Keep The Faith

The Three in ONE — Perfect LOVE This morning my thoughts kept returning to Father God, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit. There is something beautiful about pausing long enough to consider who They are — not just in doctrine, but in presence, in character, and in the way They reveal Themselves to us. Today felt like one of those moments where Their nearness was especially clear.

When Everything Hidden Comes Into the Light Intro: Some stories take years before we’re ready to tell them. This is one of mine. I first wrote parts of it back in 2013 but never finished. Shame held me back. Confusion held me back. Maybe even fear. But today — June 6, 2026 — the Lord brought this unfinished post back to my mind, and I knew it was time to let the light in. I don’t share this because I enjoy exposing my past. I share it because if we do not abide in Christ, we can fall away from grace . And I share it because the Father has made it clear: this story is part of the work He has given me to do. John 15:6 (NASB) “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” The First Time I Gave My Life to Christ When I was about seventeen, my cousin invited me to a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting. Afterward she shared the gospel with me...

Letting God Carry What We Cannot Sometimes the hardest part of loving others is watching them stay in places we’ve already been freed from. When their choices begin to weigh on our hearts, we’re reminded that true change doesn’t come from our effort — it comes from Father God’s timing and His gentle work within the soul. Reflection: Letting God Carry What We Cannot There are moments in life when we see people we care about held down by their own choices — habits that keep them stuck, patterns that dim their hope, and decisions that ripple outward into the lives of those who love them. It’s hard to watch. It’s even harder when their struggle begins to weigh on our own hearts and homes. But there comes a point when we realize something important: We cannot lift someone who is not ready to rise. And we cannot carry burdens that were never ours to hold. This truth echoes a moment in the book, The Shack by William P Young , when Mack...

The Kingdom Way: When People Only Take and Never Give There are moments in our walk with God when His Word gently exposes the patterns that drain our strength and disturb our peace. One of those patterns is the presence of people who only take and never give—souls who draw from others without ever offering themselves in return. The Scriptures speak to this with clarity and compassion, inviting us to walk in wisdom, love, and the steady heart of the Kingdom. The Pattern of a Taker Proverbs gives us a picture that is hard to forget: “The leech has two daughters: ‘Give! Give!’” ( Proverbs 30:15 ) It is the image of a life turned inward—always craving, never contributing. A taker drains the strength of others while refusing to lift their own hand. This is not the way of the righteous, who “give and do not hold back.” Wisdom From the Apostles Paul addresses this same spirit in the early church...

Introduction Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the things we hold onto — the things we save, store, and protect because we’re afraid of what might come. It started with food, and now my thoughts have turned toward money. It’s surprising how easily these everyday things reveal what is happening inside the heart. Scripture Luke 12:16–21 (NIV) The Parable of the Rich Fool 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” 21 “This is h...

The Kingdom Way: Giving, Not Taking Introduction This morning began with an unexpected thought — not about eating food, but about the long path food takes before it ever reaches our table. That simple thought opened a door into something deeper: how we receive, how we take, how we give, and how Yeshua teaches us to see provision in a completely different way. Scripture A passage that anchors the reflection. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” — Matthew 4:4 Reflection A personal moment that opens into spiritual insight. I woke up thinking about food — not the craving for it, but the whole process behind it. As white Americans, we go to grocery stores, buy in bulk, store things in pantries and refrigerators, and then choose what we want when we want it. And far too often, some of that food ends up in the trash. Perfectly good food that someone hungry could have eaten. It feels wasteful, and it says s...

The Tormentors — What Jesus Really Meant Matthew 18:32–35 Short Description: A clear look at Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18 and what the “tormentors” truly represent — not demons, not people, but the inner prison created by unforgiveness. Introduction — A Parable With a Warning for the Heart In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a story about a servant forgiven of an impossible debt who then refuses to forgive a much smaller one. When the master hears of it, he becomes angry and “delivers him to the tormentors” until the debt is paid. For many believers, this phrase raises fear and confusion. Who are these tormentors? Is God sending people into torture? Is this punishment? But Jesus is not describing God as cruel. He is describing what unforgiveness does to the human soul . The Text Itself Jesus ends the parable with these words: “And his lord being angry delivered him to the tormentors till he paid all that was owing to him.” The Greek word for “...

Becoming One in the Everyday Moments Introduction Some lessons from Father God arrive quietly — not in a sermon, not in a study, but in the ordinary moments of life. Today’s reflection came to me while standing in my yard, looking at fallen branches and thinking about what it means to live as One in Father God’s kingdom. Scripture John 17:20-21    New International Version Jesus Prays for All Believers 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Reflection Being in Father God’s kingdom — the place where we all become One — has been on my mind again. It came to me this morning while doing some yard work. My wife and I moved to our current home in February of 2025 to be closer to one of our daughters and her family. We’re both r...

A Journey I Could Not Have Written Alone Every now and then, the Spirit invites us to pause and look back—not with regret, but with wonder. This morning was one of those moments. As I reflected on the path behind me, I realized again that this journey has never been mine alone. The fingerprints of Father God have been on every step, every insight, every word. Scripture “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” — Psalm 118:23 (KJV) Reflection I was thinking about this blog again this morning. I started it on June 6, 2011 — fifteen years ago now. As I look back and read the things I’ve written over the years, I realize something very clearly: this could not have been just me. These reflections, these insights, these moments of clarity… they have been the Spirit’s work through me, far more than my own ability. Everything I’ve learned over these years is now coming together in the Unity Series Hub and in the book The Road Into Father God’s Kingdom ...

[Where We See Brokenness, Yeshua Sees What’s Possible] Some mornings, reflections come from several directions at once — a sermon, a memory, a conversation, even an older post that rises back to the surface. Today was one of those mornings. As I listened to the message from John 9 and later talked with my wife about her own family’s story, something settled deeply in me about how we see suffering, disability, and the quiet dignity of those who carry burdens they never chose. Scripture John 9:1–2 “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” Reflection I was thinking about several posts I’ve written, this morning’s sermon, and something my wife shared afterward. The sermon centered on John 9 , where Yeshua heals a man who had been blind from birth — and He does it on the Sabbath. The disciples’ first reaction wasn’t compassio...

Lead Us Not Into Temptation I was thinking about something in the Lord’s Prayer the other day—something I’ve prayed thousands of times without really stopping to ask what it means. Jesus teaches us to pray: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” And I found myself asking a simple question: Does God tempt us? Would a loving Father ever lead His children toward sin? Scripture gives a clear answer: “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” — James 1:13 So why would Jesus tell us to pray this? The meaning is deeper than the English words The Greek word Jesus uses— peirasmos —can mean temptation, testing, trial, pressure, or a situation that reveals what’s inside a person. So the prayer isn’t saying, “Father, don’t tempt us.” God never would. It’s saying: “Father, don’t let us be taken into a trial that overwhelms us.” “Don’t let us be drawn into situations where we might fall.” “Protect us from th...

Chapter 5 — God All in All There is a promise woven through Scripture that is so vast, so beautiful, and so complete that it almost feels beyond imagination. It is the promise that one day, when the story of this age is finished, when every enemy has been defeated, when every heart has been restored, and when every tear has been wiped away… God will be all in all. This is not a poetic phrase. It is not symbolic language. It is the final declaration of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:28 — the moment when the Kingdom reaches its fullness and the purpose of God is revealed in its entirety. Everything in this book has been leading toward this truth. The Hammer Story showed the beginning of restoration. Entering the Kingdom showed the doorway. Life in the Kingdom showed the transformation. Becoming One showed the unity Yeshua prayed for. But “God all in all” is the completion — the fulfillment of oneness, the restoration of all things, the moment when heaven and earth ar...

Chapter 2 — Entering God’s Kingdom Entering God’s Kingdom is not something we earn, discover, or achieve. It is something offered — freely, lovingly, and at great cost. The Kingdom is open to us because Yeshua opened it. His life, His death, and His resurrection are the doorway through which every person may enter. Before Yeshua came, humanity lived with bent nails — brokenness we could not fix, patterns we could not escape, and a separation from God we could not bridge. We were like the Hammer in the story: trying, failing, choosing the wrong hands, and not understanding why our projects kept collapsing. But the Father did not leave us there. Out of love, He sent His Son — not to condemn the world, but to restore it. Yeshua took upon Himself everything that kept us from the Kingdom: our sin, our shame, our rebellion, our bent nails. Through His sacrifice, He removed the barrier between God and humanity. Through His resurrection, He opened the way into a new kind of l...

Chapter 3 — Life in the Kingdom Life in God’s Kingdom is not simply a new belief system or a new set of behaviors. It is a new way of living — a life shaped by the Father, centered in Yeshua, and empowered by the Spirit. When we enter the Kingdom through repentance and trust, something begins to change inside us. The change is gentle, steady, and deeply personal. The first thing that changes is how we see. We begin to see God differently. Not distant. Not angry. Not waiting for us to fail. But present, patient, and full of compassion. We begin to see ourselves differently. Not as broken tools trying to fix ourselves, but as sons and daughters being restored by the Master Craftsman. And we begin to see others differently. Not as obstacles, threats, or competitors, but as people loved by God, people Yeshua died for, people the Spirit is drawing. This new way of seeing leads to a new way of living. Life in the Kingdom is not lived by our strength. It is ...

Chapter 4 — Becoming One Becoming one is not something we achieve by effort, discipline, or spiritual performance. It is something the Father desires, the Son prays for, and the Spirit accomplishes within us. Oneness is the heartbeat of the Kingdom. It is the purpose behind restoration, the fruit of life in the Kingdom, and the direction toward which all things are moving. Yeshua revealed this in His prayer on the night before His crucifixion. He prayed not only for His disciples, but for all who would believe in Him through their message. And His prayer was simple, profound, and world-shaking: “Father, make them one, just as You and I are one.” This was not a metaphor. It was not poetry. It was not symbolic language. It was the deepest desire of Yeshua’s heart. He prayed that we would share in the unity He has with the Father — a unity of love, purpose, heart, and life. A unity that is not forced, not artificial, not based on agreement or sameness, but rooted in...

Chapter 1 — About The Hammer Story: A Parable of Restoration I did not begin my walk with God as a man who understood His heart. I came to Him the way many of us do — carrying the weight of my own history, my own habits, my own ways of thinking. I came with the tools I had always used to survive. I came with the hammer. The hammer was familiar. It was the way I had learned to deal with life: force, effort, self-reliance, fixing things on my own, shaping my world with my own strength. It was the only way I knew. And like any tool used long enough, it had become part of me. I didn’t question it. I didn’t examine it. I simply lived by it. When I was young, I tried to build things with a hammer I didn’t yet understand. I swung with all the strength I had, but instead of driving nails straight, I bent them. At the time, I thought the problem was the nails. Later I learned the truth: the problem was my understanding. I was using strength without skill, effort without alignment,...

The Kingdom Within A Journey of Restoration, Life, and Oneness in God Written by Wayne A. Koch with help of The Spirit For the glory of God and the expansion of His Kingdom “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” — Isaiah 11 Chapters Prologue — The Hammer Story Chapter 1 — The Hammer Story: A Parable of Restoration Chapter 2 — Entering God’s Kingdom Chapter 3 — Life in the Kingdom Chapter 4 — Becoming One Chapter 5 — God All in All Navigation ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Back to Beginning → Visit the Unity Series Hub Page

The Baptistry at Ephesus and the Journey into God From Stone to Story: The Baptistry and the Life of God In the ruins of St. John’s Basilica at Ephesus, the baptistry still preaches a silent sermon. Its octagonal pool, with two sets of steps descending and ascending, is a stone-carved picture of the journey into the life of God. Becoming One The steps down into the water speak of surrender. The catechumen descends, leaving behind the old life and self-rule, and is immersed into Christ. The steps up on the other side speak of rising into a new identity, joined to His life. Baptism is not just a ritual; it is the first great “yes” to unity with God – a person stepping into His life so that His life may fill them. Restoration The octagon of the pool has long been a symbol of the “eighth day” – the day of new creation. In that shape, the Church confessed that God does more than cleanse; He recreates. He does more than forgive; He restores the image. The baptistry...

The Seven Churches of Revelation Before we explore the Seven Churches of Revelation, it is important to understand the life of the man through whom Jesus delivered this message — John the Apostle. His journey from fisherman to beloved disciple to exiled prophet shapes the tone and urgency of the letters to the churches. The Life of John the Apostle A detailed look at the man through whom God gave us the Gospel of John, the Epistles, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. ← Read: The Life of John the Apostle The Seven Churches of Revelation With John’s life in view, we now turn to the seven churches he wrote to — real congregations in real cities, each facing unique pressures and receiving a specific message from Jesus Christ. 1. Ephesus — Revelation 2:1–7 Main takeaway: A church strong in doctrine and endurance, but drifting from its first love. Revelation 2:4–6 (NIV) 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the...