They Really Lived

“Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved—to really live?”

(Acts 16:30, MSG)

One of my favorite movies is Secondhand Lions. It tells the story of two eccentric old uncles, Hub and Garth, who spend their latter days sitting on the porch, shooting at trespassing traveling salesmen, and bemoaning days gone by. In their youth, they fought wars, hunted wild animals, and chased treasure and adventure at every turn. They even battled—and eventually befriended—a rich and powerful sheikh in North Africa.

Their story is told by their nephew, Walter, who grew up living with these two uncles. In the final scene, after his uncles have passed, Walter, now an adult, is approached by another man—the grandson of the very sheikh from his uncles' stories—with a question full of wonder: “So, the two men from my grandfather’s stories, they really lived?”

Walter nods and replies, “Yeah… they really lived.”

It’s a simple statement, but it lingers. “They really lived.” Not just existed, not just survived…but truly, fully…lived.

What does it mean to really live?

This isn’t just an abstract idea—it’s a question as old as time. Two thousand years ago, a Philippian jailer, shaken to his core, asked Paul and Silas the very same thing: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved—to really live?” (Acts 16:30, MSG)

Our world is obsessed with the idea of an extraordinary life. Social media floods us with highlight reels, fueling the fear that we’re missing out on something bigger and better. At first glance, Hub and Garth seem to embody real life. But Scripture tells us otherwise—true life isn’t about chasing adventure—it’s about trust. A deep, full, soul-satisfying life comes from trusting Jesus, the One who is the way, the truth and the life.

Paul and Silas didn’t tell the jailer to do more or try harder. Their answer was simple: "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you’ll live as you were meant to live." (Acts 16:31, MSG)

To really live isn’t about a constant search for meaning, always chasing something just out of reach, or writing the wildest, most adventurous story with your life—it’s about trusting in the One who wrote life itself. It’s about walking with Jesus, knowing Him, and letting His presence fill your days with purpose.

So stop striving for life where it cannot be found. Trust Jesus. Abide in Him.

And really live.

Can God Trust You?

Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

(John 2:23-25, NLT)

I served for eight years as an administrator at an International Christian School in South Korea. It was a place deeply rooted in missional heritage and dedicated to providing educational excellence to students in Asia. My family and I had been at the school for three years when something unexpected happened.

One day, I was called into the Head of School's office, and to my surprise, he offered me the job of Assistant Head of School—the number two position in the organization. I was humbled and deeply honored. It was an incredible opportunity. I had administrative experience, but that wasn’t why I was offered the job. It wasn’t about skills or qualifications—he said it was about trust. The Head of School chose me because he trusted me to steward and champion the school’s mission and vision with integrity.

Trust is an immense gift, not to be taken lightly. We see this in Jesus' encounter with the people in Jerusalem. Many trusted in Him after witnessing the miracles He performed, yet the passage tells us that Jesus did not trust them. Why? Because He knew the human heart—He understood the fleeting nature of surface-level faith. He knew that while people might be drawn to signs and wonders, their hearts were not fully surrendered to the deeper purpose of His mission.

This raises a challenging question: Can God trust you and me? It’s one thing to trust God for what He can do for us, but have we considered the trust He places in us? God’s Word shows that trust is built not in moments of glory, but in daily decisions to follow Him with all our hearts. His trust is realized in us through the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to fulfill His purposes. He trusts us as we abide in Him through surrender and holy living.

2 Timothy 2:21 says, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work." (NLT)

We can’t earn our salvation, but we can position ourselves to be trusted and used by God for every good work. Lean into Jesus, His holiness, and His mission, and you may be surprised with the incredible opportunities He provides—trusting you with more than you ever imagined.

Scrolling Through Life

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

(James 1:23-24, NIV)

Scrolling is no longer just something we do on our phones and computers—it has become a way of life. We live in an age of distraction. Social media, news, entertainment, and endless notifications pull us in a thousand directions, causing us to skim through everything—important moments, key relationships, engagement with God, and ultimately... life itself.

E. Stanley Jones wisely observed,

"What gets your attention, gets you."

And therein lies the danger of a scrolling heart and life. What is getting our time, our thoughts, our attention, and… our worship? Distraction isn’t just a focus problem. It’s a worship problem. True worship isn't realized in rituals or religious practices—it’s about where we direct our devotion, commitment, and energy. It’s about the things that capture our eyes, our minds, and our hearts.

Eugene Peterson once noted that without worship, we live "manipulated and manipulating lives"—at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren. We become vulnerable to whatever demands our attention next, reacting to the world’s noise instead of resting in God’s voice. Distracted, we forget God… and who we are in Him.

James warns us about treating Scripture the same way we treat our news feeds—glancing at it, then moving on unchanged. God’s Word is meant to shape us, not just be another post to scroll through. A mirror shows us who we are, but it only helps if we remember and respond to what we see. God’s Word is the same. It reveals our identity in Christ—but if we don’t pause to let it shape us, we remain unchanged.

Our thoughts shape who we become. If we allow our hearts and minds to be ruled by distractions, we will conform to the chaos around us. But if we fix our minds on Jesus—meditating on His Word instead of scrolling past it—we will be transformed (Rom. 12:2).

When it comes to attention, the question isn’t “What are you looking at?”—it’s “What are you worshiping?” Stop scrolling through life and fix your eyes on the One who is Life, the One worthy of all our attention—Jesus.

Sour Milk

“You cannot keep your milk sweet and yet let anything into your dairy; one dirty germ can sour an entire milking.” — J.H. Jowett

Blessed is the man

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers… (Psalm 1:1, ESV)

As a kid, I loved helping my grandad milk his 35 cows on his small farm. He used a vacuum system to pump the milk from the udders into stainless steel buckets, and then he vigilantly strained and filtered the milk into tall, heavy milk cans. Once full, we hammered the lids onto the cans and set them in an icy bath, ready for early morning pickup by the milk hauler.

Each week, my grandad received a check from the milk company—his reward for delivering pure milk. But occasionally, a rejection letter arrived instead. Inside was a stained piece of filter—proof that the milk he provided that week had been contaminated. Whether it was a dead fly, barn dirt, or something unseen, the result was the same: the entire day’s milking—all 35 cows’ worth—was rejected. One impurity ruined it all.

Just as a speck of dirt can spoil an entire milking, a trace of sin can sour our soul. Psalm 1:1 reveals the deadly decline—it starts small—listening to the wrong voices. Worldly counsel may seem good, but it’s not always godly, leading us down a path of doubt, selfishness, and sin. And before long, we’re seated with the scoffers—cynical, critical, and dismissive—and that small trace of sin ultimately taints our entire life.

It’s been said, “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” The slow souring of the soul begins with a single thought, a small compromise, an unchecked influence, and over time, these choices harden into habits that ultimately shape who we become. We don’t wake up one morning dirty and distant from God—it happens gradually—one unfiltered moment at a time.

So what happens when impurities show up? The good news is that while soured milk must be discarded, a soiled soul can be restored—through Jesus, His cross, and the power of His precious blood. In 1 John 1:9, we’re given this promise: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (ESV).

Are you vigilantly filtering your mind and guarding your heart against subtle contamination? Be sure to look to Jesus! The blessed life is not about perfection—it’s about being pure and holy in Him.