Churches today live in an era where silence is often mistaken for compassion and compromise is often passed off as love. Whether to avoid controversy or simply stay culturally relevant, many churches have become reluctant to plainly speak about sin. But restoration does not come through silence. It comes through truth. Racism and sexual sin should never be shrugged off as mere social issues or political talking points. They are spiritual injustices that attack God’s authority, obscure Scripture, and stain the Church. If the Church wants to be a place of restoration, then we must be willing to speak truthfully about what God calls sin while continuing to offer grace to every person.

Racism Belittles God’s Image 

God created everyone in His image with inherent value, dignity, and purpose.

“So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.”

Genesis 1:27 (CSB)

Racism judges a person’s worth by the color of their skin or ethnicity rather than their creation in God’s image. That mindset is in direct opposition to Scripture. There is no superior race in the eyes of God.

“From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.”

Acts 17:26 (CSB) 

Racism results in pride, hatred, and oppression—characteristics the Bible associates with spiritual death, not the fruits of the Spirit.

“Since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”

1 Corinthians 14:33 (CSB) 

Christians cannot embrace racial inequality, segregation, or discrimination because the Gospel destroys the foundation of racism.

“There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28 (CSB) 

Sexual Sin Conceals God’s Definition 

God defined marriage and sexuality from the beginning of time.

“Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24 (CSB) 

Society today teaches individuals to choose their own identity and standards apart from God. The Bible says this rebellion against truth comes from Satan, not spiritual enlightenment.

“Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons.”

1 Timothy 4:1 (CSB) 

Sexual sin is never described as a matter of preference in the Bible. When people turn away from God’s definition, sinful behavior occurs.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator… For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions.”

Romans 1:25–26 (CSB) 

Discussing racism or sexuality in the Church isn’t about attacking people. It’s about recognizing how sin destroys when we take God out of the equation.

Love Is Truthful 

Many in the modern Church have bought into the lie that love means you have to affirm whatever decision a person makes. This idea is not found in Scripture. 

“But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.”

Ephesians 4:15 (CSB) 

Jesus loved people with a fierce compassion that overcame sin, but He never tolerated sin.

“Neither do I condemn you… Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

John 8:11 (CSB) 

Truth in love looks like speaking against sin while holding onto grace. Affirming someone in their sin may feel loving in the moment, but it does not set people free.

Self Over God 

Sexual sin and racism are rooted in the same issue—a selfish rejection of God.

The racist says, “I get to decide who is valuable.”

The person living in sexual sin says, “I get to decide who I am.”

The Bible says, 

“You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.”

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (CSB) 

Both racism and sexual sin are spiritual conflicts because they worship self over God.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”

Ephesians 6:12 (CSB) 

Church, We Must Speak Truth 

The Church should never pursue hating people, attacking our culture, or living in fear. But we will stand for truth. 

“Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

Ephesians 5:11 (CSB) 

Exposing the darkness looks like: 

1. Loving every person no matter their sin 

2. Never compromising sin to avoid cultural pressure 

3. Calling everyone to repentance and restoration 

The Gospel Provides Restoration 

The Gospel is what enables the Church to shine a light on darkness. It doesn’t just expose— it transforms. 

“And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 Corinthians 6:11 (CSB) 

Restoration is possible. Racism can be healed. Sexual sin can be forgiven. Lives can be changed. 

“So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.”

John 8:36 (CSB) 

Closing

Church, will you speak truth or fall silent? Racism and sexual sin have ravaged the Church and destroyed culture because Christians have stopped representing Christ. Make no mistake, proclaiming truth is not out of hate, fear, or an appetite for condemnation. It’s out of love. Love that refuses to shrink back or lie about sinful patterns that destroy lives. Will you choose grace and truth? Will you allow God to use your voice to restore broken people and expose the lies that bind them? Restoration comes when we speak truthful love. Will you join us? 

“Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.”

Joshua 24:15 (CSB)

There’s a fascinating story about a man who discovered something shocking while checking his credit report one ordinary day. As he scrolled through the information on his screen, he noticed something was terribly wrong—according to the report, he was dead.

Despite being very much alive and staring at the screen, every system, every bank, every agency insisted he was deceased. No matter what documentation he provided, no matter how much effort he put forth, he couldn’t seem to fix his identity. He was trapped by a false label that didn’t match reality.

This story mirrors a profound spiritual truth: identity is not given by effort—it’s given by position.

The Identity Crisis in the Church

Many people who follow Jesus are running around like the man in the story, trying desperately to earn an identity that has already been freely given to them. They’re putting forth enormous effort, striving and struggling, when Jesus has already declared who they are. Their identity is positional, not performance-based.

The Apostle Paul understood this deeply. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, he writes something revolutionary: “From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

Notice Paul doesn’t say “if you behave well” or “if you give enough money” or “if you do enough good works.” He simply says “if anyone is in Christ.” That word “anyone” means exactly what it sounds like—every person, regardless of background, past mistakes, economic status, or social standing. God is an equal opportunity redeemer.

The Problem with Worldly Perspectives

The challenge is that we often can’t get our eyes off the worldly perspective when we look at people—or ourselves. We see someone with tattoos and make judgments. We learn about someone’s criminal record from 25 years ago and can’t move past it. We look at our own reflection and see only our failures, our addictions, our mistakes.

But Scripture commands us to stop viewing people through a worldly lens. We’re called to see them—and ourselves—through the eyes of Christ. When God looks at His children, He doesn’t see the burnt remnants of what we used to be. He sees the new creation He’s building.

Think about remodeling a house destroyed by fire. You don’t try to reuse the burnt studs or charred materials. You clear everything away and build something entirely new on a fresh foundation. That’s exactly what God does when someone comes to Christ.

What Does It Mean to Be “In Christ”?

Being found in Christ begins with understanding two fundamental truths:

First, God loves you in spite of you. Romans 5:8 declares that while we were still sinners—while we were His enemies—God proved His love by sending His Son to die on the cross. This wasn’t because we deserved it or earned it. It was pure grace.

Second, we must recognize that we’re sinners who have broken God’s law, and there’s nothing we can do to fix that ourselves. It took Jesus to repair what we broke. Only the One who established the law could satisfy its demands.

When these truths collide in your heart—when you understand both God’s love and your need—that’s when transformation happens. That’s when you repent, which simply means to turn around and head in a different direction. It’s not about becoming perfect; it’s about deciding to live differently with the help of the Holy Spirit.

The Courtroom of Heaven

Here’s a powerful image: Imagine God’s throne room, which also functions as His courtroom. Satan comes before God to accuse believers—that’s literally his job description. He says, “Did you know what this person did? Can you believe they did that?”

But Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father in the position of authority, responds: “That one’s mine. Their sins are washed away.”

Satan tries again, bringing up more accusations, but God simply says, “Next. That case has been expunged. Full pardon granted. We don’t talk about their past anymore—it’s gone.”

The only people who remember your past are Satan and you. And the only person who can make you relive your past is you. Satan can’t force you to do anything. He can dangle temptation like a fish hook with bait, but you choose whether to bite. With every temptation, Scripture promises there’s also a door of escape—but you have to look for it instead of fixating on the bait.

Dead Things Have No Authority

Here’s a liberating truth: dead things have no authority. When a president dies, they lose all governmental power. When a parent passes away, they can no longer give you instructions. Dead things cannot speak from the grave—only demons try to do that.

Your past is dead when you’re in Christ. All things are made new, and the old has passed away. Your past should have no authority in your life. Yet many believers walk around using their past as a crutch, hobbling along when they could be walking upright and free.

Mohammed is dead—he has no authority. Buddha is dead—no authority. Joseph Smith is dead—no authority. But Jesus Christ is alive and well, seated at the right hand of the Father. That’s why He has all authority, including authority over death itself. He conquered the grave.

Your True Identity

So who are you really? You’re not an alcoholic, a drug addict, a fornicator, an adulterer, or a liar. Those may describe things you did in the past, but they don’t define who you are now. Your identity is that you’re a child of God, a co-heir with Christ, part of the royal family.

If you were born into an earthly royal family, you’d have privileges you didn’t earn—simply because of your position, not your performance. Well, Scripture declares that believers are co-heirs with Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You’ve been grafted into His family. He didn’t put the yoke of a slave upon you; He put the robe of a son or daughter upon you.

God loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. He paid the ultimate price. And when someone purchases something, they have the right to name it, to decide its purpose. Jesus paid for you, so He gets to identify you. And He says you’re His beloved child, forgiven, restored, made new.

Living in Your New Identity

You will never fulfill God’s plan for your life until you first understand what your identity is. In a culture experiencing an identity crisis at every level, believers must anchor themselves in the truth of who God says they are.

Your past should inform you, not define you. It’s informational, not determinational. The old has passed away. You’re not who you were. You’re who God says you are.

Consider making this declaration daily:

I am not who I was. I am who God says I am. The old has passed away. The new has come. I am restored, starting with my identity.

When you quote this truth to yourself every day, the enemy has no chance to convince you that you’re something you’re not. Restoration always begins not with fixing your behavior, but with fixing your identity. When you understand who you truly are in Christ, behavior change follows naturally.

You’re not dead—you’re alive in Christ. You’re not condemned—you’re forgiven. You’re not worthless—you’re priceless. You’re not abandoned—you’re adopted. You’re not who you were—you’re who God says you are.

And that changes everything.

In a culture dedicated to rebranding everything, defending our foundational principles can seem like heresy. Traditional values are being replaced with new meanings. “Normal” is whatever is current, “conservative” is reactionary, “progress” is creating new standards, and “tolerance” is accepting what others say. But Scripture commands us to endure. 

“For the plans of the Lord are enduring plans; the thoughts of his heart are plans for many generations.” (Psalm 33:11)

I believe in traditional values because they are biblical principles, not just cultural trends. They have served us well for generations, providing stability, dignity, and clarity. I also increasingly believe that the modern political left has lost its way — not because it seeks justice, but because it has rejected truth.

Traditional Values Are God’s Design, Not Human Invention

Family, responsibility, moral boundaries, and order are not social constructs made up by conservatives. They are God’s design. (Proverbs 8:22-29; Isaiah 44:24-28) 

“God created man in his own image… male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

“Children are a gift from the Lord; offspring are a reward from him.” (Psalm 127:3)

Scripture shows marriage, family, and responsibility as blessings, not burdens. Traditional values defend the most vulnerable, shape identity, and create a foundation for human thriving. When society views these as optional or oppressive, confusion replaces clarity.

The Bible warns against this reversal. 

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20)

The Left Replaced Reason With Ideology 

One of the most worrying trends on today’s left is the rejection of open debate. Disagreement is no longer addressed with counterarguments; instead, people are labeled. Questioning progressive ideas can lead to being called hateful, ignorant, or dangerous. This isn’t confidence in ideas; it’s a sign of ideological insecurity.

Scripture warns about this kind of thinking—when emotion and preference replace reason and truth.

“The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and disgrace for him.” (Proverbs 18:13)

Free speech, once a core value of liberal thought, is now defended selectively. Science is trusted only when it aligns with political goals. Equity has replaced equality, outcomes have replaced effort, and feelings have overtaken facts.

Yet God calls His people to reason grounded in truth.

“Come, let us settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)

When a movement demands conformity rather than conversation, it ceases to be a movement of progress and becomes one of control. The Bible clearly shows this. 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Victimhood Has Replaced Responsibility 

Traditional values encourage people to rise, persevere, and take responsibility for their lives—even during difficult times. Scripture consistently emphasizes that responsibility is a virtue, not a burden.

“Each person should carry his own load.” (Galatians 6:5)

The modern left increasingly teaches people to identify first as victims and to assign blame externally. This mindset does not empower; it weakens. 

God’s Word takes a different approach. 

“If anyone is not willing to work, he should not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

A culture that rewards grievance will always generate more grievance. A society that tells people they are defined by oppression instead of potential robs them of agency and hope.

Responsibility is not cruel. It is dignifying. It says, “You matter enough to be accountable.”

Scripture affirms this dignity. 

“Whatever a person sows he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

When responsibility is removed, chaos fills the vacuum.

“Everyone did whatever seemed right to him.” (Judges 21:25)

Moral Absolutes Are Necessary for a Healthy Society

Traditional values recognize that some things are right and some things are wrong—regardless of public opinion. This is not rigidity; it is moral clarity.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)

The left’s moral framework, by contrast, constantly shifts. What is praised today might be condemned tomorrow. Language evolves weekly. Standards are applied inconsistently. 

Scripture warns against moral instability. 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

This moral instability breeds confusion, fear, and hypocrisy.

A society cannot function without shared standards. 

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

When everything is negotiable, nothing is trustworthy. When truth is flexible, power decides reality. 

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

This Is Not About Hate—It Is About Preservation

Standing for traditional values isn’t about hating others. It’s about preserving what works. It’s about safeguarding the structures that protect children, sustain communities, and give life meaning beyond self-gratification.

Scripture commands both truth and love. 

“Speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

Disagreement is not violence. Conviction is not bigotry. Believing in truth is not intolerance. 

“Am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people?” (Galatians 1:10)

The left has not lost credibility because it cares too much—it’s because it no longer knows what it stands for. When values are detached from reality, they fall apart due to their own contradictions.

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

A Return to Sanity 

I believe in traditional values because they are grounded in reality, proven over time, and confirmed by results. They don’t promise perfection—but they provide stability, purpose, and hope.

“Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:20) 

The future doesn’t belong to those who shout the loudest or cancel the fastest. It belongs to those willing to stand firm when the culture shifts, to speak truth when it’s unpopular, and to preserve what is good even when it’s ridiculed.

“Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Progress does not require abandoning our foundations. 

Sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is stand on solid ground.

“Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

Life has a way of starting strong and fading somewhere in the middle. Think about marathon runners—at the starting line, everyone is pumped, energized, ready to conquer the miles ahead. Even the person in the very back, already wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into, isn’t quitting. Not yet. The gun fires, and off they go.

But around mile 13—halfway through the 26.2-mile journey—something changes. The cameras stop rolling. The crowds thin out. The initial adrenaline has long since evaporated. This is where most people quit. Not because they’re angry or because there’s no audience, but simply because they’re tired.

Our spiritual journey mirrors this pattern more than we’d like to admit.

The Middle Miles

Nobody quits following Jesus at the beginning. When someone first encounters Christ, they’re on fire—ready to charge hell with water pistols, as the saying goes. Everything feels fresh, exciting, purposeful. Prayer comes easily. Church attendance is a joy, not an obligation.

But give it time. Life gets hard. Prayers seem unanswered. The battles keep coming. The excitement fades. And somewhere in the middle of the journey, people get tired. They don’t announce they’re quitting. They don’t make a dramatic exit. They just slowly fade away.

Week one of missing church, people notice. Week two, they give you a pass—you’re probably tired. Week three passes. By week four, that person has become a memory, and the cycle continues. It’s not that they wanted to quit. They just got tired of getting up, tired of unanswered prayers, tired of constant battles, tired of filling in whatever blank applies to their situation.

The true test of endurance isn’t what you do when the crowds are cheering. It’s what you do when all the crowds are gone and faith is no longer fun.

A Cloud of Witnesses

Hebrews chapter 12 opens with a powerful reminder: we have “such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” This comes right after chapter 11’s hall of faith—a lineup of biblical heroes who accomplished great things for God.

But here’s what we often miss: at the beginning of their stories, none of these people looked qualified for what God called them to do.

Abraham was a drunk and a liar who worshiped God in a pagan area and disobeyed right out of the gate. Yet he became the friend of God and the father of many nations.

David murdered his best friend to steal his wife. Does that sound like a man after God’s own heart? Yet he was.

Rahab was a Gentile prostitute. And she ended up in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ.

The point? If you think your past disqualifies you, you’re wrong. God specializes in using unlikely people to accomplish impossible things.

Laying Aside What Holds Us Back

The writer of Hebrews urges us to “lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us.” Notice the language—it’s not that sin traps us against our will. The problem is that we won’t let it go.

We hold onto it. We hide it. We do it in the dark, in the convenience of our homes, acting like no one knows. But Scripture is clear: everything done in darkness will be brought to light.

It’s like an anchor on a boat. Try moving forward when you’re tied to a rock. Even if you manage some progress, you’re dragging that weight with you, exhausting yourself in the process.

The sin isn’t the real issue—it’s our unwillingness to release it. We’ve found some twisted form of security in it, some counterfeit peace in the middle of chaos. Whether it’s addiction, unhealthy relationships, unforgiveness, or any other habitual sin, we know it’s not good for us. We know it hasn’t produced anything positive. But we cling to it anyway.

There’s a powerful story about a man who lived with his girlfriend and their seven children for years, refusing to marry her despite everyone’s urging. One day, someone simply asked him: “What would you do if your daughter was with a guy who had seven children with her but wouldn’t marry her?”

He looked down. Within two weeks, they were married.

He already knew what he was doing was wrong. He just needed the right perspective to be willing to let it go.

Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

“Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.”

Where your eyes are, your life will go. If you focus on money, eventually your life will have nothing else in view except making more of it. If you focus on relationships, achievements, or your children above all else, you’ll bend and break every principle you once held to pursue that focus.

But if your focus is Jesus, nothing will hold you back.

Think about when you tend to get sick or face obstacles. Often it’s Sunday morning when you don’t feel well, or Monday when you planned to spend time with God, or Thursday before church. Someone calls with tickets to the game or an invitation to go fishing right when you’re walking out the door to serve.

The enemy knows exactly when to strike—when you’re trying to focus on what matters most.

People who finish marathons aren’t necessarily the fastest or the strongest. They’re the ones who stay focused on the finish line. Nothing prevents them from getting there. Not the hills, not the competition, not the pain. They’re locked in on the goal.

For the Joy Set Before Him

Here’s the stunning truth: Jesus endured the cross “for the joy that lay before him.” What joy? The joy of spending eternity with us.

Think about that. He created us. He died to save us. He gives us the strength to endure. He’s done it all. And He did it for the joy of being with us forever.

He hung naked on a cross in the busiest street, despising the shame, because He knew the end result would be worth it. He signed a contract in His own blood, and He finishes what He starts.

One Day at a Time

You can’t change yesterday. Tomorrow will have enough challenges of its own. So focus on today. What does Jesus have for you today?

Don’t worry about running the whole marathon right now. Just take the next step. And then the next one. Progress isn’t measured in miles—it’s measured in moments, in choices, in the decision to keep going when everything in you wants to quit.

This is your race. Not someone else’s. What does your walk with Jesus look like today? What is He calling you to do? Whatever it is, the enemy is already preparing obstacles. But remember: the One who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.

So when you hit mile 13—when you’re tired, when the crowds are gone, when faith is no longer fun—keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. He’s both the author and the finisher. He’s already at the finish line, and He’s cheering you on.

Just take the next step.

Every year carries its own weight.
Some years stretch us.
Some years break us.
Some years take more than they give.

And if we’re honest, many people are walking into this year carrying losses they never planned for—lost time, broken trust, deferred dreams, strained relationships, weakened faith.

That’s why our word for this year is not accidental.
It’s intentional.
It’s biblical.
It’s hopeful.

Our Word for the Year is: RESTORE.

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God Is a Restoring God

Restoration is not a trend.
It’s part of God’s nature.

God doesn’t just forgive—He restores.
He doesn’t just heal—He rebuilds.
He doesn’t just rescue—He renews.

The Lord makes this promise clearly:

“I will restore the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”
— Joel 2:25 (CSB)

Notice what God promises to restore:
Years.

Not just moments.
Not just feelings.
Not just circumstances.

God speaks to time that felt wasted, stolen, or destroyed—and says, “I can redeem even that.”

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Restore Is About More Than the Past

Restoration is not living backward.
It’s not pretending the pain didn’t happen.
It’s not erasing history.

Restoration is God taking what was damaged and giving it new strength.
What was delayed and giving it new purpose.
What was broken and giving it new life.

God doesn’t always restore things to the way they were.
Often, He restores them to what they were meant to be.

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What Restore Means for This Year

This is a year to believe God for more than survival.

• Restored hearts — healing from grief, bitterness, and disappointment
• Restored faith — trust that has been shaken but not destroyed
• Restored relationships — forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace
• Restored purpose — clarity where confusion once lived
• Restored joy — strength rising where weariness settled in

Restoration is not rushed.
It’s intentional.
It’s often gradual.
But it is always guided by God’s hand.

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Restore Requires Participation

God restores—but He invites us to walk with Him in the process.

Restoration asks us to:

• Let go of what we cannot change
• Release what we were never meant to carry
• Obey God in the small steps
• Trust Him with the timeline

Restoration doesn’t begin with everything changing around us.
It begins with God changing something within us.

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A Declaration for the Year

This year, we are choosing to believe that God is not finished.

Finished with your story.
Finished with your calling.
Finished with your family.
Finished with your future.

He restores what life tried to take.
He redeems what the enemy tried to ruin.
He renews what felt too far gone.

This is a year of RESTORE.

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A Simple Prayer

Lord, I place this year in Your hands. Restore what has been broken, strengthen what is weak, and redeem what was lost. Teach me to trust You with the process and to walk forward in faith. I believe You are still restoring. Amen.

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Final Thought:
God is not intimidated by what you’ve lost.
He specializes in restoration.

This is the year to believe again.
This is the year to heal again.
This is the year to walk restored.

We are so tired. Not because of what’s going on today, but because of what we’re still carrying from yesterday, and what we’re afraid might happen tomorrow. 

Regret has a way of replaying yesterday’s scenes. Anxiety has a way of borrowing tomorrow’s trouble that hasn’t yet arrived. And somewhere in the middle, today gets overlooked. 

Jesus speaks into the tension. 

“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious enough about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6: 34 (CSB) 

Jesus doesn’t say tomorrow doesn’t matter. He says it doesn’t belong to you yet. Yesterday Is Informative—Not Authoritative. Yesterday can inform you. It can teach you. It can warn you. But yesterday should never dictate your tomorrow. God never intended for your past to become your prison. Paul knew this. He commands us to forget what lies behind and to press on toward what lies ahead. Not because the past didn’t matter, but because it no longer has the last word. 

Some of you are still punishing yourself for sins that God has already forgiven. Others of you are still re-living pain that God is trying to heal. 

Grace does not erase our memory, but it breaks memory’s control over us. 

If God has forgiven you, you no longer have the right to condemn yourself. If God has healed you, you no longer have to keep reopening the wound. Yesterday is a chapter—not the whole book. 

Today Is Where Obedience Lives

 Faith is always lived in the present tense. You cannot obey God yesterday. You cannot trust God tomorrow. You can only follow Him today. 

Jesus called people to live by faith day by day: Daily bread, Daily dependence, Daily obedience. God gives us strength for today. Mercy for today. Grace for today. When we obsess over tomorrow, we miss today’s assignment. When we replay yesterday, we ignore the responsibility of today. Today is where God speaks to us. Today is where healing starts. Today is where obedience produces fruit. Tomorrow Belongs to God.

 Worry is often just disguised as responsibility. But worry never leads to wisdom. Jesus doesn’t tell us to ignore tomorrow; He tells us to entrust it. Tomorrow has its own grace. Tomorrow has its own provision. Tomorrow has a God who is already there. You don’t have to figure tomorrow out today. You don’t have to carry what God hasn’t asked you to hold.

 Faith rests in this: The same God who carried me yesterday and sustains me today is already standing in my tomorrow. 

A Simpler Way to Live 

Imagine living with this rhythm: Learn from yesterday, then release it. Obey God today, fully and faithfully. Trust God with tomorrow, completely and confidently. That’s not careless living. That’s Christ-centered living. Jesus wasn’t calling us to live recklessly. He was calling us to live focused. 

A Prayer for Today Lord, help me release what’s behind me, to remain present where You’ve placed me, and to trust You with what’s ahead. Teach me to live today well—without dragging yesterday along, or racing into tomorrow. I place this day in Your hands. Amen. 

Final Thought: Yesterday is over. Tomorrow isn’t promised. But today is a gift—and God is already here.

Have you ever driven past a half-built bridge that seems to have been sitting there for years? Or noticed houses in your neighborhood with construction that appears stalled—materials sitting idle, projects seemingly abandoned? There’s something unsettling about unfinished things. They leave us wondering: Will this ever be completed? Has someone given up?

Perhaps your life feels like one of those unfinished projects right now.

The Weight of Unfinished Business

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, many of us carry the weight of incomplete dreams, stalled plans, and unanswered prayers. We look back at the year behind us and wonder why certain doors never opened, why some relationships never healed, why that calling we felt so certain about seems to have gone nowhere.

The silence can be deafening. The waiting can feel endless. And in those quiet moments, doubt creeps in with its persistent questions: Did I miss God’s plan? Did I make too many wrong choices? Has He given up on me?

A Promise Written From Prison

The Apostle Paul understood something profound about God’s faithfulness, and he wrote about it from the most unlikely place—a prison cell. Imagine being locked away, your ministry seemingly halted, your freedom stripped away. Yet from that dark place, Paul penned these powerful words in Philippians 1:6:

“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

Read that again slowly. Paul wasn’t writing from a comfortable couch after a successful ministry tour. He was writing from chains, from confinement, from what appeared to be a complete derailment of God’s purposes. Yet his confidence wasn’t shaken. Why? Because his confidence wasn’t in his circumstances—it was in God.

You Are the Good Work

Here’s a truth that might change your perspective today: You are the good work God started.

Not your job. Not your ministry. Not your family situation or your bank account or your reputation. You. You are the masterpiece in progress, the clay on the potter’s wheel, the project God is committed to completing.

And here’s the remarkable thing about God as a craftsman: He knew exactly what He was getting into when He started working on you. He wasn’t surprised by your mistakes. He didn’t say “oops” when you took that wrong turn. He didn’t have to adjust His plans when you spent years wandering in the wilderness of addiction, rebellion, or doubt.

God has never once said, “I didn’t see that coming.”

The Potter’s Persistent Hands

In Bethlehem, there’s a village where potters still work the ancient way—spinning wheels, wet clay, skilled hands shaping vessels. A master potter was once observed creating a beautiful vase when suddenly one side began to droop. Without hesitation, he pressed the entire piece back down into a ball and started over.

But notice—he didn’t throw the clay away. He didn’t abandon the project. He simply reshaped it, remolded it, and began again.

The Bible calls us clay in the Potter’s hands. Maybe what feels like crushing pressure right now is actually God reshaping you. Perhaps that disappointment, that closed door, that painful season wasn’t the end of His plan—it was part of the process of forming you into something even more beautiful than you imagined.

The Punch List Phase

In construction, there’s a phase called the “punch list”—that period after all the major work is done when crews go through and handle the small details. Touch-up paint. Minor adjustments. Final inspections. It’s not glamorous. It’s not exciting. There are no dramatic transformations happening. But it’s absolutely essential to completing the project.

Maybe you’re in the punch list phase right now.

The big, dramatic movements of God in your life may have quieted down. You’re not seeing the miracles you once saw. The passion that used to burn bright feels like it’s dimmed to embers. But don’t mistake the quiet for abandonment. God is still working. He’s just working on the details now—the character refinements, the subtle shifts, the internal transformations that don’t make for exciting stories but are crucial for what comes next.

Pruning Isn’t Punishment

Rose bushes that are left unpruned become wild, overgrown, and eventually stop producing beautiful blooms. A wise gardener takes shears and cuts back the branches—sometimes drastically. To the untrained eye, it looks like destruction. But the gardener knows that in a few months, the bush will return fuller, healthier, and more beautiful than before.

Sometimes God prunes us. He cuts away things we thought were essential. He removes people, opportunities, or comforts we believed we needed. And it hurts. Pruning always does. But it’s not punishment—it’s preparation. He’s making room for new growth, healthier patterns, and more abundant fruit.

When the Delay Isn’t a Disconnect

We live in an instant culture. We expect immediate responses to our texts, same-day delivery on our purchases, and quick answers to our prayers. So when God seems silent, we assume He’s disconnected. When He doesn’t move on our timeline, we conclude He’s not moving at all.

But sometimes the delay is part of the design.

Behind the scenes, God is working out details you can’t see. He’s arranging circumstances, preparing people, and orchestrating events that will all come together at exactly the right moment. The fact that you can’t see the progress doesn’t mean there isn’t any. It just means you’re not the foreman on this project—He is.

The Partnership Principle

God chose to work in partnership with us, not as a dictator barking orders. He invites us into relationship, gives us choices, and allows us to participate in His purposes. But here’s the beautiful part: even when we mess up our side of the partnership, He doesn’t void the contract.

He established a covenant, not a contract. A contract says, “I’ll do my part if you do yours.” A covenant says, “I’m committed regardless of what you do.” That’s the kind of God we serve—one who remains faithful even when we’re faithless, who keeps His promises even when we break ours.

Confidence for the Coming Year

As a new year begins with all its uncertainty, where will you place your confidence? In your job security? Your health? Your relationships? Your own ability to figure things out?

Or will you place it where Paul did—in the God who finishes what He starts?

The same God who kept His promise to bring Israel back to their land after centuries of exile is the same God who’s keeping His promises to you. The same God who transformed a murderous Saul into the Apostle Paul can transform your mess into a message. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead can resurrect the dead dreams in your life.

Your story isn’t over. The project isn’t abandoned. The bridge will be completed. The house will be finished.

Because the One who began the good work in you is faithful to complete it—not when you deserve it, not when you’ve earned it, but because that’s who He is.

You are a good work. And God always finishes what He starts.

Christmas is quickly approaching and you can feel it. The wrapping paper, the lights, the shopping, the family, and the gifts. Christmas is a time of family traditions, celebrating with loved ones, and of course, giving and receiving gifts. But amid all of the commercialism, familial festivities, and culture lies a much deeper question and issue that should terrify us and move us to repentance. The question is this: Does Jesus know who you are?

Note that the question is not “Do you know who Jesus is?” We all think we do. Just as the multitudes knew who Jesus Christ was, most of them could also rattle off the name of the president or other public figures without hesitation. We could do the same thing. The question, though, is this: Does Jesus know who you are? Has He written your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Do you know Him, and is He known by you, as His child, His joint heir?

Jesus’ Rebuke of Religious Hypocrisy

Jesus would have had no problem knowing exactly who you are if you were one of the men in Matthew 23. You may remember that in this passage, Jesus had a bone to pick with the scribes and Pharisees. They sat “in Moses’ seat” meaning they had taken positions of authority among the people. Jesus said to them “you have authority, and it will not be taken from you.” (Matt. 23: 2) They were the religious and spiritual leaders of the day. The people loved them, respected them, and followed them. The common people were told to listen to what they taught but not to follow their example because they did not practice what they taught.

“Don’t do what they do because they do not practice what they preach.” Authority without integrity is nothing.

These men would impose huge demands on people but never offer to help lift a burden. They required people to follow 613 laws which were man-made requirements placed around God’s original Ten Commandments. They were more interested in relationship turned to religion than in relationship based on grace.

How often do we do this very same thing in our own lives? We tell our families to forgive but never really forgive in our own lives. We may talk about loving our enemies but secretly plot and plan evil against those who have done us wrong. We claim to follow Christ but our daily lives show a complete lack of His transforming power.

The Sin of Performance Faith

The saddest part of the story, however, is that the Pharisees did all that they did “to be seen by others.” It’s one thing to wear phylacteries or lengthen your tassels or love the place of greatest honor. (Matt. 23: 5) It’s even another to be known as “Rabbi.” It’s tragic to crave titles and applause from crowds of people. But when that’s what we live for, when that’s what we do life becomes a performance of faith rather than the reality of relationship.

Is that not the temptation and trap of our day in this age of social media? We can do every deed of service and post it online. We can give and hashtag it with a big photo to boot. We can feed the hungry and take a selfie of us doing it. We can serve others, make them feel important, and then post it on Facebook to show how important we are for doing it.

But the kind of faith that Jesus commends is different. It serves and never needs applause. It gives and never requires recognition. It loves and does not demand acknowledgment.

The couple who for twenty years never missed a Tuesday night tradition at a local Pizza Hut but someone paid for their meal one night without their knowledge is a great example of this. They went to eat their pizza that week and received the anonymous gift of love and kindness but when the people who gave the gift left before they could thank the Pizza Hut customers, weeks later a note came. “We just wanted to thank you for loving people the way Jesus does.”

Rules Before Relationship = Rebellion

Another very hurtful sin which is so common in many religious people and places is the requirement of a list of rules before relationship. We often tell people they must stop drinking or smoking or cussing or drinking coffee or eating sugar or listening to rock music or not wearing long skirts or pants before they can have a relationship with Jesus. It’s a brutal system of us versus them, good versus evil, right versus wrong, black versus white, with no room for gray or grace.

But Jesus never did it this way. He always placed relationship above rules. He always reached out to people in love and then asked them to follow Him in life transformation. But the moment we place rules before relationship is the moment we create more rebels than saints.

Ask yourself and your family about your church and your own faith life. Do they feel like they must measure up to some impossible list of rules and regulations in order to have a relationship with God? Ask your family if they were being interviewed, how would they describe your faith? Is it a burden of legalism or an invitation to a loving relationship?

Servant Leadership

Jesus makes another remarkable statement about leadership in Matthew 23. “The greatest among you will be your servant.” Jesus turns the world’s idea of leadership on its head by stating, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This is why servant leadership is such a vital concept in ministry.

Servant leaders do not stand in the front and tell everyone else to do what they say. They work from behind and lift everyone else up so that everyone gets served and the least receive the most.

This is why James and John’s mother’s request for her sons to be on Jesus’ right and left hand in His kingdom was so fascinating. She misunderstood the operation of God’s kingdom. The first will be last and the last will be first in God’s kingdom. Greatness will be measured by servanthood, not status.

Living Above Reproach

My father had a simple principle of never being alone in his office with someone of the opposite sex unless they were your wife or your daughter. This is not because he did not trust others or thought they would sin if alone with someone of the opposite sex. This was not because he was full of fear or distrust. This was simply to ensure that he lived his life above reproach. No one could ever look at his life and question his integrity or twist his actions in any way.

I have often said that we live in a world of whispers and a generation of selfies, and that is so true. With the rise of social media, with the freedom of anonymity on the internet, and with the staggering number of people who record other people’s conversations and actions, we must live in such a way that our life is above reproach.

This does not mean that we cannot ever do anything wrong. It does not mean that we live a life of perfectionism. It does mean that our life matches our words. It means that people could read what we say about Jesus and look at our lives and see no great chasm between our words and our deeds.

Does Jesus Know Who You Are?

You have four days until Christmas. The real test is not about whether you will be giving gifts or whether you will be receiving gifts. The real question is this: Will you give away the gift of salvation to a person this Christmas who needs it?

This is not easy or simple or a matter of one or two sentences. This is a matter of daily prayer, asking God to open the hearts of people, to allow the Holy Spirit to move on them, to send divine appointments your way, and to give you the opportunity and the courage to speak life and truth into the lives of family members and friends who have no idea of the urgency and depth of Jesus’ love for them.

For if we will not tell someone the truth, how much do we really love them? For if we will not lovingly challenge people and make them feel uncomfortable for their own good, how much do we love them? And if love without truth is not really love at all, let’s have a Merry Christmas.

Have you ever stopped to consider where you were five years ago? What about one year ago, or even six months ago? Sometimes it’s good to pause and remember the journey—to reflect on how far God has brought us and what He’s rescued us from.

The Christian life is a fascinating journey. We start with faith in Jesus Christ, saved by grace, rescued from the pit. But somewhere along the way, many believers begin to feel like something’s missing. A nagging thought creeps in: Maybe I’m not doing enough. Maybe I need to add something to my salvation.

This is where things get dangerous.

The Galatian Problem

The early church faced this exact issue. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul addresses believers who had started their journey with Jesus but were being convinced they needed to add something more—specifically, obedience to the Old Testament law—to complete their salvation.

Paul’s words are sharp: “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you?” (Galatians 3:1). He’s not attacking them out of malice; he’s trying to wake them up from a dangerous deception. These were people who loved Jesus but were being told that faith in Christ wasn’t quite enough.

Paul asks them a pointed question: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:2). The answer was obvious—they received salvation through faith, not through keeping religious rules.

Then comes the kicker: “Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

Starting One Way, Finishing Another

Imagine running a marathon. You start at the starting line, following the marked course with all the other runners. You’re making good progress, you’re on the right path. But then, halfway through, you decide to turn around and run the opposite direction. Or maybe you get on a tricycle for the last lap instead of continuing to run.

Sounds absurd, right? Yet this is exactly what happens when we start our faith journey trusting in Jesus alone, then begin adding our own works, rituals, or religious observances as though Christ wasn’t sufficient.

The law was never meant to save anyone. If it could have saved us, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come. The Old Testament sacrificial system required a high priest to enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement—and they tied a rope around him in case he died in there so they could drag his body out. Year after year after year, this ritual was repeated.

Why? Because it didn’t work permanently. It was like putting duct tape on a leaking hose—a temporary fix that would need to be redone again and again.

The Fulfillment

Jesus came to fulfill what the law could never accomplish. When He died on the cross, His final words were, “It is finished.” Not “It is mostly finished, but you’ll need to complete it by keeping the law.” Not “It is finished, but you better make sure you do enough good works to keep it.”

It. Is. Finished.

One sacrifice. One time. For all sin—past, present, and future.

Consider Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. He lived before the law was given. There were no Ten Commandments yet, no 613 regulations to follow. Yet the Bible says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).

Faith. That’s how Abraham was saved. That’s how Enoch, who walked with God and was taken up to heaven, was saved. That’s how Joseph, sold into slavery but faithful to God, was saved. Faith has always been the key.

God introduced the law because His people kept misbehaving, but it was never meant to be the path to salvation. It was meant to show us we need a Savior because we cannot possibly keep all those rules perfectly.

The Danger of Adding

There’s a movement today—sometimes called Hebrew Roots or Torah-keeping—that teaches Jesus is the Messiah but that believers must also observe Old Testament law to maintain their salvation. These aren’t necessarily evil people trying to lead others astray. Often, they’re sincere believers who feel they haven’t done enough and are trying to add to what Christ accomplished.

But here’s the problem: the moment we add anything to Jesus, we’ve changed the gospel. And if we’ve changed the gospel, we no longer have the gospel that saves.

Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Jesus plus anything equals a different gospel.

The Sufficient Gift

Picture a man drowning in debt. Credit cards maxed out, loans unpaid, bills piling up. He stops opening his mail because he knows every letter is another demand for payment. Then one day, he opens a letter from the bank: “All your debts have been paid. A benefactor has covered everything. You owe nothing.”

Incredible news, right? But then, week after week, this man keeps writing checks and sending them to the bank, trying to pay back what’s already been paid. The bank keeps returning his checks with the same message: “You don’t have an account with us anymore. Everything’s been paid.”

Why does he keep trying to pay? Because he’s afraid the gift might be taken back. He can’t believe it’s really free.

Many believers live this way with their salvation. They keep trying to “pay” for what Christ already purchased. They can’t accept that grace is truly sufficient.

The Christmas Gift

This Christmas season, remember what we’re really celebrating. Not trees or lights or presents, but the fulfillment of God’s plan from before the foundation of the world. We celebrate that God entered time and space as a baby, lived a perfect life, and died to pay a debt we could never pay.

His grace is sufficient. You don’t need to add to it. You can’t add to it. Trying to add to it actually diminishes what Christ accomplished.

So rest in this truth: if you’ve placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are saved—completely, fully, eternally. Not because of what you’ve done, but because of what He did.

That’s the gift. And it’s enough.

When people think of Christmas, they usually think of family. No matter how far away or how long it’s been since you last saw them, something about this season always seems to bring us back home, back together, back to what’s important.

But what if there is unforgiveness in your life keeping you from those you need to celebrate with?

The Calculator We Need to Throw Away

Peter asked Jesus a question in Matthew 18 that must have sounded incredibly generous coming from him. Religious leaders in his day taught that forgiving someone three times made you righteous—you had done your spiritual homework, so to speak. So Peter, feeling perhaps very magnanimous at the time, inquires of Jesus: “Should I forgive someone seven times?”

Jesus’ answer must have blown him away: “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.”

He was not giving Peter license to whip out a calculator and start keeping track. Jesus was talking about throwing away the very calculator itself! He was saying that forgiveness is not a mathematical equation with a finite answer. It’s a lifestyle.

I love my smartphone. I have the calculator, the notes app, reminders, spreadsheets, everything. But I do not need to track forgiveness, because forgiveness is not about mathematical equations.

The Unpayable Debt

Jesus follows up with a parable that drives this point home. The servant owed his king an unfathomable amount of money—10,000 talents. To give you an idea of how much money this is, think of every penny you could ever possibly earn in this life and multiply it by several lifetimes. This is not $1,000 or $50,000 or even $300,000. This is an incomprehensible, unpayable debt.

The servant falls at the king’s feet and begs for patience. He promises to pay back everything, both of them knowing this to be an impossibility. Yet the king has compassion, sets the servant free, and forgives the entire loan.

This is the picture of our salvation. We owed God a debt that could never be paid. Our sins created a gaping chasm between ourselves and God that no amount of good works, no amount of effort, no amount of time could ever have bridged. And yet, God forgave it all.

The Tragic Irony

But here’s where it gets really tragic. This same servant, newly forgiven of millions, goes out and finds a fellow servant who owes him an insignificant amount—100 denarii. Pocket change in comparison. He grabs this man by the throat, demanding payment. When the fellow servant begs for patience, using the exact same words he had just used before the king, the forgiven servant does not relent. He has the man thrown into prison until he can pay what he owes.

I am amazed by the irony. How does someone in prison earn money to pay a debt? Logically, it is impossible. But this is what we do when we refuse to forgive. We lock people into relational prisons, cut them off from all communication with us, and then somehow expect them to fix what was broken. We make restoration impossible and then demand it.

The Chains We Choose to Wear

Consider this image: A prisoner chained to a wall—chains on his feet, his arms, across his chest, around his throat. A new guard walks by one day and asks the prisoner why he’s still standing there. He responds that he’s chained to the wall. The guard looks at him, shocked, and replies: “We unlocked those chains years ago.”

When God saves us, he sets us free. The chains of sin, guilt, and condemnation are broken. Yet many of us remain in the same spot, not because we’re chained to the wall, but because we’re still wrapped up in the bitterness and unforgiveness we are not willing to let go of. We have been set free but are still standing against that wall, convinced that we’re trapped.

The Cost of Unforgiveness

The parable ends with a sobering warning. When the king hears of what the forgiven servant has done to the other, he has him brought before him, only to have him sent to the jailers to be tortured until he can pay everything he owes. Jesus drives the point home: “So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

This is not saying that unforgiveness can change your eternal destination if you’re truly saved. But it does mean that you’re living a lesser life than you could. Unforgiveness gives the enemy legal ground to torment you. It shows up in patterns you can’t break, behaviors you can’t make sense of, and bondage you can’t explain.

When we refuse to forgive, we grieve the Holy Spirit. We are like a garden hose with a kink in it—connected to the water source, but with no flow, no power, no life-giving water reaching its destination.

A Christmas Challenge

Before you get together with family this Christmas, before you open gifts, before you cook that meal or go to that party, ask the Holy Spirit a simple question: “Who do I need to forgive?”

Maybe it’s been five years since you last spoke to them. Maybe twenty. Maybe they’re a family member who will be at the Christmas table. Maybe they’re someone who hurt you so deeply, you can’t imagine ever releasing it.

Forgiveness isn’t about whether they deserve it. You didn’t deserve it either. None of us did. “God proved his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The Gift That Keeps Giving

Christmas is the celebration of the ultimate gift—God leaving heaven, coming to earth as a baby in a manger, to live a perfect life, die a criminal’s death, all to save humanity that did not deserve it. Before He even created the world, He knew what we would do and still chose to create us anyway. He chose to love us anyway. He chose to save us anyway.

Grace was never meant to be kept. It was meant to be given away.

Forgiveness is not situational. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a conscious decision we make every day. We choose to love. We choose to extend mercy. We choose to give grace. Not because people have earned it, but because it was freely given to us.

Forgive from your heart this Christmas. Make the call. Send the text. Open the door. Life is too short, and eternity is too long to live in the prison of unforgiveness.

The calculator can be thrown away. The lifestyle of forgiveness awaits.