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Palm/Passion Paradox and Intentional Discipleship

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Dear Protégé of Jesus, Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday has come and gone for this year. However, I want you to know that Palm/Passion Sunday welcomed us into a sacred mystery, a moment where joy and sorrow, praise and pain, celebration and suffering meet in divine tension. We waved our palms and cried out “Hosanna!” knowing full well that the cross lay ahead. And yet, that is the beauty and challenge of this season: learning to walk with Jesus through both the cheers of the crowd and the silence of the suffering. This paradox is not confined to Holy Week alone; it mirrors the life we are called to live every day. In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves caught between celebration and struggle. Fear, assumptions, and internal biases, both visible and invisible, can shape how we respond to life’s difficulties. At times, we forget how near Christ is. Or perhaps we are still learning to hear His voice spoken through the Spirit, revealed in Scripture, confirmed in community, and held in ...
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The Power of Your Voice

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 Dear Protégé of Jesus, There is power in your voice. In a world where silence is often seen as safe, and faith is deemed a private matter, I want to remind you of something profoundly true and eternally significant: your confession of faith in Jesus Christ matters. Not just to you. Not just to your church. But to heaven itself. Scripture says it plainly: “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). What a bold and beautiful declaration. And yet, in today’s culture, where “speaking your truth” is often encouraged—unless that truth is Jesus—it can be intimidating to say His name aloud. But let me ask you: What happens when your truth is Jesus? What happens when you speak not only of who He is, but of what He has done in your life? You become a witness. You become the echo of heaven’s hope. You become part of an extended and diverse family of believers,  rappers, astronauts,...
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When It Comes To Mental Health

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  Dear Protégé of Jesus, There will be times on the road of life when even the strongest believers sit down under a broom tree and feel like giving up. Elijah did. After one of the most significant victories of his ministry, he was overcome with fear, isolation, and exhaustion. He said, “It is enough, now, O Lord, take away my life.” But God did not condemn him for feeling that way. Instead, God came close—with food, rest, silence—and finally, a whisper. That whisper was not just comfort. It was clarity. It reminded Elijah that he was not alone and that his life still had a purpose. Maybe you’ve been there too, or are there right now. You’ve held things together so long that even your strength feels tired. Like Elijah, you’ve shown others the power of God on the mountaintop, but you’ve also hidden in caves and cried in the quiet. Hear me clearly: God sees you. God meets you in the wilderness. And God restores your soul, not to leave you there, but to send you forward with r...
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The Center that will Hold

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  Dear Protégé of Jesus, There are times when everything around us is shaking—when the ground beneath our feet seems less steady, and the world we once knew starts to unravel. You're not alone if you’ve ever had one of those days, or seasons. The poet Yeats once said, “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.” But the Apostle Paul, writing from a Roman prison, speaks from a deeper place of assurance: “I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He can keep what I’ve committed to Him.” That’s the kind of center that can hold. Let me tell you something I’ve learned over the years, dear protégé: Life tests what we stand on. Trends shift. Relationships change. Even our emotions can betray us. But God’s Word does not move. Christian fellowship holds us up. And the Holy Spirit gives us power, love, and a sound mind when fear and doubt take over. You don’t have to hold it all together. You need to be held by the One who can. Keep your life anchored in Scripture. Le...
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The Blinds

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  Dear Protégé of Jesus, There are days when the weight of life presses hard against your soul—moments when you wonder if the sun will ever shine again. Trials come one after another, like unrelenting waves. And sometimes, it may feel like others have it easier, like their skies are clearer, while yours stay gray. But let me encourage you with a simple truth that my wife Elaine once shared in her reflection, “The Blinds.” She writes, “Trusting in God during trials and tribulations is like looking at your blinds when the sun shines through them. There’s darkness, then light. Darkness, then light.” That image has stayed with me. The alternating slats of dark and light on the floor as the sun streams through the blinds—it’s not just a pattern of shadows. It’s a portrait of how God works in our lives. Yes, we all face dark seasons. But the light always comes. And when you belong to Jesus, that light is not random—it’s grace-filled, hope-driven, and timed by God Himself . Even when i...
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