August 23, 2026

What does it mean to truly welcome someone? Not just a handshake or a smile, but a deep, intentional, sacrificial act of making room for another person? That question sits at the heart of this message drawn from Ephesians 5:1-2, where we are called to be imitators of God as dear children, walking in love the same way Christ gave himself for us. The striking truth is that we do not welcome others because they are like us. With roughly 80,000 possible differences between any two people in a room, the odds of finding common ground on our own terms are slim. We welcome others because we are becoming like our Father, and our Father welcomed us first. That reframes everything. Welcoming people is not a personality trait or a church program. It is a spiritual discipline rooted in the gospel itself.