He wants you

He wants you Years ago, I was talking with a friend who had been adopted. He had kept that fact secret for a long time because he didn’t want to be known as someone whose parents had given him up for adoption. He struggled with feelings of rejection. But later, he said something remarkable: “There’s something amazing about being picked by someone who could have chosen anyone. They wanted me.” Then with a smile, he looked at me and said, “Your parents were stuck with you, Grant—but my parents, they chose me.” That’s the gospel in a nutshell. “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Ephesians 1:5, NIV) God didn’t choose us because we were perfect. He chose us because He loves us. He didn’t wait for us to get our act together before welcoming us into His family. His love meets us where we are, transforming us from the inside out. So, when shame whispers that you’re too broken, that nobody wants you, and that you always seem to end up on the outside of the circle, the Jesus that I know whispers something to you: You are mine. Today, the miracle is that you are chosen, adopted, and accepted—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who Jesus is. The God who adopts—that is the Jesus that I know. I don’t know who you can reach out to today to remind them that they, too, are part of God’s family—but you can. Whoever’s name God puts on your heart right now, send a text, make a phone call, reach out, and share the same love that Jesus shared with you. Jesus, thank You for choosing us. Thank You for choosing me—not for my perfection, but for Your purpose. Help me to rest today in Your unconditional love and to offer that same acceptance to every person I’m privileged to meet today. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Never forget, my friend, you are a miracle. Your friend, Grant Fishbook

Let's Love People Well

Let's Love People Well You were created for community. When God designed humans, He made us with the intention of placing us within a loving family. Today, we call that family the Church. God’s original intention was that we would exist within a family of other believers. He didn’t intend for us to exist in isolation or be separated from other people. Life was not meant to be lived alone.  Regardless of what your family experience was like, God intended for His family to be loving and caring. And it’s the qualities of God’s family that Paul is writing about in Romans 12. Paul says to be devoted to one another in love. That means that we are to walk alongside other people through the various seasons of life. We should never abandon people when life gets hard. Paul also encourages us to honor others. Instead of seeking self-recognition, we should honor and encourage each other. Instead of pursuing what seems best for us, we should seek the good of other people first. Devotion and honor are just two aspects of loving people well, but Jesus said that the world will recognize us as His disciples by the way that we love. This means that we have to genuinely love others—not just pretend to love them. And the place we need to start showing genuine honor is within our spiritual family. Rather than letting self-promotion divide the family of God, our goal should be to honor those around us.  If we won’t learn how to love people who follow Jesus, then we won’t know how to love people who don’t.  That’s why we should frequently pause and take an assessment on how we are doing at loving others. So take a moment right now to think about the ways in which you loved and honored people this past week. Write down two or three things you can do to continue to show love to those in your life.

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I just completed Day 8 of on journey through Jeremiah and Lamentations YouVersion.com

I just completed Day 8 of on journey through Jeremiah and Lamentations YouVersion.com

Marriage, Christ, and the Church

Marriage, Christ, and the Church For many of us, marriage is something for the future. But it’s not too early to understand God’s vision for marriage, letting it change not only your motives in marriage, but also for marriage—and any romantic relationship. After all, God’s vision for marriage is closely related to His vision for the church. You may have heard the church described as the “bride of Christ.” In today’s scripture, Paul looks deeper into this metaphor and shows how marriage parallels the relationship between Jesus and His bride. When we consider that God authored marriage and made it an example of the depth of Jesus’ love, it’s easy to see how loving our spouse correlates to loving the church and being Christlike. So when we think about sacrifice in marriage, every act of submission to one another in love turns into a reflection of Jesus giving Himself up for the church. Every kindness to our loved one, every forgiven wrong, is a display of Jesus’ endless grace toward us. Our faithfulness in hardships mirrors Jesus’ faithfulness to His bride. How can we make this image the basis of all our relationships? Married or not, by being Christlike in our love, we display the glory of Christ.

A Prayer for Valentine's Day

A Prayer for Valentine's Day Single and alone on Valentine’s Day, huh? Not sure there’s much more to say about that. What is it about being single on this manufactured holiday that makes us wonder if we will ever find someone? Maybe it’s the pressure. Maybe it’s the weird things people say or the awkward looks they give when they ask, “What are you doing tonight?” And we respond with, “going to hang out with some friends” or “going home and watching a movie.” Even if we felt completely okay with being single, the look on their faces makes us doubt our “okayness.” Well, the good news is that you’re not alone on Valentine’s Day. There’s a really good God, who is the embodiment of true Love, and he’s with all of us single people. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” (1 John 4:18a). So if you’re feeling extra alone today, here’s our full Valentine’s Day prayer (even for those of you in relationships, it comes with a healthy dose of reminders):

Are you lonely?

Are you lonely? As I’m writing this, I’m in a hotel room, trying to get home to my wife. Several flights have been canceled because of a crisis in the country, and I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be able to get home. That leaves me, at this moment, feeling unbelievably homesick. There are moments when life feels that way, right? We long for something more—something like home. I remember planting trees in college, trying to make enough money to get back to school. The area was remote, and I was exhausted and lonely. I finally made it to a hotel room, called my parents, and just the sound of my mom and dad’s reassuring voices reminded me that I wasn’t always going to feel lost—at some point, I’d find my way home. Jesus knew this longing. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16, NIV) He would “call home,” reconnecting with His Father. My friend, we are citizens of heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20, NIV) Even though we live here on Earth, our hearts ache for the place where we truly belong. That sense of homesickness—that feeling that we don’t belong here—isn’t weakness. It’s evidence that we were made for eternity. And until that day, we live with the promise of God’s presence: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV) I’m hoping to find my way home today. But even if I don’t, I know that God will walk with me every single step of the way. Jesus, thank You for understanding this ache of homesickness that we often feel—a longing for a place where everything will be whole again. When we feel far from peace, remind us that You are near, and that one day, we’ll all be home with You. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. You may feel lonely, but I promise you there’s probably someone else—especially as we approach Valentine’s Day tomorrow—who feels lonely too. If you reach out to them today, you could be the Jesus that I know. Never forget, my friend, you are a miracle. Your friend, Grant Fishbook ____________________