A Message with “No Content”

This morning, while reading my Bible and finishing a devotional that was gifted to me—Directions for Each Day of the Year by Dr. Jim Futral—I came across an entry titled “This Message Has No Content.”

Dr. Futral shared about receiving an email that had nothing written inside. It reminded him of sermons, lectures, or even conversations that are full of words but empty of real meaning. He emphasized that as pastors, preachers, or Christian leaders, our messages should always include three things:

1. An Object – the purpose or focus of our message.

2. An Opposition – the reality of resistance to the message.

3. An Opportunity – the response that message calls for.

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The Object: Always Jesus

This hit home for me. Everything I do—whether it’s speaking, writing a blog post, sending a newsletter, or serving through Merea Ministry—should intentionally point to why I do what I do, and more importantly, for whom I do it.

The object of my message is always Jesus. If women who enter the doors of Merea Ministry don’t see Jesus in my words and actions, then I have failed. My goal is to share the Gospel of Jesus through both word and deed—loving them, walking alongside them, and pointing them to Him.

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The Opposition: Satan at Work

The second part of Dr. Futral’s reminder is sobering: every Christ-follower is in a battle. The enemy will always resist God’s work. Satan does everything he can to hinder our walk with Christ—keeping us from class, distracting us from finishing what we started, or tempting us to give up on the very things that draw us closer to Jesus.

The women who come to Merea Ministry face that opposition too. The enemy wants them to stay away, fail, and believe they can’t change. But Jesus wants to lift them up, set them apart, and place them on a path that glorifies God and leads to eternal life.

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The Opportunity: A Call to Salvation

Finally, every message should offer an opportunity. For those who don’t yet know Jesus, that opportunity is salvation.

Some people think salvation is complicated, but it’s not. The hard part is choosing to live a life that glorifies God—turning away from our old sinful nature and embracing the new life Christ offers.

From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin has separated humanity from His holiness. But in His great love, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, and willingly lay down His life on the cross. On the third day, He rose again and now intercedes for us at the right hand of God. Jesus bridges the gap between our sin and God’s holiness.

So how do you become a Christian?

   •   Admit that you are a sinner, separated from God.

   •   Confess your sin and believe that Jesus died for you.

   •   Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be Lord of your life.

When you do this, it changes the way you think, live, and act. You’re no longer the same—you’ve been made new.

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A Message With Real Content

Unlike that empty email, our lives and our words should always have content that matters. Each message we share should have an object (Jesus), a reminder of the opposition (Satan), and an opportunity (salvation).

May every word we speak and every action we take point people toward Jesus—the One who fills our lives with meaning and hope.

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