There is not one appearance of righteousness. Those intent on rejecting God and His wisdom will not be pleased by any package He presents in. John the Baptist and Jesus' ministries looked different outwardly, but inwardly, served the same God and purpose. Our differences are purposeful and used by God to reach different people in different ways. When you serve the same God, diversity is not the opposite of unity. It is the expansion of it.

Jesus touches the untouchable. Despite the example of love and inclusion that Christ gives us, some Christian communities still treat certain groups of people as unclean. But the church is not only for the saved or clean. The church is for everyone to come to the Healer who heals all ailments. Those whose sins are many have love for Christ a plenty. When we see His capacity to love and forgive us, our capacity to love and forgive others grows.

Satan has a playbook. He attacks when we're isolated and hungry. He uses our hunger--regardless of if we hunger for food or something intangible--to get us to fill ourselves with false nourishment. He seeks to make us question our identity as children of God, because if we question our identity, then we also question whose authority we're under. If we question our identity and the authority of God, we question the validity of the word of God, which is our greatest weapon in s

God's plan for human relationships is first modeled in how our relationship with Him is formed. Love awakens a responsive submission. God never called His daughters to submit to lost or abusive men. He calls us to submit to a husband who is already submitted to Him. When a man pursues us like Christ pursues the church, leads and loves us like Christ--to the best of his human ability--that is a husband worth submitting to.

"According to His good pleasure," the Lord reveals Himself to us, reveals His truth, gives us grace we could never earn, gives us newness of life, a Spirit of power and authority, and most of all, His presence. Ephesians may not seem like a love letter at first. But the more I read, the more loved by God I felt. Dive deep into scripture and discover why.

Dive into the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh, reflecting on specific areas you may need healing. Learn how to access the Holy Spirit inside you, so you may live a life of good fruit and godly virtue.