“Dear friends, keep building each other up in your most holy faith—in the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Gospel. Don’t just say prayers, pray by the power of the Holy Spirit—loving and adoring Jesus together, constantly bringing each other to the throne of grace.
As friends, crave Jesus’ return with patience and hope. Rest, revel, and be renewed in the love of God together—all the way Home. Eternal life began for you the moment God hid your lives in Christ, and he will complete his good work in you.“ (Conflation and Paraphrase of Jude 20-22, Jn.17:3, Col.3:1-4, Phil.1:6)
Dear Jesus, we cannot, dare not, must live this life without Gospel-formed and grace-fueled relationships. Thank you for our friends who love Mahjong, fishing, and college football; afterschool tutoring and serving the poor, art crawls and book clubbing, going on mission trips and going antique hunting, great cigars and Classic Rock and Roll, philanthropy and pickleball, being foodies and being generous.
But here’s the deal as September 2026 begins: We can do all of these wonderful things with all kinds of dear people—AND still live as posers and pretenders, religious but grace-flyweights, busy but friendship-barren—active but isolated and insulated from real relationships and intimacy with you. That’s not okay, Jesus.
It’s not that life is to be one non-ending Bible study, “Kumbaya-fest, and prayer meeting, but no one loves the things we enjoy more than you. Indeed, you have given us all things to richly enjoy (1Tim.6:17). Jesus, invade, inhabit, infuse every area of our lives with your truth, goodness, and beauty. Renew our first love for you and others. Restore our joy in you, Jesus. Help us make a priority of having and nurturing friendships in which:
- Weakness is welcomed and grace is essential (2Cor.1:3-11)
- Prayer is regular, mutual, and honest (James 5:16)
- Encouragement is vital, specific, and increasing (Heb.10:25)
Hallelujah, thank you, and So Very Amen
