September 23, 2026

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

The True

To the Full

To the full. Just three little words, but they pack a tremendous punch as you endeavor to walk in the fullness of all God has promised you.

The full verse is John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

In John 10, Jesus depicts Himself as a shepherd watching over his sheep (you and me). There are constant threats to the sheep (thieves, robbers, wolves) and there is a life-and-death need for a shepherd who is willing to confront danger on behalf of his sheep. Other would-be caretakers ran away from the danger because their fear was greater than their love (vv. 12-13). But the Good Shepherd in John 10 lays down His life for the sheep (v. 11).

If we stopped the narrative here, the verse would read, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life.” In all honesty, that is still an amazing reality! You and I were vulnerable sheep being pursued by vicious enemies, but the Good Shepherd showed up in order that we might live! It’s a storybook ending, really, and it would be good on its own merit if it ended there.

But it doesn’t end there!

Jesus came to your rescue not just to give you life. He came to give you life to the full!

If you look closely, this is one of the most amazing and beautiful threads in scripture. God is always aiming to give you more than it seems possible…

In Psalm 16:11, He doesn’t just give joy; He gives fullness of joy!

In Ephesians 3:20-21, He doesn’t just do all we ask or imagine; He does immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

In Psalm 23:5, He doesn’t just fill your cup; He makes it overflow!

On and on it goes! The story of the Gospel would be enough if it were only that you and I have been saved from eternal misery and separation from God. Even the use of the word ‘only’ in that sentence is misplaced, because there is nothing ordinary or understated about being rescued from the pit of damnation and instead established as an heir to the throne of heaven! Wow! What more could there possibly be?

And yet, that is the promise. God is offering you not just life, but life to the full (Jn. 10:10).

He is giving you not just joy, but fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11) and joy unspeakable (1 Pet. 1:8).

He is providing not just your needs, but an abundance out of His great love (Ps 23:5, Philip. 4:19).

My friend, here is the distinction. This “extra” that God is offering is not about you claiming what is rightly yours. To be candid, it is not about you at all. It is about the awesome, all-consuming, and outlandish love of the Father that He has astonishingly chosen to bestow on you! He wants to pour out His goodness in abundant measure not because of who you are, but rather because of who He is, and because He has called you unto Himself!

So this week, the gift of life would be good. The receipt of joy would be wonderful. Dreams brought to reality would be amazing. A lack of want would be a blessing.

But why stop there when God is offering you so much more?

He is giving you the fullness of joy. He is moving to do more than you could even dream. He is preparing to give overflow where there is currently need.

After all, He came not just to give you life; He came to give you life to the full! It is time you settle for nothing less!

World

A Deal with Greenland

The U.S., Greenland, and Denmark have a deal, but it is not the long-discussed U.S. acquisition of Greenland. Instead, the three countries signed a deal to afford the U.S. expanded military presence in the country and reaffirm Greenland’s status as a self-determined territory of Denmark. Perhaps most significant is the agreement that no non-NATO military base will be permitted in Greenland. The leaders of the three countries signed the deal during meetings at the United Nations, and Denmark and Greenland will need to ratify it before it can take effect.

Analysis and eternal perspective: From a news and policy perspective, the main takeaway from this story depends on the perspective. The United States will tout the achievement of its main security goals. Greenland will point to stronger security support from the U.S. and retention of its self-determination. Denmark will laud Greenland’s continued status as an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Meanwhile, those who have been supporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland will point to the deal as achieving the most important components of that push, while opponents will assert a deal like this should have been the goal from the beginning.

Even in amicable resolution, the “news” takes on many perspectives depending on the source. It is both a tremendous blessing and a reason for wariness as you navigate today’s information age. The ability to access competing points of view helps ensure the truth is uncovered but the preponderance of viewpoints means you can almost certainly find an outlet to “confirm” your preconceived bias on nearly any story (this will again be relevant in our second story). When it comes to news interaction, this dynamic is critical to keep at the front of your mind.

As a Jesus follower, you can and should take heart that even though one set of facts seems to yield a plethora of “different” stories, you serve a God who “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). It should afford you tremendous reassurance, confidence, and clarity to navigate with your eyes on the unchanging source of Truth.

U.S.

Press Pool Ban

The White House has banned reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico from accessing White House grounds or participating in White House press events. In response, the White House TV pool, which is composed of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC is boycotting coverage of the White House and the president during the ban. The three banned outlets have filed a lawsuit seeking to be reinstated on First Amendment grounds. President Trump responded that it was not a restriction of a free press but rather a crackdown on fake news.

The clash is similar to a previous move by the White House to ban the Associated Press (AP) from White House grounds over a dispute about the contents of the AP’s coverage. The AP also sued in that instance, winning a partial judgement which is currently on hold as the litigation plays out.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Once again, your default view of this story is very likely significantly impacted by your underlying view of the president and the news outlets in question. If you think coverage of the White House by the outlets in question is biased, you are likely to believe the ban improves the accuracy of reporting. If you have a more skeptical view of the president, you likely see this ban as an effort to suppress a dissenting point of a view.

Harkening back to our first story, we as Jesus followers can have confidence in leaning on a single source of Truth. Our God is unchanging (Jam. 1:17; Mal. 3:6), and that gives us a firm footing from which to navigate these sharp divisions.

Next, one of the core protections afforded by the First Amendment is that of a free press (“Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom . . . of the press”). By its nature, the First Amendment assures the presence of multiple viewpoints by prohibiting the government from restricting the press based on the content of its reporting. In order for this protection to mean anything, it must survive even if the reporting in question is of dubious quality. This is yet another reason for those of us on the receiving end of news coverage to interact with it in a considered and discerning way, because for transparency in reporting to prevail it is necessary for even questionable coverage to be protected.

Candidly, this is one of the main reasons we gather as The Equipped community. We take seriously the charge to “understand the times” (Rom. 13:11), but we do so mindful that our interaction with all things of this present world is for the purpose of serving the eternal One (2 Cor. 4:18).

Finally, all Jesus followers should land where we started: What a joy it is to serve an unchanging God!

World

Associate Member

Canada could soon be formally a part of Europe. That is the gist of a new proposal to make Canada the first “associate member” of the European Union (EU). The possibility was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and received favorably by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. It remains to be seen what such an arrangement would entail, especially since Canada is separated from Europe by the Atlantic Ocean, but Canada has a particular interest in exploring the possibility because of its current uncertain trade situation with the United States. The EU has a new trade framework with the U.S. that was agreed to in 2025 but could benefit from a more formal relationship with Canada.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The first order of business is likely to define “associate member.” Once that is accomplished, both Canada and the EU should be able to better determine if such an arrangement makes sense. The ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are likely to loom large over all the negotiations.

It is easy to let the current status quo of geopolitical affairs distort the reality that the balance of earthly power has been constantly shifting since the creation of the world. From our narrow vantage point from the small slice of time to which we have been appointed, a potential change like this seems novel. But if you zoom out, alliances—and changes in them—have been a constantly present and changing dynamic in our world. In this case, it appears the EU and Canada are mostly motivated by economics to pursue a closer alliance, but there are certainly security ramifications as well.

Once again, even in a world that is constantly changing, our God remains the same! The world your children inherit could easily look very different from the world of today. Geographic boundaries, world powers, and economic might could all shift dramatically in the days ahead. But even amid that uncertainty, your God will still be on the throne (Ps. 47:8)!

The Beautiful

The Last Zinnias

It is time to empty the garden! These are the last zinnias of the year and, in keeping with the theme from The True, they remind us of Psalm 65:11:

“You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.”

There are seasons for life’s varied blessings, my friend. They do not look the same at every stage of your journey, and that is cause for taking particular notice of the ones that are present in this very moment. Cherish the last zinnias of the season!