Spiritual disciplines like praying, giving, attending church, and fasting can't change us in and of themselves, but they can put us in position to better know and embrace the heart of God. When we view religion as a list of things we should or shouldn’t do we either fearfully follow the crowd or pridefully try to convince others we’re someone we're not. So, what's the healthy approach?

We all have people in our lives that, well...we simply just can't stand. They might be co-workers, pesky neighbors, or even members of our extended family. Contrary to our human instincts, Jesus says we are to love those people. But why? And equally as important, how do we go about loving our enemies?

Generally speaking, there are two types of people when an injustice or hurtful word is hurled our way. Hard, impulsive people that seek revenge and retaliation. And, soft, gracious people that absorb the blow and seek to build rather than destroy. Which are we? According to Jesus, which should we be?

We live in a time where you have to read the fine print on everything. Often nothing truly means what we think at first. Sometimes telling the truth can be painful. But Jesus says if we want to be like Him, we need to be willing to tell the truth no matter what.

No one gets married with the expectation of getting divorced. And yet, marriages still end all the time. But what does Jesus have to say about divorce?

Sexual lust burns like a fire. We were created with sexual urges, and in the right context that's a good thing. Like a fire, when our sexual desires are in the wrong place it can cause destruction. Fire is a good thing in the fireplace. It’s not, when it’s not.

We all get angry from time to time. But left unchecked, a festering anger has the power to destroy relationships. To deal with our anger we must move towards forgiveness and if possible, reconciliation and restoration so that what is broken can be mended.

2020 took a lot from us. Whether that was adjusting to the discomforts of life in a pandemic, or increasing social tensions from political and racial divide. There’s no doubt…we’ve been frazzled. And it’s easy to lose sight of our mission in Christ amongst all the chaos.

It’s time to rebuild. We need to rebuild.

The one thing we all want is a fresh start. We all have a yearning to go

back and do things a little differently. When Jesus walked out of the grave, he walked out with the promise of real change, in real time, for real people, with real regrets. Resurrection means we can stop regretting, and start living a different kind of life.

On Jesus’ journey to resurrection, one of his final stops was his crucifixion. While it wasn’t his final destination, it was the most important moment his time on earth was leading up to. We cannot be confronted with his sacrifice and do nothing because love always goes the next step. When we truly understand his love and his sacrifice, then and only then, will we truly begin to change.