts to recover the original sequence (experience —> analysis) through what I call Story Study.
Why is this important?
Well, for one, it’s super interesting to start with the story. Theology begins with the mind, but stories begin with the heart.
When we start by analyzing Scripture first (figure it out, then believe), we’re always striving. When we start by experiencing Jesus (encounter first, let understanding follow), we’re operating from a much different place, built on connection and relationship.
The story of Jesus keeps us grounded in what’s real.
My prayer is that through More Like Jesus, you’ll discover Jesus in a way you’ve perhaps never known. And in the process, you’ll find no less than the highest goal of human life: union with God through Jesus Christ.
Here’s how it works.
Starting January 1, we begin Season 1: The Way to Begin Again.
You’ll walk through Mark’s Gospel the way the first disciples experienced Jesus, beginning with chapter 1, verse 1. Not by extracting lessons from above the text, but by inhabiting the story from within.
You’ll feel what Peter felt when he woke to find Jesus gone.
Share the disciples’ terror in the storm.
Experience the tension of following someone you don’t yet understand.
You’ll receive three immersive, new entries each week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), plus occasional Behind the Scenes articles on Sundays exploring theology, method, and the making of More Like Jesus—perhaps even including insights from the artist creating visual elements for the series.
Each daily entry includes:
A moment from Mark’s Gospel, told in sequence, from beginning to end
An immersive experience of the biblical story to help put you in the moment
Sometimes, a second story to juxtapose the biblical story in modern context (the order of the two stories may vary)
A note to help integrate the story with your life
A prayer
An invitation to live it out
Three ways you can participate.
On your own: Read one entry per day, or binge an entire season at your own pace.
With a group: Gather weekly to share what you’re experiencing. No homework. No pressure. Just honest conversation about encountering Jesus through the story. You can do this online through the site’s chat feature, or through your own chat tools, or offline.
As a leader: A complete guide provides theological framework, discussion flows, and flexible formats for any context.
What makes Story Study different.
Think about the last story that actually changed you: a series you binged, a book you couldn’t put down, a film that stayed with you for weeks.
You didn’t analyze it from above. You entered it. You felt what the characters felt. You lived inside the story and it told you something about yourself.
That is how Scripture is designed to work.
The New Testament gives us both story and theology—the narrative of Jesus and the apostolic reflection on what it means. Both are essential.
But there’s an order.
The first disciples didn’t start with systematic theology. They encountered Jesus through story. They walked with him, confused and curious, discovering who he was one moment at a time. The theology came later—not instead of the experience, but through it and because of it.
More Like Jesus recovers that original sequence.
Not story instead of theology, but story first, theology second. Not because analysis is bad, but because encounter creates categories that make theology meaningful.
Story Study invites you to step inside the narrative and experience Jesus the way the first disciples did, then let good theology illuminate what you’ve encountered.
More Like Jesus is both traditioned and innovative. It’s a recovery of what the church practiced for centuries, and it complements regular Bible studies by focusing on story, relationship, and encounter.
Here’s what one early reader discovered when she read a preview of Season 1:
“The story of the friends and the paralyzed man made me think about the story in a much different way. It was a foreshadowing of resurrection and God’s kingdom. It also speaks of the importance of community. The man’s sins were forgiven based on the faith of his friends. That is indicative of just how much power God places on community.”
She saw something I never explicitly said. That’s what happens when story does the work instead of propositions. Learning expands past the insight of a single teacher, and the Holy Spirit makes connections we can’t orchestrate.
Season 1 is completely free.
Beginning January 1, 2026, with Season 1: The Way to Begin Again, over the next three months, you’ll experience the first six stories of Mark’s Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1–2:5). Each season contains six stories (passages) from the gospel text, and each story a series of daily entries. Each story lasts two weeks (six entries).
Season one explores lies we believe about God and the truth that heals.
My desire is that by the end of Season 1, you won’t just know more about Jesus. You’ll have experienced what it means to begin again.
This journey is for you if:
You’re tired of Bible studies that feel flat
You love Jesus and want a fresh way to experience him
You’re a church leader who knows programs aren’t making disciples well
You’re curious about Jesus but unsure where to start
You want depth, not just fill-in-the-blanks
You suspect there’s more to following Jesus than what you’ve experienced
A special invitation.
I want to offer you something as an early supporter:
If you convert to a paid subscription before December 31, you’ll be recognized as a Founding Partner in the More Like Jesus community.
Founding Partners receive:
Priority access to all seasons. Early access to new content.
Behind the Scenes articles exploring theology, method, and the making of More Like Jesus (these become chapters of the Leader’s Guide)
Q&A access to partner chats with me throughout the journey
Your name included in Book 1 when it publishes with Invite Press (fall 2026)
Support the work at $120/year (or $10/month)
100% of revenue goes directly to Invite Ministries to support our mission
To become a founding partner, click here.
This isn’t required—Season 1 is free for everyone. But if you want to go deeper and support this work, becoming a Founding Partner is the way. This subscription tier will go away after a while.
Ready to begin?
Soon, I’ll post a preview—two actual entries so you can feel the immersive style for yourself.
Subscribe now so you don’t miss it.
One story at a time.
One moment at a time.
The way stories actually change you.
Len Wilson, D.Min.
Husband and Father • Storyteller • Minister • Award-Winning Producer • Executive Director, Invite Ministries • Publisher, Invite Press • Author of 12 books, including Telos: The Hope of Heaven Today, The Wired Church and Digital Storytellers
P.S. If you received some of the early More Like Jesus emails last year—don’t worry, I’m not repeating them. I’ve refined and rewritten much of that content based on what I’ve learned. Think of 2024 as the soft launch. This is the official one.