Author: Ryan Shinn

The Way – John 14:1–6

John 14:6 (NIV)
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

When Thomas says that he does not know the way, Jesus gives one of the clearest and most direct statements in all of Scripture. Thomas was possibly looking for something along the lines of, “Make a left turn at Albuquerque.” But Jesus does not offer directions or principles. He says that he himself is the way. He is not pointing toward a path. He is the path. No one comes to the Father except through him.

This verse is often recognized for its exclusivity, and rightly so. Jesus does not leave room for alternate routes to God. That can be uncomfortable in a culture that prefers many paths. But if Jesus is telling the truth here, then other paths do not lead to God at all. Believing otherwise would require believing that Jesus is just crazy, wrong, or intentionally dishonest.

What is easy to forget is that this is not meant to make Christians smug. The same Jesus who died for my sins also died for the sins of people who are trusting in paths that cannot deliver what those “paths to God” promise. This should not produce pride. It should produce urgency. Gratitude for the truth and a deep concern for those who do not yet know it should shape how I live and how I engage with others.

Preparing a place – John 14:1–6

John 14:2–3 (NIV)
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Jesus tells his disciples that he is leaving, and that he has to leave. He speaks about preparing a place for them and promises that he will return so that they can be together with him. I always interpreted that like Jesus is talking about construction in heaven, as though something still needed to be built. But now I’m thinking that I was wrong about that.

What Jesus was preparing was not a location, at all. His preparation was his work on the cross and, later, the giving of the Holy Spirit. He was not saying that heaven was unfinished. He was saying that access to God was. His departure was not primarily about going to heaven. It was about doing what only he could do so that his people could ultimately be with him.

That reframes this promise for me. It shifts my focus away from speculation about heaven and back to gratitude for what Jesus accomplished. I need to remain thankful that Jesus did what was necessary so that being with him was even possible at all.

Forgiveness – Colossians 3:12–17

Colossians 3:13 (NIV) – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

In Colossians, Paul paints a picture of what Christians are actually supposed to look like. Kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness are not optional traits for us. They are markers of a life shaped by Christ.

Above all of them sits love, which binds it all together and creates real unity among believers. Forgiveness is a natural result of biblical love. Unresolved grievance destroys that unity faster than almost anything else.

This passage is a reminder that forgiveness has to be intentional. It does not happen naturally, and it is often difficult. But Scripture is clear that forgiveness is not a side issue in the kingdom of God. It is a priority.

There are a lot of misconceptions about Christian forgiveness. Refusing to hold anger and bitterness is biblical. Handing someone the keys after they repeatedly crashed my car is not. Forgiveness releases guilt and resentment. It does not require ignoring real results of our actions.

If I want to live in a way that reflects Christ, then forgiveness and love cannot be theoretical. They have to show up in real relationships, even when it costs something.

God of the Lowly – Luke 2:8–20

Luke 2:11 – “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

The first people to hear about the birth of Jesus were shepherds, out in the fields doing an ordinary job. They were not powerful, educated, or respected in society. The angel’s appearance would have been terrifying and completely unexpected. God chose to announce the arrival of the Savior to people who were low on the social ladder, which says something important about who this message was really for. The shepherds went anyway, despite have a lot of sheep. Whatever else was going on, they responded immediately.

It’s easy to imagine a message that would change the whole course of human history going out to kings…that is if I had designed it. Or maybe it would’ve been the top scholars. I don’t know, because I have never been a part of announcing something that big.

But the Father didn’t do it that way. No, he planned from the beginning of the universe to announce this first to people I never would’ve picked. God’s work often shows up in humble places, and that His grace is not reserved for the impressive or important. It is given freely, right where people are.

Show Love – 1 John 4:7–12

1 John 4:9 (NIV)
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

Love is the central issue John is addressing here. Not feelings, not romance, and not vague goodwill, but a love that has a source and a definition. God is the origin of that love, and He made it visible by sending His Son. John is clear that people come to know God, not through arguments or religious performance, but through the way His people love one another. Christian love is not self-generated. It flows out of what God has already done.

What strikes me is that this passage does not really change based on time or context. If I believe that God loved me enough to send His Son, even when I did not deserve it, then that love has to move outward. It cannot stay theoretical. It is not only something to be believed, but something to be lived.

That means love should shape every interaction I have with people. Not just by talking about God’s love, but by showing it through patience, kindness, and grace. I fall short of that constantly. I am human and sinful. Still, this passage calls me to try, to let God’s love be seen through me, even when it is inconvenient or undeserved.

No Condemnation – Romans 8:1–11

Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8 does not begin a new idea so much as it finishes one. The word “therefore” ties it directly to what Paul has just said about his own inability to fully obey God’s law. Even the apostle admits he cannot win this battle on his own. That is the point. If righteousness depended on perfect obedience, everyone would lose. Romans 8:1 is the answer to that problem. Jesus steps in where the law and human effort fall short.

Paul then draws a clear contrast between life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. The flesh represents our natural limitations and impulses, while the Spirit represents God’s transforming presence within us. For those who are in Christ, the Spirit changes the entire equation. Freedom from condemnation is not permission to live however we want. It is the foundation for a completely different way of life.

For me, this passage is meant to shape everything. I want to be fully surrendered to God’s direction and his kingdom, trusting that the same Spirit who frees me from condemnation is also the one who empowers me to live differently.

Put on Love – Colossians 3:12–17

Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

This passage reads like straightforward instruction, and in many ways it is. Paul lays out what a life shaped by Christ should look like, not in abstract terms but in everyday behavior. Forgiveness stands at the center of it. Being forgiven by God while refusing to forgive others simply does not fit within the way God works. Love, gratitude, and forgiveness are not optional traits here. They are commanded because they reflect the character of Christ himself.

What strikes me is how closely thankfulness and forgiveness are tied together. People who are thankful tend to be more generous and more patient with others. They are usually easier to be around. I want to be that kind of person. The challenge, of course, is that this is often hardest with the people closest to me. This passage reminds me that Christlike love does not stop at the edges of convenience. If I want to live in a way that reflects Jesus, then forgiveness, gratitude, and love have to show up consistently, especially at home.

Dust of the Rabbi – Luke 5:1–11

Luke 5:10b–11 – “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

This passage carries more weight than it might appear at first glance. Simon and the others were fishermen, which likely meant they had not made it through the full layers of Jewish religious education. In their own words and actions, they knew they were not obvious candidates to be chosen.

Yet Jesus, a respected rabbi, calls them anyway. When Simon announces his own sinfulness, that he doesn’t measure up, Jesus does not turn away. Instead, he invites him to follow. In that culture, that invitation meant more than learning information. It meant becoming like the rabbi and doing the things the rabbi does.

That changes how I read this passage. Jesus calling Simon means Jesus saw something in him, confidence that Simon could walk with him and grow into what he was called to be. In the same way, Jesus calls us to follow him with the same kind of trust. He knows our limitations, but he also knows what he can do through us.

A right response is not to strive harder, but to stay close. To let his presence guide…to be attentive, still, and willing to move when he moves. The goal is not perfection, but proximity. To follow closely enough that I am shaped by him, learning as I go, covered in the dust of my rabbi.

Unity – Ephesians 4:1–6

Ephesians 4:2 – “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

Paul’s call here is practical and relational. He is writing to believers and urging them to live in a way that matches what God has already done in them. Humility, gentleness, and patience are not abstract virtues. They are everyday habits that make unity possible. Paul anchors this call in something deeper than good behavior. There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God over all.

This is a reminder that unity in the Church does not happen by accident. It grows when believers actually live out the Fruit of the Spirit in their relationships with one another. It is really easy to get caught up in internicine arguments over issues of Christian doctrine. Pretty soon, a deep split happens. Some of these issues are totally unimportant. Some of these issues are not at all.

How we treat other Christians matters, not just for our own growth, but for the health of the whole body. If we truly believe there is one God and one body, then preserving unity is not optional. It is part of living a life worthy of the calling we have received.