What would happen if, for just a few minutes, we set aside all of our reservations, all of our excuses, all of our hesitancies, and what if we got curious? What if we simply asked the question, “Jesus, would you teach us to pray?”

How do we experience life to the full? Is it possible? Could we potentially be overcomplicating it? Jesus himself said that, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b, NIV). But what does that mean? How are we to actually experience this life to the full?

I was 12 when I met my friend Fishback. His real name was Michael, but everybody called him Fishback. It was a typical 90-degree Tennessee Summer Day, and I had made my routine two mile walk from my house to the local YMCA for a day’s worth of pickup basketball.

Every single one of us has been created with incredible detail. From the color of your eyes, to the length of your toes, to your ability to draw, or write, or put a ball in a hoop, to mix elements in a lab, or solve complex math problems, or to understand computer programming, astrophysics or engineering. Each of us have these unique gifts and abilities that stem from the calling or purpose that God has placed on our lives. What’s yours? I mean, deep down, isn’t that what we’re all truly craving to know?

How do we become person of character? Of integrity? It’s a question many of us want to know the answer to, but quite honestly, aren’t willing to put the work in to discover. The process of character-building is a long, slow, process. But, it is possible and necessary in our walk with Jesus. So, how do we become such a person? How do we grow our character?