Author: Joe Marquez

A Church That Dreams Together
This morning we are wrapping up our generosity series.

Over the last few months, we’ve been talking about becoming a people whose rhythm is generosity—
generous with our money, generous in our prayers, and generous in our vision.

Because we don’t just want to live well.
We want to dream well.

Most of us grew up hearing about the American dream:
Work hard. Build a life. Be secure.
And those aren’t bad things.
But Scripture shows us something bigger.
God has a dream too.

And His dream is not about building a life for ourselves—
it’s about joining the life He is building in the world.

The American dream says: build your life.
The kingdom dream says: join God’s mission.

And we were never meant to do that alone.

What Is True?
The Spirit Gives Us a Bigger Vision
In Acts 2, when the Spirit comes, everything changes.
“Your sons and daughters will prophesy… your young men will see visions… your old men will dream dreams.”

Before this moment, the disciples were hiding.
After this moment, they are proclaiming Christ to the nations.

A Spirit-filled church doesn’t just maintain what exists—
it begins to see what God wants to do next.

When the Spirit leads, our vision expands beyond ourselves.

God’s Vision Unites Us
In Philippians 1:5, Paul talks about “partnership in the gospel.”

This isn’t casual connection—it’s shared mission.

The early church wasn’t built on preferences or personalities.
It was built on the gospel.

When a church shares God’s vision, something shifts:
We stop competing.
We start partnering.

We stop asking, “What do I want?”
And we start asking, “What is God doing—and how can I join?”

We weren’t meant to dream alone.
We were meant to dream together.

God’s Faithfulness Gives Us Confidence
Philippians 1:6 says:
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”

This matters, because dreaming with God could feel overwhelming.
But the pressure isn’t on us.

God started the work.
God sustains the work.
God will finish the work.

Our confidence isn’t in our ability.
It’s in His faithfulness.

What Is The Challenge?
Resist Individualism
Left to ourselves, we drift into thinking faith is personal and private.
But the gospel calls us into shared life and shared mission.

So we resist individualism by:
Choosing mission over preference
We move from consumers to participants.
Committing to real community
Not just attending—but being known and knowing others.
Practicing generosity
Opening our homes, sharing our time, giving sacrificially.
Carrying burdens together
Praying for one another. Walking through life together.
And ultimately:
Dreaming for the kingdom together
Not just bigger lives—but a bigger impact for God’s glory.

What Is The Rhythm?
Use your gift in the church.
Dreaming together becomes real when everyone participates.

That might look like:
Praying with someone.
Serving on a team.
Opening your home.
Encouraging someone during the week.
Meeting practical needs.

It doesn’t have to be platform-driven.
It just has to be faithful.

Because when every person brings what they have,
the church becomes a people who don’t just attend—
but a people who dream, serve, and build together.

And that’s the invitation.
Not to build your own dream.
But to step into God’s dream—together.

Author: Ryan Tiren

Dreaming to Serve Others
This morning we’re continuing in our generosity series, and today we’re talking about dreaming to serve others.

Now if we’re honest, that can feel a little off.
What about my dreams? What about what I want?

But here’s the reality: when we become focused on ourselves, we become consumed.

We grow anxious.

We grow restless.

We miss the heart of God.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6 and Philippians 4 that we don’t need to be anxious—we need to trust Him and love others.

We don’t need help thinking about ourselves.

We need practice serving others.

What Is True?
God’s Heart Fuels Our Love for Others
In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah hears about the brokenness of Jerusalem—and he doesn’t move on.

He weeps.

He mourns.

He prays.

Why?
Because his heart is aligned with God’s heart.
He cares about what God cares about.

Dreams that serve others don’t start with strategy—they start with being with God.
When we spend time with Him, our hearts begin to reflect His.
We stop living detached and start living with ownership.

Jesus’ Sacrifice Compels Us to Serve
Nehemiah risks his comfort to serve God’s people.
But his story points to something greater.

Jesus did the same for us.

He didn’t come for His own comfort—He came to restore us to the Father.
He laid down His life so we could have life.
And because He served us, we can now serve others.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Dreaming to serve others is rooted in remembering what Jesus has done for us.

The Spirit Strengthens Us to Step Out
Nehemiah doesn’t just pray—he acts.

He risks his position.
He speaks to the king.
He steps into opposition.
But he doesn’t do it alone.
He prays in the moment.
He depends on God.
He moves forward in faith.

When our hearts are aligned with God, the Spirit gives us the courage to step out.
We begin to live beyond ourselves.

What Is The Challenge?
Resist Ego-Driven Ambition
Left to ourselves, our dreams become about us.

So we fight that by:
Reminding ourselves of truth
Let Scripture shape your desires.
Humbling ourselves before God
“Your will be done,” not mine.
Spending time with Jesus
You can’t carry God’s heart if you’re not with Him.
Investing in community
Get to know people. Listen to their stories. Carry their burdens.
Because serving others starts with actually seeing others.

What Is The Rhythm?
Fuel someone else’s dream.

This week, take your eyes off yourself and step into someone else’s world.
Ask about their life.
Encourage them.
Pray with them.
Maybe you help.
Maybe you connect them.
Maybe you simply show up.
But choose to live outward.

Because dreaming generously isn’t just about what God wants to do through you—
It’s about what He wants to do for others through you.

Author: Joe Marquez

Dreaming With Open Hands
This morning we are continuing in our generosity series, and we’ve been talking about dreaming generously.

We want generosity to mark our rhythm — generosity with our money, generosity in our prayers, and generosity in our vision for what God can do.

But this week I was thinking about something.

We live in one of the safest, most educated, most strategically planned environments in the country.

We insure everything.

We diversify everything.

We prepare our kids for everything.

We forecast, budget, schedule, and optimize.

But underneath all of that can be a quiet belief:
If we plan carefully enough, we’ll be okay.
If we save enough, we’ll be safe.
If we make the right moves, we’ll secure the future.

Into that kind of world, James and Paul give us both a wake-up call and a hope.
Let’s look at James 4:13–16 and Ephesians 3:20–21.

What Is True?
We Are Smaller Than We Think
In James 4, James addresses people confidently making business plans.
“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town…”

Planning isn’t the problem.

The problem is planning without reference to God.

James says, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring… you are a mist.”

This isn’t meant to discourage us — it’s meant to give perspective.

We are dependent people.

Tim Keller once said arrogance isn’t always loud boasting — sometimes it’s functional independence from God.

James isn’t condemning planning.
He’s confronting planning detached from dependence.

The posture becomes:
“If the Lord wills.”
Not a tagline — but a posture of humility.

God Is Bigger Than We Imagine
Then Paul lifts our eyes in Ephesians 3.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think…”
Paul reminds us that our imagination is too small for what God can do.

This isn’t abstract power.
It’s resurrection power already at work in the church.

John Stott said this verse rescues us from both pessimism and presumption.

We don’t live in pessimism because God can do more.
We don’t live in presumption because it’s His power, not ours.

Dreaming generously starts with a big view of God.

Jesus Is Better Than We Know
At the center of it all is Jesus.

His vision is better.

His kingdom is better.

His way is better.

His life was radical, countercultural, and world-changing.
And in the end, our reward isn’t success or comfort.

Our reward is Christ Himself.
Our dream starts and ends with Him.

What Is the Challenge?
Resist Control
Control is often fueled by fear.

Fear of instability.
Fear of not being enough.
Fear of losing comfort.

But the gospel tells us we are already secure.

Romans 8 reminds us: if God did not spare His own Son, what could we possibly lack?

We resist control by practicing what James says:
“If the Lord wills.”

That means praying before decisions, holding plans loosely, and leaving room for God to interrupt our lives.

We resist control through community, inviting others to speak into our plans.
And we resist control through generosity.

Every act of generosity declares:
“My future is not my provider. God is.”

What Is the Rhythm?
Release a fear to God.
Name the thing you’re trying hardest to control.

Then share it with someone you trust and invite them to pray with you.
Because dreaming generously doesn’t come from tighter control.
It comes from open hands and a big view of God.

Author: Joe Marquez

A God Who Gives Vision

This month we’re talking about dreaming generously.

We want generosity to mark our rhythm — not just with money, but with prayer, vision, and obedience.

But here’s the tension.
In suburbia, we inherit comfort.
We inherit schedules.
We inherit manageable dreams.

In Christ, we inherit promise.
We inherit mission.
We inherit generational impact.

Dreaming generously means asking:
What would obedience look like if I actually believed God’s promise?
What would my family pursue if we weren’t afraid?
What would our church attempt if we truly believed we were blessed to bless?

My career isn’t just income — it’s kingdom placement.

My home isn’t just shelter — it’s a mission outpost.

My resources aren’t just security — they’re seeds.

We don’t want to waste our lives living small, predictable, self-made stories.

Let’s look at Proverbs 29:18 and Genesis 12:1–3.

What Is True?
Without Revelation, We Drift
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint.”

This vision isn’t about creativity — it’s about revelation. God’s revealed Word.
When God’s purposes grow dim, we drift.

And drift doesn’t happen in storms.
Drift happens in comfort.

Small dreaming looks like living for weekends, retirement, safety, reputation.

Not bad things — just small things.

When we forget we are part of God’s big story, our dreams shrink to square footage and stability.

With Promise, We Take Risk
In Genesis 12, Abram isn’t searching for destiny — God interrupts him.

“Go… I will bless you… I will make you…”

Promise comes before obedience.
Abram leaves security and familiarity before he sees clarity.

He doesn’t move to earn blessing.
He moves because he is blessed.

Small dreaming says, “I’ll obey once I see the outcome.”
Generous dreaming says, “I’ll obey because God spoke.”

Children who know they are secure take risks.

When we forget we are children of promise, we start living like orphans fighting for scraps.
But when we remember who we are, we begin dreaming beyond our mortgage, our schedule, our 401k.

As God’s Children, We Build Big
Genesis 12:3 says, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God’s dream was global and generational.
Building big doesn’t mean bigger platforms or budgets.

It means bigger faith.

Bigger obedience.

Bigger generosity.

Proverbs 29 shows what happens when revelation fades — drift.
Genesis 12 shows what happens when revelation is trusted — expansion.

Dreaming generously is not imagination.
It’s participation in God’s revealed future.

What Is The Challenge?
Resist fear and small dreaming.

Re-anchor your identity.
You are a child, not a manager.

Replace control with obedience.
Take the next step even without the full map.

Saturate your imagination in Scripture.
Let God’s Word stretch what you believe is possible.

Normalize risk.
Failure in obedience is not failure in God’s kingdom.

What Is The Rhythm?
Ask God for a dream bigger than comfort.

Not bigger for ego — bigger for impact.

Pray:
God, where have I settled for small?
Where are You inviting me to trust You?

Then take one faithful step.

Because dreaming generously isn’t about fantasy.
It’s about trusting a big, promise-keeping God.

Author: Joe Marquez

We Were Not Meant to Walk Alone
Friendships matter more than we realize.

The Bible says in Genesis 2:18
“It is not good that the man should be alone.”

Yes, that passage is speaking directly about marriage. But I don’t think it’s limited to marriage. It reveals something deeper about human design.

We were not created to live alone.

And yet, loneliness is quietly becoming one of the great struggles of our time.

People who walk alone often suffer alone.
People who walk alone celebrate alone.
People who walk alone carry weight that was never meant to be carried by one set of shoulders.

Isolation slowly shrinks a life.

Jesus and Friendship
If anyone didn’t “need” friendship, it was Jesus.

And yet — He chose it.

He gathered twelve.
He drew three even closer.
He wept with them.
He ate with them.
He walked dusty roads with them.

And then He said something stunning:
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13)

Notice the word.
Friends.
Jesus doesn’t just model community — He defines friendship as sacrificial love.
That’s a higher, deeper, more costly vision than what our culture often offers.

The Cost and Beauty of Real Friendship
In today’s world of technology and screens, we are connected constantly — but rarely known deeply.

We scroll.
We like.
We comment.

But we often miss the tangible, frustrating, joyful, awkward, stretching experience of actually doing life with someone.

Friendship is inconvenient.
It’s vulnerable.
It requires time.
It requires forgiveness.
But it is also one of God’s greatest gifts.

Ecclesiastes says:
“Two are better than one… For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.”
(Ecclesiastes 4:9–10)

That’s not poetic fluff. That’s survival language.
We lift each other.
We steady each other.
We remind each other who we are.

As Proverbs 27:17 says:
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Sharpening isn’t always comfortable.
But it is transformative.

A poet once wrote, “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

I think the same is true of friendship.
Better to risk the hurt than to live untouched.

If You’re Struggling to Make Friends
If friendship feels hard right now — you’re not alone in that struggle.

But maybe it’s time to be brave.

Here are a few questions worth asking:

1. What are you needing in a friend?
Encouragement? Honesty? Shared experience? Spiritual depth?
Be clear about what your heart longs for.

2. What do you have to offer as a friend?
Friendship isn’t just about receiving — it’s about giving.
Are you available? Loyal? Honest? Present?

3. Is there someone around you right now you could pursue?
Sometimes we’re waiting for the perfect friend when God has already placed someone near us.

4. Are you willing to get hurt?
This might be the hardest question.

Real friendship requires vulnerability.
And vulnerability always carries risk.

But so does isolation.

Designed for Relationship
At the core of the Christian faith is relationship.
We are invited into relationship with God.

We are adopted into a family (Romans 8:15).

We are called the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Christianity is not a solo journey.

You were created for relationship.
You were designed for friendship.
You were made to walk with others.

And yes — it’s worth it.

Even when it’s hard.

Even when it stretches you.

Even when it requires courage.

Because God has created you to live this way.

Author: Joe Marquez

A Praying Community
We are continuing in the second part of our generosity series. Over the past few weeks we have been talking about prayer and how it becomes a major part of our lives and daily rhythms.

But sometimes we forget where we live. We live in a place where everything works.

The lights come on.
The schools function.
The groceries are stocked.
The lawns are trimmed.

And if we’re not careful, our faith starts to function the same way.

Comfortable.
Predictable.
Personal.
Small.

But the early church we are about to read about in Acts 13 and Colossians 4 did not gather for comfort or tradition.

They gathered to pray.

And what we see is the Holy Spirit send out their best leaders and mission was born.

Prayer is not just how we protect our lives or make our requests known.

Prayer is how God propels His mission.

The early church did not pray alone or pray small prayers.

They discerned together.
They fasted together.
They sent together.
They carried mission together.

If you can turn with me to Acts 13:1–3 and Colossians 4:2–4.
As you turn there, we want to see snapshots in Scripture of not just individuals living generous lives — but communities living generous lives.

Today we see a church that was generous with prayer.
A church that prayed for mission and stepped into mission together.

What Is True?
Prayer gives birth to mission
In Acts 13 we see a church gathered in Antioch.

They are worshiping.
They are fasting.
They are praying.
They are listening.

And then the Holy Spirit says,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul…”

Mission was not their idea.
Mission was discerned in prayer.
Prayer came before sending.
Strategy did not come first — faith did.
The Spirit spoke as they prayed together.
And they released some of their best leaders.

Imagine being there.
“Is this a good idea? Don’t we need Barnabas and Saul here?”

Mission costs leaders.
Mission costs time.
Mission costs comfort.

But prayer is the church’s generous participation in God’s global purpose.

John Calvin said, “Prayer is the chief exercise of faith.”

In Acts 13 we see a church exercising faith together.
They sought God in prayer, and then came the plan.

A mission without prayer becomes human effort.

Prayer sustains mission
In Colossians 4 we see prayer during mission.
Paul is in prison and the gospel is advancing, but he is chained up.

And he writes:
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Watchful means being alert to what God is doing.
Thankful means being grounded in grace.
Then Paul asks them to pray for open doors.
He does not ask for comfort.
He asks for opportunity.

And he asks for clarity:
“That I may proclaim the gospel clearly.”

Paul understood something important.
The prayers of the church sustain the work of the mission.
Prayer aligns the church with God’s purposes rather than our own ideas.

Tim Keller said,
“The only way to experience powerful, transforming prayer is to understand that we are saved by grace.”

Prayer flows from grace, not guilt.
Mission is sustained by a shared spiritual burden.
Isolation starves mission.
Prayer multiplies mission
The whole church was involved.
Even the people who stayed behind participated through prayer.

There was no spectator Christianity in the early church.
Everyone had a role.
Mission multiplied because prayer was shared.
This was not private Christianity or personalized spirituality.
This was shared devotion.

John Stott said,
“The church is not a collection of isolated individuals but a community of interdependent members.”

For mission to multiply, it takes all of us.
Isolation is not just unhealthy — it is unbiblical.
We are meant to do mission together.
And when we pray together for God’s will, we begin to see multiplication.

What Is The Challenge?
Resist Isolation
Isolation says:
"I can pray on my own."

Scripture shows us something different.
There are things God does when His people gather to pray.
Pray With Others, Not Just For Ourselves
Acts 13 shows us corporate prayer.

Resist isolation by:
Attending prayer gatherings
Praying aloud with others
Joining a group that actually prays
Carry Shared Burdens

In Colossians 4, Paul invites the church into his struggle.

Isolation says:
"My faith is personal."

Mission says:
"Your burden becomes our burden."

Share the names of people you are praying for.
Pray for missionaries together.
Fast together.
Not alone.
Release and Receive Together

Acts 13 required the church to release leaders.
They trusted God together.
They participated together.
Isolation hoards.
Community releases.
Generosity is not just money.
Generosity is shared spiritual life.

What Is The Rhythm?
Prayer walk your neighborhood.

Not alone.
Do it with your family.
Invite someone from church to join you.
Walk your streets and pray for the people who live there.

Pray for open doors.

Pray for conversations.

Pray for opportunities.

Make prayer a rhythm of mission.
Some of us have been doing this already.
Every week at lunch Jon Lewis and I walked neighborhoods and pray.

Simple.

Consistent.

Faithful.

Because when a church prays together,
Mission grows.

And God uses a praying community.

Author: Joe Marquez

Persistent and Sacrificial Prayer
As we continue in this part of our generosity series, we’re talking about prayer as a daily rhythm.

Prayer isn’t a button we press when life gets uncomfortable—it’s a rhythm we return to.

We pray not because God is distant, but because life is long and faith wears thin when we drift from our source.

In a culture shaped by comfort, speed, and self-sufficiency, persistent prayer becomes a quiet act of resistance. It keeps our hearts anchored in God rather than in our own strength.

Let’s look at Luke 18:1–8 and see what Jesus teaches about becoming people whose first response is prayer.

What Is True
Prayer keeps us from losing heart
Jesus tells this parable so that His disciples would “always pray and not lose heart.”
This isn’t about technique—it’s about endurance.

Prayer is a posture we return to again and again. Jesus assumes discouragement will come, and He gives us prayer as the way our hearts stay alive.

We often think of prayer as what we do when things fall apart. But Jesus shows us that we pray so our hearts don’t fall apart.

Prayer isn’t just problem-solving—it’s heart-keeping.

Prayer teaches us to keep showing up
In the parable, the widow has no power, no influence, and no leverage. All she has is persistence. She simply keeps coming back.

Jesus contrasts this with God’s character. If even an unjust judge eventually responds, how much more will a just and loving God hear His people?

Persistent prayer isn’t about convincing God to act—it’s about forming dependence in us. Over time, returning to God again and again reshapes our hearts and teaches us to trust.

Prayer trains us to trust God’s timing
Jesus says that God hears the cries of His people who call out day and night. The delay in answers is not neglect—it’s often part of our formation.

Prayer teaches us to live between promise and fulfillment without quitting. Faith, in this passage, isn’t just belief—it’s ongoing dependence expressed through prayer.

The question Jesus asks is not whether God will act, but whether we will keep trusting.

The Invitation
The challenge: Resist busyness
Busyness often feels responsible, but spiritually it trains us to live as if everything depends on us. Prayer pushes back against that illusion.

Prayer reminds us:
I am not in control

I am not the center

I am not the savior

When prayer becomes rhythm instead of an afterthought, it begins to reorder our lives. We learn to value presence over pace, faithfulness over outcomes, and trust over control.

Practically:
Set a simple, consistent time to pray each day

Turn ordinary moments—commutes, walks, quiet mornings—into prayer

Keep one long-term prayer you refuse to abandon

Prayer doesn’t fit into a busy life; it reshapes one.

The Rhythm
Spend 10 minutes each day in prayer:

5 minutes praying for God’s kingdom, His will, and His purposes

5 minutes praying for someone else—and let them know you prayed for them

Persistent prayer forms a persistent faith. Over time, returning to God becomes not a task, but a way of life.

Author: Joe Marquez

A Generous Community of Prayer

As we continue our series, we’re shifting our focus from financial generosity to generosity in prayer—learning to make prayer part of our daily rhythm.

In a fast-paced world, prayer often becomes a last resort. And when we do pray, it can feel like a task list—focusing more on our problems than on the God we’re speaking with.

But prayer is more than a helpline for our troubles.
It’s a lifeline for our souls.

As Augustine wrote, prayer doesn’t just change our circumstances—it reorders our loves and changes us.

So what does Scripture show us about becoming people whose first response is prayer?

What Is True
Prayer reorients us.
In Matthew 6:9–13, Jesus teaches us to begin prayer with Our Father… Your kingdom… Your will… Before needs are mentioned, identity and allegiance are established.

Prayer lifts our eyes.
It moves us out of our small, personal concerns and into God’s larger story.
Before we ask God to change our circumstances, He invites us to let Him change our perspective.

Prayer sends us.
In 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Paul urges believers to pray for all people—even rulers and leaders who were often difficult or unjust.

Why? Because God desires all people to be saved.

Intercession isn’t passive; it’s missional.
When we pray for others, we begin to see the world through God’s eyes.
Prayer trains our hearts to care beyond ourselves and to carry the needs of others before God.

Prayer connects us.
Galatians 6:2 calls us to carry each other’s burdens.
Sometimes we help practically; sometimes the greatest way we help is through prayer.

Intercession is family language.
It’s how we step under someone else’s weight.
We aren’t meant to suffer alone or carry burdens in silence.

Prayer binds us together and allows us to care for one another in deeply meaningful ways.

The Invitation
The challenge:
Resist self-focused spirituality and self-sufficiency.

Move from private faith to shared life:
Pray with people, not just for them
Let others see your weakness
Share needs honestly
Ask for prayer when you’re struggling

Let prayer expand your world:
Pray for neighbors, schools, and leaders
Pray for people who are hurting—or even difficult
Look for ways to carry real burdens through presence, prayer, and practical care
Kingdom spirituality turns our hearts outward.
Generosity isn’t only about money—it’s about time, attention, prayer, and presence.

The Rhythm
Spend 10 minutes in prayer each day:
5 minutes praying for God’s kingdom, His will, and His purposes
5 minutes praying for someone else—and let them know you prayed for them

Prayer forms us, connects us, and sends us. And over time, it becomes not just something we do—but a rhythm that shapes who we are.

Author: Joe Marquez

Jesus Trusted the Father
I’ve been fascinated lately with one particular aspect of the gospel of Jesus. It’s almost all I’ve been thinking about these past few weeks. It’s this idea that Jesus trusted the Father — even in wrath.

That’s a wild thing to sit with.

Jesus knew there was a price to be paid.
He knew there had to be death in order for life to come.
He knew there had to be suffering for hope to reach the world.
And yet, He trusted the Father with it all.

Scripture tells us: “For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus loved the Father so deeply — was so connected to Him — that He entrusted himself to the pain that would be poured out on Him for us.

That doesn’t mean Jesus was passive.

He wasn’t fragile or distant.

We see Him confronting Pharisees, flipping tables, and casting out demons.

He was bold. And at the same time, He was surrendered, strong and submissive.

John Stott once wrote: “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”

Jesus willingly stepped into what we could not carry ourselves.

Why This Matters
All of us struggle.
All of us suffer.

All of us face moments that don’t make sense.
And it’s hard not to ask: Why?
If God really cares, why am I going through this?

Scripture makes room for that question.
The Psalms are full of it.
Job lives inside it.

Even Jesus cries out from the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Faith isn’t pretending everything is fine.

Faith is bringing our questions into God’s presence.

But something has shifted for me lately.
Instead of only looking to the Father, I’ve been looking to Jesus.
Because Jesus must know something we don’t.

He knows the depths of the Father’s heart.
He knows what it means to trust God when everything feels dark.
He knows what it means to walk straight into suffering and still believe in goodness on the other side.

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)

Jesus didn’t just teach trust. He lived it.

Maybe Jesus is the answer to suffering.
Maybe Jesus is the example we follow in our darkest moments.
Maybe we can trust the Father in what’s happening around us — because Jesus did.

Tim Keller once said: “Our hope in suffering is not optimism. It’s resurrection.”

Not Easy — But Faithful
I’m not saying suffering is easy.
I’m not saying it’s “just part of life.”
I’m saying Jesus entered into suffering Himself.

That’s the gospel.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4)

Jesus went through betrayal, loss, pain, abandonment, and death — and He trusted the Father all the way through it. Whether I’m in green pastures beside still waters or walking through the valley of the shadow of death…

Jesus trusted. and maybe, by His grace, I can too.

Eugene Peterson reminds us: “God does not save us by removing us from suffering, but by entering into it with us.”

A Final Thought. Wherever you are today — whether things feel calm or chaotic — Jesus understands.He has been there. He invites us to trust the Father, just as He did.

Author: Joe Marquez

Ending the Year Without Losing Heart

There is almost always a quiet fear that shows up as one year ends and another begins.

It’s the fear that whispers about what wasn’t accomplished.

The projects left unfinished.

The weight not lost.

The version of life we hoped would arrive by now but somehow didn’t.

Suddenly, the calendar flips and all of it is pushed in front of us, asking us to accept it… or fix it… or feel ashamed by it.

That kind of reflection can be grueling.

What I want to encourage you with is this:

Life is not a set of twelve-month report cards. It’s a lifetime.

It’s easy to be harsh with ourselves when we measure growth in one-year increments. But what if we zoomed out? What if instead of only asking, “What happened this year?” we asked, “Who am I becoming over time?”

Look back five years.

Notice the subtle shifts.

The quiet growth.

The resilience you didn’t have before.

Most real change happens so slowly we don’t recognize it while it’s happening.

As Dallas Willard once said:

“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.”



The Myth of Fast Growth

From the time we are young, we are trained to receive report cards — grades for performance, progress measured by speed, success defined by visible results. Our culture pushes us to change quickly, improve rapidly, and keep up.

But that’s not how growth actually works.

Not all growth looks the same.

Not all people grow at the same pace.

Not all seasons are meant for visible progress.

Sometimes what feels like stagnation is actually strengthening.

Sometimes delay is doing deeper work.

Jesus often described growth using seeds, soil, seasons, and pruning — none of which can be rushed.

As Eugene Peterson wrote:

“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue.”

Deep roots take time.

And deep roots matter more than fast fruit.



Preparing for the New Year (Practically)

Instead of approaching the new year with pressure or panic, consider a different posture:


1. Relax

You are not behind.

You are not late.

You are not failing at life.

Growth is not a race.



2. Name One Way You Are Growing

Just one.

Emotionally. Spiritually. Relationally. Physically.

Small growth is still growth.



3. Create an Ecosystem for Long-Term Growth

Instead of rigid goals, ask:

What habits support the person I want to become?
What relationships nourish me?
What rhythms help me stay grounded?
Healthy environments produce healthy growth.



4. Set Gentle Checkpoints

Not to judge yourself — but to listen.

Moments to pause, reflect, and redirect when needed.

As Annie Dillard wisely said:

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”



Keep Taking the Next Small Step

At the end of the day, transformation rarely comes through dramatic leaps.

It comes through slow, consistent steps forward.

Faithful steps.

Honest steps.

Sometimes quiet steps.

So don’t lose hope or vision just because the calendar turns.

You are still becoming.

You are still growing.

And the story God is writing in you is measured in faithfulness — not months.

One step at a time is enough.