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As God led the Israelites over the Jordan, His presence, represented by the Ark of the Covenant a thousand yards ahead, remained close enough for them to know He was with them but distant enough to grow their faith.

While the other ten men who explored the Promised Land gave a negative report, Joshua and Caleb were resolute that with God they can face whatever stands before them. By faith, we learn to trust His promises when the plan doesn’t always make sense.

We have an idea of what marriage will be like, but what if our expectations aren’t realistic? We want a love that lasts but may not even know what to be looking for. God has given us a picture of what marriage is for and what it should be like.

While there are countless marriages consisting of people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.

How would you define your relationship with Jesus? Close enough for the benefits but not to require sacrifice? He wants completely committed, radically resilient, sacrificially sold-out followers who will give their lives to His everyday mission.

Like Lydia, some of us have worshiped God but have never really opened our hearts to the message of Jesus shaping our everyday life. But, as with Lydia, we are truly unleashed when we open every aspect of our lives to Kingdom significance.

Like Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch, the Holy Spirit moves us from a life of routine to one that takes risks. Given the power of the Spirit within us, we want to be people who catch its wind in our everyday lives and are moved to faithful action.

Stephen’s death caused Saul to grow more violent in persecuting believers, resulting in them scattering throughout the world—unleashing the Church as never before. God can use anything and anyone; He simply calls us to radical commitment to Him.

Peter and John were described as unschooled and ordinary. Yet, God used these words to unleash them. Their courage and confidence were the byproduct of a life with Jesus. Acts 4:13 tells us the key to being unleashed is spending time with Jesus.

Jesus prays for God to be glorified, for believers to be unified, and for hearts to be protected by the Word—not for the world to like us. Jesus instead prays that, through seeing God’s love for us, the world would know God’s love as He does.