“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness….” – Hebrews 1:9 (ESV).

Becoming like Christ is a central goal of the Christian faith, involving a spiritual transformation of thought, character, and action, guided by the Holy Spirit and achieved through a lifelong process of faith, repentance, and growth in grace and knowledge of Jesus. This journey includes studying Scripture, practicing spiritual disciplines, serving others with humility and love, and participating in a community of believers. The process is not about perfection but about being shaped into the image of Christ.

Is it possible to be like Jesus? Can we actually have the character of the heavenly Father? And more importantly, do we really want to become more like Jesus?

For centuries, writers have filled books about Jesus. But one work remains the ultimate source of all we really need to know about our Lord and Savior. To become more like Jesus, spend time in His Word. The Bible teaches us how to act like Jesus. And that includes learning how to love like Jesus. While we will never exhaust all the Scriptures have to say about Him, we will never find a better guide for living—and loving—like Jesus.

Jesus talked a lot about love. “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” (John 15:12) and “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). When most people think of Jesus, they think of love. Jesus didn’t just talk about it. He lived it. He touched lepers, embraced sinners, healed the sick, and extended forgiveness to adulterers seconds after they sinned. It is love—unconditional, agape love—that binds believers together, and knits us to the heart of God: “I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them” (John 17:26). He extends love to include one’s enemies (Matt 5:44-45). Take a quick look at the early Church and you’ll see that level of love would become the hallmark of Christianity long after Jesus’s resurrection.

Jesus demonstrated His love by pouring into the lives of other people. Sometimes, it was an individual, like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). Other times, it was a large crowd, like when He fed the multitude (Mark 6:30-44). Most notably, Jesus invested in the lives of His disciples. For example, while He shared parables with crowds, He explained them to His disciples in private (Mark 4:33-34).

We can show love by serving as a mentor or by simply being available to others. You can pour into the lives of others in small groups. You can invest in your church by serving. You love like Jesus when you make an intentional effort to be His hands and feet for someone else.

When you are available to someone else, that’s the love of Jesus, and that begins to transform you as you’re letting Him work in you and through you. People don’t have to go through everything alone. Remember that old saying, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

If we love Jesus, then we will love what He loves, which is people. And as we practice loving like He loved, we become more like Him.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does love have the potential to make us more like Jesus?
2. Is Jesus’s way of loving a high, perhaps impossibly high, bar? If so, how can imperfect people like us strive to embody extraordinary love?

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV).

Life’s rhythm can wear on the soul. Sins, disappointments, busyness, and the quiet creep of compromise dull our senses to God’s presence. A spiritual reset is not an admission of defeat but an embrace of grace: an intentional pause to turn back, refocus, and be renewed by the Lord’s unfailing mercy.

Lamentations 3 talks about the enduring faithfulness of God, emphasizing that His steadfast love and fresh mercies are new each morning, providing hope and a reason to trust in Him during difficult times. Notice how the passage pictures renewal as daily and inexhaustible. God’s compassions are “new every morning”—not because we earned a fresh start, but because He delights in restoring us. It’s a reminder that each new day is a testament to God’s endless compassion, a daily invitation to shed the remnants of yesterday’s failures and embrace the potential of the present.

There are many stories in the Bible of God’s renewing mercy. Peter is one example. Peter, once a simple fisherman, was called to be a “fisher of men,” yet both unwavering devotion and confounding failures marked his journey. He denied Jesus three times during the hours leading to the crucifixion.

However, the story doesn’t end there. After the resurrection, Jesus sought Peter out, not to condemn, but to restore. In John 21:15-17, after His resurrection, following a series of questions, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him and instructed him to feed My sheep. This encounter was a profound demonstration of the promise that “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”

Peter’s story is a vivid illustration of how, despite our failures and fears, each day presents a new opportunity to experience God’s mercy. Just as Peter was restored and went on to be a foundational figure in the early church, our lives, too, can witness the transformative power of God’s unfailing mercy every sunrise.

 A spiritual reset reminds us we follow a God of restoration, not perfection. Each reset is proof that grace meets us where we are and leads us onward—renewed, hopeful, and restored for faithful living.

So, if you find yourself at a crossroads, feeling drained and in need of a reset, remember that it’s not just an opportunity for rest but a divine invitation to realign your path with God’s purpose.

Discussion Questions:

1. What areas of your life feel spiritually drained, and what signs might indicate it’s time for a spiritual reset? 
2. What are some of the unhealthy things in your life that you find most challenging to let go of? 

“Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” – Mark 6:31.

In a culture that prizes productivity, it would be easy to assume Jesus expects constant activity from His followers. The Gospels reveal another pattern: a balance between purposeful work and intentional rest. Jesus doesn’t expect you to be constantly busy; instead, He calls you to rest in Him and prioritize a relationship with Him over a relentless schedule. While it’s not wrong to be busy, being overly occupied can lead to distraction, neglect of spiritual practices like prayer, and a hurried, anxious attitude that misses God’s presence.

If you read through Mark 1:21-45, you will find an account of Jesus’ hectic schedule and a single, highly compressed day of ministry. Mark uses the word “immediately” multiple times (ESV) in the chapter to emphasize the rapid pace of Jesus’s actions. Mark 1:35 reveals that, amidst everything going on, Jesus took the time to rest. More specifically, He prioritized a relationship with His Father; Jesus used the time alone to pray. Once the business of the world caught up with Him, Jesus instinctively knew the right next move involved quiet devotion to God.

We too can get the same benefits of a break. Making time for God in a full schedule isn’t easy (notice that Jesus had to get up extra early), but it’s essential. Jesus’s alone time with God is a recurring feature throughout the Gospels because the human side of Him needed a chance to spiritually, mentally, and physically recharge. When you and I carve out time just for silence and meditation on God’s Word or in prayer, we are training our minds to slow down and our hearts to focus on God.

God’s idea of rest extends beyond a break from busyness. We are called to lay down the burden of performance and find rest in the finished work of Christ.  Whether you’re killing it at work or taking a couple of additional courses in college, trying to be supermom to three kids, make time for Jesus … time to be with Jesus. Call out to Him, and then in silence give Him a chance to speak. Open your Bible and read His Word.

We will always have things that occupy our time and focus, but the goal is not to let those things detract from dedicating time and focus to Jesus. How can we practice the way of Jesus if we don’t have time for the One who is the way?

 We are all busy. Hopefully, however, we can take a page from Jesus’ example and change the way we react to busyness, as well as the way we structure our busy days, to make space in our calendars to meet with God. Consistent and meaningful study of the Bible won’t happen by chance.

Discussion Questions:

1. In our culture, busyness can be a badge of honor, a symbol of self-worth. In what ways have you bought into the idea that a full schedule makes you important?
2. How does the modern pressure to be constantly “on” or productive differ from God’s design for your life?
3. How can you actively remind yourself that your worth comes from your identity in Christ, not from your accomplishments or how busy you are?

“We are often running on fumes, spiritually, but we must know where the fuel station is and, even more important, that it exists. After trying all kinds of other things, Christians have learned that the worship of God with the whole heart in the assurance of his love through the work of Jesus Christ is the thing their souls were meant to “run on.” That is what gets all the heart’s cylinders to fire. “ – Timothy Keller.

There is an unusual game that many people played as teenagers. This game of “gas-roulette” was played due to a lack of funds, as payday was often a few days away. You had to hope that the car’s owner’s manual was correct, and that the vehicle would truly travel 60 miles once the gas light turned on. But to be on the safe side, you coasted down every hill in neutral as a precaution. That works pretty well if there are a lot of hills. But despite your best efforts, you have probably run out of gas on at least one occasion.

In the same way that we can be forced to test our car’s limits, we can run our body, soul, and spirit on empty, and in that case, we don’t have a gas gauge with low fuel lighting flashing at us.  If you’ve ever found yourself there—wired and tired, busy but empty—you’re not alone. In fact, that restlessness has ancient roots. When God gave His people the Ten Commandments, He included something radical in the list: a command to stop. Not to worship harder, work more, or give everything away. The command was to stop and observe the Sabbath. Build space to rest.

Jesus modeled this. He frequently pulled away from the crowds. Not because He didn’t care—but because He knew His power came from communion, not constant output. His rhythm wasn’t just about balance—it was about obedience.

Sabbath wasn’t meant to be another rule to perform—it was meant to remind people of their dependence. It was God’s way of saying you’re not a machine. But we forget that in our attempts to pack as much as we can into our daily schedules, we equate stillness with laziness and margin with weakness. But Jesus reframes everything. When the Pharisees challenged Him for healing on the Sabbath, He reminded them of its true purpose in Mark 2:27: “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”The sabbath is to remind us we’re human. Limited. Dependent. And deeply loved even when we’re still and at rest.

The reality is our souls have limits.  At some point, burnout stops being a scheduling issue and starts being a spiritual one. When we refuse to rest, we’re often saying with our lives what we’d never admit with our lips, “I don’t trust God to handle this if I stop.” But Sabbath is how we say, “I trust you.” It’s a weekly reminder that we’re not what we do—we’re who He’s called.

To ourselves and others, we may appear successful. But our depleted “fuel tanks” can threaten to leave us stranded on the roadside of our spiritual journey. We need to watch the fuel gauge and realize that the tank will soon be empty.

Discussion Questions:

1. How full is your spiritual “tank” right now? What are the most significant drains on your energy and spiritual life?
2. What obstacles commonly prevent you from planning time to rest and recharge? Do you view rest as unproductive or essential?

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God…”  – Exodus 20:8-10.

Honoring the sabbath involves setting aside a day from labor to focus on spiritual refreshment, family, and God by refraining from unnecessary work. Rooted in God’s own rest after creation, the sabbath is a commandment intended to provide both physical and spiritual renewal.

The sabbath is one of God’s sweetest gifts to His people. At its core, the sabbath is not about restriction but about freedom—freedom from endless striving, freedom from burdens we cannot carry, and freedom to delight in the Lord who sustains us. To honor the sabbath is to step back from the relentless pace of life and remember that God Himself is our provider, Redeemer, and rest.

In creation, God set the pattern: six days of work followed by one day of rest (Genesis 2:2–3). He did not rest because He was weary, but to model for us the rhythm He designed for human flourishing. By observing sabbath, we mirror our Creator and confess that our lives are not held together by our efforts alone. Resting is not a sign of weakness; it is an act of faith.

We live in a culture that idolizes productivity and celebrates busyness. Yet the sabbath interrupts that cycle. It is a holy pause—a deliberate act of saying, “God, You are enough.” When we honor the sabbath, we acknowledge that our identity is not rooted in what we accomplish but in who we are in Christ. The Pharisees turned it into a list of rules, but Jesus revealed its true purpose: restoration, joy, and communion with God.

Honoring the sabbath is not only about ceasing from labor but also about delighting in God. One way we can do that is through worship: gather with the body of Christ to sing, pray, and hear God’s Word. Put aside the to-do list and enter into God’s peace. Take a nap, breathe deeply, and enjoy His creation. Spend time with family and friends, reminding one another of God’s goodness. Use quiet moments to read Scripture, pray, and realign your heart with God’s purposes.

The sabbath also points us forward. Hebrews 4 speaks of a greater rest that awaits the people of God—an eternal Sabbath in His presence. Every week when we stop, worship, and rest, we get a small foretaste of the joy and wholeness that will be ours forever in Christ.

“The Hebrew word Shabbat means ‘to stop.’ But it can also be translated ‘to delight.’ It has this dual idea of stopping and also of joying in God and our lives in his world. The sabbath is an entire day set aside to follow God’s example, to stop and delight.” ― John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World

Discussion Questions:

1. Does the sabbath still hold meaning in our busy, modern world, or is it a relic of the past? 
2. What are the emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits of observing the sabbath, even if it seems difficult to implement? 
3. What are some practical ways you can plan to stop for a day to make room for God and experience His rest?

“To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” — Mark 4:25

Life is a never-ending experience of learning. We encounter a wide range of people in our lives; we learn about various things. We learn to get through certain situations in our lives. Everything in life is an experience. The more experience we have in life, the better educated we are about it.

Management expert Peter Drucker said that an educated person is someone who has learned how to learn and continues to learn. God made us with minds that grow. From the first breath to our last, He invites us into an unfolding journey of discovery — about Him, about others, and about ourselves. Proverbs calls the wise to keep listening and to increase in learning. Learning is not merely accumulating facts; it is a posture of humility, curiosity, and dependence on God.

Jesus modeled this: He listened, taught, asked questions, and engaged people from every background. Learning keeps our faith vital. It helps us discern truth from error, love more wisely, serve more effectively, and cope with change. It also prevents pride; the learner knows there is always more to understand.

The Apostle Paul was a lifelong learner. He kept learning even till his old age. 2 Timothy 4:13 says, “ When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.” It is traditionally considered that 2 Timothy was the last epistle Paul wrote before his death, and he still had an appetite for learning. This is what prompted him to tell Timothy to bring his books and papers to him in prison.

Jesus promised, “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given” (Mark 4:25).  Jesus uses this verse to explain that a person’s willingness to engage with and act upon spiritual knowledge determines their continued growth in understanding and God’s grace. It’s a call to action for a responsive and faithful spiritual life, not just passive listening.

The spiritual life is not meant to be static; it is a journey of continuous growth and discovery. In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul writes, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” This transformation requires a conscious decision to be an “always learner.”

Discussion Questions:

1. What does the Bible teach about the importance of acquiring knowledge and wisdom throughout life (Proverbs 18:15)? 
2. How can we define lifelong learning, and what makes it different from simply attending school or completing formal education? 
3. Why is lifelong learning considered a crucial aspect of a Christian’s journey, and how does it help us become more like Christ? 

“You make springs pour water into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor. You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth—wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.” – Psalm 104: 10-15.

Generosity is one of God’s core character traits. Psalm 104 describes a generous God who sustains all of creation by opening His hand to provide food, water, and shelter for every living thing. He commands the seasons. He created all things. Psalm 104 illustrates this truth while consistently highlighting God’s generosity in creation and provision.

He doesn’t just provide water in the valley, He makes ”streams gush down from the mountains” (v.10). “The trees of the Lord are well cared for…” (v. 16). “…You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied” (v. 28).

God doesn’t administer His grace in percentages; He gives it out of the abundance of His heart. In Jesus, He has given His people one blessing after another. When we, the recipients of His grace, give of our time, money, talents, or anything else abundantly and thankfully, God is glorified.

God is generous. Sometimes in the comfortable world we live in, we can grow numb to that generosity, especially when things aren’t going as well as we would like. It is times like these we should remember that God’s generosity is not just His blessing, but it is His very heart. God has always had, and will always have, a generous heart.  It is in His very character.

A good way to remind us of that is to be generous ourselves. Generosity in our own lives reminds us of God’s generosity.  The good news is that people living in the freedom of generosity, reflecting the generous character of God, can impact real change. A generous person can change a family. A generous family can change a neighborhood. A generous church can change a city.

This week, as you travel about, take a few moments to recognize God’s generosity. We are surrounded by God’s generosity through the beauty of nature, food, and so many other things. More deeply, we are recipients of His ultimate act of generosity. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross so we could be reconciled to God. Understanding God’s generosity should shape our identity and actions.

“God is the greatest giver in the universe. And he won’t let you outlive Him. Go ahead and try and see what happens.” – Randy Alcorn.

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you recall a specific time when you felt God provided for you in a surprising or unexpectedly generous way? What was the effect of that experience on you? 
2. How can we, as Christians, follow Jesus’ example of generosity in our day-to-day lives? 

“They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.” – 2 Corinthians 8:2.

The apostle Paul praised some of the poorest and most persecuted churches in the New Testament for their generosity. He said their giving had abounded in riches … to the point of overflowing. How could it be that people with nothing had so much to give?

These young Macedonian churches were “being tested by many troubles,” and as a result, “are very poor.” Yet their compassion for the persecuted Jewish believers in Jerusalem, and their willingness to act on it, became an example of generosity to the whole body of churches.

More remarkable than the gift they made was the way it happened. First, they gave everything they were able … and then they gave more than they were able. It extends beyond monetary giving and focuses on the underlying attitude and motivation behind all acts of generosity.

Generosity is more than just giving; it’s a reflection of the heart. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody the spirit of generosity, mirroring the abundant grace of  our heavenly Father. God’s Word teaches us that everything we have is a gift from Him. But it is not about ownership but stewardship. We become conduits of God’s blessings, entrusted with resources to extend His love to others.

Generosity is not confined to material wealth; it encompasses our time, talents, and treasure. It’s the willingness to share what we have, whether large or small, with a cheerful heart, knowing that our actions honor God and bless others. Jesus exemplified the ultimate act of generosity through His sacrificial love on the cross. He gave without expecting anything in return, demonstrating that true generosity stems from selflessness and genuine concern for others. When we practice generosity, we acknowledge God’s provision in our lives and express thankfulness by sharing with others. Through our generosity, others witness God’s goodness and tangibly experience His love.

Additionally, generosity tends to build upon itself. Giving freely inspires a ripple effect, touching lives and prompting others to do the same. It creates a community marked by compassion and support, where needs are met and hearts are uplifted.

Generosity isn’t always easy. The call to give sacrificially challenges our natural inclinations in a world consumed by self-interest. Yet, God promises to bless those who give willingly and cheerfully, multiplying their generosity and providing for their needs. When stretched to give sacrificially, our faith is stretched.

Ultimately, the blessing of a generous heart is its power to transform not only us, but those we love and serve. Embracing a generous spirit, we deepen our relationship with God as we fulfill our purpose in being with Him, like Him and doing what He did.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can you practice being a “cheerful giver” this week, even in a small way? Perhaps by offering a word of encouragement, an hour of your time, or a small but meaningful gift.
2. In what ways has God demonstrated generosity to you? Meditate on His abundant grace and allow your gratitude to stir a more generous heart within you.

 “While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” – Luke 21:1-4.

Jesus was an expert at “flipping the script” and breaking paradigms. Of all the things that Jesus flipped the switch on, one is generosity. Let’s look at how Jesus flips the script on generosity in Luke 21:1-4:

In this story, Jesus was sitting near the offering boxes or receptacles at the temple, where the people would put their offerings. The old script, the accepted paradigm, was that the size of the gift measures generosity. The wealthy would drop their rolls of coins in those offering receptacles and make a huge sound that people couldn’t help but notice. Not much has changed today in the philanthropy sector.  But watch how Jesus flips the script.

In verse 4, he says, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”  Jesus flips the switch by stating that a person’s net worth is not determined by their possessions or what they own. Instead, generosity is measured by the size of the sacrifice, not the size of the gift, not the numerical value, but the size of the sacrifice. Not how much one gives, but how much one has left over after they give. And the widow is an excellent example of that. Jesus is saying that everyone can be generous, regardless of how much or how little money they have.

Another script that was flipped is that you had to be generous out of obligation. The reality is that if generosity is required, it is not generosity at all. Generosity is giving to others freely and abundantly. In Matthew 10:8, Jesus really highlights this particular definition of generosity when He says to the disciples, “Give as freely as you have received!” Jesus wants us to know that generosity is meant to be an expression of gratitude. You are more blessed when you give than when you receive. But it doesn’t just do something for you. It does something for those to whom you give.

Whenever we are tangibly and deeply loved by someone, gratitude is the normal response followed by tangible expressions of that gratitude.  When you understand Jesus, when you experience Him, when you comprehend the depth and the width and the height of His love for you, then it’s just the most normal thing for you to want to give Him your time and your energy and your service.

In your own mind and heart today, what is your primary script about generosity? Is one of these scripts really shaping and forming the life of generosity that you’re living?

We will only live a life of generosity when we understand how good and gracious God is, and begin to give and live out of gratitude.

Discussion Questions:

1. What resources (time, money, skills, presence) has God entrusted to me that I can steward more generously?
2. What one concrete act of generosity will I commit to this week?