If you were at all interested in the Kansas City Chief’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, chances are you were on the edge of your seat the entire game. I ran home from church and donned my red and gold Chiefs’ shirt, made Dave and me some lunch and curled up on my living room couch.

My phone texts began dinging an hour before kickoff, and they continued until an hour after the game. As the game progressed, girlfriends were posting emojis of happy faces, then sad faces, then “Go Chiefs” emblems, followed by “I can’t take this!” shrieks.  There I sat, yelling at our players for not catching a pass or for missing a tackle and cheering for them when they made a touchdown or stopped the Bills from moving downfield.

Post game, I couldn’t wait to watch the highlights.  Now that my heart rate had returned to normal, I would be able to enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly because I knew the outcome. I had nothing to sweat.  No longer would I be upset when our defense failed to intercept a pass or sack the Bill’s quarterback.  When our opponents went ahead, I feared not.  I knew the final score: 32-29.  I still get excited when I think about that final minute of action.

When, for some reason, the television station showed no highlights, I was frustrated but I relived the game aloud, sharing with Dave my play-by-play review. He looks forward to my expertise.

I’m funny.

But when I woke up this morning, I had a different perspective.  Shouldn’t life reflect that same attitude so that we see each day, each circumstance, through “I’m not going to sweat this,” confident eyes?  You know, so we don’t get all worked up when things don’t go our way? After all, we know the ending.  Jesus will win; Satan will lose. Eternity will be more than we can ever imagine.

God, knowing most of us do sweat the small stuff, told us a few things about what awaits us.  Our eternal home is an actual place (John 14:1-3, NIV) where we will reside in real, physical bodies (2 Corinthians 5:1-5, NIV) and where we will experience everlasting joys, rewards, and treasures (Matthew 5:12; Matthew 6:19-20; Luke 6:23 NIV).                                                              

God allowed the apostle John to get a sneak peek into what awaits us.  From his time in exile on Patmos Island, he wrote his memoirs which are copied in Revelation 21:4 (NLT): He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.                                                                                                         

And with that waiting all of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we sweat the small stuff…why?        

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

The Real Deal

My mom was a great country cook and spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals. Therefore, she was always willing to at least try new time-saving methods. She was an excellent pie maker and desserts were usually the “guinea pig” foods she would test on the family. Down through the years her pies were first topped with whipped cream, then Dream Whip in the late ‘50s, and then in the ‘60s she tried frozen whipped topping. However, heavy whipping cream was always Dad’s #1 favorite because it was the real deal. He didn’t really complain about the new toppings — as long as the pie itself was tasty he could put up with the imitation toppings. However, he gave the frozen whipped topping the nickname of “calf slobbers.“

As Christ followers, we need to continually check up on ourselves to ensure that we’re  living as the real deal. No one, especially God, is pleased with an imitation Christian. One day I was wearing a “Gulf Shores Alabama” t-shirt when I met a gentleman on the sidewalk. He asked, “Have you been there, or just have the t-shirt?” I happily answered in the affirmative. I later realized that my response made me an authentic advertiser for this great beach; otherwise I guess I would have been a fake. Believers need to keep in mind that we’re to be genuine examples of Jesus.

Because no one wants to be around a fake, we need to challenge ourselves to examine our motives and actions. Being the real deal means that we do acts of kindness for others out of a sincere love for God and our neighbor. “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding” (Matthew 6:1 MSG).

It’s important that everything believers say can be taken to the bank. Otherwise, if we’re just pulling someone’s leg every other sentence, he/she quickly learns that our words are meaningless and we can’t be trusted. “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians 4:25 NLT). Here is the same verse in The Passion Translation: “So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another.” 

When Christ followers practice being the real deal, we are actively booting out   characteristics that could hinder our ability to reflect Christ. When we kick deceit and hypocrisy to the curb and choose to be genuine in our daily lives, we’re living like Jesus taught us. Being the real deal is characterized by practicing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. People can usually distinguish genuine from fake by how we respond to the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). The sum total of a genuine believer’s lifestyle is one word. Love.

Apostle Paul writes about how believers are to live: “I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes” (Romans 12:1-2 TPT).

The Key: I don’t want to be identified with calf slobbers. I want to be the real deal.

I have read about these people but never met one.  Until last week. Pam is a respected author/speaker and not one to call attention to herself.  She was one of twenty authors with whom I had the privilege of spending time.  For five days, we met in Texas, not to network but to be refreshed and encourage each other.

Daily, there were two workout sessions, two messages from speakers, two praise and worship sessions, walks in the parks and times set aside to pray alone and in groups of five.  The days were rich and full, but most of all, they were times to enter the lives of women who had spent their years on earth honoring Jesus with their work.

I had heard of Pam and read her amazing work but never met her personally.  In the author world, she is near the top.  I, on the other hand, am at the bottom…which is why our writing worlds had not collided.  Actually, they hadn’t even rubbed against each other.  So, when she showed up with a turban-covered head, I did not recognize her from her pictures.  Her story is worth sharing.

Normally a healthy person (except for diabetes), when Pam started having chest pains, she asked her husband to drive her to the emergency room.  She was in such a bad state, she was placed in a medically induced coma.  She died in that coma.  It was then she was ushered into the presence of God.  I had to know about her experience.

Pam remembers seeing dozens of angels wearing glittery gold and finding herself in the arms of God.   There was blinding light all around, and she and God began talking, not with their mouths but with their minds.  God explained that she was not yet through the gates of Heaven and that He would not let her enter through them because her work on earth was not finished.  As much as she wanted to stay, she could not.  And then she woke up.

Two years later when Pam was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, her oncologist told her that the prognosis was not good.  Pam smiled when she told him, “Well, either I will stay here and do God’s work, or I will meet Him in glory.”  Her doctor said that she was the first person who ever had that optimistic outlook.   Who could blame her?

There are 2,667 death cafes in thirty-two countries around the world, cafes where people gather around a cup of coffee to discuss death.  It is a subject worth studying. This past month I read the book What Happens After You Die? where author Randy Frazee studies the entirety of scripture to teach his readers about death. He covers what happened to both believers and non-believers before and after Jesus.  For the Christian, we immediately (faster than snap-your-fingers fast) shall be in Heaven in our spiritual bodies.  No one knows what we will look like, but we can assume it won’t matter because we will be in the presence of God, and nothing matters more than that.

When Jesus returns and this world ends, a “New Jerusalem” will come from Heaven to earth. Frazee puts it this way: “…when we die, we go to Heaven; when Christ returns, he brings heaven to a brand-new earth.” There we will be given new bodies.  No one knows the age or appearance of these new bodies, but again, it won’t matter, for we will live in God’s kingdom forever with no possibility of pain, tears, illness, evil or death again.

No wonder Pam didn’t want to leave.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

God is not AI

While performing a humdrum task in the kitchen, I was listening to one of my favorite preachers. A good one-liner always grabs my attention and here’s what he said: “If God was small enough for your mind, He wouldn’t be big enough for your needs.” Because of my own life experiences, I can verify that this is a truthful quote. I’m very thankful and quite comforted in knowing that God out thinks, out wits, out plans, and out performs me. We need to remember that when we don’t understand everything God does, that’s a good sign we’re in Hands way bigger than our own.

Many songs have been written that drives home the simple, yet profound, message about our intimate relationship with God. In 1944, Kenneth Morris penned the lyrics and music to “My God is Real.” This song could be my testimony set to music: “There are some things I may not know; There are some places I can’t go. But I am sure of this one thing, that God is real for I can feel Him deep within. My God is real, real in my soul. My God is real for He has washed and made me whole. His love for me is like pure gold. My God is real for I can feel Him in my soul.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage right now. I suppose it has its place, but I find some of it to be creepy and “cheaty.” It’s driving educators up the wall regarding the writing assignments of students’ term papers. Our culture is enamored with artificial/false/imitation stuff. I prefer the real deal, especially when it comes to chocolate!  We can taste the difference between pure chocolate and artificial chocolate that’s created in a lab using a blend of chemicals that mimic the flavor of real chocolate.

God is the real deal and He’s never out to lunch, slooming around, on vacation, out of touch with reality, or snoozing. Nothing’s too hard for God because He’s bigger than any disease, disaster, or heartbreak you can imagine. “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17 NLT).

God has His own intelligence that’s unrivaled and He never wrings His hands while sitting on the throne. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One who is over all things” (1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT).

Anyone who spends time in nature can see there is a Master Creator behind all the majestic beauty. “For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20 ESV).

The last time I used my GPS, I had actually arrived at my destination when I heard, “Make a U-turn.” I’m thinking artificial intelligence may be an oxymoron.

The Key: God is real because we can feel Him deep in our soul.

Years ago, when I was counseling a young woman in an abusive relationship, I recommended the book Boundaries by Dr. Hendy Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. Years before when I read it, it left a profound mark on my life. I hoped it would do the same for her. The book’s message is clear:  although we are called to love, we must protect ourselves from harmful, toxic people, provided, of course, we have tried looking past our differences and betrayals and chosen to love.  That’s the hard part.

Why not just walk away?   Because God created us to be in community with one another. Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” No qualifiers are given. Solomon doesn’t say, “Just be sure the other people are like you, share your values/interests and never disagree with you.”  But what if those people really test our boundaries (like the Mean Mom in last week’s article), and we want to bang our heads into a concrete wall every time we are around them?

Here’s where it gets sticky. The first thing we need to do is to ask ourselves if we have any ownership in this destructive relationship. I mean, if we completely cut disagreeable people out of our lives, we probably won’t have many friends, and there’s a great chance we deserve to be in that “disagreeable” group. Maybe that’s why Jesus himself said to “love others as ourselves.”  Sometimes–most times–the only way we can do that is to ask the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts and words. He has been faithful to show me at least one redeeming quality I need to glean from every irritating person I’ve met.

The first week we were in Las Vegas, Dave and I met Clare, a woman who asked if we play pickleball.  She wanted to know how long we had played and told us about a group that meets every morning at 7:00 and that she would add us to the list.  We could start “tomorrow.”   The following morning, we walked onto the court where ten other people had gathered.  “Rita” approached us.  “Uh, I’m sorry, but these courts are reserved for a group that meets every day at this time.”  I told her that we had been invited.

“Who invited you?” she said, curtly. Dave held me back from pulling her tongue out and politely told her about Clare.  “Well,” Rita continued, pulling out her phone, “I don’t see you anywhere on the list.”  At that time, an elderly man approached us.  “What’s going on here?”  I explained that Clare had invited us to join but we had just found out that this was a closed group.

“What?” he said, clearly embarrassed.  “This isn’t closed. You definitely can join us.”

And then Rita sent me into Crazyville.  “That’s exactly what I was telling them.”  Had Dave not been with me, I think my paddle would have left its mark on her face.                                   \

Clearly, Rita and I would be friends.

Or so I thought.  But the more I was around Rita, the more I liked her.  Over the next few weeks, we played pickleball together often.  I found her to be considerate and kind, and I learned a valuable lesson.  We cannot judge a potential friendship until we have given it a chance to flourish.  One time never should be our gauge to determine if we give it that chance. Maybe I need to remember that the next time I encounter a Mean Mom in the grocery store.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Who is this Voice?

A few years ago, a new guy moved to my country neighborhood. While walking one day, I stopped to introduce myself and welcomed him to the area. I met his three beautiful short-haired dogs; I wanted to pet them, but they were unfamiliar with me so they kept their distance. The dogs are often outside playing with each other when I‘m walking by. They used to bark at me, but now they just basically ignore me. After all these years, the dogs and I still don’t know each other. They see me and I see them, but we’re still strangers. Sometimes I call for them to come closer but, since I‘m not their master, they don‘t pay any attention to my voice and sometimes run away from me.

While reading in the Book of John, I felt like my New Year’s priority should be to listen and follow the voice of Jesus more vividly in 2025. Let’s focus on Jesus’ illustration in John 10:2-5 TPT: “But the true Shepherd walks right up to the gate, and because the gatekeeper knows who He is, he opens the gate to let Him in. And the sheep recognize the voice of the true Shepherd, for He calls His own by name and leads them out, for they belong to Him. And when He has brought out all His sheep, He walks ahead of them and they will follow Him, for they are familiar with His voice. But they will run away from strangers and never follow them because they know it’s the voice of a stranger.” 

The gatekeeper was in charge of a large fold where several flocks were kept. The sheep only recognized the voice of their own shepherd and responded only to him. Believers are members of Jesus’ flock, so there is only one voice, one way, and one will for us. In a culture of exceedingly-complex living, the sure way to peace of mind, purpose, and meaningful commitment is found in knowing and following the true Shepherd’s voice. There’s a lot of false/evil voices in the world that we should run away from.

Jesus is faithful to speak to us about how to proceed in every area of our lives. God’s Word  reminds us that we can hear the voice of the true Shepherd: “Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, ’This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left” (Isaiah 30:21 NLT). Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He made sure His disciples would not be left stranded. Jesus said to them, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you” (John 14:15-17 NASB).

When we hear the inside voice of the Spirit of Truth speak to our heart, we are to follow because we know Him. Sheep who follow the true Shepherd won’t be led astray. I have a long-time dear friend who phones and greets me by saying her full name. Since I’m very   familiar with her voice, she doesn’t need to identify herself. When I once mentioned this to her, we had a good laugh. It was just a habit for her to say her full name whenever she  called anyone.

The Key: I’ll be somewhere listenin’ for my name; and then I will follow Him wherever He may lead.

“Be Kind.”  Walk into almost any school, and you will see that reminder hanging on walls or recited in assemblies. For most of us aged ones, we were raised to be nice to others.  Now, because of bullying and the attacks on social media, the “Be Kind” message somehow has skipped much of this younger generation.  Parents, take note.

Yesterday, I, as usual, looked for the shortest line in the grocery store.  There wasn’t one.  The self-checkout lines dragged down the aisles, so I opted for the regular line.  The man in front of me told me go ahead of him since he had a full basket and was waiting for his wife who was in the bathroom, and I had only two items. I thanked him and, being kind myself, said that we should wait and see if she returned before he got to the cashier.  Then I noticed a clearing in the self-checkout row. My lucky day!

I left my line and walked a few yards to jump in that line.  My unlucky day.  The “clearing” was just a space left for regular shoppers to get through. The actual line, extending down the entire aisle, was longer than ever.  I returned to my place behind the kind man…at the same time a woman jumped ahead of me and signaled for her teenage son to bring their loaded cart from another aisle.

Referring to me, the son said to his mother, “Mom, she only has two things.  Let her go in front of us.”  Without looking at me, she answered, “She can go to the self-check line if she’s in a hurry.” The modeling done by that parent was distressing, and for a few seconds, I thought of saying that to the mean mom.  But God allowed for a different outcome.

The wife of the man in front of Mean Mom returned with their son, but instead of loading his groceries on the roller belt, he turned to me, speaking over Mean Mom and her son.  “You go ahead of us.  You were here first.”  (Which, technically, I was… until, that is, I wasn’t.)

“You are so kind,” I answered, moving ahead of his family. “Thank you so much” (which I repeated louder than I probably needed to after paying for my two bottles of salad dressing).

Why is it so many people are so self-absorbed that they ignore opportunities to help?  We know that doesn’t need to be the case.  Take my granddaughter, Mo, for example, who was driving to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on her way to Wyoming.  With blizzard conditions late at night, she opted to drive slowly behind a semi-truck ahead of her, until, that is, a moose side-swiped her car.  When she pulled onto the shoulder of the road, she became stuck in the snow.

Soon, Mo saw a woman (who had pulled over ahead of her) running back to see if she was okay.  Then, two truckloads of Spanish-speaking men pulled in behind her.  When their trucks couldn’t pull her out, they crawled under her car to scoop out the snow.  A man hauling a trailer tried to tow her out, and even a cement truck driver came to her aid.  Nothing worked, but it was sacrificial Kindness in action. Fortunately, her uncle and his wife live only an hour away and were able to come to her aid.

Galatians 5:22 lists the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.  As 2025 gets underway, perhaps we all can make that our New Year’s goal.                                                                                                                                                          Yes, I think that should win out over Mean Mom’s way, everyday.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Rags v Washcloths

All the washcloths in my bathroom are in the purple color palette. And when a washcloth becomes too worn, I’ll snip two sides of the binding and use it for a cleaning rag. This little procedure enables me to quickly distinguish the difference between rags and  washcloths when I fold and put away the laundry. One day I had multiple things on my mind and was simply operating by rote. I wasn‘t thinking about what I was doing, however, my goal was to take a shower. When I turned on the water, I noticed a washcloth draped over the inside handle of the shower door. I grabbed it, soaped it, and began my shower. After a few minutes, my brain started working and I thought, “This washcloth doesn’t feel normal.” I kept showering. After a few more minutes I examined the washcloth and realized it was a rag that I had  used to clean the toilet.

“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind” (Isaiah 64:6 NLT). Human nature loves to compare itself with others less than God. We aren’t apt to compare ourselves to ordinary people, instead we will compare ourselves to others such as Al Capone, Jesse James, or Marilyn Manson. When we choose self-righteousness over God-righteousness, we find ourselves taking a shower with a filthy rag.

When we make the mistake of comparing ourselves to others, we decide we’re not all that bad. Human righteousness is a big fat joke when compared to the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. A dead animal on the highway stinks; and our own attempts to be righteous stinks in the nostrils of God. God makes His comparison against His own righteousness and that‘s when we find ourselves stripped and holding the short end of a filthy rag.

The last car show I attended had a 1959 Chevy Bel Air and I headed straight for it. I enjoyed visiting with the gentleman who owned the car. He offered to pop the hood so I could see the engine. You know, you can have a magnificently-restored vehicle in pristine condition, but without an engine it’s not nearly as impressive. Our heart is like the engine. It’s hidden, but oh so important. Jesus said, “…What fills the heart comes out of the mouth” (Matthew 12:34 CEB). When God speaks of the heart He’s referring to the very center of our being.

I’m thankful that I can trade my filthy rag of self-righteousness for a renewed heart. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10 NKJV). John the Beloved reminds Christ followers that God remains faithful to forgive our sins (shortcomings, failures) when we miss the mark. We can’t fix ourselves, but we can sincerely ask for forgiveness and the blood of Jesus will do the cleaning.

     “Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ‘s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise” (Hebrews 10:22-23 NLT).

The Key: Never use a filthy rag of self-righteousness when God has a new clean  washcloth of His righteousness.

This year will be different.  This year will be the year I keep my New Year’s resolutions.  Don’t look at me like that.  I will. After all, it can’t be that hard to set aside an hour each day for exercise, to stop eating when I am full and to have alone time with Jesus each day. Three simple things, the trifecta for a healthy life.

If I were to look back at the last 10 years of my January 1^st articles, I would see the same thing written, year after year. I’m going to exercise more, eat less and pray often. I refuse to preview those stories because to see that I have failed those goals on an annual basis would be depressing, and who wants to start 2025 being depressed?

The good news is I have figured out why it is so difficult to keep these resolutions.  It’s the way I’m wired.  Yes indeedy, if in doubt, blame it on genetics. After all, that’s not the only area in which I struggle to do what I know I need to do.  Let me explain.

Before I became a Christian at the age of 27, I tried really, really hard to be a good girl. I tried harder at that than I do my New Year’s resolutions.  I wanted to please people, but I also wanted to please the angels, the saints, Jesus and God.  It was a lofty goal, and I failed more than I succeeded.  When I heard the message that there is nothing anyone can do in his/her own power to “earn” God’s favor, I realized why those times I took my angel to the playground to swing “her” was not the spiritual experience I wanted it to be.  (No doubt, referring to them with feminine names probably did not help).

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us that we are saved by God’s grace, not because we have performed to His expectations.  God’s gift to us is His son, Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins.  And just like my daily reminder to fulfill my New Years’ Eve goals, I daily have to remind myself that my good works do not earn me any grace points. So, why do I still try? (This is where that genetics’ thing falls apart.)

God’s grace-covering, of course, doesn’t mean that I have no responsibility in doing the right thing and serving others.  James 2:26 tells me so.  “Faith without works is dead.” If you read the New Testament, you will see dozens of scriptures that tell us works are not the cause of salvation; works are the evidence of salvation.       Legitimate faith in Christ always results in good works. Faith without works reveals a heart that has not been transformed by God, just like me saying that I am all about physical fitness without watching what I eat and spending time working out shows I am not serious about my goal to get in shape.

I find it comforting that God covers me with His grace.  There is nothing I can do to help myself in that area, and that assurance makes it easier for me to want to spend time in His presence, the third part of my New Year’s goal.

If it were just that easy with the eating and exercising part.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

What Kind of Shoes?

It was my first podiatrist appointment and I was patiently waiting in the exam room. The doctor entered and we exchanged the usual pleasantries. Then he dropped a bombshell and asked, “What kind of shoes do you wear?” That was a loaded question — I had no idea how to begin to describe all the happy shoes in my closet! I was dumbfounded, plus I knew he wouldn’t approve of 90% of my high heels, mules, sandals, flip-flops, slides, slingbacks, water shoes, knee-high boots, ankle boots, sneakers, and walking shoes. I’m a shoe lover on steroids.

So here’s another loaded question: “What kind of Christian are you?” How would you answer that if you were put on the spot by someone? Would all the color drain from your face as you changed the subject in order to get out of answering the question? Or would you sidestep by answering with the name of your church denomination? Or would you do a song-and-dance and respond, “I regularly attend church and take communion?” Hey, I could go sit in a tree all day and eat a nut but that wouldn’t make me a squirrel.

If we want to cut to the chase, an adequate answer to the proposed question would be, “A biblical one.” When Christians base our faith walk on the truth of God’s Word, that means we think and act like the Bible is true. So let’s review a few scriptures regarding what kind of Christian we should be.

Christ followers must grasp the fact that God loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Although this is nearly too much to wrap your head around, it’s still the truth. God’s love for us is unconditional and timeless. Here are the words of Jesus’ evening prayer with His disciples before His crucifixion: “I am in them and You (God) are in Me (Jesus). May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me“ (John 17:23 NLT). God created us to experience  love, faith, hope, peace, and abundance, so we should gratefully receive what He offers.

Believers are to desire to please God rather than ourselves. “Don’t forget to do good things for others and to share what you have with them. These are the kinds of sacrifices that please God” (Hebrews 13:16 GW). Always choose the high road over the low road, even though the low road is easier. In order to please God, we must also live by faith and trust Him every day (see Hebrews 11:6).

The following scripture is certainly not a convoluted explanation of what a Christian is: “No, the Lord has told us what is good. What He requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God” (Micah 6:8 GNT).

A man asked Jesus to explain the most-important commandment. His answer was simple yet profound: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself“ (Matthew 22:37-39 NLT). After all these thousands of years, His answer remains the same for Christians today.

The Key: So, what kind of Christian are you?  Hopefully the kind who practices love.