May We Be One
This morning Cheryl and I prayed together and listened to Philip Anthony Mitchell's sermon, May We Be One. One thing stood out to me more than anything else. Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed one final prayer for all those who would believe in Him.
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." — John 17:20–23 (NIV)
Think about that.
Jesus' final prayer wasn't that we would become famous, wealthy, or build the biggest ministries. His prayer was that we would be one—united in Him. Why? So that the world would believe the Father sent Him.
A few chapters earlier, Jesus told His disciples:
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." — John 13:35 (NIV)
The greatest evidence that Jesus is real is not just our words—it's our lives.
Yes, there is a place for preaching the gospel. There is a place for teaching and sharing our faith. But every single day, people should experience Christ through us. At the grocery store. In traffic. At work. In our homes. Online. In every conversation.
Everything we have—our marriage, our family, our finances, our time, our attitudes, and our gifts—should point people toward the Kingdom of God.
Yesterday I was thinking about the fruit of the Spirit. If we want love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to grow in our lives, then the soil has to be right. God first softens our hearts. Good fruit grows from a heart that has been transformed by Him.
Today I was also reading about sheep and goats because Jesus uses that picture in Matthew 25. One interesting observation is that sheep generally graze by clipping the tops of plants, allowing the pasture to recover, while goats tend to browse more aggressively and can strip leaves and bark from shrubs. Their feeding habits affect the land differently. Whether or not that is the point Jesus intended, it reminded me of something.
Followers of Christ should leave life behind them.
Wherever we go, we should leave peace instead of conflict, encouragement instead of discouragement, generosity instead of selfishness, healing instead of division.
Too often we get caught up in endless commentary, debates, and theological gymnastics. Instead of asking what everyone else says, maybe we should start with a much simpler question:
What did Jesus actually say?
Jesus consistently called His followers to love God, love their neighbor, forgive, serve, remain humble, and obey the Father.
In Matthew 25, Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep are surprised because they weren't trying to impress anyone.
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" — Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
The goats are surprised too because they thought they had done enough.
Then Jesus gives one of the most sobering warnings in all of Scripture:
"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" — Matthew 7:22–23 (NIV)
That passage humbles me.
It's possible to be busy doing religious things while missing the heart of Christ. God is not only interested in what we do publicly. He cares about who we are privately.
Who are we when no one is watching?
How do we treat our spouse?
How do we treat our children?
How do we speak to strangers?
What fills our thoughts when no one else can hear them?
Our goal is not simply to know more about Jesus. Our goal is to become more like Him.
If the world is going to believe that the Father sent His Son, it won't just be because of the sermons we preach. It will be because people encounter the love of Christ when they encounter us.
May we be one.
May we love one another.
And may our lives become the testimony that points the world to Jesus.
Life is short. Where are you going?
None of us knows how much time we have. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). One day this life will be over — so the most important question you will ever answer is this: do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
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