Choosing Love Today

Philemon: Leaving Room for Grace
As we conclude our journey through Paul's prison letters, we come to one of the most personal and practical examples of what it means to choose love today.
The letter to Philemon tells the story of a broken relationship, a transformed life, and an appeal for reconciliation. Paul stands in the gap between Philemon and Onesimus, painting a beautiful picture of the grace Christ has extended to each of us.
Together we'll explore what happens when mercy replaces resentment, when love becomes action, and when we leave room for God to restore what once seemed beyond repair.
Choosing love isn't always easy. Sometimes it looks like forgiveness. Sometimes it looks like reconciliation. And sometimes, it simply means leaving room for grace.  And that always makes it easier to....
Keep Choosing Love Today!
 

Have you ever heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words"?
There's a reason that expression has been around for a long time.
Words matter. What we say matters. But in the end, people tend to believe what they see.
That's really the heartbeat of the book of Titus.
As Paul writes to Titus, he's concerned about sound teaching. He wants people to know the truth. But he also wants that truth to be visible in everyday life.
In other words, Paul isn't interested in faith that's all talk.
He wants faith that shows up at home, at work, In relationships and in the way people treat one another.
In the way they handle problems and disappointments.
You could summarize much of Titus this way: What we say we believe ought to become visible in how we live. Now, before anyone gets nervous, let's be clear. Paul isn't talking about perfection.
None of us gets everything right. We all have moments we'd like to do over.
All of us have weaknesses and all of us have areas where we're still growing.
The Christian life isn't about pretending we've arrived.
It's about allowing God to keep working on us.
The problem comes when there is a huge gap between what we say and how we live.
Most people can spot that pretty quickly. They may not know every verse in the Bible.
They may not understand every point of theology. But they know when something feels genuine.
And they know when it doesn't. That's why integrity matters so much.
Integrity simply means that the person you appear to be is the person you actually are.
It means your private life and your public life are moving in the same direction.
Not perfectly, but honestly. That's what people respect.
I've often thought that one of the most powerful testimonies a Christian can have isn't a dramatic story. It's a consistent life. A person who keeps showing up.
One that keeps loving people...Keeps extending grace..Keeps trusting God...and Keeps growing.
Those things don't always make headlines, but they leave an impact.
Maybe that's something worth thinking about today.
If someone listened to your words and then watched your life, would they see the same message?
Would they see kindness behind your talk about kindness?
Grace behind your talk about grace?
Faith behind your talk about faith?
Again, not perfectly. None of us gets that right every day.
But would they see a sincere desire to follow Jesus?
The good news is that God isn't asking us to put on a show. He's inviting us to walk with Him one day at a time and let His work become visible in our lives.
As we do, the gap between what we say and how we live begins to get smaller. And people start seeing that our faith is more than words on a page or ideas in our heads.
It's becoming part of who we are.
And when the life behind the talk points people toward Jesus, that's a difference worth making. And that's why I can keep growing, one day at a time.
And that difference makes it easier to......Keep Choosing Love Today!

Have you ever known someone who changed?
I don't mean they picked up a new hobby or moved to a different town. I mean something deeper changed. They became more patient. More forgiving. More generous. More understanding.
When that happens, people notice.
In Titus 3:8, Paul writes:
"Those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good."
I find it interesting that Paul connects faith and action.
Not because good works save us. He has already made it clear that we're saved by God's grace, not by our own efforts. But once we've experienced God's grace, something begins to happen. It starts showing up in the way we live....because grace makes a difference.
Think about a fruit tree for a moment. An apple tree doesn't strain and struggle to produce apples so it can become an apple tree. It produces apples because that's what it already is.
In a similar way, good works don't make us God's children. They are evidence that God is already at work in our lives.
That's important because sometimes we can get discouraged by how far we still have to go. We see our weaknesses. We see our failures. We see the places where we're still growing.
But growth is often easier to see looking backward than looking forward.
You may not be where you want to be...But are you the same person you were a year ago?
Five years ago? Ten years ago?
For many believers, the answer is no.
Maybe you're more patient than you used to be. Maybe you're quicker to forgive.
Maybe you're less concerned with being right all the time.
Maybe you're more willing to help someone in need.
Those changes may seem small, but they're evidence of God's grace at work.
The Christian life isn't about becoming perfect overnight. It's about allowing God to continue shaping us day by day.
That's why Paul encourages believers to devote themselves to doing what is good. Not because we're trying to earn God's approval, but because God's grace has already changed our hearts.
And the more we understand God's love, the more naturally those changes begin to appear.
Maybe that's something worth thinking about today.
If someone who knew you well five years ago spent a day with you today, what differences might they notice?
Would they see evidence of God's work in your life? Would they see someone growing in kindness?
Growing in patience? Growing in trust?
Again, not perfectly. None of us gets everything right.
But growth isn't measured by perfection. It's measured by direction.
As we walk with Jesus, His grace leaves fingerprints on our lives. Little by little, our attitudes change. Our priorities change. Our responses change.
And over time, the difference becomes visible not only to us, but to the people around us.
When God's grace begins showing up in the way we live, people notice. And that makes it easier to point them toward the One who is changing us.
And that change makes it easier to.....Keep Choosing Love Today!

Have you ever noticed how quickly we start keeping score?
We may not do it out loud, but it's easy to compare ourselves to other people. We look at our accomplishments, our mistakes, our successes, and our failures. Before long, we can start thinking that God's acceptance somehow depends on how well we're doing. That's not a new struggle.
In Titus 3:5, Paul reminds us of something incredibly important:
"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
Let that sink in for a moment...God didn't save us because we earned it.  He didn't save us because we were good enough. He didn't save us because we had more good days than bad days.
He saved us because of His mercy.
Mercy is one of those gifts we all need, whether we realize it or not.
Mercy is God giving us what we could never earn for ourselves....Think about that.
If salvation depended on our performance, how would we ever know if we'd done enough?
How much kindness would be enough? How many prayers? How many good deeds?
How many church services? The answer is we could never do enough.
That's why the gospel is such good news.
Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves.
His sacrifice on the cross paid the debt we couldn't pay.
His resurrection made possible the new life we couldn't create.
And God offers that gift freely to anyone who trusts in Him.
Now, that doesn't mean our actions don't matter...They do.
But our good works are the result of salvation, not the reason for it.
And there's a world of difference between those two ideas.
One says: "I have to earn God's love."
The other says: "God loves me, and that changes how I live."
One produces fear. The other produces gratitude.
One leaves you wondering if you've done enough.
The other allows you to rest in what Christ has already done.
Maybe that's something worth thinking about today.
When you think about your relationship with God, where does your confidence come from?
Your accomplishments? Your efforts? Your ability to get things right? Or does it come from the mercy of God?
The older I get, the more grateful I become for God's mercy. I know myself well enough to realize that if everything depended on me, I wouldn't have much hope.
But thankfully, it doesn't.
Our hope rests in God's goodness, not ours.
Our hope rests in God's faithfulness, not ours.
Our hope rests in God's mercy, not our merit.
And that's good news for every one of us.
When we stop trying to earn what God freely gives, we can finally rest in His love and allow that love to change us from the inside out. And that's another way you can live with confidence in God's grace today.
And that makes it a whole lot easier to.....Keep Choosing Love Today!

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to be looking for ways to help?
They hold the door for someone carrying too much. They check on a neighbor who hasn't been feeling well. They offer a hand before they're asked.
And usually, they're not making a big deal about it. They're just paying attention.
In Titus 3:1, Paul tells believers: "Be ready to do whatever is good."
I like that phrase: be ready.
Paul doesn't say we have to solve everyone's problems. He doesn't say we have to save the world. He simply encourages us to be ready when opportunities come our way.
The truth is opportunities to do good often show up in ordinary moments.
Sometimes it's a kind word to someone who's discouraged.
Sometimes it's a phone call you've been meaning to make.
Sometimes it's listening when someone needs to talk.
And sometimes it's helping without expecting anything in return.
The problem is.... that life gets busy.
We all have schedules, responsibilities, appointments, bills, projects, and a hundred other things competing for our attention. Before long, it's easy to become focused only on what we have to do next.
And when that happens, we can miss the people right in front of us.
Jesus never seemed too busy for people. He noticed them. The blind man by the road.
The woman at the well. The tax collector up in a tree. The children that others tried to push aside.
He saw people that others overlooked.
That's one reason I think Paul tells us to be ready.
Opportunities to do good usually don't arrive with flashing lights and a loud announcement. Most of the time, they're found in everyday encounters.
The cashier who looks exhausted. The friend going through a difficult time. The family member who needs encouragement. The neighbor who could use a helping hand.
In those moments, we have a choice. We can stay focused on ourselves, or we can allow God to use us to make someone else's day a little better.
Now, let's be honest. Not every opportunity will be convenient.
Sometimes helping requires time. Sometimes it requires patience. Sometimes it costs us something.
But when we remember how much kindness God has shown us, it becomes easier to share that kindness with others.
Maybe that's something worth thinking about today.
As you go through your day, what opportunities might God place in front of you?
Who needs a little encouragement? Who could use a word of hope? Who might benefit from a simple act of kindness? You don't have to do something extraordinary. Most of the good we do in life happens through small choices repeated day after day. A phone call. A smile. A prayer. A helping hand.
Those things matter more than we often realize.
And when we live with open eyes and a willing heart, we begin to notice opportunities that might otherwise pass us by. And that's another way you can make a difference right where you are today.
Keep Choosing Love Today!

Have you ever had someone do something so kind for you that it changed the way you looked at them?
Maybe they helped you when you needed it most. Maybe they gave you a second chance when you didn't deserve one. Maybe they showed patience when they could have walked away.
Real grace has a way of changing people.
That's what Paul is talking about in Titus 2:11-12: "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."
I think a lot of people hear the word "grace" and immediately think of forgiveness. And they're right. Grace is God's undeserved gift. None of us could earn salvation. None of us could ever be good enough to deserve what Jesus did for us.
But Paul says grace does something else. It teaches us. That's interesting.
Grace doesn't just save us. It shapes us.
Sometimes people imagine God's grace as permission to keep living the same way we've always lived. Paul says the opposite. Grace changes things.
Not because God is standing over us with a clipboard, waiting to mark down every mistake we make. Grace doesn't work that way.
Think about it this way.
When you realize how much God loves you, how much He has forgiven you, and how patient He has been with you, something begins to happen inside. You start wanting to live differently....
Not to earn His love.
Because you already have that. And not to earn His acceptance, because you've already been accepted in Christ.
Grace changes your motivation.
Instead of living to impress God, you begin living because you're grateful to God.
That's a big difference.
I've noticed that the people who seem to grow the most aren't usually the ones focused on trying harder every day. They're the ones who never get over what God has done for them.
They remember where they've been.
They remember God's patience.
They remember His mercy.
And that gratitude slowly begins to show up in how they live.
Maybe that's something worth thinking about today.
When you look at your relationship with God, do you see it mostly as a list of things you're supposed to do? Or do you see it as a response to what He has already done for you?
The Christian life isn't about trying to make God love you.
It's about learning to live in the reality that He already does.
And the more we understand His grace, the more it changes the way we think, speak, and live.
Grace doesn't leave us where it finds us. It loves us, forgives us, teaches us, and slowly helps us become the people God created us to be.
And that's another way you can experience the difference grace makes in your life every day.
And it's that grace that helps us to ….....Keep Choosing Love Today!

Have you ever noticed how quickly we can spot a fake?
It doesn't matter if it's a salesperson, a politician, a television commercial, or somebody posting on social media. We may not know exactly what's wrong, but something inside us says, "That doesn't seem genuine."
On the other hand, people are drawn to authenticity. Not perfection. Not polish. Authenticity.
That's one of the themes Paul emphasizes in his letter to Titus.
In Titus 2:7, Paul writes: "In everything set them an example by doing what is good."
That's a simple verse, but it's a powerful reminder. People don't just listen to what we say. They watch how we live. Think about it this way. If someone tells you the importance of kindness and then treats people poorly, which message are you going to believe? The words, or the actions?
Probably the actions. The truth is that our lives are constantly communicating something.
Now, before you start feeling pressure to be perfect, let's clear that up right away. Paul wasn't telling Titus to pretend he had it all together. None of us do. He wasn't saying, "Never make a mistake." He was saying, "Let your life line up with what you say you believe."
There's a big difference.
People don't expect us to be flawless. Most people know better than that. What they appreciate is honesty, humility, and consistency. When we make a mistake, we should admit it.
When we're wrong, we should apologize.
When we fall down, we get back up and keep following Jesus.
That's the kind of example people respect.
I think that's especially important today because many people have become skeptical of Christians. They've heard plenty of talk. What they're looking for now is evidence that our faith actually makes a difference in the way we live. Not that we're better than anyone else...Not that we're smarter than anyone else... Just that God's grace is changing us little by little.
Maybe that's something worth thinking about today.
If someone spent a week around you, what would they see?
Would they see kindness?
Patience?
Forgiveness?
Would they see someone who trusts God when life gets difficult?
Not perfectly, of course. None of us does that perfectly. But would they see a direction? Would they see evidence that God is at work in your life?
The good news is that following Jesus isn't about putting on a performance. It's about allowing Him to shape us from the inside out. Over time, what He is doing in our hearts begins to show up in our words, our attitudes, and our actions.
And that's encouraging, because it means we don't have to manufacture anything. We simply walk with Him, day by day and let His work become visible.
When what we say and how we live begin moving in the same direction, people notice. And that's another way you can point people to Jesus without saying a word.
And that's another reason to.....Keep Choosing Love Today!

Titus: When Faith Shows Up
What does real faith look like when it steps out of the church building and into everyday life? In this episode, we begin our journey through the book of Titus and discover that faith isn't just something we believe, it's something people can see.
Paul reminds Titus that healthy teaching should lead to transformed living. Whether at home, at work, or in our communities, the gospel isn't just meant to change our minds. It's meant to change our actions, attitudes, and relationships.
Join us as we explore how God's grace shapes the way we live and why authentic faith always leaves a visible footprint. Because when faith shows up, it makes a difference.
Scripture: Titus 1:1-4
Choosing Love Today Challenge: Ask yourself, "If someone only watched my actions this week, what would they learn about my faith?" Then look for one practical way to reflect God's love to someone around you.....
and Keep Choosing Love Today!
 
 

Have you ever noticed how most people are impressed by a good start? A new diet starts on Monday.
A new exercise program begins with enthusiasm. A new project launches with excitement.
A new commitment is made with confidence!
Starting gets a lot of attention...But finishing? That's a different story.
Because anybody can start when they're motivated. Finishing requires perseverance.
That's one reason I love the words Paul writes near the end of his life in 2 Timothy 4:7:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Think about that for a moment. Paul doesn't talk about how many churches he planted. He doesn't mention his accomplishments. He doesn't list his achievements. Instead, he focuses on faithfulness.
"I fought." "I finished." "I kept." Those aren't the words of someone who lived a perfect life.
They're the words of someone who refused to quit.
And that's encouraging because most of us know what it feels like to get tired.
Life has a way of wearing us down. There are disappointments we didn't expect.
Prayers that seem unanswered and losses that leave scars.
Challenges that linger longer than we would like and after a while, the temptation isn't necessarily to run away from God. The temptation is simply to coast , to settle, to stop growing, to stop serving,
To stop believing that what we do matters. Paul could have done that. He faced opposition, criticism, imprisonment, and hardship. Yet when he looked back over his life, his greatest satisfaction wasn't success. It was faithfulness. I think that's an important reminder for us.
God never called most of us to become famous. He never promised we'd be the most talented person in the room. He never guaranteed that everything would turn out exactly the way we planned.
But He does invite us to remain faithful. Day after day. Step after step. Choice after choice.
Sometimes finishing well looks dramatic. More often, it looks ordinary.
It's showing kindness when you're weary. It's continuing to pray when answers seem delayed.
It's choosing integrity when nobody is watching. It's continuing to trust God when circumstances don't make sense. Those little choices may not seem significant in the moment, but over time they become the story of a faithful life. Maybe you're in a time in your life right now where you're feeling tired.
Maybe you've been carrying responsibilities that nobody else sees.
Maybe you're wondering whether your efforts matter. If that's you, take heart.
You don't have to sprint the entire race today. You only have to take the next faithful step.
God isn't asking for perfection. He's asking for perseverance.
One day, each of us will look back on the lives we've lived.
And when that day comes, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could honestly say what Paul said?
Not that we were the smartest. Not that we were the most successful.
Not that we received the most applause. But that we stayed faithful.
That we finished the race God gave us to run...but that we kept the faith.
And that's another way you can focus less on being impressive and more on being faithful all the way to the finish line.
Wouldn't it be nice at the end of each day to be able to say as Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:7:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Paul did it as he was finishing up his life. Let's do this one day at a time. That makes it easier to
…....Keep Choosing Love Today!

Have you ever watched a race where one runner spends more time looking at everybody else than paying attention to where they're going? It usually doesn't end well.
They stumble. They slow down. They lose focus.
That's because it's hard to run your race when you're obsessed with someone else's.
I think a lot of us can relate to that.
We live in a world where comparison is almost a full-time job. Everywhere we look, somebody seems to be doing better, getting farther, accomplishing more, or living a life that looks easier than ours.
And if we're not careful, we start measuring our journey against theirs.
That's why Hebrews 12:1 says: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
Notice the wording. The writer doesn't say, "Run the race you wish you had."
He doesn't say, "Run your neighbor's race." He doesn't say, "Run the race of the person who seems to have it all together." What he does say is “run the race that is set before us."
In other words, God has given each of us a particular course to run.
Some paths are smooth. Some are steep. Some include challenges we never expected.
Some seem longer than we would have chosen.....But every one of us has been called to faithfully run the course God has placed in front of us.
Now here's where many of us struggle......We don't mind running our race until someone else's lane starts looking better. Maybe you know what that's like. You look at another person's success and wonder why things aren't moving that quickly for you. You see someone else's opportunities and question your own. You compare your beginning to somebody else's middle....Or your struggles to their highlight reel. Before long, discouragement starts whispering that you're falling behind.
But behind whom?
My friends....God never asked us to keep pace with everyone else. He simply asked us to follow Him.
Think about Peter for a moment. After Jesus told Peter about his future, Peter immediately looked at John and asked, "What about him?" And Jesus essentially responded, "You follow Me." I love that.
Because it reminds us that God is perfectly capable of managing somebody else's life without our assistance. Our assignment is to stay faithful in our own lane.
To take today's step. To handle today's responsibility and to trust God with today's opportunity.
That's where endurance comes from. Not from obsessing over the entire course.
Not from worrying about everyone else's progress, But from continuing to put one faithful foot in front of the other. Maybe today you need permission to stop comparing...Stop measuring...Stop evaluating your worth based on someone else's accomplishments. The race God has given you is not an accident.
Your experiences, your gifts, your opportunities, and even your challenges are all part of the course you're running.
And here's the good news. God isn't asking you to finish first. He's asking you to finish faithful.
What is the next faithful step? So, take a look at the road directly in front of you today....Not next month...Not next year... just today.
Take that step, trust God with the outcome, and keep moving forward.
And as is says in Hebrews 12:1:
"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
And that's another way you can focus on the race God has placed before you instead of getting distracted by everyone else's, which makes it easier to ….....                        Keep Choosing Love Today!