God So Loves You

If you’ve experienced any part of the Bible, you probably know that John 3:16 highlights a vital part of the gospel message…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV

Think about it:

“For God so loved the world …”

God didn’t merely like the world, but He loved the world. He loved you so much that He created you, made a way for you, and desired a forever relationship with you.

“… that he gave his one and only Son …”

Because of God’s immense love for the world, He gave—generously and sacrificially—His one and only Son … because it’s only through His death that we can have life.

“… that whoever believes in him …”

It’s not enough to know that Jesus existed as a real, historical person—James 2:19 reminds us that even the demons believe that and shudder. Believing in Jesus means we choose to trust Him as Savior and Master of our lives.

“… shall not perish but have eternal life.”

We cannot earn our salvation, but we can trust the One who saves us. God created us for eternity, but He also gave us the ability to choose Him. Eternity isn’t something for the distant future, but it’s already in motion right now.

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch John 3:16 by The Disciple Daily:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52513?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

John 3:16 ESV
[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV

Shining the Light of Jesus

Have you ever walked from a dark place into a very bright space? Light has incredible power over our senses, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. But light is necessary for us to live. Light tells us about reality. It illuminates things around us.

In Matthew 5, Jesus uses various light metaphors to describe the life of a disciple. He says that His disciples are like a town built on a hill that shines light into the valley (Matthew 5:14). He also says we’re like a lamp that gives light to a whole house (Matthew 5:15).

The life of a disciple of Jesus is meant to be like that of light that shines brightly for others to see. So what is the light that we have? 

First and foremost, it is the message of the Gospel. We have been given knowledge of what Jesus has done for us, and it’s that knowledge that changes everything for us. We now have a new life because of Him.

We’ve been entrusted with this message so that we could share it with others. The message and hope of Jesus is a bright light that illuminates reality.

Jesus also says that people recognize our light through our good deeds. When we go out of our way to love others, we are showing them the light and love of Jesus. Actions that help others opens up the opportunity for us to share the hope we have in Him.

There are many ways that you have been equipped in life to share the message of Jesus with others. It might be at work, with your neighbors, with someone in your community, or with your family. It might be through an act of love, a financial gift, an encouraging word, or random act of kindness, but everything that you do should always be accompanied by the message of the gospel. 

Without love, our actions are meaningless, and the most illuminating act of all is loving people like Jesus, so that they might know Him. Today, consider how you can be a light to those around you in how you love them.

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Matthew 5:16 by Thrive Worship:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52485?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

Matthew 5:16 ESV
[16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.5.16.ESV

WWW.iamcatalyst.net
https://www.youtube.com/live/pERRpQ1YhQw?si=J4oUO1S3c0cnTDyG

God is Close
Psalm 145:18

No matter what we face, we can always seek our unchanging God. We just need to call on Him in truth.  

Praying with truth requires recognizing our own brokenness. That means we need to accept and acknowledge that there is nothing we’ve done that makes us worthy of talking to our Creator.

God draws near to us because He is good, kind, merciful, and humble. And we call on Him in truth when we humbly submit our will to His and genuinely delight in Him.  

This doesn’t mean we need to call on Him perfectly—we can’t. We simply need to come as we are, and acknowledge our deep need for His grace, mercy, and love. You don’t need to have your life together. You don’t need to be free from anxiety, depression, or fear. In whatever moment you find yourself, God wants you to honestly and intentionally talk to Him. 

And even though we might not always sense that God is near, the Psalms remind us that God will come to anyone who calls out to Him. God’s presence is not reliant on our feelings or our perception of circumstances—He is near whether we realize it or not. 

So today, come as you are to the God who loves you. Draw near to God, and allow Him to draw near to you.

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Psalm 145:18 by Jesus.net:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52507?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

Psalm 145:18 ESV
[18] The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.145.18.ESV

Faith Begins By Hearing

Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (NLT)

Everyone who follows Jesus first heard the Good News somewhere. At some point, in some way, the message of Jesus reached them.

The apostle Paul wrote these words in a letter to believers in Rome as he explained how people come to faith. Faith begins when the Good News about Jesus is heard. God uses the message of Christ to open the hearts of people everywhere with His beautiful invitation to new life.

But what makes this news so good?

Sometimes people hesitate to talk about faith because they have not fully discovered how good God truly is. Some imagine God as distant or angry, ready to judge. But that is not the God revealed through Jesus.

Jesus is compassionate. He knows every person, including you. He sees every story, including yours. He understands your fears, struggles, and burdens.

Jesus did not come to condemn the broken. He came to carry judgment on Himself, to lift what is heavy, and to bring healing and hope to all who will receive Him.

This is the Good News: God loves people. God is near. Through Jesus, forgiveness and new life are possible...for you, for your loved ones…for all people.

When this truth takes root in your heart, sharing it will become less about obligation and more about overflowing love and joy. The Good News was never meant to stop with us.

Someone in your life is waiting to hear it, and they may need to hear it from you.

A simple conversation, a gentle invitation, or a small act of kindness may lead to a life-changing moment of transformation when someone hears the Good News—from you—for the first time ever. Will you share it?

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Romans 10:17 by Palau:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52395?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

Romans 10:17 ESV
[17] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.17.ESV

A Gift Worth Receiving

After Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for almost four decades, the religious Jews were angry with Him. This may seem strange, because healing is a good thing, but Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath—the day of rest. In the Old Testament, God gave believers a long list of rules to follow in order to stay right with Him, and these rules included honoring the Sabbath. 

But in the New Testament, Jesus was sent to change our relationship with the Father. By sacrificing Himself on the cross, He gave us access to a relationship with God—so that long list of rules was no longer needed. Throughout Jesus' life, He shows people the nature of this new relationship. But because it didn’t line up with what the religious establishment believed, they were angry with Him. 

In John 5, Jesus justifies these changes through revealing His true authority. By calling God His Father, He shared that He was equal to God. This angered the religious Jews, but it gives us a deeper look into the relationship between the Father and Son.

Jesus tells us that the Father and Son are united in love. The Son does not ‘work’ for the Father—instead they work together, and the work Jesus does perfectly reflects the will of His Father. 

This relationship reveals that Jesus has authority to give us eternal life with Him. 

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 
John 5:24 ESV

When we hear God’s Word and believe in Jesus, we have access to a relationship with Him that will last forever. Unlike the Jews in the Old Testament before this new covenant, we don’t have to follow strict laws perfectly to gain salvation.

All we have to do is accept the gift Jesus has given us through His authority.

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch John 5:24 by City on a Hill:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52446?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

John 5:24 ESV
[24] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.5.24.ESV

The Mission of the Church

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, he spent 40 days on earth ministering to people and preparing His disciples for life without Him. Jesus planned on leaving earth and ascending to heaven, but before doing so, He gave His disciples a mission found in Matthew 28:19-20. We often call this The Great Commission.

The Great Commission begins with getting up and going to places where people need to hear about the good news of Jesus. This doesn’t mean you have to leave your country—there are people in your own neighborhood and workplace that need to hear the hope of Jesus.

The ultimate goal of the Great Commission is to make followers of Jesus. So as we go about sharing the good news of Jesus with people, we're to show people how Jesus has changed our lives, and invite them to discover Jesus for themselves.

It can be easy to think that making disciples is the responsibility of our church pastors and ministry leaders. While those things certainly are part of every church’s mission, Jesus intended for every believer to be making disciples.

So take a moment to think about someone in your own life who helped you grow spiritually. Ask God to bring to mind someone you can help and disciple. Then, allow God to give you the courage to share the hope of Jesus with those around you.

Who do you know who needs Jesus? And how will you share your faith with them today?

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch The Great Commission by YouVersion:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52216?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

Matthew 28:19 ESV
[19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.28.19.ESV

WWW.iamcatalyst.net
https://www.youtube.com/live/A4q-QZvwBXM?si=Lkd40qxH1CRVlNRK

Truth Changes Everything

Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.

Good news changes everything.

But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)

Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.

But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.

But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the evidence of the resurrection firsthand. “Come and see.”

The empty tomb isn't just a theological concept. It's the truth, a truth the angel wanted them to witness with their own eyes. It's not, "take my word for it." It's not, "just believe what you've been told." It's, “Come close. Look. Experience this for yourself.”

The angel's words are still our assignment.

You don't have to have all the answers. You don't have to be a theologian. You don't have to win a debate. You just have to invite someone to come and see the truth that changed your life.

So that’s the challenge for you today. Live in a way that makes people curious. When you have peace in a crisis, when you forgive when no one expects it, when you give generously, when you love people who are hard to love... people notice.

Jesus is the Truth. And the Truth changes everything.

What has Jesus changed in your life? Where were you before Him? Where are you now?

It's your testimony. And it's powerful.

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Matthew 28:6 by Craig Groeschel:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52449?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP

WWW.iamcatalyst.net
https://www.youtube.com/live/MHStdRrS8Rw?si=rtuZIt1fcGR8wjH4

This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Luke 19:38 by BibleProject:

https://www.bible.com/en/videos/52243?orientation=portrait&utm_content=STORY_CLIP&utm_medium=SHARE&utm_source=YVAPP