Category: faith and discipleship

Love Fiercely, but Hold Loosely

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Photo by Daniel Pérez

There is a kind of love Jesus calls us to that feels both beautiful and terrifying. A love that is wholehearted, self‑giving, and without favoritism. A love that doesn’t wait for people to earn it. A love that doesn’t shrink back when relationships get complicated or painful. A love that keeps showing up even when the story takes a turn you never wanted. A love that looks like Jesus kneeling on the f

loor, towel in hand, washing the feet of the one who would betray Him. “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Jesus washed Judas’ feet. He loved fiercely — but He never clung.

And that’s the tension we’re invited into: loving people with the fullness of Christ while holding them with open hands. God alone is the center. God alone is constant. God alone holds the outcomes of our lives. Every relationship — no matter how precious — is a gift, not a god.

I’m not writing this from a distance. I’m writing this in the middle of real loss, real heartbreak, and real relational unraveling — the kind of season where loving people fiercely and holding them loosely isn’t a concept, it’s survival. And I know I’m not the only one. Our church family, our community, and our world are full of people trying to love well while watching relationships fracture, shift, or disappear. This tension is not theoretical. It’s where many of us are living right now.

And here’s the truth we rarely admit: when people sit in God’s place, we cling. We cling because we’re afraid — afraid of losing them, afraid of being alone, afraid of not being enough. We call it love, but underneath it is fear. And fear‑based attachment is not love. It’s bondage. Scripture says, “There is no fear in love… perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). When fear rules the heart, love becomes distorted. We grip relationships too tightly. We bend ourselves into shapes God never asked of us. We tolerate what wounds us. We silence our convictions. We lose our ability to hear God because we’re too busy trying to keep someone close. Clinging is not Christlike love. It’s a sign someone has taken a seat that belongs only to God.

But when God is the One we cling to, everything shifts. We are no longer driven by fear of loss or controlled by the need for approval. We are no longer paralyzed by the thought of someone walking away. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33). When God is first, relationships stop being idols and start being blessings. We can love people fiercely because our identity isn’t tied to their response. We can hold them loosely because our security isn’t tied to their presence. Only when God is in His rightful place are we free to love as Jesus did — freely, generously, sincerely, without manipulation or fear.

Photo by Sergio Zhukov

One of the biggest obstacles to loving like Jesus today is something Scripture describes in principle: co‑dependency — relying on others for what only God can give. Paul asks, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?” (Galatians 1:10). We live in a world that constantly tells us what matters — image, success, productivity, popularity. And if we’re not careful, we start shaping our relationships around those values instead of the values of the Kingdom. John warns us, “Do not love the world… The world and its desires pass away” (1 John 2:15–17). When the world’s voice becomes louder than God’s voice, we lose the ability to think, act, and love like Jesus. We become distracted, reactive, spiritually disoriented. We start loving people for what they give us, not for who they are in God’s eyes. Co‑dependency is not fierce love. It’s fear wearing the mask of loyalty.

Jesus shows us a different way. He withdrew to pray when crowds demanded more of Him (Luke 5:15–16). He refused to be controlled by others’ expectations, even from His own family (John 7:1–6). He stayed focused on His mission, even when people begged Him to stay where He was (Luke 4:42–44). He let people walk away when His teaching was too hard for them (John 6:66–67). And He entrusted Himself to no one because He knew the human heart (John 2:24–25). Jesus loved with His whole heart — but He never clung. That is the freedom He invites us into.

When we cling to relationships God is loosening, they become heavy. When we force connections God is not sustaining, they become draining. When we try to hold people in place, we end up carrying a weight we were never meant to bear. Paul acknowledges this reality: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). You can love. You can forgive. You can show up. But you cannot force closeness, connection, or continuity. Forced relationships are burdensome. Real love — God‑centered love — is life‑giving.

When God is the center, relationships become what they were meant to be: gifts to enjoy, not idols to protect; people to love, not outcomes to manage; fellow travelers, not sources of identity; blessings to steward, not anchors to cling to. Paul captures this beautifully: “Let your love be sincere” (Romans 12:9). Sincere love is free. It is honest. It is unforced. It is rooted in God, not in fear. And it is only possible when our hands are open.

So love fiercely — the way Jesus loved. Serve generously. Forgive freely. Show up wholeheartedly. But hold loosely — trusting God with the shape, length, and outcome of every relationship. Because only when people are in their right place, behind God, can we truly enjoy them. Only when our hearts are anchored in Him can our love be life‑giving instead of burdensome. Only when God is the center can our relationships be what He intended them to be.

Love fiercely. Hold loosely. Cling only to the One who never leaves.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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With You Always: The God Who Co-Missions

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Photo by Erik, A van Dijk: https://www.pexels.com/photo/golden-morning-27421320/

There are moments in Scripture when Jesus speaks words so steady and so simple that they become anchors for our whole lives. Matthew 28:20 is one of those moments:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, NIV)

We love this verse. But it becomes even more powerful when we remember when Jesus said it — and why. He spoke these words immediately after giving His disciples the most daunting assignment of their lives. Before He promised His presence, He handed them a mission far beyond their human ability.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18)
With those words, Jesus establishes His unmatched authority. Then He sends them:

“Go and make disciples of all nations… baptizing them… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19–20a)

A global mission entrusted to ordinary people. It’s overwhelming. And Jesus knows that.

So He ends with the only promise big enough to hold the weight of the mission:
“And surely I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20)
It’s as if He’s saying, You cannot do this without Me — and you don’t have to. I am sending you, and I am going with you.

Jesus never commissions without co‑missioning.

This isn’t a new idea Jesus introduces in Matthew. This is who God has always been.

When God calls Moses to confront Pharaoh, Moses immediately feels inadequate: “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11)
God doesn’t respond with a pep talk. He simply says, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) 

That’s the whole strategy. God sends — and God stays.

The same pattern continues with Joshua. When Joshua steps into leadership after Moses, he feels the weight of the task. God calls him to lead Israel into the Promised Land, a mission filled with uncertainty and danger. And God gives him the same promise He gave Moses:

“Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Joshua’s courage isn’t rooted in his personality or confidence. It’s rooted in God’s covenantal presence. God isn’t asking Joshua to be brave on his own — He’s asking Joshua to trust the God who goes with him.

Jesus continues this pattern in His ministry. When He sends out the Twelve, He gives them His authority and promises the Spirit will speak through them:

“It will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:20)

When He sends out the Seventy‑Two, He sends them to places He Himself intends to go (Luke 10:1), gives them authority (Luke 10:19), promises provision (Luke 10:7), reminds them the harvest belongs to God (Luke 10:2), and rejoices with them when they return (Luke 10:21).

The pattern is unmistakable: God calls, God sends, God accompanies. God commissions — and God co‑missions.

If this is who God is — if this is how God works — then the question becomes: Do we believe Him? Do we trust that His presence is enough for what He’s calling us to do?

This is the same question Paul raises in Romans 8:31:“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Not meaning nothing will come against us, but meaning nothing that comes against us can overcome the God who goes with us.

God’s grace goes before us. God invites us to respond freely. God empowers us by His Spirit to obey. God’s holy love accompanies us in every step of the journey. Faith is choosing to trust the God who co‑missions.

And this co‑missioning isn’t just for the heroes of the faith. It’s not reserved for pastors or missionaries or evangelists. This is for all of us. I don’t know about you, but I need the Holy Spirit with me to go to Walmart. God is with us in whatever He’s calling us to do — teaching, parenting, spousing, peopling. In our work, our homes, our neighborhoods, our conversations, our commutes.

Scripture says, “Whatever you do… do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Colossians 3:17)
Whatever you do. God doesn’t just co‑mission the extraordinary moments — He co‑missions the ordinary ones too.

So what does this mean for your real life — your home, your work, your relationships, your calling?

It means you are never the one walking in alone. Whether it’s the workplace, the family gathering, the hard conversation, or the unknown future, Jesus walks in with you.

It means the weight you carry quietly is not carried quietly by you alone. He is with you in the questions you don’t voice and in the places where you feel unseen.

And it means whatever God is asking of you — in your family, your work, your healing, your next step — you are not sent alone. The One who calls you is the One who equips you, and the One who equips you is the One who accompanies you.

And maybe you know what it feels like to walk into a room alone — a job interview, a new school, a social gathering where you didn’t know a soul. That moment when you thought, “I wish my person were here with me.” You could almost picture the two of you strolling in together to your favorite walk‑on song, suddenly braver because you weren’t alone. Jesus is that presence for you. Your confidence isn’t in yourself — it’s in Him. And honestly, who could compare to that.

As you move into the days ahead, may you go with confidence — not in yourself, not in your strength, not in your certainty, but in the presence of the One who goes before you, beside you, and within you. Hear His promise as if He is speaking it directly to you:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

And may this promise echo in your spirit:
He is with you. Always.

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries

Reading God’s Story Together This Year: A Chronological Journey Through the Bible

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As we close out one year and step into another, I’ve been thinking about how much can change around us — and how quickly. Circumstances shift. Seasons shift. Our own hearts shift. But God does not. His truth does not. His Word does not.

At our year‑end celebration at Tucson Community Fellowship, we spent time remembering God’s faithfulness — the ways He has carried us, provided for us, and stayed close in both the loud and quiet moments. And woven through all of it was one of our core pillars: we are a people dedicated to God’s Word. Not because it’s the only thing we value, but because it’s the foundation under everything else. God’s Word shapes how we live, how we love, how we grow, and how we walk with Him into whatever comes next.

Scripture says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
When life feels uncertain or unstable, God’s Word remains steady. It doesn’t shift with culture or circumstance. It stands.

And because God is faithful, He keeps inviting us back — back to Himself, back to His presence, back to His Word.

There’s something about this time of year that makes that invitation feel especially clear. Not because a new calendar has power, but because our hearts are paying attention. We’re looking back at what was. We’re looking ahead at what could be. And in the middle of all of that, God gently says what He has always said: “Return to Me.”  (Joel 2:12)

Not with guilt.
Not with pressure.
Not with performance.
But with trust.

The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
A lamp doesn’t light the whole road — just the next step. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need. God’s Word doesn’t just give information; it gives direction. It steadies us when everything else feels unsteady.

This year, I want to invite you to take that next step with us.

Beginning this week, we’re launching a daily Bible‑reading vlog — a simple rhythm where we read through the entire Bible in one year together. And we’ll be reading it in chronological order — the story of God as it unfolded in history, not just as the books appear in our Bibles. This helps us see the bigger picture: God’s faithfulness across generations, His patience, His promises, and His heart for people.

You’ll see Pastor Kayte Sanford, myself, and other leaders from our Tucson Community Fellowship family. Each day’s reading will end with one reflection question — something practical and honest, something that helps you pause and let God’s Word settle into your heart.

And we want this to be a conversation, not a one‑way message. If you have questions about anything in the day’s reading — a verse, a theme, something that felt confusing, or something that stood out — you’re invited to ask. You don’t need to know the Bible well. You don’t need to have the “right” words. You don’t even need to be sure what you believe yet. You are welcome here.

Every Friday, we’ll gather the questions that came in throughout the week and share our responses. Not as experts, but as fellow learners — people walking the same road, listening to the same Scriptures, and trusting the same faithful God.

This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about presence.
It’s about showing up.
It’s about letting God’s Word shape us again.

Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:16)
That’s the invitation. Not to rush. Not to skim. But to let God’s Word take root — to let it form us from the inside out.

My prayer is simple: that as we read together, God will steady us. That His truth will anchor us. That His voice will become familiar again. And that our faith — quiet, imperfect, growing — will begin to live in new ways.

If you’ve been wanting to reengage with Scripture, this is a good time.
If you’ve been longing for direction, this is a good time.
If you’ve been feeling the pull to return to God’s Word, this is a good time.

Not because the calendar changed.
But because God is faithful.
And He is inviting you.

Let’s walk this year together — one day, one chapter, one step of faith at a time.

Love: The Final Harvest of Advent

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Photo by KaLisa Veer on Unsplash

Advent is a season of preparation and reflection. Each week we light a candle—Hope, Peace, Joy, and finally Love. These are not only themes of the Christmas story; they are signs of God’s work in our lives. Advent invites us to slow down, listen, and allow Christ to grow His life within us.

Hope is the beginning of the journey. It is like a seed placed in the soil. Scripture says, “For in this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24). Hope means trusting God’s promises even when we cannot yet see the outcome. For those new to faith, hope is the first sign that God is near. For mature believers, hope sustains us through long seasons of waiting. Hope is the seed that begins the harvest.

Peace is like the root that grows deep and gives strength. Philippians 4:7 tells us that God’s peace guards our hearts and minds. Peace does not mean life is free from difficulty. It means Christ is present in every situation. For those new to faith, peace brings assurance. For those who have walked with Christ for many years, peace becomes a steady foundation when life is uncertain. Peace allows the fruit of the Spirit to grow strong.

Joy is the blossom that appears before the fruit. It is the sign that something beautiful is coming. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus, they called it “good news of great joy for all people” (Luke 2:10). Joy is deeper than happiness. Happiness changes with circumstances, but joy is rooted in God’s presence. For new believers, joy is the excitement of discovering God’s goodness. For mature believers, joy becomes strength in times of hardship. Joy is the blossom that tells us the harvest is near.

And then we come to Love—the final candle of Advent and the greatest of all the gifts. Love is the harvest, the fruit that shows Christ is alive in us. Scripture says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is not only an emotion. It is a decision. It is not shaped by circumstances but by God’s character. Love takes action. It moves toward others with kindness, sacrifice, and purpose.

Jesus taught this clearly. He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Love is the evidence of a transformed life. And this is where the message of Advent becomes profound. Jesus did not wait for the world to be worthy. He did not wait for humanity to improve. He came because of love. He loved us not because we earned it, but because it is His nature to give.

Before we reached for God, He was already reaching for us. Before we understood our need, His grace was already drawing us. Advent reminds us that God always moves first. Jesus entered a world filled with conflict and uncertainty. He came into a humble home, into a world that did not recognize Him. He came not because we were ready, but because we were lost. He came not because we were lovable, but because He is love.

This is the love He calls us to reflect. A love that does not wait for perfect conditions. A love that does not wait for others to deserve it. A love that does not hold back until it feels safe or convenient. This is holy love—a love that transforms us and then flows through us. A love that reshapes the way we respond to people, challenges, and even our own wounds. Love is the gift that gives itself away.

Photo by Sohan Rayguru on Unsplash

Imagine a vineyard at the end of the growing season. The vines stretch across the field, each one cared for by the farmer. At first, there was only the seed. That was Hope. Then the roots grew deep. That was Peace. Soon, blossoms appeared. That was Joy. And finally, the grapes ripened, full and sweet. That is Love—the harvest that shows the vine is alive.

The vine does not earn its fruit. The fruit grows because of the life flowing through it. In the same way, Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are not things we create by our own strength. They grow in us as we remain connected to Christ. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” Our lives show Christ’s presence when they overflow with these gifts—especially love.

Advent is a spiritual harvest. Hope plants the seed. Peace grows the roots. Joy blossoms. And Love becomes the fruit that brings everything together. When we live out Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, we show the world that Christ has come—not only in history, but in our lives today. Love is the harvest that reveals Christ is present in us.

As you move through this Advent season, where do you sense Christ inviting you to grow — in Hope, in Peace, in Joy, or in Love?

Please help me share the good news of Jesus and how He can change your life, and our world!

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Come back and visit at ListenLearn.Live Ministries