I remember vividly the day I was born again. The Nazarene church our family used to attend was having its annual Fall Revival. I do not remember the name of the evangelist or the song selection or the text of the sermon. What stands out about that night is the strong awareness the Holy Spirit brought about my desperate need of a Savior. That night, as I knelt at an altar in the front of the sanctuary and repented of my sin, Jesus changed the trajectory of my life.

Have you ever thought about how your relationship with Christ has evolved over the years?

I continue to be amazed at the power of words. Genesis recounts that it was with words that God created light from the darkness (Genesis 1). It was words from Jesus that silenced the storms. Words have been life giving in my own life. It seems that at just the right moments, someone has spoken an encouraging word into difficult and discouraging situations. Quite likely, we have all been recipients of harmful words as well. It reminds me daily of the power of a word.

“Breaking news” scrolls across the bottom of the screen on every news network when something the media deems significant takes place. Social media fills with hashtags of the event, and articles are posted on various media outlets. This news becomes the conversation starter before the meeting at work or before class begins. The bigger the news, the longer it trends on Twitter!

Here we are, the day after Easter.

Jesus is alive! Death and sin did not get the last word. Jesus has risen from the dead and He is Lord!

The word “submission” may sound unacceptable in our day. The hour in which we live is replete with people fighting for authority and power. The pursuit of position over relationship is fertile breeding ground for offense, outrage, critique, and protest often espoused through social media or in front of a camera. Neither are such negative responses absent from the space around the water cooler in the office, the break room, or the classroom.