May 7, 2025

BE A PERSON OF FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. 

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace. 

You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.

Colossians 1:3-8 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Paul writes with a heart full of prayer and gratitude. From the very beginning of this letter, we see Paul doing what he often did—praying for others. He didn’t just preach and plant churches; he labored in prayer for the people he loved. This is a challenge to all of us. Regardless of our gifts or positions, we can all be people of prayer.

Paul celebrates three powerful qualities in the lives of the Colossians: faith, love, and hope. These are foundational to every believer’s walk with Christ.

• Faith in Christ Jesus is where it all starts. It’s not just belief in a system—it’s trust in a Person. That faith changes everything.

• From faith flows love—love for us because we are loved by God, and love for others because His love fills us. This love is the true mark of a follower of Jesus.

• And all of it is fueled by hope—a hope that’s not tied to earthly success, comfort, or possessions. Our hope is in what God has prepared for us in eternity. This world is not our home—we are just passing through.

Paul reminds them (and us) that the Good News of Jesus is spreading throughout the world, and it is changing lives. From the very first time they heard and understood the message of God’s grace, their lives began to bear fruit.

God’s grace is powerful. It’s not just a comforting thought—it’s a transforming force. It can:

• Rescue the worst sinner,

• Break the chains of addiction,

• Replace despair with hope,

• And heal the deepest wounds of the heart.

That same grace is at work in us today. So, as people of faith, love, and hope, let us also be people who pray, who live transformed, and who share the Good News with our world.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, make me a person of faith, love, and hope. Remind me of the power of Your grace—not only to change me but to transform the world around me. Help me to share that grace daily.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”