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Faith That Echos in a Chaotic World

September 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

If you’ve turned on the news lately, you know the world feels loud and chaotic. Anger and division dominate headlines. Violence seems to hit closer and closer to home. Families are busy and stretched thin. Neighbors live side-by-side but hardly know one another.

In the middle of all that noise, people are searching for hope. Real hope. Not just another opinion, distraction, or temporary fix.

That’s why I love Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10. He celebrates a small church in a chaotic city whose faith echoed with hope across the entire region.

“We give thanks… remembering your work of faith, your labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 2-3)

The Thessalonians lived in a world full of political pressure, idol worship, and cultural division. But instead of blending in, their lives became an echo of hope. Why? Because they had anchored their lives in Jesus Christ risen from the dead, reigning now, and coming again.

That’s the heartbeat of the Bible’s story:

  • Abraham left home because of God’s promise.
  • Moses endured Pharaoh by clinging to God’s reward.
  • David sang of seeing God’s goodness even in the land of the living.
  • The prophets pointed forward to the Messiah who would set all things right.

And when Jesus came, hope took on flesh. His death looked like the end, but His resurrection proved hope is stronger than death. That same hope fueled the apostles through persecution and the Thessalonians through hardship.

And it’s the same hope we need today.

We do the exact same thing today. We put our trust in so many temporary things:

  • Hoping our team can bring joy on Saturdays or Sundays.
  • Hoping the housing market will finally settle down.
  • Hoping politics or new policies will finally fix what’s broken.

But all those hopes can disappoint. What we need is a hope that doesn’t crumble when the world shakes. A hope that holds steady in the chaos. And that hope is already here: Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and returning.

At Living Word Galena, this is the echo we want ringing out in our neighborhoods:

  • Faith that trusts Jesus visibly in daily life.
  • Love that shows up in sacrificial action.
  • Hope that endures when everything else feels uncertain.

Because when our hope is in Christ, people notice. The gospel doesn’t just go in. It rings out.

So here’s the question for you this week:
What’s echoing from your life? Fear, stress, and frustration? Or the steady hope of Jesus?

Our neighborhoods don’t need more noise. They need the echo of hope. And that’s exactly what God has already given us in His Son.

5 Steps to Show Up For Your City

September 11, 2025 / / 0 Comments

If you’re planting a church, leading a growing congregation, or simply longing to see your city reflect the love of Jesus, hear this: your prayers need to come with feet attached.

We talk about being the light of the world. But light only matters when it’s positioned where darkness is already present. That’s neighborhoods, schools, city halls, and local nonprofits. These are the places where life is messy, complicated, and often desperate for hope.

The question is: how do you move from good intentions to real impact? It’s actually far more simple than we might realize. You go to the people who are already shaping your city and you show up.

Step 1: Start With Relationships

You can’t build a community partnership with an email or a flyer. Relationships are forged over tables, coffee, shared stories, and honest conversations. That means scheduling time with people. People like:

  • Your mayor or city council
  • School principals and superintendents
  • Local business owners
  • Police and fire leadership
  • Nonprofits already serving the community

And when you sit down, don’t pitch. Don’t lead with, “Here’s what we can do for you.” Lead with:

  • “Where do you see the biggest needs in our city?”
  • “What challenges are keeping families or neighborhoods from thriving?”
  • “How can a church like ours come alongside the work you’re already doing?”

The answers will be a roadmap and frankly a wake-up call.

Step 2: Listen, Then Act

Listening isn’t passive. It’s the first step toward kingdom-aligned action. When you hear the heartbeat of your city, you start to see patterns: maybe youth need mentoring, single parents need support, or elderly neighbors are isolated.

From there, you don’t just talk about helping. You actually mobilize your church. That might mean:

  • Launching tutoring programs or after-school activities
  • Hosting community service days or neighborhood cleanups
  • Partnering with local nonprofits on food, clothing, or mentorship initiatives
  • Providing space for civic meetings or family workshops

Each of these steps isn’t just community service. It’s the Gospel in action. People see Jesus in the care, in the presence, in the hands willing to serve.

Step 3: Be Consistent, Not Opportunistic

A one-time event doesn’t build trust. Showing up consistently does. The church that wants to see Jesus’ love transform a city absolutely has to:

  • Keep showing up at the right tables
  • Follow through on commitments
  • Celebrate wins with community partners
  • Keep learning and adjusting based on the needs of real people

Consistency communicates: we’re not here for headlines. We’re here for people.

Step 4: Invite Others to Join

The power of the church is not in one pastor, one planter, or one congregation. It’s in the body of Christ moving together. Invite your leadership team, small groups, and members to participate. Mobilize volunteers with a clear purpose, not just busywork.

  • Encourage people to use their gifts: carpentry, mentoring, teaching, cooking, or simply listening
  • Make service personal: connect volunteers directly with real families, kids, or neighbors
  • Share stories: when people see the impact, they’re inspired to engage even more

Step 5: Measure Kingdom Impact, Not Just Attendance

Church planting (church in general) and community work isn’t about filling pews. It’s about transforming neighborhoods and lives. Ask yourself:

  • Are families more supported?
  • Are kids thriving?
  • Are neighborhoods safer and stronger?
  • Are people seeing Jesus in tangible ways?

If the answer is yes, your church isn’t just existing. It’s advancing the Kingdom.

A Bold Challenge

Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for the perfect program. Stop waiting for everything to line up.

Go meet your mayor. Sit with your principal. Show up where the people are. Ask questions. Listen. Serve. Repeat.

When you lead this way, your church won’t just be a building on a corner. It will be a force for transformation, a living expression of Jesus’ love breaking into your city, one relationship at a time.

This is post three in the series Church On The Corner. Check out post one where we navigated real questions that garner partnership with civic leaders. And post two that dealt with posture in community partnerships.

Enough is Enough.

September 11, 2025 / / 2 Comments

We are drowning in a culture of violence. From school shootings to political hatred, from homes torn apart to neighborhoods living in fear – it’s everywhere. And it’s not just “out there.” It’s here. It’s in our backyards and workplaces. It’s in our communities and even in our neighborhoods.

Kids are growing up without dads and moms. Wives are burying their husbands. Families are shattered, futures stolen. And for what? Because we’ve convinced ourselves that if someone thinks differently, votes differently, believes differently, or looks differently they’re disposable.

So here it is as plain as I can say it: disagreement is not a license to destroy.
Having a different opinion is not an invitation to yell, dehumanize, or harm.

It’s time to stop hiding behind screens. Time to stop shrugging our shoulders like nothing can change. It’s time to be human again. To remember that every person carries the image of God. To teach our kids that compassion is stronger than cruelty. To choose peace not because it’s easy, but because violence is destroying us.

Talking isn’t enough anymore. We must live differently. We must love differently. We must fight for life, not take it away.

Because this world doesn’t need more rage. It needs more courage, more kindness, and more humanity.

When the Church Shows Up, Jesus Breaks In

September 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I’ve planted a church. I’ve walked streets where the buildings are strong, but the people feel invisible. And I’ve learned something loud and clear: Jesus doesn’t wait for people to come to Him. He breaks into lives, neighborhoods, and communities where He is invited – and sometimes, even where He isn’t.

Church planting isn’t just about starting a Sunday service or filling a building. It’s about being the kind of church that interrupts the normal flow of life with love that looks like Jesus. And here’s the deal: that only happens when the church gets out of the building.

Communities Don’t Wait

An unspoken truth that might need to be spoken more frequently is that communities don’t stop spinning because your church calendar is full. People aren’t waiting for a bulletin or a sermon to find hope. They’re looking at the people around them and asking, “Who’s going to care?”

If you want your church to matter, if you want your neighborhood to see the Kingdom of God in action, you’ve got to stop waiting for them to show up. You have to show up. Boldly. Intentionally. With hands ready to serve and ears ready to listen.

The Church Is a Light, Not a Lobbyist

Church planting isn’t about influence for influence’s sake. It’s not about programs or perks or trying to be the community’s “solution.” It’s about Jesus’ love being tangible in a broken world. That might mean helping with after-school programs, hosting community cleanups, mentoring youth, or simply sitting at tables of influence and listening.

When a church steps into a city with this posture, something amazing happens: people start to see Jesus before they ever hear a word of the Gospel. Neighborhoods start to feel safer. Families start to feel cared for. And slowly, the Kingdom begins to grow, not because of strategy alone, but because of a rhythm of faithful presence.

Start With Listening

But here’s where many churches miss it: if you want to plant a church that transforms, you cannot start with what you want to do. Start with listening. Sit with the mayor. Meet the principal. Talk to business owners. Ask your neighbors where they see gaps, needs, and struggles.

Questions like these can change everything:

  • “Where do you see the biggest unmet needs in our community?”
  • “What keeps families, kids, or neighbors from thriving?”
  • “How can a local church show up in a way that actually matters?”

When you ask, you’re not just gathering intel. You’re showing that Jesus’ love is practical, relational, and real.

Ok I get it. Church planting is risky. Showing up in neighborhoods can feel uncomfortable. Asking tough questions and admitting you don’t have all the answers takes humility. But here’s the punchline: Jesus shows up where the church shows up.The Kingdom doesn’t advance in boardrooms alone; it advances in neighborhoods, streets, and living rooms where His people are willing to step in.

Your Neighborhood Is Waiting

So here’s the challenge for every pastor, church planter, and leader reading this: stop planning the perfect program first. Stop waiting for perfect conditions. Stop talking about “serving the community” as if it’s a theoretical essay.

Get out. Ask questions. Listen. Serve. Love. Repeat.

When the church shows up like that, Jesus doesn’t just bless your efforts. He breaks in. Lives change. Families heal. Neighborhoods start to reflect His Kingdom. And the local church? It becomes exactly what it was always meant to be: a home for the hope the world is missing.

Why the Church Needs to Show Up in the Community

September 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments

When’s the last time you sat across the table from your mayor, city council member, or school superintendent not to complain, not to lobby, but simply to listen?

Too many churches talk about “being the hands and feet of Jesus” but never step into the very community where those hands and feet belong. If the Church is going to matter in 2025 and beyond, we have to stop hiding inside our sanctuaries and start showing up in city hall, school board meetings, and local events.

And here’s the kicker: it starts by asking the right questions.

The Wrong Approach

Most pastors and church leaders walk into meetings with city officials ready to pitch. Here’s our program. Here’s our event. Here’s why you should support us.

It’s well-intentioned, but it puts us in the driver’s seat of a conversation we shouldn’t even be steering. Civic leaders don’t need more pitches. They need partners.

The Right Approach

Instead, what if we walked in with genuine curiosity? What if our posture was, “We want to hear your heartbeat for this community, and we’re here to ask how we can serve”?

That shift in posture changes everything. It says:

  • We’re not here for power. We’re here for people.
  • We’re not trying to use the community to grow our church. We’re trying to serve the community because we are the church.
  • We’re not coming with all the answers. We’re here to listen.

Five Questions That Open Doors

If you want to build real relationships with community leaders, you need questions that unlock their vision and invite collaboration. I recently met with the leaders in my community and here are five questions that I used:

  1. “From your perspective, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges facing our city right now?”
    (This honors their leadership and gives you a pulse on the community. It also shows you as a leader where the biggest needs are through the eyes of the very men and women leading the charge.)
  2. “What are some of the priorities you’re most passionate about for the future of this community?”
    (This digs beneath the job title and into the heart of the leader. You can hear their heart come through. This question helped let the guard down. The response wasn’t a cookie cutter answer but really opened the heart.)
  3. “Where do you see gaps in community life? What are some areas where families, kids, or neighborhoods could use more support?”
    (This helps you identify where the church could step up and fill a need. Remember the posture of the church isn’t to be the savior or even have all the answers. Our posture should be that of a strategic partner to help lift the arms of the community leaders to support the work they’re already doing.)
  4. “How can local churches come alongside the city to help strengthen the community?”
    (This signals you’re not just asking what’s in it for us. Instead, you’re asking what’s needed from us. This is a partnership kind of question instead of a church as hero kind of approach.)
  5. “What would you like to see more of from civic organizations, nonprofits, or churches in town?”
    (This opens the door to expectation-setting and future opportunities.)

Why This Matters

Look. Jesus didn’t sit in the synagogue waiting for people to wander in. He walked into villages, sat with community leaders, dined with tax collectors, and asked people questions. If our Lord Himself thought it was important to sit at tables of influence and listen, shouldn’t His Church do the same?

When we show up and ask good questions, walls come down. Strangers become partners. Leaders stop seeing “the church” as a disconnected institution and start seeing us as allies in the work of building a thriving community.

The Challenge

Here’s the bold truth: the Church is irrelevant in a city where leaders don’t know our names.

So go schedule that meeting. Sit down with your mayor, your school principal, your police chief. And don’t go in ready to pitch your next event. Go in ready to ask better questions.

Because the future of the Church in your community won’t be built on programs or platforms. It’ll be built on relationships. And relationships start with a question.

Why We Celebrate Baptism as a Church Family

August 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

At Living Word, we celebrate every time someone is baptized. Some people wonder, “Why make such a big deal about it? Isn’t Baptism just a personal, private moment between me and God?”

Simple answer: Baptism is never just private. It’s always communal. It’s always family.

This is why I rarely, if ever, will do a private baptism service. I’ve been asked on a number of occasions to perform a baptism in private because the person is shy or doesn’t want a big deal made of it. That’s like having a family reunion and not inviting your family. We just don’t do that. We want to celebrate and welcome you as part of our faith family!

Baptism brings us into God’s family

When you’re baptized, you’re not only united with Jesus. You’re united with His people. The Church isn’t a random collection of strangers who happen to sit in the same building on Sundays. It’s a family of believers marked by the same promise: “You are mine. I have called you by name. You are washed clean.”

That’s why Baptism is one of the most powerful reminders of what the Church really is. It’s not a club. It’s not a hobby. It’s not just a Sunday gathering. It’s a family born of water and the Spirit.

How Baptism reflects our values

When we celebrate Baptism, we are living out the very values that shape us as a church:

  • Life works best with Jesus. Baptism is where life in Christ begins. It’s the starting point of grace and a future anchored in Him.
  • We bring families and kids closer to Jesus. Baptism isn’t just for adults; it’s God’s promise for every generation. It reminds us that kids don’t have to “earn” God’s love by a faithful decision. They’re included from the start.
  • Jesus turns strangers into family here. A person walks into the water as one, and comes out belonging to many. In Baptism, God weaves us together.
  • We share Jesus’ love in our neighborhoods. Baptism isn’t the finish line. It’s the launchpad. We’re sent into the world as living witnesses of what Jesus has done.

A celebration for everyone

This is why the whole church gathers around the font. When a child is baptized, parents and sponsors are reminded that they’re not raising this child in faith alone. They have a whole community walking alongside them. When an adult is baptized, the entire church family celebrates with tears, applause, and joy, because we all know: this is a miracle of God’s grace.

And here’s the best part: every Baptism we witness is a reminder of our own. We get to rehearse the promises spoken over us: “I forgive you. I claim you. I call you my child.”

Looking ahead

This Sunday we’ll continue in our Washed series and dive into more of the deep truths of God’s grace poured out for us in the waters of baptism. We’ll see what it means to be “buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life.” Baptism isn’t just a splash of water on your past. It’s a whole new future.

Don’t miss it. Bring someone with you. Let’s celebrate together.

Baptism isn’t just a moment in your life. It’s the beginning of a family that lasts forever.

How Baptism Makes Us Holy

August 27, 2025 / / 0 Comments

If you’ve ever tried to read through Leviticus, you know it’s not exactly beach reading. It’s full of laws, sacrifices, and instructions that make our head spin. But buried in all of that detail is something powerful that points straight to waters of Baptism.

The priests of Israel had one job above all others: bring God’s people into His presence. But before they could even step foot in the temple, they had to wash themselves with water. Not because they were sweaty. Not because they tracked mud in from the desert. No, it was because a holy God can’t be approached by unholy people. Washing was about holiness.

Fast forward to Jesus

Now flip forward a few centuries. Jesus shows up and says something radical: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). People thought He was crazy. But John tells us Jesus wasn’t talking about bricks and stone. He was talking about His body. Jesus Himself is the new temple. The meeting place of God and man.

And then Paul drops another truth bomb in my confirmation verse. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Did you catch that?

  • First, priests had to wash before they could enter the temple.
  • Then, Jesus says He is the temple.
  • Now, through Jesus, we are temples of the Holy Spirit.

So what about the washing?

This is where Baptism comes in. Just like those priests couldn’t walk into God’s presence without being cleansed, neither can we. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to scrub yourself clean with rituals or rules. God has already washed you.

Titus 3:5 says it like this: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

That’s Baptism. God takes you, broken and unclean, and He washes you with living water connected to His Word. He makes you holy. He marks you as His temple. He fills you with His Spirit. It’s all about what He does for you! How cool is that!

Let’s be honest: some days we don’t feel very holy. You feel messy. You feel like your past defines you. You feel like God couldn’t possibly want to live in someone like you.

That’s when you go back to Baptism. Not to re-do it, but to re-claim it. You’ve been washed. You’ve been made holy. You are God’s temple. His Spirit lives in you.

Take this truth with you

Next time you doubt your worth, remember this:
Baptism is God’s declaration that you are clean, holy, and His dwelling place.

The priests had to wash before they entered God’s presence. You’ve already been washed, which means you live in God’s presence every single day.

Washed Clean: Why Baptism Matters

August 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Yesterday at Living Word we opened our new series Washed, and we started with a simple but courageous truth: Baptism is not about what we do for God. It’s about what God does for us.

That’s bold, and it cuts against the grain of how we usually think. We live in a world that says “prove yourself, earn it, make it happen.” But Baptism tells a different story. Baptism says, “You are not defined by what you do, you are defined by what Jesus has done for you.”

God does the washing

Think about the priests in the book of Leviticus. Before they could walk into the temple and stand before a holy God, they had to wash. It wasn’t optional. It wasn’t about scrubbing dirt , it was about being made holy.

Fast forward to Jesus. He calls Himself the new Temple (John 2:19–21). Paul later reminds us that we are now temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Here’s the question: how does God make us holy temples? The answer is Baptism. In those waters, God Himself does the washing.

Baptism unites us with Jesus

Paul says in Romans 6:4: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

That means when you were baptized, your old self was drowned. Your guilt, your shame, your sin all nailed to the cross and buried in the tomb. And when Jesus walked out of the grave, He pulled you up with Him. You’re not just forgiven. You are alive.

Baptism gives you a family

Here’s the part I love most. Baptism doesn’t just give you a new identity, it gives you a new family. The Church isn’t a group of strangers who happen to sit in the same building on Sunday. It’s a family of people marked by the same promise: “You are mine. I have called you by name. You are washed clean.”

At Living Word, this is why we cheer, clap, and celebrate every Baptism. Because it’s not just their story. It’s a reminder of our story too.

Carry this truth with you

This week, I want you to hold onto one simple line:

Baptism is not just water. It’s water connected to God’s Word that makes us new.

When you feel unworthy, remember: you’ve been washed.
When shame creeps in, remember: you’ve been claimed.
When you wonder if you belong, remember: you’ve been given a family.

That’s why Baptism matters. And that’s why we’ll keep returning to the water again and again not because we need to be re-baptized, but because we need to be re-anchored in the promise of what God has already done for us in Jesus.

3 Life Lessons I Learned on Vacation

August 19, 2025 / / 1 Comment

Vacations are supposed to be about rest and fun, but they have a funny way of teaching you life lessons, too. On my recent getaway, God reminded me of a few things, some lighthearted and some challenging, that I think are worth sharing.

1. There’s always someone less fit than you, so stop hiding from the sun.
It’s easy to get self-conscious at the pool or the beach. But here’s the truth: there’s always going to be someone in worse shape than you and someone in better shape than you. The key? Don’t let insecurity steal your joy. Be grateful for the body God’s given you, flaws and all. Try to just enjoy the moment. Psalm 139:14 reminds us, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” That truth doesn’t take a vacation.

2. Be content, but never complacent.
I noticed something while on vacation: there are always people who can do more than you…and people who can do less. That’s life. Instead of comparing yourself, focus on growing. Be content with where God has you, but also push yourself to be stronger, wiser, and more faithful than you were yesterday. Philippians 4:11 says, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content,” but contentment doesn’t mean laziness. It means gratitude in motion.

3. Memories last longer than money.
This one is hard for me. I tend to want to be wise and careful with money (and we should be by the way), but God reminded me that while money comes and goes, memories are what we carry to the grave. The laughter over a shared meal, the sunset you watched with someone you love, the silly inside jokes – those are treasures no bank account can hold. Jesus even said in Matthew 6:20, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Sometimes those treasures are the moments we make with the people we love.

Vacations end, the tan fades, the suitcase gets unpacked…but the lessons stick with you. And maybe, just maybe, the best souvenirs aren’t things you buy. They’re truths you carry home in your heart.

T.E.R.M. Limits

August 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Most Christians don’t struggle with saying Jesus is Lord.

We just struggle with living like He is.

Sure, we trust Him with our eternity. We trust Him with our sins. But when it comes to the everyday stuff like the calendar, the bank account, the retirement plan suddenly the throne of our lives gets very crowded.

Let’s be honest: biblical generosity isn’t usually where discipleship begins. It’s where it culminates.

Giving is often the last stronghold we surrender in our walk with Jesus. Why? Because generosity isn’t just about money. It’s about control. It’s about security. It’s about faith.

That’s why Jesus talked about it so much. Not because He needed our stuff, but because our stuff has a way of replacing Him as our Savior.

Entrusting Jesus with Your T.E.R.M.

True discipleship means giving Jesus full authority over our T.E.R.M. That stands for our Time, Energy, Relationships, and Material resources. Until we do, we’re still holding back. We’re still hedging our bets. We’re still following Him… with conditions.

Let’s break it down:

Time

You can tell a lot about someone’s priorities by looking at their calendar. Does Jesus get the leftovers, or the firstfruits?

Do we have margin in our schedule for worship, prayer, service, or is our time budget already maxed out with soccer practices, Netflix, and overtime hours?

Paul says:

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16, ESV)

If Jesus is Lord of our life, He must also be Lord of our time.

Energy

We all wake up with a certain amount of gas in the tank. And if we’re honest, most of us use it all on ourselves.

But discipleship means pouring out your energy not just on making a living, but on making disciples with your kids, your friends, your neighbors, your church.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Where you invest your energy shows who you believe is worthy of it.

Relationships

Who gets your best? To whom do you open your heart? Who do you serve without expecting anything in return?

Biblical generosity includes the giving of yourself to people who can’t pay you back. That’s grace. That’s the whole point of the Gospel.

And that’s exactly what Jesus did.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, ESV)

Our relationships reflect our theology. Do we live like people are eternal, or are we too busy managing our circle for convenience?

Material Resources

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Giving our stuff. This is where we talk about giving sacrificially, regularly, cheerfully. And it’s often the most tangible evidence of spiritual maturity.

Yet, it’s the part most Christians dodge, delay, or delegate.

“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24, ESV)

Ouch. That one hits hard. Because most of us have tried. We keep both masters in the room and try to play the spiritual field.

But the truth is, you can’t follow Jesus with one hand on your wallet and one foot in the world.

Why Generosity Is the Final Stage

When we finally entrust Jesus with our T.E.R.M., we stop compartmentalizing our faith. It’s no longer “Jesus on Sunday and me the rest of the week.” It’s not “Jesus gets my heart, but I’ll keep my bank account, my calendar, and my comfort zones.”

It’s full surrender.

Because the goal of discipleship isn’t learning more about Jesus. It’s becoming more like Him.

And He didn’t give sporadically, spontaneously, or sparingly.

He gave everything.

“Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV)

That’s not just good theology. That’s the blueprint.

Time to Take Inventory

So here’s the challenge: take a T.E.R.M. inventory.

  • Are you giving God your time or just squeezing Him in when it’s convenient?
  • Are you spending your energy on eternal things or are you running on fumes chasing temporary ones?
  • Are your relationships a reflection of Jesus or are they curated for your comfort?
  • Are your finances surrendered or are they still “off-limits” in your spiritual life?

Until we surrender all four, our discipleship is still unfinished.

But the moment we entrust Jesus with our T.E.R.M. that’s the moment we stop calling the shots, and start living like He’s truly Lord.

So… where are you still holding back?

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