Devotional by @texyouthsummit Chaplain @chetcollins7 A Living Sacrifice – Romans 12:1–2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice… which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) Paul begins with “therefore,” pointing back to everything God has done in Christ. Because of His mercy, grace, and salvation, our response is not forced religion—it is a reasonable and fitting act of worship: to give ourselves fully to God. The word translated “reasonable” carries the idea of what is logical, fitting, and right in light of truth. When we understand what God has done, surrender is not extreme—it is the appropriate response. 1. Our Need for Grace “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) God is perfectly holy, righteous, and pure. Humanity was created in His image, but sin caused us to fall short of that glory. We cannot reach God’s standard by effort or morality. 2. Justified by Faith, Not Works Abraham shows us the pattern: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) He was not made right with God by works, but by faith. If salvation were earned, it would no longer be grace. Like Abraham, we are made right with God by believing His promise—fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 3. Christ Died for Us While We Were Sinners “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) God did not wait for us to become righteous. Christ gave Himself for us in our weakness and sin. We are now justified by His blood and saved from wrath through Him. 4. The Gift of Eternal Life “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Salvation is not earned wages—it is a gift received through Jesus Christ. 5. Salvation Received by Faith “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart… thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9) We respond to God’s grace by faith—trusting what Christ has done and confessing Him as Lord. 6. A Life Fully Surrendered Because of all this mercy, Paul says: Present your body as a living sacrifice. Like the Old Testament offering that was completely given to God, our lives are to be fully surrendered—not partially reserved. David, though imperfect, became a man after God’s own heart because he ultimately yielded his life to God’s will. God is still looking for people who will do the same(Acts 13:22). 7. Every Gift Comes from God “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17) Whatever abilities, skills, or opportunities we have come from God. Whether it is the ability to work, lead, teach, or earn—we are stewards, not owners. 8. Human Effort Needs God’s Blessing “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” (Psalm 127:1) We can work hard and develop gifts, but true lasting fruit comes when God is building through us. Without Him, effort alone falls short. Conclusion God has done everything necessary for our salvation through Christ. In response, the most reasonable, fitting, and wise thing we can do is surrender our lives fully to Him. Not just our salvation—but our gifts, work, and purpose become far more powerful when placed in His hands. A surrendered life is not a lesser life—it is the life God blesses, directs, and uses for eternal impact.

Thanks but I think carry on as a Christian in my nation built on the liberty, civil authority, and human dignity, found in Galatians, Romans, and Acts to celebrate its 250th year instead of doing an apostasy.

The Scripture in this document teaches us things that Jesus Christ says are essential. So important that the Bible makes it abundantly clear by repeating it three times. The apostle Paul clarifies what it means to live the way Jesus Christ desires. Matthew 22:36-40 Mark 12:28-31 Luke 10:25-28 Romans 13:8-10 Galatians 5:13,14 Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” Let no debt remain outstanding, except for your obligation to love one another. If you love others, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love others as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Colosseum had a retractable roof, operated by a crew of sailors, almost 2000 years before any modern stadium. It was called the velarium: an enormous awning of canvas and rope that could be drawn across the open top of the arena to shade fifty thousand spectators from the Roman sun. It was so large and so complex that ordinary labourers could not manage it. The Romans brought in sailors from the imperial fleet, men who spent their lives handling rigging and sail, and stationed them at the top of the structure to extend and retract the canvas as the day moved. A building that has stood, roofless to our eyes, for centuries was in fact designed to be covered. That is the pattern with the Colosseum: almost everything about it was way more advanced than it looks today... Construction began around 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian. Once completed, it was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world: an elliptical structure of stone, concrete, and travertine, 189 meters long, rising as high as a modern fifteen story building. It could hold around 50,000 people and the staircases allowed that entire crowd to enter and leave with a speed that modern stadium designers still study. Beneath the arena floor lay the hypogeum, a hidden labyrinth of tunnels, cells, and machinery. Animals and gladiators waited there in the dark. Numerous trap doors opened in the wooden floor above them, and through hidden lifts and ramps a lion, a leopard, or an armed man could rise into the daylight as if from nowhere, in front of tens of thousands of people. The Romans knew that they had built something that would outlast them so completely that the Colosseum became, for the people who came after, a measure of the world's own endurance. In the 8th century, an epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede offered a prophecy that has never lost its allure: "As long as the Colosseum stands, so shall Rome; when the Colosseum falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world." If you enjoyed this, I write a weekly newsletter read by over 50,000 people who love rediscovering the beauty of the past. You can join us here: If you'd like to support my work, a paid subscription is what makes it possible.

A sobering and hopeful reminder as we enter 2026 from Chaplain @chetcollins7 of Texas Youth Summit: The Charlie Kirk Effect Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” As we enter 2026, let us remember what followed Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10, 2025. In the aftermath, a wave of spiritual revival swept across the United States and into other parts of the world. At Charlie’s memorial, more than 100K people gathered. The gospel was preached by J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, and others, all giving glory to God for Charlie’s life. In a moment that moved the nation, Erica Kirk, with tears in her eyes, publicly forgave her husband’s killer. That fall, church attendance increased by 15 percent. Bible sales rose by more than 1 million copies. Stadiums filled with Gen Z and Millennials seeking God, many for the very first time. The Texas Youth Summit saw an overflow crowd of 3,500 packing the event, with young adults and even politicians lifting their hands and worshiping God like never before. So remember, no matter what you have gone through or what you are going through right now, God has a way of bringing you out on top if you turn to Jesus in faith. Stay strong. Stay in the fight. God has good plans for you. Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”