1) Yay, it’s Friday! Welcome to Dr. Dave’s Devotional Diamonds of the Day, also known as DDDD’s. Let’s dive into a couple of classics. This one’s called “Check It Out”. One of the challenges within the church is the urgency to declare the gospel, with the implication that if you don’t accept it, you’re doomed. This approach can be off-putting and doesn’t leave room for individuals to explore and connect with the faith at their own pace. This isn’t representative of how all Christians approach evangelism. There’s nothing wrong with investigating and checking out the faith to see whether it resonates with you or not. If you think I’m wrong, consider Josh McDowell, who approached Christianity to disprove it and ended up concluding that it was true.

2) The next DDDDD is quite remarkable. When Simon meets Jesus, the Messiah, the first thing that happens is a transformation. You might be wondering, “How did he change him?” The answer is simple: Jesus immediately gave him a new name, and with that new name came a new life, a new character, and a new being. Jesus, in fact, is the one who gives us our true identity.

3) Here comes one of my favorite DDDDDs ever. It’s called “Lessons from the Wine.” When Jesus turns the water into wine, there are three extraordinary elements in the teaching. These three elements, or principles, are useful together or individually. But here’s the key: from finances to family, from simple to sophisticated, Jesus is involved in every element of our lives. Thank you, Jesus.