On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself driving down the road with a heavy foot, trying to get somewhere on time, only to notice a police car positioned just right. Yes, I’m a preacher who likes to drive with intentionality and “godspeed.” But one day, after getting a speeding ticket, something weird happened. I got a copy of my ticket sent back to me in the mail with a cancellation note on it and a smiley face. Somebody at ticket-giving headquarters paid the bill and cancelled the ticket. To this day, I have no idea who. All I know is that it reminds me of Colossians 2:13-14. God has “canceled the charge” of our sin debt, and we know full well who paid our penalty—Jesus! He wrote a check with His life when He died on the cross and paid for all our misdeeds and mess-ups—past, present and future. In Jesus’ final moments on the cross, He made a bold declaration when He uttered a single word: “Tetelastai” (Luke 19:30). Most Bibles translate this single word into the phrase, “It is finished.” But in the original language, it has deeper, richer meaning. It can also be translated as “Paid in full.” In New Testament times, the word tetelestai was written on business documents to indicate that a bill had been “paid in full.” And that’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross for us—He set us free from the penalty we were under because of our sin. Ephesians 1:7-8 puts it like this: Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.And not just barely free, either.Abundantly free!(The Message). We’re declared not just barely free, but totally free! “Abundantly free!” Are you living like you are “abundantly free”? Does God’s grace shine through your perceptions and actions? Think about how you’d feel if you were under a crushing debt burden—say you owed someone a million dollars. Then imagine how you’d react if you found out that your massive debt had been totally cancelled and forgiven. You’d be pretty excited, right?

The Anchor Question Before the noise of the day rushes in, ask yourself: "What am I choosing today — and why does it matter?" Intentional living isn't about having a perfect plan. It's about refusing to drift — choosing your direction before the current of circumstances chooses it for you. Three Practices for Today 1. Name Your "One Thing" Not your to-do list. Your one thing — the single action, conversation, or decision that, if done well, makes today meaningful. Write it down. Protect it. 2. Pause Before You React Between stimulus and response lives a sacred space. Today, find it. Breathe into it. Let your values answer before your emotions do. 3. Close the Loop Tonight Before you rest, ask: "Did I show up as the person I intended to be?" Not as judgment — as a compass check. Celebrate what aligned. Adjust what didn't. Today's Reflection Intentional living is the daily practice of becoming — not arriving. You are not behind. You are not too late. You are exactly here, and here is where the work begins.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/962070293074230/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v Integrity is one of our Core Values Remaining authentic , in spite of current circumstances. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Prayer to ponder Father God, I keep my eyes on the prize—knowing the vision You have given me. Now help me to pursue it EVERY SINGLE DAY—even if it’s just for a little bit of progress. Even if I don’t feel like it. Even if no one else sees the benefit of it. Even if life throws a curveball at me. Even if You send unexpected assistance , help me to accept it with appreciation and not disappointment. As long as YOU go before me and stay with me, I will never stop pursuing the destiny that is mine. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

As a child, I loved to watch Superman. I couldn’t wait to hear the words “Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" These words cued his entrance to save the day. Superman was from another world, but he disguised himself by dressing as nerdy reporter, Clark Kent. Looking like an everyday Joe allowed him to masquerade as a human, but when calamity struck and aliens invaded or monsters attacked, he would find a phone booth and transform into Superman. Sometimes, we wrongly view Jesus as Superman; it’s as though we think that Jesus just “dressed up” as a human. We view him as a kind of Jewish Clark Kent. Here’s the problem; Jesus is not Superman! Jesus is far more complex and mysterious. He is from heaven AND earth. He is 100% man AND 100% God. Most of us tend to reallyunderestimate the humanity of Jesus. But if we look at the Gospels closely, we see that Jesus got hungry (Mark 11:12), thirsty (John 19:28) and tired (John 4:6). He was every bit as human as you and I. All it takes to see how fully human Jesus was is to look at His three-hour wrestling match with the Father in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus’ intense struggle in the garden serves as a microcosm for the three+ years of ministry that he battled through in prayer. He found guidance from the Scriptures, depended on the Spirit and found His strength in God – just like us! Did Jesus ever sin? No! Hebrews 4:15 makes this clear. But because Jesus suffered, and was tempted, He can empathize with us when we ask Him for help. Jesus absolutely relates with us in our weaknesses, temptations and trials. And He will be there to intercede with the Father on our behalf, as one who relates to our struggles. Jesus was God in the flesh. As a full—and sinless— human, He could die for other humans. As God, His payment for sin was infinite. Even beyond salvation, there are amazing implications that flow from this reality. Jesus absolutely relates with us in our weaknesses, temptations and trials, and He will be there to intercede with the Father on our behalf, as one who relates to our struggles.

My mom was married and divorced four times (at least that’s how many I know about). As a kid, I had a front row seat to the hurt and anger that erupt from the downward spiral of love-turned-to-rejection. The story of the Old Testament prophet, Hosea, and his steadfast, loyal love for his adulteress, prostitute wife, Gomer, amazes me—and all the more because, once again, we see God weaving beautiful symbolism and foreshadowing into this story. The story of Hosea’s enduring love for his unfaithful wife symbolizes God’s unwavering love for His sinful, rebellious people. In Hosea’s day, the penalty for a woman caught in adultery was death by stoning. And Gomer had gone far beyond the sin of one adulterous affair; she was considered a prostitute. It’s while Gomer is still in full out rebellion that God tells Hosea to go search for his wayward wife and bring her home. He finds her in the slave market, where he buys her back, redeeming her from the life of a prostitute slave. What a striking, symbolic picture this provides of God and humanity! Like Gomer, we have committed spiritual adultery and turned away from the God who created us to be with Him. We’ve lusted after poor substitutes for the real, unfailing, eternal love of God—things like self, power, appearance and money. Yet, out of love for us, God willingly sent His Son, Jesus, into the “slave market” of the world, to buy us back and redeem us out of our bondage to sin and our penalty of death. We deserve judgment, but God is extending His love to us instead, through the atoning work Jesus did on the cross on our behalf. The salvation Jesus offers comes as a free gift from God. We can’t earn it, all we can do is receive it, walk in the power of the cross and extended it to others in desperate need of it, too. Hosea is a Christ type. In fact, Hosea’s very name means “salvation.” Love isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it’s painfully hard to love those who push you away. Yet God calls us to love even our enemies—which is impossible in our own strength. That’s why we must plug into the power of the Holy Spirit. Only He can work in us to produce the kind of love that “never fails” and “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13).