Grace leaves itself open to misunderstanding, even abuse. But God wants us to experience the life-changing power of His grace. Paul did. He experienced God’s grace when he embraced the gospel given to him by direct revelation from Jesus. Now this persecutor of...
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ...
Fear paralyzes. It catches us off guard. Fear seeks to write a story that robs us of hope and joy. This is why God so often reminds us, “Don’t be afraid.” That first Christmas, shepherds were awestruck at the angelic announcement of a Savior. But they were also...
We’ve seen what can happen when our church gives and serves and loves. We influence our surrounding region in profound ways. But we change too. We get influenced by our own acts of generosity and kindness toward others. But there’s another practice that can literally...
It seems like money is an obsession in our culture. Whether it’s lottery winners or superstars with giant contracts, many people are fascinated by those who “have it all.” Our view of money says a lot about us. And God’s view of money says a lot about God. While money...
With our eyes set on Jesus we’re changing to become Christ-like influencers. But what is the purpose of that change? Certainly, we bring God glory when our lives more closely resemble His Son. But living like Jesus also means we’re able to influence others by the way...
One way to gauge your progress as a person who wants to follow Jesus is to ask whether or not you engage with God every day. Do you instinctively turn to God as a habit and include Him as a normal part of your life? When we understand God makes movement toward us...
Saying, “I give up,” sounds like defeat unless we are surrendering to God. Victory and purpose in life are found when we live like Jesus lived. When we surrender continually to God we admit our absolute dependence on Him. And we acknowledge that our lives are really...
People often try to make salvation harder to get than it really is. Faith alone in Christ alone is the clear teaching of the Bible. But a few verses in the Book of Romans seem to suggest that you must also confess Christ openly if you really want to be saved. What...
Suggest to people that salvation is by faith alone and you’re likely to hear disagreements. Many would say, “Faith is not enough. It must be accompanied by works or it’s not real. So, the person of dead faith remains an unbeliever.” James 2 is a chapter filled with...
Our salvation is guaranteed the moment we believe Jesus for it. But some also suggest that our good behavior or works are required to validate whether or not we’ve got the real thing. A popular understanding of Philippians 1:6 is that we continue to grow and improve...
Sometimes we might assume we understand certain passages in the Bible. Maybe it’s a famous or familiar verse. Or maybe we once heard a sermon that gives us confidence we know the meaning of a particular passage of Scripture. But when we look a little deeper, there’s a...
Life presents us with no shortage of priorities to populate our goal lists. Have you cut through the alternatives to land on what’s most important for you? What’s your number one goal? It’s no surprise that God points us toward a single, focused direction. And baptism...
Think of a list of spiritual practices and close to the top you’ll usually find prayer. Prayer is foundational—even expected on a checklist of spiritual behaviors. But anyone honestly experimenting with prayer has found it difficult, rewarding and even confusing. Try...
In a culture where people clamor for attention and recognition, those secure in Christ have no need of the spotlight. One discipline in particular helps us give both the credit and glory to God. Even when we do good things, we can escape a look-at-me mindset by...
The noise and pace of life can be both intoxicating and maddening. No wonder God reminds us that we can’t cultivate the soil of our lives and grow in Him at dizzying speeds. Growing requires slowing. That’s why the spiritual disciplines of solitude and silence—while...
We receive new life the moment we believe Jesus for it. But in order for that life to be experienced to the fullest we must cooperate with God in our spiritual growth. No one grows passively. When we cultivate the soil of our lives through deliberate, spiritual...
No matter the obstacles or the challenges, God is able to help you in ways you may not expect. At every turn or dead end, He can surprise you with His plans and His presence. What feels like the end may actually be a new beginning. Discussion Questions Everyone faces...
We need food and water to survive. It shouldn’t surprise us that God would choose the picture of these absolute necessities to draw parallels to the spiritual life. And today as we celebrate communion, we’re reminded that Jesus took things a step further when He...
There’s an enemy that lurks just below the surface of our lives. Its influence can be debilitating and even deadly. It may be Evil’s primary tool for rendering us ineffective and defeated. And no one is immune to its whispers. But this enemy can be conquered in ways...
After we realize there is life below the surface, we can then learn to breathe under the water. In other words, we can learn to swim in the real world of our emotions. Being in touch with our emotions means that we understand that our past affects our present and our...