When I was a new Christian, I was asked what my favorite verse was, and John 3:16 was the first verse that popped into my mind. It turned out that most young Christians know this verse alone. It is a wonderfully motivating verse, but when it is left on its own, it can instill within us obedience stemming from fear, rather than transformational obedience stemming from love. The good news is, there is more to this passage. Jesus was never meant to be a bedtime story to scare kids to stay in their bed all night. Jesus instead is a truth that leads us to the beauty of life with God that can begin today as we give our hearts to Christ.
Photo by Sean Dreilinger