The Anchor in Constant Change

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10 (NLT)

Everything in life changes—relationships, jobs, health, finances. But there’s one thing in the universe that will never change: God’s love.

God loves me, no matter what. My failures, brokenness, and sin can never diminish his love. Knowing I can count on God's love provides a rock-solid foundation for my life.

The Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16, says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (NIV).

Consider the small word “so” that goes before “loved” in that verse. “So” suggests the extravagance of God’s love. God loves you with a generous, extravagant love that can never be taken away. It’s beyond comprehension. He loves me on my good days and bad days. He loves me when I sin and when I am faithful to him.   

It's important that I don't just recognize this lavish love intellectually. I need to experience it emotionally, to really understand it deep down in my spirit. Love is God’s nature. God created the universe and everything in it just so that he could love it. And God created me so he could love me.

In fact, in Jesus, God shows what real love, his love, looks like. The Bible says, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:9-10 NLT).        

Many people say they love me. But God showed me he loves me. He loves me so much that it hurt. He sacrificed his Son. When Jesus died for me, he was saying he loved me so much he’d rather die than live without me.

The Bible says that’s what real love—the kind of love I can build your life on—looks like. Real love makes sacrifices. Real love gives all. Real love endures for all eternity.

That’s the kind of love only God has for me. He’s waiting with open arms to show me his goodness, mercy, and love.

In Summary:

This passage explores the unchanging and sacrificial nature of God's love as demonstrated in 1 John 4:9–10 and John 3:16. While human circumstances, status, and stability constantly shift, God’s love remains an enduring foundation that is unearned, unaffected by personal failures, and proven through action. Rather than treating love as an abstract concept, the text emphasizes that real love requires sacrifice—exemplified by God sending His Son to secure eternal life and redeem humanity. Ultimately, the core message invites a transition from merely understanding God's love as an intellectual truth to internalizing it as an experiential, foundational reality that shapes daily identity and security.

Bottom Line:

God’s love is not a reaction to my performance, but an unshakeable, self-sacrificing foundation I can build my life upon.

Next step:

Set aside 10 minutes today to pause and evaluate where I might be seeking security in shifting circumstances—such as work performance, approval, or personal success—rather than in my inherent identity. Write down one specific pressure point I am currently carrying, and deliberately ground my perspective in the reality that my worth is already settled, allowing you to act out of rest rather than the need to prove myself.

Living for What Lasts

“For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (GNT)

Most people rarely evaluate their values or question their perceptions until they have a crisis. 

It’s often in deep pain that I begin to examine what I'm building my life on. I might realize I'd been living my life to feel good, look good, or accumulate wealth or power. But in a crisis, I instinctively know that there has to be more to life.

So why wait for a crisis to evaluate values? Instead, I need to stop today to consider what I should value. I can start by asking myself this critical question: What’s going to last?

The world seems to value the here and now. Its message is that tomorrow doesn’t matter. Next year doesn’t matter. A thousand years from today doesn’t matter. Eternity and heaven don’t matter. Live for today. Live for self. Live it up, as we only live once!

But we know that’s not true, because the Bible says something different: “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17 NIV).

Consider what happens when I'm tempted. Temptation isn’t just a battle between good and bad or what’s best and what’s not best.

Temptation is always a battle between now and later: Will I do what God says and enjoy the benefits later, or will I do what I want and enjoy the benefits now

The Bible teaches us to “fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 GNT).

Whether I'm in a crisis or not, take some time to evaluate what I'm basing my life on. Am I trying to live it up, or am I  giving my life away? Ask the hard questions that reveal where I have put my trust and how I have invested my time and resources.

Then choose to build a life on God’s truth. It will last forever and never let me down.

In summary:

Life’s crises often reveal the fragility of the things we usually value—appearance, pleasure, possessions, or power—and remind us that these are temporary. But God calls me to look beyond what is seen and build my life on what is eternal. Temptation always tests whether we will live for short-term satisfaction or long-term fulfillment in God’s will. Rather than waiting for hardship to reassess priorities, i should regularly evaluate what I'm basing my life on and ask whether it will last forever. The Bible reminds me to fix my attention on eternal truths, not temporary gains, because only God’s Word and purposes endure.

Bottom Line:

Life is short, and the things of this world won’t last—but God’s truth and purposes will. What matters most is building a life on eternal values, not temporary ones. 

My next wisest step is for me to take time this week to clarify my own “eternal values” in writing—list the truths, principles, and purposes I want to guide my life and leadership. Then, intentionally weave one of those values into my coaching, speaking, or daily leadership interactions, so that I'm not only living it but also modeling it for others.

Created for a Purpose

“God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” Ephesians 2:10 (NCV)

I'm not here on earth to live for myself.

I was made for a greater purpose than simply to make money, retire, and die. I was made for a mission, and that mission gives my life meaning.

The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10 NCV).

I'm unique. No one else in the whole world—past, present, or future—is like me. God has made me so unique that there are certain things only i can contribute to the world. Those things make up my life mission.

Until i know my life mission, I'm just existing. Life may seem good, but I won’t experience the fulfillment I would if I were living out God’s intentions for me.

Jesus says in Mark 8:35, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (TLB).

God is giving me the opportunity to build my life around his mission for me. The only way to do that is by starting with a firm foundation: Jesus Christ. “And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than that one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 TLB).

I can choose to build my life on Jesus, the only foundation that will last. Or I can choose to spend my life chasing things that ultimately will fail me.

What’s certain is that one day I will stand before God and he’ll ask: “Did you fulfill the mission that I gave you on this earth?” On that day, it will be clear whether I spent my life fulfilling God’s mission for me—or if I chose to chase lesser things.

The good news is that it’s never too late to start living the life God has planned for me. So I will continue building my foundation on Jesus and pursuing God’s mission for my life today.

In summary:

I was created by God for a unique and meaningful purpose—not just to exist, but to fulfill a mission he planned specifically for me. Ephesians 2:10 reminds me that God designed each of us to do good works through Christ, and living out this purpose brings true fulfillment. While the world may push me to pursue personal success or comfort, Jesus teaches that real life is found in giving myself for his mission and the Good News. Building my life on the solid foundation of Christ allows me to focus on what truly lasts and prepares me to one day answer God’s question: “Did I live out the mission he gave me?” It’s never too late to begin living for that greater purpose.

Creating a Firm Foundation

In Isaiah 54:10-12 I read, “The mountains may move, and the hills may shake, but my kindness will never depart from you. My promise of peace will never change . . . I will rebuild your city with precious stones. I will reset your foundations with sapphires. I will rebuild your towers with rubies.” (GW)

There is only one place in the Bible where the word “reset” is used. It’s found in Isaiah 54. The nation of Israel had lost a war to Babylon, where they were taken as captives and would remain for 70 years.

The Israelites were pretty discouraged—not just because they had lost but because their Holy City, Jerusalem, had been destroyed.

In the midst of all this, God did not want them to forget that he was still with them. He loved them, and he was going to rebuild—or reset—their lives. 

God says in Isaiah 54:10-12, “The mountains may move, and the hills may shake, but my kindness will never depart from you. My promise of peace will never change . . . I will rebuild your city with precious stones. I will reset your foundations with sapphires. I will rebuild your towers with rubies” (GW).

God was going to rebuild their city and their whole lives. But the foundation wouldn’t be made of clay or rock or cement. God said he would build Israel’s foundation with sapphires and rubies.

Why would God build a foundation with precious jewels? Because every other kind of foundation can rot or decay—but sapphires and rubies last forever. That’s why they’re so expensive!

God would build Israel’s foundation with the most precious things on Earth. That is how much he loved and cared for his people.

When Job was going through hard times, his friend said to him, “Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God. Put away evil and wrong from your home. Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more. Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon, and life’s darkest hours will shine like the dawn. You will live secure and full of hope” (Job 11:13-18 GNT). 

If I need to make a big change in life, then I’m going to need a strong foundation. And I’m only going to find that foundation in God, who loves and cares for me.

So I need to get rid of the sin and junk in life that keeps me from focusing on God. Then I can live full of hope, moving forward with courage and shining brighter than the sun. 

Am I God-Centered or Self-Centered?

In Philippians 4:6-7 I read, “Instead of worrying, pray . . . It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (The Message)

What will I make the center of my life?  Who or what am I going to live for? There are many things I center my life around, i.e. a career, a sport, a hobby, making money, or having fun.

While there is nothing wrong with these, they make for a lousy center for life. I need something that is absolutely unchanging, that can never be taken away. 

There’s only one thing I can put at the center of my life that will never change and is strong enough to sustain me through life: Jesus Christ.

When my core is solid in God, I have bounce-ability. I can bounce back from stress, problems, grief or from crisis faster. I have something solid in my life that doesn’t change, and I worry less.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7, “Instead of worrying, pray . . . It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (The Message).

Any time I start worrying, it should be a red flag, a warning sign that says, “I’ve allowed someone or something to become the center of my life instead of God."

God Is the Door to Freedom

In John 10:9 I read, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” (ESV)

I don’t need to be behind bars to be in prison. Why? Because the most common prison is in the mind.

A relationship can be a prison when it makes me feel trapped. Debt can be a suffocating prison that I don’t think I’ll ever escape. A tradition can be a prison because it confines me and doesn’t let me embrace the freedom God wants me to have. A painful memory can lock me behind steel doors of pain. Depression, fatigue, and shame can also be prisons.

The good news is that God wants to break me out!

God wants me to be free. When he opens doors, they’re pathways to something good. But before God can get me to where he wants me to go, he has to get me out of the prisons I’m in.

How does he do it?

First, he shakes things up. When Paul and his friends were in prison in Acts 16, God brought about an earthquake. Sometimes God has to shake my foundations—particularly my foundational beliefs—to get me out of prison, too. He’ll send an earthquake into my life to shake up those beliefs so I’m ready for the freedom he wants to give me.

Second, he plugs me into the power of the resurrection. That’s what Easter is all about. Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. God makes that power available to me every day.

Paul says in Ephesians 1:19-20, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (NLT).

The same power that opened Jesus’ tomb will open the prison doors that are holding me back. That’s real freedom! I just have to believe and trust God to provide for me in this way.

Over the next few studies, I’ll look at three specific ways that Jesus wants to bring me freedom.

In summary, I don’t need to be behind bars to be in prison. The most common prison is in the mind. A relationship can be a prison when it makes me feel trapped. Debt can be a suffocating prison that I don’t think I’ll ever escape. A tradition can be a prison because it confines me. A painful memory can lock me behind steel doors of pain. Depression, fatigue, and shame can also be prisons. The good news is that God wants to break me out!  God wants me to be free. When he opens doors, they’re pathways to something good. But before God can get me to where he wants me to go, he has to get me out of the prison I’m in. To do so first, he shakes things up. When Paul and his friends were in prison in Acts 16, God brought about an earthquake. Sometimes God has to shake my foundations—particularly my foundational beliefs. He’ll send an earthquake into my life to shake up those beliefs. Second, he plugs me into the power of the resurrection. That’s what Easter is all about. Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. God makes that power available to me every day. The same power that opened Jesus’ tomb will open the prison doors that are holding me back. I just have to believe and trust God to provide for me in this way.

In the sheepfold, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for me. He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people resent that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God. But Jesus is God's son, why should I (we) seek any other way or want to customize a different approach to God? 

The Greatest Privilege in Life

In 1 Peter 1:3 I read, “God . . . has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God's own family.” (TLB)

A church is not a place I go, and it’s not an event I attend. The church is a spiritual family I belong to, and it’s the most important thing on earth.

Why is the church so important? Because it is God’s family. In fact, the greatest privilege in life is to be part of God’s family, to be able to say, “I’m a member of God’s family. I’m a child of God.”

The Bible says, “God . . . has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family” (1 Peter 1:3 TLB).

When born physically, we immediately became part of the human race. That wasn’t our choice. But I do have a choice about my spiritual family. When I choose to accept Jesus as my Savior, I am born spiritually, and I become a member of God’s own family.

One of the benefits of being born into God’s family is found in 1 Timothy 3:15: “[God’s] family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth” (NCV). Living in an area where there are earthquakes, I know the value of having a good foundation. In the same way, when I have the support of a church family, I won’t crumble when life’s earthquakes happen.

Everything on earth will eventually crumble, except the church. No business, school, government, or nation will last forever. Only the church will last forever, because it is built by Jesus, and he’s focused on building his family.

Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (NLT).

In a world that’s full of uncertainty, I need to choose to build my life on the only foundation that is guaranteed to last: the secure foundation of God’s family.

In summary, God has given me the privilege of being born again so that I become a member of God's own family. A church is not a place I go, and it’s not an event I attend. The church is a spiritual family I belong to, and it’s the most important thing on earth, because it is God’s family. It is the greatest privilege in life, to be part of God’s family, a child of God.” When born physically, we became part of the human race. That wasn’t our choice. But I do have a choice about my spiritual family. When I choose to accept Jesus as my Savior, I am born spiritually, and I become a member of God’s own family. There is value in having a good foundation. When I have the support of a church family, I won’t crumble when life’s earthquakes happen. Everything on earth will eventually crumble, except the church. Only the church will last forever, because it is built by Jesus, and he’s focused on building his family. In a world that’s full of uncertainty, I need to choose to build my life on the only foundation that is guaranteed to last: the secure foundation of God’s family.

Peter's words offer joy and hope in times of trouble, and he bases his confidence on what God has done for me in Christ Jesus. I can live with the wonderful expectation of eternal life. My hope is for the future. My eternal life began when I trusted Christ and joined God's family. God will help me remain true to my faith through whatever difficult times I will face. No matter what trials or persecution I may face, my soul cannot be harmed if I have accepted Christ's gift of salvation. I will receive the promised rewards. It’s because of his great mercy that I have been born again. I can now live with a great expectation of my future because I have a priceless inheritance that is guaranteed. Confidence in this is found in what God has done through Jesus. No matter what trials or persecution I may face, I cannot lose this inheritance. I can place my trust in it.