Page 4 of 7

Posted on

Who Am I? Finding Your True Identity in Christ

“Who are you?”

It’s a simple question that can stop us in our tracks. Whether it’s Simba asking Rafiki in The Lion King or our own hearts wrestling with this fundamental question, the search for identity is universal.

The Big Questions We All Face

Throughout life, we revisit three essential questions that shape our existence:

  • Who am I? (Identity)
  • Why am I here? (Purpose)
  • Where do I fit? (Belonging)

These questions aren’t just for teenagers or young adults. Life changes, seasons shift, and who you were as a high school student isn’t necessarily who you are as a parent, professional, or retiree. If we don’t answer these questions for ourselves, the world will try to answer them for us—and we’ll end up drifting through life.

Continue reading → Who Am I? Finding Your True Identity in Christ
Posted on

Timothy: My Son in the Faith

The young man who changed the world from behind the scenes

Of all the influential figures we encounter in the New Testament, Timothy might be the one who resonates most with young believers today. When he first joined Paul’s missionary team, he was likely just a teenager. Yet this young man would go on to become the head pastor of one of the most influential churches in the Roman Empire – the church in Ephesus – all while remaining remarkably humble and focused on serving others rather than seeking the spotlight.

Continue reading → Timothy: My Son in the Faith
Posted on

Barnabas: Son of Encouragement

by Darrin Chastain

Lessons from an Influencer in the Early Church

In a world constantly seeking influence through social media followers and viral content, the biblical figure of Barnabas offers a timeless example of genuine, life-changing influence. Though just an “average Joe” (his real name was Joseph), Barnabas made such an impact that he became known by his nickname, which means “son of encouragement.”

Who Was Barnabas?

Barnabas appears about 20 times in the New Testament, particularly in the book of Acts. Though he didn’t write any biblical books himself, his character and actions were so remarkable that his story continues to teach us valuable lessons today.

Continue reading → Barnabas: Son of Encouragement
Posted on

Priscilla: The Mother of Teachers

Exploring the powerful influence of an extraordinary woman in the early church

Throughout the Book of Acts, we encounter remarkable individuals who shaped the early church through their dedication and service. Among these influential figures stands Priscilla, sometimes called Prisca—a woman whose impact resonates through generations of Christian teaching.

Who Was Priscilla?

Priscilla was Roman by birth and heritage—a Gentile, not Jewish. Historical evidence suggests she may have converted to Judaism later in life. She was highly educated, well-respected, and possibly of noble birth, potentially related to a Roman senator. Beyond her status, she became a dedicated leader in the early church, serving alongside her husband Aquila and the apostle Paul.

By trade, Priscilla was a tentmaker who worked with leather and fabric. This wasn’t just a job—it was how she and Aquila funded their ministry and supported the growing church movement. She exemplified hard work, hospitality, and commitment to spreading the gospel.

Continue reading → Priscilla: The Mother of Teachers
Posted on

A Christ-Centered Life (Philippians 2)

Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem—not on a war horse with military fanfare as a Roman governor might, but on a donkey, accompanied by ordinary followers waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” This humble entry reveals something profound about Christ’s character and kingship.

What Makes Life Worth Living?

In our journey through Philippians, we’ve been exploring deep questions: What makes life worth living? What is God really like? Is Jesus still relevant today? Why can’t people just get along?

The book of Philippians points us toward answers, and it’s all centered on Christ. In fact, there are over 100 references to Jesus in just four chapters! Paul opens with the incredible declaration, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” For Paul, everything revolves around Jesus.

Continue reading → A Christ-Centered Life (Philippians 2)
Posted on

A Worthy Life (Philippians 1)

Throughout April, we’re diving into the book of Philippians – a four-chapter journey that begins with some profound questions: What makes life worth living? And related: What does it mean to live a worthy life?

The Philippian Context

Paul wrote this letter from prison, likely in Rome around 62 AD, about 30 years after Jesus’s ministry. The Philippian church was special to Paul – these were the first Christian converts in Europe that we know of from scripture. The city of Philippi was a Roman colony, essentially a retirement community for Roman veterans who enjoyed the privileges of Roman citizenship.

When Paul first visited Philippi (Acts 16), he met remarkable individuals like Lydia, a successful businesswoman who sold luxury purple cloth. He encountered a demon-possessed girl being exploited by her masters, and eventually found himself imprisoned with Silas. That imprisonment led to an earthquake, followed by the conversion of their jailer. These were the very people Paul was now writing to – people whose lives had been radically transformed.

Continue reading → A Worthy Life (Philippians 1)
Posted on

DAVID the KING

From Shepherd to King: Lessons from David’s Reign

The story of David fascinates me because scripture presents him as both aspirational and deeply flawed. He’s someone to look up to, yet the Bible doesn’t hold back on showing the messiness of his life. This gives me hope—if David could be called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his failings, perhaps there’s hope for all of us.

The Shepherd King

David’s journey to the throne wasn’t smooth. After being anointed as a boy, he had to wait decades before becoming king. When Saul died, a civil war erupted—David’s tribe of Judah backed him while Saul’s loyalists supported Ishbosheth, Saul’s son. As 2 Samuel 3:1 tells us: “During the long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, David was growing stronger and the house of Saul was becoming weaker.”

Continue reading → DAVID the KING
Posted on

Characteristics of Christ | DETERMINATION

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 20: Determination (Luke 9:51)

How many times have you been determined to do something only to have your plans completely derailed? Maybe you’re determined to get all the laundry done, or to finish that book on your nightstand, or to complete that project around the house, or to start a new diet. It probably happens more times than we’d like to admit.

We’re good at setting goals, but lousy at following through. Eventually life just ends up happening to us without much input for our end.

Not so with Jesus. In case there was any doubt what Jesus’ mission was, Luke sets the record straight. Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem.” There was no turning back. He knew why he came, what he was put on this earth to do, and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him. He was determined to make it to Jerusalem in order to surrender his life for all of us.

Kinda puts that pile of laundry in perspective, doesn’t it?

But that’s not the only thing he was determined to do. He had a lot to accomplish within about three short years. He had disciples to train, crowds to teach, sick to heal, lame to raise up, blind and deaf to restore, a Temple to cleanse, religious leaders to confront, and unconditional love to introduce to the world.

The Devils temptations couldn’t derail him. And when Peter tried to “rebuke” Jesus, saying he would never be killed by the authorities, Jesus called that out for what it was – a temptation from Satan. Jesus wasn’t going to let anyone or anything stand in the way of accomplishing God’s mission, whether it was his best friend or his worst enemy.

He also wasn’t going to let himself stand in the way, either. The night before he went to the cross, he cried out to God to figure out some other way if possible. “But,” Jesus prayed, “not my will, but yours be done.”

He could have called the whole thing off. “He could have called ten thousand angels” as the song goes. He could have come down off that cross and saved himself. But he was driven by the need to fulfill God’s will. He was determined to rescue the world through his own sacrifice.

Posted on

Characteristics of Christ | HOLINESS

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 19: Holiness (John 17:17-19)

Do you have special plates that only get used on the rarest of occasions, maybe once or twice a year? Yeah, we do, too. There are just some moments when you want to use the special plates. They’re fancier, shinier, more decorative, and more easily broken. They are set aside in a cabinet to remain undisturbed until the next special occasion.

Or maybe you’ve had to get a very specialized tool for a project. It amazes me how many tools are out there that are made for one specific task. There’s an entire Subreddit devoted to Specialized Tools. It’s both crazy and genius what people come up with.

To be holy is to be set apart, or categorically different/other. God is holy, for there is no one or nothing like him. Jesus is holy because there was not and never will be anyone like him – the perfect Son of God, full of grace and truth.

The Jews had two categories for people and things – holy/sacred and common/profane. The Sabbath was a holy/sacred day. Monday was common. A priest was holy. A baker was common. The Temple was holy. A blacksmith shop was common. And that which was holy could easily be corrupted by something common or “unclean.” You can read all about that in Leviticus.

There was a process by which things could be made clean again, but almost never do you read about someone or something unclean being made holy by that which is holy. A white cloth may be stained, but a white cloth cannot remove stains from something else without becoming stained itself. Right?

But then Jesus comes along. He touches a man with leprosy and makes him whole and clean again. He is touched by a woman with a bleeding issue and heals her infirmity. He takes a dead girl by the hand and brings her to life.

Jesus is holy, but his holiness is not corrupted. His holiness spills out over all that is common/profane/unclean and makes everything it touches holy once again. That includes people. His disciples were a bunch of rough and tumble guys – fishermen, fighters, tax collectors, and more. These most common of dudes become completely uncommon, dare I say holy, by being with Jesus. His final prayer for them is that they may be sanctified (made holy/sacred) by God’s word.

Paul calls us “saints” – holy ones – and that is what we are if we have been washed in Jesus’ blood, made clean by the waters of baptism, and raised to a new, holy, sanctified life.

Posted on

Characteristics of Christ | IMPARTIAL

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 18: Impartial (Matthew 7:1-2)

Money. Power. Fame. Success. Authority.

Jesus is unimpressed.

I would hate to be a celebrity. I remember growing up near Nashville it wasn’t uncommon to be in the same area or the same event as a country music singer. You could tell they were a celebrity because people were swarming them.

Celebrity sightings are kinda funny to me. I don’t know what I would do if I met one of my favorite musicians, authors, or athletes, but I’d probably freak out a little, too.

But Jesus wasn’t like that at all. He called King Herod a “fox.” He belittled Pilate’s authority, telling a Roman governor that he had no real power. When approached by a “rich, young ruler,” Jesus looked on him with compassion and pity but was otherwise unimpressed. The rich and powerful guys are almost always the baddies in his parables.

I’m amazed at Jesus’ ability to bounce between social circles like it’s nothing. He went to parties with “sinners and tax collectors” and also sat down to dinner with Pharisees. Whether they were the synagogue leader or an outcast woman, Jesus had time for people.

Jesus didn’t judge. In fact, we’re specifically told he didn’t come into this world to judge/condemn the world but to save it. If Jesus was impartial and nonjudgmental, we should be, too. He commands us not to judge others, because we’ll be judged by the same standards. He shows us what it looks like to treat all men and women as sons and daughters of God, as our own brothers and sisters, as people worthy of honor and respect.

Jesus was impressed by faith, generosity, hospitality, and love – not wealth and power and influence. May the same be said for us.