From the Home Place

January 20, 2026

When I got up at 4 a.m. the outside temperature was 20 degrees, after an hour of study, I’m now writing this note at 5 a.m. with a temp of 15 degrees. It always gets colder before daylight!

This morning’s study started in Ephesians 2:1-3, stop and give it a good read.

We don’t have space to do a detailed study of all of the words mentioned within these three verses, so please allow me to summarize: Every person who has ever lived, or ever will live, has sinned against other humans and ultimately has sinned against GOD (Romans 3:23). Sinning is the result of living in the environment we live in, a world under the jurisdiction of Satan. As sinners we are spiritually dead and as such, we need a Savior, Verse 4 – “But GOD!”

Because of God’s “mercy”, His not giving us the damnation we deserve, but instead showing us His “great love.” A love that sent His Son, Jeus Christ, to the cross as the sinless One who paid the price for our “trespasses and sins.” Now you can go to the Gospel of John, Chapter 3. To keep John 3:16 within its proper context, one must begin reading in verse 1. Here we find a man we shall call Nick, asking Jesus how he can get into heaven, to which Jesus responds in verse 3, “I assure you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Why “born again”? Because the moment we sin, we die spiritually (now read Genesis 2:12). Because we have all sinned (Ephesians 2:1-3), we are all spiritually dead, thus the need to be re-reborn spiritually.

Just as your physical birth has an exact date, so should your spiritual birth. You see my friends, I fear that we have mistaken knowing about God, as knowing God. Let me state that a different way: In today’s culture, a person can know a great deal about God and yet not have been “born again.” Information does not equal transformation. Look at Luke 7:21-23, knowing about Jesus, and even doing the works of Jesus. does not mean that a person knows Jesus, or even more importantly that Jesus knows that person.

To be “born again” is to humbly, with a repentant attitude, request entrance into heaven through faith (not works; Eph. 2:8-9) in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the complete payment for an individual’s sin.

When a person is “born again” they are declared righteous by God Himself! As such, said person now has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, much like the relationship between a child and its mother. It becomes a relationship of dependence, based upon love. Here, it is the love of God that overflows upon the spiritual babe, and now John 3:16 becomes way more than a poster at a football game.

If I have caused you to grind your teeth with this writing, please note, I’ve attempted to be true to Scripture by keeping all Scripture within its original context. Remember, it always gets colder just before daylight. I’m praying that the Holy Spirit will light up our lives spiritually with His word!

Conclusion, do you know Jesus through a personal relationship with Him (being born again) or do you just know about Him (information)? It’s kind of the difference between knowing about having a baby and actually having a baby. One is a dream based upon information, while the other is a reality based upon love.

By the way, March 17, 1982, is when Miss Deb and I were both “born again.”

Rejoicing in Christ with you, Neal