“Be the light,” a young mother said as she sent her children off to school. “Be what you are! You are light—now walk that way!” It’s a simple charge, yet it reaches into every corner of life. In an age where relative truth and moral confusion pull the world deeper into spiritual darkness, the call to live as children of light has never been more urgent. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul shows us what it looks like to walk in a way that reflects who we are in Christ. Walk in Love Read: Ephesians 5:1–2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” The Greek word for imitators is mimētēs, where we get the word mime. A mime communicates without words, drawing attention not to themselves, but to the story being told. In the same way, our lives are meant to silently—but powerfully—tell the story of Christ. Jesus said the world would recognize His followers by their love for one another (John 13:34–35). Walking in love means choosing self-sacrifice over self-indulgence. While the world promotes lust and self-gratification,…

God invites us to participate in the process of discovering and developing the dreams He has placed within our hearts. If you sense God stirring holy desires in you, consider walking through these four phases on the path to possibility. Seek “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV). God gave you His capacity to dream. When He created you in His image, He placed within you a reflection of His own ability to imagine, create, and bring life from possibility. The inspiration, ability, and power to accomplish your unique purpose all originate with Him. Take time to intentionally awaken the divine DNA God has placed inside you. Cultivate honest conversations with Him about your desires and longings. Bring those dreams into the light of Scripture and wise counsel, allowing God to confirm, refine, or redirect your steps. Speak truth over yourself daily: “I am becoming who God has created me to be.” Shape “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV).…

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 hThree crosses on the hillside. Jesus, the one on the middle cross, was innocent. Those who had falsely accused him did not realize who He was. He had all the power of Heaven behind Him. He could have called for angels to come and deliver Him. He willingly suffered because of His love for the world He had created. The men who hung on the crosses on either side of Jesus were guilty of murder and insurrection. They deserved to die. One of them joined in with the jeers of the crowd, crying out: “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” But the other one made a different…

“And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” Daniel 1:3-4 At fifteen years of age, I enrolled in Vocational School in Saint John to take Business classes. A couple of months later, my parents moved to pastor a different church, so I had to board away from home for the next three years. Fortunately, I was able to live with a Christian family and mostly went home on the weekends. Life certainly changed for me, and I had to grow up in a hurry. In Daniel, we read about four teenagers who suddenly found themselves in a strange country, living a completely different life from what they had known. First, their names were changed, which would mean adjustments for them. Then they were told that they had to eat food to which…