JESUS LOVES YOU

When I’m at a barbeque and spot a bag of original Lay’s, I’m known to walk over, grab a couple, and remark, “I love potato chips!” When I’m at that same barbeque and spot my daughter, Sadie Anne, I’m known to run over, give her a hug, look straight into her eyes, and say, “I love you, Sadie Anne!” Like a potato chip? Of course not! The word “love” …

Think about the friends that you spend the most time with. Now, how many of those people do not follow Jesus? Do you have any friends who are not Christ-followers? It is important to have close friends who share our faith. The Bible warns us against being “unequally yoked.” Christian friends can encourage us, challenge us, support us, and point us …

American adults spend about one-third of their lives at work. That’s a lot of time! Our workplaces are part of the daily work of evangelism, where we display how God has changed our lives. We can have a good work ethic, treat others well, and engage with others honestly. We can also show everyone we work with what it looks like to “work for the Lor…

One of my favorite things is being at home with my family around me: the grandkids hanging out, my children laughing and talking, lots of food. I am so grateful for a family that loves each other and loves the Lord. Growing a godly family can be difficult, though, and part of the daily work of evangelism is filling your home with the word of God. T…

When Jesus gave the Great Commission to His followers, He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Often, we focus on the “of all nations” part, and that part is really important. We do need to sprea…

Did you know that the Christmas promise—the promise of a coming Messiah—was first made thousands of years before Jesus Christ’s birth? If we miss this, we risk missing the whole point of Christmas. Christmas is about an incredible promise God made to Adam and Eve that took thousands of years to be fulfilled. It’s about that promise...and then waiti…

Where is the Christ Child in your Christmas? If you’re not sure, please know that this can be the most wonderful holiday you have ever known. If you receive the greatest gift of God—Jesus Christ—this Christmas will have true meaning for you forever. You will have peace with God and peace in your heart, a peace unlike any the world can offer. The be…

Did you know there are actually two Christmases? One is the Christmas of commercialism and overeating, overdrinking, and overspending. The other Christmas is one of love, joy, peace, and adoration of the One whose birthday we celebrate. The real Christmas is a vivid demonstration of God’s love. In 1 John 4:9-10, the Bible says: "This is how God sho…

With Christmas in the air, I wonder: Where is the Child whose birthday we celebrate? During the first Christmas, angels visited shepherds with their flocks at night. At their command, the shepherds hurried back to Bethlehem to see the newborn babe, the Christ child, “the Savior of the world.” [Luke 2:8-20] Today, if your friends and neighbors want …

The Christmas season is wonderful. Whoever invented it deserves a crown in heaven! Some people argue Christmas is pagan, that we’re celebrating a holiday to some sun god or tree. I disagree. We’re celebrating the birth of the Son of God, no matter what others may have celebrated in ages past. I’m so glad for the opportunity Christmas gives us to sp…

Every Christmas, my kids rush to unpack all the decorations. And while their primary focus is decorating the tree, I carefully unwrap the Nativity scene and put it in its spot right on the mantel. Did you know that you have a nativity too? Nativity simply means the time and place of one’s birth and as a Christian, you have both a place where you we…

How many of you parents have said to your kids, “Christmas isn’t about receiving, it’s about giving?” It can be hard, though, when everything on TV and the internet says, ask for more, more, more! Even adults get into this mindset. Christmas is all about us. We want to have the perfect storybook Christmas, where we make all of the cookies we love a…

Christmas often means inviting people to your home, whether its family, neighbors, or co-workers. We often work hard to create the perfect holiday, making sure everyone is comfortable and welcome. But sometimes, sharing the true meaning of Christmas requires going outside of our comfy, warm houses and meeting people where they are. Sometimes we hav…

Where I live in Oregon doesn’t get much snow at Christmas time. It’s often grey and rainy. But I love looking at those beautiful images on Christmas cards, pictures of cozy houses with thatched roofs nestled in banks of white snow. The reason they look so inviting is that every window is bursting with light! You can just tell that the inside is war…

I am always at home over Christmas, celebrating at the Palau Association Christmas party, attending events at my church, and enjoying my family. But it’s amazing how quickly “staying home for the holidays” can turn into “I’m never home during the holidays.” Christmas parties and church events start to multiply, as do Christmas programs, concerts, a…

Have you ever thought about the fact that all good things, including Christmas, are mostly about waiting? The story of Christmas actually goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. The day Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God didn’t panic. Heaven didn’t go on red alert. God had seen this coming long…

Have you ever considered what life might be like if there was no Christmas? I mean, if Jesus had never been born? To start with, you and I would be responsible for paying for our own sins. Can you imagine that? Every time we mess up, we would be held liable. Every single time! Every bad thought we had, every action—big or small. The Bible says in R…

So many people are surviving, but not really living. Christmas movies and TV shows depict the holidays as being about presents and Santa Claus. But the holiday is so much bigger than any of that. Jesus didn’t come to fill your empty stocking, He came to fill your empty life. And mine, too! Jesus came because He has a purpose and plan for each of us…

A man once said to me, “Luis, how can I possibly be joyful at Christmas? I was unfaithful to my wife, and she left me years ago. Now, I’m alone, and filled with regret.” I told him that Jesus, our Savior, came to save us from our past sins. Even the worst of our sins. And this is all the reason we need to celebrate Him at Christmas. You know, so ma…

A few years ago, Think Finance, a provider of payday loans, did a survey of 1,000 Americans and found that 45% of them would prefer to skip Christmas. These folks were sick of spending too much money on gifts. And you know, I know a lot of people who feel stressed out at Christmastime. Whether it’s related to finances, traveling, or difficult famil…

My sins eventually betray a serious defect deep in my heart. When we look back at all the sins we’ve committed along the way the past few weeks or months, we may have reason to worry. Sometimes you may feel, in your heart of hearts: “What’s wrong with me?” Or, perhaps better put, “Why am I so self-inclined and so God-averse? Why am I so apt to choo…

Have you ever wondered if there is life after death? I once met a businessman named Ben who seemed to have it all. He had a fancy New York City apartment, a beautiful wife and children, and a lot of financial security. One day, however, Ben’s colleague passed away unexpectedly, and this caused Ben to consider some important questions. He had never …

Do you remember hearing the biblical accounts of Jesus’ miracles when you were in Sunday School? He healed the blind and the sick. He brought the dead back to life. He turned water into wine. Yes, as Christians we know that God is powerful. But sometimes I wonder: do we really believe in God’s power in our own lives today? Do you trust that God is …

God is not performance-driven. That means He won’t love you any more or any less based on how you do. You can’t earn extra love by doing more. And you can’t lose God’s love by making mistakes. God’s love is a free gift, so it can’t be earned or lost. But God does care about what we do – and we know this because God gave us a great assignment in the…

Do you believe God has something more in store for your life? There was a time in my life when I wanted to become a banker. It was a secure profession in my home country of Argentina. And I figured I’d be able to support my family in that profession. But then the Lord changed my heart, and I felt called into evangelism. Now let me tell you, there’s…

The other day I was reading the Gospel of Luke… Jesus was on his way to Galilee and came across ten men with leprosy. They asked Jesus to have pity on them and Jesus healed them. Now, here’s the verse that stood out to me. Luke 17:15 says, “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ f…

As followers of Christ, Thanksgiving should be one of our favorite holidays. Sure, it isn’t a religious holiday in the sense that it celebrates the life of Christ. Instead, it reminds us of the blessings we have in Christ. Even when life is difficult, we always have the gift of salvation to be thankful for, and that is worth a Thanksgiving celebrat…

The question “Who should be thankful?” seems like an easy one to answer. Everyone should be thankful, obviously. Everyone has something to be thankful for. But in reality, it’s easier said than done. Sometimes life is difficult and things go wrong. Someone loses a job, a loved one, or a dream. Maybe a family member is sick, bills are overwhelming, …

As a kid, did your mom or dad ever make you write “thank you” notes? Maybe after your birthday party or after Christmas, they would sit you down at the kitchen table with a stack of notecards and stamps. You would have to write until your hand hurt, sentences like “thank you for the socks.” I know some of those thank-you notes were probably done be…

American Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. We have presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt to thank for that. Lincoln scheduled it, and Roosevelt made it a law. So every year, many Americans get that Thursday off, and we spend the day with those we love. There are many ways to celebrate Thanks…

Did you know Jesus traveled not only to Egypt as a young boy, but to three other countries during His public ministry? What’s more, Jesus met with people from many, many nations. They included Jewish people from a wide assortment of nations traveling to Jerusalem for the sacred feasts. They included Greeks, Romans, and others who had converted to J…

Recently, as I was reading the Bible, I was struck by something about the early followers of Jesus. When Jesus called the disciples, they dropped everything and followed Him. Similarly, after Jesus appeared to the disciples shortly after His resurrection, they immediately began going out and sharing the good news everywhere. In both of these cases,…

People have said to me before, “Luis, I could never be an evangelist. I’m too shy.” Maybe this sounds likes you. God makes us all different. Some of us are loud talkers, and others are quiet. Some are quick to speak, and others are more cautious. Some of us like to mingle in a crowd, and others would like to be in the back of the room, serving the …

My father set a great example for me by sharing God’s love anywhere he could: on street corners, at work, with friends and strangers alike. I inherited his caring for people and his passion for proclaiming the Good News of God, whether that is in my living room or on a stage in front of thousands of people. There is nothing like the energy of being…

I loved taking my kids, and then my grandkids, to the playground at the local park. But I couldn’t help but notice all of the different kids and their personalities. Some kids would go up to anyone and play with them. A stranger was just a friend they’d never met before. Other kids preferred following the more rambunctious kids. They would go down …

In His parable about the prodigal son, Jesus describes a rebellious son and a loving father. You can read this amazing, life-changing parable in Luke 15, particularly verses 11 to 24. So, what does the Lord’s parable tell us? First off, the prodigal’s father can’t wait to see his son. Day after day he watches the road, and when his son finally appe…

I’ve had many people ask me through the years, “Luis, does God really love me?” Sometimes, people tell me about the trouble they’ve been in, or the ways they have messed up their lives. They say, “how could He love me?” but I assure them—and I assure you now, yes, Jesus loves you. More than you know. And there is nothing you could ever do to stop H…

When my father died, my mother took over our family business in an effort to take care of her six children. At one point, someone purposely swindled her out of a lot of money in a business deal, causing my family very serious and deep financial pain, and poverty. The person responsible for putting us in this position never, ever came to apologize, …

I know a man named Stephen who was treated poorly by someone at work. He was deeply hurt, and soon, his hurt turned into anger. When the person apologized to Stephen, he had two choices: Stephen could remain angry, bitter, and resentful or he could forgive. In life, we will all come to this point at some time, where we must choose to either show fo…

Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”. In the New Testament, Jesus repeats this command and even points it out as the most important commandment of all—along with loving your neighbor as yourself.So, how do we actually show our love for God? Is it by telling H…

Almost everyone knows the Greatest Commandment. We find it in the books of Moses, in the writings of ancient Jewish rabbis, and on the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles. The first part of the Greatest Commandment is fairly easy to understand. We’re to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind. The second par…

Within the Church, we talk a lot about sharing the Gospel with people so that they can experience God’s grace, forgiveness, and love. And we talk about sharing the Good News so that people receive eternal life. But we don’t talk a lot about sharing the Gospel because of the very real fact that Jesus promised a second coming. But I believe we should…

Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered and honored for his peaceful efforts to abolish racism and racial inequality. One of his greatest quotes was, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” I like this quote, because it’s true! Love is the only force capable of transforming people. And who is the greatest source of lov…

In this day and age, a lot is being made about a child’s right to their own choices on almost all issues in life. And in many ways, I think it is good for kids to cultivate their own interests. For example, we need more women in the fields of engineering and mathematics, so we should encourage little girls who show interest in these fields. But rec…

I was in the grocery store when I heard a mother say to her son, “Jason, will you put that back on the shelf?” Jason, her young son, looked at her and said, “No.” To which the shocked mother said, “Actually Jason, that wasn’t a question. Put that back on the shelf.” When I saw this interaction, I chuckled to myself, because sometimes, I think, you …

One of the most famous Bible verses is Acts 1:8. Jesus is sending His disciples to Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Then Jesus adds, “and to the ends of the earth.” What exactly does Jesus mean by “ends of the earth”? Is He speaking about only the areas that were known in His day...or also of unknown lands around the globe? Earlier, Jesus used the ph…

I have a friend who recently moved into a new home. The first day, she got all unpacked. She organized her living room furniture, put away her dishes, and hung up her clothes. She was feeling pretty good, so she decided to go out for some dinner. While she was gone, the sun went down. She arrived home in the dark. When she walked in the front door,…

When our world erupts in chaos, it is natural to feel afraid. Life is unpredictable, and we can be fragile creatures. And yet, if we truly trust in God, that trust will make us brave. When we are brave, we can do brave things: like choosing love over fear. Choosing love can be difficult. When life is in turmoil, it can be easier to blame others and…

Have you ever watched a young child and her parent, often her dad, at the neighborhood pool? She creeps up to the side of the pool, sticking her toes over the edge. Her dad is in the deep end, standing in water up to his chest. He gestures to her, telling her to “jump! Jump!” But the little girl can’t. It’s scary! The water is deep. She doesn’t kno…