#[1 Thessalonians 5:11]; [Acts 4:36-37]; [Acts 9:26-28]; [Acts 11:19-24]
Ashwin focuses on the critical power of encouragement, asserting it's not just a nice thing, but life-changing. He illustrates this through the story of Jesse Owens and Luz Long, emphasizing that encouragement can uplift spirits and change lives, while its absence can lead to breakdown in various aspects of life. Ashwin highlights Barnabas from the book of Acts as an exemplar of encouragement, emphasizing his gift was so prominent he earned the nickname "son of encouragement." Ashwin points out that Barnabas was unselfish, seeing potential in people like Paul when others didn't, helping them see it for themselves, and building them up. Ashwin stresses encouragement is about affirmation, helping people believe in their talents, and notes the world promotes competition when God calls us to give our best without striving to outdo others. Ashwin concludes with a reminder to identify those who need our encouragement and to thank those who have encouraged us, urging listeners to be cheerleaders in others' lives, as it can be life-transforming.