Part of God’s grand design, of helping "the least of these" in Christ’s name, requires connecting to other people. This is something humans are getting less and less good at. The internet and social media are great for many things. We can video chat with people on the other side of the world; we can look up long-forgotten recipes; we can keep track of local news and global disasters. But when our connecting is reduced to a computer screen, we begin to forget how to communicate with other people, especially how to listen well.

Listening is an active process that requires interaction between two or more people. It requires focus and intention, asking clarifying questions, and paying attention to body language and tone of voice. These are all important when we connect with people, especially those who need hope and God’s love. As the book of James says, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). I must say, that’s not how most people communicate over the internet. But we as believers are called to communicate with those around us in this way: with kindness, humility, and consideration. When we do this, people will notice we are different, that we pay attention and listen kindly. Good communication can draw people to Jesus Christ, if we only look up and start actively listening to those around us.        

This is Luis Palau.

We are part of a grand design, and we have a chance to be used by God to show the world His glory and goodness. What a powerful privilege! But we can get so caught up in our everyday lives, living from moment to moment, that sometimes we don’t recognize the important work all around us.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus talks about the final judgment when the Son of Man separates the righteous – that is, the repentant people who believe in Jesus - from the unrighteous. The righteous gain the kingdom of heaven when Jesus recalls how He was hungry, and they fed Him; He was thirsty, and they gave Him drink. They welcomed Him, clothed Him, and supported Him. The righteous asked, “When did we do this?” They don’t remember taking care of the King of Kings. Jesus answers, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”

These faithful people lived in the grand design. They saw opportunities all around them to share the love of Christ. They gave their food, their drink, their clothes, all of their resources for those who did not have anything: the outcasts, the poor, the imprisoned. They did this because it was what Jesus wanted them to do. Little did they realize that Jesus was there, in the faces of the least of these. We are called to this work. Let us share Christ’s love in word and deed.  

This is Luis Palau.

A friend told me about a TV show called God Friended Me. It’s about a young man who is an atheist and gets contacted through social media by a profile that supposedly belongs to God. This profile connects him to people who need his help. Turns out, the young man needs their help too. The show is made to be entertaining rather than biblically accurate. However, one thing that the show does get right is showing there is a grand design. Everything happens for a reason. God puts us in places to help those around us in big and small ways, if we just pay attention.

Maybe we are meant to be on the same bus with someone who is being discriminated against, and who needs us to stick up for them. Or maybe we are meant to be at the grocery store when someone needs a hand with paying for their groceries. Or maybe we are on social media and see a post from someone who really needs prayer and encouragement. These are not coincidences; these are part of God’s grand design and opportunities for us to make His glory known.

The amazing thing is that God uses us, like Paul said,  “to proclaim to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God”(Ephesians 3:8-9). Our job is to make this mystery of Christ’s love and work known. That is the grand design. Always remember your part in it, and you will reach your world for Christ.

This is Luis Palau.

C.S. Lewis once said that we are “like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum.” He continued with, “We are far too easily pleased.” I think he’s right. It’s easy to be complacent. It’s tempting to take God’s gift of salvation and forgiveness and just stay there. But there is more to our faith. We aren’t just people saved from sin. We have been saved to something also. We have been saved to son-ship. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus have become children of God. As part of God’s family, we have the responsibilities and expectations that come with that position.

It’s similar to my family here on earth. My wife and I adopted a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia. Our daughter is as much a part of our family as our older boys. She has our name, our love, and our inheritance. She also has the responsibility to be part of our family. She no longer is alone. She has been saved from her old life to something new. It’s up to her to live in her new life.

Let’s not settle for making mud pies in the slum. Let’s not become a member of God’s family only to take His name and the privileges that come from sonship. Rather, as children of the King, let’s live with integrity and show the world true life in Christ. Don’t settle for anything less.

This is Andrew Palau.

When people ask if Jesus Christ is relevant to us today, the answer is a resounding yes! He is relevant to every aspect of our lives. And do you want to know why? It’s because Jesus Christ suffered, died in our place, and rose again. So we have a God who understands our suffering. Isn’t that amazing? You are not alone in your suffering. Peter tells us, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” When we suffer, we are sharing in Christ’s suffering. And the Bible says that this is cause for rejoicing.

Our God understands our daily struggles and challenges. Jesus Christ is relevant in our sufferings. He will guide us through it. Elisabeth Elliot writes, “In all our afflictions he is afflicted. We are together in them...” Will you share the relevancy of our Savior with a suffering friend today?

This is Luis Palau.

There are many emotional disturbances that we all struggle with. A big source of anxiety is unresolved guilt. Unresolved guilt can cause all sorts of issues for people. But when we come to Jesus Christ he washes our mind and begins to heal our life. He cleanses us so we can be at peace with God regarding our past life and sins and failures. The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God purifies us from all sin.”

That’s the first big step to healing. We have to be forgiven. We must admit that we’ve sinned against God. And when we do, He will take away our guilt and we will experience a new peace and joy unlike anything else. There’s a song I heard the other day that was so powerful. It said, “I still remember the day you saved me, the day you called out my name. You said you loved me, you’d never leave me, and I’ve never been the same.” Coming to Jesus Christ changes each one of us so we are never the same- in the very best of ways!

The peace of God that passes all understanding will keep our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Share this amazing truth with a friend who is struggling today.

This is Luis Palau.

Each person is made up of body, soul and spirit. We are three-dimensional. So I don’t believe you can truly be complete and mature in any sense, even intellectually, until you come to know Jesus Christ.

I was once on a radio call-in show in the United Kingdom, and a lawyer called in. He was angry that I was sharing this concept. He said, “I have a great wife, wonderful children, a fulfilling career, plenty of money. How can you say my life isn’t complete?” And I told him very honestly, “No one can be a whole person until they come alive to God.  Your spirit is dead.” You may be a fabulous person, highly educated, and have a wonderful family. But you are missing out on one third of your life. You are living in two dimensions when you were created to live in three. When you come to know Jesus your mind will expand and your knowledge will increase. You will be fully alive for the first time. Paul says in Ephesians 2, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins but God made you alive in Christ.” You cannot be fully alive apart from Jesus Christ.

So, for the intellectual questions that come, Jesus Christ is a champion. Jesus Christ is relevant to our intellect. In Him alone you can be completely alive. Remember this as you reach your world today.        

This is Luis Palau.

A humorist once paraphrased Dickens, saying, “Whether this is the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got!” I thought that was pretty good. And it’s true, you know. When we turn on the news it can be scary and people are worried. Is another war about to break out? Will the economy get better? What is happening to the family today? There is a lot of fear. But I really like the approach of thinking of these times as the only time we’ve got. This is it, and God put each of us on this earth for such a time as this. 

God placed you here in this time, in this place, to reach your world. And you can do it. You have an amazing opportunity to shine for Jesus Christ in dark times and worrisome days. Jesus says in Matthew to “let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in Heaven.” You can actually be the light of Jesus Christ to your friends and neighbors. Jesus Christ is the light.  He lives in us who believe in Him, so we become the light by reflecting Christ in us. You can bring hope to the hopeless. So, will you reach your world today? After all, this is the only time we’ve got.

This is Luis Palau.

When people hear news today about the latest scandal, many ask, “How could he?” “How could she?” The reality is, if you and I don’t courageously make choices based on God’s revealed truth, someday people might ask the same question about us. This tragic result is there to see repeatedly in Scripture, church history, modern biography, and contemporary experience.

When it’s all said and done, you and I need to stubbornly resist the temptation to start making our own rules...or start bending the rules of others to our own advantage. We also need to do our best to avoid twisting God’s own rules, commands, and teachings found or affirmed in the New Testament.

You may be single, married, separated, divorced, or widowed. You may be straight, gay, bisexual, or transgender. You may be in your teens, twenties, thirties, or forties. You may be in your fifties, sixties, seventies, or older. You may have had a good life so far, may have had your share of ups and downs, or may have gone through some pretty devastating experiences.  Wherever you’re at, Jesus has something to say to you. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This is more relevant now than ever. Find out more at palau.org.

This is Andrew Palau.

Sometimes we treat problems and trials as if we were on a television commercial. We rush around thinking we have to solve everything in 30 seconds. When we can't, we panic. We try every option we can think of to overcome our problems and difficulties. When none work, we reluctantly turn to God as a last resort.

How different it is when we love and trust God and live every day in relationship with Him.

The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we are not just saved from something. We also are saved to something, and that something is an eternity living in fellowship with God. It is what Jesus called “eternal life,” gained through the power of His resurrection from the dead.  The Good News Gospel of Christ isn’t something we believed in the past; it is something we believe, present tense. And the Gospel isn’t about something that happened, once upon a time. Instead, the Gospel is about something forever happening in our lives.

As the “mustard seed” of our relationship with God takes root, it begins to permeate every area of our lives. Ultimately, God wants us to grow and thrive and become more Christ-like. That’s the quality of life I want every day. My friend, I hope that’s your desire too. I’m sure it is. So rejoice in your relationship with God.   

This is Luis Palau.