Trials. Challenges. Hardships. There will always be tough stuff in life. So what is there to do? God tells us to let go, and trust Him completely.

Playing favourites is nothing new. In fact, the Old Testament story of Jacob and Esau describes a family torn apart by favouritism. Parents and teachers today can learn from this family story—favouritism causes division that continues for generations.

If you could be any animal, which one would you choose? No one ever chooses to be a sheep, and yet that’s how we’re described in the Bible. We are all like sheep needing a shepherd. And we have one—Jesus Christ. He guides, protects, and keeps us in the right rut.

The first four verses of I John, which serve as a preface to the letter, represent a grammatical knot.