In the iconic courtroom scene from A Few Good Men, Colonel Jessup bellows, “You want answers?” to which the response comes, “I want the truth!” His retort is chilling: “You can’t handle the truth!” Satan whispers a similar lie in our ears, shouting that we can’t handle the truth. But that’s a deception. You can handle the truth—because the truth is not just a concept; it’s a person. Jesus Christ declares in John 14:6 (NKJV), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Let’s unpack this powerful statement and discover why Jesus is the only path to true freedom, purpose, and eternal life.

Jesus didn’t come to establish another religion; He came to reclaim His family. He introduced us to God not as a distant deity but as our loving Father. While there’s beauty and even elements of truth in various religions, they don’t all lead to the Father. Religion often focuses on what we do—follow rules, perform rituals, earn favor. But a relationship with Jesus is about what He has done for us.

Religion says, “If I do good, God will love me.”
Relationship says, “Because God loves me, I am able to do good.”

Religion feels like a burden of “having to.” A relationship with Jesus is the joy of “getting to.” He is the way—not a way, but the way—to a life connected to the Father, filled with purpose and love.

Jesus doesn’t just speak truth; He is the truth. In the Greek, the word for truth, aletheia, implies dependability, reliability, and freedom from error. Jesus is unwaveringly trustworthy. You can count on Him. As John 8:32 (NKJV) promises, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
C.S. Lewis famously said Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. There’s no middle ground. When you embrace Jesus as the truth, you embrace true freedom—freedom from sin, shame, and the lies that hold you captive. Satan, the thief, comes to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy,” but Jesus comes to give life abundantly (John 10:10, NKJV). This is a life designed for freedom, not chains.

In Greek, the word for life in John 14:6 is zoe—not just bios (biological life, a pulse), but a life of quality, abundance, and purpose. The Bible uses zoe over 130 times to describe the vibrant, eternal life Jesus offers. Life isn’t just something Jesus gives; it’s who He is. He is the master of life, the source of all purpose and joy.
Every one of us will live forever—the question is where. As John 11:26 (NKJV) asks, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Many of us plan for the next five years, but how many plan for the next 6,000 years? Your spirit, described as “the candle of the Lord,” never goes out—it goes on eternally. Where will you spend eternity?

Jesus was no ordinary teacher. His life backed up His words. He lived with purpose, abundance, joy, and transformation—and He was contagious. Unlike other great teachers, Jesus has the power to impart His life to you. He was always right, yet never self-righteous. He was humble yet powerful, approachable to all—prostitutes, tax collectors, and fishermen felt at ease in His presence.
Today, some who strive for righteousness can become unapproachable, pushing others away. But Jesus, the greatest truth-speaker who ever lived, stood firm in truth while inviting seekers to draw near. People flocked to Him because He was full of truth and the most fully alive person they’d ever seen. As John 3:16 (NKJV) declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This is zoe—not just a pulse, but a purpose.

Jesus didn’t die to give you a better version of yourself; He died to make you a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Without the Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no living.
Ignoring Jesus is like ignoring GPS directions and then blaming the map when you get lost. God’s direction is clear: Jesus is the only path to the Father. There’s no other way, no other truth, no other life. Combining religions or picking and choosing paths won’t lead to the same destination. Jesus alone is the way to heaven.

Father, we come before You, seeking Your truth. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Help us to reject confusion and the lie that all paths lead to You. Today, we choose to follow Your direction. We choose Your way, embrace Your truth, and receive Your zoe life—abundant, purposeful, and eternal. Transform us into new creations, not just better versions of ourselves. Thank You for Jesus, the only path to You. Amen.

I invite you to consider Jesus for who He is: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He’s not just a teacher or a prophet—He’s the Savior who died to give you purpose, freedom, and eternal life. Will you choose His path today? Don’t settle for just a pulse. Embrace the abundant zoe life Jesus offers, and let Him lead you to the Father.

One morning I awoke from a disturbing dream, and immediately fell to my knees to pray.
After prayer, I woke my wife to tell her this dream and it goes a little like this:

I was floating from house to house watching people get ready for church. They were putting on
fake trees, and these trees had all kinds of fruit on them. Some of the trees had apples and
oranges on the same tree. And some even had grapes and bananas on one tree. They were
wiping down the leaves and brushing off dust; oiling them down to make them look good.

The dream jumps to various scenes where the same people are walking into churches, grocery
stores, shopping malls and gas stations. I was watching these people come and pull from their
trees and eat from the fruit that was hanging from the limbs. I saw them eat from these trees and not even realize that the fruit was fake! They could not tell from the taste, texture, smell and even the meat of the fruit that it was fake.

Yet again the dream skips to the homes of these people- sitting there unfulfilled. I saw some
sitting in poverty, in family dysfunction; some were holding their stomach still hungry. They
were empty- having nothing to fill them with the necessary strength to be able to stand in their
situations and circumstances.

In the dream, I began to laugh at these people; saying to myself, "You should have known better. Don't you know what real fruit taste, smells, and feels like?"

And suddenly it hit me- and this is was the disturbing part of the dream. Some people have never tasted real fruit! Some people have never partaken of the fruitful words that come from an anointed worship team, usher, leader in children’s church, nursery leader, pastor or other
ministries. What some Christians take for granted; some people have never had! God help your
people! Matthew 5:17-20 states, "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears
bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

We have all worn a fake face before- the "fake it 'til you make it" type of idea. And this dream
made me examine myself, to make sure I was not doing this to people. It is one thing to be fake
to yourself; but letting people eat fake fruit from your fake trees is reckless. You're not giving
people the real sustenance they need. We should build real roots and bear real fruit so we can
give them what they need. And then where can we direct people to find what they really need?
To the One who sits at the right-hand of God. His name is Jesus!

John 15:4-5 NKJV
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in
Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. - Psalm 138:8

Sometimes I forget the work of my hands. I get distracted easily. I move on to something before I finish the task before. I walk to the fridge and forget why I went there, walk away and then remember "Oh that's what I needed." I can't blame it on age either; it's been like this forever. When I was little, my mom called me "Pokey" after the pokey little puppy who always got distracted on the way home. It can be funny, but it can also be frustrating. Taking twice as long for something to happen.

It can sometimes feel that God is distracted in the middle of the work you're waiting on Him to finish. It can feel like He got sidetracked blessing someone else or taking care of something "more important" or just plain forgetting about you. I use the word feel because this is, in reality, just a feeling and this verse reminds us of it's fallibility. He will fulfill His purpose. He will finish what He started. His love is steadfast and He will NOT forsake the work of His hands.

He's not sidetracked or distracted. He is intentional: Fully aware and involved. He is actively working. If the process is taking time, there's a reason. He is infinite, but He is very aware of the finite. He knows every detail about the work and He is taking the time to accomplish every purpose, every lesson, every opportunity for You to see His glory, and everything you need. Usually things you didn't know you needed, too. He will finish the work. Stop putting a timeline on a timeless God. He is active. Trust him.

While your waiting, don't forget to walk slowly through the journey. Notice the little things He's already doing: Learn every lesson. Love every person. Worship Him for His intentional act. He is for you. He knows what He's doing, let Him do it.