In Jesus we remember and celebrate that He is our source of great joy. In this world we all face various trials of various sizes. But in Jesus we have everlasting joy offered to us in spite of our sufferings. 

We often times think of peace as the absence of conflict. And that is true. But it’s incomplete. Peace, as understood by the Biblical word peace, is both an absence of conflict, and the presence of flourishing. It is thriving free of stress and worry. And in Jesus we have peace with God, with one another, and within ourselves. 

As was revealed to Simeon in Luke 2, Jesus coming to us to live just like us brings the fullness of Hope to believers. Even when we don't have the answers for why things feel hopeless, we can know our Savior stood in the same, difficult circumstances we too stand in. Our God is one who knows our heartache and gives true Hope!

Paul is addressing Jewish Christians in Rome to remind them that they are not "better than" the lost without the power of Christ. We have all sinned and are separated from God, but praise Jesus who lowered himself so we might be made righteous! Remember His holiness at work in you when interacting with others.

Paul is eager to preach the Gospel, for it is salvation from the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. In communicating the good news, Paul wants to help people see the bad news they are living in apart from the Gospel. The bad news being, that we walked away from God, and He let us have our way. 

In John 20, the power of Jesus is on display as he calls the name of Lazarus and he comes out of the tomb. We see here that anything is possible when Jesus calls our name. So, how will you respond?

As Paul begins the body of his letter, he starts by telling the Romans why he is so eager to see them in person. He wants to mutually build one another up and reap a harvest among them by preaching the Gospel. The gospel according to Paul is the secret ingredient that brings life and helps a person grow, and Paul is obligated to, eager to, and unashamed to preach the Gospel.

Around the year 55 AD, Paul writes and sends a letter to the church in Rome to help explain the gospel of God so that the church will respond with gospel-fueled obedience - to His glory and their good.

As the story of Esther concludes, we see a great and remarkable reversal take place. What was meant for evil, the Lord turned and leveraged for good. And as people we are instructed and reminded to remember who God is and what He has done on our behalf.

God is a God who saves, who comes to our rescue. And the natural, and appropriate response to our rescue is rejoicing and gratitude.