"GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE," Jacob greeted once everyone was seated.

"Good evening," they chorused back.

"How was your day?"

"Fine," came the collective response.

"You all know why the meeting was adjourned yesterday, right?" Jacob continued, looking around the room. "Yeah, but we're running out of time, and we've barely made any progress. I didn't want to push it to tomorrow, which is Saturday, because I know some of you will be busy, one way or another."

A few murmured agreements and scattered "yeahs" filled the room as Jacob nodded knowingly.

"So, you know what's next, right?" he asked with a mischievous grin. The reaction was immediate: people started hiding their faces, including Nora.

Jacob chuckled. "It's exhortation time," he sang in a playful, teasing tone.

He always insisted on a short exhortation before getting into the drama practice—it was his quirky tradition. The fun part was watching everyone panic, trying not to be picked, and the real entertainment came from frustrating whoever was unlucky enough to get chosen.

"Nora, do us the honor, will you?" Jacob called out cheerfully.

Nora groaned in protest as the rest of the group erupted in laughter, relieved that they had dodged the bullet.

"Can I not talk, please?" Nora begged, glancing around the room with the faintest hope of escape. When Jacob didn't reply, she exhaled dramatically. "I don't even know what to say!"

"Just say anything, anything at all," Joyce piped up cheerfully, earning a sharp stink-eye from Nora.

With exaggerated flair, Nora cleared her throat, already slipping into her well-rehearsed dramatic persona. Did she mention that she was a bit of a drama queen? Well, she was.

"Okay, so for today's exhortation, we'll be talking about The New Birth." She paused, waiting for the predictable hoots and cheers from her friends, and right on cue, they erupted into applause and whistles. Nora gave them a satisfied smirk before continuing.

"So, what does it mean to be born again? Obviously, you don't return to your mother's womb to be born again. No, that would be... awkward." Laughter rippled across the room. "Being born again is about believing in Jesus Christ and confessing that He died for your sins. When you do that, you shall be saved."

"Scriptural references?" Jacob raised a brow, ever the stickler for structure.

"Romans 10:10," Nora responded confidently, nodding toward Itunu, who promptly began to read:

'For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'

"So, to summarize," Nora continued, "being born again is about what's happening inside—your heart and your belief—not your physical self."

The room burst into applause, and Nora, slightly embarrassed by the attention, covered her eyes with her palms.

And just when she thought it was over—bam! the questions began. She inwardly groaned. Oh, shoot me now!

Victor raised his hand with a mischievous grin. "When you say it's not about your physical self, what do you mean by that?"

Nora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Here we go.

"Well," she began, choosing her words carefully, "being born again isn't about how you dress or how you look on the outside. It's about believing in Jesus and being saved. Your faith isn't measured by outward appearances, but by what's in your heart."

Victor gave a thoughtful nod, but his mischievous grin didn't fade entirely. Nora braced herself—he was probably just warming up. "That means we can dress provocatively, anyhow, as long as we believe?" Sarah teased, her mischievous grin widening as the room erupted in laughter. Nora huffed, already anticipating this kind of question.

"Sarah," Nora said with an exasperated smile, "you don't have to dress provocatively. Let me rephrase what I said earlier. Being born again isn't about obsessing over outward appearances. It's about dressing in a way you're comfortable with—just as long as it doesn't deliberately provoke others or become a distraction."

She scanned the room, making sure her point landed. "You don't need to completely change how you dress just because you're born again. Some people expect you to start covering every inch of your body, ditch jewelry, avoid trousers, or give up makeup. But your salvation isn't tied to how you look—it's about your heart and faith. You don't have to make yourself miserable to prove to others you're saved."

The crowd applauded, and Nora allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. It annoyed her how some people loved to pass judgment based on appearances, as though salvation came stitched into fabric or painted on faces.

Andrew, seated toward the back, raised his hand thoughtfully. "Where I come from, being born again means dressing modestly, praying all the time, and following the Ten Commandments. Is that still necessary?"

Nora paused, tapping her chin as she gathered her thoughts. "Good question, Andrew. To fully answer that, we'd need to dive deep into scripture—but since we're short on time, I'll summarize."

She nodded toward the group, starting with a smile. "Let's first look at modest dressing. It's not about strict rules or appearances; it's about honoring God and presenting ourselves in a way that reflects our faith. But modesty is something each believer should consider with a heart focused on God rather than on outward appearance."

She paused, allowing her words to sink in. "As for prayer, yes, it's still essential. Prayer is a way of connecting to God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to 'pray without ceasing,' which means having a constant relationship with God, staying open to Him throughout our day."

Nora looked around the room, gauging everyone's understanding before moving on. "Now, about the Ten Commandments—you're right that they've been a foundation for moral living. But when Jesus came, He simplified the law to focus on love. In Matthew 22:34-40, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He summarized all the laws into two central commands: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

She leaned in, her tone softening. "In these two commandments, Jesus highlighted that love fulfills all the others. When we love God fully, we'll naturally honor Him in our actions, our words, and how we treat others. When we love others as ourselves, we won't do things like lie, steal, or harm them. So, rather than focusing on a list of rules, Jesus taught us to focus on love as the heart of our faith."

Nora paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "So yes, dressing modestly, praying, and following God's moral teachings remain important, but they're driven by love. When we're born again, our faith is no longer just about outward behavior but about a heart transformed by love for God and others."

Nora's gaze scanned the group, eyes sparkling with a challenge. "The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but Jesus came and paid that debt—once and for all. Now, how many of you can honestly say you haven't lied today?"

Silence swept through the room. Not a single hand went up—not even Jacob's, and Nora wasn't surprised.

Then, Lilian raised her hand confidently, a small smirk on her face. Nora arched an unimpressed brow. "See, you just lied."

The room exploded with laughter, and Lilian, realizing she'd been caught, joined in, lowering her hand.

Nora grinned, leaning forward slightly. "Lying is one of those things that often happens without us meaning to. Sometimes, we do it reflexively—maybe to dodge a tough question or to give a simple answer that isn't entirely true. Does that mean you've died every time you lie? Of course not."

Her tone softened, but the conviction in her words remained. "Now, don't get me wrong—I'm not encouraging anyone to lie. The most important thing for salvation is to believe in Jesus and to obey him. Take Cornelius for example, in Acts 10, he was a devout man who feared God and gave alms to people. However, God still sent Peter to him so that he could be rightly saved. So that's to say we're saved by grace—believing in Jesus—and not by works."

People clapped, and Nora couldn't help but feel proud of herself. Hands were still raised for questions, but Jacob dismissed them; time wasn't on their side. "Thank you, Nora. I hope you guys have learned a thing or two?"

"Or two," Tomiwa quipped, sending a ripple of laughter through the group.

Jacob chuckled, regaining the room's attention. "We are The Revealers, and our job is to reveal the Word of God through acting, right? Now, I've told you guys this in the first two rehearsals, but I'm saying it again for those joining us today."

In other words, me, she thought.

"The topic for Sunday's sermon is: The Church. I won't say much on it—that's for the pastor to handle. But our task is to perform a drama centered on The Church."

Jacob ran through the drama plot again, assigning roles and refining scenes. Nora was thrilled with the part she was given and loved how the script played out. The thought of performing on Sunday excited her—she couldn't wait to learn more about The Church and see how their drama would be received.

They laughed and joked through the rehearsal, with occasional moments of frustration, but by the time they wrapped up, night had fallen. Nora lingered for a while, waiting for people taking the same route home. They walked together, chatting, teasing, and laughing all the way back.

Yet somewhere in the back of her mind, Nate hovered like a stubborn itch she couldn't scratch.

Why didn't he and his friends show up at Relish? Was he mad at her for slamming his car door? But he was the one who kicked her out first! If anyone had a right to be angry, it was her.

And yet, she felt an annoying pang of guilt. Why did the idea of him being mad bother her? It wasn't like she wouldn't tear into him the moment she saw him—she totally would. She'd chop his ears off if she had to.

But what if he stopped talking to her altogether?

The thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit. Why was it that she hated his attention when she had it but now craved it at the possibility of losing it?

Why are girls so complicated? she wondered, exasperated with herself. We can't stand someone's attention when they give it, but the moment it's gone, we miss it like crazy.

***

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