Most of the time, failure isn’t about what we did wrong. It’s about what we left undone.

God’s image in us isn’t about free will or abstract arguments. It’s about authority. The ability to rule, to take dominion, to carry responsibility. That’s God’s imprint on us.

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”

— Luke 12:48

The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). That means it doesn’t matter if it was yesterday, or five minutes ago—if you’ve repented, you are forgiven. Period. Don’t let guilt cling to you longer than God does.

So whether it’s two times, three times, or thirty times—it’s still not who you are. What defines you is Christ.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

—2 Corinthians 5:17

Galatians 4:7 tells us, “You are no longer a slave, but a son.”  That single sentence changes everything about how we relate to God.

Let me frame it this way. I have employees, and I have sons. Both groups make mistakes—sometimes the very same ones.

So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir.

— Galatians 4:7

We’re sending a group of Americans to the Philippines this December — from the 12th to the 19th — to visit our orphans. Details are at Orphans.PH.

If you’re getting this newsletter, it’s because you’re part of our church family — whether you’ve been here a long time or just tuned in recently. And that means you’re invited.

We have 14 orphanages in the Philippines, home to over 600 children, and our American friends are going for three reasons:

1. Matthew 25 in action.
2. To encourage our local volunteers.
3. To see what locals can’t always see.

First 20 people to sign up get a spot. We may open more. Go to Orphans.PH  to register.

if you’ll just hand it over to Jesus, you’ll see it become far more productive than it ever could be when you’re running it on your own.

And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

- Luke 5:6

“I’m not hurting anybody. It’s just me.”

But the Bible doesn’t draw that line. Not between public sins and private ones. All of it belongs to God. Your body. Your thoughts. Your money. Your choices. Even the ones you think begin and end with you.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

— Proverbs 4:23

Who makes you want to pray more, walk straighter, live deeper? Is there someone you should be leaning into more, someone who challenges you toward your best self—but you've kept them at arm’s length because you're too busy?

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

—Proverbs 27:17

In Matthew 17, Jesus and Peter face the Temple tax. Peter wonders, “Should the Son of God even have to pay this tax? Isn’t this His Father’s house?” Jesus agrees it seems unfair. But to avoid offense, Jesus tells Peter to cast his line into the water. And sure enough, Peter pulls up a fish with not one, but two coins in its mouth.

Two coins.

One coin to pay Peter’s tax.

And one coin to pay Jesus’ tax.

Peter didn’t have the money. The burden was more than he could carry. But Jesus made a way — covering both their debts.

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

— Matthew 11:30

Jeremiah watched as the potter worked a lump of clay into something good. Useful, even. It took time. You could tell the potter cared. But just when it seemed finished, the pot buckled, sagged in on itself. A lesser man might’ve tossed the clay aside, blamed it for not holding shape. But not this man. He didn’t flinch. He simply gathered what collapsed and pressed it back together—not to recreate the same design, but to form something entirely new.

"Yet You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand."

— Isaiah 64:8

Eve “saw that the fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.” We fall for the same trap, grabbing hold of what seems smart in the moment. It comes dressed up as wisdom, wrapped in sayings we’ve all heard:

“Everybody’s doing it.” But the crowd has never been our compass.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”

— 1 Corinthians 3:19

Take heart. In Christ, no one is too green to be wise, and no one too gray to dream. This is the power of the Holy Spirit in our day.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”

— Joel 2:28

Little children don’t come into the world guarded. They’re not cynical. You’ll never meet a 6‑year‑old who rolls his eyes at love or questions the sincerity of a hug.

Trust comes easy to them, and that’s the kind of heart Jesus was pointing us toward.

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

— Matthew 18:3

Don’t give up. Not now. Not here. Not when God still writes the ending.

Give Him a chance to do what only He can do.

Get back up.

“Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”

—Micah 7:8

So what’s your ratio today? How are you seeing others? How are you seeing yourself?

Maybe today’s a good day to ask the Lord to help us see a little more clearly—not just with our eyes, but with our hearts.

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

—Romans 8:5

You’re not where you are by accident. The people you’ll meet, the challenges you’re facing, even the disappointments—they’re all woven into a greater plan. As Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, it’s a plan “to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

"Rejoice always."

—1 Thessalonians 5:16

Being a child of God comes with incredible privileges, but it also comes with a certain look. My kids look like me! And as a child of God, I should look like Him.

Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.

- 1 John 2:6

If God were not in control, we would stand vulnerable before the chaos of the world, left at the mercy of chance.

But God reigns with full authority.

"The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all."

Psalm 103:19

The best way to interpret the Bible is with the Bible. Scripture interprets Scripture. It’s not as hard to understand as some would have you believe.

The real challenge isn’t understanding what God says. It’s surrendering to it.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

Psalm 119:105

The best thing you can do is pause and ask God. He is still speaking today. He is still ready to answer. He continues to reveal deep and unsearchable truths to those who call on Him with an open heart.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

-Matthew 7:7

God answers our prayers. If I had to list every prayer Got has answered for me, I would need many notebooks. It brings glory to the Father when prayers are answered in Jesus’ name.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

- Romans 8:28

Have you ever prayed like that? Not merely spoken words, not simply gone through the motions, but poured your whole heart out to God. Perhaps in tears, in weariness, even in anguish, asking for wisdom, pleading for strength, crying out for answers that only He can give.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

-Jeremiah 29:13

He ends with this command: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

That does not sound easier. It sounds harder. It sounds impossible.

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

-Matthew 11:30

What if your refusal to forgive someone, your choice to wait for an apology you know is never coming, is actually blocking God's grace in your life? What if that one decision is the very thing stopping the flow of His kindness?

Would you believe that?

You should. Because Jesus said it.

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Ephesians 4:32

When we were kids, we argued with friends at school or with our siblings, but we always made up in the end. That was just how things worked. You got upset, but you moved past it.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

-Matthew 5:9

You’ve asked God for the dream and for guidance. Now it’s time to take action. God gave you the goal, He gave you the plan, and His promise stands firm.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

— Proverbs 16:3

God's promise is as unbreakable as the cycle of day and night.

As Christians, we know that this promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is both the eternal King in David’s line and the great High Priest who intercedes for us.

"He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."

-2 Samuel 7:13

Jesus didn’t just appear out of nowhere.

He was predicted. Promised. Announced.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

— Zechariah 9:9