I imagine we'd all like to be generous givers. Very few people think that generosity isn't important or helpful. What will it take to begin to be a giving person?

The Christian idea of acceptance is different. It's not narrow mindedness or open-mindedness. It's drawing in someone who is weaker, who is different in a specific way, and making space for them in our lives.

How do you stay safe? How do you know when you're connected to someone that might here? In modern terms, such people might be abusive or toxic. They're dangerous to ourselves and the people around us. Sadly, we might be those people sometimes, but Jesus gives us a great resource to stay safe.

It's great to connect with someone because we share a common interest or a hobby. What if we could connect with them on a much deeper level?

We love to celebrate deeper, more meaningful connections with people. Often those connections are weak and unhealthy. It takes more than nice thoughts and good intentions to make stronger, healthier connections.

Love tells us we're accepted and approved whatever sin and mistakes we've gone through. The gospel promises us love no matter our lives. This was the good news we heard for the Christian funeral of Ken Kling.

There are a lot of things in life that we could see that wouldn't make us very amazing. But there are certain sights that when we see them, we become amazing ourselves. Let's see the needs and lacks, stop excusing ourselves from the tough stuff, and be amazing.

Work is good. It has been part of life since creation and some sort of work will remain part of eternity. We can only enjoy rest from our work when we work for the pleasure of someone far greater.

Everyone needs a home - a place where our heart rests. It doesn't work out to make the space around us be our home. Our heart and the space around us are in conflict. If someone else were to give us a home, then we could find ourselves at home. God's heart provides us a home.

Is there someone in life that you would like to say something to? Fear often drives what we say and how we say it. But the gospel makes wonderful witnesses - people more filled with wonder than fear.