When is the last time you read the Gospels? If you really pay attention to the inspired accounts by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you discover that nearly every time Jesus talks with someone, He uses a new approach. Why is that? Because each individual starts at a different place, with different beliefs and misconceptions, with different hang-ups and sins, with different needs and circumstances, and with different kinds of relationships with God and others.

Almost every individual “heard” and responded to Jesus and His message in different ways. Some, like Nathanael, Zacchaeus, and Mary Magdalene, were saved almost instantly. Still others, including Jesus’ own brothers, didn’t believe He was the Son of God until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Whether short or long, every dialogue and conversion looked and sounded different from the others. No two individuals, including brothers Peter and Andrew, had the same experience, let alone the same story. The implications are pretty staggering.  

I’m so glad that you and I can use any of 105 ways to present the life-changing Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Like Jesus, let’s look for new opportunities today.

This is Luis Palau.

I’m so thankful that the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has never changed. Its transforming power is unabated after two thousand years. Then again, the way followers of Jesus Christ live out and experience that life-giving power varies from place to place, and from person to person. We see this in Jesus’ own ministry.

On the cross, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.  We must remember, though, that He died for your sins and mine in particular.  Each single individual is someone Jesus knew from before the foundation of the earth. Each person is someone Jesus not only knew, but also walked alongside, and invited into relationship with Him.

Who were these individuals? For one, a thief. Dying on a cross next to Jesus, the thief recognized who Jesus was and is. He recognized his own guilt and shame and powerlessness. And, finally, he cried out to Jesus, trusted in Him, and entered paradise with Jesus that very day.

True, that thief didn’t know much, but he embraced the essence of the Gospel. He surrendered to Jesus Christ, and received eternal life—just as Jesus knew he would do—in the nick of time. Nothing is more thrilling than that!

This is Luis Palau.

This past week a Christian university student remarked, “I’ve been reading the Gospel of Luke, and I keep wincing at how Jesus comes across in story after story.” After talking with thousands of followers of Jesus Christ, I think many are uncomfortable with some of the Gospels. Not because the vast majority doesn’t believe what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote. But uncomfortable because of what Matthew and the others tell us what Jesus had to say and what He actually did.

First, many people feel the way Jesus talks with the crowds is all wrong. Second, many dislike how little we know about the three and a half years that Jesus walked, talked, and lived with the twelve disciples.

Worst of all, some aren’t comfortable with the way Jesus interacts with specific individuals. In their hearts, they’re thinking: Jesus, you’re doing it all wrong. Tell your story, explain the Gospel as clearly as possible. Jesus, they say, You were starting to get the hang of it with Nicodemus, but what a disaster when you talked with the Samaritan woman.

Imagine thinking like that, but sadly many do. It’s time to stop wincing, however, and let Jesus correct us—not the other way around.                       

This is Luis Palau.

While reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, have you ever winced over the hard sayings of Jesus, maybe even shaken your head, when Jesus isn’t “nice”? Ever wonder if maybe, just maybe, we might be missing the point of the stories that make us cringe? Then again, if we are willing to reconsider what we (think we) know about Jesus, we might actually enjoy reading the Gospels for a change. 

So, are you willing to consider seeing Jesus afresh? Fully God and fully man. Absolutely true to Scripture. The very definition of loving with all His heart, soul, strength, and mind. The One, the Only and Eternal Son, who sees you and rejoices.

Imagine using our God-given sanctified imaginations so you and I can enter more fully into each Jesus story. Imagine anew His love for men and women and youth of any and all ages, races, religions, classes, citizenships, and national origins.

What if you were standing with Mary Magdalene outside the empty tomb that first resurrection morning? What if Jesus called your name? In that moment, what would you know and feel? More of the grace and love of Jesus than you’ve ever experienced before? Maybe. Just maybe!

This is Luis Palau.

They say a person’s true nature shines through during times of trial. When we’re faced with scary or unpredictable situations, we have two options: panic, or live in Jesus’ peace.

I remember clearly when my family and I were involved in a terribly unpredictable situation: we were involved in a plane crash in Jamaica. It was horrible! Thankfully, all the passengers lived — but the incident was chaotic, to say the least. The plane broke into three parts, crashing right on a beach just feet from the deep ocean. If I were not rooted in Christ, I might have let this incident rock me to my core. But instead, I felt God’s peace—even during the most uncertain moments.

The Bible says that Jesus will bring us peace. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  This means that regardless of what we face, we can rest, knowing that God is in control.

Maybe you are going through trials in your life. Perhaps you are walking that line between peace and anxiety. If so, can I just encourage you to turn to Christ? Choose His peace. Read His Word, pray often, and trust that He has a unique plan for you.

This is Andrew Palau.

Those who seek temporary relief rather than real peace run into a major problem. They have no inward source from which to get relief. Instead, they must seek it from the outside, from sources exterior to themselves. Whether exercise or alcohol, exotic travel or consumerism, or an affair, the relief they seek has to come from without. Often they try to get relief by achieving more than the other guy. Even if they do excel, satisfaction and peace still elude them, and often, depression follows.

True peace comes not from competition, material items, and other exterior things - but from within, if we allow the blessed Holy Spirit to take up residence in our hearts. One of the greatest mysteries and blessings of the Christian faith is that God Himself has chosen to live within His people, inside their very bodies. Paul calls the body “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” Since God is the God of peace, that means God’s peace dwells within us and does not need to be supplied from the outside. Wherever a Christ follower goes, God’s peace tags along – within us.

The moment someone invites Jesus into his or her heart, the Holy Spirit takes up residence. From that moment on and for all eternity, the peace of God is available to that person. What a powerful experience. It’s one that could change the world, if everyone comes to know the peace of Christ.

This is Luis Palau.

All humans deal with anxiety, and some try to find relief for that anxiety through money or alcohol. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work! Knowing God’s peace does not mean the absence of all anxiety, but it does mean the presence of quiet confidence. God’s peace, based on God’s promises found in the Bible, lends a calm that leaves witnesses marveling.

Quiet confidence naturally blooms in the heart of someone who lives in the peace of God. “The fruit of righteousness will be peace,” said Isaiah, “the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”

I saw the peace of God at work in an amazing way in my mother. She became a widow at age thirty-four. She quickly lost the family business, and had to find a way to feed seven children on almost nothing. Yet she never suffered a breakdown and never let our extreme poverty get to her. While she didn’t enjoy our circumstances and did what she could to improve our lives, I still remember the songs that overflowed from the depths of a heart at perfect peace. She believed Jesus when he said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.”

God’s peace does more than dull anxiety. It lends a quiet confidence that can sustain our spirits through the worst of times. Your decision to follow God results in tremendous peace - peace that can be your legacy to an anxious world around you.  

This is Luis Palau.

Relief comes and goes. We feel relief only so long as our muscles ripple or alcohol flows through our veins. The pain is relieved only when we feel distracted by something else. But as soon as that distraction is gone, the pain returns. The peace of God, however, remains steady and firm regardless of circumstances. Why? Because our infinite God supplies it.

Don’t get me wrong. The peace of God doesn’t mean that we feel no fear or pain in horrible circumstances. It simply means that God’s peace can overwhelm anything thrown at us from the outside. There are countless stories of Christians who have terrible things happen to them – illness, accidents, loss, pain. Yet many of them describe experiencing an inexplicable peace that can only come from God. No outside force can take away a Christian’s peace.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:16, the apostle Paul wrote, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” He then says, “The Lord be with all of you.” When he says this, he’s not just using a religious cliché. He actually means that his friends need to depend on the Lord and consciously make him part of their daily lives. Only then will they truly experience God’s peace. The same goes for us. Once you rest in God’s unending peace, you will be able to touch your world for Christ.

This is Luis Palau.

My grandmother lived for many years with a mean-spirited, cultured but spiteful husband. Sometimes, when he would say hurtful things, Grandma would grab a piece of cheese, a loaf of French bread, and a bottle of wine. She’d head off to her bedroom, close and lock the door, and say, “Bread, cheese, wine — and peace!”

We all need peace in a world so overflowing with strife. We long for tranquility, quiet, harmony, serenity, and calm. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem so easy to find. In fact, we all too often mistake an attractive fake for genuine peace. We convince ourselves that we can find peace in false spiritual experiences, controlled finances, toned bodies, fewer responsibilities, long vacations, or ignored problems. We rely on bread, cheese, and wine to make us feel better in the moment, not realizing we are choosing mere temporary relief over lasting peace.

So, the fundamental question remains: does genuine peace really exist? And if so, can we find it? The answer to real peace lies in God. As the psalmist says, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Real, genuine, personal peace can come only from God. Mere relief never lasts, but God’s peace can change people. Share this truth with those in your world who are in turmoil, looking for relief.               

This is Luis Palau.

It seems like the future is uncertain for just about everyone. Whether you’re in America, or somewhere else around the world, there are uncertainties with politicians, with wars, and even with extreme weather. Many people are fearful about what the future will hold, but as followers of Jesus we can rejoice — because we know we will spend our future and all of eternity in Heaven.

John 14: 1-2 in the Bible says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God… In my Father’s house there are many rooms.” Did you get that? There are rooms for all of us. There is room for everyone.

When I am reminded of the promise we’ve been given to spend eternity in Heaven, I am no longer afraid of what the future may hold. Rather, I am excited and emboldened to share the Good News with others. I know that I’ll be in Heaven someday, and I want everyone to be there, too. I want you there.  Are you ready?

If you are, then this week, tell someone about the Good News of Jesus Christ. Assure them that their future can be bright when Heaven is their home.

This is Andrew Palau.