In order to be a faithful follower of Jesus, play and fun need to have a place in your life.

We struggle to live at peace with others because the brokenness inside us inevitably leads to brokenness around us – impacting all of our relationships (especially marriage). But the good news of the gospel is that Jesus has come to restore our broken union with God, make us new and whole again so that we can bring his shalom into this world and fulfill our created purpose as God’s image-bearers.

We all struggle with insecurities because we are all in search of a true love that will make us feel secure, accepted and whole. Through the covenant of marriage God is expressing his unconditional love to the world and inviting us all into an inseparable union with Jesus that is secured by an unbreakable promise received by faith.

We fall short of loving others perfectly because we are disconnected from the perfect love of God. But God created us with a powerful desire to love and be loved to draw us to Himself and created the marriage union between a husband and wife to reveal the nature of his great love for his people.

The joy of serving others with selfless humility can come only by understanding the mindset of Christ and reflecting on his cross and his glory.

When we face persecution and insult for the sake of the gospel, it is easy to feel lonely and defeated. However, God is teaching us that we are to conduct ourselves worthy of the gospel at all times, and that would give us the courage and confidence to stand and strive together as a community of faith .

When we are wronged by someone, we often default to the ways of the world by harboring resentment or exacting revenge. But the gospel calls us not only to reconciliation but to a radically different way of relating to one another. Philemon is far more than a story of hopeful reconciliation, it is God’s call to the Church across all time to mutual submission and a demonstration of what self-giving love in this new community should look like.