🤝 Laying It Down: The Call to Sacrificial Love Dave and Jeremy are asking a big question today: Whose face do you see when you think about laying down your life? It’s easy to show up at the altar like a sheep waving a knife, but it’s much harder to actually serve your siblings in the messy reality of daily life. We live in a consumer culture that tells us we are the commodity, but Jesus shows us that we are the servants. Whether we come from an Eastern culture of community or a Western culture of individualism, the call remains the same: follow the example of the One who laid it all down. This isn't about shaming anyone for scrolling on their phones during a sermon; it’s about reorienting our hearts toward the people sitting right next to us. Love isn't a duty; it's an intentional choice to see a need and meet it, just as Jesus did for us. Let’s go and follow Him in obedience today. It is always worth it.

Songs Between the Storms: Selahs for the Storms is available no, and can be purchased at most major book retailers.
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Could a simple internal disposition of hate actually be viewed as the sin of murder in the eyes of God? Dave and Jeremy explore the chilling connection between premeditated hate and the lack of eternal life remaining in the heart. They reflect on Peter’s awkward interaction with Cornelius to show how latent animosity can hide under the surface of our religious explanations. It is a call to move from an "I perspective" to a "God perspective" that embraces even those we find off-putting. "Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer." — 1 John 3:15. What unexamined intensities or cultural biases are you holding onto that prevent you from extending the mercy God gave you so freely? Send this episode to a friend as a prompt for deep spiritual self-examination this week.

Also, please take a look at this title from Dave, Wilderness Whispers: Poems of Solitude, Surrender and the God Who Speaks in Silence.  This books is written from the personal reflections and wrestling and, I believe, will encourage you as you walk through struggles and joys.
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How do you truly know if you have passed from spiritual death into the vibrant, eternal life of God? The guys dive into the sweetness of John’s assumption that believers already love one another through active, daily service. Jeremy shares a touching story about his son helping a neighbor move, illustrating how loving our siblings in Christ is simply the family business. It’s not just a test to see if you’re in or out, but a reminder of who you already are in Him. "We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers and sisters." — 1 John 3:14. Is your daily behavior currently conforming to the reality of your "last name" as a child of God through active service to others? Share today’s reflection with someone who needs encouragement to keep loving their church family.

 
Please check out Marriage is Just Two People Googling Separately: Love Poems that Need Counseling for a fun and humorous look at love and life Available for pre-order now, and is live on Feb 14th.
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Ever feel like the world just doesn't get you or, worse, actively works against your faith in Jesus Christ? Dave and Jeremy discuss why we shouldn't be shocked by hostility from the world around us. They connect John’s warning to Jesus’ words in the Upper Room and the ancient story of Cain, reminding us that being on the winning team doesn't mean skipping the storm. We are here to represent the Father with humility and grace, even when it’s hard. "Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." — 1 John 3:13. Are you responding to hostility with the humility to sacrifice yourself for others, or are you isolating yourself in a self-fulfilling prophecy of being a jerk? Share today’s reflection with someone who feels discouraged by the world’s opposition.
You can also pick up one of Dave’s new books of poetry HERE.
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We examine the antithesis of love in 1 John 3:12: "Not as Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother... because his own deeds were evil, but his brothers were righteous". We remind ourselves that the context is the command to love one another. I (Jeremy) argued that Cain's action stemmed from being angry at God and blaming Him, using his brother as a convenient scapegoat. The text is clear that Cain's deeds were evil before the murder, likely evidenced by his unacceptable offering. The core issue is that Cain chose to serve his father Satan, who allows us to believe we are in charge. We are challenged to look at our own deeds and serve God faithfully, loving others so generously that people pause and ask why we are so different.

We meditate on 1 John 3:11: "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another". I (Dave) noted that this word "love" is tough because we often rationalize our love, viewing our misbehavior as love toward others. I (Jeremy) questioned where this message "from the beginning" originated, noting that while Jesus spoke of loving God and neighbor, I didn't recall it explicitly in the Mosaic law. We concluded that this command has always been the filter through which all laws, including purity and sacrificial laws, must be applied—as an outworking of loving one another rightly. Loving one another means sharing life, not just a moment or a meal, and being willing to give generously. We challenge ourselves to give an honest answer: are we actually walking out what it means to love others?

1 John 3:10 provides the conclusion to this section, creating a clear binary distinction: "By this, the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious",. The test involves two core practices: doing righteousness AND loving our brother. I (Jeremy) believe John spent time on this because we are easily deceived. We are challenged not to let the seasons of life (like comfort or career stage) define us, but rather to let our Savior define us,. We discuss how biblical love often requires discomfort and vulnerability, which is sometimes easier to find in smaller, intimate house churches where performance is stripped away,. We must choose to let the Savior define us, not temporary comfort.

1 John 3:9 provides powerful security: "No one who has been born of God practices sin because his seed remains in him". Jeremy clarifies that God's seed is a deposit of Himself that marks us as authentic and begins growth from the inside out. I (Dave) trust that because I am God's, He will act as a protective Father, ensuring I do not continue in sin and praying that He moves me before I fall,. This is a promise stemming from Christ's high priestly prayer (John 17)—God keeps us protected in the world. Our hope lies not in my ability to earn or clean myself up but in the power of the gospel, which affords us the ability to go out and bear fruit,. Our job is simply to remain and not mess it up.

1 John 3:8 is blunt: "The one who practices sin is of the devil... The son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the work of the devil". I (Dave) noted that "sin" feels too small for the widespread practice of lawlessness and pride we rationalize daily,. Jeremy pointed out that this practice is a rejection of reality, mirroring the arrogance of Satan. If we are practicing sin, we risk believing we are sheep when we are goats. We are free in Christ. Christ appeared specifically to break sin’s hold. We are invited into the freedom He secured, ensuring that once we understand our error, we have no hold to continue in it,. We must avoid returning to the error of our ways like a dog returning to its vomit.

We explore 1 John 3:7: "Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous". This warning is necessary because we are easily deceived,. The standard is Christ’s righteousness. We must actively practice righteousness, not just claim a label. I (Dave) am currently wrestling with what intentional righteous living looks like corporately, beyond mere classwork,. I (Jeremy) confess I am deeply judgmental, but I am seeking the vulnerability in relationship necessary to correct and be corrected,. We must use the standard of righteousness for self-evaluation and communal evaluation, always avoiding throwing the relationship out with the correction.