The Sweetness of Patience Have you ever plucked fruit prematurely? Perhaps you were drawn in by its vibrant color or sweet scent moving through the air. But when you took the first bite, you realized it lacked the ripeness you anticipated. Everything seemed right at first glance, but there wa

Be Strong and Courageous When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church, he was writing to believers experiencing intense division. Power and politics within the church community were causing Christians to stray from Jesus’ teachings and compete with each other. Because of this, th

Called to Love You’ll never fully agree with another person—because there’s not a single person just like you. That means there won’t be anyone with your exact viewpoint on life, politics, money, relationships, or religion. You are unique, and so is the person next to you. But even though

Walking in the Light Have you ever walked in darkness? Maybe your power went out during a storm, or you were stranded on the road with car trouble. Walking in darkness can be scary, and it can be dangerous. Having a light makes everything better, and the same is true in our spiritual journeys

Keep Doing Good Do you remember the last time you were completely exhausted? Maybe you spent your entire day or week working on a hard project. Maybe you felt depleted after helping other people in your life. Or maybe hard situations and setbacks made you feel like giving up. All of us grow tire

Here’s What Mercy Really Looks Like… What would you do if you ran into someone who offended, upset, or greatly wronged you?  The Pharisees in Jesus’ time taught that it was excessive to forgive someone more than three times. But Jesus’ teachings set a standard for extravagant forgiveness. He

A Mindset of Abundance Do you know someone who constantly pours themselves out? They’re generous with their words, unselfish with their time, and openhanded with their money. And yet, somehow, they always seem to have more to give. The author of Proverbs, traditionally attributed to King Solo

The Three Figs: Prayer, Belief, and Forgiveness Have you ever heard of an object lesson? If you’ve ever taught children — in school or in ministry — the chances are high that you have, or that you’ve at least done one without knowing. If you haven’t, an object lesson is a teaching metho

Living in God’s Love Have you ever met someone who was exceptionally kind and caring? Good friends are like this—welcoming, eager to know how you’re doing, giving their undivided attention. A good friend reminds us who we are. They listen to everything, the good and the bad, with compassion and

The Need to Pray for Bible Translation (Isaiah 60:3) God's heart beats for the nations. He wants all people to experience the hope of Jesus. The Gospel brings the light of truth wherever it goes— transforming lives, communities, and entire nations. Yet nearly a billion people still lac

The Path to Success There are many definitions for success in today’s culture. For some, success is defined by the number of accomplishments we’ve made, or the number of possessions we’ve attained. Jesus’ definition of success is counter-cultural. It has nothing to do with our accomplishments

What Living Well Looks Like If you’re a good athlete, it shows every time you compete. If you’re a fantastic cook, the truth comes out in the kitchen. If you have a brilliant mind, you can’t help but solve problems. If you have a stunning voice, such talent can’t stay hidden.   We might presen

Always Dependable Do you ever feel like life has knocked the breath out of you? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s no secret that this world is full of both beauty and trouble—of good things and hard things. King David, whose life was recorded in various parts of the Old Testament, was hi

The Empty Pursuit of More Greed. It wears like an invisible cloak, blending seamlessly into the fabric of modern culture. It silently seeps into our desires, clouds our judgment, and distorts our values. Greed always seeks more—more validation, more status, more comfort, more things.  But

The Invitation to Wait What are you waiting for right now? Maybe it's clarity about a decision. A relationship to change. A door to open. A difficult season to end. For many of us, life feels like a series of waiting rooms...and we don't tend to sit in them very well. We live in a cult

Immeasurably More What's the boldest prayer you can think to pray? Or the most incredible thing you can dare to imagine? Did you know that God can top it? Paul said it like this: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that

The Power of Life and Death Think of a time you said something you regret, or were the target of undeserved gossip. Now, reflect on a situation where you encouraged a friend who was hurting, or felt the life-giving effects of someone else’s words. Words matter. Your words matter. And God has

Pursue What Matters Most In the book of Romans, Paul begs Christians to give their entire lives over to God because God sacrificed everything for them. Jesus gave up His life so that we could experience His unending love and grace. We cheapen His gifts if we refuse to align our lives with the

Promises of Comfort One of the hardest truths to reconcile in the Christian life is the presence of evil in the world God created. Whether we’ve seen evil, or evil has been done to us, it is hard to make sense of why God would allow evil things to happen. The truth is: the world we live in i

Practice Makes Progress When we’re in difficult situations, it isn’t easy to stay calm or hold our tongues for very long. But in James 1:19, we learn how we should respond… Be quick to listen. Be slow to speak. Be slow to anger.  The world is more like the opposite: Be slow to hear