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Written by Josh Moody, a contemporary pastor.  This is an excerpt from his work “5 Ways You Can Make a Difference to Change the World.”

Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth, and we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14). He does not tell us that we need to become change agents (salt or light); he tells us we are change agents. In ancient times, salt was primarily used not as an aid to taste but as a preservative. Jesus is saying that we are the global moral preservatives. And then, as now, light shone in dark places to show us the way to go. He is saying that we are the global spiritual illuminators. He also tells us it’s possible to hide our light under a bowl, and while chemically salt cannot lose its saltiness, salt then (and now) could get ruined by having other elements to it. So, our saltiness and our light-i-ness can get ruined by either hiding and not speaking out (light under a bowl) or being corrupted by non-Christian behavior and thoughts (losing our saltiness)… It’s very easy in our days of political correctness to keep our light under a bowl. Certainly, prudence is sensible. Jesus also tells his followers to be shrewd. A whole book of the Bible is devoted to the importance of wisdom (the book of Proverbs). There is seldom any advantage to be gained for acting in foolhardy and unnecessarily risky ways. But, that said, it is a temptation for many of us – when speaking out on simple Biblical truths can get us into hot water – to hide… Salt will not be salty if it is corrupted by morally tarnished attitudes, doctrines drawn from current philosophies, not from the Bible, and spiritually pluralistic tendencies. That kind of salt is not really good for anything. It will need to be thrown on the trash heap. Let us not be like that! Stay distinct.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. [Matthew 5:13]

Written by Ken Boa, a contemporary author and founder of Reflections Ministry. This is an excerpt from his book “Transforming Prayers.”

God of redemption, You have given me the inexpressible grace of being justified before You through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. You have overcome my enmity and given me the gift of peace with You and the hope of Your glory. But You have also taught me in Your Word that I will encounter tribulation in this world, especially as I seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. In spite of my natural disposition to the contrary, please make it more evident to me that affliction can be redemptive, because it can forge proven character and draw me away from misplaced and ill-defined hopes. I want to hope only in You and not in the goods and benefits of this passing world. My experience of suffering will be brief in light of eternity, and I know that You will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish me in Christ. Amen.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ [Romans 5:1]

This is an excerpt from “The Bible in a Year: A 52-Week Journey Through God’s Word,” written by the Spiral Bible team.

God’s love forms the foundation of His relationship with humanity and is demonstrated most powerfully through the sacrifice of His Son. This divine love is not merely emotional but active and transformative, calling us to both receive and reflect this love to others…God’s love isn’t just something God does; it flows from who He is. His love isn’t a response to our worthiness but an expression of His character…Love isn’t just one of God’s many attributes among many—it’s His very essence. Every action He takes, every boundary He sets, every promise He makes flows from this core reality…This is love that acts, love that sacrifices, love that pursues even when rejected. It’s love that saw us at our worst and chose us anyway…His love remains steadfast…God’s love should transform how we view ourselves, how we treat others, and how we approach life’s challenges. When we truly begin to grasp that we are deeply loved by the Creator of the universe, it changes everything – our identity, our purpose, and our response to both blessing and difficulties.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [1 John 4:7-8]

Written by Janice Mayo Mathers (1951-2026), an author and speaker.  This is an excerpt from her book “Following Jesus Through Mark.”

Agnes was just a teenager when she felt God calling her to become a missionary. It was a God-fueled passion that burned within her, never dimming until the day she died. For 50 years, she worked determinedly among the poorest of the poor in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) India. To the world she eventually became known as Mother Teresa, a tiny woman whose contribution to humanity was so great she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But in the beginning, before anyone had heard of her, when she was still just Agnes, she approached the superiors of her church and told them of her desire to be a missionary. “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage,” she said. “You can’t build an orphanage with three pennies,” they reasoned.  “With three pennies you can’t do anything.” Agnes just smiled at them. “I know. But with God and three pennies I can do anything.” It is easy to think our tiny efforts can’t make a difference, that we don’t have the talent or the money to really help. What Agnes understood, however, is that it is not our talent or money that makes a difference—it is our willingness to be used by God. The truth is—with God and three pennies we can do anything.

 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” [Matthew 19:26]

Written by David Briones, a contemporary professor and author.

Self-sufficiency (autarkeia) was considered by ancient Stoic philosophers to be the essence of all the virtues. The ideal wise person was entirely independent. To be dependent on someone else expressed one’s subordination. The wise person must rely on oneself through his inward ability—the power of the will—to resist the force of external circumstances and prevent those circumstances from causing inner anxiety or distress. Put simply, the power to become self-sufficient came from within. But for Paul, the power to become self-sufficient comes from without…We are not the source of our contentment. We are always dependent on Christ…Paul redefines “self-sufficiency” into “Christ-sufficiency.” Through our union with Christ, we receive the ability to do “all things.” The meaning of “all things,” however, is determined by the economic extremes of “abound,” “plenty,” and “abundance,” as well as “low,” “hunger,” and “need.” Whether in material lack or abundance, believers can experience contentment in Christ and avoid the temptations that attend both doubting the love of God in low times or forgetting the God of love in high times. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessingin the heavenly places. [Ephesians 1:3]

Written by Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), an evangelist and teacher aligned with the Holiness Movement.  This is an excerpt from his book “My Utmost for His Highest.”

The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reign.

He has responded to the prayer of the destitute and has not despised their prayer. [Psalm 102:7]

Written by Paul David Tripp, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.

[The truth is], none of us likes the prospect of being physically weak. None of us likes our lives being put on hold. But it does force you to face the reality that your life is in the hands of another. It reminds you that you are small and dependent, that whatever little pits of power and control you have can be taken away in an instant. Independence is a delusion that is quickly exposed during times of weakness. I found what I went through to be deeply humbling. My weakness enabled me to see and admit to things I have never faced in myself before.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [2 Corinthians 12:9-10]

Written by Winn Collier, a contemporary author.  This is an excerpt from his book “Let God.”

One of the beauties—as well as the prickly points—of Christian faith is that it is never intended to be lived in theory. Faith is fleshed out among particular people, in particular places. Some of the most important elements of our spiritual pilgrimage will be names—names of friends we’ve had and places we’ve lived. There will be people we couldn’t get enough of and people who hung around way too much. There will be places that felt like home, places that felt like hell, and places that had bits of both. To live well we must embrace this particularity. If we don’t we will miss the very best of what it means to be alive. We will miss living with an engaged, open heart. As Terry Tempest Williams said, “If I choose not to become attached to nouns—a person, place, or thing—then…my heart cannot be broken because I never risked giving it away.” This isn’t easy. The pain is in the particulars. We can believe in the idea of squashing our selfishness in order to love another. We can believe in the notion of giving ourselves to a place that isn’t exactly the place we would choose. However,m the actual doing of it, the loving and the giving—that often hurts. It hurts because we can’t control the process. We can’t choose all the people God will send into our life, and we can’t choose to turn it off when it gets too messy.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.  [Hebrews 10:24-25]

Written by Francois Fenelon (1651-1715), a French archbishop, theologian, poet, and writer.

You trivialize authentic love when you assume that the small things that hold you hostage have also kidnapped love. This isn’t true. Love is wild and free; it goes straight to God with abandon and simplicity. Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He disguises himself beautifully, under the garb of things that seem spiritual. He will use a false, overwrought love or a guilt-wracked mind against you…You absolutely must have a courageous obedience and push back Satan’s very first advances. You must cut him down when he first raises his head or first slings his lies.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. [1 Peter 5:8-9]

From the ReformedWorship.org website.

In a divided world,
may we speak of our unity in Christ.
In the midst of a scarcity mindset,
may the church be generous in all things.
When the world is at war,
let the church work for peace and the flourishing of all.
Amidst the shouts of “hate,”
may we live “love”
and follow the God of love
to the cross.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [Ephesians 4:2-3]