24 minutes | Friday, 3 January 2025
In this episode, Dr. John Neufeld talks about the challenges and beauty of the local church, using the short book of 3 John. He compares the faithfulness of Gaius, who welcomed traveling missionaries, with the actions of Diotrephes, a church leader who sought power. Dr. Neufeld also highlights Demetrius, a faithful believer whose life showed godliness and truth. These examples remind us of the importance of staying faithful in the church, even with its flaws, and how everyday Christians can make a lasting impact by living out their faith.A Portrait of Christian Faithfulness: In spite of its brevity, 3 John provides us with a portrait of what faithful Christians in the early church did when it came to living a life of faith. It is a reference point of what a life of faithfulness should look like—even if we don’t work in full-time ministry. It’s amazing what God can do when we allow ourselves to be taught by His Word! A characteristic of a faithful Christian is someone who fully trusts God with their life without wavering, but what else does faithfulness entail? Does living a life of faith stop inside of us, or is faithfulness a quality that others can see from the outside?