September 17, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

The Pre-Teen Messiah

It is a difficult week to set our minds on anything other than very challenging headline news. That makes it the most important time to firmly establish our minds on eternal Truth before applying them to the troubling events of our day. With that as a preamble, I invite you to consider the following scenario:

What would you think and how would you respond if a pre-teen from your community suddenly claimed, ‘I am the Messiah’?

Truly play this out. Think of a 12-year-old from your neighborhood, your church, or even your family. How would you respond if he suddenly proclaimed he is the Messiah?

The answer is self-evident: You and I would both be appalled and utterly unconvinced by the claim, and for good reason. In addition to the absurdity of the claim, we already know the identity of the Messiah!

But consider for a moment the context into which Jesus first claimed to be the Son of God. We find the account in Luke 2:41-52. Jesus is twelve years old. He is just a boy. And yet, when his parents, Joseph and Mary, lose track of Him only to find Him preaching in the temple, He responds to their concern with the ultimate outlandish claim that He is the Son of God: “Why were you searching for me?’ Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

It was one thing for Joseph and Mary to hear this, as they had already experienced the miracle of Jesus’ conception. If anyone would be able to accept this over-the-top claim, it would be them. But the Gospel of Luke tells us that even they did not understand (Lk. 2:50).

If even Jesus’ parents did not understand, how must the rest of those who heard the claim have responded? It seems clear they would respond the same way you would if a pre-teen in your community claimed to be the Messiah. No matter how impressive the child, you and I would respond dismissively at best. After all, it is only a child from your neighborhood. (Note: This truth hits particularly close to home for me, as my namesake Nathanael proclaimed in John 1:46: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”)

So it should come as no surprise that when the pre-teen Jesus from Nazareth suddenly claimed to be the Son of God, virtually nobody believed Him. It would be another 18 years before Jesus would be baptized, recruit His disciples, and begin His public ministry.

What does this mean for you today? It means the God of the universe—including His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, who was left behind by Jesus for the purpose of filling your very being—is as real when He shows up in unbelievable circumstances as He is when He shows up where you expect Him.

He is as real in the heart of a child who believes as He is in the heart of a preacher.

He is as real in heartbreak and tragedy as He is in triumph and rejoicing.

He is as real as a 12-year-old preaching in the temple and surrounded by a community of disbelief as He is the risen Savior seated at God’s right hand (Eph. 1:19-20).

Your God is unchanging. He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8). But He shows up in the most unexpected ways.

He shows up in what seems to be both victory and defeat.

He shows up in mountaintop moments and in times of immense grief.

He is seated forever at the righthand of God the Father. But he was first a pre-teen from the neighborhood.

Have you recognized Him? Have you noticed His presence in your everyday?

There is great strife in our world today. But your God is in the midst of it all, and He is who He claims to be. He is the Messiah!

U.S.

Charlie Kirk Assassinated

Charlie Kirk, 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University last Wednesday. Kirk leaves behind a wife and two young children. The alleged shooter, identified by authorities as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, turned himself in late Thursday evening after his father recognized his son in photos of the suspect released by the FBI.

Analysis and eternal perspective: This horrific story very likely rocked your world. It was a plainly evil act in broad daylight, witnessed by thousands and recorded by many. It was senseless in the mind of any rationale human being, and yet also the latest escalation in a world of politics that has become increasingly violent. It is one of those stories for which there are endless angles that could be analyzed, but in our effort to view all things through Truth and beauty, and in accordance with Charlie’s regular encouragement to make a relationship with Jesus your highest priority, we will confine ourselves to two topline considerations in this space:

1) Jesus is the answer: Four days before he was killed, Charlie posted on X, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.” He also made a regular practice of answering political questions with spiritual answers, and was increasingly focused on encouraging college students to aim for a life marked by faithfulness to Jesus and family.

This is the most important takeaway from this horrible and tragic story: Jesus is the answer. Sound public policy—especially in the world’s superpower nation—matters. It does. It carries with it the power of physical life and death around the world. But it does not dictate your eternal destiny—your relationship with Jesus does. Politics was important to Charlie, and it may be important to you. But it will not save you, and on this point, Charlie was adamant. In recent years, when asked what was most important to him or what should be most important to anyone else, his answer was always the same: Jesus is the most important thing.

Do you know Jesus today? If not, and you want to begin a relationship with Him or have questions, email theequippednewsletter@gmail.com. We would love to introduce you to Jesus. He is the answer, and he defeated death so you can live.

2) Debate and disagreement are essential: There has understandably been a lot of ink spilled the last few days about how to best mend the obvious fissures in society. There is a lot of finger-pointing and countless proposed solutions. Here at The Equipped, we regularly advocate for the idea that freedom to debate and even disagree is essential to a free republic. The absence of this freedom is evident in places around the world where oppression reigns.

Charlie echoed these sentiments when he said: “When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence. That’s when civil war happens because you start to think the other side is so evil and they lose their humanity.” Charlie was killed while walking out this belief. He was engaging with those with whom he disagreed. Quite honestly, it is a counter-cultural act, even in America. But if the republic is to survive, it is essential. You may agree with Charlie’s politics, or you may disagree. Either way, don’t lose sight of the humanity in your political ally or opponent. That person is made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), is loved deeply by God (Jer. 31:3), and is invited by God into an everlasting relationship with Him (Jn. 3:16).

And you, my friend, are the way in which that lifesaving message is intended to reach both your political ally and your political opponent. Keep talking.

World

Bolsanaro Sentenced

The Brazil Supreme Court has sentenced former president Jair Bolsanaro to more than 27 years in prison after his conviction on charges of attempted coup in 2022. The conviction and sentence were met with deeply divided sentiments both in Brazil and around the world. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed displeasure with the court’s actions, and Bolsanaro is expected to appeal before serving any portion of his sentence.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Governments of men—and their leaders—are fallible, and their reign will come and go (Dan. 2:21). All of them. This is a challenging truth to grasp when our preferred leaders are in power, but it is one that is essential for both flourishing and the preservation of our own sound thinking (2 Tim. 1:7).

There is also a universal human instinct to desperately cling to power. As Jesus followers, we must be clear-eyed about the importance of not only resisting this inclination, but also the promise that we will often be out of step with—and even hated by—the world around us (Jn. 15:18-25). This is far from an acquiescence to defeat, and in fact is a liberating force on your ability to be rooted firmly in truth regardless of the political or cultural winds around you.

“He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Dan 2:21).

World

Block Everything

Everyday life in France was significantly disrupted last Wednesday as nearly a quarter million people took to the streets to “Block Everything.” The protests and unrest are in response to President Emmanual Macron’s selection of Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister. Hundreds were arrested, and it is likely that additional demonstrations will happen in the days ahead.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Have you sensed a theme in this week’s stories? Governments of men are fallible. Leaders of governments of men are fallible. Mankind is fallible. You are quite likely to find yourself unaligned with your earthly government at one time or another. The freedom to debate and disagree is essential. But most important of all:

Jesus is the answer.

My friend, this is so critical. The other issues we discuss in these pages matter, but only if we first get this one correct. You need Jesus. I need Jesus. Your political ally and your political opponent both need Jesus. The Good News is that Jesus died for you, me, the men on the crosses on either side of him, and the men who nailed Him to the cross.

He died for all of us, then He rose to life and commissioned you and me to make that fact known in every corner of the world (Matt. 28:16-20).

We in The Equipped family are regularly endeavoring to view all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful, and we do so because we want to impact the temporal for the eternal. It is an important mission worth the giving of your life. But this week, amid stories of chaos and destruction, we pause to singularly focus on the most important prerequisite of our calling:

Jesus is the answer.

Run to Jesus, my friend.

The Beautiful

In its Time

Friends, it is so critical in our age of constant connectedness to intentionally notice and take in beauty. The seeds for these Giant Zinnias were a gift from my mom after Brooke’s mom went home to Jesus. The blooms remind Brooke (and us) of God’s good plan and His faithfulness.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecc. 3:11).

Life on Earth is short. Eternity is long. Jesus is the answer.