Life in Christ – Our Faith, Hope, & Joy

Merry Christmas!

“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today, in the city of David, a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11)

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!” (Luke 2:14)

(Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-2:12; John 1:14)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! Time to celebrate the birth of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ! Everything around us is prettier – the weather’s (usually) cooler, the world around us is filled with fun festivities, beautiful decorations, familiar traditions, & music that makes us smile. Even the people we encounter tend to be nicer.

As we enjoy the beauty around us, let’s take time this season to remember the true source of all our joy – Jesus Christ. Let’s take time to think about the reality of what we’re celebrating.

Think about Mary. What thoughts went through her head when Gabriel appeared? What kind of reactions did her friends & family have? How did they treat her? What kind of whispers & side-looks did she have to endure? We probably can’t come anywhere close to imagining what she felt or what she went through, but we do know that she was a faithful servant of God. A special, real, woman who was chosen to be the earthly mother of Jesus, the Messiah.

Think about Joseph. He was a humble, ordinary carpenter. A kind, faithful, Jewish man who sought to do what was right. What did his friends & family think? How did they treat him when he decided to take Mary as his wife, despite her pregnancy? We don’t know much about Joseph, but he was honorable enough to be selected as the human father figure of our Immanuel.

Think about the shepherds. There they were, minding their own business, watching their sheep in the small, quiet, hillside town. Then suddenly a bright light shines all around them & an angel announces the arrival of the long-awaited Savior! What thoughts went through their heads? Did they immediately, completely, believe the angel’s message? Did they feel worthy of receiving the invitation to meet the Lord face to face? How did the people around them react to their recounting of the night?

Think about the wise men. These magi, astronomers, eastern men, were not Jews. Yet, God chose them to visit His Son, to bring Him gifts, & to worship Him. God chose them to be messengers, warning Joseph & Mary about Herod’s pending threat. What did these foreign men think about all of this? Did they believe in the Sovereignty of God, in the Lordship of Jesus? What did they think about the gifts they offered? Did they understand the meaning & prophecy of those gifts?

Think about this. Did any of the shepherds, wise men, or anyone else keep track of Jesus as He grew up? Did anyone see Him grow from a Baby, to a young Man, to an adult Teacher with devoted followers, to a wrongly executed Man who would rise again on the third day? Did anyone believe? Did anyone think that it all was true?

What about us? What would we have thought if we were in their places? What do we think now? Is it all just a fairy tale to us? A cute story that we tell once or twice a year & then forget, or write off as fiction?

Hopefully, it is so much more to us. Because it is all 100% true. It is the only reason we have anything to celebrate. Without Jesus, & all He is & all He has done, there is nothing. He alone is the source of all our joy. He is the only reason we even have Christmas.

So, please, let’s be merry & bright. Let’s spread cheer & festivity to all around us. Let’s enjoy the beauty & love that surrounds us. But let’s also remember to proclaim glory to God & thank Him for the absolute best gift of all time – Jesus Christ!

HALLELUJAH to the KING OF KINGS; to the LORD OF LORDS; to the PRINCE OF PEACE; our WONDERFUL COUNSELOR; the MIGHTY GOD; the EVERLASTING FATHER! ALL PRAISE to IMMANUEL; to the ANOINTED ONE; to the MESSIAH; our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

A Fresh Start

Ecclesiastes 11:7 ‘Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. ‘

Psalm 118:24 ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. ‘

As the students in our lives, both young and not-so-young, get ready to begin a new year of school, it’s also a great time for all of us to make a fresh start. While they stock up on pens, pencils, folders, notebooks, books, & other school supplies, we should crack open our own notebook & a physical Bible, & dive into deepening our personal relationship with God.

Even if we’ve been believers for decades, there is always something new for us to learn. Something new for us to change in our lives. God is eternal, limitless. He exists outside of time & space. It’s impossible for us to know Him fully, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. God gave us His Word as a living & active insight into who He is, how much He loves us, & how He wants us to live our lives here on earth.

Students typically spend hours studying the material they are trying to learn. Why should we not do the same? After all, regardless of our age, we are still students ourselves. God is wanting to teach us more – we need to listen & learn. Just like students have teachers who help them better understand the material, we too have instructors who will help us. God has gifted some people to be preachers & teachers of the Word, whether through sermons, Bible studies, or devotional books. God has also provided us with multiple translations of the Bible to help us have a clearer understanding of what He is trying to tell us. Best of all, God has gifted all of us who believe in Him with the internal presence of the Holy Spirit to speak directly to our hearts.

So, as this new school year begins, let’s make an effort to refresh our minds, renew our strength, & begin a new song of praise to God. Let’s invest more time & energy into learning more about God & what He wants for & from us. Let’s open our hearts to hearing God’s voice & focus on living the lives He wants us to live.

It’s a fresh new school year – the perfect time for a fresh start to living Christ-like!!

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1 Corinthians 5:17-18; Psalm 51:10-12; Psalm 85:6-7; Lamentations 5:21; Psalm 32:1; Psalm 145:14; Galatians 3:25-27; Psalm 18:21; Ephesians 2:14; Luke 1:78; Romans 13:13; Micah 6:8; Proverbs 4:18; 2 Peter 3:14; Hosea 6:3; Lamentations 3:22-25

One Nation Under God

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” (Pledge of Allegiance)

Our beautiful country was founded for many reasons, but two of the most prominent are unity & God. It’s everywhere – in our name (UNITED States of America); in our courtroom oaths (“so help me God”); in our pledge (“one nation, under God”); throughout our national songs (America the Beautiful, God Bless America, The Star-Spangled Banner, etc). It’s even on our money – “e pluribus unum” (out of many, one); “In God we trust”.

All across our national history, we see examples of following & not following these two founding principles – & the correlating effects of our actions. From wars within our borders, to segregation & separation over meaningless things to bonding together to defend our homeland to helping each other recover from devastating circumstances, we’ve seen it all. Without question, our country is at its strongest when we are both united & putting God ahead of the world.

So, what does this mean for us today? Where do we stand now? Right now, it seems like this is one of the most divided, far from God, times in our nation. It’s so sad to see the animosity, the lack of truth, the highlighting of differences, the absent hope, & the embrace of the secular world, that are so prevalent in modern society.

But we need to do much more than simply be sad & wish things were better, “more like the way they used to be”. As Christians, one of the best things we can do is set the example. We need to shine Christ’s light to the people around us. We need to show the joy & hope that comes from putting God & each other ahead of ourselves.

Let’s quit arguing amongst ourselves & behave like the one Church, the body of Christ, that we are supposed to be. Let’s try focusing on things we have in common with people, rather than our differences. Let’s recognize every human being as equally valuable & precious to God. Let’s make an effort to do things that benefit our neighbors & community (& do them happily). Most of all, let’s choose to surrender ourselves to God daily. To seek to follow His will first & foremost, before anything else. To honor & glorify Him with our words, thoughts, & actions constantly & consistently.

When we do all this, we will radiate Jesus so brightly to the world around us that it cannot & will not be ignored. When it gets noticed, it will call people to God, & we will start to see a change in society. Let’s help bring our nation back to it’s core founding principles.

Let’s help our country be “one nation, under God” again!

‘and [if] my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. ‘ (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Open the gates so a righteous nation can come in — one that remains faithful. You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you. Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock! (Isaiah 26:2-4)

[Living] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope, at your calling — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:2-6)

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, (Romans 15:5)

If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:1-5)

Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing. For the one who wants to love life and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, and let him turn away from evil and do what is good. Let him seek peace and pursue it, because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil. (1 Peter 3:8-12)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:14-17)

There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28)

‘But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. , Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6-10)

‘But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (Matthew 6:33)

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Psalms 55:22)

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body , and strengthening for your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine. Do not despise the Lord ’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline; for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:5-12)

Turn Worry to Worship

Let Go & Let God!! / Worship the LORD with Gladness!!

““This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you — you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear? ’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34 HCSB

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:6-8 HCSB

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 HCSB

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalms 55:22 HCSB

““Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 HCSB

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 HCSB

“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”” Joshua 1:9 HCSB

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB

Most of us have heard the expression “let go & let God”, but what does that actually mean? Should we just throw our hands in the air & run around carelessly saying, “nothing I do is going to matter, so what’s the point in even trying”? Of course not. We should care & make an effort. God gave us the freedom & ability to form plans & make decisions as we go about our lives

What it does mean, is that when we’re making our plans & striving to accomplish our goals, we need to keep our eyes focused on God, rely on & operate through His strength & trust His perfect plan no matter what comes our way. It means we should work to glorify God in & through what we can control, & let God take care of everything else. It means we should surrender our wills & ways to Him, & rest peacefully in His grace & mercy without fear or worry.

What is the point of worrying anyway? It doesn’t change anything. Worry accomplishes nothing besides adding stress & misery to our lives. Jesus said as much in the gospels when He said “Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?” (Matt 6:27). Scripture is filled with instructions not to worry. Most of us understand this & we get the reasons why. What we tend to struggle with is the “how”.

How do we do this? How do we not worry? The main way is by shifting our focus. By choosing to focus on God rather than ourselves. One way we can do this is deciding that when troubles &/or doubts come our way, instead of stressing out & focusing on the problems, we turn to God & focus on His provisions & His goodness. We turn our worries into worship.

God has given us so many blessings & so many reasons to glorify & praise Him. Even if our circumstances are so dark at a given moment that we can’t remember or see His kindness to us specifically, we can look to His character displayed radiantly throughout the Bible. And we can see Him majestically displayed in the wonderful world around us – beautiful sunrises & sunsets; colorful flowers, plants, & trees; majestic mountains; powerful oceans; adorable animals; diverse & unique people; etc.

The earth is filled with reasons to praise the LORD. And as believers, we have another reason to praise & worship Him – He gave us Jesus so that we can be with Him for eternity!

So how do we shift our focus? When a worry or concern comes to our minds, we offer it up to God in prayer. Then, we can run scriptures through our minds (reading God’s Word & committing it to memory is very helpful in this :-D). We can also sing hymns &/or praise & worship songs (silently or audibly, your choice :-D). It’s amazing the difference these simple acts make in our hearts & minds. As we practice this, soon it will become our default reaction. No, life will not get easier. And no, our troubles, problems, & concerns will not disappear. But the burden of carrying them will be lighter, & we will be able to move through them with inexplicable joy & peace that can only come from God, & we will be a shining light to the world around us.

Trust God. Focus on His goodness. Worship Him with gladness!

Give Us the Truth, please

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)

In this crazy world we live in, we are bombarded by an onslaught of information from a wide variety of sources. Everything, from newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet, cell phones, even our friends & family, has something to tell us. Something they want us to believe. This barrage of information can be overwhelming & confusing as it is often completely contradictory of each other, & it all claims to be true. How do we know what to believe? How do we know who to trust? How do we know what’s really true?

We need to go to the source of truth. Jesus. God’s Word is the best resource we have for learning the Truth. Jesus himself tells us that knowing the truth will set us free. And He also tells us that He is the Truth. What a relief this can be for us. The more we study the Bible; the more we learn about Jesus, & the more we set our minds & lives to follow Him, the more confidence we will have in knowing what is really true.

The closer we are to God, & the better we know His Word, we will start seeing the false things fall away, & we will find the clarity & freedom we are seeking.

So, whatever we see, whatever we hear, we need to take it to the Scriptures & compare it to what God says. If it lines up? Great! We can believe it & trust the source. If it does not align completely, then we should use caution & treat the information, & its source, with skepticism & hesitation. If the data goes against what God says? Then we need to throw it in the garbage & definitely reject the source.

We must keep our focus on God above all else. His Word is a light for our path (Ps 119:105). Jesus is our perfect source of truth. We need to trust Him & work to align our lives with His.

In this crazy, mixed up world, we Christians know the secret of Who to believe.

Jesus – the Way, the Truth, & the Life.

Worship the King! Celebrate Jesus!

As believers, we are called to worship. Both corporately & individually, we are expected to worship the Lord in spirit & in truth. So, what is worship? Is it singing a couple of songs on a Sunday morning? Is it reading our Bibles? Communicating with God through prayer? Lifting our hands? Bowing our heads? Kneeling? The answer is yes—all of these & so much more. True worship is everything—anything that is praise, honor, reverence, adoration, & celebration of God. Anything that glorifies Him.

What we really need to remember, what we really need to focus on, is not the how we express our worshp; rather, it’s the motivation behind it — the who we’re worshiping. Yes, worship absolutely should mean something to us individually & be offered in a way that is meaningful to us, but what matters more is the focus. The genuineness, the authenticity, the God-centeredness of the worship.

Because the truth is, real worship is not about us at all. It’s not about our personal preferences, musical abilities, scriptural knowledge, or prayer warrior-ness. True, genuine, authentic, heartfelt worship is all about God. It’s about who He is—Alpha & Omega, King of kings, Lord of lords, Almighty Redeemer, our Heavenly Father, our Best Friend. It’s about everything He has done, is doing, & will ever do. Real worship is all about God.

So, this year, especially as we are celebrating Easter – our King’s glorious resurrection, let’s check our hearts. Let’s watch our focus. How genuine is our worship? What is the main drive behind it? Are we thinking more about what we like & if it “speaks” to us? Or are we looking to God—is our worship bringing honor & glory to Him? Is He finding it a pleasing aroma? Are we seeking God’s pleasure first & foremost? And let’s remember that worship is more than just what happens in a Sunday morning church service. It can, & should, be an integrated part of our daily lives. As we do our regular devotions & prayers, let’s do them with an attitude of worship, & let’s live our lives that way too. Let’s worship the Lord in all that we say & everything that we do.

Most of all, let’s be sure to keep God at the center of every bit of our worship. Because, really, He is what it’s all about.

A Reason to Celebrate

(Matthew 21-28; Mark 11-16; Luke 19:29-24:52; John 12-21)

There are two major things Christians typically observe every year. One occurs in the winter, which is Christmas, when we rejoice over the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. The other happens in the spring, which is Easter, when we celebrate the death & resurrection of Christ, our Lord & Savior.

Most Christians recognize three main days in their yearly Easter commemorations: Palm Sunday, Good Friday, & Easter Sunday. What makes these days so special? Why do they matter so much to us?

Palm Sunday (Mt 21:1-11; Mk 11:1-11; Lk 19:29-44; Jn 12:12-19)

This is when we celebrate Jesus fulfilling prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) & riding into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey. The people there recognized the fulfillment & praised & honored Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, the Anointed One, the promised King, by shouting “Hosanna” & tossing their cloaks & freshly cut palm branches on the path before Him, carpeting His way into the city.

When we praise God on this day, we do the same as the people then, but with the added blessing of knowing the end of the story.

Good Friday (Mt 27; Mk 15; Lk 23; Jn 18-19)

This is one of the most difficult, heartbreaking, gruesome days in the Christian faith. This is the day that we remember how Jesus was betrayed, arrested, abandoned, put through a mockery of a trial, brutally beaten, treated like dirt, nailed to a rough wooden cross like the lowest criminal, & died.

So, why to we celebrate this? Why do we call this “good”? Because He did it all for us. Jesus loved us so much, that He sacrificed Himself in our place, as a payment for all of the debt owed God by every human for every possible thing that breaks God’s perfect law & separates us from Him.

Easter Sunday (Mt 28:1-10; Mk 16:1-14; Lk 24:1-49; Jn 20:1-23)

This is the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It is the defining moment of our faith where Jesus proves He is who He said He was & provides us a way to spend eternity with God. We rejoice that Jesus Christ is bigger & stronger than death, that the grave could not hold His almighty power.

Jesus’ resurrection proves that His sacrifice was enough—that He is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life for us to have a close, personal relationship with God forever. All we have to do is believe. As Paul tells us, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Jesus’ arrival, death, & resurrection made this possible. That’s why we sing praises! That’s why we celebrate every year!

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUJAH!

Knowledge, Compassion, Action

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov 9:10)

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)

“I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.”

(Ps 119:11)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” (Gal 5:22-23)

“So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” (Rom 10:17)

“But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.” (Jam 2:18)

As Christians, we need to fear, or respect, honor, & revere, the LORD, our God. If we do this, we will gain wisdom, & it increases our knowledge of God & His ways.

The more we grow in our relationship with God, the deeper our faith becomes & the more we become like Christ. And the more we start to view the people around us the way He does.

Jesus gave us a beautiful example of how being full of the knowledge of God produces the “fruit of the Spirit”, which yields a heart full of compassion for the world around us. As we go about our daily lives, we are to be like Him – to have genuine love & care for all the people we encounter.

The more we increase our knowledge of God, the more we gain compassion for the people around us. The more compassion we have, the more it will overflow into our actions & how we live our lives. We need to proclaim the Good News about God & His love with more than just our words. We need to broadcast it with what we do. Our words carry a lot more weight & have much more value when they are supported & proven by what we do. If we display the love of God in our daily lives, we will show the world the truth of Jesus & all that He has done for us. And people will be drawn to God for the same hope, joy, & love they see reflected in us.

So, let’s increase our knowledge of God, be filled with compassion, & live in a way that undeniably shows the love & necessity of Jesus!

What is Love?

(1 Corinthians 13)

The word “love” appears several hundred times throughout the Bible, & the concept is one of, if not the, central themes of God’s Word. Today, we toss the word around a lot, often with little regard for what it actually means. And this begs the question, do we even really know what love means? Do we really know what it is?

John tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16), & that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us (John 3:16-17). And Jesus tells us that the greatest commands are to love God with our hearts, souls, minds, & strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Mark 12:29-31)

So, what does this mean for us? How do we show love to God & to others? We love God by surrendering our lives to Him & living our lives in a way that honors & glorifies Him. This involves loving others.

One of the most detailed descriptions about loving others can be found in 1 Corinthians 13, where Paul elaborates on what this love is.

– Patient — Quite possibly everybody’s least favorite word, patient means waiting, not being in a rush, allowing others to move at their own pace, & recognizing that our timetable may not be God’s.

– Kind — Simply put, this means showing compassion, grace & mercy, and being just plain nice to people (whether we feel like it or not).

– Not Envious — We are grateful for what we have, & genuinely happy for other people’s success & accomplishments.

– Not Boastful — We do not brag about our own triumphs & successes or proclaim them loudly for all the world to hear.

– Not Arrogant — We’re not full of pride, & do not consider ourselves to be better than anyone else.

– Not Rude — We show people respect & consideration.

– Not self-seeking — We put other people’s well-being, needs, wants, & dreams ahead of own.

– Not Irritable — We are slow to anger. We allow for people to make mistakes & do not let the “little things” get under our skin.

– No Record of Wrongs — We forgive & forget. We do not hold people’s past mistakes over their heads. We allow for God’s work to be revealed.

– No Joy in Unrighteousness — We are not happy when bad things happen, or when people do things God says we should not do.

– Rejoices in the Truth — We are happy when what is right is victorious & when honesty wins out over lies.

– Bears, Believes, Hopes, Endures All Things — We are tenacious. We stubbornly cling to our faith in God, regardless of whatever we face & we trust that no one is beyond His reach.

– Never Fails — Love is eternal. There is no end to it. As long as there is breath in our lungs, & as long as God exists, we are called to love.

“These three remain: Faith, Hope, & Love—the greatest is Love”

Love God. Love others.

A Thread of Hope

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Before anything else existed, God was. Then God chose to create a universe and fill it with stars and planets. God chose to fill one planet with water and vegetation and everything that would be needed to sustain life. After that, God created animals of all types to live on this planet we call earth. Finally, God saw fit to create humans. He formed us out of the dust of the earth, in His own image, and breathed the breath of life into us. Everything was perfect. And how did we repay this gift of perfection? By rebelling and choosing to do the one thing He’d asked us not to do. But God still loved us. Despite our rebellion and betrayal, God chose to set in motion the plan He’d had prepared before anything existed. He chose to offer us a thread of hope. He chose to send Jesus for us.

No one expected Him to come as a baby. No one had seen it in the prophecies. They knew He was coming, that was clearly evident. But they were expecting a great, conquering king. No one was looking for a baby. Yet that’s how He chose to come to earth. How He chose to extend the thread of hope to us, as one of us. As one who’d go through the same things we did. One who was like us in every way, except one. He was perfect, sinless. Entirely God and entirely human, He entered the world as a helpless infant, unnoticed by all but a few – His earthly parents, and some shepherds. The Great God of the universe willingly chose to give up heaven and come to earth as one of us so that He could show us the way – so that He could be the way – we could reconcile with God.

For 33 years, Jesus lived among us. He walked with us, talked with us, ministered to us, and taught us about God the Father. He explained and exemplified the Mosaic laws of how we are to live, redefining a few along the way. He showed us who God is and how much He loves us. Then, Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be arrested, abused, and ultimately crucified, all for us. And all seemed hopeless. Even those closest to Jesus doubted Him and missed the thread of hope He had given them. The promise that His death was far from permanent.

Three days after the death of Jesus, a few women went to His tomb, planning on taking care of His body. To their shock, these women were greeted by angels who informed them that Jesus was not in the tomb, but was risen, resurrected from the dead, just as He’d promised. The women were, of course, overjoyed and ran to tell the others who’d followed Jesus. Not long after that, the disciples interacted with Jesus themselves and finally saw the thread of hope that God had woven through time. Once they saw the hope of reconciliation with God and understood the promise of His return as the long-expected King, they eagerly shared it with everyone they met. Thousands heard the good news and many chose to believe and restore their relationship with God. These new believers joined together for fellowship, and encouragement, forming the first churches. Their belief and faithfulness allowed God’s thread of hope to continue to be woven through time until it reached us, today.

Now it is our turn to take this thread and share the reconciliation and restoration it offers with those around us. Our hope lies in God’s love for us. In Jesus who came to earth and willingly surrendered His life for us. Our hope lies in the resurrection – in the fact that the tomb is empty – in the knowledge that our God has power over death itself. We have hope in the promise that one day He will return to the earth and take us home with Him. We have hope in the certainty that He was and He is and He is to come. Forever and always. And we have hope in the fact that this great, and powerful God cares for us. In the fact that He loves us.