Corbin Riley

"Can you hear me now?" Even with today's technology, we still lose signal — and our spiritual lives work the same way. In John 15, Jesus calls Himself the vine and us the branches. A branch doesn't generate its own life; it receives it. Apart from Him, we produce nothing. But when we remain in Christ, our desires align with His and the Father is glorified through our fruit. Staying connected looks ordinary: reading His Word, praying honestly, trusting Him today. Can you hear Him now?

Most of us have someone we find very hard to forgive — and Holy Week has a version of that person for many Christians. His name is Judas. But before we spend this week nursing contempt for him, consider this: Judas wasn't the only one who failed Jesus that night. Every disciple fled. Peter denied Him three times. And if we're honest — so have we. This Holy Week, don't cast yourself as the bystander. You're in the story too. And Jesus died for everyone in it.

There's a strange thing that happens near the end of a long book. You've invested hundreds of pages, but suddenly you want to set it down — not because it's bad, but because the end feels close enough to count. Lent works the same way. The temptation isn't always to quit at the beginning. It's to quit right before the end. That "good enough" feeling is a subtle lie. You haven't crossed the finish line yet. Keep reading. Easter is worth finishing well.