How to Build Strong Character Paul, the author of the letter to the Church in Rome, frequently encouraged the believers in Rome amidst the persecution and adversity they were experiencing. The first half of Paul’s letter corrects some of their thinking, while the second half focuses on their cha

Pray for Who? All throughout Jesus’ ministry, He constantly turned things upside down for those listening. The religious leaders at the time had grown distant from following the laws of God. Jesus’ teaching helped bring them back to the heart of the law, but He often did so through surprising wa

The Peace of God for Anxious Hearts There is a lot of anxiety and worry in the world around us. Many people are worried about the quality of their future, the security of their investments, or the threat of sickness or war. Anxiety and worry aren't just things that happens around us, but

Part of the Plan In the beginning, God created everything. Galaxies and volcanoes, fireflies and diamonds, oak trees and great white sharks. Finally, saving the best for last, He created humans in His image—to fill the earth, reign over its creatures, and cultivate a world that magnifies Him.

Daily Surrender What does it mean to be humble in our relationship with God? There are three things that the apostle James mentions that can help us: submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God. - SUBMIT TO GOD   Submitting to God means coming under His authority. Rather than li

The Non-violent Destroyer What do we consider most glorious in our world? Power? Victory? Maybe beauty or wealth? Our answers will vary, but rarely would suffering and death make the list. Yet when Jesus enters Jerusalem knowing he will be crucified, he says, "The time has come for the Son

Closer Than You Think In one unsuspecting moment, everything can change. A relationship can shatter, a dream can suddenly end. Your heart can break for a million different reasons: grief, rejection, loneliness, uncertainty, tragedy, betrayal. When something terrible happens and the world m

Suffering Redeemed Look around and you’ll quickly identify suffering, grief, and injustice. Maybe you’ve experienced some of these things yourself—a difficult season, a profound injustice, or a deep grief. Suffering rarely makes sense. And the hard truth is: most of our questions regarding su

Reordering Our Priorities The northern tribes of Israel in Amos' time seemed like they were doing all the right things. They offered sacrifices to God and were exact in their religious observations. And yet, the book of Amos is written to them as a warning—a warning that destruction that wou

Seek This First There are plenty of things that fight for our attention. Our time and schedules get filled with people and responsibilities—each with their own needs and urgency. In Jesus’ famous sermon in Matthew 6, He spends time talking about the various things in life that we give our att

A Good Father What emotions come to mind when you think about an earthly father? Regardless of what your relationship with your dad was like, your Heavenly Father is more incredible than you could possibly fathom. “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those w

Forgiveness Empowers Us One of the central aspects of the gospel message is that every human has fallen short of God’s moral standard. We have all sinned, or missed the mark of living rightly. We’ve all messed up, made mistakes, and acted in a way that goes against God’s way of living. Sin se

True Freedom is Here Everyone thinks about freedom differently. Most people would say freedom is a virtue that should be sought, but that idea changes depending on how it’s defined. A lot of people think freedom is the absence of restraints. We are truly free when we are free from things that

Walk As Jesus Did Have you ever asked yourself, “How did Jesus live His life?” “What does obeying Him look like?” “How does He want me to live?”  These are great questions to ask—in order to discover what God expects from those who love Him.  1 John 2:4-6 says this: “Whoever says ‘I know

Love Compelled Him Jesus said a lot of powerful, enlightening, and important things. But there’s one command that sums it all up… “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12 NIV It sounds simple, right? But when we look at Jesus’ life, how did He love? And how ca

What Does God Want? “What is God’s will for my life?” “What is my purpose and calling?” “What can I do to please God?” In the New Testament, Jesus provides the answer to those questions by telling His followers to love God and love people. In the Old Testament, the prophet Micah—empowered b

Our Most Important Work All throughout the Bible, Scripture is abundantly clear that love is at the center of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with everything we are. In John 13:35, Jesus says that people will

Confidence You Can Cling To If a bully—twice your size—is picking on you, you have a reason to fear. But if you have a friend—twice the bully’s size—standing next to you, the bully has a reason to fear.  When you know that someone bigger, greater, and more powerful than your enemy has your ba

God is Faithful We all have to face hard things. It’s not if you will face them, but when. But when those challenges come, you can know that you’re not alone. In Isaiah 43:2, God reminds Israel that His faithfulness doesn’t change with their circumstances. He was faithful in the past, and He

Love Like Him From friendships to family, relationships can be tough to navigate at times. But if there’s one thing that can set your relationships apart, it’s understanding real love. In Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, Greece, he explains that even if you have all the faith,