In Galatians 1 & 2, Paul reiterated the true Gospel Message of Salvation. He reminds us to stand firm by abiding in Jesus and to keep our eyes, hearts, and minds laser focused on Him. Paul teaches us to live in, boast in, and thrive in the powerful saving grace of our Lord and Savior. Paul didn't try to please people, he pursued Jesus passionately and was desperate to accomplish his will on the earth through the live the Lord had given him. He gives us a huge living example to follow today of what it looks like to live life in full surrendered desperation for Jesus. All we need is Jesus. Jesus + Nothing = EVERYTHING.

In 2 Corinthians 12 & 13, we learn that faith that tested can't be trusted. God allowed a thorn in Paul's life to help keep him humble and fully dependent on the Lord. We need to live in the Lord's powerful grace every day. We need to live in the power of the Lord and His strength, not trying to do life on our own or in our own strength. We need to take our hands off and let the Lord lead and guide us in every step. It's okay to not be okay, because the Lord's grace, mercy, and love are powerful enough to carry us through anything and everything. We need to be willing to trust Him and let Him. When we do, His power will radiate through our sink holes to the world around us. Let Him search and reveal anything that doesn't belong and repent quickly as soon as it is revealed. Get back up and keep running for Jesus with all your guts. There's nothing better in the world than running desperately with Jesus.

(Acts 24:22-25:12; Acts 26:24-32)

Once we repent from sin and turn to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are covered by His Blood. We are covered by His redemption. We are covered by His love. There is no sin under the sun that hasn't already been dealt with by the power of Jesus' Blood. It's up to us to entrust our hearts and lives to Him and let Him take it all, faithfully trusting that He has us covered head to toe, now and for all eternity. It's up to us to trust His power and promises, living in full surrender and desperately abandoned to Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 10 & 11, Paul reminds us we are in a spiritual battle every day and we need to stay armed with the Armor of God. We need to be intentional about how we send the time God has given us on this earth so we are not distracted and pulled away from God's will and plans for our lives. We need to pray continually. We need to mediate on His Word. We need to spend time with our Almighty Father so we know our Father's voice and can delete the lies the enemy tries to throw our way. We need to let the Lord renew our minds daily as we come before Him in full surrender for the eternal mission in the day ahead. You are worthy. You are loved. You are adopted in as a child of the Most High God. He wants us to have the victory He died for us to have, now and for all eternity. It's up to us to set our hearts and minds on Him, staying laser focused on Jesus, and worshiping Him with all our guts and every last exhale.

In 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, Paul teaches us what gracious giving looks like. We are quick to pay when someone hands us a bill and pay our mortgages because we promised to pay them, but when it comes to reaching people and saving souls for eternity, people tend to shrink back. We are commissioned to reach souls and save lives for eternity. Our houses and collections will fade away, but eternity is forever. Nothing matters more than investing into the eternal Kingdom of God. He truly doesn't want to lose a soul. Through these chapters, we see what it means to give hysterically in worship to the Lord. Every good thing comes from God and He calls us to steward His resources well for His Kingdom. It involves stepping out in faith, trusting the Lord, and giving all we can through the power of His grace. It's not just money. We give our lives for the sake of the Gospel. We give our time, our resources, all we can for the sake of reaching others. Nothing matters more.

In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul encourages us - sinners saved by the powerful grace of God - to continue forward learning how to live under the guide, direction, and counsel of the Holy Spirit within us in faith - not by works. We live as broken vessels before the Lord with His power radiating within us. As we do, we radiate His glory to the world around us and testify of His power in our weakness. We need to be honest with each other, build each other up, love those God has placed in our lives deeply - with no strings attached. When we face problems honestly and openly, deal with them Biblically and lovingly, and seek to get right with God and the people around us, God can move mountains. As we surrender and ask the Lord to examine our lives, we need to determine to be repentant and be a part of God's answer.

In 2 Corinthians 5 & 6, Paul challenges us to walk by faith, not by sight. Faith is complete 100% wholehearted trust and confidence in the Lord God Almighty. It requires us to let go of control - take our hands off - and let God lead knowing He is all knowing and has our eternal best in mind. It doesn't mean we won't have to walk through holes here and there. It does mean that we walk through ever hole and valley knowing the Lord is carrying us over and through it all. We have to keep on walking faithfully forward clinging to Jesus with all our guts. We focus on the eternal, admit we can do nothing good without God, pray for help, encourage each other, trust God's promises, faithful and actively walk forward following God's lead, and thank God for His provision and goodness. God's grace is powerful and His grace has us covered in every step. He will never leave us as we continue to radiate Jesus to the world around us no matter what might come. We walk by faith, trusting His powerful grace will carry us through each step ahead.

(Acts 23)

Jesus is Alive! He helps us as we testify boldly for Him to others. Just as Jesus stood by Paul, He stands by us. Jesus is with us, even if we don't always realize it or see it. We have to know and believe this - it's a promise - He is with us. We are never alone. We can have courage in and through every circumstance because we know that Jesus is with us. It's a promise we can count on and stand firm on every single day.

In 2 Corinthians 3 & 4, Paul shows us how abiding in Jesus and His powerful grace looks differently than a life living under the law. The law is a mirror that reveals to us why we all need Jesus desperately. The law directs our steps to Jesus because He is the Living Water that cleanses that grime from our lives. The mirror cannot cleanse us, only Jesus can. Jesus gives us His redemption, His righteousness, and His freedom. As He does His work cleansing us from the inside out, we want to pursue Him more, we want to please Him, we want to keep falling more and more in love with Jesus - because we become more and more desperate for Jesus. There are hard times in this life. Don't give up. Keep going. The victory has been won. The race we are in is a sure victory. We win because Jesus won. We are on the winning team. We don't have to go fast because the victory has been secured, we just have to keep going. Jesus will carry us home on His shoulders if we are willing to surrender to Him and let Him carry us.

In 2 Corinthians 1 & 2, we are reminded God is the only One who can bring true comfort. As He gives us comfort, we are able to comfort others. God's presence brings comfort. We can rest in His presence through prayer, worship, and spending intentional time in His Word. His promises are secure and eternal. Every promise of God is a resounding "YES!" Even when life feels like it's falling apart, Jesus is with us and we can trust Him in the moments ahead. He will hold us on His shoulders if we are willing to climb upon Him and trust His love and strength. As we do, the sweet aroma of Jesus is released into the world around us because we are basking in the Fragrance of our Almighty Father and He never lets us go.