There is a beautiful balance in the blending of “speaking the truth in love.” Scripture presents truth and love as inseparable. When they become separated, they become distorted. Truth without love wounds. Love without truth deceives. Some people are so committed to truth that they leave a trail of wounded hearts behind their honesty. Some are so focused on love that they let lies stand because they are afraid of being unkind.

Paul reveals that the ultimate goal of “truth in love,” found in verse 16, is that the church grows and builds itself up in love, with each part doing a specific work. Truth provides the solid foundation and direction. Love provides the environment and motivation for growth.

Ephesians 4:15–16: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

“Speaking the truth in love starts from the pulpit.” The pulpit sets the cultural tone of the church. The pulpit represents the source of spiritual teaching and oversight for the congregation. If the pastor preaches with a harsh, unloving tone, the congregation often adopts a judgmental culture. If a pastor avoids difficult biblical truths to keep everyone happy, the church culture becomes shallow and compromised.

Scripture places a heavy burden of responsibility on teachers.

James 3:1: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

Because a teacher’s words carry so much weight, they have a strict duty to make sure messages are truthful and delivered with a shepherd’s heart of love. This is the way Pastor Adam teaches from the pulpit. He sets the cultural tone for the congregation.

In John 13:35, Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” That is one of the reasons why it is so important that our lives reflect that beautiful balance of truth and love. When truth and love are correctly balanced and taught from the pulpit, it shapes how the congregation treats each other and reacts to the outside world.

Because a church’s culture is caught as well as being taught, the behavior of the church will mirror the model of what they see on a Sunday. When the pastor addresses sin and difficult topics honestly, with grace and humility rather than with judgment, it softens hearts, and the message is more easily received and is reflected in the way we treat each other with love and respect.

When someone struggles in an area of their life, rather than gossip, we step in with love and grace. Because of this, we are able to hold each other accountable because deep trust and love have been established first.

When someone offends us, our number one priority is to forgive so our hearts will be tender. We resist sharing with others what they did and instead, if necessary, go to the person and let them know. We must go with a heart of reconciliation, choosing our words carefully in a gentle, kind, inoffensive manner rather than one that is harsh and judgmental.

We will be known “by the love we have for one another.”

Jesus was filled with grace and truth, and so can we be as we lean on Him. As His followers, we are being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). We should also be characterized by truth and grace.

As we model this, the people have strong protection against division. When disagreements arise, the people don’t immediately leave the church or start factions. They choose to overlook minor offenses and engage in healthy, respectful conversations if needed.

Ultimately, when a pulpit teaches truth in love, the congregation won’t operate in harsh legalism (truth without love) or moral compromise (love without truth). We become a mature, stable body that attracts outsiders because we have a rare combination of unwavering conviction and unconditional kindness.

I’m so grateful for our pastor and anyone who shares that pulpit and teaches from truth and love. I’m grateful for our leaders and the people in our congregation who model this.

We are known “by the love we have for one another.”

So let’s take some time to look at what scripture says about what a “Well Dressed Christian” would clothe themselves in. We find that answer in:

Colossians 3: 12-14  “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our being, our character, will begin to change to become more “CHRIST-LIKE”. As Christians, we must see ourselves as dead to the old sins and put them aside to… DISCARD THEM LIKE OLD RAGS! The Apostle Paul states that because the believer is risen with Christ, he is to put off the old man and put on the new man.

In other words, we are stripped naked of our past sins and cleansed of them, and we put on the renewed man. The old self is confined to the “closet of the past” with  its former passions and desires, its pride and self-centeredness, and we are to put on or clothe ourselves with the new self.

As God’s chosen people we can dress up in new clothes. Each day as we awaken we can clothe ourselves with the most awesome attire. WE make a decision to put on these new clothes. Every day we can put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The best part of this wardrobe is that it is available to all who trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We can all look and feel fabulous! However, you have to take care of your new clothes and take responsibility for how you present yourself.

The way we make that happen is to be SO FULL of these qualities that they can be seen on the outside.

How can we do this? By showing compassion to those in need, humbling ourselves daily, being kind to those who do us wrong, showing meekness by resisting the temptation to strike back, and by having patience with those who hurt or disappoint us. We are called to bear with one another by refusing to give up on each other and always forgiving each other. 

And the final thing we put on each day, like a fabulous coat… over all these virtues, we put on love, as this binds all the virtues in perfect unity — the perfect outfit that never gets old.

Jesus himself taught us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love one another.  Without love, none of the other virtues can last, or we could say: the outfit is not complete.

In conclusion, we must be “best dressed” because we are ambassadors for Christ. We represent him. All of these virtues display the character of Christ. As we put on these virtues, we will be dressing ourselves with the “character of Christ”.

We often hear it said, “Let’s not forget the reason for the season.” However, let’s take it a step further and say,” Let’s celebrate the reason for the season every day.”

As we awaken each day, we can be filled with joy and gratitude as we remember the greatest gift we ever received, and His name is Jesus.

Mathew 1:21-23  She will give birth to a Son, and you will give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophets. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel (God with us.) 

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John3:16)

For all who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we can daily be filled with the Joy of our Salvation and find ways to bring joy to others. 

Think about it… Christmas is all about the joy of giving. We celebrate Christmas because of a loving Heavenly Father who so loved us that He gave the most sacrificial of all gifts. He sent His own Son in the form of a babe, who would give his life as an atonement for our sins. 

One of my favorite Christmas Carols is “Joy to the World,” and this song can be a reflection of our lives. 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King 

Let every heart prepare him room

Let Heaven and nature sing

Let heaven and nature sing

Let Heaven Let heaven and nature sing

Every day we can awaken to the Joy!! 

Our hearts filled with joy as we prepare our heart to make room for him daily

As we acknowledge him as our Savior our Lord and our King!! 

As we pray the way Jesus taught us to pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” 

We can truly celebrate Christmas every day through the joy of giving.

The real spirit of Christmas is giving, loving, caring, and serving

Every day we can share the love of Christ with our families, our friends, and whoever comes into our path each day  We can share our faith …we can generously give to the ones less fortunate than us… we can be willing to serve others as needs arrive… We can pray for and with others.

 As we pray to our Heavenly Father daily, what will develop is an ever-increasing close and loving  relationship with Him. He will lead and guide us into His perfect will.  A life that is filled with His peace and joy …the joy of our salvation   

Christmas in July …. I say, “Let’s celebrate Christmas every day.”

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

The difference is I love this outfit even more than my designer jeans. You see, the fit is perfect, because God hand-tailored this outfit just for me.

As I awaken each morning, I put on each piece one at a time. I put on compassion, I put on kindness, I put on humility, I put on gentleness, I put on patience. And as I do, I am keenly aware that I am a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…

And the fruit, or outward manifestation, of the Holy Spirit is this:

Galatians 6:22, 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

As I gaze in the mirror as I dress for the day, I am learning to see myself through God’s eyes. My daily prayer is that I would be a reflection of these virtues to others.

So as you awaken each day, I encourage you to put on the Divine Attire that God has hand-tailored just for you.

And let’s not forget the “Armor of God” that is found in Ephesians 6:10-11, 14-17.

Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so you can stand against the enemy’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:14-17
Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist and the breastplate of righteousness in place. And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

We as Christians are encouraged to put this on daily to protect ourselves from spiritual attacks, temptation, and negativity.

In Isaiah 43:19, God declares, “See, I am doing a new thing — now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

This scripture captures the essence of spring in spiritual truth, where we see the transformation of the world around us. I particularly love seeing the trees as they start to bud — all the brilliant colors: the pinks, the purple, the magenta, the lavender, the yellow, the maroon. A beautiful symphony of new life. Multiple shades of green and brightly colored flowers bloom in my neighborhood, and the sweet sound of singing birds fills the atmosphere.

One of my favorite pastimes in spring is taking a walk around my neighborhood. It’s just so pretty here. Another is to sit out and experience the first feel of sun on my skin as I read my Bible or a Christian romance novel, and in the early evening to sit out on my porch. Spring and summer are my favorite seasons of the year.

As we step into the freshness and newness of spring, let us be reminded of the hope and new life we have in Christ. The blooming flowers and warming weather represent God’s intentional design and His gift of beauty and hope after a dark winter. The growth seen in spring mirrors the spiritual growth and restoration that Christ brings to our lives.

Spring acts as a metaphor for spiritual rejuvenation, prompting us to shed old ways and experience a fresh start.

2 Corinthians 5:17 — “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new has come.”

This scripture states that anyone united to Christ is a brand new creation, as the old spiritual life — characterized by sin and separation from God — has passed away, and a new life in Him has begun.

Just as nature comes back to life, the resurrection of Jesus signifies overcoming death and offering new eternal life to all who believe.

This spring, as you step into the beauty of God’s creation, let it be a time of reflecting on God’s goodness, grace, and restoration. “The old has gone, the new has come.”

I think of the woman who is known as the sinful woman spoken of in the book of Luke (Luke 7:36-50). She had an encounter with Jesus. When she heard He was at Simon’s house, she went there. She walked right in, knowing what those people thought of her. Can you imagine all the negative energy coming from the people in that room?

We have all experienced this to some degree. You walk into a room and there is someone there who doesn’t like you or is judging you. We all know what that feels like. It could be in the workplace or maybe your extended family or even church.

So picture this: this room was filled with that kind of energy. However, she was protected from it. It didn’t touch her because she only had eyes for Jesus.

She was captivated by Jesus’ love and by His compassion. It propelled her toward Him. She fell at His feet in tears of gratitude and love. She was so overwhelmed all she could do was weep.

That’s what happened to me when I had an encounter with Him. I cried for hours as His love captivated my heart.

This is what we are called to do. We are called to captivate others through Jesus’ love flowing through us. We are called to go out into the workplace, our family’s everywhere we go, captivating people with love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. If we are not risking our lives being hurt, we risk nothing. We will never captivate others. We will never captivate people with religion. We will only captivate others when we live a life where we love, where we share grace, where we forgive.

Jesus said in one of His teachings: “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anyone can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

A love that says all are lovable—this kind of love is captivating. That is Jesus’s heart. It’s one thing to say to people, ‘Jesus loves you.’ Many people need to know the love of Christ, but they need to see that love in us for them to be guided to Him.

Let’s remember what Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37—Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest commandment. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.’

As we are captivated by Jesus’ love, that love will permeate our heart, our soul, and our mind. And in return we can show that love to others.”

But as Christians, we can guard against this affecting us and set the example for others. We must guard our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

How do we do that? We are careful about what we take in. Like I’ve been saying, outrage sells, and the news is designed to provoke just that — especially politically! We need to be careful what we tap into on social media, focus on the positive stories, and look to Scripture to see what it says about how we should handle situations.

Proverbs 15:1 says it so well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Ephesians 4:31–32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” As we walk with Jesus, we will experience this in our lives.

Matthew 11:29 — Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

As we stay in step with Jesus, we learn from Him and, too, can give a gentle answer.

A mom I’m close to in church related a story to me about her daughter. Her daughter is 9 and such a beautiful little girl. Well, sometimes — especially when someone is really pretty — they can get bullied. And that is what was happening to her child. This girl, who was raised in church and also has a mom who teaches her the Bible and Scriptures to live by, was affected in her response during this time of being bullied.

She said in a very even tone, “Do you know what Jesus said? He said we should be kind to one another and that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. Would you like to be treated the way you are treating me?”

I love it! At a young age, she learned to give a gentle answer, and her heart was protected.

I encourage you to make this a priority in your life as you stay in step with Jesus.

Matthew 11:29 — Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

And may your life be a reflection of Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

All of these resolutions are good; however, let’s look to what the Bible says about what should come first in our lives.

Jesus put it this way: Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The moment of salvation, the very moment you were born again, the Kingdom of God was opened to you, and your spiritual eyes have been opened.

John 3:3: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

When you are born again, your spirit comes alive.

Being born again is not about being a part of a certain denomination. It is not about being a Methodist or Baptist, a Catholic, or a non-denomination church. People from all denominations have experienced this.

What it takes is praying a simple prayer of faith from the heart:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God who died for my sins on the cross. I believe God raised You from the dead. I now turn from my sin and by faith receive You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart and save me, Lord Jesus.

I will always remember the moment I was born again. As I repented, I knew I was clean; all shame was swept away in an instant. I was filled with gratitude for the One who took it all. I was filled with a passion like I had never known before, a love for Jesus that filled me up, and a hunger to know all about Him, and a desire to live my life in accordance with God’s way.

However, to keep that fire burning, we must make a commitment on a daily basis to be relentless in our pursuit of Him.

With people, if we relentlessly pursue them, a lot of times they will run from us. But not Jesus. The more we pursue Him, the more we will know Him, and the more His love will saturate our soul. The more we will be filled with passion to follow Him all the days of our lives. I want to challenge you that this year you will make a commitment to be relentless in your pursuit of God.

There are many ways we can pursue God. We are pursuing Him every time we pray, every time we read our Bibles, every time we meditate on His Word, every time we worship Him.

My favorite way to pursue God is through worship. Every time I worship, His love saturates my soul. I start my day with this worship song, “In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus,” and I am filled with gratitude, passion, and a love for the One who saved me, “My Jesus.”

Joy is the birthright of every child of God!! Trials will come in our life, but one of the blessings of being a Christian is that we can have joy and peace no matter what the circumstances are. 

The world looks to outward events for happiness that are uncertain. But the Joy of the Lord comes from your spirit. It is always there. You are never without it.

At the same time, however, you have to choose to be joyful. Experiencing the fruit of the Spirit manifesting in your life doesn’t happen by accident. Joy comes from  getting God’s word down deep in your spirit till it comes to life in your soul, in your mind, and in your emotions. It’s a life surrendered to God’s will.

Joy is a choice it is a way of thinking Joy is a focus before it’s a feeling.

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable –if anything is excellent or praiseworthy –think about such things”

When you set your focus on the goodness of God and His Word it is impossible to be depressed because depression is self-focused Joy is God-focused God never changes.

His joy never changes it is always there within you, and it is always the same—even when you are going through trials. Joy is a spiritual force that is born into you. Its springs out of your love and attention toward God. The more loving fellowship you have with God, the more joy will manifest in your life. 

The Apostle Paul was such an example of living a life filled with joy no matter the circumstances. You can see this because he wrote many letters to the churches  from prison. Again Joy is a choice it is a way of thinking.

It says in Proverbs 23:7 For as a man think in his heart, so he is. That is where your imagination comes in. If you see yourself as not gifted, it will stop you from reaching your full potential. We need to look at what does God say about it. Romans 12:6 “In his grace God has given us certain things to do well.” So before you step out in that gift imagine yourself doing it well and your confidence will grow.

If we fill our mind with doubt and unbelief you will not be fully open to receive God’s promises. You must fill your mind with what God says. Romans 12:2 if you renew your mind to the truth of God’s word using your imagination will help you receive from God.

What does the bible say about faith? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen it’s the evidence of things not seen. Faith gets built up as you see it happen in your imagination. You have to use your imagination to see God’s word working in your life. Say you’re praying for healing. You have to guard your imagination that you aren’t still seeing yourself sick.

Don’t wait for a physical manifestation of your healing. See yourself walking without pain. Imagine yourself healed. Grab a hold of God’s promises and see it in your imagination happening in your life. 1Peter 2:24 I am healed by the wounds of Jesus.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

I get insomnia sometimes and I’m starting to use my imagination to see myself sleeping through the night. Also it was just so sweet that one of the children who heard I wasn’t sleeping well gave me a stuffy (a stuffed Minnie Mouse) to help me sleep. How precious is that. I am sleeping better.

Your imagination can work for you or against you. If you keep picturing in your mind the hurtful thing that someone did to you it will be hard for you to let it go. Replaying something in your mind can cause you to be trapped in unforgiveness and bitterness. Our imagination can work against us keeping us trapped in the past. If you see yourself as a victim you will never reach your full potential. You will stay trapped in your past blaming everyone else for your circumstances.

Worry is an example of your imagination being harmful in the way that you are imagining the worst. You have to stop your imagination then and look to what God says. Philippians 4-6 Don’t worry about anything instead pray about everything with thanksgiving give your requests to God. So you need to stop entertaining those thoughts and instead give it to God and imagine He is there taking care of these things.

We also have to be careful that our self-confidence doesn’t come from the world around us where your identity is found in what you do. It could be your job or the way you look, how much money you make, your level of education, the color of your skin. These things are all superficial.

True confidence comes in what does God say about you. Jeremiah 31:3 I am loved with an everlasting love. Imagine yourself surrounded by that love. Colossians 2:10 I am complete in Christ. Imagine yourself complete in him. Ephesians 1:6 I am accepted in Christ. See yourself accepted just the way you are. Revelation 21:7 I am victorious. No longer see yourself as a victim but imagine yourself victorious in all situations.

Your imagination is powerful. It can work for you or against you. So fill your mind with what does God say and let your imagination paint that picture in your mind of living your life in all the fullness of what God has for you and be careful your imagination doesn’t bring you down the wrong road.