Paul’s letters to the church are so important for us to read as the church today. There are so many lessons in the words he wrote to the early church that still apply to us today. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul was addressing arguments within the church over what kinds of food were okay or not okay to eat. They were caught up in the details—but Paul noticed the root issue. The solution to the problem wasn’t found in who was right or wrong. Instead, it was found in keeping a posture of love toward one another, staying true to their personal convictions while also being respectful of others who had a different opinion.

Has the Lord ever interrupted you while you’ve been praying? I’m not talking about a moment of silence where you’re waiting—but actively speaking to Him when He shifts the conversation from talking to listening. This moment happened to me a few weeks ago and revealed something in my life that I needed to give back to Him.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, the Church is collectively reflecting on the great price that Jesus paid for us—laying down His life so that we could be made right with Him. He was the perfect example of servant leadership, washing the feet of His disciples shortly before making His way to the cross. If there was anyone worthy of receiving public praise, seats of honor, and fancy titles, it was Jesus. However, He modeled the opposite and told us to do the same.

Sometimes we get a picture in our minds of God the Father—or even Jesus, His Son—as a strict, unapproachable authority figure, eagerly waiting for us to mess up so that He can discipline us harshly. Jesus, who was “fully God and fully man,” shows us the heart of the Father through His character. And thankfully, He isn’t quite what many of us would expect.

The first few years of Jesus’ life had to be a wild ride for Joseph, the man God chose to be His father on earth. First, his fiancée became pregnant, and he had to trust that this truly was God’s doing and not unfaithfulness—now that’s a pretty big step of faith all on its own. She was carrying the Son of God and Savior of the world, but they were traveling when she went into labor, and there was no room for them in the inn, so she placed this newborn Savior in a manger. Then Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt, and they stayed there until Herod’s death because Herod had heard about Jesus and was actively searching to kill Him. After Herod died, an angel appeared to Joseph again in a dream and told them to return to Israel. However, they heard Herod’s son was the new ruler of Judea, so they settled in a small town called Nazareth. This probably felt very chaotic for Joseph. I wonder if he ever questioned, “Is this really part of God’s plan? Is it supposed to happen like this?”