Speaking of Life 5026 | Reaching out to the Lonely
Greg Williams

Are you a fan of the Beatles? If so, you may remember their well-known song, Eleanor Rigby. In the chorus they sing, “…look at all the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?”

Despite the many tools we have to stay connected, younger generations in western culture have been described by mental health professionals as the loneliest generation.[1]

Wrestling with feeling alone is an experience most of us can identify with and it brings us to ask the same nagging question posed by the Beatles – where do I belong?

Thankfully God supplies an answer in a wonderful scripture, Psalm 68 tells us that God is for us and with us:

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him – his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing.

Psalm 68:4-6a

Where there is a need for relationship, we see our loving Father in heaven ready to step in and bring healing and an end to the loneliness. In the church, we are blessed to join in our ministry of inclusion. God sets the lonely in families, and we can be those families: ready to accept, love, and encourage the lonely souls God sets before us.

Lend an ear to the chatty person on the bus in desperate need for conversation, not just once or twice, but whenever you are able!

Make a point of speaking to the quiet individual often ignored in the back corner of the room – and not just about the weather – find out what they enjoy talking about!

Keep your eyes and ears open so you can see those who are feeling lonely, and you can reach out to them.

If someone seems like an outsider, then help them feel the belonging that can be found in a loving community that shares the love that God has given them.

The ways in which we can join in God’s ministry of inclusion are many, and often require us to be ready to step out of our own social bubbles, or out of our own state of loneliness so that we can truly engage with those in need of relationship and care.

Let Jesus’ love in you reach out to the lonely around you. Show them they matter. As the doors open, share God’s love with them and help them see they are included among those God loves. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll end up in a new relationship that God has prepared for you.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-case-connection/202208/3-things-making-gen-z-the-loneliest-generation

Speaking Of Life 5025 │ Not An Orphan
Michelle Fleming

When I was growing up, I remember reading several books that had an orphan as the main character. Maybe you did, too. Remember Cinderella, Anne of Green Gables, and even Harry Potter? The children in these stories were left without parents, and their plots revolved around how well they fit into another family’s dynamic. Often, they felt like outsiders – unwanted and alone.

At the Last Supper, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was coming: his betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He reassured them that while things would be different without him present, they would not be alone. Let’s look at John 14:

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14:15-20 (NRSVUE)

Notice that Jesus refers to “another Advocate,” the “Spirit of Truth,” who would always be with the disciples. Jesus was their first Advocate; now the Holy Spirit would be another companion who would always be with them. The Spirit’s goal is not to replace Jesus, but to share the presence of the Father and the risen Son to those who trusted them.

Since the Bible often refers to people as the “children of God,” it makes sense that Jesus would use the word “orphaned.” We’ll have the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, and because of the triune relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit, we’re brought into their fellowship. We’re not like Cinderella who was mistreated and forced to become a servant. Instead, we’re welcomed into the family of God as cherished members, never to be left on our own again.

By sharing with the disciples about the Spirit of Truth, Jesus is telling them that life will go on after the heartbreak of the crucifixion. He says, “You will see me; because I live, you also will live.”

The resurrection was not the end of the story but the very beginning, thanks to the Spirit of Truth who will never leave us as orphans. May you know how completely you’re loved and accepted by the Father, Son, and Spirit, and may you trust that you’re never alone.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

Speaking of Life 5024 | Describing the Indescribable
Greg Williams

Have you ever tried to describe a moment so wonderful that it defies your best efforts? How do you describe the feeling of watching the sunset over the mountains or the moment you held your child for the first time? Trying to share the things that fill us with such awe that can leave us at a loss for words.

Sharing the gospel can be like that too. We struggle with the task of sharing such a momentous message. We convince ourselves that if only we were filled with God’s grace and power if we could work miracles or were gifted with Spirit-guided wisdom so impactful that no one could argue against us: Maybe then, people would listen when we proclaim the Gospel.

In the book of Acts, we’re told that Stephen had all these things going for him. He performed wonders and described a spectacular vision of Jesus at the Father’s side.

Luke shares with us Stephen’s final impassioned message. It’s filled with relevant references and helpful comparisons for his listeners and concludes with a convicting call for accountability. The response of those who heard Stephen’s skilled oratory was one of anger, rage, and violence. At this point it might seem like the story of Stephen was included as a cautionary tale about a man who chose poorly his moment to become confrontational and inflammatory.

But this is no cautionary tale, Luke makes this clear when he begins and ends the account of Stephen by stressing that Stephen was Spirit-led. This is a story of encouragement, meant to remind us of how to share the Gospel both powerfully and graciously.

Before he was dragged out of the city to be stoned, Stephen described his vision of Christ’s glory:

Look… I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Acts 7:56

This was neither eloquent nor deep in theological exposition – this was a simple declaration of the Gospel so powerful that those present gnashed their teeth and blocked their ears!

Stephen was not the problem; the problem was who he was talking about – Jesus.

In the midst of being stoned to death, Stephen shows his godly love for his assailants by asking God to forgive them – imitating Jesus to the very end.

People will oppose us when we preach Jesus. Nevertheless, let’s be like Stephen, Spirit-led even unto death.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Speaking of Life 5023 | Empty Tomb and Open Gate
Jeff Broadnax

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Easter Sunday, one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar. Many of us likely spent a lot of time hearing about and meditating on the Empty Tomb. This is good because the Christian faith is based on the fact that Jesus is not dead — his tomb is, indeed, empty. Jesus is alive and we are reconciled to God and each other because of it.

The Empty Tomb means that our sins have been forgiven and that humanity has been made new in Christ. As Christians, we should give a lot of our attention to the empty tomb. The empty tomb helps us understand Jesus referring to himself as the open gate.

In the tenth chapter of John, Jesus describes himself as the gate by which the sheep can find pasture. In the parable, those who follow Christ are his beloved sheep. The passage says:

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:7-10

In this season of Easter, let’s focus on what it means to live in the reality of Christ’s resurrection. In other words, we have an opportunity to give our attention to why we were saved, and how we are being invited to respond to God’s gift of grace. According to this passage, part of the reason that Jesus rescued and redeemed us is so we can experience a full, abundant life in him.

Jesus is depicted as the gate that leads to life and because of his sacrifice, the gate is wide open to all. No matter our current circumstances, abundant life is available to us in Jesus. This does not mean that our lives will be perfect once we start following him, however, it does mean that in every situation, Jesus will be with us and our relationship with him is the richest of blessings.

It also means that one day believers will experience eternal life — an existence where there will be no more pain or suffering and there will be rejoicing without end. We have been saved by Jesus to live an abundant, full life in Christ — a life where Jesus fills all our moments with his life-giving presence. The gate to this life has been opened wide by Christ when he left that tomb, so what are we waiting for? Let us not hesitate to run away from things trying to steal our joy and into Christ’s wide-open arms. There he is offering us an abundance of forgiveness and love.

I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.

Speaking of Life 5022 | Born Again
Greg Williams

As a Christian, you are probably familiar with the metaphor of being “born again.” Jesus used it when talking to Nicodemus to try to explain the radical difference that one must undergo to enter the kingdom of God. Peter later used the same image to encourage a church that was being treated as exiles because of their faith in Christ.

The image of being born again works on both fronts. Certainly, entering the kingdom of God is like being born again as one becomes a new creation filled with life. But have you ever considered that this metaphor also speaks to the experience of believers being exiled from their old way of life?

Peter did. When he began his letter to a church that was being ostracized because of their faith, he chose to use the “born again” image to encourage them not to conform to their former ways of living.

Let’s read how he uses this image in these verses.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)

Did you catch the picture? Being “born again” involves being born into something – “a living hope.” It also includes being born out of something – “from the dead.” Like a newborn baby, the new life it has after birth will be completely different than the life it had in the womb. Can you imagine a baby trying to live as if it is still in the womb? That would be nonsensical.

But, as Christians, we live with the constant temptation to return to a life that conforms to our old ways of moving and breathing. Especially since we are surrounded by a culture that resists and even persecutes those that live in such a way that challenges and calls into question the status quo. Being a Christian in this world is to live in exile. We are no longer at home in the womb of this world.

But that does not mean we do not belong. We belong to our heavenly Father, and we belong to a new family of brothers and sisters who live together in his love. Our new life of freedom lived in the light is beyond compare to the dark and restrictive life we once had.

So, if you sometimes feel like an exile in this world. Take courage and live in hope. It comes with the territory of being born again.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Speaking Of Life 5021 │ Stop Doubting and Believe
Michelle Fleming
 
Have you ever heard someone being referred to as a “Doubting Thomas”? If you have, then you were probably aware that this was not meant as a compliment. It is typically used to describe someone who is a skeptic. Someone that is known to utter, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” 

Shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples locked themselves away in fear that the Jewish officials might come for them next. But Jesus appeared to them in their locked room. To prove that he was real, he showed them his nail-scarred hands and feet.

One of the disciples was missing, however, and here is where Doubting Thomas comes in. John shares the story:

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

John 20:24-29

We can relate with Thomas, can’t we? As excited as the other disciples were that they had seen Jesus, Thomas was skeptical. For whatever reason, he was not present when Jesus showed up and he got quite specific about what it would take for him to believe. 

A week later Jesus reappears, and this time Thomas is there. Jesus tells Thomas to go ahead and touch him. Then he tells Thomas to stop doubting and believe. With the exclamation, “My Lord and My God!”, Thomas becomes the first to acknowledge who Jesus really was and is. 

Like Thomas, we all have those moments of doubt. Moments where we wonder if God can hear us, or if he sees what we are going through. Does he really care about me? We want to believe, but doubt enters in. 

In another place in Scripture, a distraught father of an afflicted child blurts out, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This is beautiful because it describes us so well. We believe, and we ask Jesus to help us where we doubt. He can be trusted to answer that prayer. Because he is the one who has perfect belief, and believes on our behalf.

Thomas didn’t stay a doubter. Tradition says that Thomas was the first missionary to India. In 52 A.D. he sailed from Palestine and arrived on the Kerala coast. He was martyred twenty years later, but not before founding seven flourishing churches. In India today, there are nearly 70 million believers.  

Doubt did not have the last word in Thomas’ life, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it will not have the last word with us either.  

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

Resurrection of the Lord

Every once in a while, we witness a moment so full of life that it takes our breath away —
a baby’s first cry, a long-awaited reunion, a sunrise breaking through after a storm. These moments remind us that joy can arrive suddenly, surprising us with hope we didn’t know we were waiting for.

Easter begins with this kind of joy.
A joy that bursts into the world like new life after winter, like light flooding a darkened room. It is joy born not from circumstance, but from the One who stepped out of the tomb and made all things new.
The resurrection is God’s declaration that life has the final word, that love cannot be buried, and that joy is stronger than sorrow.

Psalm 118 proclaims, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
On Easter, this is more than a call to worship. It is an invitation into a whole new reality.
The “day” God has made is resurrection itself.
A new creation. A fresh start for the whole world.

Think of that first resurrection morning. A grieving follower comes to the tomb expecting loss and silence, only to find that what seemed final is undone. The stone is rolled away. Emptiness is transformed into promise. Sorrow turns into wonder as the truth slowly settles in. The crucified one is alive, and nothing will ever be the same.

The resurrection is not God undoing death by force. It is God transforming death itself, filling it with divine life until it can hold us no longer.

This is why we rejoice today.
Because Christ is alive.
Because new life is here.
Because joy has risen with him.

Easter joy is not flimsy.
It does not depend on everything in our lives being perfect or easy.
It is the joy of knowing the risen Christ walks with us, calling us into hope wherever we go.

As we celebrate the resurrection today, let’s reflect together:

Reflect on the empty tomb for a moment. What aspect of Jesus’ character becomes clearer to you? Is it his faithfulness, his power, his compassion, or something else?

As we hold this hope of new life and joy, we return to the story where it all began to unfold in human hearts. On that first Easter morning, grief met grace, and sorrow met the risen one. As we listen now, pay attention to how gently Jesus makes himself known, and how personally he comes to those who seek him.

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; ¹² and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew^] ”Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20:11–18 NRSV

As we rejoice in the risen Lord, may the life of Christ rise within us.
The One who stepped out of the tomb now walks with us, calling us into joy, into hope, into new creation.
May his resurrection fill our hearts and guide our steps as we live in the light of this glorious day.

Good Friday

Some stories break our hearts. Some stories hold our hearts. But there are a few stories, like this one, that change our hearts forever.

On Good Friday, we gather at the foot of the cross, where the depth of human suffering meets the depth of divine love. Jesus, the innocent one, stands in the place of the guilty. The Son of God enters into the darkest places of human pain, not to condemn, but to redeem. This is not suffering without purpose. This is suffering that leads to exaltation. This is suffering that leads to Jesus being lifted up on the cross, then lifted up to sit at the right hand of his Father in heaven.

In the mystery of God’s kingdom, exaltation is not a reward for strength but the fruit of self-giving love. Jesus is lifted up not in spite of his suffering, but through it. It reveals a truth the world cannot comprehend. At the cross, humiliation becomes the doorway to glory. Surrender becomes the path to victory. In allowing himself to be handed over, Jesus hands over the powers of darkness to defeat. In embracing weakness, he reveals the strength of the Father’s redeeming love. God does not triumph by force, but by transforming suffering into salvation and death into the beginning of new life. Christ’s exaltation shows us that.

On Good Friday, we see a savior who does not turn away from suffering but steps into it to be with us. On the cross, Jesus enters the deepest places of human pain, carrying abandonment, grief, and injustice in his own body. Yet this suffering is not the end of the story. What looks like defeat becomes the place where God’s faithfulness shines most brightly.

The one who is wounded brings healing.
The one who is rejected opens the way of redemption.
The one who is humiliated is the one whom God exalts.

Through the cross, Jesus opens a new and living way for us by revealing the depth of God’s self-giving love. In sharing our suffering all the way to death, he gathers up our pain, our fear, and our failure into his own life. He brings it into the healing presence of the Father. Our salvation does not rest on a punishment being paid, but on the faithful love of Father, Son, and Spirit, who refuse to let brokenness have the final word. Even in the darkest moment, there is already a quiet hint of victory. Good Friday is not the end. It is the turning point where suffering begins to give way to glory. Death begins to give way to life. And the cross becomes the doorway into resurrection hope.

As we stand before the cross today, let’s reflect together:

Where do you need to trust that God is saving you, working redemption even in the painful places of your story?

[Scripture Reading: Isaiah 52:13–15; 53:4-5 NRSV]
¹³ See, my servant shall prosper;
    he shall be exalted and lifted up,
    and shall be very high.
¹⁴ Just as there were many who were astonished at him^[a]
    —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
    and his form beyond that of mortals—
¹⁵ so he shall startle many nations;
    kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
    and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

⁴ Surely he has borne our infirmities
    and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
    struck down by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions,
    crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
    and by his bruises we are healed.

As we remember the cross, may our hearts be drawn into the mystery. It’s a mystery of a love so deep that Jesus chose to walk with us even into death.
The one who suffers with us is the one who leads us into life.
The one who is humbled is the one in whom God’s glory is revealed.
May this shared journey of suffering and love hold us in the sorrow of Good Friday.
May the Spirit gently open our eyes to the dawn of resurrection hope.

Maundy Thursday

There are moments when love is revealed in ways so simple, so humble, that they take our breath away. On the night before his death, Jesus gathered his closest friends for a meal that would change everything. What began as the familiar Passover supper became the doorway into a deeper mystery. The doorway to a love that pours itself out, a Savior who kneels instead of conquers, a King who serves instead of demanding to be served.

In this quiet upper room, Jesus took the posture of a servant, washing the dust from the disciples’ feet, including the feet of the one who would betray him. And then, with bread in his hands and redemption in his heart, he revealed himself as our Passover Lamb. Jesus is the one whose self-giving love delivers us from sin and death.

Maundy Thursday invites us into the heart of a story rooted in ancient memory. For generations, God’s people gathered at Passover to remember the lamb that was slain. They remembered the blood that marked their deliverance. And they remembered the God who rescues and redeems. The psalms sung that night echoed through the temple courts as the paschal lambs were offered. Then the psalm echoed again around tables where families ate the lamb in full, remembering God’s faithfulness. As God’s ancient people acted out a future deliverance, the lamb was consumed completely — nothing left behind.

And now, in the upper room, Jesus reveals that he is the fulfillment of that promise.
He takes the bread and says, “This is my body.”
He takes the cup and says, “This is my blood of the covenant.”
He becomes the Lamb we receive, the Lamb who sustains, the Lamb who frees.

Then he kneels.
He washes their feet.
He shows that the love of God is not distant or demanding. It is humble, kneeling, cleansing, and self-giving.

Peter resists at first, unable to imagine a Messiah who stoops so low. But Jesus insists. Jesus gives himself to us fully, enabling us to follow him.

As we enter this holy night, let’s reflect together:

1. Where is Jesus inviting you to receive his self-giving love instead of relying on your own strength?
2. How might his example of humility reshape the way you serve others this week?

³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹² After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”

John 13:3–15 NRSVA

As we remember Jesus’ final night with his disciples, may we receive his love with open hands and humble hearts.
The one who kneels to serve is the one who saves, the Passover Lamb who delivers us into life.
May his humility shape our worship, and may his self-giving love lead us all the way to the cross and the joy beyond it.

Palm Sunday

Crowds once filled the streets of Jerusalem, waving branches and shouting “Hosanna!” as Jesus rode into the city. Their voices rose with hope, longing for a king who would restore, redeem, and rescue. But beneath the sound of celebration was another path unfolding, a path Jesus already knew well.

Palm Sunday is not only a moment of triumph.
It is the doorway into Holy Week, the beginning of the journey of love that leads to the cross.

Jesus entered Jerusalem with full awareness of what awaited him. He would face betrayal, suffering, abandonment, and death. Yet he came willingly. He came for us, moved by compassion deeper than we can imagine. He was determined to confront evil with the only force able to defeat it. Self-giving love.

Psalm 31 gives us language for the inward experience of suffering. It is as if the psalmist’s words rise from the very places where fear grips the heart and sorrow weighs down the soul.

You can hear the ache as he prays, “Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.”
His strength slips, his hope fades, and he confesses, “My life is spent with sorrow.”
The pain becomes so deep that he feels invisible to the world around him, saying, “I am forgotten like one who is dead.”

These are not distant cries from an ancient voice.
They echo through the story of Jesus as he walks toward the cross.

Jesus knows the weight of sorrow.
He knows the sting of betrayal.
He bears the burden of humanity’s pain in his own body.

But the psalm does more than name suffering.  It declares trust in the God who saves.
“But I trust in you, Lord… You are my God… Let your face shine upon your servant.”

This is the heart of Holy Week.
In Jesus, we see that suffering does not have the final word.
Evil does not win.
Death does not hold dominion.

Jesus’ faithful obedience and unwavering trust in the Father reveal a deeper truth.
The Kingdom of God triumphs over the kingdom of evil not by force, but through sacrificial love.

Today, as we enter Holy Week, we prepare to hear the Passion of Christ. It’s the story of his trial, his suffering, his crucifixion. It’s the story of the fierce compassion that carried him through every moment.

Palm Sunday invites us to hold celebration and sorrow together. It invites us to trust that Jesus walks toward suffering in order to redeem the world and overthrow evil from within.

As we begin this sacred week, let’s reflect together:

What step of humility or compassion might Jesus be inviting you to take as you follow him into Holy Week?

⁹Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
    my soul and body with grief.
¹⁰ My life is consumed by anguish
    and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
    and my bones grow weak.
¹¹ Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶ Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
Psalm 31:9–16 (NRSV)

As we enter Holy Week, may our hearts be softened and our spirits attentive to the depth of Christ’s compassion.
The one who prayed in anguish is the one who walks with us in love and triumphs on our behalf.
May his journey shape ours as we follow him, by his Spirit, toward the hope of resurrection.

Speaking of Life 5018 | Two Kinds of People in the World
Greg Williams

Have you ever heard someone say, “There are two kinds of people in the world”? This is usually followed by a joke or some oversimplified statement about people.

Here is one that does both: “There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who put everyone into two groups… and those who don’t.”

Well, I guess that was someone’s attempt to make fun of the idea of dividing people into two groups. But it’s no laughing matter when people are depersonalized by such groupings. Surely there is more to being an individual than the generalizations often attached to group labels.

Some group labels do have an element of truth to them: “There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who live as if they belong to Christ, and those who don’t.” This is similar to a “two kinds of people in the world” statement found in the Bible.

Although it is not worded exactly like that, let’s notice how Paul puts it in the book of Romans.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 
Romans 8:6-9 (ESV)

Unlike many “two kinds of people in the world” statements, this one is not depersonalizing. In fact, it is intended to do just the opposite. Paul can make this division between two groups because he is basing it on reality. When God came in human form, he chose all of humanity. All people were created to belong to Christ and have abundant life in him.

But not everyone believes that or wants it yet. However, there is no other option left for us. We either live by the truth of who we were created to be, or we choose to live a lie, which amounts to no life at all. So, Paul is encouraging us to embrace the life we have in Christ and live it out. That is a personalizing life. That is a meaningful life that carries forward into eternity.

Paul reminds us that no matter how many kinds of people there are, there is no life outside our life in Christ, who is continuing to pursue, draw, and embrace all of humanity to himself. Embrace the one who has embraced you.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Speaking of Life 5017 | He Sees the Heart
Jeff Broadnax

I once saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said, “I don’t know why judges get paid so much. I judge everyone for free!” Unfortunately, this funny line has a lot of truth in it. Human beings are often quick to judge others and place labels on them. If we do not see a person as part of our group, we can be tempted to overlook his or her wisdom, experience, personality, value, and ability to change and we place them into a little box whenever it is convenient.

We can disregard another’s humanity, dismissing them with labels like liberal, conservative, millennial, boomer, vaxer, anti-vaxxer, not to mention racial and ethnic labels. Many times, we do this unconsciously and without even thinking. Other times, we may consciously harbor bad feelings towards others because of how we were taught or how we interpret our life experiences.

God knows about this human tendency; however, he does not share it. In the book of 1 Samuel, God sent Samuel the prophet to the house of Jesse with an important task. One of Jesse’s sons was to be anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel, but God did not tell the prophet which son to anoint. Jesse brought seven impressive-looking sons before Samuel, yet God rejected them all. Eventually, God chose David to be the next king — the youngest son who was almost forgotten and looked the least how Samuel imagined a king should look. As Samuel viewed the first seven sons, God spoke these words to him:

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

We can often be like Samuel and incorrectly judge a person’s value by superficial things.

Like Samuel, none of us can see others clearly because we cannot see what lies in a person’s heart. The good news is that Jesus Christ can. As Christians, we must learn to rely on Jesus and see others through his eyes, which are filled with compassion, empathy, and love.

We cannot hope to have healthy relationships with our neighbors by relating to them without acknowledging Christ’s relationship with them. When we see them as belonging to him, we seek to love our neighbor as Christ loves them. This is the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples in the Upper Room.

Jesus loves each and every one of us. This is our most important label. To him, this is the identity that defines us. He does not judge us by one aspect of our character, but by who we are becoming in him. We are all beloved children. While that might not make a funny t-shirt, it is the truth by which Christ-followers live.

I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.

Speaking of Life 5016 | Busy Work
Greg Williams

Have you ever been assigned “busy work?” I despise doing “busy work?” It’s the type of work that doesn’t have a purpose except to keep you…well…busy. Sometimes this happens on a job where the boss feels like he needs to keep the employees working even though there is nothing left to do. I understand some busy work was necessary to keep employees employed during the pandemic, but I am easily frustrated with busy work – I want to be productive.

Suffering can sometimes seem like busy work; it can take up a lot of our time and keeps us from accomplishing the goals we have. And there is no getting around suffering; it is something we all face. And for someone like me, I get can get frustrated at the lack of productivity that suffering can induce. But perhaps during those times of suffering, there is a different way to be productive.

We know we will suffer, Jesus himself told us we would. He doesn’t bring suffering to us, but he wanted us to be aware it would come. Then he told us he came to take our suffering upon himself. And he did. He took (and continually takes) all our suffering, including our self-inflicted suffering, to the cross, and redeems it for his own good purposes toward us. The totality of our sufferings are now his which he took through death into resurrected life.

Because of this, our sufferings are now Christ’s own sufferings which we can endure with hope, knowing they will be used to contribute to the ultimate purpose he has for us. But what does this have to do with feeling like suffering is busy work – keeping us from being productive?

Paul addresses this in a rather shocking manner. He speaks of suffering as a point of rejoicing. He tells us that suffering, because of what Jesus has done, can actually produce something important:

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

Suffering is a part of our broken world. Paul doesn’t mean we will enjoy suffering or that we should go looking for it. But, when it comes our way, which inevitably will, we can be assured that Jesus will meet us in our afflictions. This is why we can rejoice.  Because our suffering is not lost, through Christ our suffering is redeemed. We can anticipate the good work the Lord is doing in us, through all our circumstances. It’s not a time of busy work – where we are just waiting for the suffering to end – it’s a time of God producing good fruit in us.

Just as Christ learned through his suffering, we too are formed more into the image of Christ through our suffering.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Speaking of Life 5015 | Blessed to Be a Blessing
Cara Garrity

There is a popular old hymn called “Count Your Blessings”.
The chorus simply says: 

“Count your blessings, name them one by one. 

Count your blessings, see what God hath done. 

A friend of mine shared a story of how he was reminded about counting his blessings while stocking greeting cards at grocery stores. In one store, the greeting card section was right near one of the checkout lines and he could hear the checker give a compliment to every person that went through his line. My friend also noticed there were several people in this checkout lane, and not many in others.

He decided to buy something and the checker quickly complimented him on his new haircut. My friend then asked the checker how his day was going. The checker responded by saying, “Oh man, I am blessed!” To which my friend responded, “Yeah, I’m doing good as well.” The checker then said, “I didn’t say I was doing good. I said I am blessed.” My friend appreciated the reminder, smiled, and admitted that he was also, indeed, blessed.  

In Genesis 12, we see a story of blessing-happy God. This story is the pivotal moment in the history of the nation of Israel and would become equally important to the whole world. 

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 
Genesis 12:1-3

In this passage of scripture, we see the word “blessing” five times, making God’s intention to bless both Abraham and the whole world abundantly clear to Abraham. Although God had the power to accomplish his will, because of who he is, he invited Abraham to participate to follow where the Spirit led. And where he went, he went with the blessing of God and the promise that through him all people would be blessed.  

This promise has been fulfilled in the person, and work of Jesus Christ. He took upon himself the consequences for the sin of mankind. He has taken our darkness and has restored us to fellowship with our Heavenly Father. 

Paul says this in his letter to believers in Galatia:

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” 
Galatians 3:14

We have been abundantly blessed in Christ Jesus, whom we follow by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every day is a walk with God to leave behind our old ways and walk into a life that is blessed beyond measure.  

Like Abraham before us, we have been sent out into this world to make a blessing-happy God known to others. It’s so much easier to be a blessing to others when you know how much you have been blessed.

Like the hymn reminds us, let us count our many blessings and see what God has done.

I’m Michelle Fleming, Speaking of Life.

Easter Preparation – Led by the Spirit

Journeys of transformation often begin in a place of testing. The wilderness is not a place of punishment. It is a place of preparation. It is where noise fades, distractions fall away, and truth rises to the surface. Easter Preparation reflects this posture of reorienting our hearts to depend on Christ.

After his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There, among the rocks and silence, he faced hunger, loneliness, and temptation. Yet he was not alone. The same Spirit who descended on him in the waters now strengthened him in the desert.

In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted to take control, to prove his power, and to seek glory apart from the Father. But he chose trust over control, obedience over pride, and worship over compromise.

The wilderness became a space where faith was refined and identity affirmed.
We, too, are led into wilderness seasons, not to be abandoned, but to be strengthened.

In these forty days, we remember that life is not sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. In Christ, our hunger becomes dependence, our struggle becomes formation, and our emptiness becomes space for grace.

As we begin this season of Easter preparation, let’s reflect together:

• Where might the Spirit be leading you into a wilderness of trust and renewal?
• How is God inviting you to rely on his word more deeply in this season?
  

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 
² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” ¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 4:1-11

In every wilderness, God is near. The Spirit who led Jesus now leads us, the word that sustained him now sustains us, and the love that strengthened him now strengthens us. As we walk this path of preparation, may our hearts be renewed, our faith deepened, and our lives anchored in the steadfast love of God.