by Bart Denny Most of us know what it feels like to live under evaluation. We get measured at work. Compared at school. Judged online. And yes, sometimes even in church. Over time, that constant scrutiny does something to us. It quietly trains us to build our identity on performance: Am I succeeding? Am I respected? Am I keeping up? Am I right? And when our identity feels fragile, we get defensive. We push back. We justify ourselves. We posture. We react. Because when identity isn’t secure, disagreement feels dangerous. But Jesus offers something better than a better performance. He offers a deeper anchor. That’s why we launched a series called The Upper Room Way —because on the night before the cross, Jesus didn’t simply give His disciples information. He formed them. In a room heavy with tension and sorrow, Jesus shaped a people who could live faithfully in a hostile world—not through outrage, not through dominance, but through love, cleansing, and a secure identity in Him....
