Growing in Faith

If you are unfamiliar with Job’s story, let me give you a quick summary: Job was a wealthy man, who some would argue “had it all.” Satan approached God and asked Him if he could ....

“Hold everything with an open hand.” It’s a phrase that has been floating around in my head and something God has been trying to teach me for years. Imagine standing outside with ....

When you are trying to fix something in your life the best thing to do is find the root problem. You must get down to the source of the trouble. The fruit will take care of itself once you ....

One of the challenges of the Christian life is contentment with the race God has given each of us to run. Many of us struggle with our course, obstacles along the way, or envy ....

One of the things many of us in this day and age tend to overlook is our health. I know that I have even been guilty of this. You get so busy with work, kids, social media ....

We call 911 when there's some trouble or emergency. We don't call that number just to say hi or to chat. Our prayer life should not be limited to just 911 prayers. The Lord wants ....

If you hold phosphorus under a bright light, then turn out the lights the phosphorus will glow in the dark. This is a process where energy is absorbed by a substance and is slowly released ....

Are you struggling to cope with anxiety? Do you find you are anxious often? How do you calm your nervousness and apprehension? Don’t give into these feelings and run from the world.

One of the things many of us in this day and age tend to overlook is our health. I know that I have even been guilty of this. You get so busy with work, kids, social media, paying ....

Knocking on the door” is a nearly universal request for entrance. The verb “to knock” is an active action, not passive like waiting around for you to come outside. The verb “to knock,” ....

Imagine your life as a movie. Who would the main character be? In every movie, there are major characters and minor characters. What happens to minor characters is not as ....

Proverbs 2:1-5 (NLT) says, “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight ....

In the Bible, we will see that in at least one case, three strikes mean “You are in!” Three strikes resulted in healing and salvation. God doesn't tell us to go back to the dugout if....

Have you ever had to renovate or tear down a home or building because its foundation was just not strong? Well, sometimes our lives need to be rebuilt too. It’s easy to become ....

We are shaped by the things we see and hear, but more importantly, we are shaped by the things we say and do. We come to believe what we pray. We also come to believe what we do ...

I love lists. I love to cross things off my list. There is something about writing out everything I need to do and then checking them off one by one. It makes me feel like I am accomplishing ....

Mistakes? We all make them. But God can use them for our good and for His good will. Because God governs everything that comes across our paths, no experience is ever wasted.

In the same way as rest stops for road trips, rest stops for the spiritual journey can come in various ways. Each type of stop can place us in the midst of Jesus who calls us to ....

What do billboards do? They represent the company or service or organization that they are advertising for. Whether it's a product, service, or idea - that organization is represented ....

We all know the dangers of a physical diet containing too many sweetsand the outcomes; diabetes, obesity, heart disease, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression. We should equally recognize ....

Our appetites dictate the direction of our lives — whether it be the cravings of our stomachs, the passionate desire for possessions or power, or the longings of our spirits for God.

Leadership is not about exerting power and control but about serving others with humility and love. Jesus, our ultimate example of leadership, taught us that true greatness lies in sacrificial ....

Have you ever had so much that you thought you needed to get done, that rest and sleep seemed like it was never going to happen? Or do you ever find yourself “burning the candle at both ends” ....

"Pass the salt, please." That's a phrase that's commonly heard at the table while eating. Salt is a flavoring that gives otherwise dull and bland food some flavor. It's used for cooking and preserving.

People make promises, committing themselves to do things. Sometimes they follow through on their commitments. But other times, they fail. That failure could be because they never ....

Laughter is a gift from God. Laughter is a great way to stay encouraged. We are all dealing with personal, emotional, spiritual issues. They can weigh us down and get our focus off.

So often we want things now and don't want to wait or endure the pain of waiting or going through it. But endurance is actually a good thing and develops precious fruit in our spiritual lives.

We need to make Jesus our focal point everyday just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, so we must keep returning our focus to Jesus.

Jesus calls us to be as wise and shrewd as serpents, but this wisdom is very unlike the world’s wisdom. Godly wisdom is innocent, gentle, reasonable, peace-loving, impartial and sincere.

When you are tending to a garden or trying to grow a fruit tree you periodically remove the weeds and dead branches that are keeping the healthy crop to grow. You pull, tug, and prune ....

When was the last time you needed to use a flashlight? I am guessing your answer will include some variation of "dark" or "darkness".

On any given day, you probably encounter more darkness ....

The story begins with a man who has two sons. The younger son asks his father for his portion of the family estate as an early inheritance. Once received, the son promptly sets off on ....

What is God’s “umbrella of protection” and how do we stay under it in the home, in the workplace, and in other areas of life?

Picture this, God is standing beside you with an umbrella. Now, it’s not one of those ....

Mistakes… we all make them. Big ones, little ones, ones we think aren’t even mistakes until we look back and realize it was. Sometimes, these mistakes turn into huge regrets.

God is heaven-bent on writing amazing stories in all our lives. God may design some chapters in our lives to be long and delightful, others, far too short, and sometimes painful. But we only see the meaning ....

There’s such deep comfort when someone sees our pain and, even more, sits with us in it when they show up not just that first week, but for the long haul – through our complex emotions and hard questions.

We cannot find our peace and safety in anything in this world. Technological advances that offer us greater ease and luxury in this life cannot give us peace. We cannot find peace or safety in our education, our careers ....

What do we do when we are waiting on God and taking steps of faith, only to come up short, feeling frustrated and defeated. There’s a gentle reminder in Proverbs 3:5-6 ....

When Jesus talks about whitewashed tombs, and when we read about whitewashed tombs – it’s all about how our inside is matching up with our outside. So, why does our inside not always match what is even on the outside?

Our bodies are made to need water daily in order to function properly, well the same goes for you and I spiritually. Our spirits may start to experience some of these same symptoms, spiritually speaking, after periods of time ....

God hears your voice. He says to you, “I know you. I know when you get up and when you lie down. And there is not a word on your tongue that I do not already know.” (see The Bible, Psalm 139:3-4) “Yet, I love to hear your voice.

Mother Teresa said, “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”

Once a week, a truck moves down my street, pausing at every house. Full and sometimes overflowing garbage containers are picked up, emptied into the truck, and returned to each house. During the next week, as the trash accumulates ....

Whether it’s a cup of tea, bathwater, or dinner, lukewarm just won’t do. When any of those are lukewarm, they lose their appeal and they are just not as effective. The same is true of lukewarm Christians. If we are honest, we will admit that at some ....

Not worrying doesn't mean that we should not think about or plan ahead, but that we are not to be anxious. Each day has too many unavoidable worries of its own for us to indulge in worries about the future as well. We weren't meant to carry the ....

The word dwell means “to live in or be an inhabitant of.” Shelter refers to “a hiding place, covering, or protection.” Shadow suggests “shade, comfort, protection, and defense.” And abide means “lodge, live, spend the night.” The words of Psalm 91:1 ....

Weddings take a lot of preparation. You have to set a date, find the perfect place and the perfect dress. You have to make sure everything is the best it can be. We too are going to a heavenly wedding one day. We all are the bride and Jesus is ....

Just like trees need pruning from time to time to remove dead branches or areas where there is overgrowth, you and I need to be pruned or reshaped at different times in different areas of our lives.

It is easy to look at the abilities and successes of other people and want that for yourself. And assume that, because you do not have the talent you see in others, you have little to offer God and His kingdom. But the verse in Isaiah can help us to have a ....

In order to answer that question for yourself, take a moment and think about the various steps you go through to get yourself ready for the day. Clearly we are creatures of habit, which becomes very apparent when we consider the patterns we ....

You don’t become a Christian because you start going to church and doing Christian activities. These things have benefits that can be confused with salvation. These things aren’t bad, unless you believe this is what it means to be a Christian.

No matter how old you are and no matter what kind of career you are in, you need to be learning. Pick up a new skill. Study a fresh topic. Read a new book. Start a new Bible study.