faith

If you’ve experienced a full immersion baptism, I know you came up from the water feeling completely changed. In that moment you were, without question, one with God. For most however, that complete transformation gradually fades as the enemy uses the challenges of this world to chip away at...

As followers of Jesus, we have reason to celebrate every moment of every day. We were lost and now have been found. From the moment of our salvation, we have been safely in the hands of Jesus guided by the Holy Spirit. “Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this...

Regardless of our transformation from lost sinner to loved children of God, our lives can continue to be difficult. There is no guarantee of safe passage through this life for Christians. In fact, suffering is one of the elements we are to endure as a test of our faith. “Consider it all joy...

Take a couple of minutes right now to celebrate God’s love and mercy. We are so undeserving, yet God has provided us with a Savior. Let’s take some time today to praise God for his willingness to set aside all of our misdeeds when we acknowledge his Son and seek to follow his teaching...

You may not need a list of reasons to worship God but it’s inspiring to go over some of the scriptures that point the way. The Bible repeatedly instructs us to worship God. This instruction is so often repeated we should arrive at the understanding that worshiping God is as important to our...

The Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 is a prayer for spiritual wisdom – something we all need. Paul starts on his knees, demonstrating sincere reverence for God. He goes on to acknowledge God’s awesome power in our lives. Paul is asking God to fill the church with his presence, moral...

This world has no excuse. The extraordinary complexity of the earth and all of its components, including all forms of life and all of the amazing forces of nature that work together in harmony, demonstrate beyond any logical reason that there had to be a designer and creator. Likewise, the way...

God is in control. As believers, we know that God is in control. Even in our darkest days we stand firm in our faith, trust God’s mercy, and know without question he is in control. All of the weight we carry as part of life in this world is supported by God’s mighty hands. Our personal...

Many today make the claim to be a Christian (like-Christ), yet they are trees without good fruit. Jesus warned us of these false believers who make the claim, but it is all talk. “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their...

As you well know, those who identify Jesus as the Son of God and put their trust in his death and resurrection as payment for their sin, receive salvation leading to eternal life with Jesus. The evidence of this transformation into a child of God and a true member of the believing community is...

The Pharisees were well known for judging the actions of others. Jesus was not against judging between good and evil; Jesus was against assigning motives to someone else’s actions. “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” Matthew 7:1 (NASB) Jesus used what I think is a really funny...

I think we all have a tendency to want a pat on the back or at least some measure of recognition for the good things we’ve done. While this may be a natural inclination ,it does pose an element of danger to our spiritual well-being. There is a chance that we may begin to glorify ourselves and...

There are lots of things that can distract us from worshiping God – a busy schedule, a negative experience at church, an inability to find the right church or group to worship with are some of the reasons many people cite. Some say that they don’t need a special time or place to worship God –...

I came across this chart in my study Bible today and thought it rang true and might be valuable to others. The premise of the chart is that this is one way to evaluate spiritual maturity. Of course, what’s lacking in this chart is step-by-step direction on how to reach maturity; however, the...