- Running Your RaceThe life you’re living right now is your one shot. It may sound obvious, but it’s a vital point to emphasize. Our desire to fully express ourselves, to pursue dreams and reach our potential, can lead us in many directions. We don’t just explore; we invest resources, take risks, and follow any path that promises to bring us closer to our deepest desires. Whether it’s a relationship, a career milestone, financial success, or dreams of fame, becoming consumed by what we hope to achieve can sometimes cause us to overlook who we are and what we already have in the…
- The Secret of LivingIn the hustle and bustle of modern life, many seek the elusive secret to happiness and fulfillment. We chase after achievements, possessions, and relationships, hoping they will bring us lasting satisfaction. Yet, amidst this pursuit, the wisdom of ages past offers us a profound revelation—a timeless truth that goes beyond quick thrills and temporary gains. In Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT), God shares this wisdom through the Apostle Paul: “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned…
- Eternal Life, Eternal JoyOne of the most widely known and quoted verses in the Bible can be found in John 3:16(NKJV). It states: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Our Heavenly Father’s love for everyone is unconditional and limitless. It’s not limited to a certain group or to those that appear to deserve it. God extends His love to the entire world, and this extraordinary truth is foundational to the Good News of Jesus Christ as well as to our continued life of faith….
- Giving Praise and Honor to GodWhen we find ourselves in a rut, experiencing a sense of stagnation and lack of inspiration, it may be because we’ve lost sight of both God’s nature and our identity in Him. Many believers, despite professing faith, seem devoid of the genuine enthusiasm that should accompany salvation. They might go through the motions of being a Christian, but deep down, they’re not really feeling that connection between loving God and truly worshiping Him. And if our spiritual outlook hasn’t broadened, then we’re missing out on all the amazing things our Heavenly Father has in store for us. He doesn’t want…
- Feeling Burned outWhether it’s due to overwhelming responsibilities, challenging circumstances, or prolonged stress, in our journey as Christians, we sometimes encounter seasons of burnout. This isn’t uncommon, and almost all of us are vulnerable to it. Workplace stress, facing trials and tribulations, dealing with home life issues and ailments; all of these and more can overwhelm us to the point of feeling drained and exhausted. However, as believers, we have a source of renewal and strength in Christ. Thankfully, he doesn’t ask us to endure difficulty alone. We can lean on the Lord, and he will help us navigate through these difficult…
- Small Things MatterAs we grow and mature in our relationship with Christ, we experience a corresponding increase in confidence and contentment. This growth extends beyond our spiritual life and begins to manifest in other areas, particularly in our significant relationships. What we may not fully grasp is that our growth and maturity are equipping us to impact God’s Kingdom according to His specific plan for our lives. As we intentionally align ourselves with God’s purposes, our significant relationships will gain greater strength. They’ll be fortified by our unwavering faith in 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT) emphasizes the importance of utilizing the spiritual gifts…
- The Battlefield of FaithThe encouragement of the Apostle Paul to his apprentice, Timothy, in 1Timonthy 6:12(NKJV), is so incredibly impactful to our lives. In this verse he says, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Faced with unprecedented darkness and evil of our day, it is exceedingly important for us as Christians to be totally convinced of our responsibility and privilege to have a fully persuaded faith in God. Our purpose for being on this earth is to live abundantly through…
- When God Says It’s Finished, It Is Finished!God’s Word is absolute! It’s the final authority. In the scriptures, He means what He says, says what He means, and everything that He says goes. God never deviates from His Word. The psalmist said in Psalm 138:2(NKJV), “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” The reality that our Heavenly Father sets His Word above His name demonstrates for us the infallible nature of His Holy Word, and His unwavering allegiance to it. Forever etched in the chronicles of human…
- Is Too Much Pride Holding You Back?Genesis 3:6(NLT) says, “The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.” This is the record of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, and many of us think that this is the first occasion of sin rearing its ugly head, but that’s not so. Sin got its start when satan, once an archangel in God’s Kingdom, tried to put himself…
- What Happens When You Lose Your Voice?A voice in the physical sense is the sound produced from a person’s larynx and outwardly delivered through the mouth. It’s the resonance of our vocal cords, and our voices—the sound of our speech—is often used to identify us. Others can know us by the sound of our voices, and this isn’t by chance of course. It’s one of the attributes of our human frame that demonstrates the extraordinary brilliance of God’s thoughts and creative power. Genesis 1:3(NLT) tells us, “Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” Our Heavenly Father used His voice as an instrument…
- Toxic Patterns and Dating MistakesWhen Tabby was ten years old, her father left her mother and her two younger brothers, but she wasn’t sad about it at all. Her mother worked two jobs, and Tabby and her brothers would pick up odd jobs in the neighborhood on the weekends when they got old enough. They were struggling, but her mother’s love for them made their lives so sweet that it didn’t feel like a struggle at all. Her father constantly complained about how unhappy he was when he lived with them. He said that his family was the reason he couldn’t be the success…
- God’s GraceSonship rights are all the rights and privileges we received when we gave our lives to Jesus Christ and made him Lord over them. They are so numerous that we couldn’t possibly name them all, and the Good News is that God has given us sonship rights because of our faith and love for Him. We couldn’t and didn’t do anything to earn them. Ephesians 1:6(KJV) tells us that through His grace and power, He has “made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:7(NLT) says that our Heavenly Father “is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our…
- God Is UnchangeableWe can only rise in life to the level of our believing, so the level in which we are willing to believe and trust God’s Word and the promises it contains will determine the quality of our lives. In John 10:10(NKJV), our Heavenly Father set the standard for the kind of existence He wants us to have. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, tells us in this verse, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.” This is…
- God’s Love Restores RelationshipsFor the benefit of our lives on earth, our Heavenly Father, in His infinite wisdom and grace, has established and provided many types of relationships. He designed them to support and bless every individual from childhood through adulthood. Sometimes we forget that it was Him that established the first marital union, and He made it the starting point that brought all the other relationships into play. Parents, grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, all of them are possible because of the brilliance of our Heavenly Father. In His Word, Acts 17:26(NLT) tells us, “From one man he created all…
- A Future to Hope for“I know I’m going to hell.” One of Christopher’s hanging partners, Jeff, said jokingly when they were all talking about faith in Jesus Christ. Jeff’s grandmother took him to church every Sunday when he was little. It was where he discovered his talent for singing. He loves Gospel music, but no longer has a passion for its message. He indulges as many pleasures these modern times afford him, and although his best friend, Christopher, and their other buddies love the Lord, Jeff says he doesn’t see himself living a Christian life. In the past, Jeff has been the kind of…
- Release the Things That Hold You BackRamona is a successful professional, and she’s been rewarded many times for her congenial attitude and contributions in her workplace. She loves baking and is crazy about fashionable shoes. The love of her life, Bentley, her six-year-old Cocker Spaniel, has been her constant companion since her divorce. While married, she suffered three miscarriages, and her ex-husband filed for divorce because Ramona couldn’t get past the grief. She desperately wanted to be a mother, and after the miscarriages, she seemed to lose all interest in being a wife. The pain of losing her husband and of not being able to carry…
- Don’t Sink into Self-CondemnationRomans 8:1-2 (NLT)“1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Condemned is a word that most of us are familiar with. We might see it stamped in big bold letters on a yellow ribbon that’s wrapped around a building. The property has been closed by local authorities typically because it’s deemed unsafe. It’s unfit for human habitation or traffic, which means that it is no longer useful for the…
- Patiently WaitingIn Genesis 6:13-14(NLT), our Heavenly Father said to Noah, “13 I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! 14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.” Human beings had become exceedingly wicked in all their ways, but not Noah. He obeyed God’s commands and was faithful to Him. Genesis 7:1(NLT) tells us, “When everything was ready, the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the boat…
- The Holy Spirit Is Your Friend, Comforter, Teacher and GuideThe psalmist, King David, prayed in Psalm 51:11-12(NLT), “11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, and during the time in which David lived, the Holy Spirit could only be on a person, but he did not dwell inside a person. This is an important distinction that is very meaningful to those living after the ascension of Christ. The first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, walked and talked with…
- Obedience to God’s Word and WillAll we need to do is look around in nature to see that our Great Big Wonderful God is good and perfect in every way. We can see how magnificently He has ordered every aspect of the universe and woven all things together, each creation functioning to support His divine plan and purpose. so that they function beautifully. Our Heavenly Father is a God of order. Making room in our hearts and minds for this truth will bring us clarity in a very confused world. Obedience to Him keeps our feet firmly planted on the path of His blessings. It’s…