Most of us find it easy to love people from a distance. Up close, with their quirks, opinions and baggage, it gets a lot harder. If you’ve ever wondered whether real connection with people who frustrate you is possible, or whether faith is supposed to be a solo thing, this page offers honest answers from a passage of the Bible written to people asking those same questions.

Most of us have wondered whether we’d still be loved if people saw the worst parts of us. This message looks at a love that starts before we exist, sees the ugly parts, and stays anyway. If you’re skeptical, curious or just worn out, here’s what that love looks like and how it changes the way we treat each other.

Everyone lives by hope. We hope the job works out, the money holds, the kids are okay, the test results come back clear. But if you’ve ever had those hopes crushed, you’ve probably wondered whether there’s anything you can count on that won’t fall apart. This page looks at where real, lasting hope comes from and why it’s different from simply hoping things turn out fine.